The Third Riel Conspiracy

by Stephen Legault

  “What for?” asked Steele.

  “To ensure that if Wake got close to Riel, he would not succeed in his effort.”

  “And what was that?”

  “At that time, I believe Wake’s purpose was to disrupt the effort to return Riel to the North West Territories. He was to sow seeds of doubt in the community and spread rumours. When that failed, and he was faced with an angry Gabriel Dumont, he likely decided to take a more direct route and lie in wait for them, and that’s when Jasper Dire got to Wake’s brother.”

  “And why not Wake himself?” asked Crozier.

  “Maybe Dire tried but failed. In any case, at that point he would have been known to Wake, so he assumed a disguise. He dyed his hair black to cover up his ginger locks and returned to Canada.”

  “Sergeant, you reported to me that there was another man with Jasper Dire when he went to Sun River. You told me he wore a Mounted Police uniform,” said Crozier.

  “That’s right. I’ve had time to check the record at the barracks, sir. I believe it was Staff Sergeant Provost. He was on extended leave at the time Dire went to Sun River. I believe Mr. Provost was the cleverest of the lot. He managed to infiltrate his enemy’s ranks and was trusted among them. He was able to convince Dire to allow him to travel to Sun River, and went so far as conspiring to kill the Wake brothers just to get close to Dire and the others. We’ll never know. Dire and Provost are both dead.”

  “This so-called Shadow Conspiracy. What was its role in all of this?” asked Crozier.

  “Should Riel be captured, the Shadow Conspiracy’s purpose was to ensure that he would stand trial. To ensure that whatever the outcome of the Northwest Rebellion, Riel’s story should cause the most harm to Prime Minister Macdonald.”

  “Are you saying, sir, that Edward Blake’s Liberals are behind this?” Dewdney sounded incredulous.

  “I’m not willing to speculate, sir. I doubt very much that any of our political leaders would admit direct involvement of any kind—”

  “I should say not!”

  “What I can say with some certainly is that Jasper Dire and his colleagues intended to kill as many members of the Regina Group as necessary to keep Riel alive long enough to stand trial. When Dire saw the chance to eliminate Wake, first at La Jolie Prairie and then again in the zareba, he took it.”

  “Do you think it was Dire who took a shot at you when you were on the Humboldt Trail?” asked Steele.

  “I suspect as much,” said Durrant. “And it was likely he who followed me to Sun River and back. I think the Humboldt Trail incident was intended as a warning, as was the note left in the church in Sun River. If he wanted to kill me, he could have. I believe that his following me to Sun River was to see just how much I had learned about these conspiracies.”

  Edward Dewdney stood up, as did the other men in the room. Dewdney came toward Durrant. “Sergeant, you will turn your notes on the Regina Group over to me. I will supervise the investigation personally.” Durrant looked askance, and the lieutenant-governor demanded, “Is that a problem, Sergeant?”

  Durrant caught Sam Steele’s eye. “No, sir, that won’t be a problem.”

  “Very well, then. Good work, Sergeant, in bringing this matter to a conclusion.” And he left.

  The room was silent. “You don’t think—?” began Durrant when the silence had hung long enough.

  Crozier cut him off with a raised hand. “Don’t even ask that question, Sergeant. This country isn’t ready for it.”

  “That was it? ‘Good work in bringing this matter to a conclusion?’” asked Saul.

  “That was all,” said Durrant.

  “And do you suppose that Dewdney will be opening his investigation tomorrow?” asked Saul with a wry smile.

  “I suspect that he will spend some time first considering the notes with great care.”

  “That is, as soon as we are able to make a copy of them,” said Charlene.

  “Mr. Jimmy has set about that task already,” said Garnet. They were seated in his room. A pot of tea was set in the middle of the table. “I am very sorry for the loss of your friend.”

  “His death stings, Garnet, but it is his betrayal that burns the most.”

