Chapter Eight

After further conversation, Doro and Aggie decided to pose casual questions at lunch. That strategy provided the additional benefit of Gramma Rose and Mrs. O’Brien observing the exchanges. Later, they could all talk again—if they gleaned information. Would they? And what about talking with the other passengers? How could she and Aggie query them on the sly?

A short time later, Doro led the way to the dining car. When the group arrived, only one table was occupied. “Let’s sit close to the kitchen door,” Doro suggested. She didn’t need to say they could eavesdrop on the staff from that vantage point, but they could.

Gramma Rose sat on the window side, while Aggie and Doro took the aisle seats. Within moments, Joshua approached them.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” His glum expression did not match the greeting. “I’m sorry that we still got a limited menu. Once we’re underway again, it’ll be back to normal.”

With one hand, Rose McLaren gestured at the tabletop. “You’ve made the settings elegant, and I’m sure the offerings will be wonderful.”

“Chef Andre insisted we follow our typical procedures.” Joshua studied the table. “We got some clean linens left, but not many. Most are in the bigger dining car in the other part of the train. Of course, we can wash the dishes, silverware, and so forth. Starched tablecloths aren’t as easy to come by, since we can’t get to the main supply.”

The young man’s babbling about linens seemed useless to Doro. Was there a reason? Or was Joshua nervous? When she studied his expression, Doro noted his gaze darting around the car. Was he looking for someone? If so, who? Then and there, she resolved to remain at the table as long as possible. With so few cars stranded, needing to relinquish seats would not be an issue. Although many of the passengers in the cars ahead of them had eaten in the main dining car, some had been in this one the previous evening. None would be now. “The tables look elegant, and I’m sure that took a lot of work, along with everything else you have to do. Were you able to get a nap?”

Joshua’s gaze went to Doro. “An hour. Chef Andre woke us up.”

A harrumph interrupted, and Doro turned to Clyde, who was standing at the next table. His stern countenance added weight to his words. “Andre don’t care about nobody beneath him. Just like the professor. So hoity-toity, but the old guy got his due.”

A silent interlude followed. Although Mathers had been a lout, he did not deserve to be stabbed. What made the older waiter assert such a thing? Momentarily stymied, Doro held her tongue while resolving to find out why Clyde hated Mathers.

Luckily, Mrs. O’Brien stepped into the breach. “I missed last evening’s arguments, but you’ve seen Professor Mathers before this trip, I guess. Was he traveling the line before my husband retired?”

When he focused on the widow, Clyde lost some of his anger. “Maybe so, but I don’t know that Mr. O’Brien ever met the man. Of course, your husband was a great conductor. Everyone—passengers and crewmen—liked and respected him.”

Mrs. O’Brien smiled. “How long had you and the professor been at odds?” the widow inquired in a conversational tone.

His expression hardened. “Not long, but he was a nasty piece of work. Plenty of folks will say the same.”

The widow had made a narrow in-road. Now, Doro needed to press forward. “He was rude to you last night.” Not that Clyde had not given as good as he got, but she was trying to be subtle.

“Sure, cuz I’m a lowly waiter. At the advanced age of forty-two, I oughta do better—according to him. But not much better. He don’t believe in folks getting above themselves.” Clyde bit each word off like bitter bits of lemon.

The waiter’s assertions made little sense. “Did you talk with the professor about a different job?” Doro asked.

He looked at her with obvious skepticism. “Course not. I knowed him back when my boy...”

Joshua broke in. “We need to see to all these tables. I’ll take care of the ladies.”

For a moment, Clyde looked like he might object. Then, a flush rose in his cheeks. “Sure thing,” he said before moving on.

Joshua took the orders and delivered them ten minutes later. While she ate, Doro took part in the casual conversation, but her mind whirled with possibilities. As with previous cases, clues and suspects were plentiful. But they did not have telling evidence, and there were too many suspects. Thinking back, the situation was nothing new. Investigations were usually rough at first. With determination, they could succeed before a lawman showed up. And that was Doro’s goal.

After the meal, Doro followed the other three women back to the drawing room compartment. After they were all seated, her grandmother spoke. “Aren’t you going to get your notes out and add what we learned?”

