joan ryley, to the rescue. (rationale) wrote in noircity, @ 2014-11-01 02:30:00 |
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That morning I got in the car because I woke up at the same time my alarm clock would've gone off if I'd bothered to set it and realized I have no idea what I'm supposed to do on mornings I don't need to get in the car. Because I spend most of my time following people, and if I don't have anyone to follow around I spend all day getting followed around by that eerie feeling in the nape of my neck like I forgot to do something important like eat lunch or brush my teeth. So there was nothing for me to do but find someone to follow. I found him near the corner of Nelson & 9th, hobbling down the street with a newspaper folded and tucked under one arm. He was shorter than I'd pictured him, when I'd managed to get the description out of my sister. His suit was cheap, nothing to look at. War veteran. There are a hundred men in every state with a limp like his. I didn't get off the car to ask if his name was Frank Boer. I just knew it was him, so I followed. From a distance. I didn't care if he noticed me but I'd care if he told my sister about it. I was following him for her sake but I knew she wouldn't want to hear that. She hadn't, last time. She'd told me following people without their knowledge or consent bordered on the criminal. But I was just a woman sitting in a car. I only happened to be driving at a speed that allowed me to keep an eye on my sister's boyfriend walking down the street. Nothing wrong with going for a drive around town while other people go about their business, especially in the morning. Once you're awake mornings drag on forever if you have nothing to do. Frank had something to do at United Savings & Loan. When he went into the bank I stopped the car across the street. He didn't see me. Well, there was nothing to see. I was just a woman sitting in a car. A tap on my window. |
"We missed you, Ryley. It's been almost a week since your last infraction." Joan glanced at the officer's badge, for the sake of formality. She recognised the voice before she saw the badge, or the face. "I'll get the full week yet. I'm not breaking any regulations right now. No streetlights were injured in the parking of this vehicle." Officer Stanton grinned. "Maybe, but this is restricted parking. We keep an eye on cars stopping in front of the bank." "In case I'm waiting for my partner-in-crime to run out with a sack full of money?" "You'd need at least two, Ryley. You and your driving are paying all of our salaries." Across the street, Frank Boer left United Savings & Loan. He carried no bags of money, only the same newspaper as before, tucked under the other arm. Joan turned the key in the ignition. "I'll let my partner-in-crime know before the day of the heist," she said, and pulled away. In the rearview she saw Officer Stanton wave goodbye and take out a notepad to jot down vehicle details he knew from memory. |