Rance cleared his throat, making Max realize how nervous the deputy was. Nothing like this had been suspected in over a hundred years in Dry Gulch and certainly nothing close to it since Max had been sheriff. “I would imagine they are all armed.”
Max couldn’t help but think of his earlier conversation with his staff.
People still rob banks?Rance had asked in surprise when Max had told him what he suspected might be going down in Dry Gulch.
A few thousand of them every year. If a bank goes for a hundred years without a robbery, they assume they’re due—even in small towns like ours. Dry Gulch’s hasn’t been robbed in over one hundred and thirty years. It’s overdue.
The café is right next door to the bank, and it sounded like they were using jackhammers in the basement,Rance had said.They sure aren’t trying very hard to hide what they’re doing.
Max had to agree. They were either so arrogant that they thought they could get away with it. Or…The thing about robbing a bank, usually the robbers are caught the same day. Bank robbers have the highest capture rate of any crime.
So maybe they aren’t going to rob the bank?the deputy had asked, looking as confused as Max had felt.Maybe they’re pretending to rob the bank, so we don’t notice what they’re really after.
The sheriff had his doubts, but seeing both Mandeville and Luca Havers drive into town, he told himself the bank robbery was going down.
“Looks like they’re all going into the café,” Rance reported.
From his office he saw the three men disappear into the café. “Will you be able to see them once they’re seated?” the sheriff asked Rance.
Silence, then, “Arnie is leading them to a booth by the front window. I can see Malcolm. His muscle is sitting next to him. Havers took a seat across from him. They’ve left the chair farthest away from the window open. Must be planning on someone joining them.”
Max checked the time. Ten fifteen. He looked down the street again. Still no sign of the armored car, but it could be here any minute. Unless Mandeville wasn’t planning on hitting the bankuntil after the guards from the armored car brought the money inside the building…
“Keep them in sight,” he told Rance as he searched the street. The red sports car was still parked in front of the hotel. “Any sign of Donovan and Goldie?”
“Not yet.”
“Let me know if there is any change or if any of the men leave the table.”
He radioed the extra deputies he had positioned in buildings behind the café and the bank. Both reported all was quiet in the rear.
Anxiously, he watched the street knowing he’d done everything he could. Now it was a matter of waiting and catching them in the act. If they did act. He still had no evidence other than the note Goldie had found in Donovan’s hotel room. All he had was his gut instinct and right now he was starting to question it. What if he couldn’t trust his intuition because the possibility of losing Goldie forever had him so off balance?
Worse, today he was even more worried about her. He hadn’t seen her except in passing and she was always with Donovan. It was as if he kept her close for a reason. Because they planned to use her somehow today?
His radio squawked. “Lolly Mandeville just came out of the hotel. Looks like she’s headed for the café.” Minutes passed. “She just entered the café and walked over to her father’s table.”
“Did he seem happy to see her, as if he’d been expecting her?” Max asked, thinking of the empty place at the man’s booth.
“Negative. Mandeville and his daughter appear to be arguing. Havers just got up to let Lolly slide into the booth. They’re all four sitting down now, but the boss does not look happy.”
Max checked the time again. Ten twenty-five. Where was the armored car carrying the large cash deposit?
DONOVANHAD ALWAYShad a strong survival instinct. He believed it had kept him alive since charm and good looks, he’d realized, could only take a man so far. He’d never needed that instinct more than now, he thought as he heard the knock at his hotel room door. Goldie?
He was filled with such deep sadness and disappointment that it took him a moment to open the door. Had he really believed this could have a happy ending? The fact that he’d hoped it could, surprised him. Lolly was right, he’d fallen for this woman. But unfortunately, that changed nothing.
Opening the door, he smiled broadly. “Good morning!”
She looked the way he felt. “I changed my mind. Can we go to the grand opening and have breakfast?”
He stepped aside. “Are you sure? Last night you were ready to skip it altogether, maybe even leave town.” He’d tried to convince her to stay last night when what he’d wanted was to tell her to run, leave town, not look back. He didn’t have that option and now neither did she.
“I have to support the new owner,” Goldie said, her voice sounding strained.
Donovan raised an eyebrow. “I know you’re not dying to see what Arnie’s done with the place. Afraid you might miss something since the whole town will probably be there?”
She shook her head. “I doubt the whole town will turn out. He might be lucky if anyone shows up.”
