Chapter 23 – Dealing With Price

Jack unlocked his top desk drawer and handed Bill the messages he had composed, along with the two letters to post. Jack then closed his drawer and relocked it. He put the key back in his pocket and left. He stopped by the saloon one more time to check with Sam before he headed back to the row house. Jack wanted to hurry home. He didn't like that Price was there with Elizabeth alone. When he saw the house, he was worried because he saw the lights were still on downstairs. He quickly hurried to the back door and carefully entered. When he walked in, he saw Elizabeth still sitting at her writing desk working on something. She stopped when she heard his boots on the floorboards.

"Hi." Elizabeth said.

"It's late." Jack said. "Let's head to bed. Have you been down here the entire time?"

"I was working on my stories." Elizabeth said. "I was worried about you and writing helps me to relax. I wanted to work on my stories, but I didn't want to use the typewriter and disturb Price."

"Don't you have school in the morning?" Jack asked.

"No Cat is taking the children." Elizabeth said. "I might go in at lunch, but will see. She told me to take the day off and relax."

"Whatever you want." Jack said. "Bill is taking morning rounds, but I still need to head in early."

Jack secured the back door, checked the fire before turning down the lamps and heading upstairs with Elizabeth. Both quickly changed for bed and slipped under the covers. Jack pulled Elizabeth close to him and she snuggled into his side. It wasn't long and Elizabeth was asleep resting on Jack's chest. He quickly followed when he knew that she was asleep. Morning came quickly. Neither wanted to get out of bed and start the day. After a few kisses and a promise of an evening together, both crawled out of bed and dressed for the day. Elizabeth went downstairs to see what there was for breakfast. She was glad to see that there were eggs and bread. She quickly made scrambled eggs and toast for her and Jack. She knew that she was going to have to go to the mercantile at some point. Jack asked if she had made anything for Price. She admitted that she completely forgot that he was there. Since neither heard him about yet, they said a quick blessing and ate their food. Just as they were finishing, Price came out of his room. He wasn't dressed properly and Elizabeth quickly turned away.

"Price!" Jack yelled. "Get dressed properly or don't come out of that room again."

Price quickly went back and put his uniform pants on along with more than just an undershirt. He didn't like the way that Jack had talked to him and felt like saying something. When he came back out he sat at the table.

"Where is my breakfast?" Price said gruffly.

Elizabeth just glared at him. She was a stickler for manners and not just because of the way that she was raised, but also because it was her house. She was about to say something but Jack beat her to it. Elizabeth breathed a sigh and looked at Jack with a smile.

"It would do you well to remember that you are a guest in my house." Jack said. "You will use your manners and treat me and my wife with respect or you can walk into town and eat at the cafe if you haven't managed to tick off Mrs Stanton. Besides, you are coming into town with me anyway. Since you can't help with patrols, I am sending you back to Buxton. You are no good to me here."

Realizing that he wasn't going to get what he wanted, he stood up and hobbled over to the stove and poured a cup of coffee for himself, then hobbled back to sit down. He didn't say anything.

"I am leaving soon and you better be ready to go." Jack said.

"I can't walk that far." Price grumbled.

"It isn't that far and you should have thought about that before you were so rude." Jack said. "Just remember, I outrank you and by that fact alone, I should be shown respect. Now, go get ready."

Jack sat there and watched Price go back into the guest room. He then pulled out his notebook and wrote something for Elizabeth. He tore the page and handed it to her. Before he let go, he looked her in the eye and motioned for her to be quiet. She didn't understand what was going on, but trusted Jack. She opened the note and read what Jack had written – Don't trust him. Please check the house to see if anything is missing. Elizabeth just looked at Jack and he nodded at her. She nodded back.

"Jack." Elizabeth said. "I am sorry that I don't have much to pack for you lunch. How about we meet at Abigail's and then I will head to the schoolhouse? I plan on going to the mercantile after school and picking up supplies. Is there anything that you want?"

