“How long?”
“A month, maybe. He had his fingers in a lot of pies.”
I turn around in my seat. “All of you, get lost.”
The deputies look at each other before filing out the front door. “Now we can talk,” I tell Alan. “How bad is it?”
“We can make money out of this town, but not much. Is it worth the effort?”
“Let’s just say I have a personal interest in this project.”
“But you don’t want any kickbacks at all?”
“Just keep the town on the straight and narrow. Did you resolve the Sandwell situation?”
“He’s gone, and I told him if he comes back, I’ll shoot his kid. How come you didn’t just get Luigi killed? Would have been a lot easier.”
“And the Feds would have been crawling over this place. We’re on a deadline here.”
“Four days until the vault closes for good. You got a plan?”
“I’m taking Natalie for dinner tonight. Going to take a close look at the box.”
“Your father didn’t tell you how it worked?”
“He told me the box opens the vault. That’s all Derek said to him. Once I get hold of it and I get into the bank, I’ll work it out.”
“Be careful. You fuck it up and the whole lot goes up in flames.”
“I’m aware of that.” I get to my feet. “Once this is all squared away, make sure the deputies know there’s a new boss in town.”
“They know that. They know who you are. They know your reputation. There won’t be a single crime committed here except by us.”
“Good. I’ll be in touch.”
* * *
Natalie looks good enough to eat when I pick her up. She’s got a skirt above the knee in black, a light pink blouse that’s tight to her chest, and she’s letting her hair hang down for once.
I leave the car at her place and we walk slowly back toward the center of town. “Where are we going?” she asks.
“The bookstore,” I tell her.
“Why?”
“You’ll see when we get there. Jasmine get to sleep all right?”
“Absolutely fine. She’s a natural at it. Apparently, I was a nightmare getting to sleep each night, but with her it’s like a switch going off. She’s in bed one minute, the next she’s snoring.”
“That’s good. I worked something out about the box.”
“Do you know how it opens the vault?”
“No, but it is the key to getting in there. We just need to take it to the bank and try it out. We’ll do that tomorrow.”
“You keep saying we. Why are we doing it together?”
“Because I need to keep you safe. There might be people watching the bank.”