I thought I'd found a smart shortcut: ring the bank first. That was my brilliant idea. Call ahead, sound confident, make it seem like a warning. Get the cash ready, I'm coming to collect. I figured they'd panic, stack the notes, and when I arrived I'd be in and out before anyone had time to blink. I didn't expect them to stay calm. I didn't expect them to play along. And I definitely didn't expect to see no police when I walked through the door. They'd done exactly what I hoped: packed the money neatly in a holdall behind the counter, hands shaking. I didn't even need the knife in my coat pocket. I walked out with everything. Turns out sometimes the stupid idea is the one nobody sees coming.