When Lao finished with his little speech Jim stared at him with puzzlement on his face. They were both silent as the train wove its way past French towns, landscapes, houses, blue fields, over bridges, across yellow countryside. Husk brought the news that there had been a suicide attempt on the train. It caused considerable alarm among the passengers. A strange gloomy energy circulated the carriages as the word was passed on, bringing dismay and bewilderment in its wake. A suicide attempt? How? What could have caused it? Was it a man or a woman? The gender changed several times. Sometimes it was a man, sometimes a woman. Sometimes it was a member of the film crew. Other times it was a member of a business delegation.
Jim wanted to find the crew, to locate everyone and make sure they were all fine. The whole team was rounded up and accounted for, except Riley. She could not be found. Anxiety turned to alarm. The train staff were contacted; announcements were made over the train speakers. There was no response from Riley. The crew split up, and began a thorough search of the train. They searched the second class carriages, the toilets, the staff rest rooms, the baggage compartments, and they even extended their search to the train driver’s cubicle. It seemed that Riley had disappeared.
The team sat down together disconsolately. Jim said:
‘Who saw her last?’
‘She was with me,’ said Sam, ‘loading the film camera as usual. She went off with one of the cases, and that was the last time I saw her.’
‘What was her mood like?’
‘Mood? Mood? What do you mean mood? I wasn’t aware of her mood. I was taking tricky shots of faces, shots of the countryside at an angle through the window. She’s supposed to be my assistant, not to have moods.’
‘I think she’s been a bit depressed,’ said Husk.
‘A bit depressed?’ cried Jute. ‘She’s been manically depressed!’
‘Well, how did none of us notice?’ asked Jim.
‘Some of us did,’ Jute replied.
‘What’s been wrong with her?’
‘Everything…’
‘So where can she have got to? There’s nowhere we haven’t looked. And she can’t have jumped off the train because it’s impossible to open any doors or windows. So she must still be on the train,’ Jim said.
‘We’ve looked everywhere…’
‘She could be in someone’s suitcase,’ suggested Propr.
Everyone turned to look at him.
‘Anything’s possible,’ he added, defending himself.
‘Who attempted suicide?’
Now everyone turned to stare at Jute. Then it became clear that no one knew. They became silent as they contemplated the possibility that Riley had attempted to take her own life. They thought about her life in abstract terms, trying to puzzle out motives, reasons, secret distresses, troubles, and to reconcile this with her apparently sunny and chirpy nature.
‘It wouldn’t be like her though,’ Jute said.
‘I thought you said she was a manic depressive?’
‘Jim, who isn’t?’
‘I’m not,’ said Sam.
‘I’m not either,’ said Husk.
‘I’m just manic,’ said Jim.
‘Maybe something to do with her father,’ said Husk.
‘What about her father?’
‘They were close.’
‘Is he dead?’
‘No.’
‘Dying?’
‘No.’
‘Then why did you bring up her father?’
‘I just did,’ said Husk defiantly, staring back at everyone.
‘How pointless can you be?’ said Propr.
‘As pointless as I like.’
Silence followed.
‘Maybe she’s got a secret illness.’
‘Like what?’
‘Cancer.’
‘At her age?’
‘I know someone who’s got cancer at twenty-three.’
‘That wouldn’t explain why she’s completely disappeared though.’
‘Maybe she’s been kidnapped.’
‘By who?’
‘Malasso.’
‘Who’s Malasso?’ asked Propr.
‘Shut up!’ said Jim.
‘Why would he kidnap her? What for?’
‘Maybe she’s rich.’
‘My assistant camera girl – rich? Unlikely!’ said Sam.
‘Maybe she’s part of some terrorist group.’
‘Why would she be a terrorist?’
‘Why not?’
‘Anybody can be anything these days, but the terrorist angle is too far-fetched,’ insisted Jim.
‘We’re talking about her as if we don’t know her,’ said Propr.
‘Do you know her?’ asked Sam.
‘No.’
‘Do you?’ Jim asked Sam.
‘Vaguely, but come to think of it, no, not at all. She’s very efficient, and works hard, that’s all I know. And is good company.’
‘Has she got suicide in her?’
‘We all do, don’t we?’ said Husk.
‘Speak for yourself,’ came Propr.
‘I don’t think so,’ answered Sam. ‘There’s something too happy about her.’
‘It’s the happy ones you have to watch,’ said Jim.
‘You’re right,’ said Jute. ‘All the really happy people I know have attempted suicide.’
‘Were they happy before or after?’ asked Lao.
Silence followed the question.
‘I’m not sure,’ replied Jute eventually.
‘Why is it relevant?’ asked Jim.
‘Because,’ Mistletoe said, speaking for the first time, ‘because Riley is standing right behind you, looking quite happy.’