Chapter 4

Nathan looked at both William and O'Reilly. He wasn't sure how much either knew and he didn't want to get into anything personal, especially since Bouchard might already be involved.

"Mostly what she is worried about is personal. A lot happened in Hope Valley before we left. I have tried my best to move past those things, but Allie is a child and still struggles from time to time. We have made the decision to move forward and not talk about things anymore.

Sir, you know why I went to Hope Valley and you know why I left. I am not getting into that again. I can do my job, no matter who is involved. I have proven that in the past. I just want to get through this and continue to move forward."

"Okay." O'Reilly said.

William realized more of the damage that his daughter had done. He wished that there was more that he could do to help Nathan and Allie, but he also understood their need to move forward.

"Let's all take a deep breath and then we can go through the list of questions you have Nathan."

Nathan closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths and then he focused on the task at hand and that was the smuggling case that he was working on.

"Okay, first. Does Charles speak French?"

"Yes, fluently."

"To your knowledge has he ever traveled to either New Orleans or San Francisco?"

"We traveled to San Francisco. Let me think, it almost four years ago. It was for business. I wanted to see the new harbor there, it was finally open at capacity after the earthquake. I was hoping to expand West Coast shipping through there. I ended up having to leave early. Charles stayed to finish up the business."

"Why did you have to leave early?"

"My son-in-law died."

Suddenly everything started making sense. Nathan knew that Bouchard was in San Francisco when Jack was killed. He had been able to pin that down. At least he knew where Bouchard and Charles could have crossed paths. He also knew that Charles could have been gambling in San Francisco.

"How long did Charles stay in San Francisco after you left?"

"A week maybe, plus the week it took to get back home. I got back to Hamilton before he left and was trying to help my daughter. When he got back, Charles was took over most of the business for the month that my daughter was home in Hamilton. I trusted him to do things while I was dealing with family."

"Okay. We can talk about that time later. Let's move on. Can you tell me a little about what the private investigator is bringing to Regina."

"Shipping records that Charles was in charge of and the changes that were made. The records of when I had Charles followed. Who he talked to, where he went, and things that he did. He is also bringing everything that he found about men that Charles is connected to. Most of that, I have not had the opportunity to personally go through."

"Tell me more about what Charles actually has done for your company for the last few years."

"He started as a salesman. He would go meet with potential clients to get them to sign on with our shipping company. He became my top salesman while he was still in college. After he graduated, I promoted him to an executive and my right-hand man. He still worked with clients, only it was established clients. He wanted to travel more, so I allowed him to travel as he wanted. Not only did he meet with current and potential clients, but he also toured shipping yards, harbors and warehouses we did business with. I thought he wanted to know more about the company, but now I am not sure."

"You said Charles changed after he was rejected by your daughter. When was this?"

"1912. Right after he finished college. I had just promoted him to my executive team."

"So he changed after that?"

"Yes. He wanted his own clients and to travel more. He was the one that pushed to expand into new markets. Prior to Charles pushing it, I didn't do much business with the railroad, other than shipping from the ports to the large cities back East. Charles was the one that pushed were expand the rail shipping to smaller markets. He made the company a lot of money. Until that report about the changes came, I may have been concerned about Charles and his behavior after his proposal was rejected, but I had no bases to look into anything."

"But you noticed changes in him."

"Yes."

"I thought from the unrequited love. I knew that Charles had been in love with my daughter for years. I thought she was in love with him, but she wanted a different life then what Charles was offering. It took me a long time to accept that my daughter knew what she wanted."

"But Charles was upset that she turned him down?"

"Yes. We all thought that they would be married one day. Like I said, Charles was use to getting what he wanted and didn't take rejection well. Like I said before, I think Charles turned to the gambling as a measure of control and to maintain the life he was use to. Charles has always been on the arrogant side. Something that can be good in business, but not always at the card tables. I am not excusing his behavior, but just trying to understand."

"I understand that. I also understand that Charles is like a son. It is hard when someone close to you breaks your trust by breaking the law. I also understand you wanting to try and protect Charles, but from what I have seen, he has broken the law and needs to pay for what he has done. Just because he comes from a privileged background is not an excuse to break the law. Whatever his reason for hitting the gambling tables is no excuse for breaking the law."

William nodded.

"What else do you need? I don't want my company caught up in this."

"I understand that as well. I believed you when you told me you had no idea what was going on. I also believe that you want to do everything possible to make it right. That started with you meeting with me. It will continue as you help us to bring this case to a close."

Nathan went through the information that William had given him and answered all of the questions he had. William patiently answered every question that Nathan posed. After William has answered all of Nathan's questions, he leaned back and picked up his cup of tea.

