Chapter 185 – Unraveling a Mess

"Inspector Charles Williams." Wynn said. "Please meet Sergeant Jeremiah Jacobs. He has been close protection for me and has been helping me with the entire Gowen mess."

"Good to meet you, Sir." Jacobs said.

Williams nodded his head.

"Do you want me to explain now or wait until we are back in town?" William asked.

"Might as well start explaining." Wynn said. "I have a feeling we are going to be busy when we get back to town."

"It is complicated." Williams said. "You know that the Romero and Bernardi families have been battling over Little Italy in Montreal. The Bernardi family includes the large Amto family as well as a couple smaller families. They are all connected to the larger Bernardi family through marriage. Whereas the Romero family is not as accepting of anyone not born of Romero blood. Where that family started with seven boys, the Bernardi family only had two boys and four girls. But I digress."

"Yes, I know about the struggle to control Little Italy in Montreal." Wynn said. "I thought when we arrested Anne Russell and the Falcone brothers that we had everyone. The Falcone brothers confessed to planning and carrying out the murder. They have already been hanged for their crimes."

"Are you aware of who the Falcone brothers' parents were?" Williams asked.

"I know who their mother and step-father were." Wynn said.

"Did you know that their mother had taken the boys and ran away from her first husband out of fear over his family?" Williams said.

"Back up." Wynn said. "I was led to believe that Maria Falcone's first husband had died and after that she met and married Callen Thornton aka, Nicholas Thornton."

Wynn turned and looked between Williams and Jacobs.

"Jack Thornton knows a little of his family's background, but I will tell him if there is more that I think he needs to know." Wynn said. "He knows of Callen Thornton, but not all that has done."

"Yes, Sir." Williams and Jacobs said.

"Now tell me how Andrew Russell Jr is tied into this." Wynn said.

"Maria Falcone was one Maria Amto before she was married." Williams said. "She married Rocco Falcone who was a member of the Romero family through his mother. When Rocco was sent to prison, Maria took the two boys and ran off with Thornton.

As far as we can tell, the fight between the Romero and Bernardi families is over Maria's actions. Rocco Falcone was pretty high up on the family food chain and when he went to prison, it created a lot of infighting in the larger family. Add into it Maria, took both Rocco Jr and Tommy, it wasn't a good situation. After the senior Rocco Falcone was sent to prison, Bernardi family leaders were trying to take Rocco Jr under their wings and have him step into his father's role. The boy was only twelve at the time. His little brother was almost nine."

"I still don't understand why Andrew Russell's murder is a part of this." Wynn said.

"Dominic Amto was the one that ordered the hit on Inspector Russell." Williams said. "Amto learned that he was born a Thornton and the son of Callen Thornton. There is a power struggle within the Bernardi family and Amto was making a play to assert power. He felt he had a greater right to run the family even though he wasn't a high ranking member.

Dominic Amto thought that if he could eliminate the problem of the Thorntons then he would show the family that he deserved to be in power and also by eliminating the Thorntons, we think he hoped to make peace with the Romero family, though I am not sure how they tie into everything at this time. Amto blamed Callen Thornton and his entire family for the trouble that befell his family after Maria fled with the two boys."

"Okay." Wynn said. "Amto made it sound like it was Charles Kensington II and his son Charles Kensington III were the ones behind the attempt on Corporal Thornton's life."

"That may very well be." Williams said. "I know that the Kensingtons have been hot under the collar about the union between Thornton and Elizabeth Thatcher. I am sure that it didn't take much to convince Amto to go after him, especially considering Kensington's involvement with the Bernardi family and their illegal card houses. It is believed that the Kensingtons are after Thatcher Shipping because they owe the Bernardi family.

Charles Kensington, I had ironclad wills and neither his son or grandson can touch the majority of the family wealth. The old man knew his son liked to drink and gamble. The Kensington family trust is actually controlled by Charles's brother, David."

"So Charles Kensington, II and his son are both known to the Bernardi family " Jacobs said. "And this is because they frequent their illegal card games. Because neither Charles has control of their family trust, they have fallen into debt with the Bernardi family and one way to get out of debt would be to hand over Thatcher Shipping so they can continue to smuggle whatever wherever. So why aren't they all behind bars?"

"That basically sums it up." Inspector Williams said. "The reason they aren't behind bars, with the exception of Charles Kensington, III who you guys arrested, is we don't have enough evidence. We have rumors and hearsay, but nothing that we can nail them with. Montreal and Ottawa have been working on this for over a year and can't get anything to nail the Kensingtons. We are hoping to use the charges that you leveled against them as leverage to see if he will give us some of the Bernardi family."

Wynn let out a harsh breath.

"I am ordering you right now." Wynn said, his voice laced with anger and frustration. "Kensington does time for his role in terrorizing Corporal Thornton and his wife. I get that the Bernardi family is a big deal, but I will not stand for him being allowed to continue what he was doing. He basically said he wasn't going to let Elizabeth go."

"I get that Sir." Williams said. "But this might be out of your hands."

"Hell if it is." Wynn said. "Conner and the Commissioner know how I feel when someone goes after my family and the Thorntons are part of my family. You forget I served with Thomas Thornton and was there when he was injured that last time."

