Chapter 55

JJ had his arms wrapped around Grandma Grace's neck refusing to let her go. Of course, he was ready to go home to Hope Valley, but he didn't want to leave his grandma. For Grace, she was fighting the same internal battle. She wasn't willing to let him go. She tightened her hold on him just before releasing him.

"Now, you continue to be the best version of you. You listen to your mommy and daddy. I would like to receive a letter from you soon."

"I will. I promise." JJ stated just before giving her a huge kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Grandma Grace."

"I love you sweet boy. I'll see you soon."

"Promise?"

"I sure do."

With her words, JJ's faint smile began to form around his lips. He still didn't like leaving her behind in that large house all alone, but he also knew she wasn't going to lie to him. With one last hug, he unwrapped his arms from her neck allowing her to stand.

"We'll telegram you letting you know we arrived safely."

"Thanks Jack. I would appreciate that." With a new wave of tears flowing down her cheeks, she gave him a long hug. Their time together in Hamilton was important for them to develop this long waited relationship. They were on good footing and was beginning to enjoy their conversations.

Grace turned her attention toward her middle daughter. "Are you ok?" She asked concerned.

Elizabeth couldn't answer her mother. She only shook her head no.

"Come." Grace stated opening her arms for Elizabeth to walk into a motherly hug. Once inside Grace's arms, Elizabeth couldn't hold back the tears. She cried as she laid her head on her mother's shoulder. Grace slowly ran her hand up and down Elizabeth's back. She always found that to be soothing when she was little.

"I'm going to miss you." Elizabeth choked out with her head resting on her shoulder. She didn't take too long to feel her mother's wet shirt from her own tears.

"I'm going to miss you my sweet child. Now, you know I love you."

Elizabeth nodded her head. The time in Hamilton has been busy, but her and her mother have grown closer. There was always a mother and daughter love, but this was completely different. Their love was on another level. There was a deeper love and more respect than ever before. They have grown so much closer. In proper society, this type of affection should never be in public. Just months ago, Grace would not have hugged her daughter like this in public. Now, she wasn't letting her child go without a hug. Jack and JJ stood a few feet away watching the simple act of love.

"I love you."

"Now, you take care of these two and they will take care of you."

Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement. She only tightened her hold on her mother.

"Now, school starts soon, and you need to get home to be ready for it. You also have a home you need to finish and move into. You will be busy, but I expect a letter soon and often."

"Yes mother. I will also call you if the phone line is ready."

Grace wasn't willing to let go of her child. She was enjoying the intimate embrace and the free flowing of love between them. She cursed all the missed time of love between them when Elizabeth was younger.

"All aboard!" The conductor yelled.

"Now, know I love you and I miss you."

"Yeah…" Elizabeth chocked out. "If I don't let you go, then you won't leave?"

"You have a beautiful family little one. And you have a home to finish and set up. Know I love you and I will see you soon."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

With one last hug, Elizabeth and Grace softened the hug. Grace continued to hold Elizabeth in a loose hug and continued to look into her eyes as she spoke to Jack and JJ.

"Promise me you two will take care of my Elizabeth."

"I promise Grandma Grace."

"I promise Grace."

"You promise me that you will always remember that I love you with all of my heart."

A fresh wave of tears flowed down both lady's cheeks. Elizabeth responded by hugging her mother again. She just didn't have the capability to speak.

…

"Hey boys…how is it looking?"

"Hey sweetheart." Frank lightly kissed her on the cheek. "It's going well." He stated as he and Mr. P sat down for lunch.

"You good?" Mrs. P asked her husband.

"I am…but his guy works me too hard. He reminds me of you."

"Hey." She tried to sound shocked. The small group laughed.

"The house is coming along very well. We are having a lot of help every day. We should be done in two to three weeks."

"That quick?" Asked Abagail as she sat down two glasses of tea.

"We have had a lot of men helping. They are making great progress. Weather has been very nice."

