Chapter 248 – Bill Digs for Information
Bill was also busy at the saloon. He had asked a couple of the other Mounties to be in uniform. He was keeping an eye on things as he played cards with Lee, Andy Yeager, Thomas Wright and JD Walker. Bill was happy to learn that the Walker in front of him had no relation to the other Walker family as far as he knew. Bill wanted to keep an open mind about the two new men, but it was hard because of his own past. Bill wasn't the most trusting person and he already had an issue with Andy Yeager, but was trying to get past it as Wynn had told him that he had nothing to do with the way that Christopher Mullins acted nor did Andy have any ties to Gowen.
While they were playing cards, JD and Thomas were asking questions about the town and if it was always this busy.
"It didn't use to be." Bill said, eyeing Lee.
"Sorry." Lee said. "I have hired a bunch of temporary workers to get houses up and expand my mill. Some will be staying, others won't be. It might be like this or worse through the summer. There are about fifteen more men coming to work for me. I also heard that there is a crew of thirty railroad men coming in. They have already started the spur line in Buxton and will bring it all the way to the mill. The main line should reach Buxton by the end of May. I am hoping they will expand it past there, but I haven't heard anything yet."
"There will be one going to the mine as well from Lee's line." Andy said. "I have already gotten clearance and obtained the property. I hope so as well and have expressed that to my contacts within the railroad. I told them that Hope Valley is growing and would be the perfect place to have a transfer spot. People can come here. Then they can continue east/west or if they did it right, they could run a line north to Benson Hills and beyond."
"Oh." Thomas said.
"Don't worry about it." Bill said. "This town is growing fast, but I don't think it will get out of control. There are plenty of Mounties in town and there will be a number of them that remain for the time being. That said, I wouldn't mind the railroad coming through as long as they are respectful of the people that were in this valley first."
Andy got what Bill was saying and realized it was a warning to them as well. Lee on the other hand just shot Bill a look to tone it down.
"I was going to ask about that." Andy said. "When I was here last, I was told it was only going to be you and Corporal Thornton."
"Jack will be here." Bill said. "But he had another set back and there will be two Mounties that remain here in town until he is back to work one hundred percent. I think I might also be getting a greenhorn in June after he graduates the academy. I know that Wynn had talked to Jack about taking on some more training responsibilities. As long as I don't have to babysit all the time I told him, I don't care."
Lee and Thomas laughed at the babysitting comment.
"So you mentioned that you were both married." Lee said.
"Yes." Thomas said. "My wife will be here next week some time. She had gone to visit family in Edmonton and will travel here from there. She doesn't like moving so when we have had to do it, I take everything ahead and get it set up so that she can arrive when the new place is ready."
"Oh." Bill said.
"My wife and four children will arrive when school is finished in just over a month." JD said. "We agreed that it wasn't right to pull the children out with just a month or so to go."
"How old are your children?" Lee asked.
"Let's see." JD said. "David is ten. Molly is seven and is my adventure child. She loves to be outside, fishing and climbing trees are her current favorites."
"Sounds like she will fit right in with a lot of the children around here." Lee said.
"That is good." JD said. "It has been hard being in the city with her. Then there is Caroline who is five and will be six in June. She is much quieter than her sister. Then there is little Peter. He just turned one about three weeks ago. He is on the go and wants to chase after his siblings."
"Sounds like Hope Valley will be a good place for them to grow up." Lee said. "I can't wait until my fiance and I are married and start a family. There is plenty of green space for them to run and play."
"Will you stay in the apartment or get a house?" Bill asked.
"I will have to see." JD said. "The three bedroom apartment will be fine for now."
"I thought it was a two bedroom?" Bill said.
"So did I until we got up there." Andy said. "Apparently at some point the two buildings had been joined. Since I rent both buildings with plans to maybe buy them, it wasn't a problem."
"So JD are you going to run the office as well?" Bill asked.
"At least to start." JD said.
"I have plans to hire an office manager." Andy said. "Someone to handle all the paperwork and stuff. Once miners start showing up, JD will have to be out at the mine."
"I know what I am doing so I can start until the office manager gets here." JD said.
Bill just nodded. They went back to playing cards and talking about things more. Bill was looking for information and had a way of getting it. He wanted to be on top of potential problems. He knew that this town was going to grow and he was going to do everything that he could to protect it and he wasn't above banging a few heads to get that done.
… … … …
Jacobs finished up Jack's breathing treatment. Doug cleaned everything up as Dee had retreated to the bedroom downstairs. When he had Jack settled in the chair, he turned and went over to Elizabeth.
"I was wondering if you could excuse us." Jacobs said. "I need to talk to the three guys about some Mountie business."
"Of course." Elizabeth said.
She closed her journal, picked it up along with her ink. She then walked over to Jack and gave him a kiss.
"Don't stay up too long." Elizabeth said.
Jack stopped her, placed his hands on her belly and leaned forward and kissed it. He then gave her a dimpled grin.
