Ahh…there’s nothing more bracing than a brisk springtime morning in the mountains for a discriminating feline like myself. This carrier is confining, but I’m promised I’ll be freed soon. I can manage such an escape on my own, but I don’t want to worry the lovely Mrs. Cooper. I’ll be patient, though that can be difficult for an animal as refined and intellectual as Trouble the black cat detective, if I do say so myself.
A multitude of exquisite smells and clues flourish around us on this train platform, the facilities designed to accommodate tourists and train aficionados wanting to experience the steam-powered Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad, and our travels high into the San Juan range of the Rockies. The crowd stands waiting to board, and they chatter and surge, as the fresh breeze delivers a changing profusion of sensory perceptions for me. Smiles abound as the excitement builds, everyone choosing to make their journey on the train in a throwback to the 19th century. America should have more train opportunities across this wide land, historic or modern conveyances, for the relaxing travel and the opportunity to share distances with other like-minded people. Not to mention the aid in fighting against air pollution. Such a civilized means of travel.
I’m relishing the all-aboard experience, almost as if we were in Jolly Olde England, Mrs. Cooper’s former stomping grounds, and my own spiritual home. Still, the surging masses make it dangerous for me to be released now, no matter how much I’d love to get my four paws on the trail of this puzzle I’m pulling from the wind. A mystery of glittering proportions. So, this carrier is the best way to not risk being underfoot as the biped assembly presses forward.
Lots of noise and conversation, but I can flick my ears like sensitive antennae and get enough vital information through the two open wired sides to start to sort things. Comes from superior feline insight, you know. No one notices that I’m alert. Full on alert. I may look settled, but I already know the game is afoot, and I’m ready to use every Sherlockian talent I possess to figure out how to bring a miscreant to justice.
I’m not the only one with finely honed perceptions, either. I manage to glance high enough to see Mrs. Cooper’s face. She’s on alert as well, though she’s playing down her interest. That’s what comes from being a retired reporter for British newspapers; nothing gets past such sharp wits. Her pension covered the move across the pond to live near her daughter and grandchildren, but those long-used investigative talents catch that something isn’t on the level. We must see what transpires as we journey up the mountain.
The week has been a splendid holiday, and I’ve positively soaked in her lovely London accent. All while hiding and napping whenever the little ones become interested in associating with me. Thank goodness they have no dog. Mrs. Cooper’s and my time together, though, is over and we’re on our way up the mountain to meet with my owner, Tammy Lynn, in Silverton. It’s the last day of her booksellers’ convention, and we’ll start our journey driving back to Wetumpka, Alabama in the morning, dropping Mrs. Cooper in Durango on our way south and east.
Yet, it seems before our holiday ends, we may have a mystery to solve. That would be a brilliant finale to this week. Better than catnip to a famous black cat detective like myself.
I also need to learn about the attractive brunette woman behind us. She seems alone and sad, crossing her jacketed arms protectively across her torso. I notice something in her hand that has been used to wipe tears from her face. I don’t know how she may fit into the mysterious picture I see coming together—if she fits in at all—but if possible, I will try to ease whatever load she’s carrying that weighs down her shoulders and makes her weep when she believes no one is looking.
Mia balled a limp paper napkin in her hand and ordered herself not to cry anymore, as she surveyed Durango from the boarding area of the downtown historic train station. She was taking this trip—using her single ticket—as an almost defiant action and positive reaction to the day. Well, it would have been a stronger move if she could keep from sniffling over the relationship-ending argument she’d had with Ben that morning. A jet creased the blue sky and roared its ascent, leaving her to wonder if that was the plane taking her ex-fiancé back to New Orleans.
She watched two kids, maybe ten years old, slip through the crowd, lightly touching the backs of strangers’ jackets to attach KICK ME! notes the pair had written onto bright pink Post-Its. Friends laughed and pointed at the directives, and the people targeted by the kids twisted to see what was so funny and to remove the bits of paper. All good April Fool’s Day fun. Which was what Mia had wanted with this train ride, a little more fun with Ben. And now it was all over.
“Well, that’s just how it has to be,” she muttered, as she looked back to the end of the line and noticed a couple enter the scene, their faces flushed as they walked hand in hand. They stopped, and the man wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulders, pulling her close in the brisk mountain air. Just like Ben would have done, she thought, if he hadn’t decided to turn into an ass. Darn the man.
