Chapter 168- Selfish
Hi! Me again. If you've been around here a minute then you probably know, I pace and write 'So This Is Love' as though it were 'seasons' on the show. Building up to a season finale and the end of certain story arcs. Well- we are almost there for my version of Season 12! Crazy how fast it's gone. We started out welcoming baby Liam and now we've turned our attention to a storyline that's been around since almost the beginning.
It appears some of you reviewers are onto me. When we are near the end of the season- things usually get a bit more – what's the right word? Dramatic? A lot is happening. Tough decisions are being made. Emotions are high. This chapter, and the next (which I plan to post on Friday) are the final two before we start the S12 finale on Sunday. I think y'all can guess- but we are fixing to have us a good 'ol fashioned showdown.
Warren's letters and package shed new light to Nathan and Charlotte. It exposed truths that they'd given up hope of ever discovering when they first learned of his murder. They spent the rest of that night reading and rereading the letters Warren crafted before his death, while also looking through the documents he included in the package.
As soon as Warren's letters mentioned the fact that he believed Sergeant Ralph Nelson and Assistant Commissioner Duncan Aitchison were one and the same, Nathan and Charlotte knew in their heart it was true. It made sense and aligned with all the information they put together almost a year ago when trying to find out the true identity of Nelson from the documents secretly stored in Bill's office. The ones that John Bartlett stole from the Potter's Creek jail and Beck's home before they could fall into the wrong hands. What Beck said in the reports about Nelson matched with what they knew about Aitchison.
Still, they both understood there was only one sure-fire way to know if Sergeant Ralph Nelson was an alias for Aitchison.
Dylan
The clock on the jail's wall read three o'clock. Lee would be delivering Dylan from the train station any minute. Nathan called his brother-in-law the morning after he received the package from Cadotte Lake. Inviting him to visit Hope Valley that weekend and spend some time with Allie before the weather turned colder and the snow began to fall. He did not inform Dylan as to the real reason for the invitation. While his brother-in-law redeemed himself a year ago, giving up his parental rights to Allie so Nathan and Charlotte could formally adopt her again, Nathan couldn't shake the lingering distrust he felt towards Dylan because of their past.
Dylan was the only person they knew- still alive- who had met the man claiming to be Sergeant Ralph Nelson face-to-face when he came to the jail and helped Dylan get his early release from prison. Dylan already told them Nelson had the connections that not only got him out on early parole, but also made Allie's original adoption records disappear. With the help of Judge Cameron and Mr. Carl, Allie had been torn away from her parents in a move that more than once Nathan and Charlotte believed was going to tear them apart too.
It was also Nelson that connected Dylan to the Drakes in the first place. Getting him a job at Eldred Drake's warehouse in Edmonton and the legal assistance of Drake's son, Seth, for the custody court case in Union City. And according to Warren's letters, the Drakes were the ones behind the Cadotte Lake illegal liquor trading and murders.
Knowing with certainty the type of people Dylan was associated with, no matter how innocent their interactions were now, made Nathan's pulse race. Instead of Warren, it could have just as easily been Allie, when she was visiting Dylan in Edmonton a few weeks ago. She could have been kidnapped, harmed, attacked, and even murdered by those associated with the Schneider gang. Nathan shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the visions of heartache that bubbled to the surface of how close he let his daughter get to this evil. He would have never forgiven Dylan, or himself, if something had happened to her.
Nathan pressed a hand against his throbbing temple and leaned back in the chair. Papers were piled on the jail's desk and boxes of evidence sat about his feet. It was strange being here over the past few days. Other than when he was convalescing from the gunshot wound at the hands of Beck, his honeymoon, and a few days here or there when he'd been called away on business, Nathan spent almost every day in the small Hope Valley RCMP office.
It was hard, even though he was technically no longer a part of the Mounties, to not think of it as his office. He glanced over at the chalkboard Gabe and Bill stood in front of, animatedly discussing, mapping, drawing lines and then erasing them again. A new name was added to the growing list of assumed conspirators and accomplices of the Schneider gang based on what they knew from Beck's reports, Warren's letters, and other bits and pieces of information they compiled over the past two and a half years.
The issues their friends and family experienced in regard to Dylan's release from prison, Allie's adoption papers Bill had drawn up being stolen from the county, her being removed from Nathan and Charlotte's custody, the New Hope orphanage losing their license, Lee and Rosemary's issues with the government timber leases and Valley Voice editorial, and Warren's illegal liquor trading and the murders of Cadotte.
