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Nathan and Elizabeth: an Epic Love
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Chapter Thirty-Five
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Charade
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Part I
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After the rousing success of the Midnight Dinner & Dance Party from the previous night, Friday morning seemed to come exceedingly earlier than the usual dawn generally purported it to be.
And though all the people of Hope Valley were still on a high like no other, from last night's excitement, the Deputy Commissioner was already hard at work in the Chief Inspector's office, making several important and secure phone calls back and forth to Headquarters.
At the same time, the Chief Inspector was in his conference room, hoping to complete the series of case reviews that had begun yesterday with his two Corporals.
Which he needed to do prior to the arrival of his unannounced but still-expected visitor.
It was because of this said visitor, Judge Avery had firmly planted himself in the RCMP Office, knowing that would be the place Superintendent Hargreaves was bound to make his entrance later in the day. Both Hal and Nathan knew that although Finn could probably handle the Superintendent more than adequately, he shouldn't have to, particularly since he wasn't at all privy to what was going on, nor the classified information surrounding it.
However, Bill was fully aware, perhaps more so than anyone, having worked so closely with the man over the years, and there was no doubt that he would be able to adroitly handle the slightest nuance thrown his way...
Back in Nathan's conference room, case reviews were about to begin.
"Good morning, Gentlemen!" announced Nathan.
The men immediately stood and saluted formally.
Nathan saluted back.
"At ease! I trust you all enjoyed spending time with your families last night!"
"Absolutely, Sir!" "Great surprise!" and "Superb Party!" were the general synopsis of murmurs.
"Having them here was such a wonderful surprise," admitted Peyton. "Because of it, my mother found her best friend again, and she couldn't be happier!"
"Spectacular party, too!" grinned Jacques. "But you've got to show me how to teach my horse to bow, Sir! I've never seen that done before."
"I'd be happy to, Jacques! However, I can't take initial credit for that. My predecessor, Jack Thornton, first taught his horse, Sergeant. I've since taught Newton, who picked it up immediately, which was a shock to me as large as he is. But now it's back to work! For this morning's case review, I've asked Alex to sit in to record notes for us. So, let's get started," smiled Nathan, pausing a moment as the men handed him their written reports.
Nathan thoughtfully perused the reports.
"Okay, you've checked that all the alarms were previously set. But do you know if they all went off?"
"They did not, Sir! Not a single one went off, which we totally missed the first time around," admitted Peyton.
"But we won't miss that detail again, Sir!" assured Jacques.
"Good! It's an important one. What does that tell us?"
"That the alarms were somehow dismantled, Sir!" answered Peyton.
"Yes, or more importantly here, that they were disarmed by someone who had access to the codes."
The Corporals looked at each other with deep sighs, admitting they had not entertained that possibility.
"Tell me about the safes. Were they intact or demolished to indicate they were broken into in some way?" asked Nathan.
"No, Sir! They were not damaged in any way," answered Peyton.
"Which means," asked Nathan.
"That the safes weren't broken into," admitted Peyton.
"Someone had to have known the combinations or where to find them," stated Jacques.
"Given this scenario, which is most likely, since there were three top locations?"
"I would say the robber or robbers knew the combinations, as they would unlikely be lucky enough to find three different sets of combinations," reasoned Peyton.
"That's right. What did you find about the fingerprints?" asked Nathan.
"There were no fingerprints, Sir," answered Jacques. "Which could mean the robber or robbers used gloves."
"Exactly. So, no prints. What else could that tell you?"
The men were unsure as to the answer and the thought process.
"Each business has an owner, so at least the owner's prints should be present on each safe. But you've just told me they aren't, which means the prints, including the owners', have all been wiped clean. And that's always a critical detail to uncover. Think in terms of both what should be, but also, what is and what isn't. Were there any other prints found throughout the rooms?"
"Yes, Sir. Many, but they all belonged to people the owners could account for having a right to be there," explained Jacques.
"Which tells us what?" prodded Nathan.
"That the job is an inside job," answered Peyton.
"Very possibly, but before we accept that as fact, we need more. What do we already have that might give us what we need here to steer us in that direction?"
"We don't have any suspect names, Sir!" reminded Jacques.
"No, we don't. But we have something else. Did you take a close look at the owners' names?"
"The owners? Yes, Sir, we did," answered Peyton, with both men nodding.
"Didn't you find it odd that the two men have the same last name?" asked Nathan.
"But they are spelled differently, Sir – 'Smith' and 'Smythe,'" pointed out Peyton.
