Sixteen
After convincing the last table of patrons to continue their game at home, Eliza finished cleaning the tea shop with Mackenzie and Cora’s help.
The night of fun had done something for Mackenzie. She was no longer jabbing at Cora, instead moving on to gentle teasing.
“I’ve always thought you were a real-life Elizabeth Bennet,” Mackenzie mused as she wiped the tables. “Your choice of best friend brings that into question.”
“I may not be as practical as Charlotte Lucas,” Cora said, packing up the leftover cookies, “but I am still an excellent best friend.”
Eliza smiled to herself. “Did you finally get around to reading Pride and Prejudice ?”
Mackenzie sighed. “I don’t have time for that.”
Cora gasped. “What do you even know about Charlotte Lucas? I would totally marry your creepy cousin to save Eliza.”
“That’s not exactly what happened,” Eliza said, balancing a tray on her hip.
“You know what, Mackenzie,” Cora said slowly. “You remind me a bit of Charlotte Lucas.”
“ Me ?” She scoffed. “I’m not some simpering fool who would marry her cousin out of desperation.”
Cora threw her hands up. “It’s not Charlotte’s cousin, it’s Eliza’s cousin! Don’t you know her famous line from the movie? It’s totally you.”
“I highly doubt that,” Mackenzie said.
“She’s like, ‘I’m twenty-seven! I don’t have any money and I’m a burden to my parents! I’m scared! Don’t look at me!’”
Eliza frowned. That wasn’t the quote, but it was close enough for the two of them. They erupted into laughter.
“Wait, I’m twenty-seven!” Mackenzie said, covering her face with her hands. “Is Charlotte really twenty-seven in the movie?”
“She is,” Eliza said. “Coincidentally, you are a burden to your parents.”
Mackenzie laughed harder and Eliza got sucked in, too.
Outside of the tea shop, waves exploded in the darkness and crashed on the shore. Inside, there was nothing but the warm glow of the lights and their snorting laughter.
It took them a while to recover, but Mackenzie finally managed to change the subject. “What’s the next step in your robbery investigation?”
The wet rag in her hands stung Eliza’s skin. There were cracks in her fingers from always washing dishes. She needed to remember to moisturize. “I’m not sure. Joey said he has some free time on Monday so we could fly to see more of the bank branches, but I’ve got to be at the tea shop.”
Cora’s face brightened. “Let me take over! If you tell me a few details, I think I can keep the ship afloat.”
“No, that’s okay. I don’t want you to have to do that.”
“Please.” Cora’s eyes were wide. “I need you to solve this mystery.”
Eliza tried not to smile. “Can you imagine how crazy it would be to find the guy? Maybe everyone would stop thinking I’m such an idiot for helping him rob the bank.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Mackenzie said firmly. “I think you’re capable of finding him, but you don’t have to find him. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. We love you just the way you are.”
Eliza pulled back. “Where did that come from?”
She shrugged. “I’m channeling Charlotte Lucas.”
“Don’t start that again,” Eliza said. “If I laugh any more, I think I’ll fall over.”
“Fine, but listen. You seem to have fun with Joey, so why not go and have some fun?” Mackenzie said. “I can help Cora too.”
“Are you sure?” Eliza studied her. “I know you have a lot to catch up on after taking off work.”
Mackenzie waved a hand. “The longer I’m away, the clearer things become. I’m not even sure I still want to work there.”
“Wow. Okay. Maybe you’ve been talking to Cora too much.”
“Maybe. Now say yes before I change my mind.”
Cora squealed. “Yes! Say yes!”
“Well…”
She didn’t want to miss a chance to spend more time with Joey. They could be hunting for Bigfoot for all she cared. Sunsets always came too quickly…
A smile crept onto her face. “If you insist.”
Their first stop on Monday was in Anacortes. It was one of the later robberies where the thief had cleaned out the ATM. He had hardly interacted with the staff, and they stood no chance of recognizing him – he’d hit the branch on Halloween dressed in a full Darth Vader costume, complete with a glowing lightsaber.
Joey still thought it was worth it to talk to them. “You tend to get information out of people that they didn’t even think of before.”
