FOUR

What’s Really Going On

I knew I had to get to my feet and address everyone in the carriage, but I really wasn’t looking forward to it. I’ve never been comfortable doing anything that draws people’s attention to me. But needs must when the devil is breathing down your neck and happily reminding you of how much closer Bath is getting with every moment that passes. I took a deep breath and started to lever myself out of my seat, and then stopped as Penny put a staying hand on my arm. I dropped back into my seat, trying not to show how relieved I was at being interrupted, and looked at Penny enquiringly.

‘What are you going to say to them?’ she said bluntly.

‘I’m going to tell them the truth.’

‘I was afraid of that,’ said Penny. ‘You need to tread carefully here, Ishmael. These people aren’t used to being part of our world, coping with the kind of things you and I take for granted.’

‘You mean psychic assassins?’ I said. ‘Or just generally the weird and unnatural stuff?’

‘I mean murders,’ said Penny. ‘Most people don’t have our experience when it comes to sudden death and unexpected bodies.’

‘It’s nothing new to one of them,’ I said. ‘But I will try to be as considerate as I can.’

‘That should be worth watching.’

‘I can do polite and courteous.’

‘News to me,’ said Penny.

I got to my feet and cleared my throat loudly, and all heads turned in my direction. They knew immediately from the look on my face that something bad had happened. I gave them all my best reassuring smile, but it didn’t seem to help much … So I just took a deep breath and dived right in.

‘My name is Ishmael Jones, and this is my partner, Penny Belcourt. We’re security agents, put on this special express train to keep an eye on things. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that the man who was sitting in this carriage with us, the politician Sir Dennis Gregson, has been murdered.’

I paused for a moment to let that sink in. The passengers murmured Sir Dennis and murder, and then security. Murder came as a definite shock, but I could see them turning security over in their minds, trying to decide whether that made them feel any safer. I’ve always found security to be a very useful word in fraught situations. It implies Government connections and authority without actually confirming either of them. People tend not to question words like security, if only because they’re pretty sure they wouldn’t like the answers.

I studied the passengers carefully, but their expressions all looked much the same. A mixture of shock, horror, disbelief … and a whole lot of confusion. One of them had to be faking it, though. And I really couldn’t rule out the possibility that they were all in this together. It might take something like that to pull off whatever trick had allowed someone to sneak right past me without my noticing. I started speaking again, and everyone’s gaze snapped back to me.

‘Sir Dennis was killed inside the First-Class toilet cubicle,’ I said flatly. ‘I’ve had the door locked, to protect the body and preserve the crime scene until we get to Bath. Where the police can take over.’

The bodyguard couldn’t stand it any longer. His voice cut across mine, full of anger as well as shock.

‘I told him! I told Sir Dennis not to go off on his own, but he wouldn’t listen to me!’ And then he broke off and looked at me questioningly. ‘Wait a minute. How can you be so sure he was murdered?’

‘I do have some experience with dead bodies,’ I said. ‘And given that Sir Dennis’s neck was broken while he was sitting in a toilet locked from the inside … I’d be hard-pressed to explain how a thing like that could happen naturally.’

The bodyguard slumped back in his seat, scowling hard but staring at nothing. Probably thinking about what his superiors were going to say once they discovered he’d failed to protect the man in his charge. The three businesspeople didn’t seem to know how to react. The young Indian woman appeared to be coping best; shock had already been driven off her face by frowning concentration. The older man looked as if he wanted to ask questions but couldn’t find the words. The younger man raised his hand tentatively, like a child at school.

‘Excuse me, but … Can I just ask, who is this Sir Dennis?’

‘A politician who’d just been promoted to an important position,’ I said. ‘His presence is why this service was made into a special express, with no stops along the way. And why he had his own bodyguard.’

‘If he was in such danger, shouldn’t we have been warned?’ said the older businessman.

‘No one was supposed to know he was travelling on this train,’ I said.

‘I want to know why you were assigned to this case!’ the bodyguard said forcefully. He fixed me with a cold glare, suspicion filling his face. ‘No one told me you were on board. How can I be sure you’re the real thing?’

He scrambled quickly out of his seat and into the aisle, and before I could even start to answer him, he bent down and produced a gun from a concealed holster on his right ankle. He aimed the gun at me, arm extended, and even as the other passengers made startled noises and ducked for cover, my first thought was to congratulate myself on correctly guessing where he’d hidden his weapon. I shot Penny a glance to tell her not to move, and then stared unflinchingly back at the bodyguard. Just to make it clear that it would take more than brandishing a frankly undersized gun to unnerve me. The bodyguard raised his voice commandingly, to make sure the other passengers paid attention.

‘I’m Brian Mitchell, official bodyguard to Sir Dennis! Military police, plain-clothes. And I am the only protection officer authorized to be here.’

‘You’re the official protection,’ I said patiently. ‘Penny and I are the unofficial backup. If you’re military, you must know how security works, Brian; it’s always belt and braces. And never letting the enemy know what the other hand’s doing. Now, please, put the gun down. Opening fire in a confined space is rarely a good idea.’

‘Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?’ said Brian, trying to sound as though he was in charge and missing by a mile.

‘Yes, I would like that,’ I said. ‘I’m sure everyone here would feel a lot safer if no one was waving a gun around.’

‘I am not waving it around!’ Brian said loudly.

He took a step forward and aimed the gun right between my eyes, as though that would make it more threatening. When I just stared calmly back at him, he turned the gun away from me and aimed it at Penny, thinking I’d be more concerned for her than I was for my own safety. And I decided that enough was enough. I charged down the aisle toward him, and he automatically started to turn the gun back to me, but by then I was right on top of him. I snatched the gun out of his hand, turned it around and took careful aim at his heart. He looked at me with shocked eyes, started to raise his hands and then stopped, for fear I might take that as a threat. I took a step back, lowered the gun and put it away in my jacket pocket.

‘Calm the hell down, Brian,’ I said. ‘We’ve already got one body on this train; let’s not try for two.’

Brian had to open and shut his mouth a few times before he felt able to answer me.

‘Give me back my gun! I had to sign for that.’

‘Maybe later,’ I said. ‘Now, sit down and behave yourself.’

He thought about arguing, thought better of it and sat down in his seat again, scowling at me like a child who’d just had his favourite toy taken away. I turned to the three businesspeople, who were slowly sitting up in their seats again. They all looked a bit stunned. They weren’t used to guns, and they’d never seen anyone disarm a man so easily. I tried my reassuring smile again.

‘It’s all in the reflexes.’

The three of them thought about that and actually relaxed a little. What I’d just given them was one of those answers that doesn’t actually mean anything but sounds as though it does. Something to reassure people into thinking they’ve received an explanation when they really haven’t. I noticed the young Indian woman was keeping a wary eye on the jacket pocket where I’d put the gun.

‘I still want to know why I wasn’t told about you,’ Brian said stubbornly.

‘Because you didn’t need to know,’ I said. ‘Penny and I were brought in at the last minute, as an extra level of protection.’

‘They didn’t trust me,’ Brian said bitterly. ‘I was never really Sir Dennis’s bodyguard … I was just a decoy, a distraction, someone to hold the killer’s attention while you did the real job. Well, the joke’s on you, Mr Jones, because in the end you were no more use than I was.’

The younger businessman raised his hand again.

‘You don’t need to do that,’ I said patiently. ‘Just introduce yourself and ask your question.’

‘Oh, right. I’m Rupert Hall. Are you planning to stop the train before we get to Bath?’

‘I’m Sita Patel,’ the Indian woman said immediately. ‘What’s the point in stopping the train? Sir Dennis is dead; stopping won’t change anything.’

‘I’ve arranged to meet someone in Bath,’ said Rupert. ‘And I really don’t want to be late.’