"Yes, they are, but isn't it common to have variations of the same name within a family depending upon where they are from? Or more pointedly, if perhaps they need a cover?"
Suddenly, what their Chief was methodically getting them to see dawned on both Jacques and Peyton.
"You think these business owners are related?"
"I do. In fact, I believe they are siblings since all are close in age. Though it's possible one is a cousin, I doubt it here."
"But the third business owner is a Mrs. Langford," noted Peyton.
"Yes, it is, but if you look closely, she's a Mrs. Anna S. Langford," noted Nathan. "I believe you'll find her full name to be Anna Smith Langford or Anna Smythe Langford. And whichever one it is, leaves the alternate brother as the one most likely committing the inside crimes."
"How did we not see that?" asked Peyton.
"And that makes perfect sense. Which means we also now know that it's a single robber and not a group of robbers," realized Jacques.
"Yes, that too is important, but we couldn't confirm either way until we circuitously come back around to that."
Nathan paused, handing the notes they had given him back to the corresponding Corporals.
"Men, check that maiden or middle name out so we can resolve this case once and for all. Also, perform a search of all businesses owned by these three and their parents."
Both Jacques and Peyton scribbled notes on their pads.
"Still, I would say you've done a good job in the few hours you've had to review. Also, this is our first case together, and I'm proud of both of you. I appreciate your directness and openness. Take what we've learned today, and let's get this thing solved! But also realize we're building our foundation. Accuracy is key here, and in the beginning, far trumps speed, which will come with volume. I have no doubt our foundation of processes is going to be a solid one by the time we're through!"
Nathan rose to exit but turned back around.
"Also, get copies of our thought processes from Alex for each of you to study so that we automatically include these thought processes in all our casework reviews. And please follow the same process with each case review we do, adding them to your private logs as well, so that the thoughts become second nature as we are given new cases. The more we are able to check off as absolutes, our minds are freer to wonder and resolve the real issues at hand, which will vary somewhat within each individual case. Got it?"
"Got it, Sir!" agreed both men, excitedly looking forward to their next case.
"Good job! Enjoyed solving this one with you, and am looking forward to the next one, Gentlemen, as there will be many fascinating ones to come, I'm sure…"
At the same time Nathan was meeting with his Corporals, Bill had firmly planted himself at the RCMP Office with Finn, who had purposely sent his Constables out, attempting rounds on their own, giving Bill and Finn the opportunity to formulate a detailed training game plan for the two younger ones.
"Well, if nothin' else, Finn, at least it's a start!"
"I'll implement this first thing in the morning, on rounds with them, Sir! I give you my word, this is the last set of rounds they do alone, until you and I both are pleased with their competence, Judge Avery!"
"Good deal, Finn!"
But before Bill could elaborate, Florence interrupted them with a call.
"Judge Avery, I have Judge James Haverson on the phone. He says it's quite urgent."
"Put him through, Florence. Thank you!"
"James, thanks for getting back to me."
"I'm not sure you'll be saying that when you hear what I have to tell you. And I do have to be quick as I'm expected to be in Court in just a few moments. In my estimation, your Superintendent Hargreaves is an absolute piece of work, and I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him! Apparently, he had taken his question to several non-Mountie attorneys and received conflicting responses. At least that's the reason he says he came to me for advice instead. I personally think it's because I've never presided over any Mountie cases. He has no way to know that I'm personal friends with you and with the Commissioner! So huge mistake there. But his question was, how can I set up a corporation that I can keep my ownership private from my work life and ensure the Mounties can't touch it?"
"What did you say?"
"Look, I know this guy is as crooked as can be, and he is definitely up to some illegal activity. What, he didn't tell me enough to know. But I stalled and said I'd need to do a little research when all I really wanted to do was talk with you first. What do you all want me to say?"
"Can I get back to you, James? But just let me say your instincts are spot on, and this information is priceless. Don't say anything to him till I get back with you, okay?"
"You have my word! Sorry about the bad news. But knew you needed to have it to pass on to the higher-ups."
"Precisely! A ton of thanks, James. I owe you one!"
Bill hung up the phone, then opened the line back up.
"Florence, get me Nathan's office stat."
"Yes, Judge! Coming right up!"
Bill spoke directly to the Deputy Commissioner, as Nathan was busy with his Corporals.
"Bill, you've just handed us pure gold. Cannot thank you enough. Can I get back with you on which direction we need the Judge to take? Can he be unreachable to Andrew if he calls before we do?"