Directly in front of her was a tiny white-haired woman in a red hat with a jaunty flower on top. She held an animal carrier in her right hand, and a handsome black cat looked out, the feline’s alert eyes seeming to take in the entire area around them. Another dozen or so people lined up ahead of her, ready to board the train. As they waited, people began shuffling to better position themselves to enter the historic 1880s carriage car when they received the signal to all board.
Just then, an excited woman joined the man ahead of Mia.
“Did you hear about the robbery?” the woman asked the man who’d saved her place.
“You mean the joke thefts that happened throughout town today?” he replied.
Mia eavesdropped, interested in how the woman would respond. When she and Ben parted at the café following breakfast, after they’d argued through their meal, they’d noticed a police officer interviewing people on the street. He was investigating random pranks pulled for April Fool’s Day, where flower tubs were taken from the spots they belonged in front of a florist, only to be discovered around the corner at a salon’s entrance. Another lark resulted in magnetic signs getting removed from the driver’s side doors of commercial trucks and left on the passenger side door of non-commercial family vehicles.
When Ben stormed away to get a taxi, and she turned the other direction to go to the train station, a bearded man in a bulky coat and hat came running out of the jewelry store across the street. He tossed a dark fabric bag to three teenaged boys on the sidewalk. As he raced away, they pulled out handfuls of what appeared to be glittering diamonds and flung the bright gems in every direction. Two jewelry store employees were hard on the first man’s heels, but the commotion created by the teenagers penned and blocked them, as passersby scrambled to grab any small jewel they could find, clustering and bending over, effectively thwarting the employees’ pursuit. The police officer hurried over to figure out what was happening there, as well, and raised his voice to try unsuccessfully to disperse the crowd.
The robbery escape scene had made Mia forget her heartsick tears for a moment. Obviously, another prank, she thought. Another April Fool’s Day stunt staged to look like a theft, leaving people pushing and shoving to collect glittering pieces of glass from the sidewalk.
On the train platform, animated words cut into Mia’s thoughts, when the woman continued, “No, not a prank this time. Well…it had a prank as part of it. But someone robbed the jewelry store. The police are holding some teenagers who created a disturbance so the thief could get away. That’s why I was late getting back. I wanted to hear what the police said. It was all set up with the teens through a phone app, and no one can identify the crook. The kids thought they were just doing an April Fool’s joke. Police found a discarded coat, hat, and fake beard around the corner, and they took away the items for forensics. But for now, he’s gotten clean away!”
The tall conductor came, dressed in his black suit and gold-trimmed hat, and told everyone to please mind the steps as they boarded the carriage.
Mia made her way behind the others, and took the first available seat, about halfway down the carriage, settling into the narrow burgundy leather bench seat with its high padded, wood-trimmed back. She watched out the window but noticed with her peripheral vision the woman with the hat and the cat settled on the seat ahead of her. The couple that arrived near the end of the line also grabbed an empty seat in the middle, but on the other side. The woman excited about the robbery shared a seat near the back with her traveling companion.
The woman with the hat carefully situated the cat’s carrier on the seat, then pulled a smart phone from her small black purse. Seconds later, her fingers flew over the digital keyboard, and Mia couldn’t help turning to get a better view, to see if she could discover what the screen images said that made the older woman first frown, then smile.
Not my business. Mia turned back to the window, resolute in her desire to not accidentally delve into the business of others.
But she couldn’t get the robbery off her mind. She thought back over the running man who now appeared to be a thief. The setup had been handled as flawlessly as a priceless gemstone, and he’d created chaos to ease his escape.
“I wonder what he stole?” she muttered.
“Exactly what made me curious about it too.” The woman in the hat spoke in a soft British accent, raising her phone as she turned to Mia. “The robbery operation went like the perfect heist—if you’ll pardon the expression.”
Mia laughed and related her own “flawless” cliché when mentally describing the crime.
“Ah, we’re of the same mind.” The elderly woman’s small red hat threw a cheerful note against the carriage’s dark paneled walls. She spoke with an English accent, and introduced herself as Mrs. Cooper, a widow and retired British journalist. She lifted the cat from the wired carrier and set the handsome black feline on her lap. The woman twisted a little more to better converse, and the cat rose on hind legs, resting front paws on her narrow shoulders. “And my feline colleague,” she added. “Trouble, the splendid black cat detective.”
