When his brother is shot dead during a botched bank robbery to re-claim their family inheritance, a disenchanted book keeper must face a suspicious and obstinate Bank Manager, the cops, and his fear of public speaking to finish the job.

What about:

When a disenchanted book keeper learns that his family inheritance has been locked in the wrong safe deposit box at a small town bank, he enlists the help of his reformed ex-con brother to steal it back.

You have hit the nail on the head in regards to one of the main problems I have had with this story.

Originally, the inheritance was passed from the Father to his next door neighbor (on a neighboring farm), who died before getting the inheritance to the brothers -- of course this doesn't work for a number of reasons, or at least is quite a stretch.

Since playing around with the logine I've had a similar idea to your suggestion, that is, having the Bank Manager be the one who is behind the legal legerdermain...

Anyway, huge thanks again dpg. Your advice, as always, has been extremely helpful.

" mislaid in a dead neighbors safe deposit box at the bank"

Okay, but mislaid doesn't raise a strong enough dramatic justification for breaking into the bank. A mislaid inheritance can be recovered by legal recourse; there is no need to rob the bank.

But if it's been stolen by legal legerdermain -- all legal remedies have been exhausted -- then breaking into the bank can be dramatically justified.