Chapter 17

HOPE GLANCED ATthe screen and noted the amounts in the accounts. The everyday was petty cash, but the digits in the main savings account made her heart twist in her chest. So close to her dream. So close to everything she’d ever wanted. She needed to play it cool now. She touched her eyebrow as a muscle began to twitch there.

“Um, so it says heeeere…” The young man frowned and clicked. “Says here this is actually a joint signature account.”

“What?” Hope choked.

“Right here.” The young man turned the screen toward her, tapped its glossy surface. “When you and your husband opened the account, you made a provision that you could only extract more than a thousand dollars from this account if you both came into the bank and signed for it.”

“Fuck!” Hope blurted. She covered her mouth. “I mean, oh, dear. Um.”

“You don’t remember making that provision?” the young man asked. Hope scratched at her throat. “No, I don’t.”

“Where did you open the account?”

He turned the screen back toward himself while Hope shifted in her chair.

“Oh, God, it was such a long time ago.” She laughed. “Look, let me get a thousand dollars, and I’ll get Ken down here to empty the main savings with me some other time.”

“Right.” The young man was looking at her very closely now. Hope turned her face away, glanced at the people waiting in line at the counter. “Would you like to empty the everyday as well? That account is yours alone.”

“I know that,” Hope snapped. She shoved her hands into her lap. “I’m sorry. Yes. I know that. I’ll empty that account, too. Mmm-hmm.”

The young man made some movements with his mouse. While he clicked and scrolled, Hope watched his face, until his eyes slid over and met hers.

“All right?”

“Yep.” Hope smiled.

“All right.” The young man got up and gave a cheerful smile. “I’ll be back in just a minute.”

Hope could hardly wait for him to count out the bills. She grabbed the money and her cards from the desktop and practically ran to the door.

In the street she paused and looked at the men and women passing by, their eyes on their phones. She’d hoped no one else would have to die for her plan to be completed. But something inside told her that more blood would be needed to wash away the life she was trapped in.