“Those are two of them, but I already answered the second one myself. I don’t think I can take his name off the account, but I’m pretty sure that I can move most of the money out of the ranch’s account into my personal account. I do need to know if he has wired a transfer request.”
“You’re right on your first two answers. You can transfer almost all of the balance to your personal account but can’t close the ranch’s or remove your father’s name. I’ll take care of that in a minute. Before I do that, I’ll put your mind at ease about the transfer request. I’ve been watching for one to show up, but it hasn’t arrived. When I heard what had happened, I suspected that he might go to Helena and then try to move the money.”
“Thanks, John. What would you have done if one did arrive?”
“I’d talk to the sheriff and maybe have to lose it or find a garbled account number. We were beginning to believe that you weren’t coming back at all.”
“That’s what everyone keeps telling me. Either that or they thought I was dead. Oh, and I’ll need to withdraw seven hundred dollars from the account. My father emptied the safe and I need to leave some money with Dave Forrest.”
“That’s not a problem. When do you get out of the army?”
“I’m out, John. I’m leaving to track down my father.”
John just nodded before he and said, “I’ll get that transfer done, get you the cash and give you both balances when I return.”
“Thanks again, John.”
John turned then walked behind the bank of teller windows to make the transfer.
Jake didn’t watch but stared out the front window. Across the street was Smith & Sons Feed and Grain and he thought about paying a visit to the establishment. He was curious if Kay lived with her husband’s family or they had their own home now. She had been married long enough to have a baby, so it was more likely that she had her own house. He also wondered if her father had remarried after his wife passed away.
It had been Kay’s mother’s poor health that had kept her from eloping with him. From the way Kay had described her illness, Jake would have been surprised if her mother had lasted another month. Maybe that was why Kay had married Homer James so soon after he left. His mother hadn’t included any updates on Mrs. Smith’s health or any other news about the Smith family other than Kay’s marriage.
He was so distracted that he was startled when John said, “I’m back, Jake,” then took his seat behind his desk.
Jake turned his eyes to John as the clerk slid some papers across the desk and said, “Here are your new balances.”
Jake picked up the small sheets, glanced at each of them then slipped them into his jacket pocket.
John then counted out the seven hundred dollars before he slid the bills into a brown envelope and handed it to Jake.
After Jake pushed the thick envelope into his inner jacket pocket, John asked, “How long are you going to stay in town before you head out?”
“I’m planning on leaving Monday morning, but it might be Tuesday. I want to talk to Jerome Wright before I go. They didn’t issue a warrant for my father, so he could just show up and take everything back. I need to know where I stand legally.”
“That’s a good idea. If the law isn’t going to charge him with anything, then as far as they’re concerned, he’s still the owner of the Elk.”
“That’s what I think, but I want to ask Mister Wright to be sure.”
John shook Jake’s hand as he said, “Good luck.”
“Thanks, John. Hopefully, I’ll be back sooner than I expect.”
Jake stood, then nodded to John before he turned and stepped across the lobby. He couldn’t help but notice that many of the folks in the bank, employees and customers alike, were either looking at him or taking furtive glances. He could understand their curiosity and wasn’t offended. They were probably all wondering what he would do now that he was back.
He stepped onto the boardwalk in the bright morning sun and pulled on his Stetson. He looked west almost wishing to see his father riding into town, so he’d end it now, but he only found normal road traffic. He exhaled sharply, then stepped onto the street to mount Mars. He untied his reins from the hitchrail but didn’t get a chance to place his foot into his stirrup.
Sara had expected Jake to come into town, so she’d been helping her father and brothers in her father’s store but had been monitoring street traffic through the windows and the open door in hope of seeing him. When she’d finally spotted him as he entered the bank, she left the store and took a seat on the bench outside. The moment he left the bank, she stood and waited for a carriage to pass before quickly stepping across the dirt roadway. She was just ten feet behind Mars when Jake reached for his saddle horn.
She smiled as she said, “Hello, Jake.”
Jake turned and smiled back before he replied, “Good morning, Sara.”
“This isn’t an accidental meeting, Jake. Can we talk on the bench across the street?”
Jake was more than just curious as he nodded then tied Mars’ reins again before he stepped beside Sara. She took his arm and almost dragged him across the street. Jake hoped that she wasn’t going to deliver bad news about Kay, but maybe she had seen his father as he escaped.
After being hauled to the opposite boardwalk, Jake waited for Sara to release his arm from her viselike grip
