Helen left her mark Tessa, the Mrs. Chester Parsley, the king of Chevrolets in the Twin Cities, at the used bookstore. She had either made the worst decision of her life and would lose her license, or found a new calling and would be turning away clients.
She had grown tired of helping greedy spouses cheat their futures exes out of their fair share of matrimonial assets. Helen had agreed to turn on Chester, and instead help Tessa find his hidden money while continuing to make him think she was gathering dirt on his young wife.
Driving back into the city, Helen needed to get on her computer. There were banks accounts to find, stocks, bonds, real estate, anything of value that Chester didn’t declare on his tax returns. She would also be tailing him trying to find the old man’s love nest, they always had one.
Helen, merging into one of the toll lanes, dug two dollars out of her front pocket, change from a purchase at the bookstore. She didn’t notice that one of them had red ink stamped on the edges. Handing over the bills, she continued over the bridge into the city, anxious to get started investigating her new mark.
—
Her first time in the city, Jackie thought every new experience was exciting. Something most people took as mundane, she couldn’t stop grinning over, including her first time on a toll bridge. She had tucked a five dollar bill behind her sun visor, drawing it out, she handed it to the booth operator who gave her three dollars back. One, from the driver ahead of Jackie, had red inked along the outer edge.
Jackie had won tickets to a play and invited her best friend Beth to join her. They had looked forward to their Girls Night Out all week, and had plans to spend the night in the city. They were headed to the shopping district, but had to check into their hotel first.
Both new mothers, this was their inaugural trip away from home without their babies. They were giddy with the freedom. Their husbands, much to their amusement decided to pool their parenting resources, and were having – as their wives called it – a bromance sleepover.
Jackie’s husband Ray and son had come over to Beth’s house to hang out with her husband Peter and young son. The two boys had been friends from birth and the husbands, along with their wives, had been best friends since high school. They were happy about being able to hang out again without their wives. Their anticipation of being able to have a free evening once the babies went to sleep for the night, also amused their wives. They were laughing about that as they crossed over into downtown.
Feeling pampered by the valet and bellman services their hotel, Jackie and Beth giggled like high school girls when they walked into the hotel lobby. Mesmerized by the shiny brass fixtures, and four-story atrium at the center of the entrance, they spun in lazy circles, mouths agape, staring at the luxury of their surroundings.
Finally awaking from their daze, Jackie signed in with the concierge, and accepted the two key cards for their room. By the time they rode the elevator up and found their door, their luggage had already been deposited in the room. Beds turned down, with imported chocolates on their pillows. Falling into the plush beds, the women melted into fits of laughter.
Jackie turned over, opening the nightstand drawer, and grabbed the room service menu.
The women ordered a bottle of wine and a selection of imported cheeses. Kicking off their shoes and piling all the pillows on one bed and turned on the room’s 55-inch plasma television to watch their favorite soap opera, something they haven’t been able to do since their sons were born.
Inside the folder with the room menu, a map showing the area attractions was included. Jackie had booked their room at the Belmont because it was in easy walking distance from the shopping district.
Changing into walking clothes and shoes, the women headed to the hotel lobby. Jackie asked the concierge which stores were must shop stops. The oddly ageless attendant brought out a map, marking which stores he thought the ladies would want to visit. He reminded them that if they told the cashiers where they were staying, their packages would be delivered to their room, saving them the need to carry shopping bags from store to store.
Beth found a Cashmere sweater at the first store they stopped at, while Jackie picked up a silk scarf. Their next stop was for shoes, each of them finding the perfect black patent leather flats, and calf boots. By their final stop, the women felt exhausted but thrilled at the luxury of shopping without worrying about diaper changes, nursing or temper tantrums.
Stepping into the last store, the women had their first twinge of guilt for not having their children with them. The toy shop was massive, three stories with giant hamster playground running throughout the store. Kids crawling around inside the structure as their parent’s wandered around looking for just the right toy for their little angels.
Jackie and Beth were on a mission to find the ever elusive talking Builder Bob dolls. Their husbands were against their sons playing with dolls, but would acquiesce to letting them have a more decidedly male one. The women also purchased trucks and Duplo blocks. New footballs for each of their husbands should work as guilt gifts.
