“You couldn’t possibly sway my findings one way or the other, Henrietta. I’ll ferret out the root of your problem and that will be that.” He stepped closer to Etta and lowered his voice. “I’d hate to lose the opportunity to get to know you better while I’m here.”
“I’m not free in the evenings, Mr. Owens. I—”
“Please call me George.”
“I have to check on my father once I close up the bank. As I told you, he had a stroke and−”
“You don’t mind me calling you Henrietta, do you?”
“Uh, no…if you’d like, but—”
“What about this Sunday? I’ll put the top down and we’ll drive out to the lake.”
Etta backed out of her father’s office. “Can I let you know later? I should ask my father.” The telephone on her desk rang, and Etta sprinted to take the call. She tried to listen, but her mind flitted from one concern to another like a June bug trapped against a window screen.
“Yes, Carolina, I’ll be right down to look at the transactions.” Etta pushed away from her desk and headed downstairs without glancing into her father’s office. Best to leave George Owens and the audit to themselves.
Carolina Swanson and James Walters had their heads bowed over a stack of papers when Etta walked into the tellers’ workroom. Etta still hadn’t bought that wedding gift for James and his new wife. She’d take care of that today.
“Here she is now,” Carolina said with a nod toward Etta.
James moved out of the way, and Etta stood next to Carolina. “What’s the problem?”
“There’s a shortage of five hundred dollars, but there’s no teller’s receipt to match. It’s almost as if someone helped themselves to the money.”
“When did this happen?”
”I reconciled the amounts in the cash drawers last night before I left,” Carolina explained. “But this morning, I discovered the amounts were different.”
“Which of the cash drawers was short?”
“Both of them. James is missing two hundred, and I’m short three hundred.”
“Have you checked the teller’s log books?”
James picked up a black book with red binding. “I checked them both. There isn’t any notation about withdrawals of those amounts.”
“Normally, this would point to the teller helping himself to an unauthorized pay raise,” Carolina said. “But both of us are missing cash.”
“Someone is trying to make us look guilty,” James said. “But one of us is always on duty when the bank is open, and our cash drawers are locked when we step away.”
Etta laid her hand on the stack of tellers’ receipts. “Where did you put the cash drawers when you left yesterday?”
“In the vault room, just as I always do,” Carolina answered.
But not in the vault itself. That’s where the majority of the bank’s cash was kept and it remained closed and locked. Etta and her father were the only ones who knew the combination.
“And before you ask,” Carolina said, “I’ve started keeping my keys with me at all times.” She pulled a black grosgrain ribbon from beneath her blouse. Three brass keys were suspended from it.
Etta had ordered the lock on her father’s office door to be changed, but she hadn’t thought about the vault room. She patted Carolina’s arm. “All right. You’ve reported the matter to me, and that’s where your responsibility ends. Send the log books up to me tonight before you leave. I’ll look into it.”
Carolina’s eyes grew moist. “I’m so sorry, Etta.”
“Don’t give it another thought. But starting tonight, we lock all cash drawers in the vault.”
Carolina nodded and wiped her eyes while James mumbled his agreement.
Etta stepped out of the workroom and into the lobby. Her mind shuddered with the realization that someone had blatantly robbed the tellers’ cash drawers. Only three people had keys to the vault room. Etta’s keys were in her pocket, her father’s keys were on his dresser, and Carolina’s keys were nestled somewhere close to her heart.
Etta would have to report this discrepancy to the auditor, but she wasn’t prepared to face his persistent invitations again so soon. As though summoned by her thoughts, George paraded through the lobby and made his way to Arthur Lewis’s desk. Talking to the account manager could take hours. What better time to pop over to Moore’s Department Store and buy that wedding present?
The store owner’s wife greeted Etta as she walked through the door. “Good morning, Henrietta. You look lovely today.”
Etta smoothed her hands down her light wool brown skirt. There was nothing special about the ensemble she’d chosen that morning. “Thank you, Mrs. Moore.”