“A cat detective?” Mia fought to not show her skepticism.
“You’re not the first to scoff at the idea,” Mrs. Cooper said with a smile. “But I was just getting ready to share with Trouble what I’ve learned with a quick turn on my cell phone. Not enough details yet to sort it all, I fear, but they have discovered a lot.”
“What do you know?”
Mrs. Cooper held up a finger for patience and turned a little in her seat, so Mia and the cat could better catch everything she had to say. “Okay, we can all hear now, even if I keep my voice low. I didn’t want Trouble to miss any detail.”
Mia smiled at the idea of the cat understanding what Mrs. Cooper had to say, but that wasn’t the craziest thing she’d ever heard.
“My sources in newspaper reporting say the police are looking for someone near six feet and about 180 pounds. That would be around thirteen stone if I still reported the news.” The woman’s hat shook slightly as she chuckled. “It always helps when I convert to terms I use regularly.”
“So, the thief would be tall and slim,” Mia mused. “I guess that means the coat added to his bulk. Fooled me. I thought he was tall and broad.”
“You saw him?”
Mia nodded. “Across the street. With his coat and beard he looked heavier, but that was likely his intent. Now that I know the beard was a fake, and a ploy used to change the width of his face as well as disguise his features, I have to think his coat probably had extra padding too. To make him look bulkier than he was.”
The cat seemed as intent as the older woman when Mrs. Cooper asked, “What else did you notice?”
“Not…not much,” Mia replied. She didn’t want to explain how she was still distracted at the time by the argument she’d had with Ben. The argument that ended her engagement. She took a deep breath and tried to think, hoping for something she could relate that would distract the pair in front of her. “I remember his hands were gloved, but from the smidgeon of his face that I could see, I’m thinking he had a light complexion. I couldn’t see a lot of his hair, but I’m thinking brown, and it was short or tucked into his hat.”
“Did he walk away with a limp or anything?”
“He ran from the store and only slowed for a moment to toss a cloth bag to some kids.”
“The distraction.” Mrs. Cooper said, and for a second Mia thought the cat nodded in agreement.
Oh, it can’t be, she thought. Aloud she said, “That’s right. They threw the diamonds and colored stones that were inside, and the public all dove for the gems. Or probably glass. Regardless, it hindered the jewelry store and security personnel from getting past, and the thief ran away easily. I didn’t think about it at the time, but he moved like a young man, probably used to running. And now that I think about it a little more, I only saw him close-up for a second, when he disappeared down the cross street, but I didn’t register deep creases at his eyes. So, I imagine he was in his late twenties or early thirties.”
“Ooh, you’re a good witness.”
“I’m an artist. I need to be observant to get details just right.”
“An admirable trait for anyone. But brilliant when a crime’s been committed.”
Mia shrugged, feeling her face color in embarrassment. She covered by asking, “Was there any information on what they took?”
“Mostly cut gemstones in a bag much like the one he tossed to the lads. I sent some texts to friends I have here who work in the media, and the only finished jewelry that the thief seems to have absconded with is some historical jewelry: a gold pocket watch on a chain, and three parures that were vintage and apparently stunning. The thief came in by appointment, using a fake name, saying he had family heirlooms to sell and wanted an appraisal. But when the employee turned his back for a moment, the thief made his move, grabbing a box off the countertop that was waiting for a courier to pick up and take to a store in Denver.”
“Everything was packaged up and ready for him to snatch and flee.”
“Exactly,” Mrs. Cooper confirmed. She turned to look at the cat and he gave a slow double blink. “I can only imagine what Trouble thinks, but my suspicions are this is some kind of inside job. How else could the thief know to grab that box at that time.”
“I agree,” Mia said, watching as the cat turned to her and repeated the eye movement. Uncanny. The blink was like an acknowledgement. “There was too much pre-planning for him to have just settled for a random theft once he was in the store.”
The conductor entered from the connecting door at the front of the car and moved through the carriage, collecting tickets as he went along. Not every seat was filled, but enough that the noise levels rose as the other passengers took the opportunity to ask questions about the scenery and the length of the journey. He moved as if on a boat, used to weaving side-to-side as he made his way down the dark red carpet in the aisle. When he arrived at their section, he gave Trouble a scratch under the chin and said, “Heard you have a male companion today, Mrs. Cooper. He seems particularly interested in his surroundings.”
