Terminal

“I . . . I’d just finished delivering the bank’s weekly water supply, and picking up the empty bottles. My truck has been having trouble with the oil— got a leak in it. Been asking the maintenance department to fix it, but they couldn’t find their ass with both hands and a flashlight. So I checked the oil level before I went to the next stop. I got my hands dirty so I came back into the bank to wash them. Normally the bathroom is for employees only, but Keith said it was okay. I was in the bathroom washing my hands when I heard the shooting. I was scared and didn’t know what was going on, so I hid inside the janitor’s closet. I . . . I called the police on my cell phone, and then I called my dispatcher at work, and told them to call the police too. I tried calling my wife too, but she wasn’t at home. I’d just hung up with the police a second time when your partner caught me.”

“So you talked to five-oh twice? What did you tell them?”

“Not much, really. Just—”

“Careful,” Sherm warned. “Don’t you fucking lie to me, Lucas. I’m still hungry.”

The deliveryman glanced at Sharon and Kim, and swallowed nervously. Blood ran down his face. He licked his lips and continued.

“I-I t-told them that the bank was being robbed, that there was shooting and that there might be some people dead or hurt. I didn’t know how many of you there were or how many people were inside. That’s all. They asked me a bunch of questions but I couldn’t answer any of them because I was in that dark closet and couldn’t see anything. So they told me to sit tight. Said they’d get me out of here. The second time I talked to them, they told me that the Quick Response Team was on the way from York and that everything would be okay. Look, let’s be reasonable. What was I supposed to do, given the situation? I was scared.”

I needed another cigarette. Not sure what to do with the cell phone, I slipped it into my pocket.

“What do you think, Sherm?” I asked.

He exhaled and shook his head.

“No problem. We’re not going to sweat this. If they were going to rush us and try to take the bank based on what this asshole told them, they’d have tried it by now. We stick to the plan. We’re okay for now.”

“John’s not okay, Sherm.”

“I know that, dog. I meant other than him, we’re okay. That cool with you?”

I nodded.

Lucas looked at Sharon.

“Where’s Keith? A little while ago, when I was still in the utility closet, I thought I heard—”

“You’re not asking the fucking questions,” Sherm spat, “so sit back and shut the hell up. Don’t worry about Keith. He’s taken care of and he ain’t going nowhere.”

He lit up another cigarette, took a deep drag, and when he spoke again, it was with a much calmer tone.

“Tell me something, Lucas. Did your truck have oil in it?”

“W-what?”

“The engine? You know, that big thing under the hood that makes the truck run? You said that it had been burning up oil and that you’d been having trouble with it. So when you checked it this morning, was it okay? Does it work?”

“Yeah, it runs. Maintenance worked on it some. Burned about a half quart, but there’s still plenty of oil in it.”

“See? Now we’re getting somewhere. And it’s the one that’s parked out back, next to the Chinese restaurant’s garbage Dumpster?”

“Yes.”

I remembered seeing the truck when we’d rolled up in John’s car. It seemed like years ago now, rather than hours.

“Are the keys still in the truck, or do you have them on you?”

“I have them with me. They’re in my left pocket.”

“Good.” Sherm smiled. “Shit, this is perfect. Let’s go take a look and see what we got. You’re going to stick your head up to the back window and tell me how many cops are swarming around your truck and our car?”

“There is no window,” Sharon interrupted. “The only way to see out back is to open the fire door. But if you do that, you’ll set off the fire alarm.”

“Where do you guys go to smoke, then? I didn’t see an ashtray out on the front sidewalk.”

“No, there isn’t one. The girls go . . . out back.”

“So I’ll bet the alarm is disengaged during the day, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she reluctantly admitted. “Keith turns it off so Kim and some of the other girls can smoke outside. He doesn’t want them doing it in front of the bank. The company that owns the mall doesn’t allow it, and Keith worries that it might offend some of the customers.”

“Well, no problem then, as long as the alarm is off.” He grabbed Lucas by the arm and dragged him to his feet. “Come on, man. Let’s go check out the situation with your truck.”

I was confused, so I spoke up before he could leave.

“Sherm, what the hell are we gonna do with his truck?”

He shoved Lucas toward the vault door and turned to answer me.

“I told you that I’d find us a way out of here, right? Well this is it, dog. This is our ticket home. We use a few hostages as human shields, slip out the back door, and make our getaway. If we can’t make it to our car, we use his truck. Then the cops come in and get Carpet Dick some help. Sound like a plan to you?”

I shrugged.