A Hopeless Sheriff (A Hope Walker Mystery Book 9) by Daniel Carson

Author:Daniel Carson [Carson, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Daniel Carson Books
Published: 2021-10-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

An older man was finishing up some business with Tessie when Alex and I entered the bank. Ben Burnam, the security guard, was nowhere to be seen, but both Stephen Dinsdale and John Sheehan were standing in the corner of the lobby to our left, discussing something in hushed tones. The man took a small envelope from Tessie, thanked her, then left the bank. She gave me a little wave, along with a weak and sad smile. Then she walked out from behind the teller’s station and came our way. I gave her a hug without even thinking.

“I’m so sorry, Tessie,” I said as I allowed her to squeeze me tightly.

“Thank you, Hope,” she said with a wavering voice. “Thank you very much.”

When she finally let me go, she looked at Alex. “Nice to see you again, Sheriff Kramer.”

“It’s not Sheriff anymore.”

Her eyes lit up a little with recognition. “Oh, right. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. Like Hope said, we’re so sorry for what you all are going through right now. I suppose you knew Pam pretty well?”

“I guess I did. I knew her a long time—ten years or so. But Pam? She was a funny bird. Mostly kept to herself. Pretty quiet. Didn’t have much family around here, as far as I know. Once a year, she’d have us all over for a dinner party. But other than that, I didn’t really see her much outside of the office. Is it true what they’re saying? That the guy who robbed this place might be Pam’s killer?”

“Witnesses saw a figure fleeing the scene wearing a black jacket and a ski mask and driving away on a motorcycle.”

“Just like the bank robber,” Tessie said with a bit of wonderment.

“So, yes, I think the sheriff is assuming he might be the killer.”

Tessie shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it. “But even if that’s the case, why go after poor Pam?”

I sent Alex a look as if maybe he might want to deliver the bad news.

“One theory is that Pam was in on the bank robbery. That she helped the robber in some way.”

Tessie covered her mouth in shock.

“And that something terrible happened, and the bank robber double-crossed her.”

“No,” she said.

“Again, one theory. The theory Sheriff Stangle seems to find believable.”

“Pam Barber stealing from this bank? I didn’t see that coming.”

“Well then, maybe you can help us with an alternative theory,” I said.

“Which is?”

“That Pam was murdered for a different reason.”

Tessie’s face filled with confusion. “I don’t understand. I thought you just said a witness observed the bank robber leaving the scene.”

“He was. We think,” Alex said.

“You think?”

“Well, what if it wasn’t the robber, but someone pretending to be?” I said.

That caught her off guard. “B-but why would someone do that?”

“To blame the crime on the bank robber, of course.”

Tessie’s eyes opened wide. “Now I see what you’re saying.”

“Again, we don’t know,” I said. “We just want to consider all the possibilities. Right now, the sheriff thinks Pam was the inside man on the bank job, and that’s what got her killed.

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