Time Served

By Stephanie Scissom

The deputy intercepted Travis in the parking lot. “What are you doing?”

Travis glared at the man whose perjury had cost him ten years. “Depositing my paycheck.”

Doug crossed his arms. “This bank has five other branches in this county.”

Shouldering Doug aside, Travis strode into the satellite bank.

The bank employed two tellers and had a hallway instead of a lobby—but Travis wasn’t here for fancy. The love of his life, Sky Markum, was one of the tellers.

Jessi elbowed her when Travis approached her window, Doug on his heels.

Travis shoved his deposit under the dividing glass.

“Hi, Sky” he said.

Sky snatched up his deposit and tapped furiously on her keyboard.

“Leave her alone, felon.” Doug’s ears reddened. “You got her brother killed.”

Travis frowned. “You know I didn’t rob that store. That was an insurance job with you and the owner. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If anybody got Levi killed, it was you.”

“That’s ridiculous. Sky—”

“Get out!” Sky shoved Travis’s receipt at him. “Both of you. This is my workplace.”

“See you tonight?” Doug asked.

Travis shot her an incredulous look. “You’re dating him?”

Sky flushed. “None of your business.” Glancing at Doug, she said, “See you at five.”

“You’re too good for him, Sky.” Travis rubbed his face. “He’s a dead-end.”

“I’m a dead-end?” Doug scowled. “You just got out of prison! I’m gonna marry her, get her out of this town.”

Travis smirked. “I hear you can’t even afford to get out of your parents’ basement.”

“Go!” Sky shouted.

Doug lingered, but Travis didn’t need trouble, so he left.

He slammed his truck door. Seeing Doug hit him harder than expected. Travis’d had ten years to think about how Doug’s lie had the other cops looking for armed robbers—not a couple of kids who’d stolen a six-pack of beer. About Levi running when the police hit the blue lights. About their spike strip blowing out his motorcycle tires. And his crash.

He hoped Sky knew what she was doing.

The next morning, news of a bank robbery rocked their small town. Travis left work and shoved through the crowd. A policeman pushed him back.

“Where’s Sky?” he asked, then spotted her.

“Please continue, ma’am,” prompted an FBI agent.

Sky swiped away a tear. “He grabbed me when we opened—”

“He had a gun!” Jessi blurted. “It happened so fast!”

The agent frowned. “Most bank robberies net around three grand, but there’s $261,000 missing.”

Sky closed her eyes, concentrating. “He knew our routine, what door we came in, and where the cameras and alarms were. He didn’t touch the coin vault, or the night deposit. We can’t open it on Saturdays.”

The other agent looked up from his notes. “Who hangs around a lot? Who might know these things?”

Jessi glanced at Sky.

“Miss Reynolds?” the agent prompted.

“Sky’s boyfriend, Doug, hangs around a lot. But he wouldn’t do this. He’s a cop!”

“When did you last see him?”

Jessi paused, and Sky prodded her. “It’s okay. I have nothing to hide.”

Jessi recounted the argument between Doug and Travis the day before.

“Do you come to this bank often?” the agent asked Travis.

“Yesterday was the first time,” Travis replied, then looked at Sky. “Where is Doug?”

“I don’t know,” Sky said. “I’ve tried to call him.”

Doug arrived some time later, looking panicked and groggy. “I was asleep. Sky, are you okay?”

When Sky nodded, he scowled at Travis. “Where were you when this happened?”

Travis bristled. “I was at work. Call and ask.”

“Oh, we will.” The agent who’d interviewed them earlier flashed his badge at Doug. “Sir, I have a few questions.”

Two days after the robbery, the FBI announced they’d made an arrest.

“The bank used bait bills in the registers—bills with recorded serial numbers. A man spent one of these at a local bar last night. We obtained a search warrant for his parents’ property—where he resides—and found a duffle bag in the garage containing a mask, coveralls, and a small sum of cash, which included another bait bill.”

Of course, Doug pled not guilty, but he didn’t stand a chance with the jury. After his trial, the feds reopened the investigation of the gas station robbery and questioned the owner.

“It was all Doug’s idea,” the owner said the second he heard the words “plea bargain”. “He said we could fake the robbery and file a bogus insurance claim. We’d make some money, and no one would be wiser.”

And that’s all it took. Travis’s record was expunged, and Doug faced new charges.

Eight months after the bank heist, Travis waited in a Shell parking lot—finally at peace, ready to start a new life. Sky opened his passenger door, threw a bag in the back, and slipped inside. She greeted him with a kiss.

“You did it.” Travis grinned. “Babe, your plan was flawless.”

Sky exhaled. “I was so scared he’d spend that bill I snuck into his wallet too early. He can’t hold onto cash. Your alibi worried me, too.”

“My boss wasn’t about to admit where he really spends his Saturday mornings. He’s more afraid of his wife than the FBI.”

Sky’s eyes hardened. “I’m glad Doug finally got what he deserved. Levi was innocent. This doesn’t bring him back, but it’s something.”

“Sky.” Travis took her hand. “Look at me. It was a six-pack of beer. We were all innocent.”

“I should’ve come forward,” she insisted. “Admitted it was me with you that night and told them we didn’t steal any money.”

“We would’ve both gone to prison. This is the best possible ending we could make from it.”

She touched his face. “You were locked up so long. If there was any chance—”

“There wasn’t. They wouldn’t have believed you.”

She smiled. “Well, we have over 260,000 chances to start over now. Let’s get out of here.”

Travis kissed her and gunned the engine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephanie Scissom is from Altamont, Tennessee. She inspects tires and plots murder by night at a tire factory and attends a somewhat excessive number of Jake Owen concerts on her nights off. She’s published in romantic suspense and horror, with four full-length novels and numerous shorts. Her story Dandelions recently placed first in an international competition.

---

More Stories | Facebook