  “There is no doubt that this was a nasty piece of business. I fear it will leave a scar long after that wound on your neck has healed.”

  “It’s best not to think too much on it,” said Charlene. “We are among the living.”

  “Yes, we are,” said Durrant. “And I am grateful for all that you have done.”

  “Where to next, Durrant?” asked Saul.

  “Steele wants me back at Fort Calgary as soon as I can. The railway is making its final push toward completion at Rogers Pass, and he is in need of my particular brand of policing elsewhere along the line.”

  “You’re not going straight away, are you?” asked Garnet.

  “No. No, I’m not. There is yet unfinished business. Somewhere in the dale of the Saskatchewan around Batoche is the body of the teamster who was supposed to accompany Dumont to Sun River. Reuben Wake murdered him and took his place. I can’t let that stand. More work needs to be done to uncover the circumstances around the demise of Wake’s brother, Percy. I have questions that need answering, and they may well take me back across the Medicine Line. Who knows? I may yet make it into the Kootenay country to look in on my old friends Jeb and Bud Ensley.”

  “I suppose you’ll be gone come the morning then, won’t you?” asked Charlene.

  “I will. I could use a hand, if you’re up for it.”

  “When do we leave?” Charlene beamed.

  “For Queen and country,” said Garnet, raising his cup of tea.

  “And for friendship. Long may it last,” said Durrant.

  EPILOGUE

  THE RESISTANCE OF LOUIS RIEL

  NOVEMBER 16, 1885.

  THE CROWD THAT WAS ASSEMBLED outside the barracks of the North West Mounted Police seemed to include half the population of the North West Territories. The day was icy cold, with a bitter wind from the north. Despite that, people had been arriving by train and wagon for the two days since the last appeal of Louis Riel had been dismissed.

  Inside the barracks, Lieutenant-Governor Dewdney and other politicians, the senior brass of the North West Mounted Police, and handpicked members of the eastern media had gathered for the event.

  Stanley Block was not among them. Though he had begun to make a recovery from the cracked skull he had suffered at the hands of Durrant Wallace, he had not regained his power of speech. His conspiracy trial had been postponed until he regained his faculties, but there was no indication of when that would be.

  Jasper Dire and Sub-Inspector Dickenson had both been found guilty of conspiracy and attempted murder, and were now awaiting sentencing. Father Lefèbvre and Jacques Lambert had been returned to the northern communities after serving three months each for their roles in the attempted prison break.

  Charlene Louise stood next to Durrant. She had convinced a Justice of the Peace to posthumously annul her marriage to Mason and had dropped his last name. She wore a heavy coat and stylish cap and was pressed in close to Durrant as they stood waiting. Durrant wore his sealskin cap and greatcoat and heavy woollen gauntlets.

  Durrant felt a body brush against his in the crowd and turned to see Saul Armatage smiling at him. “Hello, Durrant, welcome back. How was Craigellachie?”

  “Mostly pomp and ceremony but dignified, I suppose.”

  “Can you be seen in the tintype of the driving of the last spike?”

  “I should hope not. I managed to get in behind Donald Smith, who nearly blocked out the sun with his girth. No, this visage won’t stain the nation’s memory of that event.”

  “I understand that you’ve been given a promotion?”

  “Pardon me?” Charlene looked at Saul, then back at Durrant. “Why didn’t you say so?”

  “It didn’t seem appropriate, given these dour circumstances.”

  “Word has it t
hat Mr. Wallace here is now a full inspector in the North West Mounted Police,” said Saul.

  “It would seem so.”

  “Does that mean you can pull rank on Sub-Inspector Dewalt?” asked Charlene.

  “I suppose it does.” Durrant looked pleased. “Steele felt that if I was to remain clandestine in my investigations, I would have to report directly to him and not be held to account by the likes of Dewalt. It seems that Ottawa doesn’t want there to be an investigative branch of the force, but Steele has found a way to circumnavigate that.” Durrant faced Saul. “I had hoped that Garnet would be here too.”

