6 
Close Encounter

Amanda darted nervously from the train across the platform area while the stocky man was glancing the other way. She kept close to the opposite side of a large woman with three children, trying to look as if she were with them. Quickly, when the coast was clear, she ran into the Trieste station.

The next scheduled train into Italy did not depart until 7:13 a.m.

Standing with bag in hand in front of the schedule board, she thought a moment.

The man would come this way looking for her any minute.

She turned and hurried outside into the darkness. The night air was warm and fragrant. On the slight breeze she could faintly smell the Adriatic Sea less than a mile away.

She began walking in search of a hotel but quickly tired of it. There was nothing nearby and the night was getting late. She did not particularly like the looks that came her way from the few people who were about, especially the men.

Exhausted, and much too warm in her heavy winter coat, Amanda finally crept back toward the station. Watching the entryway carefully, she made her way inside, then hurried to one side of the room into the corner shadows. The man appeared nowhere in sight.

She sat down on a nearby bench and tried to make herself comfortable. Slowly, one sleepless minute went by, then another. The night hours dragged on. She was afraid to close her eyes lest the man might still be about, yet was unable to keep her head from drooping in sheer exhaustion.

Somehow the dreary, miserable night passed. As light finally began to dawn Amanda was more weary than ever. Her eyelids sagged yet more heavily. Before long she was sound asleep.

Suddenly she came to herself.

She jolted upright and her eyes shot open in a fright. It was bright and light. Morning had come!

She glanced quickly at her watch. It was 6:55. She had nearly missed her train!

Hastily she jumped up, grabbed her bag, and ran to the ticket window.

With ticket in hand a few minutes later, her money now nearly three-quarters gone, she looked hurriedly around for the platform she needed.

She had just located the way to track three when suddenly Amanda’s feet froze. For an instant she stood motionless, like a terrified frog suddenly caught in the death stare of a snake whose mouth was three times its size.

How could it be!

There was Ramsay walking into the station!

He had just entered from another platform with the same man she had seen last night!

Summoning every ounce of willpower she possessed, Amanda forced her legs into activity. She turned in the direction of platform three.

Resisting the impulse within her to break into a run, she began walking toward the train, which was scheduled to depart in just four minutes. Deliberately but with measured step, she made her way toward the tunnel as quickly as she dared. Any second she expected to hear a voice behind suddenly call out her name. Surely he would see and recognize the back of her coat and the hat with her brown hair coming out from under it! Every step was an agony of steady determination.

She rounded a corner out of sight of the station hall and ticketing area. Instantly Amanda broke into a frantic dash for the track.

Two minutes later she seated herself on board, as far from a window as she could get.