Cassandra Moore glided from behind the counter like a swan on a smooth lake. “What can I show you this morning? We have some lovely new hats.”
Etta touched her hair. She’d left in such a hurry she’d forgotten her jacket and hat. “Actually, I need to buy something for James Walters and his new wife. I don’t suppose you know what they need?”
A gleam lit Cassandra’s eyes. “The bride was in here just a few days ago admiring some silver candlesticks. May I show them to you?”
Etta followed the store owner’s wife to a back corner. Very few people bought silver candlesticks in Burnet, but Cassandra had jumped at the chance to sell an expensive item to the banker’s daughter. This was another task her mother had done with her usual grace and efficiency. She wouldn’t have been so easily persuaded.
“Here they are.” Cassandra placed the candlesticks on a piece of black velvet that stretched across the counter. “These are sterling silver, of course. Aren’t they exquisite?”
Overdone was the word that sprang to Etta’s mind. They looked like balusters entwined with boughs of roses. Would her mother have spent this much for an employee’s gift? “Do you have anything else that the bride might like?”
Cassandra’s cheeks paled slightly. “Oh. Well…” She moved to a display of china. “Perhaps you’d like to give a serving dish. Very few people think of that, but every new bride needs one.”
Etta examined the pieces and the price card. A platter would be one-fourth the cost of sterling silver candle sticks and much more practical. “I’ll buy one platter, Mrs. Moore. Will you have it delivered?”
If Cassandra was disappointed, she hid it admirably. “Of course. And I’ll gift wrap it for no extra charge. Shall I put this purchase on your account?”
She hadn’t brought money either, Etta realized. “Yes, please. I’ll be sure to settle my account at the end of the month.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” Cassandra said as she carried the platter toward a back room. “If you’ll wait a few minutes, I’ll bring you a card to sign.”
Etta wandered aimlessly through the store until she came to a display of spring clothing.
At the sight of pastel linen and silk, grief climbed out of its hiding place and encircled her throat. She and her mother wouldn’t be shopping for Easter ensembles this year. Neither would they help with the Fourth of July community picnic nor host their traditional Christmas open house. Years and years of motherless holidays stretched before her. Etta blinked back tears and strode away from the display. As soon as she was alone, she’d give in to the tears, but not now. Not here.
“You know it’s for the best, Mr. Moore,” a familiar voice said.
Etta peered through a rack of men’s jackets.
Uncle Carl leaned in the doorway of James Moore’s office, his hands in his trouser pockets. “It’s just not fair.”
James Moore rubbed the back of his head and frowned. “I don’t know, Carl. This is a decision for the bank’s Board of Directors to make. I can’t give my permission without the others’ consent.”
Etta’s heart danced a quick step. What was Uncle Carl up to? It obviously had something to do with the bank.
Carl’s voice sounded like butter on a hot biscuit. “Of course, of course. But I’m willing to do what I
can. Can I count on your support?”
James stood and walked Carl out of his office. “The Board will be meeting in a few weeks. We’ll talk it over then.”
“That’s fine, James, just fine.” Carl shook the storekeeper’s hand and walked toward the exit. “I only hope nothing unfortunate happens before then.”
Etta clenched her fists.
Uncle Carl had been working with ledgers in her father’s office, taken Carolina’s keys, and now was talking to members of the board. Perhaps there was an innocent explanation for his actions, but what was it?
“Here you are,” Cassandra Moore said from behind her. “My goodness, Henrietta, are you all right? Your face is as red as a chili pepper.”
Etta struggled to keep her voice calm. “Please sign the card for me, Mrs. Moore. I need to get back to the bank.” She forced herself to walk slowly through the store, but once outside, she took a deep breath and concentrated her thoughts on what she should do next. She couldn’t go back to her desk while her mind reeled with this latest development. She needed time to think.