"Shepherd's pie for supper if you can." Jack said.

"If that is what you want." Elizabeth said. "I am sure that can be arranged."

Elizabeth stood and started to clear the dishes. Jack looked around the house and didn't see anything suspicious. He checked the fire in the pot belly stove one more time. He then went and pounded on Price's door.

"Price, let's go." Jack said. "I have a lot to do today and I don't have time for you to waste."

Price came out with his pack and leaning on his crutches. Jack motioned for the door and followed Price. He looked back at Elizabeth and motioned with his hand to look around. As soon as Jack had closed the door, Elizabeth started looking around the house as the water was warming for dishes. She didn't notice anything was missing. She then went into the guest room and stripped the bed and folded up the cot. She put the sheets and blankets in a pile. She then went upstairs and looked around their bedroom. She checked her jewelry box and the top drawer where she hid some money wrapped in a scarf. Nothing appeared to be missing, but she pulled the money out and counted it just in case. The amount was right, she thought.

She then looked a little more around their room and then checked the spare room upstairs before going back to their bedroom and grabbing the basket of clean clothes. She figured that Cat had brought it up and set it just inside the door. She quickly put the clean clothes away and left the dresses on the bed so she could hang them up later. She grabbed the few dirty clothes that Jack and her had. She put them in the basket and then took them down stairs. She put the bedding in it and grabbed her coat. She planned to take the laundry to Mrs Miller. She apologized to Mrs Miller about the bedding and said that they would pay if it was extra. Mrs Miller just waved her off and took the basket.

When Elizabeth returned to the house, she checked one more time to make sure nothing was missing. It didn't look like it, but then she looked at her bookshelves and noticed that someone had gone through her books and didn't put them back like she usually kept them. She rearranged them and pulled a few to check them. It didn't appear that anything was missing. She had a weird feeling and went back upstairs. Elizabeth double checked her jewelry box. She counted her hair pins and realized that there was at least one set missing. She double checked the things that she had taken to Hamilton and was right. There were two sets of silver and pearl hair clips missing. She hung up her dresses and Jack's shirts. She then double checked the money in the drawer and realized that with what she took to Hamilton and what was still there, fifty dollars was missing. She continued to check the rest of the drawers. When she opened the cupboard Jack had made to look like the rest of the dresser, she saw that someone had tried to get into their safe. She didn't touch it, but just made a note in her mind. She went into the other room and double checked the trunks. Nothing else appeared to be missing, but someone had gone through all of the trunks.

Elizabeth gathered a basket so she could head to the mercantile. She then grabbed a piece of paper, made note of what was missing and everything else that she had found. She then slipped her coat back on and headed to town. She really wanted to find Jack to talk to him about what she had found.

Jack had walked with Price to the cafe. Abigail greeted Jack and glared at Price.

"Are you going to behave today?" Abigail said pointedly with a knife in hand. "Because if not, you can leave now."

Jack just glared at Price and then looked back at Abigail. He hoped that she would explain. She made a small motion toward the back room. Abigail went to the kitchen. Jack turned to Price before following Abigail.

"Sit there." Jack said. "I don't want to hear a word out of you and maybe I can convince Mrs Stanton to get you some breakfast, if not you will have to wait until noon and get something at the saloon."

Price sat down, but just glared at Jack. Jack turned and went to the kitchen. He grabbed a cup of coffee for himself and waited to hear what Abigail said.

"For a Mountie." Abigail said. "That man has no manners. He complained about the food, he complained that he was forced to come here so you could 'vacation' with your rich wife. He also has to learn to keep his hands to himself. I can handle men who are a little too forward, but I think that he really scared poor Clara. He even managed to upset Cody."

"Will you please take a moment and write out everything that happened." Jack said. "I will pass it on to his commanding officer and I will also be letting Wynn know. I know that he will not be pleased with the way that he is acting. Got any biscuits while I wait."