"Oh Frank…that's great. They should be taking the train today. They will be here tomorrow."

"They will be very surprised when they see the progress. I'll stop by their row house and open a couple of windows to let it air out, but I didn't think they were getting on the train until tomorrow?"

"That was the original plan. I received a telegram today informing me they were leaving today. It also stated that nothing was wrong." Abagail shrugged her shoulders.

"I wonder why?" Mrs. P stated.

"I'm not sure but I have learned a long time ago to trust Elizabeth. She said that nothing was wrong so I am trusting that."

"May we get some food so we can get back to work?" Sassed Mr. P.

"Don't push it old man."

"We have to eat soon because Mr. Johnston is expecting us soon."

…

Elizabeth stared out the window as the train was begging to pick up speed. JJ was already asleep. Jack and Elizabeth couldn't believe he was already asleep within minutes of being on the train. Elizabeth never had known him to take a nap like that. Grandma Grace must have exhausted him. As Elizabeth stared out the window, she was replaying the whole Hamilton trip in her mind. Jack had taken a short walk to the dining car to pick up some snacks. He could have asked a porter to do it, but he wanted to stretch his legs.

After the talk with Charles in the park, she hadn't seen him since. Jerry had two of his best lawyers on the case checking with the prosecutor concerning the case against him and going over the case themselves. At Elizabeth's urging, they were also looking into any employment issues that could have been swept under the rug. The time with Jerry and the other employees was essential for Jack and Elizabeth. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses. They were grateful those strengths and weaknesses weren't the same. There were times when Elizabeth would step up and take control. Then there were times when Jack would do the same. Jerry was impressed with the couple. Their communication was incredible to watch.

Jack stepped into the first class compartment and noticed his wife was lost in thought, looking out the window. He cleared his throat hoping not to startle her but not too loud to wake up JJ. When that didn't work, he slowly walked toward her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little at his touch.

"Oh…Jack."

"I'm sorry I scared you. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"You have been staring out that window since we left. You look lost in thought."

"I guess I am a little…"

"It's been a busy week."

"It has…" Her voice trailed off. She looked up and noticed his intense look. She didn't pull it off.

"Elizabeth…"

She huffed knowing she didn't convince him.

"I guess just everything."

"Yeah." He settled beside her. "A penny for your thoughts."

"For you, my thoughts are free."

"Perfect."

Elizabeth glanced over to her son and noticed that he was still sleeping in the chair. Her smile grew at him.

"You know, we didn't have to leave early. We weren't supposed to leave until tomorrow. We could have stayed. We didn't have to leave."

"I know you were ok staying, but I had to get out of there."

"Why?" He asked, very confused.

"The Hamilton Anguish."

"The Hamilton Anguish…? What's that?" Jack asked, turning his body slightly toward his wife.

"We have been to Hamilton on three different occasions counting this trip. I did one more without you. Each of those trips was horrible. It brought me anguish. The first trip was due to my mother's health. I stayed way too long, and you left without me. The second trip was due to Tom and Julie. We had more trouble during that trip than the first one." She stated shaking her head slightly. "I don't even want to discuss the third trip without you. That was the worst decision of my life. While this one was better, it still isn't what I wanted. At least we are leaving together and riding in the same compartment."

"What did you want?"

Elizabeth reached into her small bag that was sitting at her feet. She pulled out a small, tan velvet bag. The one her father asked for her to get in his desk drawer. She fingered the edges of the bag. After a few seconds of turning the bag in her hands, she opened the end and pulled out its contents.

"This is my father's compass. I bought it for him for Christmas when I was four. He would go out on his ships for weeks or travel all the time when he was building his company. I heard in a story that sailors use a compass to help them find their way and to find their way home. Every time he would leave, I would walk to his desk and pull out the compass. He would make a show of it and put it in his pocket."

"That's a great memory."

