Chapter 47 - The LaSalle Vault
Ellis was not an ordinary driver; five years in the military logistics division had taught him how to handle heavy steel under fire. With a calculated tap of the emergency brake, he executed a sharp reverse-pivot at the rail depot crossing, sending our sedan skidding safely into the gravel siding while the chasing SUV overshoot the turn, plowing headlong into a row of concrete bridge pylons with a deafening screech of crumpled steel.
We didn't stay to watch the driver crawl out. Leaving the car at the depot, we boarded the commuter express with minutes to spare.
Two hours later, the towering limestone canyons of downtown Chicago rose up through the lake-effect snow. The city moved with a cold, indifferent energy that felt a world away from the silent pine forests of Western Michigan.
The First Merchants Bank on LaSalle Street was a monument to old wealth—fluted marble pillars, gilded ceilings, and bronze tellers’ cages that looked like they belonged in another century.
I walked up to the private vault desk, flanked by Ellis and Mrs. Gable. My wedding ring felt heavy on my left hand; my right hand held the brass key.
"I need access to Box 414," I told the vaulted clerk, sliding the key and my identification across the polished mahogany counter. "Under the name Vance."
The clerk, an elderly gentleman in a bespoke charcoal vest, inspected the brass key through a jeweler's loupe. His eyebrows lifted slightly, but his professional composure didn't falter.
"Box 414 has been under a sealed administrative hold for twenty-six years, Madam," he said in a hushed tone. "The trust instructions dictate that if the key is presented by Abigail Vance, the bank’s trust officer must personally escort you down."
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"Then call him," Ellis said firmly.
Five minutes later, the massive steel vault door swung open on oiled hinges, revealing rows upon rows of polished brass boxes. When the clerk unlocked Box 414 and pulled out the long, heavy metal drawer, my hands trembled so violently I could barely lift the lid.
