Chapter 8
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast at Cat Montgomery's, the younger Mounties were waiting on the boardwalk when Nathan arrived at the office. Without saying a word a mug of coffee was placed in his hand, "Finally all those years of training and mentoring bearing fruit" he laughed.
Bill joined them moments later after delivering the envelope of Chinese papers to the station, bringing with him a tray of fresh muffins that he had collected from the bakery section Florence had set up in The Mercantile. It offered a small sense of normality to still have Minnie's wonderful goods on sale, one little thing from the past that had escaped Lucas's hand.
They moved to the office upstairs, all the information gathered so far set out on the tables. Nathan began, "We won't know much more about the dead man and his partner until we receive the translations from Ottawa."
Reaching into his pocket he removed some sheets of paper and placed them with everything else. "These are copies that my daughter made last night. I don't pretend to know the Chinese language but comparing them to the originals we have just sent off they seem pretty accurate. They need to be logged with the report that Greg has written up after examining the body of our victim." He handed the paper across to Harold Bishop before speaking again.
"Ed telephoned Cape Fullerton last night with details of the car the stranger was driving, in the hope that they can provide us with some information on that. We will keep a watch on him today and if necessary find a way to incapacitate the vehicle so that he cannot make a quick exit from town." They all turned to look at Walter Jardine, the expert in anything mechanical amongst them. He was known to have enabled a number of arrests through his skill with the engine of a suspect's car.
Nathan continued, "Jim is feeling much better, anxiously waiting for the doctors to discharge him from the hospital so that he can join us here. He will be on desk duty for the next day or two, mainly sitting on the wicker chair outside making sure everyone can see that the Mounties are here to stay. Also to keep the coffee pot full for the rest of us!"
Their laughter was tempered, relief that their colleague hadn't been seriously hurt uppermost in their thoughts. "Ed, I think you should stay here with him after your trek yesterday. Walk the length of Main Street, let people see you. Stop and talk when you can."
"Yes boss" he replied, happy to undertake whatever task was asked of him.
"Oh and make sure you show your face in both the saloons, let them worry about why you are there. That's what makes people panic and when they panic they make mistakes," Nathan quickly added.
He then turned towards Bill. "You'll be back in your Judge's Office today, maintaining a separation from what we are doing so as not to arouse suspicion that this is more than a training exercise being carried out." Looking up he asked "Are you happy to make those calls that we discussed last night? Gabe will also be looking into the other operations bordering this area in case they have any bearing on what is happening here."
Bill nodded. "I've made a list of people I trust, those I know I can reach out to without fear that they may be on the take. It breaks my heart to think that there are dishonest Mounties out there but you and I have been here before with a certain inspector so we know it happens."
"That leaves the warehouses." Nathan looked around at the four remaining Mounties. "We will be doing a tracking exercise today. We will ride out to the old McAllister place and I will go from there. I won't need much of a head start before you follow, all taking different routes that eventually lead you to the land surrounding the warehouses. Look for vantage points, take note of the routines of any workers there. Anything that will help us figure out how to gain access."
Coffee and muffins finished, they headed out, hoping that today would bring a little less drama than the one before.
Elizabeth knew that Lucas would be expecting her to visit him at the saloon, the short journey out to the row houses something he did with reluctance. Not wanting to incur his wrath she thought it best to go soon. Bathed and dressed, her hair done perfectly and wearing his favourite perfume she locked the door behind her and headed down the road. Her habit of keeping her eyes straight ahead meant that she didn't see the twitch of the curtains at the front windows of Molly's house.
A stop at The Mercantile first, she thought, to post the latest letter she had written to her sister Julie, with the vain hope that maybe there would be one waiting for her, Although in the time since she had given up her rights to Little Jack such communication from her family had been sparse.
Ned was busy with another customer, a beautiful woman who she had not seen in town before. Then again, there were so many women frequenting the two drinking and gambling establishments these days that she barely recognised anyone most times she came in. But this one was different. Elegantly dressed, she spoke with an educated voice, obviously charming Ned on the other side as he fussed over the children's book display at the side of the counter with a beaming grin on his face.
Instead of standing there waiting she wandered the aisles looking aimlessly at the shelves, not really wanting to buy anything, although she thought a few journals would be handy as she seemed to go through them at a rapid rate these days.
As she turned to the section at the back another stranger, quite a bit younger yet familiar in some way, was looking through the writing material, studiously focused on deciding between two papers of different weights. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind she turned and as she looked up Elizabeth gasped. "Allie, I didn't recognise you. You look so grown up!"
Allie hesitated for a moment before answering, trying to understand the emotion within herself before she realised that there was almost nothing. This woman no longer made her feel anything. "Mrs Thornton! I mean, Mrs Bouchard. How nice to see you. I am so excited to be back here and to be catching up with everybody. I can't believe how much the town has changed though, it's all so different here now."
Elizabeth struggled to keep her voice steady, half expecting to see a familiar figure in red serge appear at any moment. "Well, I guess nearly four years is a long time at your age Allie." She searched for something more to say. "You must be thinking about what you are going to do with your life now. Are you still as interested in maths as before?"
