Sean went over the notes he’d taken while talking to Peter. “We need to find out more about this Alfred Calhoun fellow. If they were communicating, they might have been trying to coordinate something other than just an escape—especially since Calhoun clearly wasn’t expecting his friend to be arrested. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so angry that his messages had gone unanswered.”
Jeff seemed to catch the direction of his thoughts. “I wonder if Calhoun has any other contacts already in town that might be of interest. If he does…”
“Then we may be dealing with a gang.” Sean nodded, having already realized the danger. “In that case, there’s only one target in town that’s big enough to attract an entire band of outlaws.”
“The bank,” Jeff murmured.
A sober silence permeated the room. Sean leaned back in his chair to think. It made sense. The First Bank of Peppin was also the only bank in Peppin. Even people from the surrounding counties used the bank because Mr. Wilkins had a reputation for fair business practices. A lot of money went in and out of his doors which made it the perfect draw for undesirables. Now that he thought about it, Sean was surprised there hadn’t been a threat on it before.
“What’s the plan, Sheriff?” Jeff asked.
Sean smiled because Jeff knew he’d already have one. “I’ll talk to Mr. Wilkins to find out how we can shore up any of the bank’s vulnerabilities. We’ll study that wanted poster when it comes in. We’ll also keep an eye on Calhoun to see what he’s up to.”
If someone succeeded in robbing the bank, the community would be devastated and so would the Wilkins family. Oddly enough, the Wilkins family now included him. That made the threat personal. He might not always get along with Lorelei, and he didn’t agree with her rather impulsive approach to life, but she was soon to be his wife. He wasn’t about to allow anything to happen to her or her parents.
Chapter Eight
L orelei caught in a short gasp, then let out a loud sneeze that exploded into the silence of the millinery shop. It sent scads of feather particles floating into the air, compounding her problem. She held her breath until the feathers settled back onto the worktable, then cautiously pulled in a small breath. When her nose didn’t begin to itch, she turned back to the bonnet in her hands.
She eyed it carefully. Selecting a large peacock feather, she trimmed it down and attached it to the bonnet. A smile lifted her lips. Perfect.
She turned the bonnet around in her hands, then frowned. Or not. The hat was definitely missing something. As she glanced around the worktable for something to add, she heard the little bell above the door give its cheerful jingle to signal the arrival of a customer. Mrs. Cummings had gone upstairs for lunch, leaving Lorelei to face her first costumer alone.
She set the bonnet aside and dusted away the feathers clinging to her fingertips before hurrying out of the workroom. A cheerful greeting stalled at her lips, and she paused in surprise as she realized the customer was Sean’s youngest sister. Ellie lifted one of the store’s most elaborate hats from the shelf for a closer look. Lorelei allowed an amused smile to pull at her lips. She could hardly imagine Ellie wearing such an ornate creation.
Lorelei cleared her throat delicately. “Would you like to try it on?”
Ellie abruptly spun to meet her gaze with wide green eyes. “Oh, no. I wouldn’t wear it. I’d like to think I am not as complicated as all that.”
Lorelei met Ellie’s self-deprecating grin with a smile of her own, then glanced around the shop searchingly. “I can find you something simpler. We have a straw bonnet that I think would suit you perfectly.”
Ellie carefully placed the hat back on the shelf. “That’s quite all right. You don’t have to bother. I heard you started working here, so I just wanted to come in and say hello.”
“Oh,” she said, then wished
Jeff seemed to catch the direction of his thoughts. “I wonder if Calhoun has any other contacts already in town that might be of interest. If he does…”
“Then we may be dealing with a gang.” Sean nodded, having already realized the danger. “In that case, there’s only one target in town that’s big enough to attract an entire band of outlaws.”
“The bank,” Jeff murmured.
A sober silence permeated the room. Sean leaned back in his chair to think. It made sense. The First Bank of Peppin was also the only bank in Peppin. Even people from the surrounding counties used the bank because Mr. Wilkins had a reputation for fair business practices. A lot of money went in and out of his doors which made it the perfect draw for undesirables. Now that he thought about it, Sean was surprised there hadn’t been a threat on it before.
“What’s the plan, Sheriff?” Jeff asked.
Sean smiled because Jeff knew he’d already have one. “I’ll talk to Mr. Wilkins to find out how we can shore up any of the bank’s vulnerabilities. We’ll study that wanted poster when it comes in. We’ll also keep an eye on Calhoun to see what he’s up to.”
If someone succeeded in robbing the bank, the community would be devastated and so would the Wilkins family. Oddly enough, the Wilkins family now included him. That made the threat personal. He might not always get along with Lorelei, and he didn’t agree with her rather impulsive approach to life, but she was soon to be his wife. He wasn’t about to allow anything to happen to her or her parents.
Chapter Eight
L orelei caught in a short gasp, then let out a loud sneeze that exploded into the silence of the millinery shop. It sent scads of feather particles floating into the air, compounding her problem. She held her breath until the feathers settled back onto the worktable, then cautiously pulled in a small breath. When her nose didn’t begin to itch, she turned back to the bonnet in her hands.
She eyed it carefully. Selecting a large peacock feather, she trimmed it down and attached it to the bonnet. A smile lifted her lips. Perfect.
She turned the bonnet around in her hands, then frowned. Or not. The hat was definitely missing something. As she glanced around the worktable for something to add, she heard the little bell above the door give its cheerful jingle to signal the arrival of a customer. Mrs. Cummings had gone upstairs for lunch, leaving Lorelei to face her first costumer alone.
She set the bonnet aside and dusted away the feathers clinging to her fingertips before hurrying out of the workroom. A cheerful greeting stalled at her lips, and she paused in surprise as she realized the customer was Sean’s youngest sister. Ellie lifted one of the store’s most elaborate hats from the shelf for a closer look. Lorelei allowed an amused smile to pull at her lips. She could hardly imagine Ellie wearing such an ornate creation.
Lorelei cleared her throat delicately. “Would you like to try it on?”
Ellie abruptly spun to meet her gaze with wide green eyes. “Oh, no. I wouldn’t wear it. I’d like to think I am not as complicated as all that.”
Lorelei met Ellie’s self-deprecating grin with a smile of her own, then glanced around the shop searchingly. “I can find you something simpler. We have a straw bonnet that I think would suit you perfectly.”
Ellie carefully placed the hat back on the shelf. “That’s quite all right. You don’t have to bother. I heard you started working here, so I just wanted to come in and say hello.”
“Oh,” she said, then wished
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