Chapter 91 – Learning the Truth

Sensing what she was thinking Dee picked up a few papers and pushed them toward Dottie.

"If you think he is bluffing." Dee said. "I would look at those papers in front of you. All they need is his signature and for me to run to Buxton to file them."

Wynn looked at Dee and then Bill. Dottie picked up the papers and scanned over them. She then set them down and let out a sigh. She closed her eyes and Dee could tell that she was debating sharing what she knew. Dee knew that his gamble of writing up the papers for an investigation paid off. He also knew that his dad would back his play. He knew how his dad worked and when he had seen on the list to question Dottie again, he knew what was going to happen. Dee was glad that he anticipated it and was ready. He knew that it was the push that was needed to get to the bottom of what Dottie knew. He had a feeling that she knew a lot more than she was saying. Dee knew that she wasn't stupid and probably thought that she could get away with whatever she had done, since it had happened for years. Dee wasn't sure what she was hiding, but he knew that she was hiding something and if he was a betting man, he would bet that it would be a key piece of information for them to be able to break through the maze they found themselves in.

After a few minutes of silence and letting her think about her choices, Wynn cleared his throat, looked around the room before he leveled his investigator's stare on Dottie. Bill had seen this before, but it still surprised him when he saw that cold stare that Wynn could level. Dee tried to hide his flinch as he knew the stare that his father was using, he had been on the receiving end of it once and that was enough for a lifetime for him.

"Mrs Ramsey." Wynn said his tone was flat and cold. "Your decision. What will it be?"

"Fine." Dottie said. "There was something I didn't tell you."

"We are listening." Wynn said.

"I knew Henry before I came here." Dottie said. "Things happened and I ended up marrying Silas. My father knew people at Pacific Northwest. They agreed to having Silas as mayor of one of their mining towns and were willing to support him as a favor to my father. Silas and I came out here, well to Union City first. After Bradley was born we came to Coal Valley. Within a year, Silas was named mayor. Everything was good until Pacific Northwest changed who was in charge of the mine. Henry showed up and he recognized me. He threatened to share what he knew if Silas didn't do what he wanted. At first it was just looking the other way and letting the Pinkertons do what they wanted or were told. Eventually, it was other things. I don't even know all of it.

Somehow Silas ended up owing Henry a lot of money despite the fact that my father provided for us very well. When the mine closed, Henry wanted his money, when Silas couldn't pay right away Henry said he could pay him by naming him mayor. I had offered to talk to my father and get the money, but Silas refused. He said it was easier to just let Gowen have what he wanted. Silas didn't want to have to explain to my father why we were in need of that large sum of money all at once. Before you ask, no I don't know the amount. Silas would only say that it was a large sum.

After Silas left, Henry threatened me. He said if I didn't continue working for him and gathering information from the townspeople that he would let everyone know my secret. I couldn't let him destroy Bradley like that, so I did what he wanted. I didn't know what he was up to. I wasn't in the office that much. When I was there it was just for show. I reported what I heard around town and wrote a few letters for him. Mostly I sat and read a book so people would believe that I was working. I swear I didn't know what he was doing. He kept telling me that everything would be fine when the town was back the way it was supposed to be when he was in control. I never asked him what that meant, but I have a feeling I knew. He wanted things back the way they were before the mine disaster – a teacher he could control and no Mountie.

Henry had a hatred for Miss Thatcher and Constable Thornton like I had never seen. He was bound and determined to get rid of them. He wouldn't have minded if he ruined their reputations in the process. I know that Henry had Silas put in official requests for background information on both of them. I don't know what was found, but the more popular that Miss Thatcher became with the parents and children, the more that he was determined to get rid of her. He wanted a teacher that he could control. He didn't want the children to learn beyond the basics, because then they would want to leave and not work in the mine. I also know that Henry refused to allow his Pinkertons to go and help try and get Miss Thatcher and her sister back when the Tolliver gang took them. I don't know what was said exactly, but he told Silas that they brought the trouble on themselves and whatever happened they deserved.

I also know that Henry and Silas pushed Rosemary for information on Jack and the Mounties. I am not sure what she told them, but they wanted more information. I think Rosemary even got some information for them, posing as Constable Thornton's wife. Whatever they found, I know that Silas told me not to worry as they would both be gone before long. That was this past fall before the trail. I know that Henry was sure that they would win. He thought that they had destroyed all the evidence when they burned the files.

