Chapter 25 – Learning More
Jack needed to relax so he grabbed his messenger bag to get his sketchbook, but when he remembered that Price had taken his father's watch, he opened his desk and started looking through it. He realized that someone had gone through his top drawer. Nothing was missing, but he could see that some of his pictures were crumpled. Jack also knew that Bill wouldn't dare go in his drawer. He also trusted McGinty that if he did open that drawer to see that it was not Mountie business and to leave things alone. Jack straightened the pictures and put them back inside the drawer in the folder that he usually kept them in. He then opened his messenger bag and grabbed his portfolio. He opened the sketchbook and saw the picture that he had been working on of him and Elizabeth dancing. He smiled to himself. He flipped to a new page and started to sketch another picture. He was lost in his drawing when he heard his stomach rumbling. He looked up and Bill just shook his head.
"I am going to go grab something from the cafe." Jack said. "Want anything?"
"I am hungry." Price yelled.
"Shut up." Bill said. "Jack, I will take a couple of sandwiches or biscuits with some meat. Abigail knows that I am not picky. Bring him back some bread and cheese. He doesn't deserve a hot meal and I doubt that Abigail would fix him one."
"Okay." Jack said. "I will bring my lunch back here to eat as well. Want to put on some coffee while I am gone?"
Jack stood to put on his jacket as Bill stood to put fresh coffee on the stove. Just before Jack left the jail, he turned back to Bill.
"He doesn't go anywhere or talk to anyone." Jack said. "I am waiting on a wire from headquarters. Until then, he stays put."
"Figured." Bill said.
Jack went to the cafe and even though it was busy, Clara quickly fixed four roast beef sandwiches for Jack and Bill. She put everything into a picnic basket. She added some of Abigail's scones. She also added one plain cheese sandwich per Jack's request. Before Jack could leave, Abigail came back into the kitchen. She looked at him with the basket.
"Bill and I were hungry." Jack said. "I also had Clara make a plain cheese sandwich for Price. He is lucky that he is getting anything according to Bill."
"Wait one minute." Abigail said.
She then went to the icebox and pulled out leftover potato salad from the day before. There wasn't much left, but it would be enough for Jack and Bill. She then took the basket back from Jack. She added the potato salad, two forks and spoons, a butter knife and two small bowls. She saw that Clara had added scones and added four more biscuits and a small jar of jam. She knew that Jack and Bill loved her biscuits. She then walked back over to Jack and handed him the basket. She then turned back to her customers in the dining room. Despite everything that had happened between her and Bill, she still cared for him. After all, she had let him become her partner in the cafe. He made sure that she was left as majority owner, but didn't mind investing some money with her. Jack left the cafe and headed back to the jail. When he got there, he took out the food and set it on the desk. He took the plain cheese sandwich and went to hand it to Price. He also gave him a glass of water. Jack returned to his desk. Bill set two cups of coffee down and they started eating what Abigail and Clara had sent for them.
Just as they were finishing with their food, there was a knock at the door. Before Jack could answer it, he saw two Mounties walk in. He figured that they were there for Price, but he was disappointed that Captain Taylor was not with them. Jack had wanted to talk to Taylor, but would have to settle for sending him a message. He also wanted to send the other paperwork that Taylor needed. He also knew that he wouldn't be releasing Price to the two that were sent and wondered how that would go over. Jack recognized both of them but didn't know their names.
"Captain Taylor with you?" Jack asked.
"No." The young Mountie said. "Wait, weren't you the Mountie that was in town yesterday when we arrested the Swenson twins?"
"Yes, Corporal Jack Thornton." Jack said standing. "This is Sheriff Bill Avery. I have seen both of you, but I am afraid, I don't know your names."
"Constable Matthew Green."
"Constable Thomas MacDonald"
"Glad that you could make it." Jack said. "But we have a problem. I can't let you take Price back until I hear from headquarters. How about you take the wagon to the livery and stall the horses? Then I will take you to the saloon and get you a room for the night. The cafe is still open or there is chili and cornbread at the saloon, but if I were you I would go with the cafe."
"I don't understand." Constable Green said. "Captain Taylor said that Price had been hurt and needed to come back to Buxton since he needed time off to heal. That was why he sent us in a wagon. We were also to bring his horse back."
"How about we get you settled and some food and then I will explain." Jack said. "Hopefully, I will have heard back from headquarters as well as Captain Taylor. There have been some developments."
"Okay." Green said. "Point us to the livery and then the saloon."
"Bill you got this." Jack said, grabbing his jacket.
"Go." Bill said. "I will stay here."
Jack walked with Green and MacDonald over to the livery. He had someone take care of their two horses and the wagon. Before they left, they each grabbed a pack from the back. MacDonald turned to Jack.
"Captain Taylor insisted." MacDonald said. "In case we ran into weather."
"Always good to be prepared." Jack said.
Jack then led them to the saloon. Sam let them know that he had one double room left if they didn't mind sharing, so Jack pulled out the money for the room, but Sam insisted that he would just send the bill to the regional office like he normally did. Jack nodded and the two Mounties headed upstairs to drop off their packs. When they came back down, Jack led them over to the cafe. It was past the lunch rush and there were few customers. When Abigail came out, she saw Jack standing there with two Mounties.
"Abigail." Jack said. "Constables Green and MacDonald. I was wondering if you still have lunch. They rode in from Buxton and will be spending the night."
"I can reheat something for you." Abigail said, turning back to the kitchen.
"Ma'am." Green said. "If you have fixings for sandwiches that would be fine with us. We promise to come back tonight and enjoy your cooking. Besides, we have business with the Corporal here."
"Give me a minute and I will make up some sandwiches." Abigail said.
