.
Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
.
Chapter Forty-eight
.
Capital City
.
Part III
.
Please state your legal name as it appears on your birth certificate in full:
Jeanette Marie Au Coin Vanderbilt
Can you please explain why you choose to go by your mother's maiden name as opposed to your given surname?
Mother's name is not a well-known name, especially in the States as she is French-Canadian.
Yet the Vanderbilt name is known worldwide.
And whenever one says they are a Vanderbilt, we have collectively, as a family, found that we immediately become targets for both our parents' money and our own money.
Has that also been your personal experience?
Yes, I don't really have friends, just social acquaintances who are very interested in knowing all about what money I have access to.
Oh, I almost forgot. A few of our servants have been really good friends with me over the years. The best, actually. Some even like second parents, which my parents were perfectly fine with because they were good people.
But as far as society, we mostly had to keep our friendships hidden, since they couldn't exactly attend parties and social functions with me, although we did try a few times! It just never seemed to work out the way we wanted, and both of us would just end up feeling sad.
What country or countries are you a citizen of?
The United States and Canada, as I have dual citizenship since my father was born in New York and my Mother was born in Montreal.
In which country were you born?
The United States
In what state were you born?
New York
In which states do you have homes?
I don't own a home of my own.
But I do live in our family-owned homes; the main ones are in Hyde Park, New York; Manhattan, New York; San Francisco, California; Ashville, North Carolina; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. There are others throughout the United States that we share with various family members and sort of rotate through, such as Oakland Farm in Rhode Island and my personal favorite, "Sagamore Camp" in the Adirondack Mountains.
I always feel most at peace when I'm at "Sagamore Camp," sort of at one with nature if you will. Oddly enough, I'm the one in the family who loves roughing it in a tent underneath the stars! (*122)
(The Chief noticed a dreamy look crossed her face that quickly turned to terror, as though some awful memory was flooding back, and made a note to circle back.)
How old are you?
25
Miss Vanderbilt, have you ever met a man called Casimir Shaw?
No, I have not met Casimir Shaw, Sr. personally, though I have observed him up close without his knowledge.
Have you met a man called Casimir Shaw, Junior?
Yes, many more times than I would like.
His given name is Casimir Shaw, Jr., but he gets violent if anyone uses the "Junior" part, so he goes by Casimir Shaw, II, but mostly by CS.
How were you able to observe Casimir Shaw Senior?
His son found out my real name, kidnapped me from my hotel, placed a gun to my back, gagged me, then took me to his father as a prize to extort from me, leaving me in the back room, tied up so I couldn't escape.
But CS left the door cracked open, and I could see and hear that his father wasn't impressed with his idea, saying:
"Do you know who you're talking about? Getting into that family's coffers would set off all sorts of alarms. Even hers. Where did you find her?"
"At the new Governor's Ball."
"Does she know him?"
"I don't know."
"You idiot, find out. If she's a looker, that's where we need her now. Our new Governor has got to turn a blind eye, just like Balfour did, in order for our livelihood, your inheritance, Son, to continue."
That's when they did their research after the fact and found out that Lucas and I had been engaged.
However, when CS first kidnapped me, I was terrified, and it only got worse.
And from the moment they discovered my former relationship with our new governor, my life became a living hell.
(The Chief jotted her last word down again to circle back.)
Can you tell me what Casimir Shaw, Sr. looks like?
Yes, he's tall, about six foot 2 inches, I'd say.
He's rather handsome in a rugged sort of way, with graying hair at his temples but overall darker hair. Most would think that he wears it rather long for a man his age.
His eyes are very dark, almost black, and he has a jagged cut over his right eye, which is partially covered by a bushy eyebrow.
Overall, he's very fit.
And though I know he is not a good person, he gives the appearance of being kind and upbeat.
Like a person you'd want to be around, though in my experience, he is anything but that.
Also struck me as someone very bright, very methodical, not at all a loose cannon like his son!
Tell me what his son looks like.
CS is even taller at about 6 foot, 5 inches? I'm 5 foot 10 inches, and he towered over me.
He's also bigger framed than his father and heavier, not nearly as fit or trim.
