Visitations by Jonas Saul Page A

decided I couldn’t wait any longer and headed outside just as the two robbers entered the building. I was lucky enough to get out when I did. I heard something going on inside the bank and turned in time to see a man shoot a girl in the head. Then he saw me watching him, and shot through the window at me. I fell to the snow and then got up and got away. I came here because my husband was in a car accident.”
     
    The cop crossed his arms. “There’s a few things that are confusing me.”
     
    Rebecca frowned and stammered, “What’s that?”
     
    “First, you say you couldn’t wait that long. The girl who was killed was the only one in line, according to the teller. You say there were two robbers. We only have one dead robber still at the bank. A witness a block down said he saw a woman matching your description jumping some kind of fence and running down another street away from the bank. The guy upstairs says there was another robber. He said it was a woman. She has the same hair and coat you’re wearing. Can you explain that?”
     
    While he was talking, his partner had placed his hand on the butt of his sidearm.
     
    “What are you saying? Are you saying I’m involved somehow? That’s ridiculous. I ran for my life. That guy upstairs shot at me. I almost died. My husband saved my life.” Her exasperation was showing. She couldn’t help it.
     
    “Your husband saved your life? How could he do that? You said he was here after having a car accident.”
     
    The cop’s arms unlocked. He stepped forward.
     
    “Wait, you’re not listening. You don’t understand… no, wait.”
     
    The partner had stepped behind her and pulled both her hands behind her back. In a flash, cuffs were slapped on.
     
    “Wait, this is wrong.”
     
    “You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney—”
     
    “Wait!” she shouted. “I didn’t do anything.” She stopped when she saw Mark. He was standing ten feet behind them. He smiled.
     
    Rebecca felt the cop follow her gaze. She was sure he saw nothing because he looked back at her with confusion written on his face.
     
    Mark motioned for her to bend over. She frowned. He motioned again, but this time he showed her, bending at the waist. When he stood up, he raised three fingers. Slowly, he lowered the first. Then he lowered the second.
     
    The cops moved her. They said something about taking her downtown to tell her story. She caught a glimpse of Mark dropping his third finger.
     
    Rebecca ducked with everything she had, bucking hard.
     
    A gunshot rang out. The cop to her right dropped to the ground, blood leaving his head wound as fast as a fountain.
     
    A siren sounded throughout the hospital.
     
    Another gunshot and the other officer dropped just as fast, blood oozing from his left cheekbone where a bullet hole ruined his staunch features.
     
    “I knew you’d tell the first cops you encountered.”
     
    Rebecca looked up and saw the robber limping along with the use of a crutch. A large white bandage was wrapped around his thigh, his pant legs cut to just above the wound.
     
    “You couldn’t help yourself, could you?”
     
    Rebecca edged closer to the police officer lying dead beside her. She needed to get to his gun “What did you do to my husband?”
     
    “He’s dead. Are you fucking stupid? I couldn’t walk away with you two knowing my secret. The stakes are higher now. I’ll still walk away, but the death toll will be higher. Although that’s not my fault. It’s yours.”
     
    He lifted his weapon. The hospital alarm blared. Rebecca eased the last few inches over and felt the cop’s holster. She wrapped her hand around the gun and got ready to pull it out.
     
    “Wait, don’t shoot. I can explain,” she said.
     
    He slowed, looked at her with an expression on his face that said, are you crazy?
     
    “How could you explain ? Explain what? You die. I disappear. I’m free. That’s all there is. No