All That Glitters, Chapter Two (2)

Chapter 2
Marcus peeped out from behind the marula tree. It was hard to make out
the man’s features because he kept his head down. But as he drew near to where Marcus was standing, the sun shone on the man’s earring. It was shaped like a cat and the gold glittered in the sunlight. The man grabbed his hat and ran back to the car.


The back door of the car was already open. He threw the hold-all inside and slammed the door. Then he jumped into the front seat of the car. He hadn’t even closed the door when the car roared off. The tyres skidded on the hot, dusty road.
The next moment the street was full of angry people. They had all come running out of the bank.
“Thief! Thief!” they shouted.
“It’s okay,” a woman reassured them. “The bank people have phoned the police.”
Almost before she had finished speaking, a police van drove up the street. There were two police officers in the car.
“Can you believe that? The bank has just been robbed. The man had a gun!”
Marcus jumped at the sound of his mother’s voice. He hadn’t even seen her walking towards him.
“I saw the thief,” Marcus said.
“You’d better speak to the police officer then.”
“Just tell us everything you witnessed,” the thin policeman said. Marcus told him everything and the officer wrote it all down. He was impressed at how accurate Marcus was at describing the scene.
When Marcus was finished talking to the police, he and his mother walked home. It was nearly time for Gertrude and her boyfriend’s visit.
The table was set and all the food was ready. Marcus and his mum sat waiting, but Gertrude was very late. Marcus couldn’t sit still for a moment. He kept getting up, and looking out the window.
A sleek black Mercedes Benz drove up their street. It stopped outside their house.
“Mum, come quickly. They are here.”
Marcus opened the door and ran outside. Gertrude jumped out of the car. She threw her arms around her brother.
“Hiya, Marcus,” she smiled. “You grow taller every time I see you.” Gertrude reached into the back seat of the car. She handed Marcus a brand new soccer ball. A tall man stepped out of the driver’s side of the car. “I’d like you to meet Jonathan Jeffreys. This is the man I plan to marry.”
Marcus shook his hand. He looked familiar. Mum came over to greet him. Jonathan turned his head to face her and broke into a huge grin at meeting Gertrude’s mother. The sun shone on the earring he wore. It was gold and shaped like a cat.
Marcus felt dizzy. He thought he was going to pass out. Surely this isn’t the man who robbed the bank this morning? There has to be some mistake, he thought.