  “He wanted to be, and sent a dispatch from somewhere in the Far East to say so. He’s off on another one of his adventures, but he’ll be back. Any word on Riel?” asked Saul.

  “None, yet,” said Durrant. What seemed like an eternity passed, and then the judge exited the barracks and a hush fell over the crowd. He stood for a moment and then cleared his throat. “For the crime of treason against the Crown and the Dominion of Canada, Mr. Louis Riel was hanged from the neck until dead.”

  For a moment the crowd was silent. The prairie wind blew hard, and it seemed to freeze those in attendance. Then a ripple went through the mass, and some people clapped while others yelled. Someone threw a rock, and in a moment they were on the brink of pandemonium. Durrant steered his friends away from the melee.

  When they were away from the crowd, he said quietly, “The Riel Resistance ends.” He pressed close to Charlene.

  She reached for his left hand and squeezed it, and he did not pull away. “But the story just begins,” she said.

  “Yes,” said Durrant. “Long live Riel.”

  “Long live Riel,” she echoed, and all three of them walked away.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  MY SINCERE GRATITUDE GOES OUT to the many people who have helped me with the historical research that underlies this novel. The Parks Canada staff at Batoche National Historical Site in Saskatchewan have provided ongoing information as I’ve undertaken the writing of this novel. Shari Colliness of the City of Regina Archives provided information on the early history of that city and direction on the real-life conspiracies that surrounded the trial of Louis Riel. Jo-Anne Colby and Nick Richbell, archivists with the Canadian Pacific Railway, once again came to my rescue, providing the earliest map of the City of Regina that I have found, along with valuable diagrams of early CPR railcars. Author Sharon Wildwind provided plenty of leads for my research. My appreciation to Stephen Maly, a historian with Helena Civic TV, who filled in the gaps about Riel’s time in Sun River. Miranda Grol, the archivist at the Fort Macleod Museum, helped me with research on that critical piece of the story. Fellow TouchWood author Bill Gallaher provided important feedback on the North West Mounted Police, and Dr. Bill Waiser, A.S. Morton Distinguished Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan, took the time to first read the manuscript and then discuss the critical events surrounding the Northwest Rebellion with me. It was a pleasure.

  As always, I am indebted to TouchWood Editions: Ruth Linka, Emily Shorthouse, Pete Kohut, Cailey Cavallin, and the rest of the staff make it possible for me to worry only about writing as best I can, and they take care of the rest. Frances Thorsen, who is my story editor, is an extraordinary help in bringing these novels to life. I suppose I could do this without her, but the final product wouldn’t be much good. Thanks also to Vivian Sinclair for her work as copy editor; she kept me from embarrassing myself too much.

  My thanks go out to all of the booksellers, big and small, who have stocked my books. Each and every day I say thanks for making it possible for me to continue writing.

  But above all else, I am grateful for my wife, Jenn, who supports me and gives me everything I need to make an investment in the writing process. Together we travelled to Saskatchewan when I was researching this book, and for two years she gave me the time and space needed to rise early each morning and create this novel. I am deeply appreciative of her love and support.

  STEPHEN LEGAULT is an author, consultant, conservationist, and photographer who lives in Canmore, Alberta. He is the author of six other books, including the first three installments in the Cole Blackwater mystery series, The Vanishing Track, The Cardinal Divide, and The Darkening Archipelago, as well as The Slickrock Paradox, the first book in the Red Rock Canyon mystery series, and The End of the Line, the first book in the Durrant Wallace mystery series. Please visit Stephen online at stephenlegault.com or follow him on Twitter at @stephenlegault.

  BOOKS BY STEPHEN LEGAULT

  THE DURRANT WALLACE SERIES

  The End of the Line

  It's the winter of 1884, and five hundred Canadian Pacific Rail workers have halted their push through the Rockies at Holt City, an isolated shantytown in the shadow of the Continental Divide. The men are tired and cold, and patience is as scarce as the rationed food. Then, Deek Penner, a CPR section boss, is brutally murdered at the end of the track. His body is found frozen on the banks of the Bow River.

