Ronnie raised his arms in surrender. “Alright, you win. You’re the boss.”
Roxxie huffed. “Damn. I was hoping I’d be leaving here with a new pair of panties.”
Vivian nodded. “Nice to see you have some intelligence. That being said, this is a give and take relationship. You make some contributions to the city, and the more I’m willing to help you. As of right now, you don’t have a drop of credit. Don’t expect any help from me, either with the law, or people like Roxxie here.”
Roxxie laughed. “Well, I won’t get to flatten you today, but there’s always tomorrow.”
With that, the roo hopped away. Ronnie gulped as he reached into his pocket and held out the envelope to Vivian.
“I was sent here to give you this. No offense, but I’m eager to get out of here.”
“None taken.”
Ronnie left the building, nearly breaking out into a run. The sooner he could get out of here, the better.
LINE BREAK
Today was the day.
The master key in his pocket almost felt like it was red hot, but he knew that was just in his head. The opportunity had fallen right into his lap. Texas was out on a stakeout out and April was staying late to finish up some paperwork. That left him with the perfect chance.
Night had fallen over the town. The moon and stars cast their low but steady light across the west, but there were still plenty of shadows to cloak him. He slinked between buildings, trying to balance stealth and being inconspicuous. The streets were mostly empty. There was only an occasional drunk stumbling their way home from a tavern.
The town only had one bank. It was small, but every door and window was reinforced. Breaking in would be impossible. Luckily, he didn’t need to. He made sure the coast was clear before he snuck his way to the door. He fished the key out of his pocket and unlocked it with a satisfying click. He poked his head into the door, but the shadowy reception was empty.
He stepped in and quickly made his way behind the counter. The bank vault doot towered over him. The heavy duty dial at the center would make it impossible to open if you didn’t have a key that was. A much smaller keyhole was built into the door. Licking his lips, he stepped closer and inserted the key. It took a bit of **** to open, but it clicked with a solid clink.
Barely holding back in anticipation, he heaved the door open. Dozens upon dozens of lockboxes lined the wall, each no doubt filled with valuables. At the center of the room, with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
Ronnie’s shoulders slumped as he could only manage to say six words.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
LINE BREAK
The next few days went by in a blur. Before he knew it, he was standing before a judge, a heavy set dog woman with watchful eyes.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say we both know how this is going to end with you. Do you have to add to your defense before your sentencing?”
Ronnie suppressed a grimace. The court case had not gone well. He’d assumed Texas had believed him hook, line, and sinker. She had spent days investigating his past. She had built up quite the case, linking several of his crimes together, even those before he even set foot in Gold Springs.
“I’m waiting,” the judge said, annoyed.
He had to think of something fast to get out of this. The question is what.
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