Eliza looked down at her hands. She was getting more used to flying in the plane, but compliments from him still made her stomach flip. Not that she wanted it to stop…
“I think I got lucky last time. It’s not like I’m doing anything useful with this information. Some of it doesn’t even make sense. Like the teller at the last bank who told me she felt the robber was a pirate in his past life.”
A half-smile crossed his face and he looked at her from the corner of his eye. “You haven’t figured out how to put it all together yet, but I have faith.”
She shook her head and turned to hide her smile. Who knew what would happen? Beneath the plane, the world was open, stretches of blue cut with jagged islands rising in spikes and peaks. It was a different view than from the ferry, but once she had gotten past her terrifying visions of falling into the sea, she loved it just as much.
They landed in Anacortes and caught a ride to the bank. Eliza had tried calling ahead to talk to the manager, but she never got through to him and he didn’t reply to her email.
When they met him in person, it became clear his silence had been intentional.
“Listen here,” he said, eyes narrowed as he barreled out of his office. “I haven’t got time for another enthusiast who wants to play cops and robbers. If you’re customers of the bank and have business here, that’s one thing. If you’re here because you think of yourselves as amateur sleuths, get out or I will call the police.”
He stopped inches away from Joey’s face, staring him in the eye.
“Well then.” Joey gently bowed forward, nearly bumping the manager in the forehead. “I guess you don’t want to hear about our exciting timeshare opportunity, either?”
“Get out! Now!” the man bellowed.
Eliza jumped. “Sorry!”
She rushed outside. If only she could crawl out of her skin and swim back to San Juan Island. Then she’d never have to face Joey or his overinflated faith in her again.
She didn’t have any special skills in talking to people or getting them to open up. She’d gotten lucky and that one lady was really talkative and—
Joey broke the silence. “What a jerk.”
“Yeah.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we should go home. I don’t want him to report us to the ATF.”
“Forget him!” Joey waved a hand. “He’s just crabby. They probably have too many people coming to talk to them because of the reward.”
“Right. Which is exactly what we’re doing.”
“We’re not just in it for the reward,” he said. “We’re also trying to restore your honor.”
She snorted. “My honor? Has it been besmirched?”
“It has been besmirched, Lady Dennet.”
Eliza laughed. “If you’re trying to talk like a Jane Austen character, you’re failing.”
He frowned. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to fix that.”
“You could try reading a book.”
“I can’t read.”
She cracked a smile. “I thought you’d have to be able to read to become a pilot.”
“You’d think that,” he said, slipping his sunglasses on, “but I’ve found a way around it on pure wit and charm.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.”
“I have an idea.”
“Was it built with wit and charm?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said curtly. “How about this? We head to Bellingham and I’ll go into the branch to feel it out. Let me do the talking and, if the manager is friendly, I’ll send you a signal.”
“Like a text?”
“Yeah.”
She made a face. “I thought you couldn’t read?”
A smile inched onto his face, the dimple starting to form. “It’ll be a picture of me giving a thumbs-up.”
She stared at him. “And I’m supposed to wait outside and try to not look suspicious?”
“Yes! Glad to see you’re on board.” He held out his arm. “My lady?”
“I’m not agreeing to this plan,” she said with a sigh, walking past him. “I’d like to go home.”
He took his sunglasses off, raising his eyebrows and widening his eyes. “Please?”
Her chest expanded, her heart collapsing into a puddle. There was no way for her to say no to that face.
“Okay,” she said weakly, taking his arm.
The flight to Bellingham was a short one, but long enough for Eliza to pull herself together. Joey talked the entire time, telling her a story about how he’d almost stolen a plane.
It had been a mistake – an unscrupulous business owner had tried to trick him into taking the wrong plane from an airfield and Joey was blissfully unaware until the last second.
All Eliza could think was that it wasn’t much different than what was happening now. He had no idea what was going on between them. He thought they were partners? Friends?
All the while, she turned to mush with just a look.
Not that she’d ever say anything. It was better he didn’t know. It would probably make him uncomfortable and he’d have to have the inevitable “I value you as a friend” talk with her. Then, every time they passed at the tea shop, she’d have to pretend not to see him. Try to keep herself from staring from afar as he told his charming stories to other women…
When they landed, she shut her thoughts into a little compartment and followed him all the way to the Bellingham bank branch.