The connections all came back to one place. Those who were with Nathan at the Mountie Ball in Calgary almost two years ago.
The place where they met Assistant Commissioner Duncan Aitchison.
It made sense that he was the insider with the RCMP that had long helped the Schneider gang wreak havoc on the innocent through their various schemes and illegal activities. Knowing and directing the inner workings of the law enforcement would be beneficial to everyone involved with the Schneiders. Why else would there be no word about the stolen furs from the trappers and the murdered Cree man included in the official reports released around Warren's death. Even Gagnon's real name was changed in the Mountie records so as not to draw suspicion!
How many times over the past few days did Nathan scold himself for not following his instincts that told him, at the root of the Schneider gang, lay a bad lawman. He and Gabe assumed it from the moment they found out Beck was connected with the group. The inner anger and regret only multiplied when Nathan wondered what would have happened if he kept investigating the Schneider gang last year, instead of setting it to the side after they got custody of Allie back. Would he have possibly saved Tremblay from his untimely death?
Bill and Gabe did not leave Nathan to sulk long on the what-ifs. As they said, it would do no good. Instead, they pointed out the need to redirect everything he was feeling into solving this case. As soon as Gabe arrived in Hope Valley, the trio spent almost every waking moment planning and plotting the takedown of Aitchison, the Drakes, and anyone else they knew or could find attached to the Schneider gang. All they needed was the confirmation from Dylan that Aitchison was indeed the man behind the whole criminal organization.
Nathan's gaze drifted slightly behind him to where Charlotte stood in a statuesque and almost hypnotized state staring out the window of the RCMP office. She hadn't moved from that spot in what seemed like hours since dropping Liam off with Rosemary at the Coulter's home. Her heavy wool shawl was pulled high and tight over her shoulders as though it was her own piece of armor protecting her from a battle they knew would come. The set of her jaw and the intensity in her gaze told him her mind was stirring and a world away even though they were mere inches apart in physical distance. She was resolute and completely unaware of the flurry of activity around her. If it wasn't for the weighted rise and fall of Charlotte's chest with each breath she took, Nathan was unsure if he could spot another sign of life on her pale face and sullen form.
Feeling the draw to connect with her, he trailed the back of his hand down the length of her forearm, before threading their fingers together. Charlotte flinched at first with his touch, but when Nathan took her hand, she squeezed his palm in return. Tightly and with purpose. Her weak smile of assurance slipped away the moment they heard boot steps on the boardwalk outside the RCMP office. They turned as Dylan opened the front door and stopped in his tracks upon seeing what awaited him inside. His gaze moved slowly from Nathan and Charlotte behind the desk, to Gabe and Bill in front of the chalkboard that was set up by the jail cells. He took a deep breath and quietly closed the wood door behind him.
Dylan removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "This doesn't look like I've been called just for a social visit." He caught Nathan's eye, an expression of hurt clearly visible. "Where's Allie?"
"She's with her friend Opal. They're helping Abigail out at the cafe this evening." Bill said, straightening his shoulders and taking a few steps closer.
"Does she even know that I was coming this weekend?"
"Yes. She knows." Nathan stood, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he rounded the corner of the desk. "But we needed to talk first."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this talk?"
"When we said goodbye in Edmonton last fall after getting Allie back from the North, you said you would do whatever you could to help us figure out who is at the root of getting you out of jail and custody of Allie."
"Yeah…" Dylan's gaze broke from Nathan's and dipped to the toe of his boot. "Yeah, I did."
"The Mountie you met in jail, who said he would help you, what was his name again?"
"Sergeant Ralph Nelson." Dylan's voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
Nathan looked to his side and picked up a picture frame that Charlotte had hung on the wall of his office a long time ago. It was the group picture of Nathan with Gabe with other RCMP officers after their Order of Merit award at the Mountie Ball. Nathan handed the photo to Dylan and pointed at a man on the right side of the image. "Is that Sergeant Ralph Nelson?"
All the color seemed to drain from Dylan's face at the recognition of the man Nathan was pointing to. "It is."
"That's what I thought."
"But when we talked about him last year, you had no idea what his real name was." Dylan said, rather confused at how Nelson and Nathan could be pictured together.
"We didn't then. It wasn't until we received a letter Warren Tremblay's wife forwarded that we made the connection." Nathan's finger tapped on the glass of the frame. "That man. Your Sergeant Nelson. His real name is Assistant Commissioner Duncan Aitchison."
