Diamond Girl

19: Cops and Robbers

{Lily's POV}

"What?" Lily looked at everyone's faces, hopeful it was a joke. The grim eyes that met hers were all too serious, though. Rico kept scanning the parking lot around them, obviously on high alert. Gary took a deep breath. 

"I don't want you walking home anymore, Lily. Especially not at night." Gary looked at her like he expected her to argue, but she was at a loss for words.

"They took hostages." Sasha whispered. Lily suddenly felt very thankful for Susan's arm around her as a surge of fear for her coworkers hit her.

It didn't take very long to be brought up to speed, although Lily hated every moment of it. Two of their largest local jewelry rivals had been robbed at the exact same time the night before, each less than ten miles away. Each business had been about to close. The thieves had snuck in during business hours and hid themselves while the stores were still open. When the doors were locked to the public they had emerged, armed, capturing three employees in one building and six in the other. They had duct taped all nine employee's eyes, ears, and mouths then zip-tied their hands and feet and thrown them in storage closets, which they then barricaded shut. 

It had taken nearly six hours for those employees to be found. Several had had cracked ribs. The losses in goods were said to be the highest in the state's entire history. 

Lily's ears were buzzing. She had always known people liked to rob jewelry stores, but she hadn't much worried unless she was in the show room. Even then -she assumed it would be a smash and grab situation.

"The police told us they believe the robberies were planned by the same group, which likely has several members." Susan voice was steady, but Lily could feel her trembling. She wrapped an arm around the older woman, so they were holding onto each other. 

"The cops said regardless of if that group decides to rob us as well, they made off with more than three million dollars, right?" Rico asked Gary. "They said it was published in the paper and all over socials this afternoon, so they think other would-be robbers will be emboldened by those numbers, right?"

Lily had never seen Rico so on edge. It suddenly seemed like a lifetime ago they were laughing as they snuck supplies up to her office, Rico pretending he was in some kind of 90's spy movie. He had evidently already sent a text on the Goldsmith thread, as several of the remaining employees from that department started filtering out the door they were clustered at, all looking towards him, bewildered.

"What's this 911 text, Rico? 'Grab all your stuff and meet us outside the South door?'" Polly asked, her warm complexion ashier than Lily had ever seen before as she looked at all their faces.

As Mr. Daveney had taken off early, the Police had met with Susan and Gary instead. After exchanging a look with Susan, Gary recounted everything he could remember. His voice as soothing as he could manage. Lily thought he'd likely never talked so much at work in his life. As he spoke, Susan squeezed Lily's waist one more time before excusing herself. She walked a little away to call Mr. Daveney. Sasha followed after her, evidently not wanting Susan to be alone, even a dozen feet away.

Lily looked again at Aaron's empty jeep, her mind racing.

When Gary was done, there was a brief stunned silence. While most of them were somber, several of the goldsmiths started showing off their old karate moves, trying to lighten the mood or lessen their own anxiety, Lily wasn't sure. A few employees immediately began to freak out, and Polly pat them firmly as she demanded they go home before their anger or hysteria became contagious.

Lily herself felt oddly calm, but she usually did in moments of crisis. She knew from experience that it would hit her later, when all the doing was done. Right now, her head was spinning with all the things they needed to do or consider. She was surprised and concerned at everyone's very varied reactions around her, though. Many people reacted much differently than she had ever seen, and it was unsettling.