"It is. Hamilton isn't who I am and it's not who I want to become. This compass is leading me home. I had to get out of there and go home."

Jack nodded his head. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. They didn't say anything for a few minutes. They didn't have to. Jack finally broke the silence.

"I call it the Hamilton Curse."

"Really? Why do you call it that?"

Jack took a few moments trying to think of the right way to say it. "Well, the first trip was awful. Your father told me that he hated to see you live a life that was so beneath you. That one day you will wake up and regret your decision because of the life you knew you could have had and now don't. That's when he stated that Mr. Kensington was your soulmate. That you two had so much in common. You two played the piano for hours. I don't think you looked in my direction one time while you played. When I left, you spent a lot of time with him, and you stayed a while.

"The trip for Tom and Julie wasn't good. Mr. Kensington was around like always. We were at odds. You were jealous of Faith and accused me of having something to develop with her while you still entertained Mr. Kensington.

"I don't really want to talk about the trip you made back with Mr. Kensington."

Elizabeth could only shake her head in disgust. Jack didn't want to dwell on that trip, nor did she.

"And this trip?"

Jack smiled at her question. "Better…there is a lot we have to digest."

She loved the fact that he said 'we'.

"We still have a lot to learn and some more things to work through."

"Your right Jack. We do. However…"

"We find our way with you and me."

"Yes."

After a few moments of silence, she continued. "I think Charles' ultimate goal is to take over the company. He feels robbed somehow that I didn't marry him, and he would have taken over the company in time. I think he just wanted a Thatcher Princess. That's why I talked to him in the park that day. I needed to figure out what his end game is."

"I think we know his end game."

Elizabeth reached for Jack's hand. "After thinking about it for a while, I still think his end game is the company. I'm just a prize that goes along with it or I'm the stepping stone to make it happen. By talking to him, we learned that he truly wants the company. His last statement was just odd. I do think the lawyers Jerry put on the case will find out what he is planning."

"Maybe…but I still wished you would have walked away."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to figure out what he was after…other than me." She squeezed his hand. "I honestly believe he's thinking about the company first and me second."

"So, you think he's truly concentrating on becoming CEO of Thatcher Shipping?"

"I do. You saw the money that comes with that title. Not only that, but the prestige that comes with it as well."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. He just didn't care about the money or the prestige of it all. He just wanted his life with Elizabeth. She smiled at his expression.

"Same for me. I don't care about the money or the prestige. If that's what I wanted, I would have never left Hamilton three years ago." She leaned and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. "I also think Charles' father is pulling strings in the background. I was trying to figure out the whole story."

"So, you were playing his game?"

She nodded. "Now we know a good deal of what he wants, and he doesn't think we know. Didn't you always say that it's better when the criminal doesn't know what you know? That the art of surprise is a great tool to have on your side."

"And know you're listening to me?" Sassed Jack.

"I learned from you. You know I'm not that naive young lady anymore, don't you?"

"Yes." Jack slowly stated. "I guess it's just the Hamilton Curse that pops up occasionally."

"That place brings me anguish."

They spent forty five minutes discussing some issues they were still working on within the business. They loved the fact that they were on the same page with their thought process regarding how to run the business. They were excited that Jerry was completely on board with their wants. He was a great teacher. The money issue, or the amount of money, was still out of their imagination. They never knew anyone could make that much money in one year. The person from the accounting department and the lawyer were instrumental in helping them. The lady asked a lot of questions and used their answers to guide them in making many of their decisions.

Jack and Elizabeth loved Grace's idea about opening a woman's home for young mothers to be. When their eyes connected, they knew immediately that they wanted the company to be involved in the process however Grace would allow them to be. They also wanted to be personally involved.

For Elizabeth, school was beginning soon. She was beginning to mentally change gears into the role of teacher. She was almost ready for it. She had most plans already planned out and was just finishing up loose ends.

