Chapter Ten

As soon as Doro and Aggie stepped into the drawing room, a smile spread across Rose McLaren’s face. “Sit down and tell us all,” the older woman urged.

“Please do,” Mrs. O’Brien added with enthusiasm.

After the young women seated themselves, Doro repeated Rogers’ revelations.

As she listened, Gramma Rose’s eyes grew wide. “You uncovered many details, and none of them help Clyde.”

“They sure don’t,” Aggie agreed. “Unfortunately, as far as we know now, he has one of the most powerful motives—avenging his son.”

Mrs. O’Brien laid her hands on her cheeks. “I hate to believe Clyde would do such a thing.”

“We all do, I imagine,” Gramma Rose put in.

As Doro pulled out her notepad and pencil, she considered the suspects again. “I agree. Besides, losing the love of one’s life is equally strong to me.”

Aggie nodded. “We won’t dismiss Gray, because you’re right.”

“His friend may have a formidable reason, too,” Gramma Rose reminded them.

“True,” Doro said. “The additional incident of Mathers stealing a student’s work gives credence to Phineas’ assertions. Even though he didn’t come right out and accuse Mathers, the intent was strong.”

“From what we witnessed last night, Mathers understood Phineas’ threat,” Aggie observed.

“I’m not sorry I missed that,” Mrs. O’Brien murmured.

“It wasn’t pleasant,” Gramma Rose said before addressing Doro and Aggie. “The entire exchange is clearer now that you have more information. At this point, can we rule out anyone?”

During the silence that fell, Doro studied her list. “Chef Andre’s motive seems weakest. As a chef, he’s heard plenty of complaints and, although no one enjoys being criticized, he couldn’t possibly go after every unhappy passenger.”

“It seems like the chef is quick to anger, and he doesn’t care what passengers like Mathers think,” Aggie added. “He seems quite secure in his abilities, so I agree his motive isn’t as strong as the others.”

A chuckle left Doro. “The man doesn’t lack self-confidence.”

“I agree with that,” Gramma Rose said.

“True of many chefs,” Mrs. O’Brien added. “My husband often remarked about some being high-strung, but it's a hard job with a lot of pressure.”

“It is, and Andre has family struggles,” Aggie observed.

“What about Joshua?” Gramma Rose asked. “He didn’t tell you about last winter’s snowstorm tête-à-tête, but that doesn’t mean he knew about or took part in the killing.”

“It doesn’t, but he and Clyde seem close,” Aggie said. “From what we’ve discovered, Joshua must’ve joined the railroad about the time Clyde’s son died. That might’ve encouraged a father-son relationship.”

“You could be right,” Gramma Rose said.

“As I told all of you, railroaders often become like family, so that wouldn’t surprise me,” Mrs. O’Brien added.

Doro nodded. “We’ll ask him about that. If we can meet with him alone, I’d love to know why he didn’t admit Clyde had it in for Mathers.”

“Maybe Joshua doesn’t know if Clyde killed Mathers. If he’s uncertain, he might hide the details,” Gramma Rose said.

Doro tapped her pencil against the notepad before writing more down. “We’ve got plenty left to uncover, but I’m almost ready to move Joshua off my list. He hasn’t got a decent motive.”

“True,” Aggie put in. “Covering up for Clyde isn’t the same as murder.”

The others agreed.

“Which leaves Grayson, Phineas, and Clyde vying for first place.” Gramma Rose flushed. “Not vying for it in the sense they want it.”

“We know what you meant,” Aggie assured her.

“We do,” Doro agreed. “Which means we’re down to three solid suspects. We’re making progress.” More pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. Now, they needed the key components.

Doro and Aggie, hoping to intercept Joshua, went to the dining car ahead of Gramma Rose and Mrs. O’Brien. Luck was with them because the young waiter was setting tables by himself. When he caught sight of the two women, Joshua froze.

“The meal won’t be served for twenty minutes,” he blurted out. “You’d be more comfortable in your drawing room.”

His assertion did not sway Doro, who figured Joshua wanted to avoid more questions. “We’ll be fine here.” She gestured to a table already fitted out. “We can sit at that one.”

An expression akin to a pout descended on his youthful features. “I need to set all the tables by myself.”

