Chapter 18

Superintendent Grant really needed to do something about the light in this office Harold Bishop thought to himself as he tapped away at the typewriter keys, trying to make sense and order of the notes he had made during his interrogation of the car driver, whose name he now knew was Phillip Sanders.

On his own guarding the prisoners, and unable to contact the other Mounties immediately, he had no way of passing on the details of what he had learned to them. Although he had been tempted to place a call to Mountie headquarters to give them names of people they may wish to place under immediate surveillance, he was aware that there were rogue elements at work within the force and decided to err on the side of caution and wait to speak to the Superintendent. If it became known by the wrong people that they had this information then it would seriously impede their investigation and possibly endanger lives.

Looking at his pocket watch he knew that either Walter or Patrick would be here to check in with him in about half an hour so he was determined to best utilise the intervening period by typing up the statement just made.

Once the man started talking the floodgates really did open and the information he divulged was plentiful and far-reaching. So many people were involved, including the biggest criminal names he had ever heard, that Harold really didn't know where to start. Therefore, he just typed it up as he had written it, adding details that were mentioned separately to round out the facts.

It was amazing that the one person who had started the investigation here, who everyone thought of as a big player in the goings on affecting Hope Valley, was really only a minion in a much greater operation. A man whose mother controlled him like a marionette to serve her own purpose, to gain an entry into the inner circle of the major crime syndicates in Canada.

He didn't feel sorry for Bouchard but it did explain a lot about how he had become the person he was. That didn't excuse the fact that he had revelled in his role as town bully though, something for which he would undoubtedly pay a hefty price.

What was becoming clear was that the superintendent's supposition of what was behind all this now appeared to be correct.

On the East Coast, based out of Hamilton and Toronto where Harold knew Elizabeth Bouchard's family were people of high social standing and her father the head of a large shipping empire, Rocco Perri was the Head of The Mob. No-one messed with him if they wanted to continue to do business and live.

His lover, Bessie Starkman, was as ruthless. Some say even more so. Together they ran bootlegging and smuggling operations into northern America, successfully using boats on the St Lawrence river for a long time until the Mounties started intercepting their shipments and damaging the business. It wasn't just the lost cargo and money that bothered them but their reputation with the big players in places such as Chicago. The likes of Al Capone ran a tight business down there and didn't look kindly on failure of any kind.

One of the solutions to their problems lay with the ships under William Thatcher's control. Get him to co-operate and they could move their contraband to any number of ports, where there were always people willing to turn a blind eye to anything for the right amount of money. But the man was as honest as they come and nothing could persuade him.

Threaten his family in Hamilton and he merely tightened the security around them until someone realised where his vulnerability lay, with his daughter Elizabeth and grandson Jack, living far away in Hope Valley. Control them and you controlled Thatcher Shipping. There was certainly so much more going on than any of them had realised, with danger coming from all sides.

New people in town suddenly presented another concern, their reach spreading far and wide. Whilst they had seen how Shue Moy's men could be everywhere, watching and listening, it now looked like the east coast faction was also at play here. The stranger who had dealings with Bouchard clearly one of them. He thought that at least they'd had the forethought to send the children away to where they would be safe.

Allie peered down through the small gap in the ceiling boards of the cottage behind the orphanage. They had made good time getting here from the hotel, the boys relishing the night-time adventure, and then managed to climb in through the rear window undetected.

The small ladder-like steps up to the roof space were positioned in a back corner, an addition to the original building when Lilian had renovated it to provide accommodation for the itinerant workers who often stayed there for a few weeks and earned their keep by doing jobs around the house and grounds.

Allie had discovered this on one of the trips she had taken with her Dad to visit Uncle Gabe. Staying at the orphanage had always been part of the fun and she had been surprised to find that only two of the children knew about this access to the roof space, where the steps appeared as simple shelves for goods. Allie had removed some of the tins and packets to help the boys up and then replaced them behind herself as she climbed.

