Bill was very tired after his long journey back from Cape Fullarton and he was very grateful for Molly's support as he had just been happy to sit and rest for a while. He was very interested in the task that was before Captain Foster and he agreed that the massive storm that had struck had put a huge obstacle in their path. A few days earlier, the phones and telegraphers would have probably solved their problem for them already and the sea captain would be well on his way here. Nathan waited for Molly to depart and then he brought up the conversation that he had earlier with Simon. "Sir, Simon told me earlier that Captain Edwards has had a suggestion that, rather than wait for the lengthy delay for all the storm damage to be rectified, we could have two of us head in that direction on the train and start our investigation from there. Simon has all the timetables and he is working out how long it would take for us to get there to Grampton. It might save us weeks assuming that the trains are still able to operate right through and we haven't heard anything to the contrary. If all went well, Captain Glover may arrive here well before our return."

They all thought that this was a good idea from Captain Edwards and it was worth immediate consideration. Captain Foster went to the maps again looking and pointing specifically at where Grampton was located, "Nathan, if the two of you travel there you have to be well aware that you have no jurisdiction because you will be residing in a different province than here, that will be most important to remember, you simply cannot get involved in any perceived police work. It sounds like Captain Edwards was getting frustrated with his telegraphers being unable to get through and now he wishes to take some positive action. We are suddenly starting to learn what it was like many years ago before we had all this technology at our fingertips that we now take for granted." Bill tried to cower and hide in his chair, "Don't look at me, I'm not in any hurry for another train ride."

The captain looked concerned and it appeared that he had some doubts about this venture, "I will discuss this approach with Captain Edwards first thing in the morning and see if we can coordinate our plans, I have to say that I'm not at ease with sending my officers into foreign areas where they do not have any control, if we go ahead with this, I must insist that you are in uniform at all times even if it doesn't carry any weight. I am uneasy with this even though I don't expect there would be any trouble but I do not wish to tempt fate. Please make sure that you leave any areas of law enforcement to the officers and people in charge where they have jurisdiction and we don't." He was harping on this issue to make sure that the message was loud and clear.

It was a different set of conditions that he was experiencing now from the dry dusty road from a few days ago to the muddy waterlogged heavy track which they were faced with now. It would have been a hard slog for one horse to have to haul the cart all the way to Ringwood with three people and loaded to the hilt with boxes, so, with foresight, Peter had been able to hire another horse to help with the journey. It was an exciting time for Emma now that she was finally moving on, and also, she had not seen Carla for many years. She was sad and feeling a little guilty for leaving Jacob behind but she had promised Mr Harris shat she would be back for Christmas.

The condition of the road was going to make it a long tedious trip where they would have to be really careful but she didn't mind at all, after all, she was in the safe hands of her new cousin. They could see where many trees had been uprooted and in some places they had fallen on power lines. Many workers were going to be busy for a long time all over the district and beyond before things would get back to normal. Emma was grateful for the help and support from Peter but she knew that she had to be quickly settled in with James at Hartford so that he could hurry up and resume his search for Christine. As long as they were patient and watchful and if they carefully looked after the horses, the trip didn't have to be a tedious one, rather, despite the devastation, the country seemed to look better to Peter this time round. They were careful and kept a constant lookout because it would be devastating for them if they got bogged after carelessly going off the side of the road.

It took them all day and they could see that the daylight was going to fade within the hour when they saw, with huge relief, the outskirts of Ringwood. They knew that Carla was a doctor and that meant that she was always busy but, with a bit of luck, she might be home when they would arrive at their front gate. A few years had gone by but Emma knew that Carla would remember her. It would also be a very pleasant surprise for Carla to have Peter back in her home, hopefully with good news about Christine. She peered out of the front window and instantly recognised Peter but initially, she wondered who the woman and child was as they stiffly climbed down from the cart. Carla wandered outside and soon she was overjoyed when she saw that it was Emma and the little boy with her who must be her son. She shrieked with delight, "Good heavens, how did you get here in that old cart and on that boggy road?" Emma hugged Carla who she hadn't seen for a long time and smiled, "I was lucky to have a ship's captain with me to help guide the way."