‘I’m sure they’ll wait for you,’ said Sita. ‘There’s been a murder; try to concentrate on what matters.’

Rupert looked quietly crushed and subsided back into his seat in the face of Sita’s open disdain.

‘I’m Howard Goldwasser,’ said the older of the businessmen. ‘Aren’t we supposed to pull the communication cord? Isn’t that the correct thing to do in this situation?’

‘This is a special express,’ said Brian, trying to grab back some of his authority. ‘The driver is under strict instructions not to stop for anything until we get to Bath.’

‘Even though a man is dead?’ said Sita.

‘Especially now he’s dead,’ I said.

Sita frowned and seemed to lose some of her assurance. ‘I thought we’d be stopping at the next station.’

Brian smiled. ‘Think again.’

‘I wasn’t told anything about this being a special express,’ said Howard.

‘Then you should have paid more attention,’ said Brian.

‘The authorities will be waiting to meet us at Bath,’ I said, keeping my voice carefully calm and reasonable. ‘Brian, you and I need to talk. Penny, why don’t you have a nice little chat with the rest of the passengers? Bring them up to speed on what’s happened, and answer any questions they may have.’

Penny gestured for me to lean in close. ‘How much should I tell them?’ she asked quietly.

‘As little as possible,’ I said, just as quietly. ‘Calm them down and keep them quiet, while I question the bodyguard.’

‘Thanks a bunch,’ said Penny.

‘Would you rather talk to the bodyguard?’

‘I’ll talk to the passengers.’

Penny got up out of her seat, all smiles and charm, and quickly persuaded the three businesspeople that they should all move further down the carriage and sit together. Penny’s always been good at persuading people to do what she wants. I’ve never really had the knack. I sat down opposite the bodyguard, and he scowled sullenly at me.

‘When am I going to get my gun back?’

‘When I think you can be trusted with it,’ I said. We locked eyes for a moment, and although he didn’t look away, he did lose some of his belligerence. He sat back in his seat and studied me suspiciously.

‘All right, what is it you want to talk about, Mr Jones? Is that really your name – Ishmael Jones?’

‘You know how it is,’ I said. ‘You take what you’re given. Now, we need to figure out how Sir Dennis was killed.’

‘I can’t tell you anything,’ said Brian. ‘Sir Dennis was fine all the time he was with me. A complete pain in the arse, but fine. Then he decided he had to go to the toilet; the next thing I know, you’re telling me the man is dead.’

‘Someone must have broken into the toilet cubicle, killed Sir Dennis and somehow locked the door again when they left,’ I said. ‘All without anyone noticing. I couldn’t find a single clue to indicate who did it, but I do have good reason to believe the killer is someone in this carriage.’

Brian sat up sharply and peered down the compartment at the other passengers. ‘Oh, come on! Those three? There’s not one of them looks like a killer.’

‘Killers rarely do,’ I said.

‘But … I was sitting right here, looking down the aisle and waiting for Sir Dennis to come back,’ said Brian. He frowned, concentrating. ‘No one left the compartment after he did; I couldn’t have missed seeing them. The killer must have come from somewhere further down the train.’

‘That’s not possible,’ I said. ‘The next carriage along had to be evacuated soon after we left Paddington, when all the lights failed. The door at the far end of that carriage has been locked and guarded ever since. No one could have come through from that end.’

‘But … that’s just not possible!’ said Brian. ‘Even if I had taken my eyes off the aisle for a moment, you and the girl were sitting right next to the door. You couldn’t have avoided seeing anyone go past you.’

‘Intriguing, isn’t it?’ I said. ‘Not to mention patently impossible. But someone must have managed it.’

‘All right,’ said Brian. ‘I give up. What’s the answer?’

‘Damned if I know,’ I said. ‘You stay here and think about it, while I go and have a word with the other passengers.’

‘You don’t want me to come with you?’

‘One set of questions at a time, I think,’ I said diplomatically.

‘Don’t take any nonsense from them,’ Brian said flatly. ‘In my experience, the best way to get answers out of people is to just keep hammering away at them until they crack.’

‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ I said. I got to my feet.

‘Hey!’ said Brian. ‘What about my gun?’

I looked back at him as I stepped out into the aisle. ‘What about it?’

I left him still trying to come up with an answer to that one and went to join Penny and the businesspeople. She saw me coming and got up to join me halfway. We stood close together and lowered our voices.

‘Are you going to give that man his gun back?’ said Penny.

‘Not if I can help it,’ I said. ‘The last thing we need right now is a gun in the hand of someone with serious impulse control problems. How are the others taking things?’

‘Confused, mostly,’ said Penny. ‘Along with shocked, upset and very worried about what’s going to happen to them. The general consensus seems to be that they don’t know anything about what happened to Sir Dennis, and they don’t want to know. It’s nothing to do with them, so would we please just leave them alone.’

‘Sita Patel knew who Sir Dennis was,’ I said. ‘She tried to ask him questions on the way to the toilet. He had to barge past her, pretty unpleasantly. I would really like to know what it was she wanted to ask him. And I saw Howard Goldwasser look at Sir Dennis more than once. He knew who the man was – and not in a good way. Were you able to get anything out of Rupert Hall?’

‘Not really. He just keeps insisting he has to meet someone in Bath and doesn’t want to be late.’

‘Business or personal?’

‘He wouldn’t say.’

‘I’d better talk to them,’ I said. ‘They must know something about what happened, even if they don’t realize it.’

‘What are you going to ask them?’ Penny said cautiously.

‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘Anything that comes to mind. Right now, we don’t know a damned thing about them or the murder. Any information has to be better than none.’

We went back to the three businesspeople. They seemed happy enough to see Penny again, less so when it came to me. I was used to that. Instead of sitting down, I stood towering over them, for the extra authority it gave me.

‘I know this has been a shock and a strain for all of you,’ I said. ‘Please try to stay calm and let us do our job.’

‘What is your job, exactly?’ Sita said immediately.

‘Finding out who killed Sir Dennis,’ I said.

‘Shouldn’t you be showing us some ID?’ said Sita. ‘Something to prove you really are who you say you are. You could be anybody!’

‘People like us don’t carry ID,’ said Penny.

Strangely, that seemed to reassure them. It made us seem more like the real thing than any form of ID could have managed. If you ask me, people watch far too many spy shows on television.

‘There’s no point asking us questions,’ said Rupert. His voice was surprisingly diffident for such a well-built man, and he had trouble making eye contact with me. ‘We don’t know anything about this politician or how he was killed.’

‘People often say that,’ I said. ‘But you’d be surprised how much you do notice without realizing.’

‘Are you going to interrogate us?’ said Sita.

‘Just ask a few questions,’ I said.

‘I didn’t see or hear anything,’ Howard said flatly, and the other two nodded quickly in agreement.

‘Then the questioning shouldn’t take too long, should it?’ I said pleasantly. ‘For now, just sit tight and think about what you’re going to say, while I nip back and have another quick chat with the bodyguard.’

I gestured to Penny, and we moved back down the aisle again.

‘Let them stew for a few minutes, and then I’ll try again,’ I said.

‘What if they really don’t know anything?’ said Penny.

‘One of them must,’ I said. ‘You keep them entertained, while I try to dig some more information out of the bodyguard.’

‘Keep them entertained?’ said Penny, just a bit dangerously. ‘What am I, your social secretary?’

‘You are my valued partner,’ I said. ‘Which is why I feel perfectly safe leaving three potential murder suspects in your care. It’s always possible that they’ll feel relaxed enough in your company to tell you things, rather than face my interrogation. Because you’re the nice one.’

‘Well,’ said Penny, ‘that goes without saying.’

