In the meantime, Jason had recognised Earl sitting there at the desk with a subdued Christine and he re-introduced himself to him. Earl looked up and instantly remembered him as the young man who had stood toe to toe in the street with a dislikeable man who he had never met. He had ridden into town in the know that something was wrong. Between the two of them, they had got rid of this man forever and, because of their efforts, he was never to bother Amy again. He noticed that Earl had taken precious little notice of the unknown Mountie who came through the front door until he heard how he eventually introduced himself to Sandra. Captain Foster saw Earl stand up looking amazed and then he went straight to the cell. He looked every bit of what he imagined Virgil to look like. He put his hand on Virgil's shoulder, "Hello Virgil, I'm Earl Grey." They looked at each other and it felt like time had stood still, there was so much to say but neither of them could find any words.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there in time for them, I was too late." lamented Earl still visualising Adrian on the ground in the street. Virgil was just as disturbed as he tried to respond, "I was supposed to be their friend and I was nowhere to be seen when it really mattered." Sandra took his hand and said firmly but with kindness, "Now listen, both of you, you can't foresee everything and I know from my father's experience, you can't be everywhere just at the right time. Some of the decisions made recently whether they be right or wrong weren't yours to be made. Virgil, your captain back in Cape Fullarton is going to need all the support that you can give him or else he won't survive." Virgil hated any thought of support for Captain Bedford at this time but he knew that she was right. He wondered what sort of a reception he would have got from his visit to Superintendent Stanbridge. They took an instant liking to this young lady and they barely noticed that she was in a wheelchair.
Sandra introduced him to Amy and said how she had been looking after Gene, "Virgil, will you please come and talk to Captain Foster, he needs to hear from you, Gene will be in good hands and you don't need to worry while Amy is there with him." They found extra boxes to sit on around the table and then Virgil started to talk to this captain about how disgusted he was and how he abruptly departed the Cape to set about finding Gene Tully after he had heard the terrible news. He soon realised that this was the man who had berated Captain Bedford over the phone yesterday and reminded him how his men should have always come first. He was soon starting to warm to this man, "Captain, I came through Rainsford earlier today and I noticed that it was about thirty or so miles off direction so Tully and Adrian may have missed it if they had come the other more direct route. I knew what had happened before I got there but it was still a shock when I arrived to see a shattered township." Just the recollection of the terrible sight was enough to bring tears back to his eyes once again and he needed some water to find a way to continue.
"Sir, I saw the remains of what was someone's home, and then I found the gravesite where Adrian had been buried. I just stood there staring at it and I could hardly believe my eyes to think who was lying there. A lady called Mrs Wallace saw me and came over and talked to me. She said that the whole thing happened in minutes and I then saw the mother and the little girl, sir, they have lost everything and I can't get the frightened little girl's face out of my mind." He turned and saw Earl, "That must have been the worst day of your life seeing Adrian lying there with Tully." He was close to breaking down as a disconsolate Earl put his arm around him. "Sir, I told them that I was going to make it right for them, I don't know how I'm going to do it yet but I will do it even if it takes me years, so help me." They could all see that he was totally determined and committed. They almost didn't hear the knock on the door before it opened.
"I overlook some of your shortcomings and inadequacies but this is a disgrace. You have stooped to a new low." It wasn't long before a response came along, "I don't have to take that from a silly old biddy like you, what's your problem, is your lumbago or your bunions acting up again." These two old ladies could give as good as what they would get and they weren't about to back away at any point. They were just starting to wind up, "I had fifteen dollars in my purse and now it's gone." Gretchen looked squarely at Audrey and waved her purse at her, "Where is it, I know you took it and I want it back right now." Audrey could not have looked more obstinate and she flew back immediately, "I didn't take your money, I wouldn't touch your grubby purse, I bet there are fleas in there that have been there for years." That, of course made Gretchen more angry and their confrontation suddenly became more intense and willing.