It was obvious that none of the children at the orphanage had known about this attic after that time, as nothing seemed to have changed since she had spent hours lazing up here reading a book as she escaped the annoyance of the younger residents. The cushions that she had managed to sneak out of the main house, a couple of blankets, candles and matches were all still here.

Opening the box placed under the far end slope of the ceiling she found some of the hard candy that she had left and the book she had finished reading on her last visit, which now seemed so long ago. At least that would give her something to keep the two youngsters occupied for a while in the morning.

For now she worked by the carefully shaded light of her torch, not knowing if brighter candlelight would escape through any cracks in the tin roof sheets or the boarded walls. If they were still here for much of the next day then she would have to investigate and find some provisions downstairs that they could use.

It didn't take long for the adrenaline from the adventure to fade in the boys and she was able to settle them down on a pile of blankets, then covered them in those they had taken from the hotel with the cushions beneath their heads. The soft sound of their breathing as they slept was comforting to Allie, a sign that for now they were unaware of the drama surrounding them.

She had seen the lights on in the main house and people moving about. There were also signs of patrols moving around the perimeter of the orphanage grounds, something that she was expecting after hearing the discussions at the hotel and had managed to turn into a game with the boys as she made them count the time between each man passing around the cottage, promising the biggest piece of the chocolate bar in her satchel to the one who could count the quietest.

Why she had felt the need to flee the hotel she didn't know, but the feeling was so strong that she knew she couldn't ignore it. To come to the orphanage was a risk and at first she had thought about taking the boys out to the Stewart ranch but that brought with it a different set of problems. She didn't know the people there or the layout of the buildings. Here she was in control and knew what options were open to her. Plus she doubted anyone would guess they were there.

Leaving a note had been important but it had to be something that only certain people would understand. She hoped she was right in thinking that Uncle Gabe would know the meaning of her message but even if he didn't she knew he would quickly contact the two people who definitely would, her parents.

It was still dark outside but so much had happened tonight that she had lost track of what time it could be. She knew she needed some rest so settled down beside the boys, using the last of the blankets to snuggle into and hoping that the morning would bring them one step closer to going home. Just a few moments with my eyes closed, she told herself, but within minutes she was asleep, her body's need for recharging overcoming her determination to stay awake and alert.

Fiona was distraught, her breathing raspy as she tried hard to control the rapid beating of her heart as the reality of what she had almost done overwhelmed her. After Lucas had driven off, Lee had helped Rosemary walk her back into the house, their arms offering the gentle support she needed until she was settled on the settee in the living room.

Minnie and Joseph had offered to stay but Ed Harter suggested they go back home. The fact that Elizabeth Bouchard was not here meant that their assistance may be needed elsewhere before the night was out. Having checked the perimeter of The Coulter's property he then left, knowing that nothing more was likely to happen here right now and his services could be better utilised back in town.

"I'll make some tea," Lee offered, aware that this was a situation that Rosemary could handle far better than he ever would. Still feeling the shock of the gun going off, he wasn't sure how he felt. Would the demise of Lucas Bouchard have changed things for any of them? Possibly, he thought, but that would almost be an easy way out for the man who had inflicted so much pain and devastation on the town of Hope Valley. Lee still believed that justice could be served in a better way.

Having Nathan back had made a huge difference to the mood of the people who had for the last few years almost given up hope of ever again having peace in their town and they had to trust in him and his men to do what was right for everyone.

What it would have done to Fiona was undeniable. To carry the burden of having taken another person's life would eventually weigh one down to the point where it was difficult to continue. At least that would be the case for someone as caring and loving as she. Others may see human life as dispensible but he knew that their friend would have one day hit that point where it all became too much.

Whatever Rosie was saying to her right now, and he knew they would be wise words, was crucial in helping her move on from this.

While waiting for the kettle on the stove to boil he picked up the telephone, hoping that Faith wouldn't mind being disturbed this late at night. He didn't want her to come out in her condition but maybe Mathew would be able to make the quick drive out there just to check on Fiona and possibly give her something to settle her for the night. Whatever came later they would deal with as her friends, for however long she needed them.