“We didn’t find out much,” Doro replied. Her spirits were sagging, due to fatigue and frustration. “Interviewing folks is next to impossible when the man in charge wants Aggie and me to behave like nice young women.”

Both of the older ladies snorted with laughter. “You girls seem quite nice to me,” Mrs. O’Brien observed. “But I understand what you mean.”

“Look,” Aggie said, pointing out the window. “There’s someone coming on horseback.”

Doro went to look out. “That’s odd.”

“Could help come from the north?” Gramma Rose asked.

“I wouldn’t think so,” Mrs. O’Brien said. “I’ve ridden this section many times, and my husband made the trip on a regular basis. Some small towns and ranches are in the area. Most have a telegraph office, so maybe word went out when the train was at the next whistle stop. The stationmaster might’ve wired places in the area. It’s what my husband would’ve done, when he was a stationmaster. That was many years ago.” A wistful expression fell over the women’s lined face. “We spent the first two years of our marriage at a whistle stop town.” She smiled. “I was mighty glad when we moved back to the Springs, since we were raised there. Lots bigger.”

Was the rider a lawman? Doro wondered. If so, their investigation might end before it really got started. “Let’s head to the gangway vestibule, so we can find out while he’s here.”

Aggie jumped to her feet.

“Hurry back, girls. I’m curious,” Gramma Rose added with a smile.

“I am, too,” Mrs. O’Brien tacked on.

Doro and Aggie rushed to the gangway, where Sayers was already descending. With outside steps in place, the two young women were able to follow.

The rider doffed his hat when he caught sight of the young women. “Ladies.”

Sayers glanced at them and back to the horseman. “Can I help you, sir?”

The man, of muscular build and middle years, shook his head. “Nope, but I’ve got some information for you. The telegraph operator up in Tyson, that’s about seven miles to the north, asked if I’d ride down and let you know about the tracks washing out a few miles west of here.”

Sayers ran one hand over his face. “In that patch where they’re low?”

“Yep,” the rider said. “Heavy flooding took them out in that big storm.” He jerked his thumb toward the west. “No help coming from there soon. Your engineer heard the news when he got to the next station going east. That’s a small one. No repair crew or extra engine, so he sent word up the line. They wired saying not to expect workmen until tomorrow afternoon, at the earliest. A derailment farther down the way is tying up a lot of crews.”

“That’s not good news, because we also need a lawman,” the conductor, his face pale, stated. “We got a murder victim on the floor of our kitchen.”

The rider frowned. “I didn’t hear about that, and there’s no sheriff up my way and not any towns closer than Tyson. Word was a railroad security man will come with the repair crew because your engineer found the broken coupler odd. If we had a telephone at my place, I’d call up the line and let them know. But we don’t have none yet.”

That information did not surprise Doro, since not everyone outside Michaw had a telephone. Some looked at the device like they did automobiles: newfangled contraptions.

“My chef and his staff have to fix meals, and a body in their way isn’t good,” Sayers said.

“You could move the man into your cooler,” the rider replied.

“We wanted to preserve the crime scene,” Doro said.

“Understandable,” the man said as he glanced her way. “And you are?”

After introducing herself and Aggie, Doro offered their experience as amateur sleuths. “I was in the kitchen this morning.”

“I see,” the cowboy said, with a glint in his gaze. “My wife and daughters are avid mystery readers. Too bad our ranch isn’t closer, since they’d love to hear about your cases.”

“How far is your ranch?” Doro asked.

“Almost four miles to the northeast.” He pointed to a bluff in the distance. “Out that way.”

“I wish we could meet them,” Doro said. She also wished the ranch was closer, since the murderer was still on the loose. Having a haven nearby would ease minds. To cloak her anxiety, she asked a question. “Do you enjoy whodunits?”

A deep chuckle rumbled out of his barrel chest. “Don’t have much extra time, except in the winter. Then, I’m usually catching up with bookwork. But I solved a few cases myself back when I spent two years as a deputy marshal. That was before I married.”

“And you believe moving the body is all right?” Doro inquired.