The yelling and screaming could be heard in the other carriage and people were starting to wonder what was happening. Nathan and Simon were aghast at this performance and wondered whether it was totally real and that such a disturbance needed to be quashed somehow but neither of them were going to volunteer their services. It looked and sounded so real. The two officers also heard the tirade and shook their heads in annoyance. Noel the conductor was well out of sight trying so hard not to burst out laughing as he had heard this routine virtually word for word before in one of the country towns. The two vicious old women who were certifiable were going at it that night in that town two years ago right to the point where one influential man from the audience felt the need to intervene to save the day. The two old ladies attacked him with hugs and kisses and excessive perfume and he received a bouquet of flowers for his wife who was so embarrassed and ill from laughing.
"That's why you couldn't keep a job or a man, you wouldn't have a drink unless someone else bought it for you, and you didn't even care who it was." Audrey bit back without any hesitation, "That's fine coming from you who chased after anything with two legs, you were just another floozy no account." They were ever so good with each other and they had made a pact long ago that said if something was said in any routine that got close to the bone then it was only ever by accident and not on purpose to be hurtful. It was all water off a duck's back as they attacked each other relentlessly, "You should be in jail, you know that, now give me back my money right now." It was now time for Noel to become panicky and race into the other carriage and declare that he had a huge problem on his hands and he needed help from someone in authority. He headed desperately for the two officers and he pleaded with them to come and help break up a dangerous and heated situation.
"Officers, I need your help badly, those two old ladies are going to kill each other if something is not done soon. Please hurry, things are bad enough already and it could get worse." Those two men would have much preferred to take no notice but they soon realised that, if it escalated to a catastrophe and they didn't stop it then it wouldn't look very good for them as they were supposed to be pillars of society. They knew that they had no alternative so they headed up the aisle past Nathan and Simon with their frustrated and aggressive appearance and into the fiery cauldron of the other carriage. Noel had winked at Nathan as he hurriedly walked past in a dither with the two officers who had not failed to check on the handcuffs that were restraining the young man to his chair. They were satisfied that he wasn't going anywhere so they reluctantly followed the conductor but they cast a glance of authority around the carriage to serve as a warning to anyone wishing to interfere.
"Officers, I want this old hussy arrested and thrown in jail," Gretchen set upon the two heavily set men as soon as they entered the carriage and she was going to make sure that they would be completely off balance for the duration of the inquisition. One of the officers tried to quell the situation to no avail but somehow he got a word in, "What has this lady done?" Gretchen had made sure that the men were facing away from the other carriage, "She stole fifteen dollars from me, she had no business going through my purse and she needs to be taught a lesson." They looked at a fiery Audrey even though Gretchen hadn't finished." I never touched her purse, that moth eaten piece of junk, I might catch something if I went anywhere near it and then I'd look like her." They were a formidable match for each other and they were seeing to it that nobody was going to get anywhere for quite a while.
It was either now or never as they looked to see where those two men were. It was a precarious situation and they could get themselves into a dangerous predicament but now, Simon was undeterred and he headed down the aisle to see the young man, "Quickly, we haven't got much time, who are you and tell me what's happened." He could see the terror in this young man's face. He was in pain as he tried to speak, "My name's Patrick and I didn't do anything wrong; I restrained a horse after it was ready to bolt in the street after it was panicked and got startled and spooked when a box fell out of a wagon right next to him, there were kids around and they would have been trampled. Those men saw me and now I'm going to prison because they said that I was trying to steal him. They said that Judge Monroe and his son will see to it that I go away for a long time. I overheard them talking when they thought that I was asleep, they said that they would get a big promotion for this."
It was just as Simon had imagined and it seemed that the two officers had seen an opportunity and took it to further their career at somebody else's expense. "We will do our best for you Patrick, have faith and try not to worry." Simon returned to his seat just in the nick of time as the door to the carriage opened and a cold draft came in until the door was closed. He wondered if the two men had seen him talking and if they wanted to chastise him about it, he would say that it's a free country. They looked more agitated and hostile than before as they gradually returned to their seats. It seemed that all had been settled in the other carriage but apparently not until Gretchen had given one of them a piece of her mind for not arresting Audrey as she had instructed. "She's got my money and you're not doing anything about it, a fine pair of upstanding police officers you two are. I've a mind to make a complaint to wherever you come from." It wasn't long before they got her to check her purse again and the money was there. Audrey was spiteful to the officers and Gretchen, "See, you silly old bag, you shouldn't have stepped on your glasses last week." There was no thanks or any apology to speak of, just continued rudeness until the officers returned to their carriage, not knowing whether they had success or not. The hugs and kisses of best friends would have to wait for a while.