“He is at that, Mr. Stinson.”
“Just be sure he stays with you, and he’s corralled again when we stop,” the conductor warned with a smile, as he took her ticket and tore off the stub. He moved on to Mia, then kept walking toward the rear.
Mia smiled at Mrs. Cooper, and said, “You must travel this route a lot if you’re on regular talking terms with the conductor.”
“I do make this trip a couple of times a year. I love seeing the changing seasons,” Mrs. Cooper said, “but Mr. Stinson and I frequent the same favorite coffee shop in town, and often speak on the early mornings when our schedules meet up there.”
At that moment, the cat leapt from Mrs. Cooper’s lap and raced to the center of the aisle. He began batting something small between his dark paws, and the flower on the red hat bobbed dangerously as she scampered over to see what commanded Trouble’s attention. A second later, she was back, the curious feline under an arm, and surreptitiously showing Mia what he’d found. A shiny cut diamond-like stone.
“I’m not sure anyone else could see it before I got it away from Trouble,” Mrs. Cooper murmured. “It’s so small, I hope his paws and the short carpet pile were enough to hide it from anyone sitting above. I only realized what it was after I’d scooped it up and it was hidden in my hand.”
“Where in the world did that come from?” Mia asked in a quiet tone. “Is it real?”
Mrs. Cooper hid the stone as she clasped it between her thumb and forefinger and ran it down the edge of the window glass. It left a scratch. She answered in a whisper, “It’s real, alright. Must be from the theft, and it’s from someone in the carriage. This is the first train out of the station each day. There would be no opportunity between the robbery and the train leaving for anyone to have left it here.”
“And we all walked on it as we came into the car and took our seats.”
“Or someone dropped it, or it fell from a pocket as the person moved farther down the aisle.”
“The train was sitting on the tracks, waiting, while we lined up outside.” Mia spoke her thoughts, her eyes narrowing as she delved into memories. “I remember the conductor climbing the steps into the car when I arrived, but he stayed in the front section. Just now is the first time I remember seeing him come into the car itself.”
“The conductor has a lot to do before the train pulls away from the station. A great deal of his time is spent in the station before the first passenger arrives.” Mrs. Cooper’s gaze stared unseeing over Mia’s right shoulder as she said, “It couldn’t have come from the people in front, unless they walked toward the rear, then turned back and chose a forward seat. More likely, it came from someone who chose a seat to the middle or farther along. Any suspicions come your way?”
“It couldn’t have been the conductor, could it?” Mia said. “I noticed the chain of a pocket watch on his vest.”
“Carrying the stolen pocket watch would be a brazen move,” Mrs. Cooper said. “Not that this whole robbery scheme hadn’t been a brazen stunt. But you said the thief was likely around thirty. Mr. Stinson is in his fifties. And I can’t see where he’d have the time to do anything like that either. The train left the station exactly on time. Beyond those points, I know from experience he always wears a pocket watch. It’s part of his uniform to match the train and historic timeframe.”
“Yes, there is that. I was just thinking because Trouble found the diamond after he walked through. I suppose he might have been on the street in front of the jewelry store and innocently picked up a stone when the crowd was surging,” Mia suggested. “But I can’t imagine the diversion used real diamonds.”
The red hat shook side to side. “I’ve ridden this train several times now, and as I said, there’s paperwork for him to do early on. I simply can’t sort how he would have time.” She smiled at Mia. “It’s not just that my judgement is clouded because of our friendship from the coffeehouse. But you’re smart to pursue that line of thought. Anyone else catch your eye before you boarded?”
Mia shook her head, then shrugged and pointed. “Just the couple across the aisle, there. They arrived together about the time the woman told us about the police finding the robber’s disguise. I think I only noticed them because they walked up hand in hand, then as they got in line, he put his arm around her shoulders. It reminded me of what I’d wanted when I booked this trip for…for me. Their faces were flushed and shining, radiating their love for one another.”
Mrs. Cooper raised her left brow. “Anything else catch your eye?”
“No,” Mia said. “What about you and Trouble? Anyone act suspiciously around you?”