“We won’t get in your way,” Aggie assured him.

“We certainly won’t,” Doro agreed, “but why are you working alone? Where’s Clyde?”

Joshua shifted from one foot to the other. “He doesn’t feel good, so he’s resting.”

“Won’t it be difficult for you to serve the passengers alone?” Aggie asked.

“Clyde will help later,” Joshua said. “Now, I need to get back to work.”

As the young waiter turned away, Doro spoke again. “Just a moment, please.”

He looked back. “I’m busy, miss.” Frustration and annoyance were in his voice.

“We have a couple of questions,” Aggie said. “I promise, they won’t take long.”

“You had questions before,” the young man retorted. “How many do ya got?”

“We have a couple more because we’ve learned additional details,” Aggie replied in her usual placid and pleasant voice.

A harsh breath rattled out of him. “All right, but hurry. I don’t want to get in no trouble with the chef.”

“We don’t want that, either,” Doro replied with sincerity. “What we wonder about is Clyde’s son.”

Color ebbed from the young waiter’s face. “I didn’t know him or nothing about him.”

“That’s not true,” Aggie murmured.

Joshua’s jaw went rigid. “You calling me a liar?”

One corner of Aggie’s mouth lifted in a slight smile. “No, I think you’re a loyal friend, who wants to protect a father figure.”

For a long moment, Joshua simply stared at her. When the boy did not respond, Doro did. “You met Clyde shortly after his son died, and he took you under his wing. Since you’re without family, you got close to him, close enough to hear his troubles.” Although the comments were primarily supposition, Doro wanted to test the possibilities.

A bleak expression descended on Joshua’s face before he bowed his head. With one hand, he rubbed his neck. “It’s hard when kin dies.”

“Losing loved ones is terrible,” Aggie said. “I know because my parents are gone, too.”

That revelation earned a nod from Joshua. “It’s bad. Real bad.”

“So, you were sympathetic to Clyde when you heard about his boy dying,” Doro suggested.

He looked from Doro to Aggie. “He and his missus were grieving hard for Custis, and I was sorrowing for my aunt. We had loss in common, but what’s that got to do with anything?” Joshua asked, his features carefully schooled.

“Maybe a lot,” Doro replied. The boy was not giving much ground. “Aggie and I spoke with the brakeman and flagman a little while ago. Mr. Rogers had some interesting details to share.”

Alarm darkened Joshua’s gaze before he glanced away. “I don’t know him very well.”

Doro let several moments pass before commenting. “You and Clyde shared a room with him last winter when your train was stranded during a blizzard.”

The waiter’s dark lashes fluttered down. “Clyde got drunk. He didn’t know what he was saying.”

Although sympathy for Joshua filled Doro, she could not drop the topic. “What he said was the truth, wasn’t it?”

Joshua met her gaze. “Maybe. How can I know for sure?”

Doro glanced at Aggie, who rolled her eyes. Could they get a straight answer from the young waiter? Although she hated to accuse Joshua, doing so might be the best bet. “Since you and Clyde became close, did you consider helping him get even with Professor Mathers?”

Joshua’s jaw dropped. “Get even? What do ya mean?”

“I think you know exactly what I mean.” Doro maintained a calm demeanor. Hurling accusations was not her style, but Joshua had to know more than he was admitting. She could not allow him to continue obstructing the investigation.

The boy swallowed convulsively. “I wouldn’t kill nobody, and neither would Clyde.”

Doro hesitated a heartbeat before pushing on. “Mr. Rogers said Clyde’s son Custis studied with Mathers, and the two clashed.” Since she wanted to hear Joshua’s slant, Doro did not mention the charge of plagiarism.

Joshua’s nostrils flared with a sharp intake of breath. “They didn’t clash. Mathers stole Custis’ work and used it like it were his own. When Custis found out, he asked the professor to do the right thing. But the old guy refused and turned things around.”

“By accusing Custis of stealing work,” Aggie said.

Defeat shadowed the young waiter’s features. “Yep. Mathers spread it far and wide. Not only did Custis get expelled, he couldn’t find another scholarship because the professor blackened his name.” Joshua bit off each word as if it tasted foul. “Clyde was furious, but he couldn’t afford tuition for Custis, which made him feel awful. Then, the accident happened, and Custis got hurt real bad.”