Giving the cashier their hotel and room information, the women began their walk back. Walking arm in arm, it was like being back in high school again. Free to do and go wherever they wanted. Stopping at a corner hot dog cart, Jackie paid for two Coneys, handing the vendor five ones, one which had red ink stamped on the edges. Savoring the rare treat, the women pledged to make a Girls Only trip once a month, they continued on their return walk to their hotel.
They were less than five blocks from their destination, crossing in front of a brass and glass facade bank when alarms suddenly began to blare. Jackie and Beth held onto each other’s hand, trying to avoid getting trampled by two men running from the building. Beth screamed as one man turned toward them, leveling what police later identified as an AR-15, a light-weight, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic assault rifle.
Jackie wouldn’t be able to tell detectives how many ‘pops’ she heard, only that Beth went limp in her arms, and they fell to the ground. Beth tried to talk pulling at Jackie’s coat, leaving pink hand prints on the material. With great effort she finally managed to whisper her husband and son’s names, and blink three times. Their way of saying “I love you.”
Other pedestrians were scattering in panic, leaving the two women alone on the sidewalk. Jackie was yelling for someone, anyone to call 911 in-between telling Beth she was going to make it. She couldn’t die.
After what felt like hours, Jackie could see emergency vehicles careening down the street, sirens rising above the screaming witnesses. Paramedics rushed to Jackie’s side prying her arms from around Beth. Two EMTs began working on the injured woman as another took Jackie aside and checked her for visible injuries. She asked if she could ride in the ambulance with Beth, but was led to a second van where a detective waited to get her statement.
The shock of the attack was beginning to sink in and Jackie collapsed in a heap, crying uncontrollably. The detective tried to console her, telling her he would make sure she knew where her friend was being taken. He asked who he could call for her. Jackie couldn’t remember her own telephone number, instead handed her phone to the officer.
Searching her contacts, Det. Prentiss found an ICE listing, and hit the send button. This conversation was always difficult, having to tell a family about a violent crime. Jackie’s husband told Prentiss that Beth’s husband was with him and handed the phone to his high school friend.
Jackie could hear Peter’s wailing over the phone, and her heart broke. She had brought her friend to the city, and she was now most likely dead.
She was belted onto a gurney and given a sedative. Prentiss asked the EMT to make sure she knew where her friend was transported, and was told that van was headed to the same hospital. The Det. promised Jackie that he would meet her at the hospital.
The next several hours were a blur. Emergency medical staff at the hospital were all rushing around trying to save Beth’s life. Jackie was treated for shock, but she wasn’t hit by the gun fire. Ray and Peter stayed at Jackie’s bedside, waiting for news on Beth’s condition. The two boys were staying with Jackie’s mother. Beth’s parents, who lived out of the state, had been contacted and were on their way.
Every half hour a nurse would come to give Peter updates. Beth was holding on, but
her injuries were critical. She asked if Peter was a blood donor match to his wife, she would need many transfusions and if he was a match, she would have a ready supply.
Peter stood outside the curtain surrounding Jackie’s bed, watching the choreographed chaos whirling around his wife. In hushed tones. Ray asked Jackie what happened. As best as she could she recounted the scene outside the bank. Breaking down again when she spoke of seeing Beth had been shot. Before she could say more Det. Prentiss arrived.
A nurse came over and led the two husbands to a quiet waiting area, and sent an orderly to get them coffee.
In her third telling, Jackie was able to give a more thorough description of the gunman – tall, at least six-foot tall maybe more. Young, somewhere between 20 and 25 years old. Shoulder length reddish hair and beard. He was wearing black gloves, black jeans and a long-sleeved black T-shirt. Asked if there was anything distinctive she could remember about him, did he say anything before firing.
Jackie closed her eyes, and laid back on the hospital bed. Prentiss was worried that she had given up when her eyes went wide.
A tattoo. She could remember seeing a partial tattoo above his shirt collar. She thought it was a dragon. The head of a green and gold dragon was visible on the right side of his neck. The other robber had run off, and she couldn’t remember anything about him.
Prentiss thanked Jackie and told her she had done a great job. He would send a police artist around later to try to get a better picture of what the suspect looked like. He would also bring by photos of tattoos from known criminals.
As Prentiss was leaving a shrill whine rose up from around Beth’s bed. Jackie could see the medical staff step away, removing their masks and gloves.
“Official time of death 6:32 p.m.”