"I have enough to arrest Charles now. I don't feel comfortable with him being allowed to be free in Regina. You said that he was upset that you were talking to the Mounties and even more upset when he learned that the friend that you are spending time with is a Mountie. I am afraid that he will try to flee or worse hurt someone."

"I have wired ahead. There will be several Mounties to meet us at the station. I didn't tell them anything more then to escort us back to the depot and also for crowd control."

"I agree. Charles is one of the keys to this case. I think we have to arrest him and have him in protective custody."

"Charles is not going to go quietly and I would like to keep this out of the papers as long as possible."

"I agree with the press. We will do what we can, but you know that it is going to get out."

William nodded. The men made a plan to take Charles into custody. They knew that it was going to be hard with press already on the train, but they would do what they had to. The case was to important. Nathan leaned back and took a sip of his coffee. He looked William in the eye.

"Now, tell me everything that you know about Bouchard."

"Grant." O'Reilly said in a warning tone.

"No. I have had enough of Bouchard skirting the law. Because from what I know and the information that William has given me, I have good reason to believe that he is pretty high up in the food chain of this organization. I think he might be at least in part in running some of the smuggling. I have had to save Bouchard's life several times from the seamier side of the criminal element. All to have him treat me like I was less then him.

I know more about Bouchard then you think, Sir. I have looked at him through sources outside of the Mounties. I did what I was trained to do, follow my instincts. Those instincts told me from the very start that Bouchard was bad news. I just have never had quit enough for an arrest, but I do now have enough to launch a formal investigation into him. Does Bouchard have to succeed in making William's grandson an orphan before you quit turning a blind eye to what Bouchard is involved in?"

William choked on his coffee and looked at Nathan.

"So you didn't know that an associate of Bouchard's names Amos Dixon held Elizabeth at gunpoint in the saloon for several hours, threatening to kill her if Bouchard didn't pay him money."

William looked at Nathan with surprise written on his face.

"No. When was this?"

"A few months after Bouchard arrived in Hope Valley. It was because of my instincts that I knew something was wrong and was able to follow those instincts. That is why both Elizabeth and Bouchard are alive. It is not the only time that I know that Bouchard endangered Elizabeth and/or Jack. Then there was the overnight trip to Union City, just the two of them."

"Enough Grant. Just because you are jealous that she didn't chose you, you have no right to do this."

Nathan glared at his superior. He took a couple of deep breaths and when he spoke, his voice was as cold as ice.

"This has nothing to do with my feelings for Elizabeth. This has to do with a criminal who continually gets away with breaking the law. Bill Avery and I have both known that Bouchard is guilty as sin from start. Like I said we have just never had quite enough to nail him., not matter how much I have tired to put him away for what he has done.

If you try to stop me from investigating him this time, I will go to the press. To hell with my job. If you think this is personal, it is. I don't like someone thumbing their nose at the law right in front of me. Elizabeth has made her choice, right or wrong, I respect her enough to let her make it."

Nathan took a deep breath and then looked at William.

"I promise to answer all of your questions at a time when you and I can sit down privately. All I will say right now is that if Elizabeth was anyone else, anywhere else she would have been fired and probably would have had her teacher's certificate revoked for her behavior."

William nodded, he knew his daughter could be stubborn and prideful, but he thought she was past that.

"What is it that you think you know about Bouchard?" O'Reilly asked.

"I know that he was born in New Orleans and despite having his name, Peter Bouchard is not his father. He has lived in New York, Chicago and most recently San Francisco before coming to Hope Valley. Bouchard might have been raised in the upper class, but he has very little legitimate sources of money himself. He might appear have wealth, but as far as I can tell, there isn't any. At least not from a legitimate source. I know that the he lied to Elizabeth about her book deal."

"What do you mean? Elizabeth told us that Helen Bouchard is an editor and that is how she got the book deal."

"Lucas is financing the book deal. His mother does work for a publisher, but she is not a big time editor, she is a proof reader."

Nathan saw the surprise on William's face no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"As far as Bill and I can tell, we don't know how Lucas is paying for the book deal and keeping both businesses running, on top of spending left and right on dates with Elizabeth. As far as I can tell from talking to Henry Gowen, the oil business has never turned a profit and looking into the saloon it appears to barely break even. We even tired tracing where he got the money to by the saloon, but we hit a dead end. Until very recently, Bouchard didn't even own the saloon, a shell company out of San Francisco did. It was only legally put into Lucas Bouchard's name less then a year ago. About the same time that he put a huge infusion of capital into Gowen Oil. As far as we have been able to find, there is no legitimate source for the large amounts of cash that Bouchard seems to have."