"Fresh ones will be out in five minutes." Abigail said. "There were a few left from last night. They are on the counter."

Jack walked over to the counter, grabbed a plate and put two biscuits on it along with a little butter, grabbed a cup of coffee and took it out to Price. Abigail just shook her head and went about writing out what Jack wanted. Jack walked up to Price, set the plate and cup of coffee down.

"Be lucky that she likes me." Jack said. "Now eat. I will be out in a few minutes and then we will be heading to the jail."

Jack turned and headed back to the kitchen. Abigail was still writing when the timer went off, so Jack walked over to the oven, shut it off and grabbed a towel and pulled a pan of biscuits out. He set it on the counter and replaced the towel. Abigail finished writing, folded the paper and handed it to Jack. He didn't even look at it, but just placed it in his pocket.

"Elizabeth is coming in later." Jack said. "I am going to try and get away to eat with her, but I don't know. I will be back at some point for food. Elizabeth did make me a couple scrambled eggs this morning and we used the last of the bread for two pieces of toast."

"I will make an extra loaf of bread and send it with Elizabeth." Abigail said. "Want a warm biscuit to go?"

"Yes, please." Jack said. "One more quick question – have you noticed Price with extra money?"

"He paid in cash for the few meals that he did eat here." Abigail said. "But I can't be sure. Why?"

"Nothing." Jack said. "Just something he said. See you later."

Jack walked out into the dining room eating his warm biscuit. Abigail followed him to clear the dishes and silverware that Price used. Jack just looked at him. Price pulled his wallet from his coat pocket and placed a dollar on the table. Jack noticed that he had a number of bills in there, more than a Mountie usually carried, especially as they could charge the meals and the Mounties would have paid for it. Wynn had set that up with Abigail at Christmas to make things easier for traveling Mounties or when they had prisoners. Jack motioned for the door. Price grabbed his pack and crutches and headed for the door with Jack behind him. They walked to the jail in silence. Once inside, McGinty was there and just glared at Price.

"Drop your pack here." Jack said. "Since you can't work, go lay down in the cell that McGinty is not using and keep your mouth shut."

McGinty and Jack just watched him put his pack down and hobble over to the cell. Jack then turned back to McGinty.

"Seen Bill this morning?" Jack asked.

"Not since he left on rounds." McGinty said.

"I need to run to the mercantile." Jack said. "I shouldn't be long. When I get back, you can run and get breakfast if you want."

Catching on to what Jack meant, he just nodded. McGinty sat down at the desk, pulled some paper and worked on a letter. Jack turned and left the jail. He headed to the mercantile. He asked Ned if he had seen Bill that morning. Ned confirmed that he had been in early and sent a few telegrams on his behalf and posted the letters. Ned then handed Jack a small bundle of mail and two telegrams that had come in that morning and one that came in on Tuesday evening. Jack thanked him and let him know that he would be at the jail if there were any more messages. Jack then turned and was going to leave when he turned back and asked Ned about his account and how much the two Mounties had charged. Ned pulled the ledger and looked up Jack's account. Ned let him know that McGinty had charged a few basic supplies and that Price hadn't charged anything since the first day. Before Jack could ask, Ned answered that he remembered Price paid for a few things in cash.

Jack thanked Ned and headed back outside. He stood on the porch of the mercantile and looked through the mail. There was a letter from his mother and a letter for Elizabeth. There were also two catalogs and a newspaper. Jack walked back to the jail before checking the three messages that came in. When Jack walked back in the jail, McGinty grabbed his coat and headed to get some breakfast. Jack sat down and looked at the messages that Ned had given him. The first was from headquarters, promising that additional help was on the way. The second was from Captain Taylor letting him know that a wagon would be there to get Price in the early afternoon. The third message was from William Thatcher. He was furious about the pictures in the paper and also the arrest of Charles. He demanded that Jack apologize for both, neither of which Jack had any intention of doing.