Free The Moneychangers by Arthur Hailey

thought, he might have had her followed, though he doubted it would do any good. Mrs. Nunez was clever and she would not give herself away, either by handing the money to someone else in public or even storing it in a predictable place.
    He was convinced the girl did not have the money on her. She was too astute to run that risk; also, the amount of cash would be too bulky to conceal. He had looked at her closely during their talk and afterward, observing that her clothes clung tightly to her small body and there were no suspicious bulges. The purse she carried from the bank was tiny. She had no packages.
    Wainwright felt certain that an accomplice was involved.
    He had little remaining doubt, if any, that Juanita Nunez was guilty. Her refusal to submit to a lie detector test, considered with all other facts and indications, had convinced him. Remembering her Emotional outburst of a few minutes ago, he suspected it wins planned, perhaps rehearsed. Bank employees were well aware that in cases of suspected theft a lie detector was employed; the Nunez girl was likely to have known that, too. Therefore she could have guessed the subject would come up and been ready for it.
    Remembering how she had looked at him with contempt and, before that, her unspoken assumption of alliance, Wainwright felt a surge of anger. With an unusual intensity he found himself hoping that tomorrow the FBI team would give her a hard time and shake her down. But it would not be easy. She was tough.
    Miles Eastin had relocked the main street door and now returned.
    "Well," he said cheerfully, "time to head for the showers."
    The security chief nodded. "It's been quite a day."
    Eastin seemed about to say something else, then apparently decided otherwise. Wainwright asked him, "Something on your mind?"
    Again E astin hesitated, then admitted, "Well, yes, there is. It's a thing I haven't mentioned to anyone because it could be just a wild pitch." "Does it relate in any way to the missing money?" "I suppose it could."
    Wainwright said sternly, "Then whether you're sure or not, you have to tell me." The assistant operations officer nodded. "All right." Wainwright waited.
    "It was mentioned to you by Mrs. D 'Orsey, I think that Juanita Nun ez is married. Her husband deserted her. He left her with their child." "I remember."
    "When the husband was living with Juanita he used to come in here occasionally. To meet her, I guess. I spoke to him a couple of times. I'm pretty sure his name is Carlos." "What about him?" "I believe he was in the bank today." Wainwright asked sharply, "Are you sure?"
    "Fairly sure, though not enough so I could swear to it in court. I just noticed someone, thought it was him, then put it out of mind. I was busy. There was no reason for me to think about it at least not until a long time later." "What time of day was it when you saw him?" "About midmorning."
    "This man you thought was the Nu nez girl's husband did you see him go to the counter where she was workin g "?" "No, I didn't." Eastin' s handsome young face was trou bled. "As I say, I didn't think about it much. The only thing is, if I saw him, he couldn't have been far away from Juanita." "And that's everything?"
    "That's it." Miles Eastin added apologetica lly, "I'm sor ry it isn't more." "You were right to tell me. It could be important."
    If Eastin were right, Wainwright reasoned, the presence of the husband could tie in with Wainwrightis own theory of an outside accomplice. Possibly the girl and her husband were together again or, if not, had some arrangement. Perhaps she had passed the money over the counter to him, and he had taken it from the bank, to divide it with her later. The possibility was certainly something for the FBI to work on.
    "Quite apart from the missing money," Mastic said, "everybody in the bank is talking about Mr. Rosselli we heard about the announcement yesterday, his illness. Most of us are pretty sad."
    It was a sudden, painful reminder as Wainwright