She turned right and strode past the row of shops. What would the auditor find? How long would it take? She couldn’t close the bank, too many people depended on it, but someone was siphoning off the funds. Was it her uncle? She had no real evidence. Except for the missing cash, the other problems could be accounting mistakes.
She crossed the street at the corner and headed back toward the bank. Her heels tapped loudly against the boardwalk, matching the pounding of her heart. Why did she have to be the one to sort out this mess? Handling these kinds of problems was her father’s responsibility.
Her skirt swished around her ankles as her steps came to a sudden halt in front of Adler’s Hardware Store. Shame darkened her heart. How could she be so selfish when her father was fighting for his life? She covered her face with her palms and moaned softly.
A warm hand touched her shoulder. “Etta? Are you all right?”
She lowered her hands and lifted her gaze to Gabriel’s concerned face. Relief weakened her knees, and she reached out to him. How she wanted to wrap her arms around him and rest her head on his chest. Gabriel would know what to do.
Instead, she folded her arms across her abdomen and swallowed hard. “What are you doing here?”
He nodded toward the hardware store. “I came into town with my dad. Is something wrong?”
Etta stepped away, forcing his hand to drop. “I was at Moore’s Department Store and…” She glanced at the other people nearby. What if someone overheard her?
“And what, Etta?”
She shook her head and cast her gaze to the ground. “I can’t talk about it now.”
Gabriel’s father stepped out of the hardware store. “Morning, Etta. How are you today?”
Etta tried to smile. “Fine, thank you. And you?”
Ethan slapped Gabriel on the back. “Much better now that my boy is home. We need to get going, son. Sorry to run, Miss Davis, but we’ve got a delivery to make.”
A strong breeze blew a lock of Etta’s hair across her face, and she tucked it behind her ear. If she’d remembered her hat, she wouldn’t have this problem. “That’s quite all right, Mr. Benson.”
Ethan Benson walked down the narrow alley at the side of the store, and Gabriel touched her elbow. “Would you like to talk later? I can meet you at the stable.”
Her heartbeat eased as her spirit lifted. “Yes. After work.”
Gabriel gently squeezed her arm, sending encouragement and support in the simple gesture. “I’ll be there.”
Etta watched him trail after his father. In the midst of grief and worry, she’d found a new friend. A genuine smile crossed her lips for the first time that day, and she headed toward the bank with renewed determination. She’d solve the problem of the missing funds, even if it meant her uncle was a thief.
****
The truck’s front right wheel dropped into a hole, bouncing Gabriel’s head into the roof.
“Sorry,” his father said with a chuckle. “These roads were built for horse and wagon. Who knows when they’ll get around to improving them?”
Gabriel rubbed the sore spot on his head. The Army doctor in France had commented on how lucky Gabriel had been to have a thick skull, but Gabriel never imagined his father’s driving could endanger him.
“I heard you go out last night,” his father said. “Around two o’clock. Everything all right with you?”
“Just having trouble sleeping. I went for a walk.”
“Uh-huh. Have you thought about what you’re going to do with your life, now that you’re finished with the Army?”
“I have three more months of Army pay. Thought I’d use that time to think about it.”
“There’s lots of opportunities for civil engineers. Think you’ll use that degree of yours?”
“Probably. Maybe I’ll ride over to A&M and talk to my old professors about it.”
“I bet you’re not the only soldier who’ll be looking for a job.”
But so many would never return. Suddenly Gabriel didn’t want to talk about his future. “If you can manage to drive around the holes, I’m going to close my eyes and catch a nap.”
His father grinned and nodded.
Gabriel slid down and rested his head against the back of the seat. He still didn’t feel as though he was truly home, despite the fact he slept in his childhood bedroom and ate his mother’s cooking every day. But maybe it was time he thought about what he’d do with the rest of his life.