Since Doro knew that barely described the incident, she rushed on. “According to Mr. Rogers, Clyde wanted Mathers to get what he deserved.” She took care to use the same wording as the brakeman, because it did not explicitly implicate the older waiter. How would Joshua react?

“Clyde didn’t kill him,” the young waiter blurted out. “He wouldn’t do nothing like that, and he didn’t talk about murder. He only hoped the professor got what was coming to him.”

“Which could be construed as a threat,” Aggie said.

“But it wasn’t,” Joshua insisted. He looked from Aggie to Doro. “I know you want to solve the murder, but don’t pin it on him just cuz he had reason to hate that professor.”

“We would never do that,” Doro told him. “Aggie and I are interested in identifying the killer, not simply solving the crime by targeting just anyone.”

“That’s right,” Aggie added. “We want to bring the guilty party to justice, not pursue an innocent man.”

Joshua rubbed the back of his neck before responding. “All right. I guess I believe you, but I don’t know no more than I already said. Clyde says his son didn’t cheat, but Mathers made sure Custis got expelled.”

“Probably to cover his own misdeeds,” Aggie observed.

“That seems likely,” Doro agreed before focusing on the young waiter. Joshua’s admissions added credence to the theory, but that did not exonerate Clyde. “If you have any other information, you’d do well to tell us. You won’t help Clyde by hiding facts, which will surely come out later.”

“I don’t know no more, and I really gotta get back to work.”

“Of course,” Aggie said. “Thank you for speaking with us.”

After the young waiter moved away, Doro looked around the dining car. “A few passengers are coming in. Let’s chat with them and see what they know.”

Within ten minutes, Doro and Aggie had spoken with the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who knew next to nothing about last night’s rows and cared little about the murder, except to murmur passing sympathy. The middle-aged couple, Mrs. and Mrs. Gensen, and her mother, Mrs. Warren, did not have information, either, although they were more profuse in their condolences and concerns. The retired army officer, Colonel Ledke, was the last to arrive, and his attitude was dismissive, at best. Although he did not say the two young women ought to have husbands and children, he was unimpressed by their snooping, as he called it. Mr. Boggun and his son had no additional details, but they extended their good wishes for Doro and Aggie to crack the case.

Gramma Rose and Mrs. O’Brien entered the car as Doro and Aggie were about to find a table. The two friends helped the older women into window seats before seating themselves.

Since Doro did not want to alert other passengers, she modulated her voice. “We talked to some of the people here and learned nothing. However, we got confirmation of information from Joshua.”

“And some fresh insight,” Aggie added.

Rose immediately looked interested. “What did he say?”

After summarizing the conversation, Doro asked, “What do you think?”

Rose put one hand to her cheek. “The boy is close to Clyde, as we figured, but having him say so is key. That means he wouldn’t want to reveal any negative information. But he confirmed what Rogers told you, so Joshua was honest to that extent.”

“He was, and nothing we know pinpoints Clyde,” Doro said. “But he remains among my three top suspects, along with Gray and Phineas.”

A glum expression shadowed Mrs. O’Brien’s face. “I’m afraid you may be right.”

Rose patted the other widow’s hand. “The murderer could still be someone else.”

Although that seemed increasingly unlikely, Doro nodded, and Aggie followed suit.

“What’s next?” Aggie asked.

“Finding out more about Phineas,” Doro replied. “We know what Gray’s motive would be, and we can guess Phineas left Pikeley because of Mathers, although the exact reason remains to be seen.”

“Sometimes, students change colleges for no dramatic purpose. Maybe Phineas did poorly in Mathers’ classes, and it’s as simple as that.” Aggie offered the idea.

“You could be right,” Doro observed. “The only way to find out is to chat with him more.”

“He wasn’t all that amenable to talking,” Gramma Rose pointed out. “He left our drawing room quickly and without finishing his scone.”

When Doro looked down the aisle, she saw the two graduate students enter the car. “They’re here.”

“There’s an empty table across from us,” Aggie said without turning to look at the men herself. “Why don’t you wave them over?”