Less than ten minutes after he went inside, Eliza got a text with his picture, as promised. In it, he was grinning and giving a thumbs up, along with the suited woman behind him.
He really was ridiculous.
She went inside and was greeted immediately by the manager, an attractive woman in a perfectly fitted green suit.
“You kind of remind me of the robber, you know,” she said to Joey. “Tall. Handsome. In charge.”
Eliza leaned in, eyebrows furrowed. “Oh?”
“I like to think I have some things going for me,” Joey said. “I don’t know why you sound so surprised.”
Eliza couldn’t tell if he was playing dumb. She laughed. “I’m not questioning you being handsome. I’m questioning the bank robber being handsome.” She turned back to the manager. “So you got a good look at him?”
“No, not really. He had a ski mask over his face, but he looked, you know. In shape. Muscles. And he had good hands. Do you know what I mean?”
Eliza nodded. “I do know what you mean.”
“What are good hands?” Joey asked. “Do I have good hands?”
Eliza and the manager both glanced at him and replied, “Yes.”
Joey held his hands out in front of him. “Who knew?”
“Can you focus for one second?” Eliza asked.
Grinning, he put his hands in his pockets. “Yes. Sorry. It’s not every day you find out you’ve got good hands.”
Eliza tried to keep the smile off her face and turned back to the manager. “Did he have any tattoos or scars?”
She shook her head. “He only took his gloves off for a moment, but he looked strong. Big forearms, you know?” She nodded at Joey. “Like you. Do you work with your hands?”
Was it possible for her eyes to roll all the way into the back of her head?
Joey shook his head. “No. I’m a pilot.”
“A pilot. Fascinating.” She leaned in. “Did you fly here?”
He shrugged. “We did, yeah.”
She looked him up and down. “Well, anytime you’re in the area again, please come and pay me a visit. I love to fly.”
“Sure,” Joey said with a nod. “Thanks for talking with us. If you think of anything else…”
“Write down your number,” she said, handing him a business card. “I’ll get in touch.”
“Sure.”
“Excuse me,” Eliza said, “can I get one of those?”
She pulled out another business card and handed it over without making eye contact. “Of course.”
Pretty hair, perfect makeup, an expensive-looking outfit. She seemed like the kind of woman Joey should be with. Eliza watched as he jotted down his phone number. There was no use being jealous. This was the natural state of things.
She shoved the card into her back pocket and turned to leave. He caught up with her outside.
“Looks like you’re not the only one people like opening up to,” he said, a smirk on his face.
“I don’t want to ever hear you claim I’m good with people again,” Eliza snapped. “I think she was about to give you the key to her house.”
A laugh burst out of him. “That was weird, wasn’t it?”
“I’m surprised she didn’t ask the bank robber out, too.”
“I bet she did but he turned her down.”
She cracked a smile. “That’s probably what happened.”
Joey’s phone rang – Russell asking if he could stop by Anacortes to pick up his stranded agent.
“No problem. We’re really close.” He ended the call and made a face. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all. I’ll sit in the back. You won’t even notice me.”
“Are you sure? You won’t be able to see my good hands from there.”
She shook her head. “I’m never telling you anything ever again.”
He laughed. “You don’t mean it.”
They returned to the plane and Eliza planted herself in the back seat. She was happy to have a different view and a chance to be alone with her thoughts.
Though it was disturbing how much the bank manager seemingly had the hots for the robber, it was insightful. Eliza had assumed he was older, but she had based that off his pretending to be frail when she met him.
He wasn’t some wise old bank robber – he was a young guy. Strong, apparently, with big forearms.
Eliza hadn’t seen that in his oversized leather jacket. What else had she missed? What else had she assumed?
Russell’s agent got onto the plane, taking a seat in the front. Eliza said hello but otherwise kept to herself, still daydreaming, her mind interrogating the memories she had from that day.
They were back in the air in no time. Eliza leaned over, looking at the islands below, when she felt something pressing into her back. She shoved her hand between the seat cushions and pulled out the offending object: a brown leather tassel with gold thread.
She gasped.
“Everything okay?” Joey asked, his eyes darting back at her.
She shoved the tassel under her leg. “Good, yeah.”
There was no mistaking it. The golden thread, the dash of pink – this was the robber’s tassel.
Why was it in Joey’s plane?