"I won't be long." Jack said.
Jacobs just shook his head when he looked at Jack. He knew that Jack would be a great father and it reminded him of how his own father was with his mother when she was pregnant. The other thing that Jacobs thought about was that Elizabeth's baby bump had really started to show and Jack just might get his dream to come true sooner rather than later.
After Elizabeth was headed upstairs, Jacobs knocked on the bedroom door.
"Dee." Jacobs said. "Join us out here."
Dee came out and Jacobs motioned to the table. Doug heard the tone in his voice and took a seat next to Jack. He wasn't sure what he had done, but it felt like they were in trouble.
"What is going on?" Jack asked when he had heard the upstairs bedroom door close.
Jacobs looked at the three men that sat before him. He took a couple of deep breaths and then he grabbed a chair, turned it around and sat straddling it.
"I don't know what is going on." Jacobs said. "And I don't need to know if you don't want to talk to me. What I am going to say is that we have a busy week ahead of us. We have an escaped prisoner that has seemingly vanished and there are a ton of new people in town. By Wednesday or so all forty-five of Lee's new workers will be in town. The new mine Superintendent is here as well as the newspaper man. From what I have also learned, the railroad crews could start showing up anytime to lay track from the mill and mine to the spurline coming from Buxton.
The other thing and this is not public knowledge yet and won't be for about another month, but it sounds like National Railroad is going to be laying track through the valley this summer. They want to get the line to Buxton done first, which according to my sources should be done in the next two weeks or so. I know that they have been scouting land and looking at potential routes.
My point is I need your heads in the game. Jack, you are doing well enough that if you feel up to it, we can bring you into the office for a few hours a day. It will be easier to bring you in after Monday and we will work out a schedule then. You can start by catching up on all the reports you have missed and then I will have you help us go through paperwork. We will just see where we are when you get through all the reports."
"Why will it be easier to get me to town after Monday?" Jack asked.
"Because the car that my grandfather ordered for me will be delivered to Hope Valley on Monday afternoon." Jacobs said. "He wanted me to have it since I will be in a bigger town and overseeing a larger area. If I have to, I will have McGinty pony Star back to Benson Hills. So after the car gets here, I will personally come out, get you and return you to the house."
"Thank you." Jack said. "I know that I need to start thinking about getting a car. As we were talking tonight at supper, I was thinking that it might be a good idea to get two and then Patty could use it or even Elizabeth, once I make sure she knows how to drive."
"If you need help." Jacobs said. "I can help you with that. It will take about six weeks for it to get here because I will insist that it has safety glass that my grandfather special orders."
"I think that is a good idea." Jack said. "I just feel bad spending all this money from Elizabeth."
"Trust me when I say it is nothing." Jacobs said. "Nor is it going to make a dent in what she will eventually have access to. Don't feel bad. You will need a car when you are out at the house and it only makes sense to get things as you are thinking of them."
"I agree." Dee said. "Dad can help you as well. The special shatterproof glass doesn't add that much cost to the car and it is something that you will need. The car that is."
"We are getting off topic." Jacobs said. "Dee, I understand you need time to sort through whatever. But talk to these guys, talk to me or talk to someone else, but I need everyone on their game this week. I just have a feeling that things might get bad before they finally get better."
"I kind of feel like that as well." Jack said. "I will trust you as you have had more contact with people. Please also check on Patty. She seemed really upset when she learned about her brother-in-law."
"I fully intended on following up on that." Jacobs said. "Doug, are you comfortable doing a breathing treatment in the morning?"
"Yes, Sir." Doug said.
"Good." Jacobs said. "Then I will leave you all be. I won't be coming back out for a breathing treatment unless Doug asks, but I will be checking you before I let you come into town."
"Yes, Sir." Jack said.
"Then I will see myself out." Jacobs said. "Doug, don't forget to return Lee's chairs tomorrow."
"I won't." Doug said.
Jacobs got up, turned the chair around right and pushed it in before he grabbed his jacket and left. Jack, Doug and Dee sat there for a moment. It was Doug that broke the silence.
"Dee." Doug said. "Are you really alright?"
"I don't know." Dee said.
"You can talk to us." Jack said.
"Honestly." Dee said. "For this I would prefer to talk to Doug. Just with you being married to my cousin and all, I don't particularly want to talk to you about this certain thing."
"If that is what you want." Jack said. "I will respect that. Also I am sorry if you heard Elizabeth and I at any point. I am sorry and let's just drop it and not ever repeat it."
"Agreed." Dee said, blushing.
"You okay to get upstairs alone?" Doug asked.
"Yes." Jack said.
"Then we will see you in the morning." Doug said.
"Services should be about ten." Jack said. "I will check with Elizabeth, but we usually get up at about eight."
"I will be up at my normal time." Doug said.
"I probably will as well." Dee said.
Jack nodded to them and then headed upstairs to join his wife.
