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“Mh…” he said noncommittally.

“Look, I’ll go door to door spreading the word of Jesus, if you become a CCREC’er!”

“Okay, fine,” he said finally. ‘You send two dozen new parishioners my way, and organize the next church raffle, and I’ll put the full weight of the church behind your mission to rid our streets of dog poo. How does that sound?”

“Like music to my ears, father!” she said excitedly.

They were back in business! She’d hit a couple of snags, but with Father Reilly by her side no dog owner would slam the door in her face again!

“But I’m not going door to door. That’s beneath my dignity as a representative of the Church of Christ. What I will do is devote a sermon to the matter, maybe even two.”

“One week of house calls,” she said. “Seven evenings, six to ten.”

“One full day of house calls, and you’ll tell Odelia to write an article about the church’s need for a new spire.”

“Deal,” she said.

“Great,” he said, and held out his hand.

They shook hands on it, both reasonably satisfied they’d gotten what they wanted.

“You’re a tough negotiator, Vesta,” he said.

“No, you’re a tough negotiator,” she said admiringly. The man clearly was a worthy opponent, and a formidable ally.

“So when do you want to do this?” he asked.

“How about we get cracking right now? No time to waste.”

He checked his watch.“All right. Let me tell my secretary to clear my schedule, and I’m your man.”

She grinned. Now that was a first: a man of God declaring he was hers.

Her day was suddenly starting to look a lot better.

Chapter 20

Brady Dexter, bank manager by day, and proud father and husband by night, beamed as he welcomed this important customer into his establishment. “Welcome, welcome, welcome,” he caroled as he led the thickset gentleman into his office. “You’ve chosen the right place to bring your banking business,” he said with an ingratiating smile. Christian Galvin was easilyone of the wealthiest clients who’d ever set foot inside the Capital First Bank, and he was determined to use every ounce of charm to reel in this big fish.

“There’s only one thing I need to hear from you,” the large man wheezed as the chair creaked dangerously under his formidable bulk. “Do you have a safe? And is it safe?”

“Of course we have safes!” said Brady. “And not only do we have safes, but they’re the safest safes in town!” He watched on as Mr. Galvin lit a cigar and was now taking quick puffs. He would have told him that smoking wasn’t allowed, not inside the bank and most definitely not inside the bank manager’s office, but he figured that if he could stomach the foul stench of the man’s Cohiba for five minutes, Mr. Galvin might grace his establishment with his patronage, so instead he just sat there and smiled benignly.

“I have had it with Hard Capital Savings and Loan,” said Mr. Galvin. “I was a loyal customer for years, but they screwed me over. Decided to become victims of a heist. Their vault was emptied out and I lost some valuable heirlooms and all of my Krugerrand and Silver Eagle. So now I’m on thelookout for a bank that won’t get looted.”

“No bank robbers have ever set foot inside my bank,” said the manager proudly. “And my vault is impregnable, you have my word on that. Heat sensors, motion sensors, the thickest steel door. The person who can get into our vault room hasn’t been born yet.”

“I like the sound of that,” said Mr. Galvin, well pleased as he took another puff from his cigar. “So can I see them?”

“Of course!” cried Brady, and practically sprang to his feet. “Please follow me, sir.”

“I like this bank. Friends of mine bank here, and they’re all very complimentary.”

“The mayor of Hampton Cove banks here, and most of the town councilors,” said Brady proudly.

“The Mayor himself, huh? I like that. I like that a lot. A discerning man, Mayor Dunham. Very discerning.”

The bank manager led the way into the basement, and then to the vault room, which was open at this time of the day.“This vault door is ten inches of the toughest steel. Impossible to penetrate,” he said as he tapped the door with his knuckles.

“Nice,” said Mr. Galvin.

They stepped into the room, where a security guard looked up from his paper.

“Armed guard, and of course cameras, motion sensors, heat sensors, the works,” said the proud manager as he gestured to a camera in a corner near the ceiling, following their every movement as they walked through the secure and well-lit space.

“Swell operation you run here,” Mr. Galvin muttered with approval.

“You have your own dedicated safe, as big as you like, and I can assure you, your valuables will be absolutely safe with us. You have my word on that.”

“Okay,” said the man, looking appropriately impressed and distinctly excited. “It’s a done deal, Dexter,” he said, extending his hand. “You’ve got yourself a new customer.”

Brady Dexter beamed as he shook the man’s hand.

“Welcome to the Capital First Bank of Hampton Cove. You won’t regret your choice.”

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