Simon had adjourned to a seat up the back, well out of the way of the officers so that he could hurriedly prepare a strongly worded note for Judge Monroe in Grampton which was now only about an hour away. There was much for them to consider so that when they arrived in Grampton, they would be able to see the judge and the local constable long before the two officers might become aware of the plan. One of them had taken notice of how Simon had been on his feet as they had just returned and he noticed how surprisingly, he was now sitting somewhere else. He decided with curiosity that he would quiz Nathan on the matter, "I see that your friend has moved camp," he stopped waiting for a reply, "He just needed to stretch his legs for a while after sitting for so long. That's something that I'll be doing before very long." There was a mutual contempt for each other as Nathan held his steely stare which indicated that he didn't like this man or even the other one.
"What did that young boy do to wind up shackled in handcuffs and chained to a chair on the train like that," Nathan could see that he wasn't on this man's Christmas list and he was very careful not to bait him too much, however, he wasn't about to back down. This man wasn't accustomed to being challenged like this in any way, "You and your friend should do well to go about and mind your own business and leave the police work to the people who are trained to conduct it." Nathan sat back and looked him squarely in the eye, Theat's quite a reminder and good advice officer and that's exactly what we're going to do. I guess that black eye and broken jaw is going to serve as an acute reminder for that boy to behave himself." The officer was trying desperately hard to curtail his aggressive approach as he eyed Simon, a model of concentration sitting in the corner hard at work, and one last look at Nathan as he returned to his seat with the other officer. He was clearly annoyed but now they would soon be in Grampton and to see Judge Monroe.
"To Judge Monroe, please excuse my scribble but I am writing this message in a hurry to try an avert a wrongdoing to a young man who doesn't appear to deserve it. When you see the two police officers you will see how they will be expecting to see your son who has apparently given them the impression that you and him are just a family business and justice isn't the main objective. These men have seized an opportunity to further their career at the expense of a young man's life. You will see how they have dealt extremely harshly with the defenceless young man and I hate to see somebody helpless and at the mercy of people like them. We remain available if you need reports and written statements if need be." Simon signed the note for both of them.
"I'd like to apologise to you both for my behaviour back there in the police station." Peter was standing with them on the platform looking very apologetic waiting for the train to come, he still hadn't recovered his composure after having the weight lifted off his shoulders that had been there since he left Bakersfield. He was still wiping away the tears of relief and catching his breath after thinking that Christine might have moved on and re-married and started a new life without him in it. Marjorie had dreaded this moment and now she had to somehow accept that she was losing the man of her dreams forever. Her tears were ones of happiness for Peter but there were many of despair for her own feelings as she had never felt anything like this before. Sonya was well aware of what was happening and she did her best to comfort her but she knew that it would be to no avail. "We're going to miss you captain," as she wiped away some tears of her own.
They could hear the train approaching in the distance and it took a while before it came into view, Marjorie badly wanted to kiss him like she really felt but she knew deep down that it would not be appropriate. She was far too upset to do anything other than finally release him from her hug as she had clung to him for what seemed to be forever. The untold pressure that Peter was carrying ever since he landed off the ship had now been released and he had to contend with the light-headedness where he could hardly keep his feet. Sonya thought how he needed to settle down somewhere and having some hours of solitude would be just what was needed. The shock of relief was just as powerful as the jolt of receiving bad news anytime. He still had the vision of Christine appearing at the door with two little children and now he knew that this was not what awaited him when he would get to Hope Valley. Sonya knew that the long train ride was going to be the best thing for him and it was a chance for him to try and relax and reflect and eventually become excited about what the future may hold for him. She could imagine him sitting by himself with tears in his eyes as the train would roll along. It was going to take him a long time to settle down after this sudden shock that his life would not be lonely without his wife. Marjorie could not help herself as Peter climbed aboard the train ready for departure, "I love you Peter and I am so happy for you, please don't forget me." He stood at the end of the train, waving to them as is pulled out of the station until it was out of sight and on its long journey. He thought that Masterton didn't seem to be quite so forbidding anymore.