"Well, I do still like maths but I don't want to pursue a career in it." Allie replied. "I've decided I want to be a journalist. I'm hoping to spend some time with Mrs Coulter at The Valley Voice, maybe write a few articles about life in the city compared to a rural town. I will go to college, of course, its just a matter of choosing the best one for me."
Elizabeth smiled at the enthusiasm from the young woman, happy to see that zest for life as strong as ever in her. Without thinking she said "Well, if you need any help with deciding then I would be happy to advise you."
"Thank you, Mrs Bouchard but my mum is helping me. She knows a lot about all of that. Anyway, it was nice talking to you. Perhaps I will see you again."
Feeling as though she had just been punched Elizabeth grabbed hold of the counter behind, all the strength suddenly having gone from her body. "Yes, that would be nice Allie" she managed to mutter. She stayed there for a while, trying to catch her breath as a feeling of sickness washed over her.
Allie's mum? Nathan was married? She just stood still, unable to move. Finally, when she heard Allie say goodbye to Ned, she made her way to the front of the store, a journal that she didn't remember selecting in her hand.
As the door closed behind them Ned smiled, his admiration for the beautiful woman who had just left written across his face. "Isn't it wonderful to have an author of her calibre here in Hope Valley. I didn't realise at first when Nathan spoke about his wife being a writer that she was CC Weston, the one who wrote the children's Mountie series. In fact, I think you bought her latest book just the other day. I can't wait to tell Katie, I'm sure she will ask her to come in to school to talk to the children".
He continued, almost speaking to himself as he rang up her order. "She has written quite a few other books too, I must be sure to order copies as I know they will sell well once people realise who she is."
Suddenly he looked up at Elizabeth, who had said nothing. "You know, it's funny Elizabeth, for a while we all thought you would be the famous author in this town."
On the upstairs balcony of the saloon, Lucas Bouchard sat with teacup in hand watching as Cecilia and Allie walked along the street, the close and loving relationship between the two of them clear to see. Working out a way to change that would be a challenge he knew, but oh so satisfying. He had been using the time to think, trying to figure out what to say when he spoke to Elizabeth, how to manoeuvre her into the place he wanted so that he could be rid of her but not her money.
Speaking of his wife, he saw her exit The Mercantile, her head down and a slight unsteadiness to her walk. As she reached the stairs she grabbed hold of the railing, taking a moment to pause. She looks ill, he thought. Or, if he didn't know better, drunk. Then he looked back at the disappearing figures of Nathan Grant's family and he knew. A chuckle escaped him as he realised that dear Elizabeth must have just learnt that her beloved Mountie was indeed married.
Oh, the irony, he thought, that she was suffering from knowing that the person she cared about was in love with someone else. Karma, my dear, karma, he thought.
Downstairs in the saloon there were already games in play. Bruce Wilson was at one of them, the dealer positioned to his right and three other players seated around the table. He could read them so easily, their 'tells' when bluffing obvious from the first few hands. One looked him in the eye as if to show confidence, another spoke with an almost indiscernible rise in pitch, while the third played too fast while attempting to appear relaxed.
When his dad was still alive he had taught him that there was an art to bluffing at cards. It was a mind game, he always said, knowing how to get the balance right to match your opponents, give them what they want to see but stay in control. For him, a slight sideways glance at the dealer had proved an effective ruse in many games. That and having an excellent poker face and a photographic memory.
On the other side of the room Antoine Dupont had made himself comfortable with a few of the ladies brought in by Lucas to keep the patrons happy and docile. He held a glass of whisky in one hand, while his other was wrapped around the waist of the young woman cosied up beside him. It was important for him to keep different saloon girls around and not just the one, as he still needed them to spend time with other patrons. That was how any information would be gathered.
His strong French accent, pronunciation being something his mother had always insisted upon, worked magic when whispered in the ear of these women. Secrets had a habit of being spilled without them realising. Later he would find a blackjack game to join but let them think that he was a novice for now.
Lucas Bouchard descended the stairs into the main saloon, scanning the room for signs of trouble. He needed everything to stay quiet and calm. There was a big game scheduled tomorrow night, something he had hoped to avoid attending but word had gotten out beyond the individuals privately invited and so he felt it better to come back to oversee it and tie up all the loose ends.
The sudden arrival of Nathan Grant in town and then of Shue Moy's men added further reasons to be cautious.
Then there was the man from Hamilton, whose proclamation on arrival yesterday convinced him that his time here was definitely running out.
As he reached the bottom step the door from the kitchen opened and Gustave waved him over. "Mme Bouchard is here, I have let her into your office. She does not look well, monsieur." Lucas knew what his plan was and the shock of her recent realisation may just be the thing to help him put it into place. "Thank you, Gustave. We will need some privacy for a while."
Elizabeth waited, studying the art on the walls and the eclectic collection of travel souvenirs that Lucas had on display. Her eyes wandering across the titles of the books on his shelves. For such a well travelled and educated man, she thought, he really has a shallowness to his character. She shook her head, not wanting to make a comparison with Nathan, or Jack, both of whom had depths that didn't need to be put on show. They didn't require the constant assurance of others that they were good men, they were just quietly confident in who they were.