I went back to Brian and sat down opposite him again. He folded his arms and sniffed loudly.

‘What do you want now, security man?’

‘How did you get the job as Sir Dennis’s bodyguard?’ I said. ‘You said you were military police …’

‘Shouldn’t you already know that?’

‘Penny and I were only brought on to this case at the last moment,’ I said patiently. ‘There wasn’t time for a proper briefing.’

Brian allowed himself a small smile. ‘Isn’t that always the way? All right … I’m a military police officer, attached to the strength at Woolwich Arsenal. Half a dozen of us were summoned before our commanding officer earlier this evening and told we were being considered for an important assignment. Extra money was mentioned, along with improved career prospects, which, of course, made all of us very suspicious. Never volunteer for anything in the army. But it was also made clear to us that declining this marvellous opportunity wasn’t going to be an option. So we drew straws, and I got the job.

‘When they explained what was involved, it all sounded simple enough … but now I just know I’m going to get the blame for letting Sir Dennis go off on his own and get killed. All I had to do was watch the man, and I blew it. He was only out of my sight for a few minutes!’

‘Sometimes that’s all it takes,’ I said. ‘But you’re in the clear, Brian; I heard him order you to stay put.’

‘Well,’ said Brian, ‘that’s something. If he’d only paid proper attention to my advice, he’d still be alive. But he wouldn’t listen … The arrogant little creep.’ He stopped and looked at me steadily. ‘Give it to me straight. Why did the powers that be think they needed you here, as well as me?’

‘My people received advance information that someone was planning a professional hit,’ I said.

‘I was bait, wasn’t I?’ Brian said quietly. ‘Just a warm body for the hitman to deal with on his way to Sir Dennis, so you could take them down.’ He smiled a smile with no humour in it. ‘That’s the army for you. Use you up and throw you away, because there’s always more waiting to be used.’

‘You don’t seem too surprised, or even upset, about that,’ I said.

He shrugged. ‘Any soldier worth his salt works that one out quickly enough. It’s all part of the deal, from the moment you sign up. You give your life to the army so you can protect your country, and they get to decide what to do with it.’ He nodded suddenly, as though he’d just come to a decision. ‘You know what? You and what’s-her-name can run this investigation without me. I know when I’m out of my depth. But I expect to be kept in the loop, if you find out anything.’

‘I’ll tell you what I can,’ I said.

I might or I might not, but I was pretty sure Brian already understood that. We were both just going through the courtesies, for our pride’s sake. I can do people skills, when I have to.

‘Whatever questions you have left for me, let’s get them out of the way now,’ said Brian. ‘So you can concentrate on the real suspects. No, wait a minute! I thought of something while you were off talking to the others … Could the killer still be hiding somewhere in the space between the carriages? Tucked away in some hidden compartment? I saw this movie once where a midget curled himself up in a space so small you wouldn’t believe it …’

‘I really don’t think so,’ I said.

‘Aren’t you at least going to take a look?’

‘There’s nowhere in the vestibule that anyone could be hiding,’ I said firmly.

I could be sure of that because I would have heard their heartbeat or picked up on their scent but, of course, I couldn’t tell Brian that. He looked disappointed but nodded reluctantly.

‘Talk to me about Sir Dennis,’ I said. ‘You spent more time talking with him than anyone else.’

‘It’s not like we were close,’ he said. He seemed to find the idea amusing. ‘As far as he was concerned, I was just a bulletproof vest on legs. Something he could hide behind if the bullets started flying.’

‘Did he mention his new job?’ I said. ‘Or anyone he might have upset recently, who he had reason to be concerned about? There’s always the chance the motive for his murder could turn out to be personal, rather than political.’

‘You can rule me out either way,’ said Brian. ‘I was chosen by lot just to ensure I wouldn’t have any connection to the man. Once I’d got the job, they just gave me a suit and gun and drove me straight to the station.’

‘All right,’ I said. ‘What did the two of you find to talk about?’

Brian scowled. ‘Sir Dennis wasn’t interested in anything I had to say; he just wanted to boast about his new position and how important that made him. He was so full of himself he had to tell someone, and I was all he had.’ His frown deepened. ‘I got the impression this new appointment came as something of a surprise. He hadn’t gone after it, never thought he stood a chance. So when it just fell into his lap, he was convinced it meant the beginning of a whole new career for him. And he was going to ride it as far as it would take him.’

‘Sir Dennis had a big file with him,’ I said. ‘Did he discuss its contents at all?’

‘Not a word,’ Brian said immediately. ‘Wouldn’t even let me look at it. Said my security clearance wasn’t high enough. Really, I think it was just something else he could use to lord it over me.’

‘Where’s the file now?’

‘While you were off talking to the others, I stowed it in the luggage rack,’ said Brian. ‘Out of everyone’s way. That seemed safest.’

I looked to where he pointed, and nodded. It was safe enough there, well out of reach.

‘So you didn’t even know what his new appointment was?’

‘I didn’t need to know,’ Brian said flatly. ‘My job was just to get the man safely to Bath. And I would have, if he hadn’t been such a wimp about using a public toilet. None of what’s happened is my fault!’

‘I’ll make a note in my official report that he refused your advice,’ I said.

Brian sat up straight. ‘You’d do that for me?’

‘Of course,’ I said. ‘We’re in the same line of business, aren’t we? Now, how much did you know about Sir Dennis, before you got the job as his bodyguard?’

Brian shrugged. ‘Saw him on the news a few times … I know he was involved in some sort of scandal, but I couldn’t tell you what it was about; there’s been so many recently. If it were up to me, I’d shoot the lot of them and start over. Though that’s probably not the best thing to be saying right now … I remember him talking to reporters outside his big house, with the dutiful wife hanging on his arm. He was denying everything, and she was saying how she’d stand by him. He was trying to sound innocent but missing by a mile; and she looked like she wanted to ram a grenade up his arse and then show him the pin.’ Brian frowned. ‘What was the scandal about? Could it be connected to what’s happened?’

‘If it was important enough to justify hiring a professional assassin, I think I would have been told,’ I said carefully. ‘Did you ever get the feeling that Sir Dennis might have been keeping something from you?’

‘He was a politician,’ said Brian.

I nodded, acknowledging the point, and then sat back and looked at him thoughtfully. I let him sweat for a moment, to see if the pressure would bring anything else to the surface. But Brian just stared coldly back at me. He was quite capable of taking the strain. All I could see in his face was a clear determination not to take the blame for anything. Which was, of course, why he was so ready for me to take over the investigation. And yet … I couldn’t help wondering why he hadn’t found some way to stand guard outside the toilet. Sir Dennis might have ordered him not to, but Brian had a much better idea of the risks involved. He could have sneaked down the aisle and stood guard until Sir Dennis finished his business, and then rushed back to his seat again. If he timed it right, Sir Dennis would never have known his orders had been flouted.

And even if Sir Dennis had found out, what could he have done about it? It wasn’t as if he could fire his own bodyguard. He was stuck with Brian all the way to Bath. At worst, he might have turned in a scathing report, but that would have been water off a duck’s back to an old soldier like Brian.

‘What are you thinking about, Jones?’ said Brian.

‘Just deciding what questions I’m going to ask the others,’ I said.

He sniffed loudly. ‘You’re welcome to them. I’m not used to dealing with civilians. You always know where you are in the military. It’s always going to be about rank and orders and duty. Clear cut, every time. Finding out what people are getting up to, and then putting a stop to it. You really think you can get those three to open up to you? We’ll be at Bath in less than an hour.’

‘One of them must know something,’ I said.

‘But none of them left this compartment at any point,’ Brian said stubbornly. ‘I would have seen them.’

‘Are you sure you didn’t turn your gaze away, just for a moment?’ I said. ‘Maybe to glance out of the window?’

