At eight-thirty that evening, Willie Quentin left his office and strode straight to the checkout stand where Mavis was working. He was brusque and businesslike. "I want you to stay over until all of the local chain proceeds are in the armored van. You'll have to take care of the lockup procedure and receiving the two van guards. My cashier was just called away because of a death in the family and the assistant manager was given the day off because I thought it would be a light weekendright after a holiday."

Mavis nodded her consent and watched the tall, red-haired manager stalk toward the elevator in the back of the store to return to his office.

It had been a light evening. The other two checkout girls had gone just a few minutes before; the three stock boys, including Dell Emerson, Becky Samon's boyfriend, had gone at seven-thirty.

Earlier, Mavis had seen Mickey Lewis saunter through, buy a case of beer. He had avoided her, had checked out through one of the other stands. Maybe he was still embarrassed, knowing that she had seen his wife plundered by Ben Glover last Saturday night. Where had he been?

Fucking Connie Quentin? Mavis knew that Phil had been occupied, somewhere, by Miriam Carr!

At eight, Henry Carr had roamed through the store in plainclothes while a uniformed officer bought a pack of cigarettes.

Mavis knew that Hank was with the officer as she had seen them both get out of the marked patrol car. It made her even more nervous when Henry Carr ignored her and the uniformed officer had checked out a few stands away. Things she had heard gave her reason for uneasiness.

Shortly after nine, she heard men coming and going in the vast stockroom. Mavis knew they were officials of other stores in the Salt Lake City area, bringing their store receipts for Willie to tabulate and lump all money together for the armored van fellows.

Mavis left her stand and tripped a series of switches with a special key that locked all customer doors electronically. Any tampering with the doors set off an automatic alarm at the Sugar House police station.