“If help wasn’t delayed, I’d say to leave him. As it is, a good lawman won’t need to see the body in place. Just mark where it was, if you can.” The rancher frowned. “Not sure about a railroad security man knowing a lot. If I didn’t need to get back to my ranch, I’d look. My men are out on the range with the cattle. I don’t like leaving my wife, our two daughters, and the housekeeper alone for too long. The West isn’t as wild as when I was young, but you never know when some desperado will come along. It happened at another ranch in these parts recently. Don’t want my womenfolk held hostage.”

Doro had read a few dime novels set in the Old West as a girl, and ranch life had seemed exciting. Being isolated and a target for outlaws did not.

“I don’t blame you,” the conductor said. “Thanks for taking the time to ride over, and for the advice on the body.”

“If the law asks who advised you, my name’s Carlton Menzing. I’m known in these parts.” His gaze flickered to Doro and Aggie. “You two gathering evidence? That might be helpful to the lawman who finally investigates.”

The suggestion buoyed Doro’s spirits. “Mr. Sayers doesn’t want us involved.” Out of the corner of her eye, Doro saw the conductor shift from one foot to the other and back.

“I don’t want them getting hurt,” the conductor put in, “which isn’t quite the same.”

That had not been his full rationale, but Doro did not contradict him. “The train seems safe, especially since we keep our compartment locked. Besides, many folks think women are incapable of a hard task like investigating a crime.” A glance at Sayers revealed the man’s face to be beet red.

“My wife and girls are bright as copper pennies. They could solve crimes as well as any man.” Menzing stared at Sayers. “Surely, you feel the same, sir.”

“Well, I...that is. Uh...” The conductor’s voice trailed off. “Like I said, I don’t want them getting hurt.”

The cowboy shrugged. “Sounds like they have substantial experience, and they could glean details while people’s memories are fresh. As for danger, locking their compartment is enough. You might have your crewmen take turns walking the corridors at night. That oughta be sufficient for now.”

Sayers sputtered a bit more before agreeing. “Yep, that’s a good idea. Since the repair crew and security man should be here tomorrow, we’ll have only tonight to stand guard.”

The conductor’s concession seemed grudging. Doro hoped whoever came was as accepting of a woman’s involvement as this rancher. “What a wonderful idea,” she said.

“It is,” Aggie agreed.

“All right.” The conductor turned back to the rider. “Again, thanks for coming out here.”

“I’m sorry you had to ride so far,” Doro said.

A grin took decades from Menzing’s lined face. “Spent most of my life in the saddle, and an extra couple of hours don’t hurt my horse or me none. No roads close enough to get an automobile over here. Not that I fancy them myself. We got a truck at the ranch. My wife and girls love driving it.” He patted his mount. “I prefer Brownie.”

His comment reminded Doro that not everyone thought cars were an improvement over horses. Since she adored her vehicle, Doro did not agree.

“I appreciate you telling us the news,” Sayers said.

The man again touched his hat brim. “Good luck to you. If the lawman gives you trouble about moving the body, tell him I advised it. Likely, we know each other, at least by name.” Then, he rode off.

Although Sayers did not look at the two young women, he addressed them. “I’ll have the crew move the professor and tell the passengers that we’ll be stuck a little longer than planned.”

“Is it common for tracks to wash out?” Aggie asked.

“Not common, but it happens, especially when there’s been lots of rain,” he replied. “Now, I better see to the body and the news. Andre won’t be happy about a corpse in his cooler.”

“I’m sure he won’t, but it’s probably best to move Professor Mathers, under the circumstances,” Doro observed. She cleared her throat. Besides, it wouldn’t be worse than a body on the floor. “Can we assume you no longer object to us interviewing passengers?"

When the conductor met her gaze, resignation was written on his features. “If a former deputy marshal thinks it’s a good idea, I won’t stand in the way.” Then, he turned on his heel and headed toward the train.

Doro noted him stopping to talk with Gray and Phineas, who were standing fifteen feet away. Had they heard the entire exchange with the rancher? Doro watched as the trio conversed before boarding the train without backward glances.

