Five-o’clock

(This story is based on true events)

It was a typical Tuesday afternoon; I went to the local bank to deposit a check. The time was 10 till 5 o'clock and the line was moving slow at first; it eventually picked up and I was almost to the teller. The security guard started pacing up and down the corridor of the bank entrance. I didn’t think anything of it, I just thought he was blocking the entrance to weed out any last-minute patrons trying to enter. Must have been a nervous routine.

My transaction went pretty quickly, although I did flirt a bit with the teller. She was your typical community college graduate, working her first, somewhat professional, low paying job and trying to move her way to the top. Probably sleeping with the boss too. She had a bit too much blush on, but she was really sweet, and if there wasn’t a line behind me, I may have asked her out.

I deposited $200 of the $250 check and cashed $50. A ten and two twenties. I hate large bills. I headed for the door, the security guard was still pacing. He was walking away from me, but did a quick pivot turn right as I was crossing his path. We made eye contact for a quick second, I nodded, and headed for the door.

As I was about to push the door open, I noticed a youngish gentleman, perhaps my age, about to make his way in. He was wearing a camo jacket, red ball cap, and had a terrible five-o'clock shadow trying to push its way through. He was about to walk up, but when I pushed the door open, he retreated, walked back to his white jeep and was about to get in.

I smiled at him and said, “It’s okay! It’s still open!” He shot a sheepish smile at me, said thank you, and started to make his way back towards the entrance.

It was 4:58pm. He had time; I shouldn’t feel bad.

The next morning, I was in a meeting at work and my coworkers started talking about a triple homicide that happened at the bank the night before. Some man went in to rob the place but freaked out and started shooting everyone there, leaving 3 dead. A customer, a security guard, and a teller. My teller?

“Wait, what?!?! You’re kidding me!?!? The bank? I was there last night. I left right before 5 and everything was fine.” I yelled.

“This happened right at 5, chief. You must have just missed it” Our tech guy whispered to me. He pulled out his phone and showed me a pic.

“This guy fled the scene before the police could arrive, but they’re posting this picture everywhere. The camera caught this on his way in.” I saw the image and it felt like someone socked me in the stomach. I couldn't breath.

Camo jacket and a red cap. Only I couldn’t see any sign of a beard. The picture was out of focus.

“No way! I saw that guy! He was walking in as I was leaving. I basically held the door open for him.”

“Well, if that’s true, then you just killed 3 people, chief!” He was joking, but it was true. Why did I tell him the bank was still open?

I couldn’t think straight. I began to sweat and my pulse was racing. Maybe the guy I saw wasn’t wearing a cap, or a camo jacket. And the guy I saw had a beard. Now that I think about it, he looked nothing like that picture at all.

“Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!” Our executive director ran in the room. “This just in. You know that robbery last night? The guy fled to a hotel and the cops tracked him there this morning. He ended up blowing his brains out in the room before they could arrest him.”

“It wasn’t a robbery. He didn’t take anything. He just shot up the place and ran off.” The tech guy looked my way and smiled. “And this one held the door open for him.”