"That's exactly what he'll do. Judge Haverson has an extremely busy docket. Oh, and he is also good personal friends with the Commissioner. James Haverson is his full name, so you can let him know who we are working with!"
"Will do! Thanks a ton! Hopefully, see you soon!"
Bill hung up the phone.
"Gotta love it when real life works out like the magic show we saw last night, Son!"
Bill and Finn both chuckled.
"But back to our discussion, Finn! I just don't get why our guys aren't further along than this out of trainin'! I mean no offense to you. It's just that there's green, and then there's green. Why can't we bump up the Mountie curriculum to at least get our men to think?"
Finn sighed.
"I tend to agree, Judge. Not sure what the answer is!"
"Finn, I need to brief you a little. Even though I feel a little dumb in doin' so since our presumed guest is not a scheduled one, though, I'll bet money he's showin' up!"
"Do you need me to make myself scarce to give you some privacy?"
"Naw. I just need you to play along with whatever direction the conversation takes. To tell you the truth, I can't stand the guy," admitted Bill. "So it's probably better you're with me. But he's a long-term acquaintance. Been a Superintendent with the Mounties for a long time. Just not my favorite person in the world!"
"Anything I should know in particular?"
"Let's just say he's not someone I want you or me either one to model ourselves after!"
Bill picked up his cup of coffee and wandered to the window.
"And what do you know? Here comes the man of the hour now!"
Bill practically ran back to his seat, and he did so without spilling a single precious drop of his double-strength coffee.
Finn got tickled but straightened his face immediately, standing to answer the knock at the door.
In doing so, he immediately saluted a superior officer.
Bill jumped up at the ready before Andrew could get a word out of his mouth. (*89)
"Finn, allow me to introduce Superintendent Andrew Hargreaves! Andrew, this is my new friend, Staff Sergeant Finn Valen!"
"At ease, Staff Sergeant!" barked Hargreaves, completely presuming his authority.
Finn moved politely to allow the Superintendent to enter and stood as Bill offered their guest a chair.
"Where's Constable Grant?" asked Hargreaves, looking around imperiously as though 'Constable Grant' were hiding.
Bill almost choked, deciding to have a little fun instead.
"Constable Grant? Oh, he's long gone. Took three to replace him, though."
"What are you talking about? Why wasn't I notified?"
"Oh, I'm sure you were. What can I say, Andrew? A wandering rat, I mean mouse, misses all sorts of messages! Really did take three to replace him, though, so I guess Hope Valley is movin' on up the ladder, as are others, but that's a message for later!"
Finn had to control the chuckle that almost escaped his lips, as the Judge was in rare form.
"What do you mean, three?" asked Hargreaves, none too pleased.
"Well, we have the Staff Sergeant here and two new Constables, but I'm afraid they are still out on their mornin' rounds, Andrew! Or I'd introduce 'em to you!"
"But I haven't approved two constables, and I most certainly didn't approve a Staff Sergeant to boot!"
"Calm down, Andrew, it's already done. As I said, if you'd stay in your office a while, you might get a few messages tricklin' in here and there! To what do we owe this esteemed visit?"
"Needed to talk with you, Bill. In private," he added forcefully.
"I have plenty to do away from the office, Judge!" offered Finn.
"Naw, Son! You stay right here. I'll take the Superintendent over to my office for our little chat. You have a good day, now, Finn, you hear. And let me know how our Constables fair today with those calves!"
"Will do, Sir!"
"Well! Are you comin', Andrew?"
Andrew was looking around suspiciously, suddenly noticing the new furniture, the paint, and all the new equipment.
"What in the world is going on, Bill Avery? And what in this crazy world of yours has anything to do with Mounties and calves?"
The Judge chose to ignore both questions, particularly that last one!
"Want to stop by the Café for Coffee or want to wait till I fix you some of the good stuff?"
"The Café's fine, Bill. Just fine!" and the Superintendent rolled his eyes, having no intention of drinking Bill's concoction of brew.
Finn followed the two men out onto the Boardwalk, watching them fuss with each other as they went across the street to the Café, though it was clear Bill was pushing to anxiously move on to his office.
Though Finn was smart enough to know it wasn't Bill Avery's office, the Judge was taking him to.
He knew, without a doubt, this had something to do with that fancy new second-floor office, where a brand-new Chief Inspector resided with a visiting Deputy Commissioner.
And what he wouldn't give to see those fireworks, because as his Finnish grandmother used to say, 'Fireworks don't last, but the experience sure does…and so does the fallout, somewhere along the road!"