She went to the kitchen and pulled out what she needed to make four more roast beef sandwiches. She wrapped them up and placed a single scone each in two bags. She then placed it all in a smaller basket. She returned and handed the basket to Jack.
"Please return both baskets later." Abigail said. "I will just put it on the account."
"No problem." Jack said. "I will make sure that you get your baskets and dishes back. I will bring them before I head home for supper."
"Alright." Abigail said. "See you later."
Jack and the other two Mounties left the cafe and headed back to the jail. Bill had made some more coffee. When they entered, he filled Jack's cup and poured one for each of the other two Mounties. Bill has also grabbed another chair from the back. They all sat around the desk and as the other two ate, Jack let the other two know Price was being held until headquarters could decide what would happen. Jack wasn't sure how much to tell them since he didn't know either of the two Mounties. He looked at Bill and Bill shook his head as if reading Jack's thoughts. Green and MacDonald exchanged looks and knew that Price had crossed the line with someone.
"What has he done now?" Green asked.
"Honestly." Jack said. "I don't know how much I can tell you, but let's just say that there are some serious accusations against him from three very reputable people in town."
"Okay." Green said. "This is nothing new to us. So who did he harass this time? Taylor is scared to do anything because his daddy is some government official who got him a job with the Mounties."
Realizing that they probably knew more about Price and his behavior then Jack did, he looked back at Bill and Bill nodded. Bill was thinking the same thing as Jack. Based on what they had just said, it sounded like this wasn't the first time that Price had caused trouble and they were just following orders when they retrieved him.
"You want to know who he harassed." Jack said. "Well that I know of – The Mayor, her daughter-in-law and my wife."
Green and MacDonald looked at each other and then back at the cell where Price was and just shook their heads.
"Guess daddy can't buy his way out of that one." MacDonald said. "I knew he didn't have much brains, but the mayor."
"I don't know if he knew that she was the mayor, but still." Jack said.
"Oh he knew." Bill said. "Abigail made a point of introducing herself as the mayor the first time that he went to the cafe. Besides that I told him as well."
"The mayor works at the cafe." Green questioned.
"No, Mayor Stanton and I own the cafe." Bill said. "She usually makes a point of introducing herself as the mayor when there is someone new in town. It cuts down on the comments from some of the lumberjacks. They know that they can get in big trouble if they mess with a government official. So I know that Price knew, since I was right there when she was introduced as the mayor."
"But I thought that your name was Avery." MacDonald asked.
"Oh." Bill said. "Abigail and I are just business partners. I wanted to invest in the cafe and she made me her business partner."
There was a knock at the door, MacDonald leaned back and opened the door. Jack waved Ned in when he saw who it was.
"These just came for you, Sir." Ned said. "Oh also Mrs Thornton was in and I told her you have the mail."
"Thank you Ned." Jack said, taking the two messages. "Would have forgotten."
Ned turned to leave. Jack looked at the telegrams and opened the first. It let him know that Captain Taylor was on the way to straighten things out. Jack read it through twice and then handed it to Bill. The second was from Wynn letting him know that if he had evidence to go ahead and charge Price. Also that an escort was on the way to escort him to Hamilton. Again Jack read the message and handed it to Bill.
"Well it looks like Captain Taylor is on his way." Jack said. "Damn. Sam doesn't have another room for the night."
"We will figure something out." Bill said. "You still have that extra cot in storage out back. We can set it up in the other cell. I am sure that McGinty wouldn't mind."
"I am going to leave that up to you, Bill." Jack said. "I need to head home and check on Elizabeth. I am exhausted from traveling and everything that happened while we were there. Come get me or send McGinty if there is something that you need. Otherwise I will deal with it in the morning. McGinty can always stay at my house if you need. We have a cot at the house as well if you need."
"Go." Bill said. "I will keep the peace."
Jack took back the two messages and added them to the others in his top drawer. He then grabbed all of them and the mail that he had picked up earlier. Jack looked at his watch one more time, before looking at Bill.
"McGinty should be back soon." Jack said. "If he is not back within the hour I will go look for him. The weather is not that bad and he should be back. Also if you see Pastor Frank, I need to talk to him."
"Jack." Bill said. "Go home and relax. We still have a lot of work to do over the next few days. I have everything under control. McGinty will be fine and as soon as he gets back into town, I will have him check in with you."
Jack stood and slipped his big coat on, grabbed the pile of mail and slipped it in his messenger bag along with the wire messages that he had received. He grabbed the stuff for Abigail and headed out. He dropped the stuff at the cafe before heading home and just before he entered the grove that separated the row houses from town, he saw McGinty. He stopped and talked to him for a minute and let him know that there were two Mounties from Buxton in and that Captain Taylor was on his way. Jack also let McGinty know that he would take rounds in the morning and if he wanted he was welcome to come to the house that night if the jail was too crowded. He also told him to let Bill know that they had spoken. McGinty remounted his horse and headed back to town. Jack finished making his way to row houses. All Jack wanted to do after a really hard day was hold Elizabeth. Jack also knew that he had to tell Elizabeth about the telegram from her father, but still hadn't figured out what to do about it. Elizabeth was surprised when Jack walked in the house. She was in the kitchen making the shepherd's pie.
"Sorry." Elizabeth said. "I wasn't expecting you this early."
"It is okay." Jack said. "Finish getting it ready for the oven. I just needed to get out of the office. I figured that it would be easier to work here. Two more Mounties came in from Buxton to take Price back, but I have orders to hold him until the escort from Hamilton arrives. It is just a really big mess right now. Besides that, I wanted to see my wife."
"Well." Elizabeth said. "I have no argument with that. I like seeing my husband."