After leaving the judge's office Charles had stopped quickly at Cat Montgomery's boarding house. He had secured a room for himself earlier so now asked if it was possible to use her telephone to make a call to Hamilton. At the other end anxious voices clamoured to hear his update on the situation, wanting to know what they needed to do as they learnt of the situation in Hope Valley.

Now he hurried along towards the row houses, surprised to see Nathan and Bill stopped by the first home in conversation with two women. As he neared he recognised Cecilia Weston and had a vague recollection of the other women as Molly Sullivan, who he believed was now married to Judge Avery.

He coughed loudly to make his presence known as he approached, not wanting to startle anyone or find himself on the receiving end of a panicked reaction.

"Superintendent Grant, I didn't expect you to be here. I'm sorry that I was delayed but I needed to collect a few items from my luggage at the boarding house before I came out. Some things from our childhood that have previously helped me calm Elizabeth and hopefully will do again should that be necessary now," he said as he patted the bag slung over his shoulder.

Nathan nodded then quietly introduced his wife and Molly to Charles. Recognition on the faces of both the out of towners told him that their paths had crossed before but, knowing Cecilia, he was sure that there was nothing questionable about their history. Her writing had introduced her to people from all walks of life.

Inclining his head towards the last house in the row, Nathan told Charles that they were not sure whether Elizabeth was home and explained how Cecilia and Molly had ended up being out here and that they had rushed after them, the large note weighed down on the hall table thankfully having been the first thing he and Bill had seen as they entered the house.

There was a short discussion about how they should proceed, the stumbling block being who they felt Elizabeth would respond to the most. From the conversation, Cecilia now realised that her part in this was over. Having been cast as the antagonist by Elizabeth in her current delusion, it would definitely be better if she remained safely out of sight.

Eventually they decided that Charles and Nathan should go, one to calm her with familiarity and the other to see if there was anything to be gained from keeping her here to answer questions instead of moving her to a place where she could begin the treatment she so obviously needed.

Bill led Newton down the road as he accompanied Molly and Cecilia back to the house, keeping a cautious eye on the area around them as he was conscious that if Elizabeth was not in her house then the danger was still very great.

From a distance the man from Hamilton watched, weighing up whether Elizabeth Bouchard was currently enough of a problem for him to continue his surveillance now that the Mountie and her friend were involved or if he would gain more from following the Mountie's wife on the off-chance that an opportunity to get close to her would present itself. He needed to cover all options. With a last glance at the end row house he turned and followed the three figures back into town.

At the same time Greg moved down from the trees and quickly raced forward until he was a distance behind the man where he could follow easily. He needed to know where he went and for whom he was working.

Years of experience had taught Helen Bouchard that most Mounties were predictable, although there were obviously exceptions as she believed she had encountered in Nathan Grant. Was there any way to get that man to deviate from the determined and honest path he trod, she wondered?

Having become accustomed to demanding that something be dealt with in the way she wanted, she found the intransigence of the man deeply frustrating. Thank goodness others were more than willing to do her bidding, although now that her man within the force had come under suspicion and was no longer privy to quite so much information, things had certainly become more difficult. At least he was still able to carry out some of his part of the deal.

The fact that they had all counted on any threat to the children happening at the orphanage worked completely in her favour. Of course she was happy to live up to their expectations and that was why she was now confidently walking up the front steps. As long as she remained a distraction here no-one would expect anyone to be searching for the children at the hotel, where she was certain they were actually being kept. Abigail Gowan was unlikely to let them out of her sight.

The door opened as her foot touched the top step and Lilian Kinslow looked out with a cautious smile on her face before whispering quietly, "Can I help you? It is rather late to be visiting so I would ask you to speak in a low voice so as not to disturb the children who are all sleeping."