‘It’s dark,’ said Brian. ‘What’s there to look at?’

‘Rupert Hall went to the toilet,’ I said thoughtfully. ‘About ten minutes before Sir Dennis.’

Brian looked at me sharply. ‘You think he might have been setting up something?’

‘It’s possible.’

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said. It seemed to me I was saying that a lot. ‘But if I didn’t see anything suspicious, and neither did you or Penny, that can only mean we must all have missed something.’

‘Such as?’

‘If I knew that,’ I said, ‘I wouldn’t need to question everyone, would I?’

‘Right,’ said Brian. He frowned again, thinking hard and making heavy going of it. ‘The next carriage along is empty, locked off and guarded … We got lucky there. Otherwise, you’d have to question everyone on the train. You really think this was a professional hit?’

‘I couldn’t find any trace of a struggle,’ I said. ‘And even allowing for the fact that Sir Dennis must have been caught quite literally with his pants down, he should still have had time to react. To put up some kind of a fight.’

‘Unless he froze,’ said Brian. ‘That happens more often than you’d think, the first time people come face to face with a real threat.’

‘Even when their life is in danger?’

‘Especially then,’ said Brian. ‘Someone actually trying to kill you is so far out of most people’s experience that they have no idea how to handle it. You have to be taught how to react properly. Of course, there’s always the chance Sir Dennis knew his killer, and for some reason didn’t see them as a threat until it was too late.’

‘I thought that,’ I said.

It took a moment before what I was saying sank in, and then Brian sat forward in his seat and glared at me.

‘The only person he knew on this train was me! And your partner can confirm that I never left my seat till you came back and announced that Sir Dennis was dead!’

‘I could say the same thing about the three business types,’ I said reasonably. ‘And it wouldn’t be difficult for a trained soldier like you to break a man’s neck with one blow.’

‘What possible reason could I have to kill Sir Dennis?’

‘Because he was an arrogant little creep?’

Brian stared at me for a long moment.

‘So I’m a suspect?’ he said finally.

‘Everyone in this carriage has to be a suspect,’ I said. ‘Apart from Penny and me, of course.’

‘Who vouches for you?’ said Brian.

‘I do,’ I said.

Brian sat back in his seat. He thought hard, turning everything over in his mind, and then looked at me for a long moment, as though trying to decide whether or not he could trust me with something.

‘Unless he literally never saw his killer coming,’ he said finally. ‘I know about the Psychic Weapons Division. I couldn’t resist taking a quick look at Sir Dennis’s file while he was away! Just to see what was so important … and as a small act of defiance, for the way he’d been treating me. But once I saw the title page, that was enough for me. I don’t know anything about psychic weapons, and I don’t want to. I like being able to sleep at night. That’s why I put the file up there in the luggage rack – so I wouldn’t be tempted to look at it again. But now … I’m guessing you know all about that stuff. If there is a professional psychic killer on this train, could they make themselves invisible? Could that be why Sir Dennis didn’t react – because all he saw was the toilet door opening on its own?’

‘It’s possible,’ I said.

‘I was really hoping you weren’t going to say that.’ Brian looked at me unhappily. ‘What if while we’re looking for the killer, he’s hiding behind an invisibility cloak and reading our minds? He could know all our plans, all our secrets …’

His voice was becoming uncomfortably loud as he struggled to cope with ideas way outside his experience.

‘Take it easy,’ I said. ‘He can’t be that good, because he didn’t know about Penny and me.’

‘But what if he did!’ Brian shot back. ‘What if he’s known about you all along, and he’s so good he just doesn’t care?’

‘No one’s that good,’ I said flatly. ‘Calm down, Brian. I don’t believe there’s an invisible psychic hiding on this train, and neither should you. It’s much more likely that what we’re dealing with is just a really clever professional. Now … I need you to go and guard the door between here and the vestibule. No one is to enter or leave this compartment without my permission.’

Brian nodded quickly. He felt better now he’d been given orders and something to do.

‘Can I have my gun back?’

‘You’re a big man,’ I said. ‘Just fill the doorway and give anyone a good glare if they get too close.’

‘What if the killer has a gun?’

‘Improvise.’

I rose to my feet, stepped out into the aisle and looked steadily at Brian until he heaved a long-suffering sigh and got to his feet.

‘You’d make a great officer,’ he said.

‘Somehow, I don’t think that’s a compliment,’ I said.

‘Got that right,’ said Brian. ‘Tell me: did Sir Dennis really die sitting on the toilet, with his trousers round his ankles?’

I nodded, and Brian laughed briefly.

‘Good. Serves him right.’

He marched down the aisle to the end door, about-turned with military precision and set his back against it. He then scowled fiercely down the compartment, to dissuade anyone from even thinking of trying something. I nodded to him, to show I appreciated the effort, and then made my way back to the three businesspeople, hoping they’d be in more of a mood to talk to me, now that Penny had had some time to soften them up a little. I needed something I could use.

It was possible that Brian was the killer. No one had more opportunity than him. Could he have somehow fixed the draw, as a way to get close to Sir Dennis? But in the end Sir Dennis only died when he became temporarily separated from his bodyguard, through his own bad judgement. And, of course, Brian had never left his seat. Like everyone else in the compartment.

I had a growing suspicion this was going to be one of those cases where I suddenly stopped and slapped myself on the forehead and said, Of course! How could I have missed that? It’s so obvious! But that didn’t help now. Hindsight can be very irritating, not to mention unbearably smug.

I found Penny chatting cheerfully with the three businesspeople, who were all looking a lot more relaxed. I cleared my throat politely, and they broke off immediately, looking at me with faces that were trying really hard not to give anything away. Not necessarily because they were guilty, but simply because they had no reason to trust me. I gestured for Penny to come and join me, and we moved off down the aisle.

‘Have they told you anything useful yet?’ I said quietly. ‘Hell, I’m ready to settle for something interesting.’

‘I haven’t found out much,’ said Penny. ‘The murder has left them in such a state; it’s all they can talk about. Every time I try to get one of them to open up to me, one of the others will insist on dragging the conversation back to Sir Dennis and the horrible way he died.’

‘I’ll have to question them separately,’ I said. ‘And I think I’m going to have to do that without you.’

Penny raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you saying you don’t think I can handle a simple interrogation?’

‘I just think these people might be more willing to open up to me about private matters if there wasn’t a witness,’ I said carefully. ‘And there is always the chance I might have to get a little harsh, to persuade them to tell me things they don’t want to talk about. If that doesn’t work, I can give you the nod, and you can come rushing in to rescue them from me. Bad cop, good cop; you know how it works.’

‘You can forget that right now,’ Penny said flatly. ‘You won’t get anything out of these people without my help. All three of them are halfway into shock; if you try to pressure them, they’ll just clam up.’

I shrugged. ‘All right, you take the lead. I’ll just sit back and listen, and butt in if I spot something. Interrogation has never been what I do best.’

‘Or me,’ said Penny. ‘But it’s all we’ve got.’

‘Along with a deadline,’ I said.

‘How much time do we have?’

‘Best not to think about it.’

‘You’re the one who brought it up!’ said Penny.

‘And I really wish I hadn’t.’

We went back to the three businesspeople, and they all gave me the same suspicious look. They could tell I wasn’t on their side. I studied each face carefully. I could see fear and worry, but nothing that looked like guilt. Unfortunately, with every minute that passed, the train was getting closer to Bath – and the point where I’d have no choice but to just give up and let everybody go. So all Penny and I could do was go charging in like a bull in a china shop, and keep hitting people with questions until someone told us something we could use.

