Chapter 18

Capital City, Alberta Canada

Tuesday, February 3, 1925

It was 11:30 p.m. when Lucas and Andrew arrived back in Capital City and they went directly to the governor's mansion from the train station. "See you in the morning." Lucas whispered to Andrew as he quietly opened the door to the twin's bedroom. As he entered their room he first stopped at Ciara's bed. She was cuddled with her stuffed dog who she just called Dog. Her curls were haphazardly laying across her pillow, making Lucas smile. She was beautiful in every way, just as her mother was.

Lucas gently kissed her forehead. "Good night princess. Daddy loves you." He whispered tenderly to his sleeping daughter.

He then walked over to his son's bed. He had kicked off his covers, so Lucas gently recovered him. "My little man. You've got big shoes to fill but I know you will fill them in your own way. Matthew means gift from God and that is what you are to me. I love you, Mattie." Lucas whispered and kissed his sleeping son on the top of the head. He tiptoed back out of the room and made his way to MaKayla.

As he opened the master bedroom door, it was dark except for the moonlight that was shining through the window. He quickly undressed and slide into bed beside his sleeping wife. He gently cuddled into her side.

She started to stir and turned on her back. "Lucas, your home. I thought I was dreaming. I missed you so much." She said as she turned to kiss him.

"I missed you more than words can say. I see you kept your promise and our little one is still resting safely under your heart." He told her as she smiled when he caressed her bulging abdomen.

"Was your trip successful?" She asked as she snuggled closer to him.

"Yes, we will discuss it all tomorrow. Right now, I just want to fall asleep in your arms." He told her as he kissed her once again.

"Me too. I love you, Lucas." She said quietly as she started to drift back to sleep in the warmth of her husband's embrace.

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Capital City, Alberta Canada

Wednesday, February 4, 1925

MaKayla kissed her husband as he went to reach for her. "Good morning, my love." Lucas said as he slowly opened his eyes.

"There are two little ones across the hall who are waiting for their Daddy to take them downstairs for breakfast. I have rounds to do at the hospital but I should be home by lunchtime. Perhaps we could have lunch together and you can tell me all about your trip." She told him.

Lucas sat up in bed. "I would like that very much." He said as he kissed her goodbye. Lucas got out of bed and started to walked towards the bathroom as he heard MaKayla tell the twins that Daddy would be in very soon to get them. Lucas laughed; he would have to take a quick shower. The twins were not known for their patience, a trait they undoubtedly got from their mother, certainly not from him, he chuckled to himself.

Once breakfast was done, Lucas left the twins safely in Mrs. Cleveland's care as Henry and Lucas headed to the Capital. "Do I get to hear about your trip and what you discovered?" Henry asked.

"Yes, how about you come to my office around 10. There are some papers that came for me while I was gone that I would like to read first." Lucas told him.

"Alright Lucas. I can wait until then." Henry told him as he eyed his friend with interest. He was very anxious to hear about what happened in New Orleans.

As Lucas entered the reception area, he told his secretary he did not wish to be interrupted until his meeting with Henry. He opened the door to his office and locked it behind him. As he sat down at his desk, he stared at the envelope from the RCMP Records Department. He took a deep breath and opened the envelope and took out the contents. It looked to be all the records from Jack Thornton, Sam Collins and also the ones from Hargraves regarding the mudslide that killed Jack Thornton.

Lucas studied the notes from the RCMP for the next two hours making copious notes. There was a knock at his door as he looked at his watch, 10 o'clock, that would be Henry. Lucas got up from his desk and unlocked the door.

"Henry, come in. We have a lot to discuss." Lucas told him.

"So, do I finally get to hear what your trip to New Orleans was all about?" Henry asked with great curiosity.

"Yes, I'm going to tell you everything. This is about something that happened ten years ago. An old wound for me that never really healed and has haunted me since the day it happened. But it seems what I thought for years is not exactly what happened." Lucas told him

"Sorry Lucas, but I'm confused." Henry told him.

"I found out that my friend Matthew Aucoin was running his own little sting operation in New Orleans in 1914 that not only affected me but possibly, Jack Thornton, as well." Lucas told him.

