Thursday, November 22, 2012

Now Playing: Dangerous Calling 
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Dangerous Calling 1

Episode Twelve of 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