Doro turned to Aggie. “We have permission to investigate and more time to solve the case, but additional complications.”

Aggie scanned the horizon. “It’s a little scary being out here with no towns or people nearby. I can’t imagine living on a remote ranch. The farms around Michaw seem too far from town to me. But I’m a city girl.”

“Not as much as you used to be,” Doro pointed. “At this point, you’re almost like a native Michawan.”

A chuckle left Aggie. “That’s a funny name, and I’ve never heard it before.”

“Michawian?” Doro suggested.

“Just as funny.”

Doro laughed, too. “Maybe Michawite. We really need some noun to describe the residents. Toledo has Toledoans and Sylvania has Sylvanians. Michaw doesn’t have a name, and I’ve always thought it should.”

“Some towns have names that lend themselves to a term for residents,” Aggie said. “But we have more important matters to handle.”

A tad of humor lightened the situation, so Doro replied with that in mind. “We do, but I’ll keep ideas in the back of my mind.”

“A good place for them,” her friend said with a chuckle.

“Your point is well taken.” Doro opened the door to their car. “Let’s tell Gramma Rose and Mrs. O’Brien what we learned.”

A few minutes later, the young women got settled in the drawing room and explained the rider’s mission. “So, we won’t be going anyplace for another day,” Doro said to sum up.

“It could be much worse. We have comfortable accommodations, so another day won’t matter,” Gramma Rose said.

“Your accommodations are lovely, and I’m glad one of the crewmen will stand watch tonight,” Mrs. O’Brien said.

“It will help us sleep better,” Aggie said.

“True.” Although she had not been as concerned as the others, Doro wasn’t always a sound sleeper. Waking up in the night happened far too often. Now, if she roused at some point, she’d feel safe and sound. “Let’s discuss what to do next.” She retrieved her notepad and pencil.

“It’s too bad the knife wasn’t clearly identified. You mentioned fingerprints being important in solving the murder of your colleague last fall,” Gramma Rose said to Doro.

“How fascinating,” Mrs. O’Brien added. “Have you taken fingerprints?”

“I watched Ev take the prints, and it was absorbing. He even let me do a set,” Doro said. As soon as the statement was out, she regretted it. Bringing up Ev had come without forethought. Exactly what that meant, Doro did not examine.

“How nice of him to further your sleuthing skills,” Gramma Rose observed with a smile. “I look forward to meeting him.”

Since Doro typically traveled to Sylvania to see her grandmother, and not vice versa, she had been able to keep the two of them apart. Although Rose McLaren was not a busybody, her interest in Doro and Ev—not that such a coupling existed—was evident.

“Maybe we could have a small party for Doro’s birthday,” Aggie said. “We celebrated in Colorado, but we have to do something on the day itself. Wade and his children would enjoy that, and Ev could come, too.”

Doro stared at her friend. “We celebrated with my parents two nights ago.”

“What a wonderful idea,” Gramma Rose, acting as if she had not heard Doro, said with unbridled enthusiasm.

Since she loved festivities, Doro did not want to dismiss the plan, but being careful about responding was wise. “Ev might be busy, but a small group, including Wade, his mother, and his children would be fun.”

Both Aggie and Rose chuckled. “Definitely Ev,” they said in tandem.

Rose turned to the other widow. “I wish you lived near us. You’d enjoy the group and the party.”

“I love parties,” Mrs. O’Brien remarked before focusing on Doro. “And how fun for you to include your young man.”

Doro resisted repeating that, while Ev was a young man, he was not hers. Besides, considering their uneasy parting in May, she was not at all sure Ev would want to join in her birthday celebration, so Doro tabled the discussion. “We can talk about celebrating after the train is moving again. Right now, I’d like to meet with the brakeman and the flagman. They might be in the caboose. We could get vital evidence, and there’s time before supper. We can chat with other passengers then.”

“Let’s go now, so we can freshen up before heading to the dining car,” Aggie suggested.

“Once again, we’ll be eagerly waiting for news,” Gramma Rose added.

“We certainly will,” Mrs. O’Brien put in.

“I hope we get some,” Doro replied, before she and Aggie went to find the two crewmen.