Now Playing: Dangerous Calling
Episode Eleven concluded with:
Amanda Olson’s face had fallen in
disappointment. Dunning tried to cheer her up. “Jim will be back before you
know it. Where are your bags, Miss Olson?”
“At the train station. The man there said he’d
keep an eye on them for me.”
“My buggy is out front. Why don’t we retrieve
your bags and get you settled in at the hotel. Then, if you’d like, I’d be
honored to take you to lunch.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dunning. That would be
wonderful.”
Fargo followed the couple out the door. He swept
the boardwalk in front of the bank as Dunning and the town’s new arrival got
into his buggy. Fargo watched as they rode off to the train station.
“A real looker, that Amanda gal. Too bad we
gotta kill her.”
Episode Twelve
***
Amanda
Olson sat alone in her hotel room and wiped away tears. The day had not gone as
she had planned. She had assumed that Jim Goodman would be overjoyed to see
her. They would immediately begin to make marriage plans. Jim would arrange for
her to stay with a family in the congregation until they could be married.
The
day would have been a disaster except for Frank Dunning. Mr. Dunning had taken
her to both lunch and supper and insisted on paying for her hotel room. Without
him, she would have gone hungry and without shelter. She had arrived in Antioch
with almost no money.
Her
thoughts continued to center on Frank Dunning. She wondered how he had lost his
leg. The lady in the café had made a remark which implied he’d been involved in
more than one confrontation with outlaws. But Mr. Dunning ignored that remark.
He hadn’t once bragged on himself.
Mr.
Dunning was the mayor of the town and worked as a gunsmith. But he had spent
little time in his gun shop on this day. He’d given generously of his time to
her. In fact, he seemed to be smitten by her. But, no, he had spent much of the
day praising Jim Goodman. He insisted that she not worry about Jim. Her fiancé
was late getting back to town only because his duties as a pastor required him
to be elsewhere.
Amanda
hoped Frank Dunning was right.
There
was a knock at the door. Elated, the young woman bounded from her chair and
threw open the door.
Fargo
greeted her with what looked like a leer. “Howdy, Miss Olson.”
“Good
evening, Mr., ah…”
“Jus’
call me Fargo. Ever one does.”
“What
can I do for you, Fargo?”
“It’s
what I can do for you. Reverend Goodman is back in town.”
“Oh!”
“He
wants me to take you to him.”
Amanda
was battling between joy and suspicion. Standing before her was a man Jim had
converted. But she couldn’t bring herself to completely trust him. “Why didn’t
Reverend Goodman come himself?”
“Don’t
rightly know. Think he has somethin’ special planned for you at the church.”
“The
church, is that where Jim Goodman is right now?”
“Yep.”
Amanda’s doubts eased. “I’m not sure
where the church is located…”
“That’s why he sent me.”
Amanda gave a joyful laugh. “Well
then, let’s get going! But first, could you wait for just a few minutes? I want
to freshen up a bit!”
“Sure.”
She hastily closed the door and
didn’t see the malevolent smile that spread across Fargo’s face.
Tomorrow: Episode Thirteen of Dangerous
Calling
