That surprised him. He didn’t realize I’d figured out the details.

Tharpe said, “I have the number of a throwaway phone that I can text. All I have to do is tell them when to meet us at the bank.”

I took the phone from his inside coat pocket, and when he had pointed out the number, I texted, Meet me at the Poughkeepsie bank at 9 AM tomorrow. I looked at Tharpe and said, “Any idea who the silent partner is?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Pete Stahl and Alton Beatty knew. They never would tell me. It was their insurance.”

A minute later a text came back that said, 9 AM tomorrow. Okay.

Tharpe looked at me and said, “I’ll make the statement right there in the safety-deposit vault, on video, when I have the contents of the box.”

I gave him a hard stare. “Then I’ll never see you again?”

Tharpe smiled and said, “No one will.”

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

IT HAD BEEN an anxious night at my mother’s house. Keeping a Newburgh detective in custody is a complicated matter. At first my mother insisted on calling the local sheriff’s office, but then she realized this was the best way to get Natty off the hook. I had snatched a couple of hours’ sleep while my mom kept an eye on the handcuffed Tharpe. Now I found myself with the big Newburgh detective handcuffed in the front seat of my car.

We crossed the Hudson to Poughkeepsie in silence. I had taken a couple of passes in front of the north branch of the First Poughkeepsie Financial Services. I’d seen commercials for the private bank in four locations, but I’d never had a reason to visit it before. It operated like a bank, with a savings-and-loan division, and it provided a whole series of safety deposit and financial transaction options. A one-stop shop for drug dealers, money launderers, and divorce attorneys.

I parked in the front lot amid Jaguars and Cadillacs. At least my sagging station wagon was unique. The bank was a faux-stately one-story building that tried to project an aura of dignified commerce but came up short. The place was used by too many scammers and thugs to ever be dignified.

Knowing the harsh gun laws in New York and not knowing what security was like inside the bank, I made a tough decision. I didn’t want a metal detector to get me thrown in jail and ruin my chances of saving Natty, so I hid my gun under the front seat. I was subtle when I slipped it down there and I let Tharpe believe it was still in the pocket of my jacket.

Tharpe had his usual smirk when he said, “Getting nervous?”

“About what? Anything goes wrong and you’re the one who’s in deep shit.”

“What if our partner doesn’t show?”