“Don’t forget this!” Merker shouted, tossing out a small blue zippered gym bag. He’d asked Annette if she had something he could carry a bit of cash in, and she’d offered him that. If Merker ever did get Trixie’s money, it was going to smell like old socks and sour towels. Sarah grabbed the bag by the strap and stood next to me.

“It’s a bit crooked,” I said.

“What?” said Sarah.

“The wig. It’s just a bit off to one side.”

She used the oversized mirror bolted to the passenger door to take one last look at herself, made a minor adjustment.

“That’s perfect,” I said.

She wouldn’t look at me. Maybe there was no point worrying anymore about whether I might get out of this alive. Even if I did, I was still a dead man. But all that really mattered to me now was that Sarah survive this.

I had no idea how things would play out. Would she get into the safety-deposit box? Would the money Trixie said was there actually be there? Would something tip off the bank officials that she was not who she claimed to be? Would they call the police? Would Merker kill me when they showed up, and call Leo to tell him to do the same to Trixie’s daughter?

After Sarah walked into SunCap Federal, would I ever see her again?

As if reading my mind, Sarah reached out and touched my arm and looked at me.

“I can do this,” she said. “I don’t want anything to happen to Katie.” She’d never met the girl, but she didn’t need to set eyes on a five-year-old girl to be concerned for her.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry for everything.”

She looked as though she wanted to say something, but I knew she wasn’t ready to forgive me for the mess I’d gotten us both into, nor did she feel this was the time to tell me what a complete and total asshole I was.

I could only hope there’d be a chance later.

“Wish me luck,” she said.

And I watched her, in her red wig, gym bag in hand, stride across the street, open the door of SunCap Federal, and disappear inside.

It had taken less time to lay it all out for Sarah than I might have expected. At Annette’s place, after Merker had asked Sarah about her breasts, he handed the phone back to me.

“Zack, what’s going on?” Sarah said.