Jack's new job would be approaching soon too. He had a short stint with the mounties. He was excited he would have several days off before starting the sheriff's job. He was excited about working on the new home. The last he heard was that things were progressing very well. He was eager to jump in and help. He was also excited about his new position. The job had a lot of similarities as his current job, but he also knew there would be new challenges.

There was comfortable silence between Jack and Elizabeth on the train ride while JJ napped. On occasion one would notice something out the window and point it out to the other. They spend time reading a book or magazine. The whole time they touched. They either held hands or one would have their hand on the other's shoulder, arm, or thigh. It was an intimate time together.

…

Elizabeth looked out the stagecoach's window and noticed the Hope Valley water tower. She always knew that meant home. She would always look for it.

"Home." She whispered.

Jack looked up at her word and smiled. JJ jumped from his seat and stuck his head out the window beside his mommy's window.

"JJ…please be careful. I don't want you to fall out."

"Oh mommy…I'm not going to jump out."

"You're such a mom." Jack smirked with a huge smile growing on his face teasing her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at his statement. "He's my son and I don't want him to get hurt."

"I don't either. You do need to let him…"

"Don't finish that statement, Mr. Thornton."

"You need to let me have fun." JJ finished.

Elizabeth quickly grabbed him and pulled him onto her lap tickling his sides. The three laughed as she squirmed and laughed. He was trying to break free. Jack often wondered how hard he actually tried to get out of the tickling. JJ just loved the attention from his mommy.

When the laughter died down, they looked out the windows when the stagecoach pulled onto Main Street. Before they passed Abagail's Café, her and Frank were already walking out the door along with Mr. and Mrs. P. JJ enthusiastically waved at the four older people. His smile grew even more when Emily ran out of the mercantile.

Elizabeth cut her eyes toward her husband when she noticed JJ's change when he saw Emily. Jack only smiled. A smile she knew too well.

"What?"

"That smile…you know something that I don't…don't you?" She whispered nodding her head toward JJ.

"Why don't you sit with Auntie Abagail and Mrs. P while JJ and I take our trunks home. Then we will come back for lunch."

Elizabeth scrunched up her nose at his avoiding her question. She knew something was there, but she didn't know what. She poked him in the side. "We'll talk later." She whispered as JJ jumped off her lap.

"You will wait until the stagecoach comes to a complete stop and the driver opens the door." She warned her excited little boy.

"But mommy…"

"No but mommy…and that little smile and puppy dog eyes of yours won't work this time. My first thing to do when we arrive at home will not be taking you to see Nurse Carter."

"I remember when that look worked on you."

"It still does." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "But mommy's heart is a powerful thing when her little boy could get hurt."

She laughed at his little pouty expression.

Jack turned around and caught a jumping JJ. He jumped before Jack even turned around. He barely caught his boy. He sat him down on the ground and turned him toward the café. He patted him on the bottom.

"Go say hello to Mrs. P and Auntie Abagail. Then say hi to Emily."

Without saying a word, the little boy shot off like a rocket. Jack and Elizabeth watched him land in Auntie Abagail's arms.

"In a couple more years, he will knock her over doing that." Elizabeth laughed.

"Maybe sooner than that." Jack matched her laughter. He watched his boy for a moment and then turned his attention toward the driver as he was climbing up the side of the stagecoach to work on the trunks.

"So…?

"So…" Jack repeated her question.

"It's later…what's going on?"

"I need to help with the luggage. Go and say hello. I know you are dying to talk to Abagail."

She huffed at her husband changing the subject again.

…

JJ turned his attention toward Mrs. P when he finally released the bear hug on Abagail. "It's good to see you too Mrs. P."

"How in the world can a grown woman miss a little boy so much?" She whispered through joyous tears as she wrapped her arms around JJ.

"You love me." He squeezed the hug.

When he released his hold on the older woman, he turned his attention toward Emily. He stood in front of her but didn't hug her. They both had silly grins on their faces.