She felt a calmness now. In her last conversation with Nathan before their relationship faltered, one that she had tried so hard to cast from her mind, he had wished her well. But his words that day had remained imprinted on her heart, "I will always care about you Elizabeth and for that reason I want nothing but to see you happy. If Lucas is the man who will make that happen then I am glad for you."
So now it was her turn, to be the woman he had once loved and be happy that he had found the happiness he truly deserved. Surely she could give him that.
Lucas's entrance brought her out of her thoughts, her resolve deepened as she realised that now there were three more people in Hope Valley who he could harm. "Elizabeth" he smiled, before walking over to kiss her cheek. "I am as happy to see you as ever."
She gave her practised meek look back, answering him with just a nod. Not interested in anything she had to say anyway, he continued. "I am sorry I have been away so long but business has taken me all over the place." She muttered something quietly, which he didn't quite catch, although he thought it sounded a bit like Mei Sou. Shaking his head he thought he must be wrong, there was no way Elizabeth could know anything about his mistress.
Indicating for her to sit down on the sofa he settled beside her, taking her hands in his. "You are looking tired. Are you still not sleeping?" Elizabeth snatched her hands away, folding them tightly into her lap.
"I am fine Lucas. It must be the unusually warm spring weather we have been having."
"Well I don't want to see you go on like this, people will think I am mistreating you or something." He smiled benevolently, trying hard to work some sincerity into his voice. "I took the liberty of consulting with a doctor when I was in Hamilton…"
Elizabeth's head shot up, "You were in Hamilton? Did you see my family? Are they alright?"
Patting her hand he continued in a soothing voice, "No I didn't. Your parents were in London visiting with Viola and Lionel, while Julie was in Quebec for the opening of her latest exhibition. I hear that she and Tom Thornton are quite the couple about town now and everyone is predicting a wedding announcement soon."
Elizabeth closed her eyes, her heart full of mixed emotions as she thought how lucky her sister was to have found happiness with her art and now with the man she loved. But then bitterness and pity for herself crept in and she knew she had to use these thoughts to strengthen her resolve.
Always liking to catch her when she was down Lucas continued. "As I was saying, I spoke with a doctor whilst in Hamilton and he has told me about some treatments that may help you. Now, we're not talking surgery yet, but there is an electric shock therapy that is believed to have some impact on people like yourself who are suffering from melancholia. But before we go there he has suggested you try this medicine called Veronal to help you sleep. It's new, not licensed yet, but I am assured it is just a matter of the paperwork for it to be approved."
Elizabeth nodded, knowing that she had to keep convincing Lucas that she was totally under his control. "If you think that is the right thing for me then of course I will try it. Thank you for always looking for ways to help me". As ever when talking to Lucas she felt the knots tighten in her stomach as the lies came out of her mouth.
Nathan and the four Mounties had ridden out to the McAlister place, which had lain empty since the old man died a few years ago. In days gone by there would have been a queue of people willing to take on the running of the smallholding, happy to reap the rewards of hard work. Bill said he had tried but no-one wanted to risk the isolation of the property, especially with so many other empty homesteads around it and the suspicious traffic passing on its way to the warehouses.
Leaving the men to follow after a period he made his way back towards town taking a circuitous route, riding straight for a while and then making it clear to anyone who may be watching that he was setting a trail by dismounting and walking some of the final stage.
Reaching the livery he stabled Newton, giving him fresh water but not stopping to rub him down yet as he wanted to be ready to move fast should anything happen. The hayloft above the stables gave a good view out of it's back hatch towards the warehouses. Making himself comfortable he settled down to wait and watch.
It didn't take long before he spotted the first of his men or at least where his location was. The slightest of movements in a copse of trees, above and to the north of the compound meant that one of them had found what he thought was a good vantage point to observe the goings on below. Unless you were looking as Nathan was, his presence was undetectable.
A short while later Greg Aldritt came into view, riding slowly along the road beside the western perimeter fence. Within a few minutes an armed man approached from the other side, ordering him to stop. Nathan watched with amusement as the ever confident Greg adopted the demeanor of someone who wasn't very sure of himself, uncertain and worried about getting lost on his tracking mission.
Although he couldn't hear the conversation he was certain that the seemingly innocent chat from the Mountie was actually designed to garner as much information as possible. Finally, with a tip of his hat, Greg turned and rode back from where he had come, the sound of his whistling carrying across the fields to reach his boss's ears.
Eventually all four of his men returned to town, settling their horses in the livery before making their way across to the Mountie office where Nathan and the others were waiting. It had been a good afternoon and now as they each wrote up their reports he felt that their mission was finally beginning.
What he had expected to find when he came back to Hope Valley was a town in trouble, where one man had wreaked havoc to satisfy his own greed and ambition. Now he knew it went much further than that. The factions involved in what was going on here were far more powerful and dangerous than Lucas Bouchard. His job was to make sure that they were brought to justice while protecting the people here.
Looking around the room he thought that he had never been so glad to have the best of The RCMP at his side.