Chapter 12
The Scare Of Her Life
One afternoon there was a knock on the schoolhouse door after the children left for home. Elizabeth didn't say anything thinking it was just Jack coming back. So she went about cleaning the chalkboard. When she finished she picked up her shawl and basket.
As she got to the door, she reached for the door knob but it wouldn't open. She peaked out the window but she didn't see anyone. She went to the side door and the same thing. She looked out the window but couldn't see anyone there either. She yanked on the door again but it wouldn't budge.
There wasn't any reason to scream because no one would hear her. She just stood at the front door looking out the window and wait for Jack to return.
After a while she decided that Jack had gotten tired up or something. She went to the side window and raised it. She looked to see how far it was to the ground. It was too far.
She looks up and sees Sargent grazing. She couldn't whistle so she clapped her hands together several times. He looked up and looked at the direction of the sound. Elizabeth stuck her head out of the window and said, come here boy! He whinnies and came running. He stuck his head in the window to look. Elizabeth pats his head and says, good boy. She tell him to turn. He backs his head out and turns. She coaxed him to step closer to the window. As soon as he was close enough, she climbed out as easily as she could being 6 months pregnant. Sargent stood real still as she climbed on his back.
She got him to the front steps so she could get off easily without falling and possibly hurting the baby. After she climbed off she patted his face and said thank you boy. She went to the door and seen a wooden rod in the door handles. She questioned, now who would do something like that? She pulls it out but didn't throw it away. She walked to the side door and there was a log wedged against the door. She pulled it away and opened the door, went in, shut the window and grabbed her basket. She left and locked all the doors. She walked home with Sargent following.
She went in the house and looked around. She didn't see anything amiss but felt like someone had been in there. It gave her the creeps. She set her basket down on the table and left. She locked the doors this time.
She went around and called Sargent. When he came she got him hitched up to the buggy. She put the items in the back that had her blocked in the schoolhouse. She knew Jack had went east with the children.
She set out for Lydia's hoping to catch him. She smacked the reins hard and Sargent took off. It's a good thing that the road was fairly straight or the buggy would turn over. Unbeknownst to her Lady was running behind them.
When she got to Lydia's she pulled Sargent to a stop, jumped out as best she could, and ran to the door. She pounds real hard. Phillip rush to the door and opens it really fast. He asked, Elizabeth! What's wrong? Phillip, do you know where Jack is? He was headed towards Tilly's house. That's about a half mile. You stay here with Lydia and I'll go get him. She thanked him and stepped inside with Lydia. Lydia side hugged her while Phillip walked out the door. She asked Elizabeth to sit and have a cup of tea.
She Sat down on the sofa, went to pick up her cup but shook so bad that she dropped it on the coffee table and it broke. She apologized over and over profusely. Lydia grabs her hands and says, Elizabeth, it's ok. You need to get yourself together. This isn't good for the baby. Elizabeth drops her head in her hands and cries.
A few minutes later Jack rushes through the door and drops to his knees in front of her, takes her in his arms. He rubs her back while she cried. When she slowly stopped crying she looks up and tries to tell him what happened at the school and then how she felt when she got home. He says, oooh Bella. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. No Jack it wasn't your fault. You had to protect the children. He hugs her again. He asked, will you be okay if Phillip and I go check out the house? We won't be gone long. I don't want you in the house if somebody is in there. Okay, I'll stay here but Jack…please don't be gone too long. I won't Bella.
He unhitched Sargent and rode him bareback to the house. Him and Phillip walk around opposite ends of the house. They find a few footprints but nothing else. Jack points in the direction of the footprints lead to but doesn't follow them.
He walks back to the front door and sees that nothing is amiss on the door. He says, we'll have to start locking the door from now on. They step inside and look around.
Jack goes to the bedroom and sees something on the nightstand. He knew Elizabeth always kept the nightstands clean except for the oil lamps. But there on the nightstand on her side of the bed was a hair clip that didn't belonged to his Bella. He knew every clip she had. This wasn't one of them. He called Phillip in to look at it for proof it was there. He went to the top drawer of their chest of drawers and took his camera that he had received for Christmas. He loaded the film and took a picture. He would take it to the office to get it developed later but right now he needed to get back to his Bella. He says she's not going to like the idea of someone being in our house let alone in our bedroom.