Helen smiled, trying hard to bring as much sincerity into her voice as possible, while Lilian struggled not to let her distaste for whomever this woman was show on her face. All she knew was that this late night visit was not for anything good.

"I do apologise for the late hour. My name is Helen Bouchard and I understand that my grandson Jack Bouchard is staying here with you. In light of the difficulties his mother is facing my son, his stepfather, has asked me to make sure that he is ok and not in any danger as his departure from Hope Valley came as a surprise to all of us."

Lilian was perfectly aware of who Helen Bouchard was but didn't want the other woman to know that. "I'm afraid that you have been misinformed as Jack Bou, er… Jack Thornton is not here, nor has he ever been. It is a pity that you have wasted a journey to find that out. Perhaps it would have been better to telephone first and then you could have saved yourself the bother."

Turning to close the door Lilian was conscious of the other woman taking the last step up onto the porch.

"I have it on very good authority Mrs Kinslow, I believe that is who you are. I know that the boy was brought here and I am not leaving until I have seen him."

Before she could move again Gabe stepped out from behind the door and stood beside his wife. "My wife has just told you that Jack is not here and now I would ask you to please leave as there is nothing further to discuss."

Helen Bouchard was not yet ready to concede, conscious that she needed to give her men more time to carry out their search at the hotel and put ground between them and Brookfield with the boy before his disappearance was discovered.

"I am so sorry to have disturbed you like this but all I can say is that my son was given this information by someone he believed to be trustworthy and that I have come here in good faith. Could I perhaps come in and discuss the matter with you? It has been a long journey and I could certainly do with something for my parched throat."

Gabe couldn't believe that such a sweet tone of voice could be manufactured so easily by a person such as this woman but then one look at her hard eyes confirmed everything he had been told about her. Knowing that some game was in play he decided to go along with her request, at the very least she would be where they could see her and unable to communicate with anyone else for that time.

There was no doubt in his mind that this was a front, that she had brought more people with her and that while she was occupying their attention at the orphanage others would be elsewhere in Brookfield. Before stepping to the door beside his wife he had given the instruction to one of the men to pass a message to everyone else to be extra vigilant, especially Jim Buchanan and the other men protecting the children at the hotel.

Something was going to happen tonight and as much as Gabe wanted to be there in the centre of town dealing with it, for now this was where he needed to be.

Opening the door a bit wider he gave the woman what he hoped was a welcoming smile, "Of course, forgive me for forgetting my manners. Do come in. My wife will put the kettle on the stove and while the tea is brewing perhaps you could explain to me how your son came by this erroneous information".

As Helen took a step forward he stopped her again, holding up his hand in front of her. "Just one thing, I do need to see some form of identification from you. Do you have anything on your person at present."

Anticipating this she opened her pocketbook and removed her passport, one of the new folded ones that only came into being a few years ago, consisting of single sheet printed folder just like the British used. Gabe made a good job of studying it, never having seen one like this before but remembering a memorandum that had come through giving details of them. He didn't however need that piece of paper to tell him who was standing in front of him. Handing it back he said "That seems fine, won't you please come in."

In the attic space of the cottage Allie had woken at the sound of the car arriving. Frustrated at not being able to see who it was she considered climbing down before she heard men walking and talking outside as they took the path around the back. Someone had arrived and things were happening, she told herself. Better to stay quiet and out of sight.

Patrick stirred next, a disorientated expression on his face before he remembered where he was. "I need a pee," he whispered.

Allie was glad that she had remember some of the things her father had taught her on their camping trips, one of which was to have a night-time bucket handy so that you didn't have to go out when wild animals may be about.

She pointed to the pail she had placed in the corner and quietly said "Try not to splash and make a mess. You remember about the game, don't you."

Nodding quickly he had just climbed out of the blanket bundle when Little Jack also woke. Looking at his sweet face, Allie could not imagine what would make anyone want to hurt him.

A few times in the past days she had seen a sadness in his eyes, an understanding that yet again life was not the same for him as other children. Perhaps that was why he and Patrick had formed such a bond, both having suffered so much loss at a young age.

