Lost and Found

Last lines of Chapter 6-B

   Detective Brennan whispered to Amanda, “Any luck?”

   “They're doing a procedure on him as we speak and they'll call me back as soon as they're done. But, get this! The ambulance that just arrived came here to pick up the teller, Gertrude La Scola. She's still alive, but one of the paramedics said that could change.”

         See Character List below
     

Chapter 7
                  
Lost and Found

       Sterling locked one of the entrance doors. Before he could lock the other, a second ambulance pulled up, cold. No sirens, no flashing lights. The vehicle swung past the entrance then backed up to the doors.

   The driver jumped out and said, “Where can I can find a Mr. Sterling?”

   “I'm he,” Sterling said, "but you're too late.”

   “Did you call another ambulance service?”

   “No. One just showed up, out of the blue.”

   “Well in that case, I'm going to need a check.”

   “But there's no one to pick up.”

   “Doesn't matter. You called us, we came. We don't care if the person was just pulling a practical joke or came back to life. We still gotta get paid. If we don't get paid, it will be your body we pick up.”

   Worried about how this would appear to onlookers, Sterling decided to cooperate. In a barely audible tone, he said, “Okay. Give me an invoice and I'll send you a check.”

   “On the phone, you mentioned something about a robbery. Did they clean out the vault?”

   “That's confidential information. Come with me. I'll write you a check instead, right now.”

   The ambulance driver walked into the bank, followed Sterling to his office, sat down and said, “I changed my mind. It's gotta be cash.”

   “Then, uh . . . we've got to take a walk.”

   Sterling locked his office and led the driver to the interrogation room. Detective Doherty joined in. Sterling didn't explain the situation to her. She knocked on the door. Captain Brennan opened it.

   Amanda spoke first. “Captain, the ambulance picked up the teller, Gertrude La Scola, and is taking her to the nearest hospital, but we were told she might not make it.”

   “I'm sorry to learn that. How does this man fit in?”

   “I want you to arrest him for extortion,” Sterling said.

   “How so?”

   “He arrived too late to pick up a body, but insists I still have to pay him.”

   Brennan stared at Sterling, then, at Amanda. Is she thinking what I'm thinking? he thought. At that moment, both Captain Brennan and Detective Doherty realized that Sterling may have murdered Trudy by simply delaying the call for an ambulance.

   Brennan said to the driver, “How much is the bill?”

   The driver said, “A thousand dollars.”

   “I thought you'd say something like that.” Brennan turned to Sterling. “Give him five.”

   “Five dollars?”

   “Five hundred or you'll need the ambulance for yourself.”

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      Character List:

George S. Brennan: Police Captain.
Amanda Doherty: Police Detective.
Floyd Tucker: Teller One.
Joan Berkowitz: Bookkeeper.
Gertrude (Trudy) La Scola: Teller Two.
Rose Anne Zito: Phone receptionist."
Eric MacNamarra: Accountant.
Jamal Jefferson: Custodian.
Herman Sterling: Bank Manager.