Two sheriff’s vehicles were pulling up just at that second, and the three of them walked out. Aaron identified himself as the one who’d dialed 911, and he and Nick told the sheriff the whole story, leaving nothing out.

“Do you think he’s still in there?” Sheriff Neth asked them.

Nick and Aaron looked at each other, then shrugged. “He might have slipped out the back door,” Nick said. “But I’m pretty sure he didn’t go out the front. We would’ve seen him.”

“Unless they have, like, a basement or something,” Aaron suggested. “Because he was…gone. We didn’t see him. And Mr. Worthington definitely seemed like he was threatening us. For sure he would hide him.”

“We’ll see about that,” the sheriff said grimly. He nodded at the three deputies next to him. “Stay here,” he told Nick and Aaron. “We’ll come and get you if we need you.”

Nick, his dad and Aaron stood on the sidewalk, trying to watch what was happening through the bank’s tinted windows but able to glimpse only an occasional indistinct movement from within. As four minutes became seven, became ten, became fifteen, the three of them retreated back to the bookstore, where his dad got them bottled waters out of the small fridge and they stared out at the sidewalk, waiting for the sheriff and his men to re-emerge. They did so soon after, appearing angry and frustrated. Nick and Aaron followed his dad outside to see what had happened, and they were informed that, according to Mr. Worthington, no Victor or V.J. Clark worked for or had ever worked for The First People’s Bank.

“We saw him!” Nick and Aaron cried almost in unison. “He was there!”

“I believe you,” the sheriff said. “But there’s no way to prove it. We searched every inch of that place, and everyone swears that they don’t know anyone named Clark and they’ve never seen anyone matching his description.”

“Even Gary?” his dad asked softly.

The sheriff nodded. “Even Gary. Now as far as I’m concerned, they’re all lying through their teeth. And if we catch them at it, there’s going to be hell to pay. Obstruction of justice, interfering with an investigation, all of that. But until we can prove otherwise, we’re out of luck.” He looked at Aaron and Nick. “Now, do you two want to come down and give a statement? Make it official?”

Nick glanced over at his dad, who nodded.

“Sure.”

The sheriff smiled. “All right, then. This’ll help,” he assured them.