He didn’t deserve to be alive when better men than he had perished, but for reasons he couldn’t understand, he’d survived. The hospital chaplain had said that God had plans for Gabriel. But what were they? To return to Burnet in order to help Etta with her father’s horses? Not likely. But so far, that summed up his contributions.
The thought of Etta brought a smile to his lips and a new worry to his mind. Something had upset her. She’d always projected calm assurance, but today she’d been troubled. Perhaps it was his turn to offer comfort, though he couldn’t imagine what his prickly personality could do for her.
6
Etta threw her hat and satchel on her bed and hurried to the stable. All afternoon she’d looked forward to seeing Gabriel to tell him about her latest discoveries. He’d probably advise her to stand up to her uncle, but how did one do that? If she confronted Carl, he’d deny her suspicions or explain them away. But if Carl was behind the bank’s missing funds, she had to find a way to stop him.
An orange striped kitten dashed past her as she stepped into the shaded stable.
Etta paused to watch the small animal pounce on a butterfly then smiled as the insect rose above the wildflowers and fluttered away.
A horse neighed from inside the stable, calling her attention back to the reason she’d come.
Gabriel was inside, carrying a bucket of food from the feed room toward a stall. “There you are,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Etta’s heart smiled at his warm greeting. He was becoming an important person to her—a good friend and confidante. “I got held up just as I was leaving work.” Etta stroked Mira’s neck and the horse nickered in reply. “The auditor came today.”
Gabriel emptied the pail of feed into Mira’s trough. “What’s he like?”
Pushy, Etta thought.
George Owens had detained her after the bank closed, trying to persuade her to join him for dinner.
“He’s all right, I suppose. He’s worked for us before, and he knows how we do business, so I expect he’ll find the problem.”
Gabriel set the empty bucket on the floor and looked at her closely. “I think you’re not telling me everything.”
Etta’s cheeks warmed. How could she explain George Owens’s actions to Gabriel? “What do you mean?”
“When I saw you this morning you were obviously upset. What happened?”
Etta blew out a breath. “Oh, that.” She walked to the stable door an
d looked out. Benito had Vega on a lead rope and was walking toward Gemma. “Someone took five hundred dollars from the tellers’ cash drawers. Unlike the loan accounts, cash is hard to track. But that’s not the worst part.”
Gabriel moved behind her. “Tell me.”
Etta turned to face him. “I was in Moore’s Department Store this morning just before I ran into you, and I overheard Uncle Carl talking to James Moore. I think he’s up to something, but I’m not sure what.”
Gabriel’s dark eyebrows drew together. “What did he say?”
“Nothing I can put my finger on. Uncle Carl asked for Mr. Moore’s support, but I didn’t hear more. But I know it’s about the bank because Mr. Moore wouldn’t commit to anything without talking to the other members of the board.”
Gabriel rested his hand on Etta’s shoulder. “You’re in a tough spot, all right. What are you going to do?”
Etta tilted her head toward Gabriel’s hand. How she wanted to lay her head there, to let his reassuring touch seep into her soul. She wanted to soak up his strength, to rest in the protective circle of his arms until she was certain of her ability to fight.
Over Gabriel’s shoulder, a gray cat leaped atop a stack of galvanized steel stock tanks. One second later, the pile tilted ominously. Etta pointed toward the impending accident. “Watch out—”
She was interrupted by a high-pitched screech and a thunderous metallic crash. She caught a glimpse of the cat jumping to the windowsill just before she was thrown to the dusty stable floor. She struggled to catch her breath while pinned beneath a heavy masculine weight.
Gabriel’s breath came in quick pants, and his heart pounded against her chest. His calloused hand covered her mouth. “Quiet,” he whispered.
Above her, Gabriel’s wild eyes searched the barn, and his nostrils flared with each shallow breath. His muscles were taut, his body primed to fight. Didn’t he realize the crash had been caused by a harmless cat? Should she wait for him to calm down or try to reason with him? She touched the hand that covered her mouth.
A Thousand Little Blessings Page 9