He didn't inherit his father's good looks either, but instead always gave the impression of a hothead who could turn menacing in a flash.
His eyes are green, and his hair is much lighter than Casimir Senior's, almost reddish.
And his skin is lighter as well.
Overall, very average looking, wouldn't pick him out in a crowd at all except for his height, which I think he uses to his advantage.
I was probably more terrified of him than I was of his father, given his size and what I learned that night.
Because I thought if I got in a pinch with his father, I could probably at least reason with him.
But I knew that would never be an option with Junior. CS was much too volatile, and he was the one who was made my handler.
At least, I think that's what he called it.
I don't know if that was self-appointed or later ordered by his father, but he, or someone else in his absence, was always wherever I was.
Was CS in Hope Valley the night of your and your colleague's arrest?
Yes, he was watching all of it and part of the time, he was watching it from within the Queen of Hearts behind the bar so he could hear what I was saying.
He wanted to make sure I was doing exactly as he had instructed me.
(The Chief also made a note here, again, to circle back later.)
You say CS was designated as your 'handler,' how did he control you?
CS started out by threatening our Governor's life, and he always showed me that he knew exactly where he was, even when he was in Hope Valley.
Lucas wasn't taking my calls even though CS was insisting I call him. All those calls were monitored to make sure I said exactly what they told me to say.
During a two-week period, I knew CS had gone to the States. I somehow managed to escape the person left to follow me, who, unknown to CS, happened to be into drugs. That was when I came to Hope Valley to warn Lucas, but he wouldn't even listen to me in person.
As soon as CS returned to Canada, he came to my hotel room, intoxicated, late one night, and handed me a dossier with photos of all my family members, with every single publicly known thing about them and some things that weren't commonly known, swearing to me in the most threatening manner, brandishing a loaded gun, while threatening that he would kill them off one by one, then kill me too, if I didn't do exactly as he said.
Why did you not ever once call your father for help or at least to warn him?
All my calls from the hotel were being monitored by CS, as he had made "friends" with the young and very pretty switchboard operator there.
And when I tried to slip out to call away from the hotel, CS always had someone following me to report back to him, so there was no way I could warn them.
They even intercepted my mail. I know because I tested that.
I even met a family friend at a political function and begged them to warn my parents, but I couldn't make them understand the urgency, as CS was watching me the entire time.
Believe me, I tried doing the same numerous times. In fact, every single time, I ran into an acquaintance, but without any real success.
I did finally get to call both my parents multiple times from Hope Valley when I visited while CS was in the States, which was such a relief in one way but also a concern because, of course, they were very worried about me.
They arranged to send help to me but by that time, sadly, it was too late.
Yes, I have the records here. Why did your parents not contact you during all the time before you were able to reach them?
I had just switched hotels and towns just before CS kidnapped me and had not yet had time to let them know my new contact information.
Are your parents supportive of you, Miss Vanderbilt?
Very much so, except for one thing.
And what is that one thing?
They have never trusted Lucas and have never wanted me to be involved with him. They were dead set against our engagement.
Can you please tell me why?
They felt he was an opportunist and didn't have my best interests at heart.
Has that changed now that he is Governor?
I honestly don't know, but I sincerely doubt it.
My parents are fair, but Lucas was never very respectful of their wishes, so there was quite a bit of conflict from the beginning of meeting him.
I know if he were ever to win them over, he would need to handle things much differently, less cockiness, with a lot more heartfelt respect.
Speaking of our Governor, when you were with him, did you ever participate in any criminal activity?
I believed that what Lucas was doing was probably not completely on the up and up, but he never shared the details with me and only asked me to help with things that appeared to be legal.
And to please him, I did my best to help him.
So no, not to my knowledge did we commit a crime, though still probably not our proudest moments.
In Hope Valley, prior to your arrest, why did you say that you were Casimir Shaw, implying as such you were also the mastermind of the Governor's original shooting?
I said only what I was told to say, and please understand that CS was right there for most of it, gauging my words and tones to see if I had done it convincingly enough.
In case you don't know, his gun was drawn on me for the entire time.
And you knew that how?