“Wonderful idea,” Gramma Rose said with enthusiasm.

Since Doro agreed, she lifted her hand. Gray and Phineas exchanged a few words before coming toward her.

“Good evening, ladies,” Gray said.

Phineas offered a nod. “I see you’re still practicing strength in numbers.”

“I’m lucky to be included with this lovely group,” Mrs. O’Brien said.

“We enjoy the company,” Gramma Rose added, “and sticking together is a good idea.”

“Probably so, although I doubt if the killer will strike again. The murder had to be personal,” Phineas stated.

“Unfortunately, that seems to be most likely.” Gramma Rose gestured toward the nearby vacant table. “Why don’t you sit over there? That way, we can chat.”

Only a moment’s hesitation preceded the men’s acceptance. After they settled into chairs, Gray shifted to face the ladies. “We overheard the conversation with the rancher and Sayers.” A glint shone in his gaze. “How is the investigation going now that you have the conductor’s okay?”

“We’re learning a little more, but not a lot.” Doro realized it sounded like she was hedging, but she was. Both men were suspects, so discretion was advisable.

A smirk moved Phineas’ lips. “Here, we thought you were a top-notch amateur sleuth.”

Although the remark was made in an amused tone, his expression telegraphed hauteur.

“The murder occurred about twelve hours ago,” Aggie pointed out, her tone more clipped than usual. “Few serious crimes are solved in such a short time.”

“Of course they aren’t.” Gray shot his friend a quelling glare.

To move the conversation to less shaky ground, Doro provided some news. “We found out the train is stuck here until tomorrow afternoon, but you might’ve heard all the conversation.”

“We stepped outside not long after you two did,” Gray replied.

“Some fresh air was needed,” Phineas added.

Doro did not comment on the casual remark. Instead, she focused on details. “It was kind of him to ride out here and tell us, since he was in a hurry to get home.”

“Too bad he didn’t have the ranch truck with him. I wanted to ask him about driving back for us, but Gray didn’t agree. We need to get on our way.” Phineas scowled at his friend.

“We didn’t need to put the man out by asking him to motor back here and take us elsewhere,” his friend said. “You wanted him to drive us to another town where we could buy a vehicle. No place in this area is big enough to find a car from what we’ve heard.”

A rough sigh left Phineas. “It was a passing thought. What I can’t figure out is why can’t an engine and crew come from the other direction?”

“You must’ve heard what we did. The train yard in Colorado Springs has men to make the repairs. Going east, the next big station is Kansas City. The Springs is much closer so, even with the tracks out, help will get here faster from there,” Doro replied. “Besides, crews to the east are tied up with a derailment.”

One of his shoulders bobbed up and down. “It’s an imposition,” Phineas said.

“None of us is happy, but we have to make the best of the situation,” Gramma Rose put in.

“These things happen,” Mrs. O’Brien added. “The crews do the best they can.”

“Of course they do,” Gray said.

Phineas’ scowl only intensified. “Gray needs to get home. His mother and sisters will fret about him.”

“I’m sure reports of the decoupling have spread,” Doro said.

“That’s likely the case, so my family must know by now,” Grayson put in. He looked and sounded annoyed with his friend.

“From what we overheard, no lawman is coming down from the nearest hick town,” Phineas said.

“That next town is too small for a sheriff,” Mrs. O’Brien commented.

“Besides, no one knows about the murder except those of us on the train,” Aggie said. “The rancher has no way to pass word along,”

“Hard to believe some folks are still without telephones,” Phineas muttered.

“It’s not rare. Even in cities, not everyone has one. It’s a luxury some can’t afford,” Mrs. O’Brien pointed out.

Phineas’ features softened. “You’re right.” He turned to Doro. “It sounds like a security guard will come with the repair crew.”

“From what we know, yes.” Doro scrutinized Phineas. Was he relieved that no lawman would arrive soon? That contradicted his displeasure with being stuck. Once again, she considered his relationship with Mathers. How could they learn more?

“Probably standard procedure,” Phineas said.

Although Phineas was not providing an opening, Doro aimed to create one. “I first met Professor Mathers in the train station, and he seemed old-fashioned and opinionated. I had the impression he believed women shouldn’t be in college.” Since that was true, it might evoke an exchange that led to genuine clues.