I realized I’d been standing there staring at the businesspeople for some time, saying nothing. And probably frowning. I quickly switched to my best apologetic smile, but they just stared coldly back at me, not giving an inch. So I gave up on the smile, started talking and hoped for the best.

‘Penny and I were put on this train because there’d been advance warning of a threat against Sir Dennis. Our superiors had no clear information as to what this threat might be, so we were just told to keep our eyes open. That didn’t work out too well. Now it’s vital we find the killer before we arrive in Bath.’

‘Why would anyone want to kill Sir Dennis?’ Sita said bullishly. ‘He wasn’t anyone important. Just a career arsehole.’

‘We’re assuming it’s something to do with his new promotion,’ I said. ‘Or, failing that, something to do with his private life. Either way, Penny and I are going to have to ask all of you a few questions, if only to eliminate you from our enquiries.’

I looked around, but no one nodded agreement or even tried to argue the point. They just sat stiffly in their seats, staring resentfully back at me. I gave Penny the nod, and she stepped forward, giving them her best Let’s all be friends, you can trust me smile.

‘OK! Let’s start with why you all happened to choose this particular train, on this particular evening.’

They all looked at each other, hoping someone else would start the ball rolling. In the end, Rupert Hall cracked first, because he didn’t have the nerve to stay silent with both Penny and me staring at him.

‘I took this train because it was an express,’ he said quietly. ‘The quickest way to get to Bath. I’m meeting someone important.’

I waited, but that was all he was prepared to say. And he had to keep his eyes on the floor just to get those few words out. I found it interesting that he still didn’t want to say whom he was meeting, or why it was so important that he had to get there in a hurry.

Howard Goldwasser cleared his throat uncomfortably as Penny fixed him with her most engaging smile. He had no trouble looking at Penny or me, but his whole bearing made it clear he was only prepared to say so much and no more.

‘It’s just a business trip,’ he said flatly. ‘And this was the first train getting ready to leave when I arrived at the station.’

Once again, what he didn’t say was more interesting than what he did. He hadn’t explained what kind of business he was in, or the point of his trip, or whether he was planning to meet anyone.

I turned to Sita Patel, but she just sat there and glowered at me and Penny, defying us to get one word out of her. Which was extremely interesting. What could she possibly have to hide that was so important she wasn’t even prepared to cooperate in a murder investigation? No matter how guilty it made her look.

‘All right,’ I said. ‘We’ll just have to do this the hard way. Penny and I will talk to each of you separately.’

‘Why can’t this wait till we get to Bath?’ Sita said immediately, unable to keep quiet now she’d spotted an opening. ‘I mean, aren’t we entitled to lawyers if you’re going to question us about our possible involvement in a murder?’

‘Do you think you’re going to need a lawyer?’ I said.

‘How can I tell, until I know what kind of questions you’re going to ask?’ Sita shot straight back at me.

‘You might want to consider this,’ said Penny. ‘It’s always possible that the murderer, whoever that turns out to be, might decide they need to do away with all of us before we get to Bath, rather than leave any potential witnesses.’

‘But we didn’t see anything!’ said Rupert. He wriggled uncomfortably in his seat, not wanting to be the centre of attention but unable to stay quiet. ‘We didn’t even know this politician was dead until Mr Jones told us!’

‘We have reason to believe Sir Dennis’s killer has to be someone in this compartment,’ I said carefully.

Sita jumped on that one straight away. ‘What reason?’

‘The next carriage along is locked off,’ I said. ‘So no one from the other end of the train could have got to Sir Dennis.’

They all looked round sharply, seeing each other in a whole new light and really not liking what they saw. I think they would have edged away from each other if they hadn’t been trapped in their seats.

‘Since I have no idea how the killer could have got to Sir Dennis, any one of you might have noticed something significant,’ I said, after I’d given them a while to think about it. ‘There’s always the chance you saw or heard something that the killer can’t allow you to tell someone else.’

They really didn’t like the sound of that.

‘What if … we don’t feel like answering some of your questions?’ said Rupert. He’d finally found the strength to meet my gaze and was trying hard to sound defiant, but mostly he just came across as troubled. ‘What if we decide they’re too … personal?’

I looked at him thoughtfully. He wasn’t the one I would have expected to slam on the brakes this early in the proceedings.

‘Not answering isn’t going to be an option,’ I said.

Something in the way I said that, or something in my gaze, made both Rupert and Howard look away. While Sita just glared at me even harder. And I realized that while I might have established my authority, I’d just thrown away any sympathy the three of them might have had for my position. I never was any good at this interrogation thing. I looked at Penny to rescue me.

‘We’ll carry out our questioning in as civilized a manner as possible,’ she said soothingly. ‘We’re only interested in identifying the killer. Not your personal lives or backgrounds.’

‘Unless they turn out to be connected to the killing,’ I said.

‘So it’s going to be good cop, bad cop, is it?’ said Howard. ‘Don’t look so surprised. I watch television. I know how this works.’ He looked at me steadily, almost indifferently. ‘Just ask your questions, so we can get this over with.’

‘All right,’ I said. ‘The first order of business is to confiscate all your phones and laptops.’ I raised a hand to forestall their immediate objections. ‘They’ll be put somewhere safe and returned to you later. But for now we can’t allow any communications with the outside world.’

‘Why not?’ said Sita. She sounded outraged at the very thought of being cut off from everyone.

‘We can’t risk the killer talking to his people,’ I said. ‘Either to confirm Sir Dennis’s death or to ask for assistance. And it’s important that the world doesn’t know what’s happened, just yet. For security reasons.’

The three businesspeople looked sullenly back at me. It seemed the magic word security was losing some of its power.

‘You have no right to do this!’ Sita said loudly. ‘You just want to keep us isolated, and frightened, and helpless … so you’ll have an easier time intimidating us!’

‘I told you, I’m meeting someone,’ said Rupert. ‘I need to be able to contact them if it looks like I’m going to be late.’

‘I have a room booked at a hotel in Bath,’ said Howard. ‘I don’t want them giving it to someone else.’

‘What’s in my phone and on my laptop is my business,’ Sita said flatly. ‘I’m not having you looking at them.’ She looked fiercely at the others. ‘I told you this would happen. Told you we couldn’t trust them. Don’t give in! He can’t take our property away from us if we won’t let him.’

‘We’ll be in Bath in under an hour,’ I said to Rupert and Howard. ‘Your lives won’t grind to a halt just because you’re going to be out of touch for a while.’ I turned to Sita. ‘And unless you’ve been looking up Assassins R Us, I don’t give a damn about your browser history.’

‘It’s just routine procedure,’ Penny said soothingly. ‘No reason for any of you to take this personally.’

I looked down the aisle at Brian. ‘I’m going to need your phone as well.’

He looked back at me, lost for words, openly affronted at being lumped in with the other suspects.

‘I need you to set a good example, Brian,’ I said.

He nodded stiffly, strode down the aisle, took out his phone and thrust it at me. I accepted it, and Brian glared meaningfully at the other passengers before stomping back down the aisle to take up his position at the door again.

The businesspeople looked at each other, and Rupert and Howard finally nodded grudgingly. Penny and I stood back, so the three of them could get up and go back to their seats. They gathered up their phones and laptops, and Rupert and Howard handed theirs over to Penny without a word. Sita handed over her phone, but clutched her laptop tightly to her chest, defying me to wrestle it away from her. I was pretty sure I could, but I was curious. What could she possibly have on there that she was so determined to keep from me? Well, when in doubt, be direct.

‘What’s so important about your laptop, Sita?’ I said bluntly. ‘And just what have you been working at so busily all this time?’

Sita scowled at me, started to say something and then broke off, as she realized Rupert and Howard were looking at her suspiciously, wondering what it was she was trying so hard to hide.