Carla Knelt down and welcomed the quiet little boy and asked him if he was hungry. There was lots to discuss as they all went inside, "Carla, we hate to impose but we have all of Emma's worldly goods out there on the wagon and we need somewhere for it to stay for a while. I'm planning to take Emma and Danny to Hartford to live with James now that Judy has gone." Carla has similar traits to Susan and she took control immediately and insisted that they have dinner with them and they must stay the night and catch the train in the next day or so when they were ready. They would need to see to the storage of Emma's stuff and Peter would certainly not be allowed to leave without seeing Cassie again. Carla made sure that they understood that they were welcome here at her home for as long as they needed to be.

"Our window is jammed just like most of the others, do we have to sit here on this thing for the whole journey?" Simon was soon finding out that there was no first class allocations on the trains travelling on this line and they just had to accept their situation as it was. Captain Edwards had beaten everyone to the punch and phoned Captain Foster first very early next morning. He was already making firm arrangements to send Simon on the train all the way to Grampton and he asked whether Nathan might be prepared to travel there with him. This seemed to be the only proactive statement that they could undertake at the present as there was no alternative available to them other than to wait for the massive rectification project to get underway. It would be weeks before it could be completed over lengthy time constraints.

Simon was not enjoying the stifling and stuffy conditions being part of the journey, "I can now remember the last time I was stuck in something like this, is it cooler where you are sitting?" Nathan pointed to the jammed window; you are most welcome to sit here if you want to." He smiled at Simon's frustrated face, "just remember that you were the one who volunteered our services for this mission, it's going to be a long uneventful trip as we are travelling at snail's pace so we had better make the best of it. You could have suggested to Captain Edwards that you would have preferred to go over the one thousand miles distance on horseback." Soon, as the train continued on its journey, it gradually changed direction a little and then they found the sun to be in their eyes which just added to Simon's annoyance. "Would the horse have had the sun in his eyes as well," he asked annoyingly. It appeared that most of the other passengers were well aware of this from past experience and were sitting in the chairs facing the other way or on the other side. It felt like they had been travelling for hours but, from the map that they had, it seemed like they hadn't gone much more than twenty miles. Simon frowned, "I expected us to be there in three days, not three weeks." He looked at the map again, "we haven't even hit Walker Springs yet and then there is Daylesford after that, this is indeed going to be a long trip I'm afraid." They were at least happy in the knowledge that they were making a contribution to the project rather than just being forced to wait indefinitely.

Captain Foster was very grateful and relieved that there was no disruption to any of the communications between here in Hope Valley and the distant port of the Cape Fullarton district and now a phone call was still just a routine matter. "Can I speak with your Captain Bedford please; this is Captain Foster working temporarily at Hope Valley." Bill would probably have scoffed at all this wasted effort but the methodical captain, as per usual was not planning to leave any stone unturned. He was taking this action without Bill's knowledge or prior approval which he didn't need anyhow. "Hello Captain, I need to talk to you about Bill Avery's recent successful mission which he completed under your direction. The story that I get from him is that you are going to conduct an inquiry which is going to lead ultimately to two very disgruntled officers as an outcome. You can imagine from your dealings with Bill and his manner that he would be rather blasé about it and indifferent but I don't plan to have these two officers seeking retribution from the person who caused them disciplinary action affecting their careers."

This was something that Captain Bedford had considered right from the time that he read Bill's damming report and recommendation. He had lost sleep over the realisation that a good man had been deprived of five years of his life and these two men had appeared to him to have been indifferent throughout the entire investigation. He knew what the outcome was going to be even before the impending inquiry was to be conducted. "Captain Foster, I'm well aware of the situation that we are faced with and I completely agree with your assessment of the redoubtable Bill Avery. He most certainly is a very good and well credentialed officer and we must do whatever it takes for his safety. I have already arranged for countless numbers of photographs to be taken and retained on file and for distribution to wherever we deem necessary. These men will be under constant surveillance and if they look like travelling in your direction we will know about it and advise you. They are going to pay a heavy price for their negligence and I am sorry that I cannot revisit and undo the past for Mr Burns."