"Yes, Sir." Williams said.

"Is Tom Thornton in danger?" Wynn asked. "If so we need to alert Port McNeil."

"I have already been in contact with Port McNeil." Williams said. "They are aware of the situation and to be on the lookout for anyone asking for Tom Thornton."

"So then why is Marco Bernardi here?" Wynn asked. "And for that matter why was he pretending to be a Mountie?"

"We believe that Marco was sent here to silence Amto and being dressed as a Mountie would guarantee him access." Williams said. "Right now, it is Marco's brother that has tentative control of the Bernardi family. We believe that by eliminating Amto, it would strengthen Marco and his brother's positions of power in the family. We also believe it would stop other plays for control while they step back and figure out how to move forward. They know enough to know that we are closing in on them."

They were almost to town, but Jacobs wanted to make sure that he understood.

"So Dominic Amto used what was essentially a personal vendetta to make a power play for control of the Bernardi family." Jacobs said. "Maria Amto Falcone must have been, what an aunt to Dominic Amto and he blamed her and Callen Thornton for the family's current trouble. So he felt that by eliminating everyone connected to Callen Thornton that it would show he was powerful and not to be messed with. The Kensingtons are tied into this due to their gambling debts and their push to get control of Thatcher Shipping to allow the Bernardi family access."

"More or less." Williams said.

"So those two sitting in jail in Hope Valley have nothing to do with the Romero family." Jacobs said.

"No." William said. "The other situation still is connected to the Romero family."

"Any progress on finding Younger?" Wynn asked.

"No." Williams said. "It is like he has disappeared. We have his mother under surveillance, but so far, there hasn't been a sighting of him since two days after he was reported missing from the prison. We also think that he was missing a full two days before he was reported missing. One set of guards assumed that he was with his brother in the hospital ward and those guards assumed that Younger had gone back to his cell since his brother had slipped into a coma."

"Where was he spotted?" Wynn asked.

"North of Lake Winnipeg at a place called Whiskey Jack Landing." Williams said.

"I know the place." Jacobs said. "It is reported as a stop for many whiskey and gun runners I went through there back in November, maybe early December. There is a Mountie there, but he hasn't been able to do a lot to stop things. He takes reports and watches for people. He has made a few arrests, but the district judge doesn't do much other than a slap on the wrist. I had in it my report for Armstrong that I felt that the judge was getting paid to look the other way."

"I will look into that when I get back to headquarters." Williams said.

"Thank you." Jacobs said.

"We believe that Younger was headed for Cape Fullerton." Williams said. "Apparently, the last word at the prison was that you were in Cape Fullerton."

"No." Wynn said. "My son was, but he is in Hope Valley with me. I went back and forth between Hamilton, Cape Fullerton and Toronto. I spent time in Cape Fullerton after Dee was attacked and after the second time, I took him to Regina. I haven't stepped foot in Cape Fullerton since before Christmas."

"Cape Fullerton is on high alert." Williams said. "We have sent additional Mounties from Hamilton and Toronto there. Either Younger will be caught or he will realize that you are not in Cape Fullerton and head to Hamilton looking for you."

"Then I plan on staying here for a while." Wynn said.

"Good plan." Jacobs said.

"What is the plan to move the prisoners?" Wynn asked.

"We need to get them to Buxton tonight." Williams said.

"Why didn't Buxton come move them then." Jacobs asked.

"They had their hands full moving five high value prisoners to Union City this morning." Williams said. "Your McGinty has kept us all busy over the last few days. Tomorrow night we will be moving a dozen prisoners to Calgary and then I will be back to move these two to Ottawa."

"I sent McGinty to Buxton to check into some information at the land office." Wynn said. "He sent a wire that he was following a lead to Union City and would talk when he returned."

"Then I will let him explain what has been going on." Williams said. "I came to bring some information related to the Gowen mess and escort Amto back. When I stopped in Buxton, I learned that I would be taking Bernardi as well. All I will say is that McGinty might have found the piece that cracks the Gowen case wide open."

Jacobs looked at Wynn.

"I think we are going to be busy the next few days." Jacobs said. "I hope this little outing helped, because I think we are going to be stuck in the office most of the weekend."

"I have that feeling as well." Wynn said. "I honestly won't mind if we have made headway and things are better for the people of Hope Valley in the long run. I honestly agree with Jack, if Gowen wasn't already dead …."

"Don't." Jacobs said. "I get that you love this town, but losing your cool is not going to help anyone. It especially won't help Abigail, the widows or the settlers."

"You are right." Wynn said. "Sometimes, I just … …."

"I know." Jacobs said. "I know."

"I hope that what I brought helps." Williams said. "Among the information I brought was the 1909 ledger for Hope Valley. It was in a crate of items that Thornton and Dee sent in December."

"Good." Wynn said. "I was hoping that it had just inadvertently gotten into those crates."

"I officially removed it from the evidence list and released it back to the town of Hope Valley." Williams said. "Oh, just in case you are wondering, I put the two satchels of information in the stagecoach since I knew that the two men in there could be trusted. McGinty also knows that they are in there."

"Thank you." Wynn said.