Part 6 (1/2)

Evvie smiles. ”Wanna bet he eludes them again? He has to have an escape plan. I'm dying of curiosity to know how he does it.”

The girls listen as I talk to Morrie on the phone. ”No article this time. He wrote a real letter. Yes, I'll read it to you. He says, 'Today I'm hitting another clueless bank, this time SunTrust, between two p.m. and four p.m. Oakland Park branch. He also says, 'Getting old ain't for sissies,' and once again he writes, 'Catch me if you can, girls.' That's it.”

I listen, and shake my head. I say, ”Yes, Morrie, even though it's clear now this is our case, we'll stay away,” with as much sarcasm as I can muster. Then I add, ”And don't forget to send us the list of banks he's already robbed. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's in the mail. Sure.”

When I hang up Bella does a little dance in antic.i.p.ation. ”This is gonna be so much fun!”

After the girls leave, I call Jack. He tells me about his damaged building and I catch him up on our bandit.

”Did you call Morrie?” he asks.

”Of course I did.”

”And did he tell you to stay away?”

”Naturally.”

”And you aren't going to listen to him, are you?”

I think a moment-do I lie or tell the truth?Jack answers before I weigh this decision about honesty in relations.h.i.+ps. ”You're going. I know you are.”

”Don't tell Morrie,” I beg.

”I would never mix in with your business tactics, but you can guess what I'm thinking.”

”I know . . . I know,” I say, feeling guilty.

We both change the subject at the same time and, saying the same thing: ”I missed you last night.”

The girls and I meet at my old Chevy wagon at one o'clock. We're hoping to get there a little before Morrie and his cops arrive. As agreed upon, we are all in pastel shades or light grays and tans. Except Sophie. Her idea of subtle is a bright yellow slacks outfit with a bright yellow ribbon in her hair. She's carrying a huge yellow flowery purse.

Ida shakes her head in disgust. ”You look like a lollipop!”

Evvie says, ”More like a deranged canary who escaped from her cage. Where's a cat when you need one?”

Sophie sniffs, annoyed by our attack on her judgment. ”The walls in Bagel Bistro happen to be painted in suns.h.i.+ne yellow and I'll blend into the woodwork perfectly. So there!”

Huh. No arguing with Sophie's logic. We're on our way.

When we arrive at Oakland Park Boulevard, first we oh-so-casually check out the front of the bank and then take a brief stroll inside, searching for anyone who might look suspicious. Every grayhaired man is to be examined. There are senior citizens, but only four male gray heads. I snap my fingers and the girls get it. Each follows one of the men only to return moments later, saying that all four got into their cars and drove away.

”One of them almost hit a telephone pole backing up,” reports Ida, ”but let's not get into a discussion of how some seniors drive.”

So, we hightail it out of the bank and over to our hiding place.

The deli is packed with the lunchtime crowd, but we're lucky-there's a table for four in a corner at the window with a perfect view of SunTrust Bank directly opposite. We drag over another chair so the five of us can all squeeze in. It's then I realize Bella isn't with us.

Evvie nudges me to look out the window, and there's Bella, still across the street, bent over, dropping money in a small cup. An elderly legless man, wearing a large torn straw hat, holding pencils, is propped up on a wooden block with skate wheels. It is a small drama. After Bella puts her money in his cup, he hands her a pencil. She shakes her head and steps back. The legless man says something to her and waggles the pencil at her. Finally she gives in. She takes her pencil and crosses the street.

Dear kind Bella, I think. There's no way she'd take the pencil and prevent him from another sale.

We are in a deli, so naturally everyone wants to eat. But I warn them not to take their eyes off the bank. Happy chomping commences as we watch the busy parade of pa.s.sersby go back and forth and in and out of the bank.

Sophie points animatedly. ”Look, there's Morrie.”

Morrie walks past the bank with his good friend and fellow detective Oz Was.h.i.+ngton and several other men in plain clothes. The legless man tries to sell them a pencil, but they ignore his efforts.

The men spread out. Morrie and three others enter the bank. Oz and the two men with him cross the street and move to the left of the deli.

”Oh, oh. They're searching all the stores!” Evvie grabs me by the sleeve. We all watch as the three men disappear from sight. Bella guesses Oz is going to the lamp-shade place next door.

”They're having a ten-percent-off sale,” she informs me. We wait nervously. Moments later they appear again, and suddenly I have a sinking feeling.

I bark, ”It looks like he's coming in here. Everybody hide your face.” We use napkins, menus, halfeaten sandwiches, squirming to look invisible-but sure enough, as Oz walks up and down the restaurant searching for gray heads, he reaches our table and naturally recognizes us. He is his usual gorgeous self-cafe-au-lait skin, wavy black hair, and a smile to break your heart.

Caught! This was a dumb idea, picking a place so close to the bank. Oz and I exchange glances. For a moment, I hold my breath. Oz winks and walks past us.

We wait motionless until he and his men are safely past our table.

Ida whispers, ”Why didn't he say something? Such as 'Get out of here'?”

I exhale in relief. ”I think he likes us. And I bet he doesn't tell Morrie that he saw us.”

Two o'clock comes and goes. So does three. Luckily the restaurant has cleared out and n.o.body needs our table. My eyes are smarting from watching so intently. People enter the bank and exit the bank. But nothing. No robbery. Finally my watch reads four. I can see Morrie, Oz, and their guys take off. Oz glances in our direction and shrugs. Morrie looks annoyed.

Sophie is disappointed. ”Grandpa lied to us and sent us on a wild-duck chase.”

”Goose,” Ida says.

”Who are you calling names?” Sophie huffs.

I calm everyone down. We gather our things, throw our trash into the proper receptacles, and leave. But when we turn the corner to where I parked my car, lo and behold, there's a familiar white envelope stuck in the winds.h.i.+eld wiper.

”He was was here,” Ida says, grabbing for it. Sure enough, inside, there's his trademark green feather. We all peer over Ida's shoulder as she reads. here,” Ida says, grabbing for it. Sure enough, inside, there's his trademark green feather. We all peer over Ida's shoulder as she reads.

” 'Hi, girls, this was only a test. Just wanted to see if you were on your toes. Next time, weather permitting, will be the real thing. Speaking of getting old, did you know if you were age fifty on the planet Neptune, you'd only be three months old? By the way, loved the yellow outfit. And enjoy your other friend's new pencil.' ”

We all gawk at Bella. The pencil! Grandpa's disguise was the old man pretending to be without legs, and Bella spoke with him!

”What did he say to you?” Evvie demands.

”Who?” Bella doesn't understand why we're all staring at her.

Sophie practically yells, ”You were talking to Grandpa!”