“Nothing so helpful,” Mrs. Cooper said, stroking Trouble from his head to his tail. “We people watched, but nothing stood out for me. Trouble didn’t act like anything snaffled his attention either.”
“But he found one of the diamonds,” Mia said. “Who knows where this might lead.”
“Who knows, indeed.”
Oh, how I wish I could check for fingerprints. A cat’s claws are masterful tools, but paws and claws don’t offer the dexterity needed to do so much fine detail work a good detective requires. Not that the stone I found is large enough to show any real trace of a fingerprint. But my nose did pick up an odd scent where it was found, though I’m not sure yet what kind of scent it is. Maybe a cologne mixed with perspiration. An excited thief? One sweating out his escape? A puzzling problem, nonetheless, and something I will focus all my faculties on for the present.
I can appreciate the talk about suspects, but my keen senses doubt we should consider the conductor. Simply put, there are no telltale signs of guilt from the man. I realize thieves are often cool customers, but when a person has anything to hide, I can always sense a trace of their fear. No matter how confident they are in their abilities. I got nothing like that from the conductor.
Not to say there isn’t a hint of something in the air—even beyond the suspicious scent. I haven’t yet narrowed down any source, but I can promise some miscreant in this carriage has a secret they want to keep hidden. And I’m just the cat to bring any secret to the surface.
It wasn’t long into the journey, as the train steadily climbed heavenward, that Mia was again tearful over not being able to share the experience with Ben. Breathtaking landscapes dropped beyond the window into a sprawling valley, then raced back up a distant wall of mountains, climbing steadily toward the next peak. The steam locomotive chuffed faithfully up the narrow-gauge rail that had carried passengers into the Rockies over a century ago. But instead of sending her soul soaring, memories of this morning’s argument with Ben made Mia’s spirits plummet lower than the meadows hundreds of feet below.
“What a way to enjoy a train ride,” Mia muttered, squeezing the soiled paper napkin in one balled fist.
“Yes, it certainly is a wonderful way to travel,” Mrs. Cooper said. “Oh, dear, you’re crying.”
Mia sniffed. “Allergies.”
The woman reached over to pat Mia’s shoulder. “I understand. If I can do anything to… help your allergies…you just say so.”
Nodding, Mia turned back to the window, determined to enjoy the rest of the train trip. They still had a couple of hours to go until they reached Silverton. While the train was likely at the height of transportation speeds in its day, now nearly 150 years later, its speed was only praised by tourists who wanted a journey into the past as they enjoyed the mountain scenery.
“But why escape by train?” she asked, her mind moving back to the robbery to take her attention away from her sadness. “Disappearing anonymously in a fast car would make so much more sense.”
“All the tickets for this train are pre-bought days before,” Mrs. Cooper said. “Maybe the idea was to talk up the train ride in advance, so the thieves could disappear with everyone not suspecting they were using the excursion to avoid discovery. Then by the time anyone in Durango realizes they’re truly gone….” She shrugged.
“Good point.”
Mrs. Cooper began fussing a little with Trouble, and Mia turned back to her thoughts. She had booked this April Fool’s Day trip several days ago, precisely like she and Mrs. Cooper had just discussed. Slipping away to buy the tickets so Ben would be surprised. Today had been the first available seating, and she’d joyously planned to get him to switch their return plane tickets this morning to a date a few more days into the future, before they had to resume real life in New Orleans. He had been tense for much of this trip, and she’d wanted a day to help them do nothing but relax, especially with their wedding set less than a month away. Wedding was set, she silently repeated. Lots of cancellation work ahead of her now. It had seemed so right, even from the beginning: Ben steadfastly in control, a trait he used daily as a corporate attorney and one Mia, as an artist, appreciated in others. They’d never even argued until their engagement. She chewed her lower lip, determined not to cry anymore. She’d done enough of that already.
The train ride had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, something Ben had always appreciated about her, and while they’d stood in line waiting for a table at breakfast, it all blew up when she’d asked Ben to change their flight home. She had shown him the tickets for the train, explaining a few more days in Durango would give them extra time for fun, and for her to meet gallery owners there to expand her sales options. The area was full of artisan atmosphere and close to Santa Fe. They could spend several months a year there, she’d explained, writing trips off as a business expense.
She’d expected congratulations on her business insight. Instead, he’d demanded, “What are you thinking, Mia? I can’t just pick up and troop after you whenever creativity strikes. I have a practice in New Orleans. You’ll be a part of that deal when we get married.”
