The orphanage Chapter 5

Lilian was Gab's girlfriend. He was a good policeman like her late husband Jack and Nathan.

Jack Junior woke up, his eyes red from sleep, and immediately asked for food. When he had almost finished eating, Gab appeared in his red serge and Jack was fascinated and ran into his arms. As he was lifted off the ground, he said that Gab was almost as handsome as his father and almost as tall as Nathan. Gab blinked twice, feeling a delicious thrill, but his police sense was alerting him that something was wrong with the story. Jack's mother was in the bath and Lilian was watching him with the children from the orphanage.

— And what's the name of this beautiful baby on my lap?

— Jack Junior, but the kids call me JJ.

Gab blinked several times and her thoughts wandered, it couldn't be them...

— And the baby's daddy was mountie? What was his name?

— Yes, it was mountie, Daddy Jack Thornton died and he's watching over us from heaven; Mommy said that he loves me and will always protect me, even though he's in heaven.

Now Gab's mind was racing, he was sure something was wrong. This was Jack's widow, who had served with him in the war in the Northern Territories. The same woman Nathan, his best friend, had always been in love with. But what was going on there? Why was she with a child in a town in the middle of nowhere, so far from home, and apparently with little money? He had to warn Nathan about this, he didn't like it. So he left Jack Junior with Lilian and went to the mercantile where he decided to send Nathan an urgent telegram that same evening.

URGENT - NATHAN

WIDOW JACK THORNTON AND SON HERE? ORPHANATE? LITTLE MONEY? ANY PROBLEMS? FALSE NAME? GRACE MARIE? GAB

Three days had passed and Rosemary hadn't seen Elizabeth anywhere, and the strange thing was that Jack Junior hadn't either. As much as Elizabeth had distanced herself from everyone, every day she found a way to make Jack see both her and Lee. Bill also showed up at lunch and made the same observations. Thinking she was ill, they decided to go next door. Bill said the door was unlocked; they went in, but there was only silence. When they got to Elizabeth's room, the doors of her closet were half open. Bill ran in and said that a lot of things were missing. They went downstairs and found Lucas nervously holding hands with Fiona and Henry.

Henry told them that three days ago, he had taken her and little Jack to the train in the next town, where she said she was going to meet Lucas.

Lucas was impatient, pacing back and forth nervously and after explaining to everyone that their relationship was a lie and that he was Fiona's husband, but they were both hiding it and pretending to be with Elizabeth to protect her. Fiona went to get some water to calm Lucas down, while Rose, Lee, Ned, Pastor Frank and Jessy arrived. Bill was furious at what they'd done. Lucas said that they'd been after her for almost two years. Then Clara ran in, saying that Charles was breaking into Lucas's hotel. Clara handed Bill the telegram she'd found under the table at school. Bill read it and reread it, now he was even more furious: People, it's the telegram I gave her because it was urgent, I thought someone in your family might be ill. She went pale, looked horrified, but told me it was all right and left the room, but look how foolish I was and didn't notice anything, how I didn't see her fear that day, her dread, how I couldn't protect my little girl and my grandson, because I have her as a daughter.