CHAPTER 26

Bill answered the phone, already feeling his blood run cold. Wynn had never called him in all these years, other than a few telegrams. He knew that Elizabeth was very important to him, but now he thought there was something more.

- Wynn, good morning. What are these crazy questions in the telegrams, Jack was buried after the mission failed and soon after Elizabeth discovered the pregnancy, I sent you a telegram letting you know.

- Bill, I didn't know about any deaths. These days I thought it was strange and I told my son that you gave me news about her and the baby, but you never talked about Jack, I even thought you had something with him or maybe because he came back with no memory, that's when Frankison my son went to check the file him on a mountie and saw that he was killed on duty. We're going crazy here. Bill, something is very wrong with this.

- Wynn, unfortunately it happened, it was very sad, she couldn't see her husband for the last time, because Hargraves had the coffin sealed, according to him he had been dead for many days, in addition to mutilations. He gave the ring to Elizabeth, and it was a simple thing, without any friends in uniform or the recognition he deserved, only Hargraves came on the day.

— Bill, Jack Thorton was at this burial date, here with me in the Northern Territory, I helped him after he and four other mounties ran away, I recognized him, I showed him Elizabeth's photo, as he lost all his memory, but he remembered Hope Valle and her name and her profession, he even remembered his parents, and that was all. But when he saw Elizabeth's photo he was very excited to see Elizabeth even though he had no memory, he was in love with her.

- Wynn, Jack never returned and after the wedding he went on a training mission to Cape Fullerton, training new mounties. What is happening?

- I sent a letter to Elizabeth to let her know about the case and I also said that God wrote correctly in crooked lines, that even without memory, this man loved her very much. They said all the time that while he was imprisoned in the concentration camp with the four soldiers, he saw a young woman who looked after and medicated him and then this same young woman was the one who showed him the path at the fork that led until he simulated escaping from captivity, according to the captain. According to him, there were no women there where they were imprisoned, but he confirmed that he spoke to the young woman and called her Bella. And when he saw Elizabeth's photo he recognized her as his young lady, and another thing he knew his name, Jack Thorton, that's why I sent the letter.

— Wynn I'm sure she never received the letter because she would have shown it to me and asked for my opinion. Jack never came here. See you... Wait a minute...

- Wynn before Elizabeth knew about the pregnancy eleven mountie passed here, they were following gangs across the borders. Elizabeth was freaking out about Jack's death, she was walking aimlessly, Henry caught her after she jumped a mountie, captain of that group, onto Philip's neck. At the time, she thought it was Jack. The manners are really different, a huge beard above the scar, this man laughed at Elizabeth's statements, but after the other mounties messed with her, he protected her and ordered Henry to take her home. They left that same night. This man today is our mountie from Hope Valle, Hargraves assigned him here, another thing is they are cousins, but this one is not bad like Hargraves and laughing Bill said, and another thing he has no memory of lost in battle.

- Scar?

- Right side? Jack had a huge bandage that would leave a scar on his right side, Wynn said in amazement.

- But if it had been Jack, would Hargraves have recognized him and never said he was his cousin? We know they never got along.

— Bill, I never liked Hargraves, since his time as a soldier, he was cold and calculating. I think we better investigate this, without Elizabeth getting suspicious, she already has enough problems with Charles and Willian.

- Wynn, this may sound strange, but what if Elizabeth knows he's Jack and hasn't told us?

- As?

Bill then told the scene in the infirmary and how the two are now. Wynn realized that something was hidden there, he knew that girl like the back of his hand. So he told Bill that he would go as quickly as possible and that they would be there within ten days at the most and that he had to watch this Philip, he didn't want to risk putting Elizabeth in unnecessary danger.

Bill contacted Colonel Collins, asking for help with the case. He told everything as Wynn asked and as they were thinking, Bill knew that Collins was another who never liked Hargraves and his family, and even Collins had never heard of this Philip or his relatives, and normally Collins was at all the award festivities Of the mounties, how come this Philip was so decorated and no one remembered him? Collins questioned Bill.

Bill needed to get back to the cafe, Rose and Lee's party was happening and he didn't want to make light of it or raise suspicion.

When he arrived at the cafe, he saw Elizabeth eating chocolate cake, it was her favorite since arriving in Hope Valle, Bill smiled and went to her.

- Is everything okay, my precious?

- Everything is perfect Bill, not God's timing... Elizabeth smiled.

Bill looked at her, knew she was hiding something, but couldn't bring himself to get it out of her mouth. She smiled saying that she needed to go, because Carson was going to walk her home, but before that she took three plates with a slice of chocolate cake on each one, asked Carson to wait a little and she stopped at the door of the police station, placed the plates on the bench, knocked on the door and ran out of there as fast as he could with a big smile on his face.

Bill saw the scene from afar and had tears in his eyes.

Philip opening the door, saw the three plates of cake on the bench, looking up, he saw Elizabeth walking very quickly, running towards Carson.

Carson hugged Elizabeth, and without her realizing it, he raised his head and looked deep into Philip's eyes, sending him a message...

After entering the police station, he handed a cake to each prisoner, saying that Elizabeth had left it there. He noticed that both Charles and Willian looked at him the whole time with mocking faces, but continued to eat their cake. Philip had never eaten one. such a delicious cake, it tasted like Elizabeth, it was as if she had made him that delicious cake, she didn't want him to see her, but she couldn't help but see that cute little thing trying to run to Carson.

"How can you not fall in love with her?"

"I miss you..."