"Come on you two. I have fresh chocolate chip cookies on the counter cooling off. They should be ready."

"I wish I could, but I have to help daddy with the luggage."

"I'll help Jack with that. You go and eat some cookies. I know Auntie Abagail made them with extra chocolate chips." Frank smiled.

"I'll help too." Mr. P stated.

Elizabeth stood back and watched the interaction with Abagail and Mrs. P with her son. She wiped a tear from other eyes. She loved that they loved her boy so much. Then she watched her son act so shy and a little awkward with Emily. She tilted her head intently watching.

"Go…they missed you as much as you missed them."

Elizabeth kissed his cheek and walked quickly toward the waiting ladies. Her smile grew with each step knowing she was going to be in the presence of her best friend and honorary grandmother.

…

"Did you have a nice trip?"

"I did Emily." JJ stated as he shoved in another cookie. "Grandma Grace was very nice. I like her."

"That's good. How about what you were afraid of?"

JJ thought about it for a few moments. "It was weird. There were several discussions about mommy's nightmare. Mommy's older sister was hateful. She wasn't very nice at all."

"Did Mrs. Thorton's nightmare cause any troubles?"

"A little. He talked to mommy on two different occasions that I know of."

"You really shouldn't listen to adult conversations." Warned Emily.

"Emily…you know how adults are. They think since we are young that we don't pay attention to things. I didn't have to sneak around to hear. Many times, I was in the room when they spoke. If you're quiet, they think you're not there."

"True."

"I could tell daddy wasn't too happy about being there. He was quiet on the train ride there and a little quiet at Grandma Grace's home. He didn't go back at the prison to see Mr. Thatcher."

"Why do you call him Mr. Thatcher and you call Mrs. Thatcher Grandma Grace?"

"I've come to know her. I don't know him. I don't think I've ever spoken to him."

"True." Emily nodded her head. "Constable Thornton ok?"

"I slept most of the way here on the train. He was better than going to Hamilton. I think he's better now."

"At least that's good. Maybe you all won't have to go back there for a while."

"Yeah, mommy said that we would have to go back once or twice a year."

"That's really good. So, are you still worried?"

JJ thought for a moment. "A little, I guess. Not as much as I was but maybe still a little bit."

"Well, since that's all done, what do you want to do?"

"Daddy, Mr. P, and Uncle Frank is taking things to the house. Daddy is coming back here so we can all eat together. Would you like to stay and eat with us?"

"Sure. Want to go to the pond after?"

"Can we do that tomorrow? Mommy said I needed to get my things put away after dinner. I also would like to go the new house to see how it's coming along."

"You'll like it. It looks nice."

…

Mr. Kensington and Charles sat in the lawyer's office. Charles was in a fowl mood. He didn't see Elizabeth and didn't know why. He knew she wasn't set to leave until tomorrow. He even drove by her house and didn't see any activity or the car that he saw her riding in over the last few days. This was one of the last meetings with his lawyer. The trail was set to begin in Medicine Hat next week.

"Hello gentleman." Mr. Wilson stated. "I trust you two are doing well."

"We are." The senior Kensington stated.

"I trust you are behaving yourself." He turned his attention toward Charles.

"Of course."

"Great. I have spoken with the prosecutor, D. A. Scott. He is very confident with his case."

"Should he be?"

"Yes, Mr. Kensington. He should be. I still think we may be able to convince the judge that Charles was just following the orders of his boss. I believe that is our best argument. It will still depend on the judge we receive. If we can convince him that Charles was following the orders of his boss, we can have all those charges dismissed or lessened to basically nothing."

"That's our best bet?" Mr. Kensington asked.

"It is. I don't believe we can have them dismissed outright." Wilson paused for a moment. "The assault on Mrs. Thornton is another matter."

"How so?" Charles asked a little miffed.

