Now Playing: The Witch of Cooper, Arizona
New to these parts? To start the story from the beginning, click
Episode Fourteen Concluded with:
“I think Burke is
a small man in a large operation. Somehow, a counterfeiting ring found out
Lamar Burke was in financial trouble. They use his ranch as a place to make the
phony money. His job is to keep the locals away. He probably gets paid well for
his troubles.”
“What Mr. Krammer at the bank told me would back that notion up,” the sheriff
said. “Lamar Burke got way behind with the bank, but lately he has caught up.
Makes all his payments on time.”
David Martin looked at the red bulge in the sky. “We’re about fifteen minutes
from the ranch, we need to get there as soon--”
Dehner interrupted him as he looked ahead at the trail. “Gents, I have another
idea.”
Episode Fifteen
***
Zack Gilpin stared with contempt at
the man in front of him. “So, Mr. Burke, you decided to put on a little show in
Cooper, using Kyle Ryan as a way of keeping people away from here.”
Zack shook his head and looked at a
squat, moon faced man who stood beside him. “What did you think of that,
Lucky?”
“Sounded pretty crazy to me, boss. I
tried to talk him out of it.”
Lamar Burke fidgeted nervously. He
looked beside him where his niece and the preacher’s wife were reluctantly
putting counterfeit bills into flour sacks. The faces on both women looked pale
and grim.
Burke ran his words together as he
spoke quickly. “If people thought Vicki was a witch of some kind they’d stay
away—”
“Some people would stay away!” Zack
took a step toward Lamar Burke. Vicki began to tremble. Judy Martin put an arm
around the girl.
“Did it ever occur to you that some
people would want to get a look at the witch, especially a blond, pretty witch?
There’d be liquored up jaspers at this place every weekend. You fool!”
Gilpin pushed Burke, who collided
with the printing press. The rancher was terrified but tried to sound strong as
he blurted out, “You’ve got no right!”
“I’ve got a right to do anything I
want, Mr. Burke! This ain’t your ranch no more. You’re working for me; I’m the
ramrod of this outfit, and I don’t like it when you go off pulling crazy stunts
while I’m in Tombstone meeting with the boss.”
“You’re a bully, Zack Gilpin!” Vicki
shouted. Judy shushed her.
Gilpin laughed, but there was
nothing pleasant about it. He kept his eyes on Lamar Burke as he pointed in the
direction of the women. “Okay, so you let the pretty little half wit come in
here and grab some loot, which she throws around the main street of the town.
Then you organize a bank robbery to get the funny money back. That last part
makes sense. A smart banker like Krammer would recognize counterfeit bills. But
why did you tell the boys to only take the funny money?”
Moisture formed around Lamar’s eyes.
His words came out wobbly. “The whole town depends on the money in that bank
for survival. If they had cleaned out the bank, every man in Cooper would have
been in a posse combing the countryside…”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Zack was
silent for a moment. A look of desperate hope lighted on Lamar’s face. Maybe
the ramrod wouldn’t be so hard after all.
“Too bad, Lamar.” Zack’s voice was
almost a hiss. The rancher’s hope died fast. “You made a lot of stupid mistakes
which made that hold up necessary. Afraid we won’t be doin’ business with you
no more. Once the pick-up takes place today, we’ll be movin’ on.”
“Sure…I understand…”
A tall thin man stepped inside the
makeshift building. “Ready, boss.”
Zack spit brown saliva on the floor.
“Thanks, Haggart. Lamar, since you’re bein’ so understandin’, I’m sure you
won’t mind steppin’ outside with us for a moment.”
“Of course not, Zack.”
“Lucky, you stay here and keep the
ladies company. I won’t be gone long.”
“Sure.” The outlaw looked lustfully
at the two women.
“Don’t go rushin’ things, Lucky,”
there was a warning in Zack’s words. “The wagon ain’t arrived yet. We still got
us some work to do. Later on, we’ll get together with these fine ladies and
have ourselfes a real nice time.”
Zack gestured for Lamar Burke to
accompany him. They departed the building together with Haggart behind them.
“You’ve made things kinda rough on us, Mr. Burke. After the wagon comes to pick
up the money, we’re gonna hav’ta leave real soon. No time to move the press.
The boss man back in Tombstone won’t like that.”
Lamar was walking beside Zack
Gilpin. He had no idea where they were walking to. He was terrified, but
decided on trying to strike a cordial tone,--two men of the world discussing
business. “Sorry things didn’t work out, Zack. I’ll certainly be happy to pay for
the press.”
“Nice of you to offer, Mr. Burke.
But that won’t be necessary.” They stopped as another one of Zack Gilpin’s
henchmen approached them. He was a red headed man Lamar remembered as being
called Gruber. Gruber was toting a gun that looked like a Henry that Lamar
owned.
“What you need is a nice long rest,”
Gilpin chuckled as he spoke.
Not until Gilpin and Haggart stepped
away from him did Lamar understand. He tried to run but was stopped by an
explosion. It was the last thing he would ever hear.
Monday:
Episode Sixteen of The Witch of Cooper,
Arizona