Dylan's eyes grew big with the realization. The man who he had met wasn't simply a sergeant with the RCMP, but rather a high ranking official deep in the inner workings of the Force and this band of criminals.
"We- those in Brookfield, Bill, the Coulters, Mom and Dad, Warren, Charlotte, Allie, and I- met Aitchison almost two years ago at the Mountie Ball. He took that group picture with the other officers attending the ceremony after Gabe and I received our Order of Merit awards."
"What does that all have to do with me?"
"Don't you see?" Nathan felt the emotion rising in his voice. "You were a pawn, Dylan! The one Aitchison needed to do his dirty work and take the fall if necessary. He released you from prison, so he had someone to break us apart."
"Why would he want to do that?"
"Because of me."
They all turned to look at Charlotte. It was the first time she had spoken all afternoon.
"Because of me." She repeated. Her voice, raspy and unsteady. "Because of my past. That's why you got brought into this, Dylan. That's why 'New Hope' lost their license. That's why the Coulter's almost lost their businesses. That's why Bill, Maise, Archie- all of us were tested when Allie was removed from our home last year." Charlotte's gaze fell to the ground. "That's why Warren was murdered."
Nathan caught the trail of a tear as it caressed the concave of her cheek, and his heart broke for his wife. She took a deep, shaky breath and then said, "It all goes back to me and my stupid choices and that's why it has to be me who fixes this."
Nathan felt as though he'd been sucker punched in the stomach. All the air seemed to be drawn from his lungs in a split second of time. Not once, in all their discussions about how best to approach taking down the Schneider gang, did Charlotte ever say that she would be involved in any part of the plan. "What are you talking about, Charlotte? What do you mean it has to be you who fixes this?"
Her eyes pleaded with him to secretly understand. To not make her say the words aloud. And in her reaction, Nathan knew exactly what she was talking about. She was going to somehow sacrifice herself, as though it was the only thing that made sense to her given the situation. Even though he knew what she was silently telling him, he stubbornly wasn't going to give in. He would make her say the words out loud and in front of Gabe, Bill, and Dylan as witnesses and backup to tell her how crazy she was.
"Char-" Nathan's voice broke. "Tell me what you mean, exactly."
"You know as well as I do, Nathan, that we can no longer just take one or two people connected with the Schneider gang into custody at a time. Even if it is someone as high up the ladder as it appears Aitchison is. There will always be a piece of the cog that goes into hiding until the storm blows over and then they reemerge just to cause more pain. I can't take it anymore! I honestly can't. I feel like I'm going mad. I can't go on living our lives with this shadow that is my past with Beck. I thought the torture would end when I came to Hope Valley, but that was just the beginning. Beck found us and almost took you from me! Then we believed all his darkness got buried with him, but no- this- this will never leave us completely unless everyone- and I mean everyone with the Schneider gang is finally caught and tried for their crimes."
"We will do that, I promise," Nathan came and took her arms in his hands. Standing in front of Charlotte to plead his case. "We just have to arrest Aitchison first and then we can peel back the layers of this organization."
"You don't understand." Charlotte jerked her arms away, shedding them from his touch. "You really think that Aitchison is just going to tell you who works with him? Who his boss is? You don't know them like I do! I know the pain they cause, and I can't stand seeing another person I love go through that."
"So, tell me, what is your plan for this all?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose where a migraine seemed to suddenly appear. "How are you going to single handedly take down the Schneider gang, when we, and the RCMP have been working for years to close this case?"
"We know that Aitchison is a part- a big part in all of this, but you are forgetting another key player. The Drakes."
"We talked about this. We plan on arresting them too. We should have enough evidence against them with what Warren collected in Cadotte Lake."
"Should- but we don't know for certain. And we need to have a way to know everyone who is a part of this organization."
"What-" Nathan knew his voice dripped with sarcasm and contempt, yet he could not stop the tone from coming forth. "Like a list?"
"That's exactly what I mean. One document to tie it all up with a bow. One piece of evidence that pulls all the rest together. No aliases. No hidden agenda. Clear cut documents from the main sources. Being businessmen, I believe that the Drakes would have that."
"You don't know that. And even if they do, what is your plan to get your hands on that list? Go waltzing into their office or home in Edmonton and say, 'Excuse me, but would you mind handing over the ledger of your illegal activities and accomplices?'" Nathan physically cringed at the way his voice sounded so mocking, but he hoped it would be able to pull Charlotte out of the fog she was in. "You really think Eldred Drake is going to allow that?"
