The Bank

Bentley Little

The

Bank

Bentley Little

Cemetery Dance Publications

Baltimore, MD

2020

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Cemetery Dance Publications

132-B Industry Lane, Unit #7

Forest Hill, MD 21050

http://www.cemeterydance.com

The characters and events in this book are fictitious.

Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58767-775-5

Digital Design by Dan Hocker

PROLOGUE

1932

Theo sat next to his dad on a hard seat in the bank president’s office. He had never been inside the bank before, and the surroundings were intimidating. The walls of the high-ceilinged room were paneled in dark expensive-looking wood, and the space was larger than their entire house. The president’s desk before them seemed the size of a small boat, and the man himself was big and fat and didn’t look as though he’d ever had a hungry day in his life.

The president gave a cursory glance to the papers Theo’s dad had given him, then dropped them on top of his desk as though he found their touch greasy and unappealing. “I’m not sure what you want me to do here, Mr. Gianopuolos. My loan officer thoroughly examined your case and provided you with the reasons why he didn’t think it feasible for our bank to lend you the money you requested.” He spread out his hands expansively. “I’m not sure what you expect me to do here.”

“Overturn his decision.” Theo’s dad leaned forward in his chair. “This is a good idea, Mr. Jones.”

“Times are tough, Mr. Gianopuolos, as I’m sure you know. The bank is not in a position to take irresponsible risks.”

Theo could hear the frustration in his dad’s voice. “This is hardly irresponsible. And it’s barely even a risk. Yes, times are tough. But that’s exactly why this sort of business has such potential. The location I’ve chosen is down the block from the movie palace, on the same side of the street as the First Baptist Church, the biggest church in town. People will be walking by the restaurant constantly. And, as I explained in my interview with Mr. Thompson, I plan to leave the front of the restaurant open, no wall, like a grocer’s. That’s the way they do it in Europe, although they have tables on the sidewalk. They call them cafés.”

“As I indicated, there’s really nothing I can do here. If I start overruling the determinations of my staff, they’ll lose confidence in their ability to make decisions, and our entire system will cease to work. I have to trust my employees to do their jobs, a sentiment I’m sure you can understand, since if you had your own business, you would have to trust and believe in your employees as well.”