She hadn’t meant he had to drop everything for her—and definitely hadn’t considered herself part of a ‘deal’. It was a shock to hear Ben even speak of their union in such terms. He’d always been so caring before, so supportive of her art. After all, it had been a sales contract for one of her pricier paintings that first brought them together.
As the ground continued to drop away, each curve revealed a new aerie vista, peeling away hidden layers in a view sharpened by the clear air. She chewed her lip and worried over the parallels.
“Guess that’s what we did too,” she said quietly. “Our words stripped away the layers and cleared the air.”
The red hat pivoted once again. “Are you sure you’re all right? That empty seat beside you wouldn’t be reserved for a gentleman, would it?”
Mia nodded, then thought, why not? And she poured out her despair to her new friend and the attentive cat who watched her face as the words rushed out.
“Of course, you’re upset.” The red hat tilted. “You’re going through what most young couples experience right before a wedding—stress and cold feet.”
Another breathtaking sight appeared outside the window, and the coach filled with oohs and ahhs. Lake Electra glimmered like an alpine sapphire in the valley below, its rim circled by triangular pines, similar to emeralds, surrounding a perfect jeweled setting. Mia couldn’t contain the tears. This was exactly the kind of sight she’d wanted to share with Ben, places the train revealed with its precarious eye-in-the-sky position unequalled by car and road.
“You have the prettiest eyes, young lady,” Mrs. Cooper said. “Just as dark a blue as that lake down there.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll bet you feel just as blue, too,” Mrs. Cooper added.
Mia hugged herself, not from cold, though the temperatures were dropping steadily with the rising altitude. No, the heat loss she experienced was deep inside, right in the core of her heart, where she’d always felt safe and warm with Ben.
“One of the antique parures was made of sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds,” Mrs. Cooper murmured. “I can’t imagine how much it could be worth.”
“How would they transport it?” Mia asked. “You don’t think the thief brought it all with them on the train, do you?”
“Wouldn’t you? No point leaving it behind.” Trouble batted at Mrs. Cooper’s cheek. “What are you trying to tell me, my fine detective friend?”
“Maybe they posted it. It was all boxed up and ready to go,” Mia said. “The thief could have removed the courier label, stuck a mailing label of his own on the package, and let the post office spirit the items out of town.”
“Or carried it in a big bag.” Mrs. Cooper looked up and down the car, noting the tourists with shopping bags, and the women with extra-large purses. “Tall and broad, you said.”
“When I saw him, yes, that’s what I thought. But now we know it was part of the deception to make him look bigger.”
“Or to change genders,” Mrs. Cooper whispered.
“Huh?”
“I was thinking aloud.” Mrs. Cooper shook her head. “It’s likely folly on my part, but the young woman who came to the line at the last minute. She stood just ahead of me and had all the news about the theft. She is remarkably tall. Look back where she’s sitting in the seat. As tall as the man beside her.”
Mia looked and nodded, not sure where the older woman was going with this.
“Makes me wonder if she had disguised herself,” Mrs. Cooper continued. “Then pitched everything into a bin as she ran away. Had done what we’d already discussed and planned her escape with the pre-purchased tickets, her friend arriving early and getting them a forward place in line. Splendid camouflage when one thinks about it. Then she stayed behind a bit to see when the things were discovered, what happened about the teenagers, then diverted suspicion by discussing publicly what appeared to be her fascination with the robbery. Just a theory, after all—”
“But absolutely plausible,” Mia interrupted. “And she carried a big leather tote bag clamped under one arm.” She looked back, then whispered, “Has it right by her side on the seat too. Look.”
“I have, my dear.”
“I would never have thought of something like that,” Mia said.
“If you reported crime news as long as I did, you’d find yourself trying to out-think some rather brilliant crooks,” Mrs. Cooper replied. “But it’s all just hypothesis at this point.”
“Too bad we can’t sneak Trouble into her bag.”
Mrs. Cooper laughed, then whispered, “Don’t give the boy ideas, Mia.”
“It’s not like he understands us.”
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Mrs. Cooper warned.
