Chapter 75 – Mullins Fallout

Wynn took a deep breath and processed the information that both Bill and Andy had given him over the last few minutes. He still had questions and needed to go about them in a logical manner. He looked over at Dee who had a stack of papers in front of him as well as several pencils ready to continue taking notes of everything that was said. It was in the moment that Wynn appreciated that Dee was trying his best to anticipate what was needed. He was also sure that Dee was racking his brain trying to figure out if he missed something. Wynn knew that he was going to have to talk to Dee and let him know that this wasn't his fault.

"When did you buy the mines?" Wynn asked. "What came with – other than the land of the actual mine? Equipment, personnel or additional land what are we talking about?"

"At Silverton." Andy said. "Just the land of the mine and the equipment on site. Every man was given a chance to come work for me. Some did, some didn't. I then hired to fill in where needed. I had planned on hiring more this spring to expand the mine. At Rock Creek, the same except that I also purchased the land that the settlement was on. The land was owned by a lawyer that worked with Pacific Northwest, but not for the actual company. I wanted to have a place for the workers near the mine since the town was further away and I was afraid that with the sale of the mine, that this lawyer might try to get rid of the land and leave my workers homeless."

"Do you remember that lawyer's name?" Dee asked.

"Not off the top of my head." Andy said. "It was a French last name I think. He also had a funny first name, something like Peter, but that is not it."

"Are you talking about Pepin Lapointe?" Dee asked.

"Yes." Andy said. "That is him. I can never remember the name, but know it when I hear it."

"Oh boy." Dee said. "Sir. I think that we might have a problem."

"Dee." Wynn said. "What do you know about this?"

"Lapointe was one of the men that was arrested before Christmas." Dee said. "He was linked to the gambling ring and intimidation. The land that he sold may have been stolen or at least ill-gotten."

"He had the deed." Andy said. "I didn't have any trouble when I filed the paperwork with the Bureau of Land Management."

"Okay." Wynn said. "I still will have to look into that, but if they didn't have a problem. Then maybe he did legally own it."

"I still don't understand what is going on." Jack said. "But, I have a question for you Mr Yeager. Why not get the land that the Silverton settlement was on and weren't you worried about those workers?"

Wynn looked at Jack and saw where he was going.

"I was told that then Coal Valley owned the land and they didn't want to sell." Andy said. "After I passed on the Coal Valley mine, like I said I didn't look into the town anymore. This is actually the first time that I have been here. I was at the Silverton mine and then Rock Creek just before Christmas, but didn't come through Hope Valley that I remember. I have never had anything to do with the actual settlement at Silverton. I mean I am willing to take care of my people, but like I told the men, I didn't own the land, but I expected them to pay their rent on time to whoever they needed. I told them I would help them if they needed it, but no one came to me."

"So you don't know who collected the rent or anything?" Dee asked.

"No, I don't." Andy said. "I have actually never been to the Silverton settlement. I had been to Rock Creek a few times, but the rent was automatically withheld from each man's paycheck. It was just easier. It is the same way that my uncle does things. That way, you never have to worry about collecting."

Bill looked to Wynn and received a slight nod.

"So why did you buy the mines before the trial was over?" Bill asked. "Pacific Northwest didn't seem like a company that was too willing to part with productive mines. Especially the way that they acted leading up to and at the trail."

"I don't know the motivation for the sale." Andy said. "I have other businesses and I heard through a friend that Pacific Northwest was selling some of its assets. I was interested in getting into mining, like my uncle, so I contacted Pacific Northwest. In the spirit of being completely honest, I had plenty of offers to manage mines from a number of companies when people learned who my family was, but that wasn't how I wanted to do business. I didn't want a job just because of who I happen to be related to. Granted I was qualified to manage those mines, but I wanted more to be in business for myself since I had other businesses that I owned at the time and still own.

I didn't trust a lot of the men who owned and operated Pacific Northwest, that is why I have made the changes that I have. I had wanted to get into the mining world about four years ago after I returned from spending time in Colorado with my uncle and family. I didn't like Pacific Northwest, so I was waiting. There were a couple other companies that I looked at, but I wanted something closer to my home in Calgary. I didn't want to manage one of Pacific Northwest's mines, even though they offered. I didn't like the way that they operated or the way that they treated their employees.

