Chapter 7

Sunday 6/30/1901

Ettie was still sound asleep when Meyers picked William up at 10:00 am Sunday morning. He was going to miss Mass, and hoped the Lord would forgive him. The irony was that, unlike Toronto, Buffalo was a most Catholic of cities and he would have had his choice of worship. The bordello was quiet and would not be open for business until much later that evening, and her girls were expected to be out of the house from at least noon until seven. Mr Jackson was cleaning up from Saturday night's revels.

William found he did not want to know where Meyers spent the night, but the other man seemed bright and chipper for having been up until about 2 or 3 am, the usual time for a grand ball to end. He himself had managed to achieve some rest after a decade of the rosary (without the comfort of his actual rosary), then slept deeply, well-past his usual waking time. He still wore some of Lenox's clothes, to blend in more like an Exhibition worker, but no other disguise this time. At Meyers' suggestion he did not shave in order to look a little scruffy, and borrowed a cap with a long brim. Meyers was similarly attired. Mr Clegg, dressed today as a gentleman, was already in the carriage and the three of them discussed what needed to happen next.

Clegg announced: "We posted a loose guard, but there was nothing out of the ordinary last night. Monday's guests and itineraries are being vetted to see if there would be a target of interest. The area around the Power House tomorrow is going to be quietly cleared of traffic. Our governments decided to let them do whatever it is they want to do today and then catch them on the way out. We are not sure how wide a conspiracy this is—but since it may have involved men who work or worked at the Pan Am and potentially both US and Canadian nationals, it may be even more important to trace the conspiracy than stop the sabotage."

William blanched. "You don't actually mean you will let the sabotage happen?"

Clegg answered. "No, no. Nothing quite like that," and stared at Meyers, hard.

"Is John Lenox going to meet us?" William asked.

"Looks like he might have been involved in the smuggling. Seems to have taken a run after talking with you, Detective. Too bad you did not hold him for us. No one has seen him since he left his boarding house yesterday." Meyers told him.

"Really," William said. "I find that hard to believe. He provided the information that lead to our activities today. He did not seem to be the type to run."

"Things are not always as they seem, detective, I thought you knew that," Meyers said cryptically.

William set his jaw and snapped his head back in silence. He listened to the rest of the plan as the carriage rolled on.

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Light streamed through several large open windows, and for a moment Julia was just a little disoriented. Her sister, Ruby, was sleeping in the next bed. It is like being a young girl again at home. The thought pleased her. Coming to Buffalo was proving to be the best idea I had in a long time and cleared away a lot of my anxiety. I am going to have to thank Ruby for this.

Yesterday was exciting and she was looking forward to going back to the Pan Am again today to take in some sights Ruby highly recommended. That was only fair, since she pulled her sister into the Exhibition hospital as well as the scientific buildings, and Ruby patiently accompanied her to each and every display. The so-called "Blue Laws" that usually shut down commercial activities did not stop the Pan Am on Sundays, although there was controversy about the Midway with burlesque acts such as the "Famous Fallen Belle Follies," and particularly the "Beautiful Orient" portion, with its exotically dressed women, which were consider by some to be too risqué during the weekdays, let alone Sundays.

Miss Love, a staunch Episcopalian, expected them to accompany her to Church this morning, and Julia was not even begrudging of that. I assume that the edifice at Trinity Church with its Tiffany and LaFarge windows, will not implode because one female non-believer sat in a pew. I am going to enjoy the music and the excellent choir. I am also going to wear my new silk knickers to church, and suppressed a laugh at the thought of such potential impropriety.

When Ruby awoke, the two of them got ready, chatting about plans for the day. Ruby was determined to show her sister the more earthy elements of the Pan Am. The archery display in the stadium though, was of particular interest to Julia, so they would have to take that in.

Ruby was so pleased to see her sister looking uplifted and happy for once. It devastated her that she had been on the other side of the world and unable to reach Julia during that frightening business of her husband's murder and the trial for her life. It all went so fast. When Ruby found out about it she had felt emotionally crushed thinking she almost lost her sister in such a horrible way. Julia still never gave many details other than that Detective Murdoch figured out how to save her. Ruby was quite surprised to learn that the detective and she were not even "unofficially" engaged, and until relatively recently spent very little time with each other, their cancelled trip to the Exhibition being one of many missed opportunities.

Ruby wondered if the pain between the lines in Julia's letters was because their relationship collapsed under the weight of events, and they were just going through the motions. Or perhaps their affair while she was married to Darcy Garland somehow doomed any future for them, regardless.

Julia has always taken a different approach than I have. She is usually so much more cautious and proper than I… Except for an adulterous affair that turned out badly, she mused. I wonder, who has ultimately been happier. Her or me? Julia had not mentioned her detective once in the last day, seldom in her most recent letters. I wonder if he has rejected her. I can see him being stiff and unyielding if something disturbed his moral compass. Ruby was determined to get to the bottom of the situation one way or the other.

At precisely 10:30 am, Miss Love's entire household left for the walk to church, with Julia not worried at all about who she would meet at the service. Afterwards, Julia and Ruby would be walking over to Elmwood Avenue and taking the trolley up town to the Exhibition for the afternoon.

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William and Meyers swept up trash by the main kitchen, close by the northern border of the Exhibition grounds, right next to the Power House. It was nearly one o'clock, and so far there was nothing interesting or suspicious happening. William wondered how they were keeping the Exhibition Police force out of the investigation. It was an elite unit, and paid the outrageous sum of $45 a week, more than two times what he himself made!

Meyers and he actually agreed on one thing: that since early on a Sunday tended to be the least crowded, then setting the sabotage into place today made sense. Monday, especially for Canada Day, would be quite congested, so while the larger number of people might obscure their activities, there would be more eyes to notice something fishy going on. The trash collected and deposited in the nearest bin, it was time to change off with another set of "work men" that were really agents, and for Meyers to check back with his superiors at the Canada Building. William tailed along, more than a little bored, and wishing he had come back to the Pan Am yesterday to tour the Electricity Building, rather than investigate the Reading Room and finding a book to enjoy.

It was the screaming that got their attention as they passed by the stadium.