‘All right!’ she said. ‘If you must know … I’m a journalist. I work for the Evening Standard, covering the political beat. I got on this train because I was following a story, over Sir Dennis’s sudden and very unexpected promotion to a top-level job.’

Rupert and Howard looked at her disappointedly. She wasn’t one of them after all. Sita didn’t notice because she was too busy trying to stare me down.

‘What kind of story were you pursuing?’ I said.

‘Nothing worth Sir Dennis getting killed over,’ said Sita. ‘Just mutterings about him getting a job he really wasn’t entitled to. Sir Dennis has always been a bit dodgy, but this looked as if it might have the makings of a major scandal. So I booked a seat here in First Class in the hope I’d get an opportunity to back Sir Dennis into a corner, and hit him with some really awkward questions. I was still trying to figure out how to get him on his own, away from his bodyguard, when suddenly he was dead. But that just makes this story even more important! I’m not giving up all my notes and background quotes, and clues as to who my sources are!’

‘You don’t have to,’ I said patiently. ‘I’m not interested in spiking your story; I just need you to postpone sending it in.’

I noticed that Rupert and Howard were starting to look a little uncertain now, and wondering whether they could get away with demanding their laptops back.

‘All right!’ I said. ‘How about this? If you give up your laptops voluntarily, you’ll all get them back when we arrive in Bath. If I have to take them from you by force – and I will if I have to – I’ll have no choice but to hand them over to our computer experts. And they’ll look at everything. You really want to go that route?’

‘Bully,’ said Sita.

But the strength had gone out of her. She thrust her laptop at me, and I handed it over to Penny, who had to struggle to avoid dropping everything. I nodded to the luggage rack, where Brian had put Sir Dennis’s file, and Penny glared at me before rising up on tiptoe to dump the phones and laptops in the rack. In clear sight of everyone, but well out of easy reach.

‘Any more indignities you want to put us through?’ said Sita.

‘I’m afraid so,’ I said. ‘Before we go any further, I need to check all of you for weapons.’

‘I am not being frisked,’ said Sita ominously.

‘You told us Sir Dennis died from a broken neck,’ said Howard. ‘You don’t need a weapon for that.’

‘Our advance intelligence was pretty sure the killer would be a professional,’ I said. ‘So I need to make sure that you’re not armed.’ I looked to Sita. ‘Penny can check you out.’

‘I am not being frisked!’ Sita repeated loudly.

‘It’ll be just like airport security,’ said Penny.

‘I could always ask Brian to do it,’ I said.

‘Love to,’ said Brian from the door.

‘In your dreams,’ snapped Sita.

In the end, she went along with it. No one really objected, if only because they all wanted to be sure no one else had a weapon. Penny and I were brisk and efficient, and turned up nothing. Which was no more than I’d expected. I only did it because I would have felt such an idiot if I didn’t do it and the killer suddenly produced a gun at an inconvenient moment.

‘Hey, Jones!’ Brian said suddenly. I looked round to see him step away from the door as Dee the refreshments lady entered the compartment, pushing her trolley ahead of her. She had to put some effort into it; the squeaking wheels were really giving her trouble now, apparently determined to go shooting off in every direction at once. Dee wrestled the trolley into submission and then stopped as Brian grabbed her by the arm. She looked at him in surprise, while he looked down the aisle at me.

‘Should I let her in?’

‘Technically speaking, I would have to say you’ve left it a bit late to ask,’ I said. ‘I thought I made it clear to you that no one was to be allowed into this compartment without my permission.’

‘I thought you might want to question her,’ said Brian, entirely unmoved by the disapproval in my voice. ‘She was in here not long before Sir Dennis was killed, remember? And since you’re the one who made such a fuss over being the man in charge, Mr Jones, you get to make the decisions.’

I think, in the army, the look on his face would have been enough for a charge of dumb insolence. But he did have a point. Dee had been here, so she might have seen or heard something. I nodded to Brian and he let go of Dee’s arm. She looked at him and then at me, before finally setting off again. The squeaking of the trolley wheels was very loud in the sudden quiet. Dee looked around her uncertainly, picking up on the tense atmosphere and clearly wondering what she was walking into. I went forward to meet her.

‘It’s only me, darling,’ she said brightly. ‘With my little trolley, here to help you out!’

‘Didn’t the guard tell you this compartment is off limits to everyone until we get to Bath?’ I said sternly.

‘Eric told me what happened to Sir Dennis,’ Dee said quickly. ‘About his being dead and everything. So I thought you people might need some looking after. Hot sweet tea is very good for shock. Everybody knows that.’

‘Eric wasn’t supposed to tell any of the train staff about Sir Dennis.’

‘Oh, he hasn’t told anyone else, darling,’ said Dee. ‘He’s been very good. He only told me because I sort of made him. When he came back down the train, he was in such a state that I thought I’d better sit him down and find out what was wrong. So I gave him a hug and a shoulder to cry on, and once he started talking, he couldn’t stop, the poor dear. He told me all about Sir Dennis, and you, and … well, everything! He’s feeling a lot better now. In case you were wondering.’

‘I gave Eric strict orders that the far door to the next carriage was to remain locked,’ I said sternly.

‘I had Eric open it up, just for me,’ said Dee, entirely unbothered by my tone. ‘So I could bring my trolley through. Trust me, you’ll all feel a lot better for having a nice hot drink inside you, to calm your nerves and settle you down.’

I started to say something, but Dee just kept going and talked right over me. And I let her, because I was fascinated to hear what she’d say next.

‘You don’t need to worry; Eric locked the door behind me, to make sure no one else could come through. Though I can’t see why anyone would want to. That whole carriage is dark as anything. I had to feel my way down the aisle, with the trolley fighting me every step of the way. I’ve got bruises everywhere. Eric’s still trying to get the lights back on, but I think he’s a bit out of his depth, to be honest.’

She paused to get her breath, and I jumped in while I had the chance.

‘Are you and Eric close? Away from the train, I mean?’

‘Oh, no,’ she said quickly. ‘Hardly know the man. This is my first day on the job. You can tell, can’t you? It’s really not what I was expecting …’ She looked at me uncertainly. ‘Have I done something wrong? Should I go?’

I was about to say yes, when simple curiosity got the better of me. Dee must have worked really hard on Eric to get him to open the carriage door after I told him not to, which suggested Dee must have a really good reason for wanting to be here. And I wanted to know what that was.

‘Go ahead, Dee,’ I said. ‘See if anyone wants anything.’

She smiled quickly and threw her whole weight against the trolley to get it moving again. She manoeuvred the awkward thing down the aisle, offering hot drinks and all manner of snacks, but this time there were no takers. They were all just waiting for her to leave, so they could go back to talking about the only thing that mattered: the murder, and how it affected them. So they all just shook their heads or looked away, until Dee got to Rupert Hall. And just as before, Dee focused in on him. She crouched down beside his seat, smiling warmly.

‘What’s the matter, darling? You don’t look at all well. Why not eat something?’

She kept trying to tempt him with one brightly packaged treat after another, almost forcing them into his hands, but he wouldn’t even look at them. He just kept saying he didn’t want anything, and Dee just kept ignoring him. Penny shot me a look, clearly wondering why I wasn’t intervening. I nodded for her to move in closer and keep an eye on Dee. I was wondering where all of this was going. Eventually, Dee gave up, put everything back on her trolley and then casually picked up something hidden among the plastic teacups. And that was when Penny shot out a hand and grabbed hold of Dee’s wrist. Dee tried to wrench her arm away, but Penny had her pinned firmly in place.

Dee’s face became suddenly cold and set, her friendly chatty persona gone in a moment. Penny twisted Dee’s wrist hard, and something dropped out of Dee’s hand on to the floor. I stepped in quickly and picked up a small spy camera.