Captain Bedford had indeed been very thorough and thoughtful. The stack of photographs had been taken in such a concealed manner that the two men would be completely unaware of their significance and copies of them were to be distributed to wherever Captain Foster deemed necessary. One of these places was going to be Union City and Captain Edwards would be consulted when they arrived. He was briefed well in advance of the inquiry when the question of the train trip was mooted and discussed. He had agreed and decided that this was serious and that Constable Earl Grey should look after this matter and monitor any progress with Constable Virgil McCain of Cape Fullarton.

Walker Springs was a regular fifteen minute stop in order for the steam engine to take on water in preparation for the next long part of the journey. They were eventually under way again and soon some of the first indications of the ravages of the recent storm came into view. The weather was unusually hot and oppressive and the strong hot wind that went with it didn't help much. They could see where fallen trees had struck and brought down some of the power lines and anyone having the job of trying to make preparations to reinstate everything would be hampered quite badly by the conditions. The further they travelled along the track, the worse it all became, adjacent roads were a boggy mess and probably impassable so the train would be just about the only connection between towns in this district and the outside world. Nathan soon deduced that Captain Glover would be able to access people in the many towns along the railway line but he would be hard pressed to get to any places out of the way under these conditions.

People were hurrying to get onto the train in fear that it might pull out of the little station without them. There didn't seem to be very much at the little village of Daylesford but the number of people waiting at the station was quite surprising. The carriage was starting to fill up and there weren't many vacant seats so there was hardly a chance to stretch out anywhere as late afternoon and evening started to draw in. The carnage of the unseasonal storm was even more evident with each hour that went by. The train was forced to pick its way through the journey very slowly and carefully as the track may have suffered its own damage short of a washaway. As annoying as this may be, you just had to be patient and settle in for the long haul however long it was going to take. Nathan thought at least thankfully, they weren't travelling the full distance, Grampton would certainly be far enough as far as he was concerned.

A young man in a classy suit and tie had boarded the train back at Daylesford with a young lady carrying a little baby. He had looked annoyed right from the outset and the stifling weather conditions and the slow performance of the train didn't seem to help much. Nathan had noticed the silver flask that he had been sipping from so hopefully the whisky might put him to sleep early and for the entire night. He had aggressively instructed the young lady to sit where he indicated and for her to keep the kid quiet. "Simon, I make from the map that the town of Landers would be coming up in about two and a half hours then it would be all night and into the morning before the next town." Simon was trying to get to sleep, "What town is that?" he asked. Nathan pointed to it on the map, "It should be Ringwood."

Cassie, upon hearing the news, had raced down to Carla's place at top speed and thrust herself into Peter's arms, "I would never have forgiven you if you had left here without seeing me again." Emma was quite amused and hardly surprised at her reaction. She could imagine everyone instantly falling in love with Peter as she had done herself. Carla hoped that she would not have to be called out as she knew that there was lots of news to be had before the visitors had to depart in the morning. Peter related the gripping and heroic tale about how George Harris just happened to show up out of the blue and be reunited with his family after being away overseas for six long years. "Carla, I would be most grateful if you would see to his injured leg and judge for yourself how to look after him." Carla had been in awe after hearing how he had travelled all that distance under such hardship to be with his family again. "I will go there as soon as possible once the roads dry out a little. I will be very proud to meet this man and his father." They listened to Emma's history with Mr Harris and how things had got worse after Jacob's demise, only suddenly to get better at George's return. Cassie had fun playing with Danny after he had finished all of his dinner and a glass of milk. Soon it was off to bed as they were in for a long journey on the train in the morning.

Nathan knew that it was going to be an exhausting trip because Ringwood was only about a third of the way to Grampton which was where they would then start to make their enquiries and see if anyone there could recall a man in a naval officer's uniform. The conductor would wander along occasionally from one carriage to another and ask if everything was alright and whether anyone needed anything. They accepted that the major part of their journey was still ahead of them. It was largely uneventful during the night other than the rumbling and the creaking of the carriages being towed along by the noisy steam engine. This was at least more preferrable to sitting roughly in a crammed stagecoach for three or more days. It seemed to be endless but eventually first light came along and a few of the passengers gradually began to stir a little even if they kept their eyes shut for a little longer. Nathan was overwhelmed at being able to experience the sheer size of the country and how their destination would not even be halfway to the coast on the other side. However, he was brought back to reality realising that somewhere out there in the wilderness there was a Captain Glover who was probably starting to come to the same conclusions.

