Page 141 of Out on a Limb
Andrew continued to frown, but the next turn he took was in the direction of the bank.
He parked in the same spot as before, only this time he shut off the engine. “I’m going in with you.”
“Good.” I might not be completely traumatized by what happened today, but I wasn’t so interested in going anywhere alone just yet.
So maybe I was a little traumatized.
Andrew grabbed my hand, looking both ways before pulling me toward the doors, keeping me close at his side.
I looked toward the room where the boxes were located. The woman who helped me earlier wasn’t there, but an older man was. He smiled warmly as I approached.
“I’d like to get into my safety deposit box.” I held up the key that kept my mouth from saying all sorts of things to Alan.
“Of course.” He stood from his chair and opened the door, letting Andrew and I go into the room first.
He pulled out the same ledger as before, lining it up on the table just like the woman did earlier, before handing me the same pen.
Only this time, I signed a different name.
Mine.
He took the signature sticker back to the podium and compared it to the two they had on file.
Mine and my grandmother’s.
It’s why my granddad and Alan couldn’t get into the box. They needed a woman.
And I was a little upset that Alan picked a prostitute to play the part of me. It had to be why he wanted to bring Linda on. He thought she would be able to learn my signature the same way I’d learned my grandma’s.
Of course this was all just speculation, but I would call it more of an educated guess.
It was a terrible plan.
Because while I trusted my grandmother enough to sign anything she put in front of me, no questions asked, I did not trust Alan or my granddad in the same way.
Obviously, considering they tried to get me to sign something less than forty-eight hours ago.
The man came back, key in hand and followed me to the box. We opened it together and he stepped back.
“Ring the bell when you’re finished.”
I didn’t wait for him to leave before I pulled out the box.
I already knew what was inside and didn’t care who else knew.
It was about to be very public anyway.
Andrew stepped back, moving away like he intended to give me privacy.
“Come here.” I set the box on the table. “You’re going to crap your pants when you see what’s inside.” I lifted the lid and pulled out the envelope, smiling at my grandmother’s handwriting. I held it his way.
His eyes fixed on the envelope before moving to my face, brows pulled together.
“I have a theory going.” I’d had a decent amount of time to think about this while I sat at the station, waiting to give my statement. “And it’s kind of depressing.” I pulled out the papers in the envelope and laid them across the table.
Andrew inched in a little, his eyes snapping from one paper to the next before jumping to mine. “You own the garden.”
I nodded.