Doesn’t think I understand. Huh! But I’ll reserve judgement about the woman-pretending-to-be-a-man theory. It’s back to not getting a sense of subterfuge. When we were in line, my carrier stayed at her feet from the time she arrived until the moment Mrs. Cooper picked me up to carry me into the car. I never got a whiff of anything other than nosy excitement. I’m not ready to strike her from the list, however. One never knows how clever and fearless a thief can be.
Still, there’s something about someone on this car I know will steer me in the right direction. All I need to do is recognize where to focus next.
They returned to watching the scenery, keeping their thoughts to themselves. But after Mia caught herself sniffing for a second time, Mrs. Cooper said, “Seems a shame to break an engagement over one awkward discussion.”
“It’s too late,” Mia replied, wiping her nose and pulling a plane ticket from her purse. “We were set to leave this morning. Ben has another big case coming up. He’ll be touching down in Louisiana soon.”
Mrs. Cooper nodded. “He was probably nervous about that big case. I know whenever my late husband had to meet with new clients—he was a building contractor, you know—he would get all worked up thinking about details that needed to be nailed down. Even when I thought he was relaxing, I’d find his mind was on the next thing to do. I was just as bad when I had a story to pursue. I was like a bulldog with a bone. Likely, your young man has been letting this eat at him. Then, when you surprised him with a change of plans—”
“The pressure was too much.” Mia groaned softly. “Why didn’t I think of that? I was excited about the surprise train trip and he was pulled out of his comfort zone. Naturally, he went off half-cocked and tried putting me into a role. That’s what confused me so. Losing Ben’s support of my art.”
“Jitters.” The red hat bobbed. “You never know how they’ll react. My suggestion is to find a phone and call him when we reach Silverton. Your cell phone likely won’t work on this mountain. That’s why I did all my online snooping before we left the digital reaches of Durango. He’s probably trying to call you right now and apologize but can’t get through.”
“You think so?” Mia chewed her lip. “I’ll try it. Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?”
“You have love on your side, my dear. You don’t need luck.”
Humanoids are so silly about this love stuff. I have less than no patience for this “will she or won’t he” bother. What I do have patience for, however, is quiet surveillance, and something tells me I won’t need to explore that suspiciously big leather tote. Ahhh…the conductor just returned through the rear door. Perfect timing.
Yowl! the cat screamed and flew off Mrs. Cooper’s seat, heading for those directly ahead and across the aisle.
Everyone spoke at once.
“Is that cat mad?”
“Quick, pull your feet off the floor.”
“Someone grab that animal.”
And above it all, Mrs. Cooper’s pleadings, “Trouble, please stop. Come to me, please.”
Mia scooted out of her seat to move close, realizing the cat was only interested in one couple. The young pair who’d arrived last-in-line that morning. The couple with the flushed and happy faces who’d been walking when they boarded the platform, but had likely been running moments before, and Mia now knew were exhilarated by more than just their love for one another.
“Look! Coming out of his pant leg,” Mia cried. A long chain of gold, its engraved links smoothed in places, sharply detailed in others snaked out at the hem of his slacks. Trouble caught a claw in a link and pulled, with everyone watching as the chain and its antique pocket watch tumbled free. Mrs. Cooper scooped the cat from the floor, and the watch dangled from Trouble’s claw. Until Mia rescued the purloined timepiece and handed it to a wide-eyed conductor. “If you could radio the police, Mr. Stinson. I believe Trouble has just solved the jewelry store heist. And this is no April Fool’s prank.”
I knew I smelled someone keeping secrets. It was his cologne mixed with the natural scents of fear and anxiety. I should have paid more attention to the people sitting around where I discovered the deceptive diamond. Foiled by a hole in a trouser pocket. A glint of gold appearing against a brown leather shoe and the jig was up, thanks to my feline focus. Seems the woman was best friends with one of the jewelry store employees, too. I’m surprised I didn’t unmask the villains sooner, but this is likely better anyway, as we’re nearer to Silverton, and the thieving couple won’t have to spend so much time tied up on the floor of the car. The men all donated their belts to help restrain the pair. No one wanted them doing something desperate like leaping off the train. Much better to bring them in alive and not broken…or worse.
Several of the passengers took my photo and said they’ll be posting it on their Facebook and Twitter pages when they again have internet access. I hope this doesn’t make me overly famous. It’s difficult to solve crimes when you're too well known. I’ve seen this for myself when I watch Benedict Cumberbatch in his Sherlock persona. Too often, the character’s notoriety hampers as much as it helps an investigation. I may have to look into ways of disguising my own handsome façade if this story of my outwitting the humanoids does something silly, like going viral.
