Reach of Destiny

Untitled Part 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

9:00 am, Wednesday July 5th, 1922

Inspector Brackenreid's Office

Oh God...

Julia Ogden did not like the look of this, not at all.

Inspector Brackenreid himself ordered her over, rather imperiously, she thought, which brought her across the laneway with a bit of an attitude -- and without changing her clothes. If the abrupt summons wasn't bad enough, once she arrived she passed by a mute and terrified-looking Constable Crabtree parked stiffly on a bench. In the Inspector's office she was confronted by Ruby sitting ever so primly on the inspector's leather settee, with William looming over her radiating agitation of some kind. Was that worry or disapproval? Both probably.

She had no real idea what this was about, other than judging by the Inspector's red glower it was probably going to be bad, so she decided to brazen it out. "Just what am I doing here, Inspector? I am in the middle of an autopsy."

"Your sister!" The Inspector rustled the paper in his hand and boomed: "'Bootleg Booze Bust Burnishes Brackenreid and the Boys of Station Four.'  That's this morning's front page of the Toronto Star. How in blazes did you get all these details, Miss Ogden?" He pivoted away from Ruby and straight at her. "From you, Doctor? Because the both of you are about an inch from being tossed in my cells!"

Julia barked right back at him. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Inspector. I have not seen the papers today nor spoken with my sister about this case -- or any other!" She glared at Ruby. Just as I predicted for my sister to drag me into something. "If the papers are suddenly happy with you and spelled your name correctly, what is the problem?"

Next to her Ruby was uncannily quiet, calm and collected in the midst of the shouting. William was silent as well -- but hardly calm. She studied him more closely. He seemed... different...

He met her eyes -- uncomfortably, she thought -- and he spoke: "The problem is that Miss Ogden's byline is on this story and she has details of the raid on the old munitions factory yesterday which are not publicly known. One: that the victim found in the building was born Giovanni Salieri. Two: that Mr. Salieri conducted a secret re-distilling operation at the factory which was the source of the poisoned alcohol causing the deaths of 44 poor souls and countless other illnesses. Three: that Mr. Salieri was killed during the sabotage of his operation just as the constabulary conducted a daring raid on the place. The article also mentions how the constabulary tracked his operation down and destroyed a significant portion of the illegal alcohol distribution network in Ontario."

He ticked these facts off on one hand. "There is information about the operation's finances and distribution network. As an extra they printed a public service warning about how hard it is to remove methyl alcohol when it is used as an adulterant. She also refuses to explain how she came by these facts. One obvious conclusion is that you are her source."

"That is not true!" Julia insisted, stepping up to challenge him. She noticed he was silent on the actual cause of Mr. Salieri's death by strangulation. "Ruby, did you use me? Lie to me?!"

"I must protect my sources, Detective," Ruby piped up. "However, in this case I can say unequivocally Julia is not one of them. Rather, she has been tight-lipped about her work as City Coroner..."

Julia held her breath. She knew that tone in her sister's voice. Ruby was dangling her knowledge of Julia's exploits as a warning of mischief to come.

Ruby continued, unperturbed. "...My article also explains how the derring-do of Station House No. 4, against all odds, saved the city from even more dastardly events. I only told the truth, Inspector Brackenreid. You are commander here, are you not? Detective Murdoch, did you not lead the raid with Constable Crabtree, and great physical peril to you both? And then did you not save the new city coroner's life from that collapsing building?" Ruby paused meaningfully. "As for the explosion at the distilling operation...it seems the owner of Canada Wire is more than happy to be praised for cooperating with the constabulary as a way to abate the humiliation of hosting the operation right under their noses, plus, the Mayor and Control Board are pleased to claim bragging rights for possessing such fine officers as yourself who work for Toronto the Good, in their delight to one-up the city of Hamilton."