Dee wrenched her arm out of Penny’s grasp, darted round the trolley and made a run for the door, only to come face to face with Brian, blocking the way with his body. He smiled at her, and it was a really unpleasant smile. And I finally understood why he’d let her through. He’d found her presence suspicious, so he let her in to give her enough rope to hang herself with. Brian looked very pleased at seeing his suspicions confirmed and having someone he could take out his frustrations on. Dee headed straight for him anyway.

Brian reached out to grab hold of her, and Dee kicked him hard in the right knee. Brian cried out, in shock and surprise as much as pain. His leg collapsed under him and he lurched to one side, away from the door. Dee threw herself forward and the door hissed open, but by then I’d caught up with her.

I grabbed Dee by the shoulder and hauled her back into the carriage. She fought me all the way but couldn’t break my grip. So she twisted around inside it, grabbed hold of the front of my jacket and tried for a classic judo throw. But I just braced myself and refused to be thrown. Dee immediately released her hold and fell back a step. Her face was perfectly calm and composed, like any professional at work. She struck out at me, unleashing a series of powerful kicks and blows, but I dodged them all easily. My reflexes are so much faster than human that any fight is always going to seem to me as if it’s in slow motion. Dee broke off her attacks the moment it became clear she wasn’t getting anywhere. She was breathing hard. I wasn’t. Dee dropped her hands, straightened up and shrugged resignedly.

‘Just my luck, to run into someone who knows how to fight. OK, I surrender, all right? What are you going to do? Confiscate my trolley?’

Sita suddenly jumped to her feet and stabbed an accusing finger at Dee. ‘She’s a professional fighter! We all saw it! She must be the killer!’

‘What?’ said Dee. She looked startled for the first time, caught completely off balance by the accusation. ‘Of course I’m not the killer!’

Brian hurried down the aisle, favouring his aching knee, and grabbed hold of Dee’s shoulder from behind. His hand clamped down so hard it made Dee wince despite herself, but she didn’t cry out or try to pull away. She kept her gaze fixed on me, because she knew I was the one she had to convince.

‘Who are you? Who are you working for?’ Brian shouted right into her face.

‘My name is Dee Calder,’ she said steadily. ‘I work for the Super Sunshine Detective Agency, based in London. I’m a private detective.’

‘Yeah, right,’ said Brian. His voice was thick with anger, embarrassed at being taken down so easily.

‘That’s enough,’ I said to Brian. ‘Let her go.’

Brian suddenly seemed to realize that he was intimidating a middle-aged woman. He snatched his hand away from her shoulder and stepped back. Dee nodded briefly to me in thanks, her face perfectly composed, as though nothing unpleasant had happened.

‘Why are you here, Dee?’ I said. ‘Really?’

She started to reach inside her jacket pocket and then stopped as I fixed her with a warning look.

‘Whatever that is,’ I said. ‘I think you’d better take it out slowly and carefully, thumb and forefinger only.’

‘Glad to see there’s another professional on this train,’ said Dee. ‘Don’t worry, darling; it’s only my ID.’

She produced a laminated card and held it out for me to read. I let her hold it while I studied the details. The card confirmed she was who she said she was, and that she did indeed work for the improbably named detective agency.

‘Looks like the real deal,’ I said finally. ‘You can put it away now.’

‘Oh, come on!’ said Brian, unable to contain himself. ‘Anyone can fake an ID!’

‘Let’s face it, Brian,’ said Penny, moving in beside me. ‘She doesn’t exactly look like a professional assassin, does she?’

‘They never do,’ Brian said darkly. ‘That’s the point.’

‘Arrested many assassins, have you?’ I said.

‘Don’t make fun of me,’ said Brian. His voice was flat, and his hands had clenched into fists at his sides.

‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ I said. I turned back to Dee. ‘So, what’s a private detective doing on this train? And why make such an effort to get in here, only to ignore what happened to the dead VIP?’

‘I don’t give a damn about Sir Dennis,’ said Dee. ‘I’m here for him.’

And she pointed at Rupert Hall, who couldn’t have been more astonished if she’d aimed a gun at him.

‘Me?’ he said, his voice rising sharply. ‘Why me?’

‘Yes,’ said Penny. ‘What’s so special about him?’ And then she stopped and looked apologetically at Rupert. ‘No offence.’

‘That’s all right,’ said Rupert. ‘I was wondering the same thing myself.’

‘Why are we listening to this woman?’ Brian said loudly. ‘She’s only trying to distract us …’

‘Brian,’ I said sharply, and his gaze snapped back to me. ‘Go back and guard the door, please. If she could get through the darkened carriage, there’s always the chance someone else might show up.’

Brian nodded reluctantly, shot Dee a final angry look and limped back down the aisle with as much dignity as he could manage. Dee allowed herself to relax a little once he was safely out of range.

‘I’m working for Rupert Hall’s wife,’ she said steadily. ‘Because she thinks he’s cheating on her. That he’s only going to Bath this evening so he can meet up with his girlfriend. I was put on this train to gather evidence.’

All the colour had dropped out of Rupert’s face. He started to say something but couldn’t get the words out. And then he suddenly leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.

‘See?’ said Dee. ‘Told you. The agency got me this job as tea lady, and told me to get his fingerprints on some packaging, or, failing that, some photos.’

‘And if you couldn’t?’ I said.

Dee shrugged. ‘Someone else will be waiting in Bath, to follow him wherever he goes and identify whoever it is he’s meeting.’

I looked at her thoughtfully. ‘That seems like a lot of trouble to go to, for a simple adultery case.’

‘I said that,’ said Dee. ‘But apparently the wife is rich. And I mean big-time loaded. And very determined that if this does end up in the divorce courts, lover boy there isn’t going to be in a position to walk away with any of it.’

‘But you knew a man had been murdered back here,’ Penny said suddenly. ‘Why were you so determined to enter a crime scene, just to have another go at Rupert?’

‘Because this was my last chance to get some hard evidence on him, before we get to Bath,’ said Dee.

‘Was that your only reason?’ said Penny.

Dee smiled briefly. ‘No hard evidence, no bonus.’

‘I’m confiscating your camera,’ I said. Because I couldn’t be sure she hadn’t taken some photos earlier that might have included me. ‘Leave Mr Hall alone now, please. Go back down the train to where you came from and stay well away from this carriage. And take your noisy trolley with you.’

Dee nodded quickly, got behind her trolley and headed for the door. Brian watched her approaching but made no move to get out of her way.

‘Play nicely now, Brian,’ I said warningly. ‘Don’t make me have to come over there.’

Dee pushed her trolley straight at Brian, in a way that suggested she was perfectly ready to drive it through and, if need be, right over him.

‘You heard the man,’ she said.

Brian moved to one side at the very last moment, still favouring his injured knee. Dee pushed her trolley past Brian and managed to steer at least three of the trolley’s wheels over both of his feet. He stared straight ahead, refusing to admit anything was happening. I waited till Dee had entered the vestibule and then called out her name. She stopped abruptly and looked back. I took my time walking down the aisle and finally joined her in the vestibule so I could talk to her quietly.

‘Don’t speak to anyone about what’s happened here,’ I said. ‘Or I will talk to the right people and have your licence lifted. And once you’ve passed through the darkened carriage, tell Eric he is to lock the far door, keep it locked and guard it. I don’t want to see anyone else coming this way, for any reason.’

‘Have I dropped Eric in it?’ said Dee. ‘He wouldn’t have talked about any of this if I hadn’t persuaded him.’

‘He’s not in any trouble,’ I said. ‘As long as you leave him alone.’