They go back to Phillip's. He hitched Sargent back to the buggy and went inside. As they walked in both Lydia and Elizabeth stood, waiting for them to tell them what they found out. Jack walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms while Phillip done the same thing to Lydia.
Jack backs up and says, Bella, Lydia please have a seat. They sat but was concerned. He says, there were footprints around the house leading up to the back door. He cleared his throat and swallowed real hard and continued, they were in the house like you thought Bella. Where she asked? He runs his hand down his face, she jumps up and says, nooooo, please don't say they were in our bedroom? Bella please calm down.
She rushes to the door but Jack caught her arm. Bella please look at me. The tears were pouring down her cheeks, she turns and looks at him and said, Jack, how do you know that they were in our room? He pulls out the hair clip and shows her. She goes weak in the knees. He catches her before she fell to the floor. He picks her up and carries her to the sofa and lays her down. Lydia gets a cool cloth and lays it on Elizabeth's forehead. Jack squats down and talks to her while rubbing her cheek saying, Bella, please wake up.
After a few minutes she opens her eyes and wraps her arms around Jack's neck holding on for dear life. After a few minutes he asks, Bella, please tell me how you are feeling and please don't sugarcoat it. She sits up and touches her forehead with her the back of her hand and says, I think I'm fine hon. He knew she was telling the truth just by her calling him hon.
Lydia got her a glass of water and handed it to her. She held it tightly this time so she didn't drop it. Jack put his hand under the bottom without touching it just in case she dropped it. She drank half of it and handed it to him. She took a deep breath and asked, what are we going to do? Well Uncle will be here in a few minutes. We will discuss it with him and see what he thinks we should do. But Bella, you may have to close school for a little while until we figure this out. He thought she was going to buck him on this but she put her hand on her baby bump and gasped. Bella! What is it? Is it the baby! She smiles and says, I felt the fluttering hon! He's okay! They hug. He says, I can't wait until I can feel him too!
While they were hugging Uncle came through the back door. He asks, are we having guests tonight for….dinner, as he came through the living room. He stops short and asks, what is going on here? Phillip takes him into the kitchen and explains everything to him.
Wynn comes back in and sits in the chair next to them and says, Constable, I need to hear everything about this and don't leave anything out. Jack knew this is an order because he had called him Constable. He stood and took a seat next to Elizabeth wrapping one arm around her shoulders while the other hand held her hands. He told him everything that happened at the school according to Elizabeth and everything that him and Phillip had discovered at the house. He pulled the clip out of his pocket wrapped in a cloth.
Constable follow me outside. Jack looks at Phillip with a questioned look but let go of Elizabeth and followed his superior outside. Deputy Commissioner didn't stop until he got to the back of the buggy.
Sir? What's going on? Deputy Commissioner asked, let me see that clip. Jack pulls it out and hands it to his boss. Deputy Commissioner takes it and looks at it very carefully. Sir, what aren't you telling me? Deputy Commissioner softens and says, Jack, we have a bigger problem than the Webster brothers. Uncle what are you saying? What bigger problem?
Jack, have you ever heard of the Hair clip Rapist? Yes sir, he goes around and rapes women and steals a hair clip then leaves…it…with…the…next…victim. Jack drops to his knees and says, Elizabeth… was going… to be …his next, victim. Yes son. He asked, sir did we not know his whereabouts? No son, we didn't. His last victim was 6 months ago. Not that we haven't been looking for him but it was like he dropped off the planet. Honestly we thought he was dead.
Jack wipes his eyes and stands. Uncle put his hand on his shoulder and said, son we will catch him and protect her while we do it. How Uncle? I can't lose her. You won't son, you won't. But son we have to get a plan in place and the first is to close the school until further notice. Yes sir, I told her that you would probably do it. Did she buck you on it? No sir, that's when she felt the baby flutter. So she got sidetracked. Ok, I'm going to send Phillip back to town to send a wire from me to Headquarters in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
This Rapist hasn't left the area because he hasn't got what he came for. Jack snapped his head up with fire in his eyes and stared at him. Sir are you saying that he always get what he comes for? Yes son. No one has ever been able to identify him. It's always to dark to see his face. They do know he a white man.