"I'm sorry Sonya, I'm not going to be very good company for you on the way home tonight." The two ladies stood staring at the end of the platform even though the train was long gone and even out of earshot. "Don't you worry Marjorie, I'm sad to see him go as well and even more sad to think that we will never ever see him again, he is a very nice man and I am so glad that we were fortunate to be part of his life even just for a little while." They strolled away from the platform and the station, arm in arm and Marjorie started to cry, "Where am I going to find another man like him, he belongs to someone else and now he's gone." Sonya felt that she needed to defuse the situation, "Yes, he's gone and I'm sure that there wouldn't be any more of them to go around, I guess you'll just have to finish up as an old maid and have nobody to love you."
"I have no words to say other than, I'm sorry, and that probably doesn't mean much to you all right now." Bill had not slept at all overnight and he had sat around for a while and then paced up and down reliving the events that led to this terrible tragedy. He had been recommended for the investigation and he reluctantly accepted the request after discussing the matter at length with the captain at Cape Fullarton but he wondered why there wasn't anybody else closer who might have been available. The captain had wanted an independent review and apparently when Bill was to meet with Fred Burns he would see why this man was innocent. He remembered seeing the anomaly on the photographs which led to the capture of the real criminal and then Fred Burns' release. He knew that he had made a comment in the heat of the moment and he wished wholeheartedly that he had never said it, but that was certainly no excuse for Captain Bedford's actions. He was upset about the young Mountie and how it would affect his comrades but he knew where the blame lay and he knew that Captain Bedford would suffer with this for the rest of his life.
He found it hard to face those young men but Virgil made it easier as he approached him as soon as he saw him and he went immediately at great lengths to insist that he understood that he or nobody else held him to blame for Adrian's death. He sat with them and listened to the events at Rainsford yesterday and this morning and he sympathised with these young men who were trying to come to grips with a catastrophe that they saw first-hand. It was a sobering experience to hear about Doctor Parker and Janie and how they were there to see to the little girl who survived the fire thanks to Adrian and how Earl was the first officer on the scene. Virgil told him about how Mrs Wallace had introduced him to the mother and the daughter who had lost everything and were in despair as they now had nowhere to stay or anywhere to go. "Bill, I couldn't bear to see them suffer like that and I told them before I left that I am going to make it right for them." Bill could hardly believe what he was hearing and how Captain Bedford's decision had so many ramifications. "Virgil, whatever you decide on how to help, you can count me in."
"I can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling, It probably seems to you that the whole world is against you and your life is over." Bill had entered the cell and seen the shattered form of the former Mountie and his heart sank. "I want you to look at me when I tell you that none of this is yours or anybody else's fault other than Captain Bedford. If he has now realised the gravity of his mistake then his own future will have to be in peril because I don't know how he could live with himself from now on." Bill wasn't sure whether he was getting through to Gene as he remembered himself how helpless he had felt during the period when Nathan was nowhere to be found. "Gene, you did right to come here to see me when you were getting no support back home. I would have reversed that ridiculous decision and reinstated you immediately, just as soon as I got up after falling on the floor. It has taken me all night to calm down over this so that I could talk to you, I'm going to see to it, along with Captain Foster that you recover from this and you wear the uniform of the Mountie who you are no matter how long it takes. You have a lot of good people who are going to support you." He was contented with the slight nod of acceptance.
Another train was just in the process of leaving the station at Grampton just as their train was slowly approaching the platform. It had been forced to stop well short in order to wait for the other train to depart so Simon saw his opportunity to jump from his carriage and head very quickly to see that cheeky young constable who took so much enjoyment in Nathan and Simon's plight when dealing with young Stephen Monroe. He would get there well in advance of the two officers and their terrified prisoner and his note for the judge would be delivered well in time. Noel didn't have to dream up some plan to delay the train from eventual departure as the track condition up the line was poor due to the storm and continued lightning strikes. "It is a pleasure to see you again Constable Simon, you see, I never forgot you after last time and how you got rid of, so systematically that renegade lawyer son of the judge." He could see that Simon was out of breath and that there seemed to be another problem for him to deal with.