I know that Henry wasn't happy when the judge ruled against him. He ranted that night that he had spent all that money for nothing. I don't know what he meant and I didn't ask. Silas told him that they would have to find another way to get rid of Constable Thornton and Miss Thatcher. It wasn't long after that, that Henry convinced Silas to leave town and name him mayor. When Silas left town, he told me that if anything happened, I was to contact my father. I asked him what he meant and all he said was that he couldn't say at the time for my own safety, but made me promise that I would do as he asked. I swear, that is what I know."

Wynn and Dee looked at each other, both knew that they each had questions.

"Why did the other teacher leave?" Bill asked.

"She was afraid of one of the Pinkertons." Dottie said. "I don't know exactly what happened, but she told Silas that she couldn't stay anymore and left two days later. That was when the mothers took over teaching part time as they looked for a new teacher. Silas went to Henry to get a new teacher, but he said that it would have to wait until after the end of the school year and that the mothers could finish out the year."

"What was Henry Gowen threatening you and your husband with?" Wynn asked.

Dottie took a deep breath and wiped the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Henry knew that Silas and I were in an arranged marriage." Dottie said. "He also knew that Bradley wasn't Silas' son. My father had arranged for me to marry Silas because he was a proper suitor. Don't get me wrong, I did love my husband, but it took years for that to happen. We barely knew each other when we were married."

"Did you get married because you were pregnant?" Bill asked.

"Yes and no." Dottie said.

"What do you mean?" Wynn asked.

"I liked another young man." Dottie said. "My father didn't think he was a proper suitor. He arranged for me to marry Silas. It was only after we were engaged that I learned I was pregnant. My father arranged for a quick wedding and then sent us away so as not to shame him. He agreed to support us, but he didn't want people to know what happened. He said it wouldn't look good for his business. Father even went as far as having our marriage certificate changed to a year before so that no one would question who was Bradley's father was."

"Who is Bradley's father?" Bill asked.

"No." Dottie said. "I don't want it getting back to Bradley. The only father he knew was Silas."

"Was it Henry?" Bill asked.

"No." Dottie said. "But it was a friend of his. When he saw Bradley, he told me that he knew. I tried to deny it, but Henry said he knew and could easily prove it. I don't know what he knew, but I wasn't going to risk everything that we had built, nor was Silas."

"What is your father's name?" Dee asked.

"Why do you want that?" Dottie asked.

"I can easily find it." Dee said. "But I won't be happy to have to go hunting for information that you can easily hand over. I want your father's name to verify some things that you said."

"Fine." Dottie said. "I still don't know why you want it. I have told you everything."

"His name." Dee said.

"Hiram Roberts." Dottie said.

Wynn and Dee looked at each other. Wynn gave his head a small shake. He then turned back to Dottie.

"This isn't over." Wynn said. "I will hold off on things for now, but if you remember anything else, you better let us know. What we learned about your son will not be repeated. I also want you to think real hard about all the conversations that you had with or about Henry Gowen. I want to know what he had or thought he had on Jack and Elizabeth as well as the Mounties. I want you to write out anything else that you remember and give it to us."

"Thank you." Dottie said. "I will."

"Just remember." Dee said. "Don't lie to us. Those papers in front of you can easily be signed and filed."

"Have a good rest of the day." Wynn said.

Dottie got up and left the office. Bill waited until she was down the steps.

"Think she is telling us everything?" Bill asked.

"Yes." Abigail said from her desk. "I could see the pain on her face. Based on what she said, I understand her actions toward Elizabeth and her befriending Rosemary. I think it also explains why Dottie never spoke much of her background."

"I think she is telling the truth." Dee said. "I saw her face when she read the papers I prepared. She was genuinely afraid."

"We still don't have much information." Bill said. "And don't think I didn't see that look between you two when you heard her father's name."

Not wanting to talk about that, Dee turned to other things.

"Actually she gave us more than you think, Bill." Dee said.

"She gave us a timeline." Wynn said. "We know when Gowen arrived in then Coal Valley, so we start there. I know it will be a lot of work, but we look through the town records starting when Gowen arrived."

"Well." Abigail said. "If that is what needs to happen, we will. Gowen arrived in Coal Valley at the beginning of September 1903."

"No." Dee said. "According to Pacific Northwest employment records he was hired before that. I think it was at least a year or so. I can't recall the exact date, but I know that it was before September 1903."

