chapter 82
LUCILLE CALLED WALTER and asked him to bring the guys to her apartment as soon as possible. He detected a bit of trepidation in her voice, but she wouldn’t elaborate, even after being asked twice. He said he would be there as soon as he could find them.
It took Walter several minutes to round up the guys. Sebastian had been drinking coffee and eyeing a Wilson Combat CQB .45 ACP at Steve Barnett’s Fine Guns, a couple doors down. Bernard had been flirting with the owner of Rose Drugs while she attempted to take inventory.
Lucille opened the door the moment Walter knocked. The old men filed inside. Lucille swiftly looked up and down the hall to ensure no one was snooping. She then quickly shut and locked the door. Sebastian sensed her anxiety and quickly looked at Walter. Lucille was rubbing her hands as she started to pace when Walter said, “Lucille, talk to us—tell us what’s going on.”
“It’s gone,” she blurted.
“What’s gone?” Bernard asked as Walter rushed to where the bags had been.
“The money,” Walter said, looking at the empty floor where over a million dollars in cash had very recently been sitting.
“That’s right,” Lucille said with a deep exhale. “It’s all gone.”
“How? What? What happened to it?” Sebastian asked.
Walter watched Lucille’s eyes, and she prepared to answer Sebastian’s question. Bernard scratched his head in confusion. Sebastian wondered if someone in the room had betrayed everyone’s trust. He looked at Walter.
Lucille said, “I ran some errands, like I always do on Mondays, and when I got back it was gone.”
“When is the last time you saw it?”
“Before I went to the store.”
“Even the Kroger money?”
Lucille was about to cry. “Yes. It was all here to count and organize.”
Sebastian rubbed his head in frustration. He wanted to scream. Bernard was still confused. Walter studied Lucille, who was now sitting at the kitchen table.
“Where’s Bailey?” Walter firmly asked, biting hard on a cigar.
“I don’t know. She left early this morning.”
“Have you tried to call her cell?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“She doesn’t answer.”
“Did anyone else know about the money?”
“No.”
“Could she be at the Gold Mine?”
“She doesn’t work on Mondays.”
“Where does she usually go on Mondays?”
“She’s been goin’ over to the W.”
“What’s that?” Walter asked, still unfamiliar with much of the area.
“The Mississippi University for Women. It’s in Columbus.”
“It was the first university for women in the United States,” Sebastian added.
“She’s takin’ a course?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Only once a week seems odd for a schedule,” Walter stated.
“I don’t know,” Lucille replied weakly. She feared Bailey had the money but also wondered if one of the guys had broken into her room and taken it.
“Can’t we call the police?” Bernard asked.
Everybody glared at Bernard.
“No, Bernard. We can’t call the police. We stole the money first!” Walter said loudly.
“Shhhhh, my neighbors will hear us.”
“They can’t hear it thunder.”
“We need to stay calm and figure this out,” Walter said.
“I’ve figured it out,” Sebastian said. “Haven’t y’all ever heard that the second mouse gets the cheese?”
Bernard’s eyes lit up. “’Cause the first mouse gets whacked by the trap, so the second mouse is safe to take the cheese.”
“Exactly. With no worries of gettin’ caught,” Sebastian replied.
“You’re saying we’re the first mouse,” Walter said as he tossed his chewed-up cigar into the trash.
“Yep, I’m saying not only do we not have the cheese, but we don’t have any legal options.”
Walter sighed as he looked around at everyone. Lucille was crying. There was a mixture of confusion, anger, and distrust. He said, “We need to talk to Bailey. I hate to jump to any conclusions.”