“I did hear a rumor about that.”

“It’s more than a rumor. I want you to do some research. Find out who owns this bank, where it comes from, when it’s opening, the whole shebang. No doubt they know the name and background of every member of our board, of the president, of me, of you, hell, of everybody who works here. We’re going to need some hard data in hand if we’re going to compete on a level playing field.” He shook his head. “This new deregulation push is opening up banking to every Tom’s Hairy Dick that comes down the pike. Half of these halfwits probably have no idea what they’re doing and’ll quickly go under, but they could still screw things up for established institutions like ours.” Shanley sighed. “And just when I thought we were getting a break with that Bank of America thing.”

A break? Coy studied the manager’s face. Was he aware that the Bank of America employees had been killed? It was hard to tell, but Coy didn’t want to be the one to broach the subject so he simply nodded in agreement.

The truth was that the rest of them were freaked out about it. Rumor had it that the killings were related to the branch closing, that one of the employees had not taken it well and had killed himself and all of his co-workers (the smart money was on Tim Takamura, who had always seemed highly strung and just this side of unstable). But there was also the distinct possibility that some serial killer was targeting bank workers. In which case they could all be in danger.

Coy cleared his throat. “So you want me to…”

“Find out everything you can. Strengths, weaknesses, anything we can use against them, anything that’ll help us retain our customers. Information is power, as they say, and I want as much information at my fingertips as you can find. And if you dig up any dirt…” He shrugged. “All’s fair in love and business.”

Coy nodded. The parameters were vague, and he still wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to do, but he pretended that he did. “When do you need this by?”

“As soon as you can get it. I want all of your attention on this. If there’s anything else that’s outstanding or under deadline, pawn it off on Cal. Maggie can pick up his slack if need be. Got it?”

“Got it,” Coy said and rose to go.

“We’re fighting for our lives here,” Shanley said. “Don’t let me down.”

He walked back to his desk, and the first thing he did was call Florine. If another bank was attempting to encroach on their territory, the agents at Evergreen Title would know. But when he asked what she knew about the bank that was supposed to be opening in Montgomery, she pled ignorance.

“I haven’t heard anything about it,” Florine told him.

He didn’t believe her.

That was a first. And either way, whether she really was lying to him or whether he just thought she was lying to him, it marked a distressing milestone in what had been, until now, a pretty harmonious relationship.