Turning to go back inside, Finn cackled.
"I don't know what in the world is going on, but I do know this. Our Judge Avery is a pure gem. So is our Chief Inspector. As is our Deputy Commissioner. And I wouldn't want to be in that Superintendent's shoes for love or money…"
Watching through his office window, Finn couldn't help but laugh as the Judge and Superintendent exited the Café, with the Judge, of course, empty-handed and the Superintendent carrying his own thermos of coffee!
"Why didn't you tell me Grant was gone, Bill?"
"As I said, if you'd stay home a while, people might be able to reach you, Andrew! Besides, don't get too gleeful, I didn't say how far he's gone!"
The Superintendent rolled his eyes again, anxious to get to Bill's private audience so he could corner the man and get the information he came for.
But as soon as they walked in, and the Superintendent began to set down his thermos full of coffee, the Judge interrupted.
"Better bring that with you. We've got some new digs upstairs I want to show you since you love to always be in the know!" (*90)
"Bill, has anyone ever told you there are times you are downright impossible?"
"Every day. I wear it as a badge of honor, Andrew. A full-fledged badge of honor…"
With that, Bill climbed the front staircase, leaving Superintendent Hargreaves with nothing else to do but follow him.
Alex met the Judge at the top of the stairs, immediately saluting Superintendent Hargreaves.
"What is going on here," asked Hargreaves, none too happy not knowing what this Special Sergeant was doing here in Hope Valley, especially after having already met a Staff Sergeant above him at the Mountie Office.
"Has anyone ever told you that you might get more answers by playin' nice than barkin' questions," mumbled Bill in Hargreaves's ear.
With his back turned to Hargreaves, who was now looking around at his surroundings, Bill mouthed to Alex, 'The Chief?' who nodded toward the conference room. Then Bill mouthed, "DC?" and Alex nodded to the Chief's office.
"Come, Andrew," and the Judge purposely led him straight to the Chief Inspector's Office, which was currently occupied by the Deputy Commissioner, who, fortunately, was in between secure calls.
"It's Superintendent Hargreaves and Judge Avery," notified Bill after knocking on the door.
"Do come in," responded Hal forcefully, standing at Nathan's desk, more than prepared to receive his wayward Superintendent.
The stunned look on Hargreaves's face was enjoyed by both the Deputy Commissioner and the Judge, for their visitor was beyond shocked to find that he was face-to-face with his Deputy Commissioner.
"Superintendent Hargreaves, I understand your surprise at seeing me, but the last time I checked, I am still your commanding officer! A formal salute is not only appropriately mandatory but might be nice and in your best interest as well!"
"Of…of course, Sir!" and the flustered Officer somehow managed to do as he was told.
"Very well, Superintendent Hargreaves! May I ask what you are doing here?"
"I…uh…I…uh…I'm conducting a series of field visits throughout the territory, Sir!"
"That's commendable, but next time, see that you put your impromptu meandering trips on the schedule, my schedule to be precise. I needed to get in touch with you to discuss the reasons I'm here, but as it turned out, you were nowhere to be found. Therefore, I had to do a daily telegram dump to your office, hoping you would at least see those. Yet that slim hope apparently is also dashed."
The Deputy Commissioner then seated himself.
"Sit, Gentlemen, and make yourself comfortable," he ordered both men, though Bill loved the fact there was no usual cursory smile attached, nor were there any hint of twinkling eyes.
This was the formidable side of Hal, which Bill liked very much, especially since it was being directed at this abominable creature sitting beside him.
Perhaps the Deputy Commissioner and the Judge deserved a bit of fun at this particular Superintendent's expense, though both knew they were walking a fine line on just how fierce vs how friendly they could be.
But as fate would have it, things were to go much further south for the Superintendent before they started looking up again.
Especially since that was the exact moment Chief Inspector Nathan Grant decided to walk into his own office, the same one currently being used by the Deputy Commissioner, the Judge, and now, Superintendent Hargreaves.
"Chief Inspector, please come on in. I've completed my calls, and it seems we have a guest!" announced the Deputy Commissioner.
Nathan came and stood behind his desk by the Deputy Commissioner in his brand-new uniform that clearly outranked the Superintendent sitting before him.
Again, in shock, Superintendent Hargreaves rose slowly with a hardened look on his face.
"This is Chief Inspector Nathan Grant. Please tell me that I don't need to remind you again within a two-minute span to salute your Superior, Andrew?"