It might seem to be an impossible task but it may just be a little piece of luck that could lead them to him. There had been plenty of time for Nathan to reminisce and consider how his life had turned around so much over the last few years and now his home was Hope Valley. He loved how Allie had settled in and, "Oh my goodness! she's my daughter." From a father who didn't care to someone like Fiona who loved her dearly and she was going to make her a wonderful mother very soon. From his initial awkward experience to when he finally found the courage to ask Fiona to the café and now he has fallen in love and he could see that this was for real. He wouldn't trade his prankster fiancé for anything and he always smiled to himself at the thought of Ned's face after being caught out with the broken toe episode. He looked across at Simon who was still managing to sleep and he marvelled at his relationship that had developed with Janie all because of the accident and his hospitalisation that had eventuated and how he could not recollect any of it. He pictured Simon's little girl and how her life had changed after her mother Sarah had died so tragically. Nathan sat there quietly in his seat and counted his blessings as the temperature started to climb now that it was morning. It would still be about an hour before the train would pull into Ringwood.

Carla's husband had helped find a safe and secure place to store all of Emma's belongings and someone who would gladly see to her horse and cart until she was settled in somewhere down the track. Emma had half a mind to try and settle right here in Ringwood but she felt an obligation to help James now that he was on his own and also, Peter had told her about the school at Hartford and that should it suit Danny quite well. They were soon on their way to the station, "Emma, I will see to George and I want you to write to me as soon as you are settled." Carla was most insistent, "we are going to keep in touch and I will come and visit when I can." It was a pleasant surprise when they got to the station platform as Cassie was there with her own parents along with the proud and beaming new parents Chet and Mandy and the new little daughter. "We couldn't let you go captain without coming to see you off, we are well aware of why you are here and we all wish you the best in your search for Christine. The little baby girl was still too young to have a smile on her face but she was still very beautiful like her mum. She looked like she could have done without the little pink bonnet that she was wearing. Soon they could hear the puffing of the engine in the distance as the train would soon appear and be coming to a stop in Ringwood.

It was to be a nervous wait for constables Tully and Metcalfe as they knew that their fate was to be decided upon shortly with a hastily in-house inquiry being convened by Captain Bedford. The captain was incensed at the thought of Fred Burns having spent five years in prison by a careless mistake and negligence. The inquiry, as far as the captain was concerned was going to be little more than a formalisation of the decision as he had already made up his mind on the outcome. The two officers were convinced that they had done their job to the best of their ability at the time and surely the captain would see that the unfortunate oversight was not deliberate by any means. Tully was becoming very nervous by now, "We made an oversight which could have happened to anyone and it is going to cost us a reprimand which is going to be on our record forever, just because our best wasn't good enough this time. It was going to be an agonising next few days for the two confused officers.

The train conductor would wander along periodically checking up on his passengers asking if they were okay. "Where the hell are we?" came the annoyed moan from the arrogant man in the classy suit and tie, "haven't we even gone past Ringwood yet, I may as well get out and walk, that would be quicker. Why is it so dam hot in here?" The conductor calmly explained about the storm and how the train had to be careful as the track may be affected. "I don't care about the dam storm, just hurry up and get us to Grampton." Nathan smirked to himself and thought how rude and silly and impatient this man was, if he was so hot then why didn't he have the sense to take off his jacket and tie like everyone else. He showed very little concern for the other patrons as it appeared that he thought himself to be far more important than anyone else.

His aggressive outburst soon caught the attention of Simon who had been trying to remain asleep as long as possible on the trip, needless to say, he wasn't very impressed. An elderly lady passenger looked at him and said, "Young man, it is hot for all of us and you don't see us complaining." He reacted with total disrespect, "Listen old woman, shut up and mind your own business." This man, whoever he was, rudely demanded his flask from the flustered young lady who was sitting with him, "I'm sorry, I haven't got it and I don't know where it is." He searched for it impatiently and found it in his pocket, "Make sure you keep the kid quiet." He added with a scowl as he unscrewed the cap on the flask. Simon was disgusted at the thought of someone starting to drink from nine o'clock in the morning. "There always has to be one doesn't there, to ruin it for everyone else." He was now sitting up staring at the man very intently.

