The Deal

It was a bright, crisp autumn morning. The maple leaves were turning into red and golden hues. Allie had already left for school, picking up Angela and Cooper on her way. Nathan finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes, gathered his things and walked to the livery. He saddled up Newton and went out for his morning rounds. The children were still walking to school, and he could see Elizabeth ringing the cow bell from the steps. Cooper always rang the new bell in the tower, but the cowbell was a much loved tradition for Elizabeth.

Hope Valley was waking up, and the sun had broken over the trees in the east. The dew on the grass sparkled in the sunlight. Everyone Nathan passed waved to him, but they all had an uneasy look about them. He could tell they knew what had happened between him and Elizabeth. He just smiled back and kept on going; not because he didn't want to be sociable, but he just didn't want people to pity him. He also wasn't ready to make small talk yet.

Lucas Bouchard was just unlocking the saloon. He had an opportunity to sell his place to Wyman Walden, but at the last minute changed his mind. He turned and saw Nathan riding past him. Lucas started to speak, and Nathan put his hand up. Lucas wasn't sure if Nathan was waving hello or telling him he wasn't ready for a conversation.

After rounds, Nathan went to the jail, and tied Newton out front. Bill was already inside reviewing documents. "Good morning, Bill."

"Nathan, good morning. How are you doing?"

"OK. I'm OK, Bill."

"You know, if you want to talk, I'm here. I know you realize that Jack Thornton was like a son to me, and Little Jack is my godson, but if you need anything, even a friendly ear, just ask."

"I appreciate that, Bill. Elizabeth made her decision, and I'd like to leave it at that. There are things about Bouchard that, if she knew, she may not find him quite as attractive, but she's made her choice."

Bill gave Nathan a knowing look. "I tried to talk to her about just that, and she stopped me right off. She told me the past was in the past, and she knew all she needed to know about Bouchard."

"Like I said, she made her decision, and I'd like to leave it at that."

"Fair enough, Nathan. Fair enough. So, where do you want to start today? I received some additional information, but there's nothing really relevant in any of it."

"Bill, do you think we're looking in the wrong place? Instead of trying to find out what Wyman Walden is doing, why don't we look to see if there's someone with deep pockets who is backing him."

"That's a good idea. I'll go make some phone calls. Why don't you take a look at this paperwork and see if I'm missing anything."

Bill went back to his office. Nathan reviewed all the new information and didn't find anything that stood out to him. When Bill returned, he had a puzzled look on his face.

"Bill, did you find out anything?"

"Maybe. We might want to speak to some of the folks who sold their property to Walden. What do you say we start with Joseph Canfield."

"Sure. Let's go. Joseph told me last night that he was going in to work for Lee later this morning, so he should still be at home."

Bill and Nathan rode over to the Canfield's row house. Joseph was outside chopping wood when they arrived.

"Joseph, good morning," said Bill.

"Bill, Nathan, good morning. Good to see you. I'm just trying to get some more wood chopped before the cold weather sets in for the season. What can I do for you?"

"We wanted to ask you a couple of questions about the sale of your cabin," said Bill. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all. I'll be glad to tell you anything I know. Here, come sit down, or would you prefer to go in the house?"

"No, this is fine," said Bill. Can you think back to when you were first approached to sell your cabin. Who was it that spoke to you about a possible sale?"

"It was Wyman Walden. He had a couple of Pinkerton men with him, but Walden did all the talking. They were very businesslike. They didn't pressure me. They gave me a figure, and told me to talk to my wife and family and let them know within 48 hours. That was it."

"Then what did you do?" asked Nathan.

"Well, Minnie and I talked it over, and then we talked to Cooper and Angela about it. Walden offered us double what we paid Henry Gowen for the property. At the time, we weren't sure if we would need to send Angela to a special school, so we accepted his offer. He was staying in a room over the saloon, and I went there to let him know. He told me he would be by the cabin the next day with all the papers for me to sign."

"I see. Did he give you time to read all the documents before you signed, or do you think he pressured you into signing right away?" asked Bill.

"No. No. I told him up front that I wanted to be sure I read and understood everything. He waited patiently, and didn't pressure me at all."

