Stubborn and in Love (Book Three)

17.

Jack's POV

I waited for Melody to come back but it was taking her especially long to find a garbage can. My nerves got the best of me so I turned the corner she'd taken to try and find her.

I saw her standing stock-still, staring at something across the street.

"Mel? You okay?"

When she didn't answer I grew more concerned until I finally saw what had grabbed her attention.

In bold letters mounted on a large marble building read Starry Bank.

"Jack, that's the bank. The one in Frankie's note."

I nodded slowly, trying to sort out my head. My mouth went dry, and suddenly the building seemed to have grown in size.

It looked more daunting, but it beckoned out to us, almost as if it was a siren calling us to her shores.

"We have to go in there."

"Sweetheart, I don't think that's such a good idea."

Melody turned to me, a determined look in her eyes. Her face was set like stone, and I could tell she only had one thought on her mind. One that she was not going to let go.

"Fi-"

Before I could even get the words out of my mouth, Melody was halfway done crossing the busy street.

She certainly had a mind of her own.

I hurried after her and in through the marble doors. The lighting was low for a bank, the atmosphere secretive.

Gold lamp fixtures hung from the impossibly high ceiling, as well as a giant mural filled with angels and saints.

It was almost like Frankie was watching from above. Or maybe the white-hot feeling at my feet more accurately described where he'd ended up.

A row of wooden teller stations lined the back wall. We pointed our feet in the direction of the only teller working. He was an older gentleman in a fine suit and a gold wrist watch ticking the hours away.

"I'm sorry, this is a private establishment-"

"I'm aware. We're here to make a withdrawal, specifically from the Frankie Russo account."

The man eyed Melody, trying to penetrate her eyes and see if she'd falter.

She didn't.

"I'll be back in one moment." He strode away from his position at the desk and returned a moment later with a document in hand.

"Mrs...Luna I presume?"

"Yes, I'm Mrs.Luna."

Melody glanced at me for a moment but returned her attention to the man, who introduced himself as Mr.Gray, and gave me a slight nod of the head. I went ahead and followed her lead.

"I'm sorry, but the instructions Mr.Russo left for us was to only allow his banking information to be disclosed with you."

The teller gave me a look.

"Mel-Mrs.Luna, I don't feel it's right to leave you alone."

"It's alright Thompson. I'll meet up with you outside."

Melody gave me a slight nod of the head, letting me know she was okay. I went ahead and followed her lead and exited the ritzy building.

I checked my watch religiously and waited for her to walk through the wide doors. I waited with anticipation to see what she brought out with her.

Was Russo truly stockpiling riches?

Eventually she came out to my relief. Her expression was slightly frustrated but mostly confused.

"What's wrong?"

She held up a thick brown file for me to see.

"This. It's just a file. No precious metals, no rubies, nada. Just this stupid file."

"You didn't actually think you were about to quit your SSR job and become a millionaire now did you, Miss Luna?" I joked.

She did not reciprocate my laugh.

"I'm not in this for me, Jack. And don't even smirk over the code name, it was one I used back in Atlanta. Someone broke into my apartment for information, possibly broke into Frankie's house, and a man died shortly after he handed me a secret note concerning this bank. Some went through all that trouble..for a file?"

"Maybe it's more important than you think."

"All that's in here is another note, written to me."

She flipped open the file and pulled out another cream colored paper, the type Frankie had used for the other note. I took it from her hand and read its contents.

Whisky, lot 234. Find Ron.

"Great, another useless note."

I handed the paper back to Melody as she tucked it back into the file.

"There's one more thing in here. A picture."

She showed me the black and white photograph of a rocky coast, foam from the ocean spraying the dark rocks.

"I wonder where that could be."

She tapped her cardinal red nails on the photograph.

"Well, I guess we'll have to find out."

Melody headed down the street, again forcing me to catch up.

"No offense, but you're crazy if you're thinking about pursuing this. Russo's obviously just trying to screw with you, even in his grave. Just let it go."

"Nope, can't do that. I refuse to believe that's what's going on here, that it's all just some schoolyard prank."

Her pace quickened as we weaved between the shoppers out on the street.

"God, why do you have to be so headstrong sometimes," I mumbled.

Melody stopped dead in her tracks, causing me to slam into a shopper to avoid tripping on her.

She slowly turned towards me, her temper so angry that I could practically feel the steam emulating off of her body.

"If you don't like it," she stated in a deadpan voice, "then you're free to leave me alone."

With that she turned her back to me and hopped into a cab. They sped away before I had a chance to protest.