Nathan was equally unimpressed but remained very relaxed at the thought that he wouldn't have to deal with him unless he showed up in Hope Valley with that attitude. He didn't know who he was and he didn't really care but he did feel for the unfortunate young lady who was with him. The explicit instructions from the captain came flooding back to him with a vengeance. Simon thought that the conductor was making a mental note of this character for future reference.

"Simon, while we're on this long arduous journey, I have something for you to consider," grinned Nathan as he looked in the direction of that repulsive young man. Simon sat up waiting for the pearls of wisdom that were apparently to come his way from Nathan who was trying to appear serious. "We can both be very proud of how Amy has turned out and we can take a lot of credit for her achievement so far. She has shown great determination in her endeavours and has not let anything stand in her way of he advancement." Simon was listening and agreeing with every word but not having any clue where the conversation might be heading. "Amy is no different to anyone else and she is now a young woman with the world at her feet. What if she takes up with a class act like this character that we have here."

Simon shook his head and scoffed at the thought and looked disgustedly at Nathan who maintained a cheeky smirk. His original dismissal of that being even a remote possibility soon changed to horror. "There is no way in this world that our Amy would entertain such a ridiculous proposition, in any case, I wouldn't stand for it." Nathan laughed, "Amy is just like all of us, and when it comes to love, we might see a different side of her that has been hidden so far, and we might not have much say in the matter." Simon refused to accept that something like this could be a possibility no matter how far down the track it might be, "She's my cousin, my niece, my little sister and my daughter all rolled into one. I'm going to vet every man who comes within one hundred yards of her from now on. Can you imagine Earl or Jason putting up with a clown like this. I have to tell you that I wasn't really enjoying this train trip but now you've ruined it completely, let's hurry up and find this sea captain so that we can go home. Maybe I can get more sense from Janie." Nathan was enjoying this, "I'd like to see him having to deal with Florence with an attitude like this." A smile finally appeared on Simon's face.

"Why do they have to make us wait for all this time?" lamented Tully, "They surely know by now what our punishment is going to be. Just let us take our dues and let's get on with it." Both men had been stood down pending the decision of the inquiry which was really Captain Bedford's ultimate decision. They found out later that it had been adjourned for the day and the members would have to reconvene sometime in the morning. The men of the barracks knew Tully and Metcalfe very well and they tried to be supportive where they could. None of them had seen or heard anything so it was still just a waiting game for all. The captain had made his final decision before Bill Avery had even departed and now it was just getting it accepted by the other members of the tribunal, not that he needed it as he and everybody else knew that he had the final say. All the members knew that they were just going through the motions. Tully was finding all this very difficult to deal with. He knew that he was going to wake up every morning from now on knowing that he had cost a man five years of his life and he would regret every minute. Metcalfe was much younger and was assigned to Tully as an understudy on the case so he generally just went along with Tully's conclusions and readily accepted it all as it panned out. He was waiting desperately for the chance to go and see Fred Burns and offer his heartful apology. He knew that he was never going to be able to forgive himself for being a part of the oversight. They were confined to the barracks which made the waiting more difficult.

There was at least a ten minute stopover for the train at Ringwood which only served to aggravate the young man with the flask which was probably filled with whisky or an equivalent. Many people got off the train here and a few new passengers headed for the more vacant seats. Nathan and Simon took little notice of the new people arriving as they were taking more notice of the rudeness which was becoming more prolific as the day went on. They took no notice of the tall man in the white shirt with a pleasant looking lady and a young boy sitting at the other end of the carriage and facing the other way. The train sounded its horn and slowly moved out of the station and started on its way again. Train travel was a wonder for many folks and they would always stop what they were doing to watch in delight at the mode of transport that had served to connect all parts of the country together.

