Page 53 of Flint
I gesture towards the far side of the room where my workbench is. “Whatever this is about, let’s talk about it privately.” The two of them move over to my work area. I step over to the door, turn the lock, and flip the sign over to say closed. By the time I get there, Onyx has his laptop open on my workbench.
“What’s this all about, cuz?”
“Jules had her bank accounts frozen this morning.”
Jules gasps. “I don’t understand. Why would my bank do something like that?”
“I checked on that for you. Your accounts were put on hold secondary to suspected fraud.”
“How could that be? Did someone try to access my account? I’ve heard of banks shutting down accounts to protect the client’s money.”
Onyx shakes his head. “Someone deposited stolen money into your checking account yesterday using an ATM in Long Beach.”
Both Jules and I are stunned. I feel my anxiety start melting away, and something hardens in my chest.
“Whoever this was, they used her account number and the last four digits of her social,” Onyx explains calmly. “The bills they deposited matched the serial numbers from a bank robbery in Inglewood.”
Jules finally lowers herself onto the stool beside my bench. “That’s a long way from Cedar Falls, and I was here this whole time. I’ve not left Cedar Falls since I arrived weeks ago.”
“Hell, Inglewood is north of LA, which would add another two hours to a four-hour drive. The bank must have realized it wasn’t her. Don’t they have video surveillance?”
“Yeah, the LAPD are pulling it even as we speak,” Onyx responds.
“So why has no one contacted me?” Jules asks.
“I’m guessing they know it wasn’t you and flagged it as suspicious. Did anyone contact you? Your bank might have tried emailing, sometimes it goes into the junk folder.”
“What’s going to happen to me?” she asks, while scrolling through her phone.
Onyx takes a deep breath. “Your bank flagged the account for a human review. Whoever was eyes-on made a referral to law enforcement, which in turn was sent to the feds. Depending upon what they find, they’ll likely want to interview you.”
“What do you mean by the feds?” I ask.
“The FBI. Bank robbery is a federal crime.”
Jules tears up, and her bottom lip begins to tremble. That’s enough to get me moving. I come up behind her and wrap both arms around her shoulders. She leans back against me and turns her face into the crook of my arm.
“Tell me this wasn’t those fuckin’ mobsters,” I say.
“Who else would it be? I already double checked the location and discovered the ATM they used sits in a strip mall owned through a shell company connected to Anthony Terrance.”
I begin grinding my teeth without meaning to.
Jules begins to cry.
“They can’t physically get to her,” Onyx explains. “Not while you and the club have her under lock and key. So, it makes sense that they’re trying to apply indirect pressure. It’s not gonna work though. I spoke to Morgan before I came here, they know you didn’t deposit the money.”
“They know we got our hands on that sedan, and they’re messin’ with Jules to get at us.”
“I’m tired,” Jules whispers. “I just need it all to be over.”
“Hey,” I say, tilting her face up again. Her eyes are scared, and it hits me that I should be leading a full-frontal assault on the Terrances instead of waiting to get an ID on the victim from the trunk. I can’t prioritize finding him over protecting Jules.
“You two aren’t dealing with this alone,” Onyx states firmly. “The club is here for you. Jasper thinks the two of you need to close up the shop again and come back to the clubhouse where we can protect you.”
“What do you think?” Jules asks quietly.
“I agree with Jasper. The Sons compound is a fuckin’ fortress. My old man designed it for moments like this.” After a pause, he continues, “The two of you were happy at the clubhouse. Coming back under the club’s protection shouldn’t be a hard choice.”