"Jack Thornton, Wyman Walden and your friend Matthew Aucoin are all connected?" Henry asked him totally flummoxed. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"I don't have all the dots connected just yet but I think I'm close." Lucas told him with anticipation.

"So, what do these men have in common that involves you?" Henry asked quizzically.

"Aucoin found out that Walden and associates were running guns up to the northern territories. He called Daniel Sterling who referred him to Superintendent Sam Collins. Collins put him in touch with Jack Thornton. Between Jack and Matthew, they were disrupting the exchange of viable guns in the territories. Ultimately giving the Mounties, the upper hand and helped them to get the gangs under control." Lucas told him.

"Unfortunately, Walden caught on to what Matthew and Jack were doing. Of course, in his eyes, they needed to be stopped. As far as getting rid of Aucoin, he didn't want to bring any attention to their operation in New Orleans. Serendipitously, I showed up in New Orleans, they decide to call a hit on me knowing that Matthew would intervene. They killed Matthew but everyone thought it was meant for me. That he was just collateral damage. No questions or investigation was needed, an open and shut case. The gun running operation continued undetected." He told him.

"This was the catalyst fueling Jeanette's need to make you pay for her husband's death." Henry said sadly.

"Unfortunately, yes. That did not turn out well for either one of us." Lucas said unhappily.

"Did they decide not to eliminate Jack once Aucoin was dead?" Henry asked. "I mean, he died six months later but it was a training accident. It had nothing to do with gun runners" Henry told him.

"I haven't got that all figured out just yet, but I'm seriously questioning if Jack's death really was an accident." Lucas told him with contemplation.

"From the reports that I received from the RCMP, Matthew should have made another delivery of guns in October 1914. Of course, we know he never made it back to Canada. Jack had leave at Christmas and while in Hope Valley he sent a wire to Matthew in New Orleans but never heard from him. Jack then contacted the New Orleans police and was told that he had been killed and the circumstances regarding his death. Per Jack's notes, Matthew told him if anything suspicious happened to him to contact me." Lucas told him.

"Contact you?" Henry said confused. "My understanding is that you didn't know Jack. Was that not true?" Henry asked startled by this bit of news.

"I never knew of Jack Thornton until I moved to Hope Valley. Jack wrote in his notes that he sent me a letter, care of the saloon in New Orleans. But I never received a letter. I don't know if Jeanette received it and just threw it away. She was pretty angry with me." Lucas said with some despondency.

"From Jack's reports written after Matthew's death, he started doing some investigating on his own regarding Wyman Walden. He reported those findings to his supervisor who told him to stop looking into to the gun runners." Lucas told him.

"Why would his supervisor tell him to stop investigating? Did he write down what he found?" Henry asked.

"He wrote that he did not believe that Walden was the one in charge of the gun running operation. He had a hunch who was behind the influx of guns into Canada but he did not mention a name other than to say it was someone he was familiar with. Although, the entry does have the appearance of being altered. That was the last report that Jack wrote before he returned to Hope Valley from the northern territories in the spring of 1915." Lucas told him.

Henry thought back to when Jack had finally returned to Elizabeth "Jack returned home and he and Elizabeth started planning their wedding." Henry told him with a smile. "I think they were married within a month of Jack's return. But then he was called back to take that 2-month training assignment at Fort Clay." Henry told him.

"And that is where it gets interesting. Nathan Grant, was supposed to take that assignment, but he was reprimanded over a previous incident which made him ineligible to take the assignment. Jack and Nathan were the two most senior Mounties at Fort Clay. Since Nathan was ineligible to take the assignment, due to disobeying direct orders, they were left without a senior Mountie for the assignment." He told Henry trying to gauge his reaction.

"I've heard that story over the years." Henry told him not sure where he was going with this. "Which was why Jack was recalled back to Fort Clay." He told Lucas.

"Exactly. I have the orders from the commanding officer at Fort Clay requesting Jack lead the cadets as the next senior Mountie. Hargraves is on record as saying that Thornton was going on his honeymoon and was not available to take the assignment. The commanding officer states that Grant is the one that put them in this position and they have no choice but to recall Thornton. Thus, forcing Jack to leave Elizabeth. Do you have a guess as to who the commanding officer was?" Lucas asked with a raised eyebrow.

