Local Hero

hug him, then glanced up at Mitch. “Is everything okay?”
    “Sure. We were just out taking care of a little business and decided to drop by.” He took a good long look. She’d covered most of the colorful bruise with makeup. Only a hint of yellow and mauve showed through. “The eye looks better.”
    “I seem to have passed the crisis.”
    “That your office?” Without invitation, he strolled over to stick his head inside. “God, how depressing. Maybe you can talk Radley into giving you one of his posters.”
    “You can have one,” Radley agreed immediately. “I got a bunch of them when Mitch took me to Universal. Wow, Mom you should see it. I met M. J. Jones and Rich Skinner, and I saw this room where they keep zillions of comics. See what I got.” He held up his shopping bag. “For free. They said I could.”
    Her first feeling was one of discomfort. It seemed her obligation to Mitch grew with each day. Then she looked down at Radley’s eager, glowing face. “Sounds like a pretty great morning.”
    “It was the best ever.”
    “Yellow alert,” Kay murmured. “Rosen at three o’clock.”
    It didn’t take words to show Mitch that Rosen was a force to be reckoned with. He saw Hester’s face poker up instantly as she smoothed a hand over her hair to be sure it was in place.
    “Good afternoon, Mrs. Wallace.” He glanced meaningfully at the dog, who sniffed the toe of his shoe. “Perhaps you’ve forgotten that pets are not permitted inside the bank.”
    “No, sir. My son was just—”
    “Your son?” Rosen gave Radley a brief nod. “How do you do, young man. Mrs. Wallace, I’m sure you remember that bank policy frowns on personal visits during working hours.”
    “Mrs. Wallace, I’ll just put these papers on your desk for your signature—when your lunch break is over.” Kay shuffled some forms importantly, then winked at Radley.
    “Thank you, Kay.”
    Rosen harrumphed. He couldn’t argue with a lunch break, but it was his duty to deal with other infractions of policy. “About this animal—”
    Finding Rosen’s tone upsetting, Taz pushed his nose against Radley’s knee and moaned. “He’s mine.” Mitch stepped forward, his smile charming, his hand outstretched. Hester had time to think that with that look he could sell Florida swampland. “Mitchell Dempsey II. Hester and I are good friends, very good friends. She’s told me so much about you and your bank.” He gave Rosen’s hand a hearty political shake. “My family has several holdings in New York. Hester’s convinced me I should use my influence to have them transfer to National Trust. You might be familiar with some of the family companies. Trioptic, D and H Chemicals, Dempsey Paperworks?”
    “Well, of course, of course.” Rosen’s limp grip on Mitch’s hand tightened. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, a real pleasure.”
    “Hester persuaded me to come by and see for myself how efficiently National Trust ticked.” He definitely had the man’s number, Mitch thought. Dollar signs were already flitting through the pudgy little brain. “I am impressed. Of course, I could have taken Hester’s word for it.” He gave her stiff shoulder an intimate little squeeze. “She’s just a whiz at financial matters. I can tell you, my father would snatch her up as a corporate adviser in a minute. You’re lucky to have her.”
    “Mrs. Wallace is one of our most valued employees.”
    “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll have to bring up National Trust’s advantages when I speak with my father.”
    “I’ll be happy to take you on a tour personally. I’m sure you’d like to see the executive offices.”
    “Nothing I’d like better, but I am a bit pressed for time.” If he’d had days stretching out before him, he wouldn’t have spent a minute of them touring the stuffy corners of a bank. “Why don’t you work up a package I can present at the next board meeting?”
    “Delighted.” Rosen’s face beamed with pleasure. Bringing an account as large and diversified as Dempsey’s to National Trust would be quite a coup for the stuffy bank manager.
    “Just send it through Hester. You don’t mind playing messenger, do you, darling?” Mitch said cheerfully.
    “No,” she managed.
    “Excellent,” Rosen said, the excitement evident in his voice. “I’m sure you’ll find we can serve all your family’s needs. We are the bank to grow with, after all.” He patted Taz’s head. “Lovely dog,” he said and strode