Allie could empathise as her mother had died when she was four and despite being taken in by her Uncle Nathan, who was now her dad and who she loved so much, for a very long time it seemed her whole being was consumed with the need to find someone to fill that motherly role.

How glad she was that things had turned out as they did. Her mum was everything that she wanted and needed, with the added benefit that she made her dad happier than Allie could ever remember seeing him before. And now a new baby was just going to make life perfect.

Snapping out of her thoughts she realised that Little Jack had followed Patrick across to the bucket, rubbing his eyes as he went as he tried to shake the fogginess of waking unexpectedly. Returning to their makeshift bed both boys looked at Allie, obviously wanting to say something but not sure how. "Yes?" she asked.

Patrick nudged Little Jack in the side and finally he spoke up quietly. "We're scared. We don't know what is happening but we're sure it's not a game."

Wrapping her arms around both boys she spoke softly into their ears, "No it is isn't, it is a very serious matter but I want you to remember that as long as you are with me you will have nothing to worry about. I will always protect you." She could feel an easing in their little bodies with her words so sitting back up she continued.

"I'm guessing that the next thing you are going to say is that you're both hungry?"

Two heads nodded in unison and smiles spread across their faces as she reached into her bag. "Just as well I was prepared for this adventure. I think maybe one piece of chocolate and half an apple should do the trick right now. Then we could make a tent with the blankets and I will tell you a story by torchlight. How does that sound?" She had to quickly place a hand over each of their mouths as she realised their reply was going to be squeals of excitement.

At the hotel, Clara was anxiously watching as some of the men who had arrived from the orphanage were taking up positions, directed by Jim Buchanan and Jesse. Having made numerous cups of tea and coffee to keep them going, she was now trying to find things to keep herself occupied while staying out of the way. There was no chance of sleep tonight, although she was surprised that all the children seemed to be managing as there had been no sound from any of them. Perhaps it was time to check again.

Taking off her apron she made her way into the kitchen. Their little flat was at the back, the entrance door beside where the kitchen stairs came out on the first floor. She would look in on her babies first, although she already knew they would not have moved. The four horsemen of the apocalypse could ride through town and they would sleep through it.

Reaching down to their cots she gently brushed the hair away from Peter's eyes. That Jesse had been the one to suggest this name for their first born had made her love him even more.

Her first husband, Peter Stanton, had been killed in the mine disaster that devastated so many families in Hope Valley, although Clara was not living there at the time. In fact, no-one else knew that they were married, not even his mother, until some time after when Clara had chosen to honour his memory by coming forward to help all the families left behind find some justice. Meeting Abigail Stanton that day had changed her future in so many ways.

As she crept silently along the corridor she reflected on how things had turned out for many of the residents of Hope Valley. That Lucas Bouchard could have fooled her into thinking he was a decent man still riled her, especially as Jesse took every opportunity to remind her whenever his name came up.

She stopped outside the room that Patrick and Little Jack were sharing, trying to turn the door handle as slowly as possible to avoid disturbing them. Peering into the darkness she could see that their beds were disturbed and the boys weren't in them. Maybe they had been frightened and gone in with Allie, she thought. A quick look around the room confirmed that they weren't there but still she didn't panic, they would be in the next room she was sure.

Not knowing what she would find when she entered Clara slipped her head around the door and looked in. It was empty and this time she noticed that Allie's coat and boots were gone too, along with the bag that she carried everywhere. A check back in the boy's room confirmed that their outer garments were also missing and, more importantly, Little Jack's wooden toys and Patrick's cloth rabbit.

There must be some explanation, she thought. How could someone have gotten in here without being seen when there were men all around the hotel?

Now that she knew that the rooms were empty she turned on the lights, looking to see if anything had been left behind that would give any clue to what had happened. On Allie's nightstand she saw the note, the message brief and alarming. This was not good, she thought, as she rushed along the hallway to alert the others.