Henry gave a sad chuckle. "Was it Wilson Harkness?" He asked.

"It was." Lucas told him. "The same man who Jeanette told Daniel was their mole in the Mounties. Do you want to know who I think the crime boss of all this devastation is?" Lucas asked.

"Please enlighten me." Henry said slightly nervous as to who he would name.

"It's someone you know. Who was your head of security when you worked for the coal mine?" Lucas asked.

Henry stared at him in disbelief. "Julius Spurlock. You think the man running this criminal gang is Spurlock? Lucas, Spurlock is currently serving time in a prison in New Orleans along with Walden." Henry told him.

"He was in prison in New Orleans until he escaped three years ago and no one has seen him since. When I visited Walden in prison, he let it slip he wasn't in charge. What I need to know is what did Spurlock look like back when he worked for you when you were with the coal mine?" Lucas asked curiously.

Henry thought for a moment. "Hmm, average build, longish dark hair, a beard. Why is that important?" Henry asked him.

"So, he looked nothing like the clean-shaven bald man that we all saw when Walden tried to buy up Hope Valley a few years back?" Lucas asked.

"No. Is the fact that his appearance changed of some significance?" Henry asked confused.

"Yes. A friend of mine at the saloon in New Orleans described the man who told Matthew that I was being set up. He fits the description of Julius Spurlock from back when you knew him, which ties Spurlock to the gun runners maybe not as the boss just yet, but involved." Lucas told him.

"Do you think Spurlock, killed your friend?" Henry asked with uneasiness.

"Yes, I do." Lucas said firmly.

"So, what does all of this mean? Henry asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Lucas smiled broadly at Henry. "That I can finally find justice for Matthew and put his killer behind bars. That I can tell Jeanette what really happened. That I can find some peace for myself with knowing that I was not the reason that Matthew died." Lucas told with quiver in his voice.

"And what about Jack?" Henry asked.

"I'm not sure yet how Thornton fits into this puzzle, other than he was involved. I do think Harkness informed Spurlock that Jack was back at Fort Clay. If that means anything, I'm not sure." Lucas said with uneasiness.

"Now, how exactly are you going to prove all this?" Henry asked with dread.

"We need to go to Hope Valley and speak to Bill and Nathan. Also, Jeanette recently sold her house to pay some of her legal bills. She sent me a box of Matthew's things; the box is in Hope Valley. Perhaps there is something in there that can help us." Lucas told him.

"When do you plan to make this trip to Hope Valley? You do remember that your wife is expecting a baby in the next month." Henry told him, sure that Lucas was not thinking straight right now.

Lucas laughed. "Of course, I remember. If I have to wait until after MaKayla has the baby then I will. I will speak to her today and let you know." He told him with a soft smile.

"Henry, I don't know if you can even remotely understand how much Matthew's Aucoin's death has haunted me. I feel I am so close to finally getting justice for him and for myself. I need this, I really do." Lucas told him almost pleadingly.

"I understand Lucas, truly do. I have your back whatever you need." Henry told him. "Let me know what MaKayla says."

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Lucas arrived back at the governor's mansion around lunchtime and could hear the twins in the playroom. He made his way there and looked in. The twins saw him immediately and went running over.

"Daddy, please play with us." Ciara told her father, taking him by the hand and leading him over to the where they were playing.

"What are you two building over here." Lucas asked them.

"Big house." Matthew told him as Lucas eyed the Lincoln Logs.

"Who is going to live in the big house?" Lucas asked.

"Mommy, Daddy, CC, Jack, baby and me. Matthew said happily.

Lucas smiled at his son. "Can I help you build the house?" Lucas asked. Both children smiled and brought over more logs to add to the house.

"Sit" Ciara told her father, causing Lucas to chuckle. She was just like her mother.

"Mrs. Cleveland why don't you go enjoy a cup of tea. I will play with the children for the next half hour." Lucas told their nanny. She smiled and went off to the kitchen.

