Free One Lane Bridge: A Novel by Don Reid Page B

you go next,” J. D. demanded more than asked.
    Crystal stepped toward the desk and dumped her oversized Gucci rip-off on the same spot where Katherine had just retrieved her belongings. The contents were similar to Katherine’s, plus a packet of tissues and car keys and loose bills on top of the pile. The loose bills had been in the bottom of the purse.
    “Why do you have loose money in your purse like that, Crystal?”
    “Tips. I keep my purse behind the counter and just stick my tips in there ’cause I don’t have any pockets.”
    “Count it out like Katherine did.”
    She began turning over each bill, fives and ones galore. There on six twenties and three ten-dollar bills were the little circles and the little crosses that J. D. and Bobby had etched with a Magic Marker just sixteen hours before. Only J. D. and Karlie knew the significance of those tiny marks. They glanced at each other, but neither said a word. J. D.’s first instinct was to call off the search. The thief had been found. But then better sense prevailed, and he realized it was entirely possible that two people could be guilty. So he simply told Crystal to gather her things and then turned to Lottie, who followed suit without a word. Her purse was sparse, carrying no makeup and no pens. She had keys and a small change purse that housed her driver’s license and three folded tens, six fives, and ten one-dollar bills. She spread them out one by one and then stood looking off into space until J. D. told her to put everything back in her bag.
    “What now? Do we all go to jail?” Katherine asked with a sneer.
    “No. You can go home, Katherine,” J. D. answered just as curtly.
    “And I may stay home.”
    “That’s your choice. We told you this was not easy for us before we even started.” J. D.’s words were coming faster, and his voice was rising with each syllable. “We didn’t ask for this problem, and we didn’t know any better way of doing it. If you were in our position, you would have done the same thing.”
    “Yeah, I might have done the same thing, but I don’t think I’d have done it the same way. This is pretty insulting, J. D.”
    “So is getting robbed, Katherine. So if you want to quit, if you want to stay home, you go right ahead. No one has done anything to you. And frankly, I’m just a little bit tired of your attitude.”
    Katherine turned on her heel and walked out of the office door. Lottie looked at J. D. and then at Karlie and, without saying anything to anyone, turned and did the same. It was only Crystal who asked, “Can we all go?”
    “No, Crystal. Sit down. And lay your money out on the table again.”
    What Bobby Caywood saw from his vantage point in the first booth to the right of the front door was a tight-faced Katherine Kimball storming the length of the restaurant and exiting the main door without turning her head in either direction. Lottie Arello took a short right turn and exited the back door leading to the parking lot. The office door closed again. It was maybe thirty seconds before he was jolted from his sitting position along with a dozen other customers by a spine-cringing scream from behind the office door.
    He ran toward it.

Chapter Ten
    Crystal was standing in the middle of the floor with her fists by the sides of her head screaming, “No! No! No!” when Bobby Caywood burst through the doorway. Karlie was reaching for her and trying to calm her hysteria by putting her arms around her. J. D. was standing helplessly, watching the uncontrollable situation unfold.
    “Crystal, calm down now. Just calm down.” Crystal fell rather than sat in the chair behind her and buried her head in her hands and resorted to quiet sobs. J. D. handed her some tissues, and Caywood leaned against the door.
    Crystal looked up with red eyes and scanned each face in the room. Finally she said, “I did not take that money. I’ve never stolen anything in my life.”
    “Then how do you explain it being in your