I was surprised as well that they were selling some of their assets, all I knew was that they wanted a cash sale, not a check but cash in hand. I assumed it was to defend the company at the pending trial. I bought both mines with cash up front. As soon as I got the papers for the mines, I had them inspected for safety. I even brought in a mine inspector that worked with my uncle just to make sure things were on the up and up. It wasn't that I didn't trust the Bureau of Mines here in Alberta, but I had heard that some of the inspectors were paid off by some of the larger companies to look the other way on smaller violations. I have no proof, just what I heard. When I got the report back from the American inspector I hired, I spent some money to upgrade a few things, but other than that, the mines were completely functional. With the exception of a few upgrade suggestions, the report that I got back from the American inspector pretty much matched what had already been filed with the Bureau of Mines. I take safety seriously, whether it be mining or any of my other businesses. That is why I am here to make sure my men and their families are okay. Is there something wrong? Again, what did Chris do?"

"I still have a few more questions." Wynn said. "What exactly was Mr Mullins' job with your uncle and how did you learn about Crownsnest? What exactly do you know about his other businesses?"

"Chris is a lawyer and has been for years." Andy said. "He was a company representative and traveled to various places that my uncle owned and invested in as a company rep. As far as learning about Crownsnest, my uncle received a notice for a potential safety violation at Crownsnest and assumed that it had been sent to him as a mistake and contacted me. Looking into things from Calgary, I learned that Crownsnest was owned by Rocky Mountain Mining. My Uncle knew nothing about it and upon further investigation, I realized that Chris had bought it using my uncle's name, but Chris was the one that signed for everything. Chris apparently hired the leadership there and until he was gone traveling starting in March, he had been able to intercept all mail and communications regarding Crownsnest. Everything I found had Chris's name on it, not my uncles and I knew that wasn't how he did business. It appears that Chris signed things as a company rep for my uncle's business but it was Chris running things. While Chris had signing authority for the company, he didn't have permission to buy the mine or spend money like he has been. My uncle and I have yet to determine where the money to buy Crownsnest came from. Uncle has his accountants pouring over the books to see if it was money that was stolen from Rocky Mountain or did it come from somewhere else.

From what I learned, Chris bought the mine in October after I had bought Silverton and Rock Creek. I don't know why he did or how he got away with it, but Uncle is not happy. Legally, Rocky Mountain Mining owns Crownsnest mine. As I have said, Uncle has no interest in owning a Canadian mine, as he has his hands full with the ones that he owns in the States. I am willing to take the mine over, with the understanding that things will change. Uncle is on his way to Crownsnest and should be there in two weeks or so. I was heading to Rock Creek to see how things were going and then I was going to be heading to Crownsnest to help Uncle with things.

As far as I know, Chris didn't have any other businesses. The only job that I have ever known him to have is working for my uncle. Uncle is pretty strict about his executive team having outside businesses. He pays his people well and expects, no demands the loyalty, so for him this is a slap in the face with what Chris had done. He hadn't talked about taking legal action, but I am sure that he wouldn't be opposed to it. Granted, Chris brought Crownsnest using fraud one way or another, Uncle is one for handling things in house when possible. I don't mean to imply that he doesn't respect law enforcement, but what I mean is that he is more used to dealing with his people as he saw fit and only involving law enforcement when it was absolutely needed. Uncle was more likely to fire someone and then spread word that person couldn't be trusted and let things fall where they may."

"That may work in the States." Dee said. "But Canadian law is a little different then the States as you are well aware. Just be aware that you and/or your uncle may not have a choice about legal action when it comes to Crownsnest or other issues. From the little that I know, there is fraud and possible extortion that has happened. The Mounties and the provincial government don't take those things lightly. Now with whatever else is going on, I don't think there is going to be a choice."

"Thank you Dee." Wynn said. "Let me ask you this, have you ever heard of a company called Wilder Management and if so how and where?"

"No, I haven't." Andy said. "Why?"

"Anyone else heard that name?" Wynn asked.

"Wait a second." Abigail said.

She got up and went over to her desk, pulled out a ledger and flipped through it for a moment before finding what she was looking for. While Abigail was doing that, Jack and Dee caught the look on Bill's face. Both realized that the name meant something to him, but neither knew what it was. Jack was curious, because he had never heard the name. Dee was curious because he was wondering what Bill might know even if he didn't realize that he knew something.