Lucas finally made his way upstairs looking for MaKayla. He found her in their bedroom. As he opened the door there was his beautiful wife sleeping soundly on their bed. Her long sandy brown hair was flowing over her shoulders. Lucas gazed at her for a moment. He was so very grateful every day that she had come into his life and he knew that there were not many women who had the courage and grace to deal with all he had brought into their relationship. He knew that Elizabeth could never have handled any of this. He smiled lovingly at his wife as he slowly walked out of the room letting his wife get the rest she needed.

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MaKayla lazily opened her eyes and looked over at the clock on the bed table, 2:30 it read. MaKayla was surprised at what time it was. She had only thought she would take a little nap until Lucas got home. She went into the bathroom and freshen up before setting off to find her husband.

She found Mrs. Cleveland in the kitchen having a cup of tea. "Mrs. Cleveland, did the governor come home for lunch?" MaKayla asked slightly concerned.

She smiled at MaKayla. "Yes, he and the children have been having themselves quite the day. First, they built a big beautiful house with Lincoln Logs, had lunch together, and now they are all outside playing in the snow."

MaKayla walked over to look out the kitchen window. The three of them were building a snowman or rather Matthew and Lucas were with Ciara directing how they should do it. MaKayla laughed watching the scene in front of her. She turned back to Mrs. Cleveland and walked over to the table and took a seat.

"Mrs. Cleveland do you think we will need to hire more help for you with the new baby coming?" MaKayla asked.

"Are you sure it is only one baby this time?" She asked MaKayla teasingly.

"Dr. Jorgenson assures me there is only one this time." She said with a laugh.

"Then I think we will be fine. You and the governor are very involved parents. You both spend a great deal of time with your children despite having very busy careers. It is wonderful to see. I don't foresee that changing when the new little one arrives." She smiled at MaKayla as she patted her hand.

Finally, once the twins were in bed for the night Lucas and MaKayla were able to sit down and discuss his trip to New Orleans.

"So, you really think this Spurlock character is the one who killed Matthew and he was the intended victim from the start?" MaKayla asked wanting to make sure she understood everything Lucas had relayed to her.

"I'm not certain that he actually pulled the trigger although my instincts tell me that he did. But I feel very strongly that he is the crime boss behind all the gangster activity in Alberta."

"Lucas, what exactly do you want to do with all this new information?" She asked concerned.

"How do you feel about having the baby in Hope Valley instead of in Capital City. I really feel like I need to talk to Bill and Nathan in person. I also need to see what is in the box that Jeanette sent me. And lastly Henry actually has some hunches on where Spurlock may be hiding out." He told her anxiously.

MaKayla closed her eyes for a moment as she took in all that Lucas had said but more importantly what he hadn't said.

"MaKayla are you alright? Have I upset you?" Lucas asked worried.

MaKayla opened her eyes and looked directly at her husband. "What you're really telling me is that you want to be the one to bring Spurlock to justice. You don't want Nathan or any other Mountie bringing him in. You need to do this yourself even more than you need your next breath. I can see it in your eyes." She told him with trepidation.

Lucas took his eyes from hers for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. He took a deep breath and turned to face MaKayla taking her hands in his. "There have only been three people my entire life that I knew without question or doubt would always be there for me. You, Matthew and Daniel. You gave me my life back, something that I honestly thought was not possible after Elizabeth's cruel betrayal." He told her with deep sincerity.

"But despite your unconditional love, your unwavering support, and despite my denials to the contrary what happened to Matthew is still always there stealing some of my joy. I know bringing his killer to justice cannot bring him back, but MaKayla…" Lucas trail off as his composure slipped.

"I need to be the one to do this one last thing for him. I know that I have asked so much of you in the past four years. I also know you never imagined all the chaos that I would bring into your life, but I hope that…" Lucas stopped as MaKayla put her finger to his lips.

"Lucas, you honestly don't need to explain. You are my heartbeat, my very breath. When you hurt, I hurt. I may not like it but only because I can't bear the thought of you being in harm's way again." She told him as she gently caressed the side of his face.

"I do understand why you feel you must do this one last thing for your friend. We can leave for Hope Valley on Saturday." MaKayla told him as she kissed him deeply, hoping he would find the answers he needed there.