The narrow corridor full of local artwork fed into a small patio where there were four black iron chairs, a mosaic glass table and baskets of colorful flowers hanging from a garden arbor. It was a tranquil setting, only made more beautiful by the rolling landscape beyond.
Before speaking Cathy reached into her pocket and pulled a small envelope out.
“Jack, Dana gave me this a couple of months back. She told me that if she didn’t show up here for several days in a row and you came looking for her, to give it to you.”
“What is it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t open it.” She glanced at it as if expecting him to open it there. Cathy gave a pained expression. “I heard about the fire. I tried to phone Dana on her cell but it just went to voicemail. I even took a drive over there. Is she okay, Jack?”
“You haven’t seen her?”
“No. She’s usually here by midday, Monday to Friday.”
“When was the last time you spoke to her?”
“On the day you left for your trip. She seemed upbeat, and excited about her work.”
“Anything else?”
She shook her head.
“Thanks, Cathy.” He nodded and turned to head out.
“Jack, I’m not one to pry but if she’s in trouble, and there is anything I can do, just let me know.”
He nodded. “Listen, I’d appreciate if you keep this letter between us.”
Cathy gave a strained smile as he walked away. Jack waited until he was back on the main street before he tore the envelope open. Inside was a scrap of paper with the address for a safe deposit box in the Wells Fargo Bank. He flipped over the paper but there was nothing on the other side. There were no instructions just the words:
WELLS FARGO
SAFE DEPOSIT BOX 212
620 Mountain Village Blvd
What the hell? Jack stood there for a minute or two as pedestrians passed him. It was busy on the street and on any given day he might have paid attention to those around him but in that moment he was lost in thought. He fished out his phone and dialed for an Uber to take him to the bank, which was twenty minutes east of the main stretch, not far from Heritage Plaza.
It took only five minutes, give or take, for a driver to show up.
After getting dropped outside, he handed the guy cash and headed in. A line of four people waited to be served while another three stood in front of cashiers. Jack approached an older woman sitting behind a central desk that handled new accounts, and scheduled bank appointments. As he approached she peered over her specs at him and gave a warm smile.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Yeah, I have a safe deposit box here. It’s 212.” He slipped the note across the counter. She glanced at it then lifted her eyes.
“You opened this, sir?”
There was no point lying, instead he simply replied, “My girlfriend did. Dana Grant.”
“We just need some identification, and then I’ll check to see if she has you designated as someone that can open it.”
He pulled out his driver’s license and she got up and disappeared out back. He expected one of two things to happen: either they would turn him away and say that he would need Dana with him or they’d call the cops. His pulse sped up a little as he watched her converse with another bank employee. They looked at him and then she returned. “Okay, if you want to come this way.”
Surprised, he followed her. Why hadn’t Dana told him about this? Especially if she had put his name down as someone who could open it. The woman led him out back into an expansive room of steel drawers. “There are client rooms off to the right if you wish to use one. If you have any questions just let me know.” She gave him a key and left him alone. Jack began scanning boxes for 212. After locating it, he inserted the key and pulled out a standard sized steel box. He carried it out into one of the private client rooms and set it down, eager to see what was inside.
Chapter 4
His heart hammered as he opened the lid and gazed at the contents. Inside were multiple items: several stacks of cash, her passport, a yellowed stack of old newspaper clippings, a small tablet and a Glock 22 with a fully loaded magazine. He’d taught Dana how to fire a gun a long time ago because she’d specifically asked but she’d never mentioned buying a gun. Jack thumbed through the old clippings, scanning the headlines. Many of them dated back over twenty years, all of them were about unsolved deaths. What were you looking into? He set them down and took out the tablet. He pressed the side button and it blinked to life, a white glow emanating from the screen. A few seconds and it loaded a screen full of icons. There was one with his name on it. Jack tapped it and a video expanded to full screen.
Initially the footage was shaky as she tried to adjust the camera.
It was Dana, and from the background she wasn’t in Telluride.
It was daytime, crystal blue skies; there were lots of people.
But where was it?
She looked panicked, out of breath and was sweating. She kept glancing over her shoulder at the crowd of people around her.
“They’ve found me, I don’t know how so I’ll make this quick. Jack, I know we promised not to keep secrets from one another and I had every intention of telling you,