"Well…you left bruises on her wrists and one on her right upper arm. Mr. Thatcher didn't ask you to do that. As a matter of fact, her father hit you in the cell in Hope Valley when he found out what you did. We can't argue that he instructed you to hurt his daughter."

"So, this will cause a problem even if we have the other stuff dismissed or reduced?"

"Yes Mr. Kensington. Charles crossed a line and Mrs. Thornton is pressing charges. He's being tried on both charges. Those charges are independent of each other. He can have a plea deal in place or have the charges against the sawmill dismissed and still found guilty on the assault charges on Mrs. Thornton."

"Ms. Thatcher." Charles corrected him. He was tired of hearing her married name.

"No Charles. It's Mrs. Thorton." Mr. Wilson sternly corrected. "You will need to lose the attitude before the court hearing, or we will be looking at the maximum penalty."

Charles huffed as he turned to look at his father. He slightly nodded his head indicating his agreement with the lawyer. Charles closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"Fine." He hissed.

"If he can get the case against the sawmill dismissed, what are we looking at with the assault?"

"I find it difficult to not see Charles spending time in prison for assault. Maybe as little as six months but probably more like a year to two years."

"What if he pleads guilty to it?"

"Father…" Charles began until he was cut off by his father's glare.

"Since I can argue that Charles has never had any issues with the law and his charity work…" Wilson paused to think. Charles and his father intently looked at Mr. Wilson. They could see his mind was processing whatever he was thinking.

Mr. Wilson was intently thinking about a possible scenario. If he could argue that the assault was a simple misunderstanding between people who were courting and if he could convince the judge that he really was following work orders, he honestly thought he could get Charles out with a plea deal on the assault.

"What is it?" Mr. Kensington stated.

"…With no prior record…Charles, I think you need to plead guilty on the assault if we can get it down to simple assault and take our chances with the sawmill stuff."

"Why?"

…

Jack, Mr. P, and Frank walked into the café to a beautiful sight in front of them. JJ and Emily were at one table talking. Jack thought they looked cute sitting there. At another table, Elizabeth, Abagail, and Mrs. P were sitting sipping on a cup of tea. They all looked happy to be in each other's presence. Abagail was smirking as Elizabeth and Mrs. P was out right laughing at something Abagail said. It did their husband's heart well to see their ladies enjoying each other's company.

"Is this a private conversation or are we allowed to join in?" Jack asked as he gently squeezed Elizabeth's shoulders and kissing her on the cheek. The other two men copied his actions.

"Pull up a chair." Elizabeth flirted as she scooted over.

The six of them sat at the table enjoying each other's presence. Jack and Elizabeth shared a few stories of the trip to Hamilton. While it was better than any other trips to her hometown, it still wasn't the best trip in their opinion. They did learn a lot about the business side of things. They still had a lot to learn but they felt they were beginning to gain their footing. They appreciated Jerry in all his help. For Jack, it was nice that Grace spoke to him. She asked for his forgiveness, which he accepted. However, it was her actions that spoke the loudest.

Elizabeth loved the trip because she thought her and her husband grew closer together. There were some issues that came about, but they communicated through them. That was her promise several weeks ago – no more misunderstandings and no more pushing conversations to a later date. Everything had to be worked out before it festered into something much bigger than it originally was.

Mrs. P and Abagail cried when Jack shared part of the story about visiting Steve's and Joy's grave. He told most of the story, but he didn't share what Elizabeth spoke about to Joy. He did tell that she kneeled at the headstone, but not the one sided conversation. For him, that was a private matter. It made him fall in love with his wife even more. He loved that Elizabeth wanted to be the best mom to JJ. It also engaged his desire for his dream to come true. He wanted the image of Elizabeth and JJ laying on the couch with a baby bassinet beside them.

"So…what's the plan?" Jack thoughts were interrupted when Abagail asked JJ the question when he walked up to the table.

"Well Auntie Abagail…we are going to visit the new home and then we need to unpack."