I saw him enter before everyone else.
Later, I could hear him behind the bar, so I knew he was still there, and I also saw him lift his gun twice as a threat to me during my conversation with Mrs. Coulter and Elizabeth, letting me know he would use it in a heartbeat, on all three of us if he felt like it.
I was particularly trying to get Mrs. Coulter to back away from what she was saying but without success. Because, at the same time, I had to say exactly what CS wanted me to say.
You see, CS doesn't like women who appear to be smarter than him.
Did you realize CS was sending you to prison?
Not till I realized he wasn't going to do anything to intervene.
But the truth is I didn't want him to intervene.
I felt I would be safer in prison than with him.
And I was terrified and worn down. I was at a point where I wasn't sure I could continue.
The most difficult part of that night wasn't being taken to prison; it was believing I would never see Lucas again.
Let's go back to the Adirondack Mountains the night you slept in the tent out under the stars. Was it a pleasant night?
It used to be one of the most pleasant nights of my life.
Miss Vanderbilt, why did your look of pleasure morph into terror in a matter of seconds when you previously mentioned that night?
How was that happy memory linked to something that sickened you?
(She placed her hands over her face and became visibly nervous, wanting to be anywhere but here and not at all wanting to answer the question, while at the same time remembering her promise to this man who was doing his best to help her.)
Here, take a sip of water, garner your strength, and answer the questions when you are able.
(The Chief handed her a glassful of cold water and watched her demeanor closely as she took a few sips.)
Now, take your time, but I do need the questions answered, no matter how difficult or how private. I give you my word that your confidence will be kept as much as is humanly possible within our working of this case.
That night in the Adirondacks was with Lucas, and it was the most romantic night of my life, though nothing untoward happened, as I've been raised to always be a lady. And though Lucas is not perfect, he would never take advantage of me like that.
But then, the month before my arrest, there was another night, a horrific night, another tent that I was forced into.
That was when CS robbed me of all my wonderful memories forever.
Nothing will ever be the same, and if being out in the real world means going through that again, I can't do it.
I won't do it.
Not even at gunpoint.
I would rather be in prison, knowing now how bad it is.
And it is awful.
But maybe I deserve it.
Did CS abuse you by physically taking advantage of you?
Yes, as he had done so many times before, but this time, he robbed me of the most pleasant memory of my life.
And it completely broke me in a way that made me believe I deserved all this pain.
And that this was instead the horrible future I deserved and had to resign myself to, not the one with love that I wanted more than anything else.
Miss Vanderbilt, for the record, no woman deserves anything like that, no matter what the circumstances are.
Coercion is never acceptable in any way whatsoever, and there are labels put to the crime because any violation of that sort is, in fact, a crime severely punishable by the law.
You stated that when the Shaws discovered you had been engaged to the Governor, that was when your life became a living hell.
Can you please elaborate on that?
Not only did I have to fear for my own life, I was in total desperation to save Lucas's life.
That night CS's colleague shot Lucas, my own life evaporated before my eyes.
Somehow, I had the presence of mind to knock the gun away from Lucas's heart, but then he grabbed it and, in the process, was shot twice.
The very thing I was trying to save him from, I had to watch happen.
It was like dying a thousand deaths, each one more painful than the last for weeks and weeks to come, the whole while being forced by the Shaws to deliver whatever their next brainstorm of a crime happened to be, which was something always heinous that they would coerce me to do.
I couldn't even grieve properly over Lucas, nor could I go see how he was doing.
The whole time, they taunted me, too, telling me I had lost him for good and there was no alternative life for me but with them.
Unless, of course, I wanted to sign over all my millions to them, was how they worded it.
Then I had to endure having the very same colleague who shot Lucas assigned to me as my faux colleague, a permanent in my face reminder of that horrible night!
I saw no way out, because they really do have men everywhere!
Please expound on your belief that they have men everywhere and explain how you know that to be true.
It wasn't long before I noticed CS had a brand on his palm that was just like the scar above this father's right eye.
That first night I was kidnapped, they were having what they called a branding party for new recruits.
They all got drunk and high on drugs, and each new man was branded.
