Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Now Playing: The Silent Child
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Episode Twelve of The Silent Child

Episode Eleven concluded with:

             Enoch told himself that he had not lied to his wife. He didn’t know for certain if the man he had shot was alive or dead. Still, he thought there was little chance the intruder had any life left in him. The body lay still on the floor. There were no painful moans.
            Pixie’s screams sounded closer. Lamp in one hand and the rifle cradled in his arm, Enoch approached the body on the floor.
“What?!” One glance convinced Enoch that he had been right. The man was dead. Still, the store owner placed the lamp down and picked up the wrist of the corpse, feeling for a pulse that wasn’t there.
“Enoch…”
The store owner looked back at his wife, who stood a few feet behind him holding the child. Pixie’s face was pressed into her chest. “Dear God, Kate, I just killed a deputy sheriff.”

Episode Twelve

***

Sheriff Clint Bolger looked down at the corpse. A myriad of emotions played across his face. Dehner understood. Bolger hadn’t gotten along well with Emory Logan, but the man had still been his deputy. He had been responsible for him.
After returning to Candler, Dehner had left the body of Gerald Thompson with the town doctor. He had then reported to the sheriff’s office. He and Clint Bolger were discussing the murders when Enoch Harper arrived with the announcement that he had just killed the deputy sheriff of Candler.
“Let’s go over this once again,” the sheriff spoke to Enoch. “You have no idea why Logan broke into your store?”
“None.”
“Are you certain he was going for his gun?”
Enoch’s voice had a pleading quality. “He wouldn’t keep his hands up like I told him!”
“But are you sure he was going for his gun?”
“I think so, but…I don’t know…I just don’t know…”
Enoch looked downward and ran a hand through his hair. His wife looked on sympathetically. Dehner noticed that Pixie remained silent but seemed less trance-like. The little girl held Kate’s hand and her eyes seemed to reflect some comprehension of what was happening.
Sheriff Bolger continued his questioning.  “Now, just one more time, tell me what Logan said before you shot him.”
The store owner lifted both arms and gestured with them in exasperation. “He said that I had ‘kept company’ with Judy Thompson. Nonsense! I only saw Mrs. Thompson once in my whole life!”
“That was when she and her husband came here to buy stuff for the ranch they were startin’?” the sheriff asked. “That’s when I met ‘em.” 
“Yes! And Mrs. Thompson wasn’t even here the whole time. She went across the street with her little girl to buy her some candy.”
“Guess I don’t have any more questions,” Sheriff Bolger sighed as he spoke. “Rance, I know you’ve already carried one corpse, tonight. Would you--”
“Sure, I’ll help you carry the deputy.”

Tomorrow: Episode Thirteen of The Silent Child