"Here." Abigail said. "Two weeks after Gowen took over as mayor, there was a large payment to Wilder, but there is no notation as to what it was for. It also wasn't the first. There were a few back around the mine disaster, but nothing after May until Gowen took over. There are also smaller ones each week until Gowen's death. I couldn't find anything about the company in official paperwork, so I stopped all future payments. What is going on? Should I be worried about the town books?"

Wynn picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Jack. He just looked at Abigail and shook his head.

"Abigail." Wynn said. "To the best of your knowledge, does Hope Valley own the land that the Silverton settlement was on? Also, could you please look through the ledger and total up the money given to Wilder?"

"Okay." Abigail said. "Hope Valley owns a large amount of land, but the settlement is not one of those parcels. It was something that I double checked when Jack was making the emergency plan. Also because of something Pastor Frank had said to me. He had mentioned that some of the women were upset about an unexpected change in the rent. Maybe that was what McGinty was talking about. As far as the records that I have here, I don't know who owns that piece of land. We would have to request that information from the land office in Buxton."

After reading through the paper that he had been handed, Jack looked up at Wynn with anger in his eyes.

"Is this what I think it is?" Jack asked.

"Unfortunately." Wynn said.

Jack handed the paper to Bill and then looked at Wynn before turning to Abigail. When she looked up, she handed a paper to Wynn. It was then that she saw the anger in Jack's eyes. The last time that she had seen that on Jack's face, he had dealt with Charles proposing to Elizabeth. Wynn waited while Bill scanned the paper that Jack had given him.

"That man is lucky that he is dead." Bill said. "Or I will kill him myself."

"Bill." Wynn said with a warning tone.

"Sorry, Sir." Jack said. "I would have to agree with him."

"Care to share." Abigail said.

"Sorry." Wynn said. "Apparently, Gowen had Mullins set up a shell company using a fake name and diverted town funds to it. I think that was why Mullins was desperate to get into Gowen's old house. He was probably trying to find the paperwork that linked the two of them. Little did he know that everything had been seized and sent to Mountie headquarters as part of the investigation."

Everyone looked around the room taking in what Wynn had said. It was Jack that first noticed that Bill's face had changed. To Jack it looked like Bill was trying to decide if he wanted to share what he knew. From what Jack knew about Bill, he knew that whatever Bill was thinking about was personal in nature and probably painful. Jack didn't blame him for not wanting to share painful memories. Finally, Bill looked up at Wynn and cleared his throat. Everyone turned their attention to Bill to see what he had to say. Everyone in the room could tell that whatever it was, was a struggle for Bill to talk about.

"It isn't exactly a fake name, Sir." Bill said. "The name Jonas Wilder was the name of the father of one of Gowen's girlfriends. Jonas passed away a little over a year ago and his daughter, Nora, had been involved with Gowen at one time."

"You know this for a fact?" Wynn asked, surprised.

Bill looked down and took a deep breath, before looking back up at Wynn.

"Yes." Bill said with a sigh.

"Please elaborate." Wynn said. "It isn't that I don't believe you, I am just wondering about the connection. Whatever you tell us, will stay here. I just think that you may hold a piece of information that you don't realize that we need."

"I know Jonas Wilder, because Nora Wilder is my ex-wife." Bill said. "Jonas took me in after my parents died. He raised me and paid for my schooling. There came a time that his daughter got involved with a less than reputable man and ran off with him, they never married. Shortly afterward, he left her when she was with child. I married Nora out of duty to Jonas and to protect her honor. I raised the child like my own, but unfortunately he passed away almost three years ago at the age of seven. After Martin's death, there was nothing left between Nora and I. We tried, but filed for divorce within a year. It was only after Martin's death, that I learned the identity of his biological father. I had suspicions before, but Nora never would tell me. She told me because she felt that the father needed to know. It didn't go well."

Everyone was shocked by what Bill had said. Suddenly everything fell into place for Jack and Wynn. They understood why Bill had always been a bit emotional and determined when it came to Gowen. It also explained Bill's reaction when he learned that Gowen died without providing answers. There was a part of Jack that really felt for Bill. He couldn't imagine losing a child that you raised, even if he wasn't your own blood. Jack couldn't imagine the pain that Bill had been in. As Jack thought more about it, Jack realized that this was all about the time that Bill had lost his best friend – Jack's father.

"I am sorry." Abigail said. "I had no idea."