Unaware that their information was already exposed, the three true old men continued their robbery, following a process they seemed to have rehearsed countless times. They appeared relaxed but were quite stiff as they began the heist.
“Nobody moves! Don’t touch the alarm!”
“Unless you want a bullet in your head!”
“Get down! Everyone down!”
The three had a clear division of labor: one kept watch and timed the operation, while the other two went to the counters to grab the money.
Bella and Natasha used invisibility spells on themselves to avoid detection and sat on the side, waiting.
Waiting for what? The robbers should leave so they can continue their banking. Didn’t you see how cooperative the tellers and customers were? After all, the stolen money belonged to the bank, and the management and board would worry about the loss, not the individuals.
Why should a bunch of employees worry about their boss’s loss? Just stay put and keep quiet.
Bella just sighed, observing the darker side of capitalism. It was appalling that eighty-year-old men had to don rubber masks in the hottest part of the day to commit robbery. The masks, meant for children, were utterly non-breathable; just looking at them, Bella felt they must be unbearably hot.
Watching the old men, their bones brittle with osteoporosis, pantingly stuffed money into bags, she was profoundly moved. Was this a distortion of human nature or a decline in morality? She didn’t know, but it was a moral downfall.
Even during a robbery, these old men maintained a certain humanity—they robbed the bank without harming individuals, unlike other robbers who wouldn’t spare even customers’ possessions.
The customers and employees suffered no personal losses; the operation was a textbook example of a robbery.
In two minutes, the robbers had filled three travel bags with money and quickly fled the bank.
Bella deactivated the invisibility spells she had cast secretly, and they peeked out cautiously.
With her high perception, Natasha felt something when the spell was lifted, but she couldn’t pinpoint it.
Unaffected by the robbers, Bella also applied for a bank card at Bank of the West after finishing their business with the educational fund. She felt it was embarrassing to be in this world for two months without a bank card.
Continuing their enthusiastic shopping and mutual teasing, they fully embodied the ‘shopping’ part of their outing.
Unfortunately, Bella was broke, without any source of income, and with significant expenses on cosmetics. On the other hand, Natasha had significantly reduced her disposable income due to her parents’ divorce. Despite their youthful and attractive appearance, neither owned a branded item—they were truly needy.
After aimlessly wandering the stores and buying little, they agreed to meet again and went their separate ways.
The influence of the Bank of the West was significant, and the criminals involved were not super-villains like Death or Magneto but mere mortals. Under pressure from the bank, the real FBI acted quickly, capturing the three suspects by evening.
Fresh out of the shower and watching TV in bed, Bella saw the real faces of the old robbers on the screen.
Old! That was her first impression.
The TV subtitle displayed their ages: 85, 82, and 81.
Bella figured only the vampires she knew were older than these men.
The FBI doctors, after a quick check, found that the trio suffered from numerous ailments: high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, gout, and skin diseases. The 85-year-old even had severe renal failure.
Even facing the media, the three old men showed no panic, steady as old dogs. For them, this heist was a final gamble; winning meant a luxurious life, and losing meant not having to work again.
Even if imprisoned, they weren’t concerned. Prison would provide food, shelter, and medical care—living there might extend their lives by a few years!
“Wexler Steel Company is moving its manufacturing out of the U.S. due to technological upgrades and labor costs. The company that bought Wexler Steel is concerned about the massive pensions left by this 80-year-old company.”
“Many elderly people had their pensions indefinitely frozen under the guise of ‘review and verification,’ leading the three men to a path of crime.”
“Bank of the West’s financial products wiped out the seniors’ principal, and now even their homes are mortgaged. The bank is pressing for payments.”
The case was straightforward, pieced together from some information leaked by the FBI and various sources. Unbothered by considerations of bank privacy, reporters analyzed the case fiercely from social, legal, and moral perspectives.
The next morning at eleven, the FBI released the three old men without charges.
Despite their myriad health issues, the old men’s mentality was stable. “We’re so old. What can you do to us?”
Arizona had abolished
The death penalty on November 15, 1992. Even if convicted, the worst they faced was imprisonment.
Their alibis weren’t clever; a simple check revealed flaws.
But they were only suspects, with no direct evidence!
Those who interacted with the old men were mostly their peers, who didn’t intentionally cover for them but couldn’t provide specific information.
The FBI director asked, “Mr. William, what was your colleague Joe doing between 2:15 and 4:15 PM?”
Old William, suffering from senile dementia, stared blankly, drooling as he looked at the director: “No, I don’t want any. I’ve already eaten.”
This was a genuine illness, not feigned to protect a criminal. The director crossed out William’s name—no point in asking him further. Perhaps God could get some answers, but certainly not him.
The next witness entered quickly, and the director repeated the question like a parrot: “Ms. Linda, what was your colleague Joe doing between 2:15 and 4:15 PM?”
The elderly woman seemed lucid enough. After listening to the question seriously, she seemed to ponder for a few seconds before a severe coughing fit ensued, lasting over a minute, nearly coughing out her lungs.
The director was startled; dying on his watch was the last thing he needed!
No more questions—call the doctor! Please take some medicine and rest!
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