A snort left Phineas. “When I attended Pikeley, I took four courses from him. He often made derogatory remarks about the female professors. Said they ought to have husbands and children to tend.”

Gray frowned. “He would’ve never succeeded at Colorado College, since married women teach there.”

“It’s known as a progressive school, which is one of the reasons my father took a position there,” Doro put in.

“Your dad makes it sound like Michaw is progressive, too,” Gray said.

“But not as much as Colorado,” Aggie observed.

Doro knew Aggie was thinking about her future. Wade wanted to court and wed, but Aggie felt uncertain. Doro did not blame her. Surrendering a wonderful career for marriage would not be easy. For Doro, it seemed impossible.

“How do you mean?” Gray asked.

Doro snapped out of her reverie. “The school’s current policy is to not employ married women, but the trustees are meeting soon, and they’ll discuss a change.”

“If they’re like Mathers, they won’t change,” Phineas said. “That old coot belittled female students and scholarship students, too. Especially the brightest ones.”

The last comment set Doro to thinking. Had Phineas and Custis been classmates? They would’ve been about the same age. Asking outright seemed like a poor strategy, so Doro tried a circuitous route to the truth. “Some male professors don’t think women belong in college, but what did he have against those with scholarships?”

“He’s a snob, who inherited a lot of money. Mathers thought that made him better than others,” Phineas replied. “But he wasn’t better. He wasn’t as good a teacher as most professors, and he was lazy, too.”

Aggie re-entered the exchange. “When we visited with Luann, she mentioned the professor doing research but said he was losing interest in teaching. Wasn’t he well-respected for both at one time?”

Gray’s gaze narrowed on the women. “He’s told her that, I’m sure. Years ago, Mathers was an active researcher, but recently, he’s been accused of stealing his students’ work. Luann may not know, since he keeps her away from all but a few people.”

“He’s been accused because he has stolen work from several students,” Phineas added. “If he wasn’t wealthy and influential, he would’ve been fired long ago. He donates money to the college, which keeps the administration from scrutinizing him.”

“They may not want to believe he’d do such a thing,” Gray pointed out. Phineas made no response.

“Do you know someone whose research was stolen?” Gramma Rose asked.

“Yep,” Phineas replied. “I’ve heard about three cases. One was a coed, and she left school without confronting Mathers, but she told some of us. Mostly as a warning to be careful. She was a senior, who worked as a lab assistant.”

“What happened to her after she left Pikeley?” Aggie inquired. “Do you know?”

“She went to a girls’ school,” Phineas said, “and on to graduate school at the same place.”

“Good for her,” Rose said with enthusiasm. “But it’s sad that man drove her away from Pikeley.”

“He drove a few of us away,” Phineas said. “I didn’t like the way he treated the scholarship boys or the girls, and I told him so. Stupid of me, because he marked all my papers as barely passing. My father was furious and didn’t believe my accusations. He threatened to cut off my funds, but after I transferred, my grades went up.”

“Did the professor steal your work?” Aggie asked.

“No. He only stole from upperclassmen,” Phineas explained. “They do more extensive research.”

“The professor picked on you because you defended other students,” Doro said.

“Pretty much. As time went on, he got worse and worse. Always nitpicking my schoolwork. He even criticized my clothes. Of course, his attire was stylish before the war, so he’s no judge of fashion.” Phineas’ voice rang with censure, while anger flashed like flame in his gaze. “The old coot even called me freckles. But he won’t be now, and I’m...”

Before his friend could finish, Gray spoke. “Mathers wasn’t a nice man. He made life miserable for plenty of people. Colleagues and students and others.”

“Others like Luann,” Doro murmured.

Gray briefly bowed his head. When he glanced up, regret lined his face. “Yeah. Like Luann.”

Further conversation was cut-off by the waiters bringing appetizers to the tables. After being served, Phineas nodded to the women. “We’ll let you chat among yourselves.”

Wanting to avoid rudeness, Doro saw no option but to agree. “Enjoy your meals.” How could they find out if Phineas had known Custis? Was she getting stuck on the point? Maybe it had no bearing on the murder. Who could say for sure?