Two Wrongs for Money

I knew I shouldn't have done it; Lindsay thought. Why did I?! It had been three years but her actions finally caught up with Lindsay. "We have the video footage of you;" Detective Rice stated. "You were there at that bank a week before the robbery! You're just as guilty as Frankie Romano!"

Lindsay knew the surveillance video was damning. 'Fired Up' Frankie was the head of the Romano syndicate. She shouldn't have crossed paths with him but it had been unavoidable. Maybe if she talked first, she could get some sort of protection. "Fine;" Lindsay said. "If I tell you, I want some assurance this won't backfire on me." Detective Rice's neck muscles tensed as he struggled with his choices on how to proceed. He needed all the information to build a case to convict Frank Romano. Without Lindsay, that might well be impossible. "Allright;" he said. "We'll talk to the DA about what kind of deal we can make, but I need you to tell me everything."

Three years ago, Lindsay had been an accountant in Romano Reccords, the city's most lucrative music studio. Back then, Lindsay had decided to stay late to finish balancing the company's accounts. She had just clocked out and started walking out to her car. A scream echoed briefley through the parking garage before it was quickly muffled. Lindsay, a little alarmed and curious, looked in the direction she heard the sound coming from.

Two men, one with his hand over a third person's mouth, struggled to shove their captive into the back of a black sedan. Lindsay had been digging for her phone in her purse when she felt two gloved fingers tap her on the shoulder.

"If I could get a moment;" the man in the dark suit said. "I would like something from you." Her brain fought her mouth to get words out. "What's that?" She asked quietly. The man's expression remained neutral as he answered. "My employer, Mr. Romano, would greatly appreciate your silence;" he said. "He has authorized me to pay you to pretend you didn't see me or my associate do what we were doing." Money was very tempting. "Do I have a choice?" Lindsay asked. She didn't want to be an accomplice to anything. Suit, as Lindsay had decided to call him, paused for effect. "Well, if you don't accept our money," Suit said. "You will be obligated to join our companion in the car and share his fate." Lindsay, figured whatever they planned on doing to their prisoner, she probably wouldn't survive. "Okay," she said. "I didn't see any of this."

The gentleman brought out a check book and pen from inside his suit jacket pocket. He wrote swiftly with his pen, ripped out the check and handed it to her. "Thank you for cooperating." He said, shaking her hand before walking away. Lindsay had hoped that would be the only encounter she had with sketchy events.

"So what?" Detective Rice interrupted. "Taking a bribe to look tbe other way doesn't make you look very good. It also doesn't tell me what I need to know. Why'd you case the bank for Romano?" Lindsay let out an irritated sigh. "I'm trying to explain;" she said. "Just let me get there."

It had looked like life would continue as normal. Lindsay had left Romano Reccords for a book keeping job at a law firm a few months after the incident. Nothing happened until a week ago.

She had been on her way to make a deposit at the local Resouce One Bank. Standing outside the doors was the same lackey who had handed Lindsey the check three years ago. She was about to turn around and leave when he called out to her. "Please stay where you are;" he said. "I need to ask you for a favor." Terrified, she waited for him to come to her. "I haven't told anybody;" Lindsay said. "I promise--" Suit interruped. "We know;" he said. "But because you accepted Mr. Romano's money, he feels like you are his asset now."

"What does that mean?"

"It means he can make you do what he wants."

"What does he want?"

"Mr. Romano has been watching you;" Suit said. "Mr. Romano knows you use finacial services here. He wants you to case Resource One Bank; so that we can aquire their resouces to fund our opperations."

Lindsay's stomach churned with nerves. It made her uncomfortable to know that Mr. Romano still knew who she was and had eyes watching her movements. She may not have told anyone, but she still remembered the man who had been forced into the black car. His severely rotten, dismembered remains had been found in a swamp just outside of town. Lindsay knew refusing to do what Frankie asked would end up with her similarly disposed of.

"How do I get the information to you?" She asked. Suit handed her a burner phone. "Call me on this;" he said. "You'll find my number printed on the label attached to the back of the phone. Dump the burner in the trash once you're done using it." After telling Lindsay this, Suit vanished into foot traffic.

Lindsay complied, noting where the cameras were, how many guards on duty, where the tellers went at end of shift and all other details she felt Frankie Romano might want to know. Then she completed her transaction, even though she knew the bank was going to be robbed. It would be weird to just walk out not having done anything.

Once Lindsay was outside, she walked to the nearest street corner and dialed Suit's number. She relayed what she had learned, then hung up. As she walked to her car, Lindsay put the burner phone in a convenient trash can.

Unfortunately, Lindsay had not only looked right at one of the bank's cameras, she had also been seen by a traffic cam talking to suit on the phone. Once forensics had analyzed the footage, they had told Detective Rice who Lindsay was, and where she lived. Lindsay had then been brought into the local precinct for questioning.

"Now do I get a deal?" Lindsay asked, tired of talking about her stupid mistake. "From what you told me, Lindsay;" Detective Rice said. "You are an accomplice to the Romano syndicate. And while I hate to inform you of this, since that guy you saw getting shoved in the car got murdered, you are now guilty of aiding and abbeting, and obstruction of justice. I'm not so sure the DA is going to let this slide. Wait here while we get him to go over your statement." Detective Rice stood up and left the interrogation room. As the door shut, Lindsay thought I REALLY REALLY shouldn't have done any of that!