As JJ expounded on his answer, Jack slowly reached for Elizabeth's hand that was resting on her mid thigh. She smiled at his actions. When she glanced up and into his eyes, their whole conversation flowed freely. They saw the contentment in each other at being home surrounded by family.

…

"We would argue that the assault was a grave misunderstanding between two individuals in a relationship. I believe I can make that argument with the witnesses who swear under oath in their pretrial testimony that you and Mrs. Thornton were indeed courting. You will plead guilty to simple assault due to the frustration of the relationship ending. We would lead with that. That should get you some credit in the judge's eyes. Then we can argue the fact that you were following orders. With the good will from the plea deal, it may be an easier sell to the judge. It gives you the appearance that you accept responsibility."

"That he accepts responsibility when it is his fault." Mr. Kensington thought out loud.

"Yes. The assault was his fault and he is taking responsibility to that act. However, he will plead innocent for the sawmill issues because he was only following his boss' orders.

"That makes sense." Mr. Kensington stated.

"It shows good will toward the court."

"Would this increase his chances in working with Thatcher Shipping again?"

"You want to continue working there?"

"I do."

"With simple assault and the dismissal of the other charges, you would have a good chance. However, you did assault the future CEO and owner. You would have a fifty – fifty chance at best."

"He shouldn't lose his job over simple assault."

"True, but this is simple assault on the CEO and owner. That plays a role in this. If everything falls our way, he will have a decent chance in keeping his job."

"Interesting." Mr. Kensington stated.

…

"Samantha, what are you saying?"

D. A. Scott sat back in his chair. He has heard that two lawyers from Thatcher Shipping were looking into the case against Mr. Kensington. They had only begun looking into it since yesterday. He wasn't sure if they received anything yet or even spoke with someone. Now, he has two lawyers sitting in his office from Thatcher Shipping. Not just that, there was a female lawyer who seemed to be taking charge of the discussion from the other side. He was a little put off by it, especially with her insistence.

"I'm sorry Mr. Scott. Please call me Ms. Herron."

"Fine." He huffed.

Samantha chuckled at his frustration.

"Mr. Scott, I am a board certified lawyer. I was first in my class, and I am a successful lawyer. I get it…you don't like the fact that I am a lawyer who happens to be a woman. However, here we are. Now, we are looking into this at the request of Thatcher Shipping. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton would like to ensure that everything is in proper order. If you are unhappy with our presence, we will pass that information onto the people you are entrusted with fighting for."

Scott only had to think this through for a half a second. Thatcher Shipping is a huge company that is very influential in Hamilton, even with the bad press over the lasts few weeks. Not only that, but the case against Mr. Kensington was a very strong case. In law, there is never a slam dunk, but this was close.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Herron. I welcome your input."

"We don't want to take over this case nor do we want to direct you. We just want to see what kind of case you have."

"Thanks for saying that Ms. Herron. The case is strong. As you know there is always a sense of uncertainty, but this case with Mr. Thatcher's testimony is solid. We have telegrams, letters, and uncashed checks that all point to the voluntary involvement of Mr. Kensington."

"Word is that he is hoping to dismiss his involvement due to orders from Mr. Thatcher. How viable is that?"

"Not very viable, but he thinks so. He is pushing to be reinstated within the company."

"I've heard that."

"That doesn't make any sense why he would like to continue working there." Scott stated out loud but to no one in particular.

"I have a sneaky feeling that he wants to take over the company." Herron stated.

"Interesting..."

"If he comes to you with the possibility of a plea deal, would you be willing to take it?"

"That would depend on Mrs. Thornton. I would seek her opinion on that if Mr. Kensington sought a plea deal."

"You would speak with Mrs. Thornton?"

"Yes Ms. Herron. That is how I normally proceed with any plea deals. I want the victim's opinion before accepting anything."

"Thank you for that. Mrs. Thornton would welcome any future discussions concerning any potential plea deals with Mr. Charles Kensington."