William nodded.

"I can add that Bouchard's real father is believed to be Sylvester Castiano. Or at least that is what my investigators in New Orleans and San Francisco tell me."

Nathan stared at William and O'Reilly sat there slack-jawed for a moment.

"You mean the mobster that the authorities in the States shot and killed in a stand off a few years ago."

William nodded.

"Well that explains a few things."

"Sure does and is another reason that I don't want my grandson anywhere near him."

Nathan and William continued to lay out everything that they knew about Bouchard and his believed involvement in the smuggling.

"Patrick. I have to agree with Nathan. Bouchard is dangerous. You have more then enough to seize his businesses and arrest him."

They sat there waiting for O'Reilly to speak.

"Fine. I will wire Bill when we stop in the morning to have them arrest Bouchard and move him to Union City pending an investigation into his businesses."

"Good. It has been a long day and I need to get some sleep. We will sit down and talk more tomorrow."

Nathan didn't wait, but got up and gathered his paperwork before walking to his own compartment. The first that he did was go check on Allie, only to find her fast asleep. Nathan then went to is own room, but sleep would not come easy as he was thinking about the case and going over and over it in his mind.

The next day on the train was a flurry of activity. During their early morning maintenance stop, both O'Reilly and Nathan had gotten off to make a few phone calls and send a stack of messages. By the time that they had arrived in Regina, both Charles and Lucas had been arrested. Nathan was well on his way to breaking the smuggling ring and much more. He knew that they had much more work to do and he also knew that he had promised to sit down and talk to William Thatcher about everything that had happened, but Nathan was more concerned about getting Allie to the depot and getting a good night's rest.

Since Nathan had been busy with Mountie business most of the day, Allie had spend most of the time on the train with William. When they parted in Regina, it was with a promise to keep in touch. William watched the girl go with the other Mounties and it felt like had was saying goodbye to a granddaughter that he would never have. His heart was heavy, not only for everything that was going on, but for everything that his daughter had put that girl through and he was sure that he didn't know the half of it.

Two months later Nathan was sitting in his office in Union City. He had just wrapped up another day of court to deal with the smuggling case that he has started over three months prior. In total, the Mounties had ended up arresting over two dozen people and there were several more that were wanted. They had also turned over evidence to the authorities in the States that lead to several arrests there as well. Nathan knew it was going to be a big case after he had spoke to William Thatcher the first time, but even Nathan couldn't have imagined how much attention that the case would get. As much as the Mountie had tired, the press got wind of the case and ran with it. It helped that several members of the organization that were arrested plead guilty and we already in prison. However Charles and Bouchard were maintaining their innocence and were going to be going to trial soon. Both would be tried in Union City, even though the lawyers tried to get it moved to Regina or Calgary. Nathan was glad that he wasn't going to have to travel for the case. It was enough that he was having to spend the better part of most days at the courthouse helping the lawyers go through everything.

Nathan looked at his stack of mail on his desk and saw an envelope with familiar writing on it. There was a part of him that didn't want to even open the letter, but he also knew that he couldn't avoid her forever. He had figured that she would be upset when Bouchard was arrested, but he had no idea. She blamed him and said that he was making it all up because he was jealous and didn't want her to be happy. Nathan had talked to Bill several times and had learned that Bouchard was planning to propose to Elizabeth right before he was arrested and she was beyond upset. It was so bad that even Rosemary had all but given up getting through to her. The last that Nathan had heard, Bill had put her on a train to go home to her parents for a time and had gotten another teacher to finish out the school year. Nathan let out a sigh and opened the letter. He scanned over it, folded it, put it back in the envelope and put it with the others. He didn't have the ability to deal with her anger at the moment.

Nathan leaned back and closed his eyes. He needed a break. He knew that both trials should be over in the next month. He wondered if he would be able to put in for some time off when he had a better idea when court would be done. Although, Nathan wasn't sure where he would go, he just knew that he had to get away.

Nathan looked up when he heard a knock on his door. He wasn't expecting anyone as it was after hours and he knew that Allie had gone to Hope Valley for a long weekend. He slowly got up and went to get his door as he had locked it when he got back from the courthouse. When Nathan opened the door he was surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you could use a break."

"I sure could, but I am not going to get one anytime soon."

"That is where you are wrong."

"What are you talking about, Bill?"

"I pulled some strings. You have the next five days off and I am here to bring you to Hope Valley for a break."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. I have cleared it with O'Reilly. I have packed your bag and we have a train to catch in … forty-five minutes. Allie is waiting. Let's go."

"Let me just close things up here."

Nathan quickly closed up his office and went with Bill.