He had respect and admiration for the two Mounties and now, after being told that there wasn't much time to spare, he gave Simon his full attention. He listened to Simon's account and read the note for Judge Monroe. "Soon you're going to have two officers with a prisoner to go before the judge and if the outcome is as we expect then you are going to have to be well prepared. These men are expecting the young lawyer to act for them and his absence could cause fireworks if their plan went sour on them." He thanked Simon and told him to get well out of the way and out of eyesight and then he hurried off to the courthouse to interrupt Judge Monroe who would not be annoyed once he saw Simon's note.
Nathan was still on the train right until it pulled into the station and came to a stop and then he remained as inconspicuous as possible. They had organised Noel to try and come up with a plan to delay the two officers arriving at the police station but somehow he was not needed. They had waited for all the passengers to leave the carriage and then they started to move. By now, Nathan had exited the train and parked himself around the corner out of sight. He could hear the aggressive tone coming from the carriage and it was getting louder by the minute, "Why do you keep asking me where I saw them last, I always have them on me all the time, and I don't know where they are now, we have to search the carriage." One of them was totally bewildered and getting extremely frustrated after losing his keys for the first time ever. They weren't going to waste much more time looking up and down for lost keys so a pair of bolt cutters were found after more yelling and threats and now they were ready to escort their prisoner straight to the courthouse.
Noel had tried to offer the young man a drink of water but he was told in no uncertain terms to stay out of the way and get along with his own business. He undertook to make out his own report and findings and submit them to the railway officials and he hoped that it would find its way back to the police commissioner in that district. He considered it to be a disgraceful performance by people in authority which was played out in full view of the public and, in his mind, it was totally unacceptable. He didn't know what the next moves were but he had seen Simon alight from the train earlier and scoot off into town well before the train arrived at the station. Noel knew who they were, even though he had never seen them in uniform and he understood the necessity for them to be as inconspicuous as possible on this occasion as they had been before. Nathan and a very angry Simon watched from different positions as they saw the young man, seemingly resigned to his fate, being hauled impatiently by the two burly intimidating looking men in uniform down to the local courthouse. Nathan wondered how they knew where to go as there were no signs about, they must have had directions from Stephen Monroe some time ago.
They entered through the big doors into the waiting area and they proceeded onwards towards the courtroom, only to be abruptly stopped in their track by a county clerk, "gentlemen, all weapons are to be handed over for safe keeping before you are permitted to enter the courtroom and sit before the judge. It is a requirement by law in this and most districts." They begrudgingly handed their pistols over and they were soon locked away in a cupboard, then they were told to sit at the back until the judge would acknowledge them. This was an administrative hassle for them and it reflected in their attitude, however, they expected to be in and out within five minutes and then be long gone with a well-done letter for their commanding officer and a subsequent promotion. They could not see the judge's son but he would probably appear before very long. It was unnerving for them to be stuck in the spotlight in the legal system but they knew that it was only temporary and they would be back in the field very soon with a well-deserved promotion to show for it.
Judge Monroe was in the process of dealing with a relatively routine case and he was deliberately stringing it out so that he could assess these two men at the back in accordance with the hurriedly prepared note that the constable had handed to him earlier. He didn't like what he was seeing, particularly with the appearance of the young, mistreated prisoner sitting between two very aggressive and arrogant looking police officers. He summoned the constable and he whispered a quick instruction to him as he proceeded with his current case. He gave the impression that he wasn't watching as the young constable approached the two officers and instructed them to release the young man into the court's custody. He patiently awaited the response and it was just as anticipated, they looked obstinately at him and they remained unmoved, "Where is Stephen Monroe, he is supposed to meet us here." The young constable was most insistent, "This instruction is from the judge himself; I strongly suggest that you comply and also, he wants those handcuffs removed immediately."
