—was one thing, a complicated combination of unique personal circumstances. But she wasn’t a cartoon character—the horny dissatisfied wife looking for new meat—and what she’d experienced at the bank and afterward, that night, in bed with Kyle, had left her feeling decidedly uneasy. Going over it in her mind, as she had many, many times since, she could not help but feel that it had not been a natural response, that something had…happened, that Worthington or some unknown element within the bank had influenced her, impelling her to react as she had, manipulating her thoughts and emotions. It was a crazy theory and made no sense, but while she had not shared it with Kyle, she could not automatically discount it.

Primarily because of Gary.

Kyle was still confused about what had happened with his friend, Anita knew, and she had to admit that Gary’s behavior was not only completely out of character but downright bizarre. Futile attempts to contact his former employee had left Kyle feeling frustrated—apparently he was never at home anymore, even when the bank was closed—and reports from friends and acquaintances seemed to confirm that he was not himself these days. Durl Meadows had told Kyle that Gary had been his teller when he’d cashed his paycheck, and not only had Gary not recognized him, but he had barely recognized Gary, who for some reason had shaved his head. And according to Rollie Brown, who lived on Gary’s street, even when Gary was home at night, his house remained dark, all of the lights off.

Something was definitely up with that bank.

Through the thin wall, Anita could hear the muffled sounds of the two men talking. Her intention had been to wait them out, to stay hidden until Worthington left, but as the minutes dragged on and he showed no sign of leaving, she realized reluctantly that she was going to have to leave the bathroom and start work. If she remembered correctly, Zak Patel was coming in this morning for an eye exam, and Zak did not get along with Jen, which meant that she would have to deal with the old bastard.

She flushed the toilet to make her visit to the restroom seem legit, then washed her hands and went out. Zak Patel was stepping into the waiting room as she approached the window, and Jen shot her a grateful look, vacating the chair to allow Anita to sign him in. After checking his insurance, taking his co-payment and printing out a receipt, Anita told Zak to have a seat, the doctor would be with him shortly.