Importance of Bank?

The town bank is the domain of the bank manager, Mr. Baker, the villain of the novel. In Ethan's plot to rob the bank, he is planning an attack on his bastion of power. It is described as a cool, clean place with hidden vaults, and the mystery of the Masonic rituals is used to describe the timed opening of the vault every morning. The bank's location in town is right next to Ethan's store, and is therefore always in the forefront of Ethan's thoughts.