Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(41)

“I don’t know what you can do, Doug, since it is his money. I just came to you for advice. Ross threatened me when I said I’d put all the money he’d given me back in his checking account and he’d have to go to the bank himself to withdraw it.”

“How much money did Ross want to withdraw?”

“A hundred thousand dollars, exactly what was in his safe deposit box.”

“The bank won’t be open until Monday, Hannah.”

“I know that, but Ross wanted me to contact you personally and get the money for him.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No. Even if I wanted to, and I don’t, I couldn’t give you that money, Hannah.”

“Why not? I put it back in his account.”

“I know you did. I helped you make the deposit. But it’s not in Ross’s checking account any longer.”

Hannah was confused. “But . . . it was there a week ago! What happened to it?”

“We’re a small bank, Hannah. We don’t keep that much money on hand in our safe. It’s a matter of bank security. If someone wants to withdraw a large sum in cash like Ross does, we have to request the funds and wait for the cash to be delivered by armored truck.”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. “I guess that makes sense. So the money is there, but . . . it’s not physically here?”

“That’s right. We don’t take any chances with sums that large. What if someone robbed our bank and broke into our safe? Or there was some kind of natural disaster that destroyed our safe and its contents? If that happened, the physical cash could be lost. It’s a lot safer at the central depository. That’s a much more secure location.”

“Yes, I suppose it is.” Hannah was silent for a moment, and then she thought of another question. “How about the money that Ross put into my checking account? I transferred that to Ross’s checking account, too. It was seventy thousand dollars. Is that still here?”

“No, we keep enough cash here for normal banking business, but not for withdrawals of large amounts in cash. Does Ross know he can’t get his hands on that cash immediately?”

“No. I explained about transferring the money to his checking account, but I didn’t realize that the money wasn’t here and he’d have to wait for you to get the cash. He was really angry when he found out that the bank wouldn’t be open until Monday.”

“No doubt.” Doug sighed. “Is Ross coming in on Monday to try to withdraw that money?”

“I don’t think so. He expects me to do it for him. Mike warned him not to show his face around Lake Eden because people here were really upset about the way Ross treated me. Mike told Ross that if he came back to Lake Eden, he couldn’t guarantee his safety.”

“But Ross came back anyway.”

“Yes, but he came back so early that none of the other businesses were open and most people were still sleeping. He told me he needed the money. That’s when I told him that I’d put all that money in his account. And that’s when he accused me of trying to get him killed!”

“Did Ross say that his wife was going to kill him if he didn’t produce the money?”

Hannah shook her head. “Not exactly. He didn’t say who was going to kill him, just that someone was.”

“Makes sense. I’d guess that Ross is involved in something bigger than a troubled marriage.”

“So what do you think I should do?” Hannah clasped her hands together tightly in her lap. She was beginning to feel very afraid and she didn’t like that feeling at all!

“I think you’d better watch your back. And I think you’d better tell Mike exactly how you feel.”

“I did that. And Mike decided that I needed bodyguards round the clock. Norman’s sitting outside in his car right now, waiting for me to come back from talking to you.”

“Good. Did Ross sound desperate when he asked you to come to see me and get the money?”

Hannah nodded. “Yes, he called me on my cell phone last night and I could hear it in his voice.”

“What do you think he’s going to say when you tell him that I wouldn’t give you the money and that he has to come in here to sign a withdrawal slip to request it?”

“I . . . I’m not sure, but I know he’s not going to be happy!”

Doug closed his eyes and Hannah knew that he was deep in thought. When he opened them again, he had a slight smile on his face. “Do you mind if I go out to the sheriff’s station to see Mike? I have an idea that might work.”

“What is it?”

“Bait Ross with something that you don’t think he’ll go for.”

Hannah was surprised at Doug’s response. “But what would that be?”

“Suggest that he write a check to his wife. She can deposit it in her account and Lake Eden First Mercantile Bank will honor it immediately.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I’ll approve it myself.”

“But . . . what if he says that he doesn’t want to do that?”

“Then give him the alternative.”

“What’s the alternative?”

Instead of telling her, Doug posed another question. “It’s clear to me that Ross is afraid of someone who might harm him, perhaps even kill him unless Ross gives him the money. Do you think that’s the case?”