I feared Mrs. Cooper would be disappointed I bested her in arriving at the solution first, but she’s become an even more effusive supporter of my talents. Nice to know there are so many people out there working toward the greater good—rather than only going for the win.
Mrs. Cooper might even be part cat.
The closer the train got to Silverton, the more often the rails squeezed through tight granite passes, sheltering the cars and passengers from all the panoramic vistas and plunging-down-the-side depths. So safe; so solid. Like Ben. Mia’s heart squeezed and tears tumbled down her cheeks. Even the excitement of being on-hand as the robbery was solved and the missing jewels and jewelry recovered was not enough to get her mind off what she needed to do next.
She was half-excited and half-terrified. Regardless, she didn’t think the train would ever pull into the station.
“There’s the old silver mine!” Someone cried from the front of the coach.
Mrs. Cooper reached back and patted Mia’s hand. “That tells us the town is near. We’ll be pulling into Silverton in just a minute. Right around the next bend, then you can contact your sweetie.”
Try, Mia thought. Try to contact Ben and convince him that he still loved her. Though she’d left him to board the train that morning with nothing but heated words. Not even saying goodbye.
Mia pulled her phone from her pocket. Yes, no bars, just like Mrs. Cooper predicted, but the time showed Ben would be in New Orleans. She hoped he wasn’t already in some meeting. Would he even take her call? Whether he was free or in a meeting? She snatched her purse from the floor and rifled through it, wiping tears while searching for loose change.
Mrs. Cooper finished latching Trouble in the cat carrier, then opened her arms to hug Mia. “This is a red-letter day for you, young lady. Don’t you believe otherwise. Your eye for observation is enough for me to know you wouldn’t have chosen Ben if he wasn’t the right man for you. Have faith.”
“Thank you. And I’d love to treat you and Trouble later to a special meal. I would have likely missed all the clues without the two of you.”
“I’m afraid we already have plans with Trouble’s owner, Tammy Lynn. But give me your email and we’ll keep in touch.”
“Terrific.” Mia pulled one of her business cards from her purse, one that highlighted her line of creative designs, and wrote her personal email address on the back. She passed it to Mrs. Cooper and accepted the plain white card with black embossed printing that the former reporter passed to her.
The conductor had asked them to exit from the rear door, since the robbery suspects were still tied up and sitting near the front. When the train finally stopped, she bolted for the back, not even looking at the picturesque landscape, intent only on finding a pay phone. She had to reach Ben to apologize. To tell him how much she loved him. She couldn’t bear not spending the rest of her life with him, and she hoped he could be convinced to feel the same way about her.
Almost through the door of the first wooden building, Mia heard her name called. Ignore it, she thought. Then the voice called again, and she stopped…and turned.
Ben stood several yards away, a hesitant look on his face, as if asking whether he could come nearer. Mia bridged the distance in seconds, flying into his arms.
“I’m so sorry, Mia.” He kissed her, holding her as tight and safe as the train hugged the mountain. “I acted on impulse. Grabbed a cab to the airport, but halfway there I had the driver turn back. Paid him to drive me up here instead. I knew I was making a mistake. I need your reckless impetuousness. I didn’t mean—”
“Ben, I know.” Mia placed fingers to his lips. “I was wrong, too. It was just a symptom of cold feet. It took a solitary train trip and a sympathetic passenger to show me what I should have seen earlier.”
“I heard two of the passengers robbed the jewelry store in Durango this morning,” he said.
“Yes, I was right there when the cat nabbed one of the thieves.”
“Cat?” Ben’s face looked incredulous.
“A very special cat,” she assured him, then told him the whole story.
“Wow!” he said when she finished. “I just imagined you enjoying the views out the window. Was the scenery as great as you’d imagined?”
“Probably, if my vision hadn’t been clouded with tears so much of the time.”
“Then we’ll have to share the view on the way back,” Ben said.
“Like we’ll share a lifetime together,” Mia replied, unable to pull her gaze away from his dark green eyes. Just like the pines that protectively circled Lake Electra’s sapphire blue. Who needed precious jewels when she had eyes like Ben’s to happily gaze into for a solid and steady future?