Ben had never returned after that baffling and disturbing phone call. It had been nearly a week now that the manager had been absent, and everyone had simply continued to show up for work and do their jobs, making sure the bank ran the way it was supposed to. There were a lot of questions, a lot of speculation, but no one actually knew what had happened. A stack of authorizations continued to pile up on Ben’s desk, waiting to be signed, and the first time Coy had put them there, he’d noticed that the mysterious old ledger was nowhere to be seen. Someone had taken it.

1941…1945…1953…

Several times over the past six days, he’d considered reporting the manager’s absence—but to whom? The board? They answered to The First People’s Bank now. First People’s? It was more than possible that they were behind Ben’s disappearance. The sheriff? Coy wasn’t sure he had standing to do so. He realized for the first time that he didn’t know if the manager had any family.

“We had to give something up.”

Ben’s admission about the cost of the merger (or whatever they were calling it), had never been far from his mind, and now he was starting to think that Montgomery Community had had to give up not only Jimmy but Ben.

Could he be next?

Coy did not want to find out.

There was an overflow crowd in the council chambers. Word had obviously gotten around, and supporters had turned out in force. The business owners who had signed the petition were here, of course, but there were many others as well. He recognized some of Montgomery Community Bank’s customers, along with various people he either knew or had frequently seen around town. Even the sheriff had come, along with two deputies flanking the door, and that gave Coy confidence.

Coy sat down in an aisle seat next to Trixie Johnson, who had saved a spot for him. The meeting was called to order, various bits of old business were attended to, three votes were taken, an item of new business on the consent calendar involving the timing of the stoplight in front of Wal-Mart was discussed, and then Coy was allowed to present his proposal.

He stood up before the council. He was nervous, and it showed, but he was also resolute, and he cleared his throat. “You should all have before you a copy of a draft proposal drawn up by myself and supported by the four hundred and eighty-six Montgomery citizens who signed the attached petition.

“I don’t know if you’ve had time to look over the materials yet, but basically what we are proposing is a municipal bank, a bank owned by the town of Montgomery. A true Montgomery Community Bank. Although,” he added with a slight smile, “one with a different name, since that one’s already taken.”