"No! No, Sir!" and the Superintendent swallowed hard and saluted firmly, which the new Chief Inspector returned. It was only after that splendid return and drop by the commanding and striking superior officer that the Superintendent reluctantly performed his own salute's crisp drop.
"I don't understand, Sir," noted the Superintendent while looking directly at the Deputy Commissioner.
"At ease! Gentlemen, please be seated," and Hal, out of respect, stood and pulled out the chair he was using to offer it to his Chief Inspector, but Nathan refused with a nod, insisting the Deputy Commissioner still sit there, gathering a side chair for himself instead.
"To get everyone up to date. I'll repeat myself once only. Headquarters has planned this promotion and this territory carve-out for a long time, and we have repeatedly tried to reach you to our deep consternation, Superintendent Hargreaves, to discuss the matter in full. But since you were unavailable, we discussed it with your Chief Superintendent Patrick O'Reilly instead, garnering his approval in your absence. Yet still, out of courtesy, we sent the telegrams with our decisions to your office for your perusal. This is a prime example of why all of us need to make sure Headquarters knows where we are at all times."
Hal paused as he composed his anger.
"Let's move on to the matters at hand. I'm actually glad you are here today, Andrew. In addition to all these improvements, I've needed to talk to you about another most important matter. Before I proceed, we are all sworn to the highest degree of secrecy related to every single word that is about to be spoken. And Bill, for you, that sworn commitment is predicated on your entire Mountie career as an Inspector as well as your current career as a regional Judge. Are we understood?"
"Perfectly, Sir!" answered the Judge, knowing how highly unusual this was to be included in classified Mountie matters.
"Nathan, Andrew, what I am about to say is highly classified, and both of you are bound to consider it as such.
"We need you and your expertise, Andrew, on a top-secret mission in Halifax. There's a huge department store there that we're pretty sure is involved in quite a bit of nefarious activity, and we need to set up a sting. Nobody does that better than you. I've been carrying the pouch with me. It has your apartment address, your application for an administrative position within the store, and….."
Though the Deputy Commissioner continued speaking, Andrew Hargreaves heard none of it, smirking to himself instead.
Finally, his horrible luck of this morning had turned! Or so he thought.
This was perfect, as this 'department store' included his main team of fencers. Talk about getting a paid vacation! This was like a dream that couldn't possibly get any better!
"When did you need me to leave, Sir?"
"We needed you to leave yesterday, but since we couldn't reach you, we exchanged the ticket in 24-hour increments. Your ticket to Halifax for today leaves out of Union City at 3 PM, which means…" and the Deputy Commissioner looked at Nathan for clarification.
"Which means the Superintendent would need to leave no later than on the 1:30 PM Train from here in order not to be rushed to make his connection."
"Got it! Consider it done. Were there any additional orders, Sir?" asked Hargreaves of Deputy Commissioner Blevins.
"No, they're all in here. You need to read the entire dossier once you're on the Union City train to Halifax. Oh, and Andrew, was there any other reason you were here that we can help you with before you leave?"
"Not now that you seem to have everything under control! I think I might just relax a little and enjoy walking through the town to get some exercise and lunch before I start my travels. So, if there is nothing further you need with me, I'll take my leave, and Sir, if you don't mind me reading the dossier earlier, I'll be happy to do so."
"No, not where there are prying eyes. You'll have a private suite on your train to Halifax since that's a long ride, which will give you complete privacy to read it in its entirety there. Best of luck, Superintendent Hargreaves! And please do keep me posted, not only as required in your packet, but if you discover anything in between that is both pertinent and emergent!"
"Yes, Sir, of course! Thank you, Sir! I love the idea of being out in the field again on a real sting! This mission is right up my alley, and believe me, I will not fail you."
Then he turned to leave, but before he did, the Superintendent turned back around to face the new Chief Inspector one last time.
"Chief Inspector Grant, I wish to offer my sincerest congratulations! Just think, if you had taken that first job I offered you so long ago, right here in Coal Valley, you might have advanced much more quickly and have had a personal life, too, since the young Mrs. Thornton would never have even met our Constable Thornton, Jack, Senior. Why it might have been you, instead…"
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89, "At the Ready," a term originating in 1837 meaning to have something ready for immediate use, such as a gun or an umbrella; but also to be poised or prepared or waiting to act. Public Domain Information.
90. "Digs," comes from the word 'diggings,' which goes back to the 19th century and refers to abode, lodgings, or living quarters (here used to refer to an office). Public Domain Information.