Charlotte stilled and she struggled to swallow. "Not Eldred." She pushed a wayward piece of hair off her face. Time balanced on a fulcrum- there would be no going back after this. "Seth."
Nathan's heart beat hard and fast. He went to the window behind his desk to think, much like his wife had done earlier. There were a few of the school children playing out back, barely in view between the buildings. They were happy, laughing, completely unaware of the bleakness that overcame Nathan's office.
The moment Seth Drake's name fell from his wife's lips, Nathan felt bile rise in his throat in a way he hadn't experienced since the night before Allie left Hope Valley with Dylan. The night Charlotte tried to convince him they should go into town and try to talk some sense into the lawyer. The night he thought she'd indeed gone to Seth at the saloon. Thankfully she didn't, but the words Dylan told Nathan the next day, sent a shiver down his spine.
"Nathan, about Charlotte."
"What about Charlotte?"
"Just… I think it's better if she stays away from Drake when we get ready to leave town today."
"What are you talking about? Did he say something?"
"No. No… it's just. You saw how he was with her yesterday, and I think you know what all the papers write about him. He's not used to a beautiful woman like Charlotte not being interested and I think the idea… the idea of a chase is something that excites him."
"Nathan," Charlotte's voice brought him back to her and their present situation. "Let me explain, I've read where…"
"No." Nathan clenched his teeth. He couldn't meet her eyes. Frustration filled him. This conversation was not going how he needed it to. All the plans they made to take down the Schneider gang over the past few days and now Charlotte wanted to throw it all away and sacrifice herself for what? A piece of paper? It was vexing!
Because of the way he was looking out the window, Charlotte couldn't read her husband's face, but she could clearly see the anger bubbling beneath the surface with how rigidly he held his body. The tension was palpable. She second guessed herself then. Was this really the right course of action? Deep down she knew it was, but she also knew it had the potential to cause them all pain if it went terribly wrong. "Just, listen to me, please…"
Nathan swiveled on his boot heel to face Charlotte and the rest of the room. "I said, no!" His voice boomed. He was certain almost all of Hope Valley could hear him, and at this point he didn't care. Let 'em. He thought. Maybe someone out there would be able to talk some sense into his wife because he sure as heck wasn't getting anywhere.
Charlotte sucked in her bottom lip and stood very still, unsure of how to handle his outburst. She paused a moment before continuing, her voice softer. "If you would just listen…"
"Listen to what, Charlie? What exactly are your plans with Seth Drake? Whatever they are, I promise, nothing good can come of it."
"I've been trying to tell you, but you keep interrupting!"
"How can I protect you in your plan? How can I keep you safe if you go parading off to Edmonton and sacrificing yourself like a lamb to a pack of wolves?"
"Won't you just listen to what I have to say?" She pleaded as her face pinched in frustration. "Even when we've disagreed in the past, you have always at least heard me out, Nathan. We've always been better together fighting the darkness. Fighting side-by-side. Why is this time any different?"
"Because…" He raked his hands through his hair. "Because we can't trust Drake. He has the same evilness as Beck. I can feel it. You can too, don't lie to me!" Nathan wanted to take Charlotte into his arms and shake some sense into her. "You, more than anyone else, know what happens when men like this get even the slightest chance…"
"I do. And that's why it has to end here. With us. With me. I have to do this, Nathan. Don't you see that? Before anyone else gets hurt."
"What if you get hurt? You know I… I can't lose you-" Nathan's voice cracked. His eyes silently pleaded with her when words were not possible.
"You won't…" Charlotte took a step closer, reaching her hand towards him.
"No, you can't promise me that." Nathan retreated slightly, distancing them. "And Charlotte it's not just you and me. Where do Allie and Liam fit in all of this? What about our family?"
"It's because of our family, I'm doing this! To protect us! To finally be rid of Beck and the remnants he has left behind that still haunt us and always will unless I do something about it. I'm tired of playing defense and always having to react to whatever the Schneider gang throws at us in retaliation for ruining their plans when Beck was killed."
"No. This…" Nathan raised his finger. His hand, shaking with emotions. "This is the most selfish thing you have ever asked of me, Charlotte. And I'm not sure I can forgive you for making me choose. Don't ask this of me!" His voice rasped, all broken and brittle. "Don't ask me to let you put yourself in harm's way like this."
With nothing more to say, he brushed angrily past her and the others, slammed out the door, and strode down the boardwalk. Leaving a wake of uncertainty behind him.