Simon was taking quite a dislike to the rude man who offered rude gestures and obscenities to anyone who was unfortunate to meet his steely gaze. He wondered what kind of a job this man must have where apparently good manners and a pleasant disposition are not a prerequisite. Surely the flask must be nearly empty by now. He decided that he would lock Amy in her room if she so much as looked at a man like this. He dropped his flask on the floor and what was remaining flowed out all over the floor. He swore out loud and his young lady asked him to please stop. He slapped her across the face and told her to mind her own business. He had clearly hurt her and she was in pain and she started to cry. "Keep quiet!" he said with his usual rudeness. That was enough for Simon, he now had quite enough of this arrogant young man and now, even though he was incensed, he acted calmly as he rose from his seat and proceeded over to the unsuspecting vulgar individual. "Sir, I want you to apologise to this young lady right now." He eyeballed this man and everyone could see that he meant business.

This man was in no condition to see reason and he turned around and ranted, "Who the hell are you?" He tried to lunge at Simon just as Nathan grabbed him by the arm and disabled him before he could do any damage that he might have to answer for at a later date. Simon and Nathan decided that there was to be no argument in front of all the startled passengers, they grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and Simon said, "I'll tell you who I am. I am the person who is deciding where you are going to sit from now on and it's not going to be here." They dragged him to the other end of the carriage and aggressively threw him into the corner and warned him to stay put. He by now had the wind taken out of his sails and he realised after his rough treatment that he had no option but to do what he was told. "Maybe by the end of your journey you will have learned some manners. If you stay quiet, you might be allowed to reach your destination without us throwing you off the train."

Simon went over and asked the young lady if she was hurt and whether he could sit with her for a while. She was clearly distressed and worried about her baby, "I'm sorry that you had to come to my defence like that. My husband is away on business and this man has been hassling me for some time now, I am just trying to be nice but he seems to take it the wrong way. I didn't know that the drink would affect him like that and I am afraid of him when he is like that." Simon was satisfied that she didn't look any worse for wear after her ordeal. "Your little baby didn't seem to care, she is beautiful." The pink blanket convinced him that it was a little girl in her arms. She thanked both Simon and Nathan for helping her. "When we get to Grampton at least I will be back with my parents for a while."

Nathan was slumped back in his chair and was looking very concerned indeed, "Captain Foster gave me explicit orders not to engage in any type of police work of any nature and for us to be in uniform at all times. We have disobeyed his direct orders on both counts and I'm sure that we can kiss goodbye any chance of promotion in the future." Their red serges were folded up neatly and in their bags due to the excessive heat so they appeared to look like any other passengers on the train. He lamented, "Hopefully nothing is going to come from all this by the time we arrive in Grampton. The captain could not have been any more direct than he was and he made sure that I fully understood what he had instructed. Simon, did Captain Edwards issue any instructions to you in the same mould?" Simon shrugged his shoulders and replied, "He just said to do your best and find this man for that nurse in Hope Valley. He did go at length to make sure that we would have no jurisdiction while we were away."

Nathan was even more despondent, "I want to ask Captain Foster to my wedding, I can just see me handing him our invitation from inside the lock-up in my own jail cell." Simon was undeterred, "Do you think that our captain would have stood by after that moron hit that girl while she was holding her baby and also, he too would not have been wearing his full uniform in this heat. Nathan, we will say nothing and hope that all this goes away quietly. I think that we were very restrained considering the circumstances."

The train ground on and well into the afternoon, it rolled into St. Pierre and came to an eventual stop. Both men were intent on making sure that their aggressive man in the suit stayed where he was instructed to stay no matter how uncomfortable he might be. They failed to notice the man in the white shirt leaving the train along with the lady and the little boy. The train soon departed again and continued on its way across the country and the great expanse, there were two more stops before they would arrive early in the morning in Grampton.

Constables Tully and Metcalfe, having been stood down and confined to the barracks, were running out of things to talk about and were now becoming increasingly on edge, particularly Tully as he knew that he was responsible for all of this. If the job had been done right in the first place then Judge Avery would not have had to be called in to re-evaluate the original process. Assuming Fred Burns to be guilty on initial evidence was simply not good enough, hindsight now told him that he should have kept an open mind and conducted the investigation like what he was supposed to do. He was sorry and he would gladly accept a recorded reprimand and he would have learned his lesson. He wished that he could go back five years and do it right this time and follow the proper laid out procedure and hopefully not miss the bandana in the photograph.