Now Playing: The Witch of Cooper, Arizona
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Episode Seven concluded with:
They arrived at the buckboard and the mood turned playful. Judy
and Lamar smiled as Vicki called them “slowpokes.” As the wagon pulled out,
Vicki waved to the pastor’s wife shouting, “See you tomorrow!”
As she waved back, Judy Martin took a last look at the object Vicki held
tightly. The girl hadn’t let go of her magic box since causing a near riot only
a short time ago.
Episode Eight
***
David Martin spoke to Dehner the
moment his wife left the office. “What brought you back to Cooper, Rance?”
The detective laughed good
naturedly. “A social call! I just finished a case in a nearby town and decided
to drop by.”
“Mighty glad you did!” Buck Stephens
said. “Last time you were in Cooper you served as a volunteer deputy. By any
chance would you--”
“Sheriff, I should be getting back
to Dallas--”
“I know Rance better than you do,
Buck.” There was a mischievous gleam in the pastor’s eyes as he looked at the
detective. “Come on, Rance, you know you can’t walk away from this: one
thousand dollars suddenly appearing in a magic box, a fifteen year old girl
putting a hex on someone who taunted her. Give up, man. You’re staying until
you get the answers.”
Rance Dehner gave his friend a
crooked smile. “Reverend, your understanding of human nature is downright
sinful.”
***
Whit Krammer looked at the red sky,
breathed in the fresh air and knew he should be feeling great. This was, after
all, his favorite time of the day, early morning when he could work in his
office for a couple of hours with no interruption.
But as he plodded down the boardwalk
toward The Cooper Community Bank, Krammer felt troubled. The way the town’s folks
had carried on the previous day had left him spooked. The entire town went
crazy! That Dehner fella had called it right. They were all acting like wild
animals.
Krammer stopped in front of the bank
and fumbled for his key. Had he forgot the darn thing again? At fifty-seven,
forgetful moments bothered him more than they once did.
Whit smiled with relief as he found
the key in his left coat pocket and opened the door. He didn’t know what
happened next but suddenly he was falling. The banker landed face first on the
floor. Krammer shook his head, picked up his glasses and put them back on. As
he started to get up he saw two outlaws, the bottom half of their faces covered
by bandanas, standing over him. The six guns in their hands left little doubt
as to their intent.
Whit Krammer gave the outlaws an
angry glare as he got back onto his feet. “I suppose you’re going to tell me to
do what I’m told if I want to stay healthy.”
“You’re a smart guy, Mr. Krammer.”
The outlaw who spoke was tall and thin.
“Not so smart really,” the banker
replied. “I’ve been robbed before. Crooks
tend to have a very limited vocabulary.” Whit Krammer smiled at his own joke.
The
outlaws were not amused. “Listen careful, Krammer.” The same outlaw did the
talking. Whit wondered if the other outlaw might be someone whose voice he
would recognize. The silent outlaw was about average height and hefty: a
description which would fit about half of the men in the town.
The tall outlaw stepped closer to
Krammer. “We want the magic money. Now!”
Those were words the bank president
was not expecting. “Magic money?”
“The money the girl pulled out of
her box yesterday!” The outlaw’s voice was becoming angry. “Get it now!”
Krammer had locked that money in his
bottom desk drawer. The banker once again fumbled with his keys and retrieved
the money. He had placed it in a canvas bag. The talkative outlaw now said
nothing. He grabbed the bag, peered briefly inside, then nodded to his
companion. The two robbers ran toward the front door. Krammer opened the top
drawer of his desk and yanked out the gun he kept there.
Tomorrow: Episode Nine of The Witch of Cooper, Arizona