They walk back inside and Wynn went to the desk and wrote out the telegram,
URGENT
To Superintendent Glasgow! Edmonton
To Superintendent Rivers, Calgary
To Superintendent Collins, Vancouver
Hair clip rapist in Pine Springs area..Stop.. send 4 of your best men..Stop.. attempted victim Mrs. Constable Jack Thornton.. Stop..immediately.
From Deputy Commissioner Delaney, Pine Springs
He hands the folded paper to Phillip and told him to take his car into town and send this wire and wait for confirmation. Bring the confirmation back to me. Phillip left.
Lydia got up to fix dinner. She knew Elizabeth probably wouldn't eat to much but the men would be hungry. Wynn told Jack to go to their house and get a few things that they would need for a few days and come back because he wasn't going to let them stay at the house right now. You both need to be safe. Yes sir. He kissed her and said, Bella I will be back as soon as I can. Is there anything you want in particular? Yes, hon I want my journal from my nightstand drawer. Ok. I'll be back. He kisses her one last time and heads to their house. He takes the buggy so he would have room for their things.
After he gathered their belongings he went out and got Sargent's saddle and tack. He set it in the back of the buggy. They had already put Lady into a stall at Phillip's. He got the saddle just in case he needed it. He made sure all the windows were locked and both doors locked. He made it back to Elizabeth after about an hour. Lydia had talked Elizabeth into laying down for a while until dinner was ready. She agreed.
Jack came back and asked where Elizabeth was? Lydia told him that she had talked her in to go take a nap before dinner. He say, good she needs it. I'm worried about her.
He chuckles and says, trouble has a way of always finding her or visa versus. But this is different, she's pregnant. Jack, Lydia says, we will get her through this. This community sticks together and takes care of our own. The longer you stay here the more you will see it. Why don't you go up and check on her? I will but I want to talk to Uncle a minute. Ok, he's in the office down the hall and to the left. Okay thanks.
Jack knocks on the door and waits. Jack, come in son. Uncle I need to know what we are going to do to protect Bella? If I need to leave with her I will. Son, he's probably watching her every move. We couldn't get her out of here without him following because we don't even know what he looks like. He could be standing next to you and you wouldn't even know it. So I think we need to keep her right here. With you and I in the house and Mounties positioned around the house and in the woods, I think we've got her covered.
In the woods somewhere a man sits and waits. He watches everything and everyone. He ponders his next move. From where he sits he can see the back door, the side door and the front door. He can see who comes and goes. He laughs and whispers, don't think that you can keep her from me. I always get what I want. I've never had a pregnant woman before. He sits in his spot until way after dark. He gets up and walks back to his horse and rides home.
Phillip drove back up around 10:00. He walked up and unlocked the front door. Jack and Wynn were sitting there waiting. They both jumped up when Phillip walked in. He says, it's ok. It's just me. They relaxed a little. Wynn spoke first. Did you get the confirmation? Phillip handed the telegram to him.
Wynn opened it and crumbled it in his fist. Sir, what did it say? Jack they can't spare anyone from Edmonton. They are gearing up for the Webster brothers. Wynn asked, what did you hear from Calgary and Vancouver, Phillip? The Superintendent from both called and said they would have 10 Mounties from both places on the morning train in plainclothes but would take 4 days to get them here. Superintendent Collins said, to hunker in and they would be there as soon as they could. Okay, so we've got 20 confirmed. With the 5 from town that gives us 25.
Now we have to get our heads together and make a plan before they get here. So for the next two and a half hours they had a plan put together.
Sir, I need to tell Bella what is going on. I don't want to be on the receiving end when she finds out what this rapist wants with her. Son, I'm worried that if we tell her it will cause her pregnancy trouble. All do respect sir but she is a very strong woman. The hormones are the only reason she fell apart today. Normally she can handle anything you throw at her. Well son, I guess I'll leave it to you as to what you tell her. Sir I'll be telling her everything. I'll wait until tomorrow after she's had a good night sleep.