I know because I could smell the stench of burning skin and hear their screams.
It was terrifying, fearing the whole time they would remember I was there and then I would be next.
After they were branded, they each received a Mountie uniform that they were to wear when ordered to do so by Shaw himself.
I also know that wherever they took me, they had men under them they met with.
Many of those men were in Mountie uniforms, and I couldn't tell if they were all faux or if some were real.
But it was obvious they had men in every single province as well as every single state.
I also suspected that in the States, the men had access to police uniforms, and by suspected, I saw CS actually meet with some men here in Canada who appeared to be US policemen based on their uniforms.
That same night you were kidnapped and witnessed the initiation ceremony of Shaw's new recruits that you described above, when did they finally release you and take you back to your hotel?
They didn't.
They got so drunk and so high on the drugs (opium I think), that I managed to fray the cords they bound me with, by just continuously rubbing them back and forth against the wooden chair they had me in, till I was able to pull them lose and free myself.
I managed to slip out the back door, which CS had unwittingly left unlocked.
But to my chagrin, there were two guards outside at the back entrance.
One appeared to be asleep.
But the other started to stop me, then took pity on my disheveled condition and decided to follow me instead, allowing me to go inside my hotel room, clean myself up, and try to recover.
He had no idea what I had seen or heard, and honestly, I believe he thought they had simply released me.
But for whatever reason, God was with me that night.
Though I checked whenever I got up, he stayed the entire night until one of the other men relieved him as soon as I walked down to the lobby that morning.
Miss Vanderbilt, I want you to think very carefully before you answer this next question, and I want you to be very sure of your answer.
Were any of your actions related to this case committed of your own volition?
No, Sir! I don't have to think about it.
I one hundred percent know that not a single part of this sordid mess was done of my own volition.
None of this is me.
None of it did I desire.
Nor did I wish any of it to happen.
Everything I did related to Lucas and any other possible untoward actions, especially the ones that could be considered criminal, I was forced to do, under great duress, and mostly at gunpoint, while being watched continuously and being told exactly what I had to do and say.
I searched and searched for a way out, but they watched me so closely, there was none.
I did all that was in my power to do to get out, but they didn't give me the opportunity.
As soon as I would reach for help, they were there.
What percentage of time are you certain you were monitored and watched by CS and his colleagues?
With the exception of the two weeks, CS was in the States 100% of the time.
And how do you know that for certain?
Everywhere I went, everything I did, even if only to go to my hotel dining room to eat a meal, visit my doctor for an illness, or go shopping, they were there, and each and every time, they made their presence known by tipping their hats and leering at me.
There was not one instance that I can recall that they weren't there.
It wasn't if they would make their presence known.
It was when they would make their presence known.
Miss Vanderbilt, if we provide you with special task force protection at an undisclosed secure location, are you willing to remain there until we consider it safe for you to return to your life? While there, would you be willing to turn territory evidence on both the Shaws and any and all colleagues you have come in contact with, even if that means you are doing so at great risk to yourself?
My life already has a bounty on it. If I remain in the outside world, you and I both know I'm as good as dead, even if I remain in prison.
I didn't choose this life.
They chose me and coerced me into it.
I can't live like this one more day.
This is the only credible, safe offer I have.
And I am most appreciative of it.
So yes, to all of the above.
Though, I would like to speak with a psychiatrist to help me sort through all they've made me endure during my time of hiding.
Would that be possible, Chief Inspector?
That has already been taken care of, Miss Vanderbilt. But, for your safety, it has to be a psychiatrist of our choosing who is approved by us and part of our classified security team.
His name is Dr. David Morton. He will meet with you as early as tomorrow and then daily as often as is deemed necessary.
He will be attended by a female nurse, who is also on our classified team, so that you will feel completely comfortable.
Thank you, Chief Inspector.
That gives me hope for the first time in a very long time.
I know only these two things:
I know I don't want my parents to see me like this.
And I know I need help.
Both of which mean a total reset…
.
.
.
122." Vanderbilt Homes," actual homes and hotels owned by the Vanderbilt Family used as homes, listed for the historical purposes of this story. Public Domain Information.