  Durrant Wallace, a veteran of the celebrated March West by the North West Mounted Police a decade earlier, is returned to active duty to investigate the murder. Durrant lost his leg in a gun battle with whiskey traders three years previous, and he struggles with being a Mounted Police officer who cannot ride. When Durrant arrives, Holt City is ripe with possible suspects: illegal whiskey smugglers, spies for rival railways, explosives dealers and a mysterious Member of Parliament who insists on getting his meddling fingers into everybody else's business. Durrant must use his cunning and determination to discover to identify the killer before he finds his next victim and derails the great Canadian national dream in the process.

  The Third Riel Conspiracy

  It is the spring of 1885 and the Northwest Rebellion has broken out. Amid the chaos of the Battle of Batoche, a grisly act leaves Reuben Wake dead. A Metis man is arrested for the crime, but he claims innocence. When Durrant Wallace, sergeant in the North West Mounted Police, begins his own investigation into the man’s possible motives, he learns there were many who wanted Wake dead. What Durrant uncovers is a series of covert conspiracies surrounding Metis leader and prophet Louis Riel. And, during the week-long intermission in Riel’s trial, he sets a trap to find Wake’s true killer.

  The Third Riel Conspiracy is the second book in the Durrant Wallace Mysteries, a series of historical murder mysteries set during pivotal events in western Canada’s history.

  THE RED ROCK CANYON SERIES

  The Slickrock Paradox

  Silas Pearson is looking for answers. It's been more than three years since his wife, Penelope de Silva, disappeared while working on a conservation project in Utah's red rock wilderness. Law enforcement authorities have given up hope of finding the adventurous Penelope alive. And some suggest that she may not have vanished into the desert at all, but simply left Silas for another man. Silas moves to Moab, where his wife was last seen, with one purpose: finding his wife, dead or alive. His search takes him into a spectacular wilderness of red rock canyons, soaring mesas, and vertical earth, where he must confront his failures as a husband and his guilt over not being there when Penelope needed him most.

  The Slickrock Paradox is the first book in the Red Rock Canyon Mysteries, a series of books that explores an iconic American landscape through an atypical anti-hero who is deeply flawed, reluctant, and yet familiar.

  THE COLE BLACKWATER SERIES

  The Vanishing Track

  When his best friend, and advocate for the homeless, Denman Scott asks him to help stop the demolition of the Lucky Strike—a once majestic hotel in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside that is now home to nearly three hundred of the city's least fortunate residents—Cole Blackwater gets more than he bargained for.

  Working with Vancouver Sun reporter Nancy Webber and street nurse Juliet Rose, Cole and Denman discover that homeless people in the area have been disappearing without a trace. As they venture into the dark corners of the city's underworld, and into political corruption
at City Hall, they find themselves in the middle of a dangerous cabal of city officials, high-ranking cops, condo developers, and crime bosses. Can Cole and his friends unravel the mystery behind the Lucky Strike—before any more of the Eastside's homeless find themselves on the vanishing track?

  Tackling the real big-city issues of housing shortages, political corruption, and murder, The Vanishing Track is the third Cole Blackwater Mystery and the most compelling yet.

  OTHER BOOKS IN THE COLE BLACKWATER SERIES

  The Darkening Archipelago

  The Cardinal Divide

  OTHER BOOKS BY STEPHEN LEGAULT

  Carry Tiger to Mountain: The Tao of Activism and Leadership

  Copyright © 2013 Stephen Legault

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  LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

  Legault, Stephen, 1971–

  The third Riel conspiracy [electronic resource] / Stephen Legault.

  (A Durrant Wallace mystery)

  Electronic monograph.

  Issued also in print format.