"That may be so." Abigail said. "But I know when Gowen arrived. It was September 1903. Noah had just been named assistant superintendent that summer. He commented about the change in leadership and was worried about his job. We hadn't been here that long, maybe three years, but Noah had a long history of working in mining. A year later when the then superintendent was injured in a riding accident, Noah was named the new superintendent, despite Gowen's objections that he wanted to bring in someone else. He was overruled by someone over his head. The mining company person that came said that they wanted continuity and since Noah was the assistant it was only right to name him the new superintendent."

"That fits with what I know as well." Bill said. "Gowen wasn't here before September 1903. I know that he was in Cape Fullerton prior to coming here. I have been able to confirm that personally. Wynn you also know that he was in Cape Fullerton during part of 1903."

"Bill is right." Wynn said. "Gowen was in Cape Fullerton at least until June of 1903."

"Okay." Dee said. "So September 1903. That is a lot of records to go through."

"I don't think that we need to go that far back." Abigail said. "Think I might have found something."

"What?" Bill asked.

"I was going through the books and paperwork for last year." Abigail said. "I found a notation that Pacific Northwest paid the town money in January, February and March, but nothing after the mine disaster."

"Any idea what it was about?" Wynn asked.

"No." Abigail said. "I am still looking. The ledger for 1909 is missing at the moment. I can't find it. It is not where the others were."

"I will make a note." Dee said. "Maybe it is just misplaced and not truly missing, but I will wire Union City and Calgary to see if it is there. I know that there were a lot of things Jack and I found. He was working on cataloging it all. I know that there were a couple ledgers but I don't remember looking at them. I will also have the records from Pacific for that time sent here. I am not sure that we will find anything, but it is worth a try. Anything else that we need right away. I will get these wires out right away. Also Dad, I have already sent the other wires that you had ready. I will check if there is anything back yet, but I doubt it"

"No, I think that is good." Wynn said. "Bill, have you talked to anyone else from the settlement?"

Dee finished writing the wires and left.

"No." Bill said. "McGinty was going to try."

"Go help him." Wynn said. "Also check with Lee and see if he needs anything. I am going to work for a bit longer before the funeral."

"Has anyone seen Jack or Elizabeth this morning?" Bill asked.

"I talked to Ann at the cafe." Wynn said. "I had just missed them when I stopped by. She said that they were planning on heading back to their house today."

"I think that might be a good idea." Bill said. "I will go check with McGinty. Anything else?"

"No." Wynn said. "Not right now."

Bill left and Wynn looked at Abigail.

"How are you doing?" Wynn asked.

"I am okay." Abigail said. "I talked to Frank last night. It helped. I still feel overwhelmed, but it is getting better."

"You said that there was something that you wanted to talk about." Wynn said. "I know that there is a ton going on, but if you want I can talk."

"I was going to talk to you about Becky and Cody." Abigail said. "I really want to adopt them, but the worker in Union City is making it sound like he doesn't support that. I don't know what I will do if I lose them too."

"What did he say?" Wynn asked.

Abigail opened a drawer and pulled out a stack of messages. She then walked over and handed them to Wynn.

"This is everything." Abigail said. "Everything, back and forth in order since January. He is worried because I am not married and I have two demanding jobs."

"My only question." Wynn said. "Do you think that you can handle everything?"

"Yes." Abigail said. "This last week aside, I know that staying with me is the best thing for Becky and Cody."

"Okay." Wynn said. "I will do whatever I have to make that happen. My son-in-law is a lawyer in Ottawa. I already talked to him about the situation and he agrees that your marriage status should not factor into the decision if the children want to stay and you can financially care for them. I explained the town and he agreed that you would have plenty of help if something were to happen. He suggested that you name a guardian in case something happens and a married couple would be better."

"I agree." Abigail said. "I already know who I am going to ask. It won't be a problem. Cody loves it here. I haven't talked to Becky yet, but I am sure that she will want to stay if Cody is here."

"Good." Wynn said. "You said Becky is coming tomorrow?"

"Yes." Abigail said. "We are going to surprise Cody."

"Okay." Wynn said. "Talk to her and I will wire Andrew in Ottawa and have him go ahead with the paperwork. He will send it here and you will have to sign it and send it back or file it in Buxton. I am sure that if I am around I can help, otherwise Jack or Bill can help."

"Thank you." Abigail said. "Have him start the paperwork. If for some reason something changes, I will let you know. The sooner the better. According to the worker in Union City, I will only have thirty days after Becky is released before my temporary status as guardian expires."

"Okay." Wynn said. "I will wire him later."