The two officers, still sitting impatiently up the back, appeared to have little regard for the formalities of the legal system and they didn't seem to feel the need to wait for all this time until it was their turn. Judge Monroe noted the reluctance and annoyance from them, that they had to release their prisoner and it wasn't helped when the keys were missing and the cuffs had to be cut. He also noted how the young man reacted when offered a cup of water to drink and how quickly it disappeared. The poor young fella must have been completely dehydrated and most probably not had a drink from when he was first taken into custody. It looked like it caused him pain as he tried to drink the water, probably from ill treatment. The two officers were by now ill at ease and continually looking around for Stephen Monroe who was apparently supposed to be here and represent them in this case. "It won't be long now gentlemen, the case in hand is starting to wind up to a conclusion." remarked a court official.
Judge Monroe had been in quite good humour when he had wandered into work this morning. He became acquainted with the cases that were to be brought forward today and just as he was getting started, the constable had rushed in unannounced and handed him the note from Simon. He apologised profusely but suggested to the judge that he would understand the urgency once he had read the note. There was an inference in that note that he didn't appreciate and his mood deteriorated markedly from that moment on. If it turned out to be accurate, then it would become an even more serious matter than the case of a stolen horse. He was convinced that the note from Simon was a sincere and honest appraisal of the situation and he considered that it was the only documentation that he was expecting to see. After getting the young man safely out of the way, he indicated to the court official to summon the two men to come forward.
"Gentlemen, please state your names for the record to the court official, this is standard procedure." The names of Blake Dawson and Ryan Bland, both being constables from the town of Gladstone, were now listed in the record by the court official and surprisingly, the judge asked him to leave and return to his desk outside. He smiled at the two men and then commenced proceedings. "Gentlemen, we have formalities to go through for the record so you must explain to me what has happened." He waited patiently and soon Constable Blake asked the whereabouts of Stephen Monroe before recounting the capture and arrest of a dangerous horse thief." The judge soon explained that his son Stephen was unavoidable detained and would not be available to attend these proceedings. "We should be able to handle things here without him I'm quite sure, how is it that you know Stephen?" he enquired harmlessly. Blake started to feel a bit more at ease with the judge and he had noticed how he had dismissed the court official so that there was nobody else other than them. He started to explain to Judge Monroe, "Stephen said that if we had a case we should bring it to Grampton and to his father and, if he handled it for us, he assured that it would be an open and shut case."
He brought back the court official and said how we need to take down the details of the case for the record, he asked Blake to start from the beginning but, before that he asked the constable to have someone remove the prisoner to the cell at the station. "I don't think that we will need his side of the story for now." Blake felt that all was going well even without Stephen Monroe's attendance, "Sir, we were in the street at Gladstone when we apprehended a horse thief, we arrested him at once and curtailed his resistance to authority and then headed to the train station with him in hand." The judge was very good at hiding his displeasure as he set about following up with some elementary questions from his own observations, "I note that our prisoner has sustained some injuries, are these in line with your efforts to detain him?" Blake looked around to see if the young man was still here in the courtroom, "He was very unruly and defiant with us so we felt that we needed to enforce and impose our authority." Judge Monroe felt that he had just about heard enough and he was impressed with the accuracy of the note that Simon had hurriedly prepared. He asked the two men about whether they had prepared any documentation and reports that they might have needed to support their testimony. "We expected all this to be handled by your son sir so, we are sorry sir, we don't have any. At the conclusion of this sir, will you be writing to our commanding officer about our successful capture and arrest of this dangerous criminal."
It was nearly too much for the judge to remain calm and composed and, above all, to be professional in his approach to how he was going to break the news to these two, so called police officials, where they were going to be spending the next few years of their lives. The comments that he was preparing in his mind were going to come from the many long years on the bench and how he passionately revered his vocation and, like many of his colleagues, he took it very seriously over his entire career. He removed his glasses and put both hands on his legs and then elbows onto the desk as he leaned forward to open his carefully considered address It was something that he felt, shouldn't be necessary as most people everywhere would get along together in harmony but, unfortunately, there were those who flouted the general run of things which made his position in the community necessary. He cast his mind back sadly to his son.