The town of Pinecrest turned out not to be much of anything. A handful of shops, a gas station, and a McDonald's all clustered around one stoplight. "This is it?" she asked.
"There's the bank," Joseph said, pointing to a building that didn't seem much bigger than Mr. Pryde's living room. Pinecrest State Bank. This was the key to their new life?
"Do they even have money here?"
"Don't be a smart-ass," he said. He took her hand off his thigh as he found a parking spot in front of the bank. "We need to go inside and get the lay of the land. I need you to create a distraction so I can look around without drawing attention."
"Me? How do I create a distraction?"
"I don't know. Think of something. When I open the door, that's your signal to make the distraction. Got it?"
"I got it."
"Come on, baby, don't get upset. This is all going to work out. Maybe not like we planned, but just as well." He kissed her, a short, dry peck that promised more if she did a good job.
Samantha got out of the car, stomping up to the front door of the bank without looking back. Inside, the bank was like the layout of the town itself: one teller window, one office, and one bank vault. A fat woman with red hair that made Samantha think she could be the mother to the kids they'd tied up leaned against the teller window. In the office, an old man with a drooping mustache read a newspaper. A black woman in a blue security guard uniform sat on a stool against one wall, inspecting her nails. Other than the piped-in easy listening music the place was as quiet as a library. How could she create a distraction in here?
"Can I help you?" the fat teller asked.
"Oh, sure, I guess. I was thinking of maybe opening an account or something. What kind do you have?"
"We have all the usual: checking, savings, money markets. You'll need to bring one of your parents with you to open an account, though." Joseph opened the door then. The teller's spiel gave Samantha an idea she hoped would work.
"A parent? But I don't have any parents. They're dead," she wailed. She willed herself into crying. "I'm an orphan. All alone in the world and you tell me to bring in a parent? Don't you have any heart at all?"
The teller reached across the counter to pat Samantha on the back. "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't know. Well, if you don't have a parent, then surely you have an adult guardian who looks after you?"