They had coffee at a small shop on the next block. Loretta insisted on paying for her own tea. Darius did not argue. They sat at a table near the window while she explained what she had seen between Harlon's tie adjustment and the guard's movement. He wrote it down without interrupting. When she finished, he asked permission to send a copy to the audit team.
"Send everything," she said. "But don't lose sight of my tax deadline while you investigate the whole bank. A good investigation won't help if it comes back after someone has put a lien on my house."
"I know. We're working two tracks. One to make your funds available, another to find out what's happening in that branch. They need separate approvals so nobody can say I used my position to rewrite your account history."
She looked at him over her cup. "You've become careful with words."
"I learned from a very strict reading teacher."
"She sounds wise."
"Terrifying," he said, and for the first time since Monday morning she laughed.
At noon, Loretta returned to the back of the parking lot. Darius waited several paces away, near a line of parked cars, so Nina would have room to choose whether she wanted him involved. The hedge was taller than it looked from the street. Its branches muffled some of the traffic noise, creating a pocket of privacy that still felt exposed because the bank's glass façade rose above it.
Nina arrived with nine minutes left on her lunch break. She was carrying a paper cup of water she had not touched. "I'm sorry I made you come all the way back," she said.
"You asked me to meet you," Loretta replied. "I'm here."
"This is going to sound unbelievable."
"After yesterday, there aren't many things I would dismiss without hearing them."
Nina twisted the end of her lanyard around one finger. "Mr. Harlon has a method. He targets customers he thinks won't complain successfully.
Elderly people, especially from Valley Heights and the neighborhoods east of the river. He makes them bring documents they don't need, then he calls their frustration evidence of suspicious behavior. Sometimes accounts are restricted for weeks. Sometimes fees keep accruing while people wait."
Loretta listened without looking away. "And your supervisors?"
"We submit complaints. The regional office says everything was handled correctly, or that there wasn't enough evidence. Pamela Ror's office signs off on most of it. I've seen people come in three or four times for the same problem until they simply stop returning."
"Does he do it to everyone?"
"No. That's the point. Two customers can present nearly identical transactions and get completely different treatment. The decision happens before he even looks at their paperwork."
Darius moved closer, careful not to crowd her. "Miss Alvarez, may I ask whether you would be willing to provide dates and examples to an independent investigator?"
Nina looked at him. "Who are you really?"
Loretta answered before he could. "He's my son. He knows the industry. He's trying to help me understand what happened."
Darius did not contradict the description. He said, "You should have your own legal advice if you decide to report. And you shouldn't take confidential account records home. Tell the authorized reviewers where the records can be found so they can preserve them properly."