"Did you, by any chance, ask him who was actually buying your place?" asked Nathan.

"I did. He told me he was the buyer. He said that he heard Hope Valley was a nice place to settle down. He said he thought he could enlarge our cabin to use as his residence. He said he was looking for a couple of other business properties as investments. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. Why are you asking?"

Bill responded. "Well, he has bought up quite a bit of land around your cabin. He even asked me if I wanted to sell my property, but I told him I wasn't interested. He bought the gas station and a couple of other businesses. I understand he was buying the saloon, and Bouchard backed out at the last minute. I'll be visiting him next. I can't say too much, because we're just beginning to make inquiries. It's not an investigation; just an inquiry. Thank you, Joseph. I appreciate your time. If you think of anything else that could help us, would you let me know?"

"Certainly. I will. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help to you."

"We appreciate your time. Thank you, Joseph," said Nathan.

Bill and Nathan mounted their horses and headed back to town. "Now what? Are we going to see Bouchard?" Nathan asked.

"Yes. That's the next logical step. Are you OK coming to see Bouchard with me, or would you rather I go alone? I understand if you don't want to see him, Nathan."

"No. It's my responsibility. I won't let what happened get in the way of doing my job. I'm going with you, Bill."

"OK. Let's go. Do you mind if I take the lead in the questioning? Bouchard has never been my favorite person, but it might be better if I ask the questions."

"No, Bill. Not at all. I'm glad to speak up if I need to, and I will."

Bill and Nathan arrived at the saloon. Gustav was preparing for the lunch crowd, and told him that Lucas was in his office. They knocked on the door, and Lucas told them to come in. He was surprised to see both Bill and Nathan standing in front of him, and he stood up when they walked in his office.

"Gentlemen, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Lucas, good morning. Do you mind if Nathan and I ask you a few questions about Wyman Walden?"

"Not at all. Please have a seat."

"I know you agreed to sell the saloon to him. We're just making inquiries at this point. Can you tell us about how you came to agree to sell the saloon and why you backed out at the last minute?"

Lucas told Bill and Nathan the same story Joseph told them. There was no pressure, and the sale was for quite a bit more than he had paid for the saloon two years earlier.

"I was planning to relocate to San Francisco to be near my family, and then I changed my mind. Walden is staying in a room upstairs. I asked to speak to him in my office. I told him I had reconsidered and planned to stay in Hope Valley and asked if I could back out of the deal. I expected to return his down payment of $50, and I had a check drawn for that purpose. Walden said I didn't have to return his down payment, but it didn't seem right to me, so I gave him the check."

"He didn't pressure you to change your mind and sell to him?" asked Nathan."

"No, not at all, Constable. He was a perfect gentleman about it. I was a bit surprised. I was convinced he wouldn't go along with my wishes, but he did."

"Hmm. Did he tell you if he was buying on behalf of another client by any chance?" asked Bill.

"No. He didn't. I'm afraid I didn't think to ask either."

"OK, thank you, Lucas. I appreciate your time. Could you keep this conversation just among us?" asked Bill. Lucas nodded his head in agreement.

Bill and Nathan returned to the jail. "So, what are you thinking, Bill?"

"I think Walden is still the front man for someone else. I have no proof. It's just my gut telling me. I think we should check to see if there has been interest in a company building a large facility in the area. Remember in the spring, Landis told Elizabeth there would be a lot of new children attending the school in another year? I think we need to check to see what might be in the works."

Later that day, Wyman Walden and the Pinkertons met at the old Canfield cabin. They discussed the land acquisitions and decided that they had enough land and buildings to call their venture a success.

"I think the boss will be pleased with what we have accomplished. This was too easy. I would have liked to get Avery's land as well as the saloon, but if we push, it would have caused some suspicion. I think the boss has what he needs," said Walden. "Can one of your Pinkerton boys carry a message to the boss? I don't want to send a telegram and alert anyone. On second thought, Spurlock, I'd like you to take it to him personally."

Spurlock nodded his head, took the documents and quickly mounted his horse and headed east.

"I'll have this deal closed tight before anyone knows anything," thought Walden. "Yup. Closed tight."