Dee nodded quickly and headed for the next carriage as fast her trolley would allow. I watched her disappear into the darkness and then listened until the squeaking wheels passed through the far door. I went back into First Class. Brian immediately took up his position guarding the door again, flexing his aching knee and glaring at me as if it was all my fault.

I went back down the aisle to talk to Rupert Hall. He no longer had his head in his hands, but he was still bent right over in his seat and looked as if he might fall apart at any moment. Penny was hovering over him, but he wouldn’t even look at her. She shot me a stern look and then stepped back out of the way. I stood over Rupert and said his name. He slowly raised his head. He hadn’t been crying but he looked as if he wanted to. His eyes seemed bruised, as though life had just taken a hard swing at him.

‘I’m really not interested in your domestic problems, Rupert,’ I said. ‘Though I may have to ask you a few questions about them, just to make sure they’re not connected to Sir Dennis’s death. You take it easy for a while, and I’ll get back to you when you’re feeling stronger.’

He had to swallow hard before he could say anything, and even then his voice was little more than a whisper.

‘Thank you. I could use a little time to myself. Before I have to talk about things I never wanted to talk about.’

I turned to look at Howard Goldwasser, on the other side of the aisle. To give the man credit, he’d been staring out of the window and doing his best not to listen to what Rupert and I were saying. I said his name, and he immediately turned to face me. He met my gaze unflinchingly, making it very clear he didn’t give a damn what I wanted to ask him. I had no idea what that was about, but I was determined to find out.

‘I have to start with someone,’ I said. ‘Are you ready to answer a few questions, Howard?’

‘Go ahead,’ he said flatly. ‘Ask me anything. It won’t do you any good. I don’t know anything you want to know.’

Sita started to object on Howard’s behalf, half rising out of her seat, but he just glanced at her and shook his head. She slumped reluctantly back into her seat, scowling heavily as though he’d let her down.

‘Take a short walk with me, Howard,’ I said. ‘Just a comfortable distance away from everyone else, so we can have some privacy while we talk.’

He shrugged and took his time getting to his feet. Not to make any point, as far as I could tell, but because he genuinely didn’t care about any of this. I waited patiently for him to join me in the aisle, and then Penny and I escorted him to a seat further down the carriage. I sat opposite Howard, studying him thoughtfully. Penny shot him a quick reassuring smile as she settled down beside me.

Howard looked at both of us with equal indifference. There was nothing in his face to suggest he felt at all threatened, by us or the general situation. Which was interesting. I looked to Penny to start things off, and she plunged right in as though she had every confidence in what she was doing. She smiled brightly at Howard and addressed him in an open, friendly tone, as though we were just chatting.

‘Let’s start with the easy stuff, Howard. You said you were on a business trip. What kind of business are you in?’

‘Office supplies, with contracts to the MOD,’ he said. ‘You’d be surprised how much paperwork they still get through every day. The MOD has been very slow to embrace computers. Except for when it comes to weapons, of course.’

He stared impassively at Penny and me. His voice had been almost defiantly indifferent. As though none of this mattered.

‘How did you know Sir Dennis?’ said Penny.

‘What makes you think I did?’

‘I saw you look at him,’ I said patiently. ‘In a way that made it clear you knew who he was. And that you weren’t too keen on him.’

Howard shrugged, not bothered in the least at having been caught out in an evasion so early in the proceedings.

‘All right, I knew the man. Never met him before, never wanted to. But I had good reason to know who he was. I’m no longer with the firm I used to work for, because a few years back Sir Dennis suddenly decided to change all the rules, completely rewriting the conditions under which competing firms could bid for tenders. Not to encourage efficiency, or even to follow up on a political promise. He just did it to support those firms he had a financial stake in. The bastard.

‘He made a fortune, while firms like the one I used to work for went to the wall. It all came out later, of course. There was a medium-sized scandal, but it wasn’t sexy enough to hold the public’s attention for long. So there was just a lot of finger-wagging and name-calling in Parliament, and in the end Sir Dennis walked away without a stain on his portfolio. Because he had connections. While my old firm lost a lot of its contracts and had to lay off a lot of people. Including me.’

‘So you had good reason to hate Sir Dennis,’ said Penny.

Howard shook his head firmly. ‘No. In his own back-handed way, he did me a good turn. Because when I started with my new firm, I met the woman who became my second wife. The job is secure, I’m making good money, and I’ve never been happier. And all because Sir Dennis couldn’t keep his snout out of the trough.’

‘Who are you working for now?’ I said.

‘Same line of business. It’s what I know.’

‘Why are you going to Bath?’ said Penny.

‘Business convention,’ said Howard. ‘The usual thing: check out the new lines and decide which ones are worth recommending to my bosses. Not very glamorous, I suppose, but it all helps to keep the wheels turning.’

I nodded. Howard was being very concise and to the point, never once hesitating in his answers. But that isn’t how most people talk. It sounded as if he’d spent some time carefully rehearsing what he was going to say to us, to make sure it would sound convincing. So Penny and I would go away and leave him alone. Most of all, his face didn’t match what he was saying. There was no interest in his voice when he talked about his job, and he hadn’t even mentioned the name of the new love in his life.

And on top of all that, there was nothing in his gaze as he looked at me or Penny, not necessarily because he was trying to hide something, but more as though he simply couldn’t be bothered. Because he had something more important on his mind.

I looked at Penny, and she looked at me for a cue on how to proceed. We’d asked all the obvious questions and received a set of perfectly acceptable answers. I wasn’t sure I believed any of them, but I didn’t feel like pressing him. For the moment. Better to let him go back to his seat and think he’d put one over on us. I nodded to Penny.

‘Thank you, Howard,’ said Penny. ‘That’s enough for now.’

‘One last question,’ I said. ‘What was it you were working on earlier, on your laptop?’

And Howard froze. He looked at me and then at Penny, but he didn’t say anything. He hadn’t expected that question and he didn’t have a prepared answer. He licked his lips, forced out a smile and got ready to lie.

‘Just a few notes. For a report I have to write. The one part of the job I hate. I’ve never been any good at that sort of thing.’

I waited to see if he might carry on talking and perhaps give something away. But Howard just closed his mouth firmly, as though to keep any more unrehearsed words from spilling out. He made steady eye contact with me for the first time, as though only now taking me seriously as a potential threat. And I couldn’t help but wonder: what kind of threat could I possibly pose to him? I smiled easily back at Howard, as though I hadn’t noticed anything.

‘You can go back to your seat now,’ I said. ‘Please don’t talk to anyone else, until we’ve finished speaking to them.’

‘Of course,’ said Howard.

He couldn’t get out of his seat fast enough. Rupert and Sita both looked at Howard closely, to see how our questioning had affected him, but he wouldn’t even glance at them. He hurried down the aisle, chose a new seat well away from Sita and Rupert, and sat down with his back to Penny and me. I thought he had the air of someone trying to decide whether or not he’d just dodged a bullet. I turned to Penny.

‘Well, that was interesting.’

‘He was definitely being evasive about something,’ said Penny. ‘When he told us about finding his wonderful new wife, he didn’t smile once. But … I’m not sure that whatever he’s hiding has anything to do with Sir Dennis. He didn’t show any real emotion when he talked about the man. Even when he called him a bastard.’

‘Given the way Howard was looking at Sir Dennis earlier, he definitely felt some ill will towards the man,’ I said. ‘And if Howard is trying to conceal something … Why didn’t he make more of an effort to convince us he wasn’t the killer?’

‘I don’t think he gives a damn about Sir Dennis being murdered,’ said Penny. ‘Or anything else, really. It feels to me as though he just wants all of this to be over, because it’s getting in the way of whatever else he has on his mind. The only time he showed any interest in what’s happening was when he seemed worried he might lose the hotel room he’d booked in Bath.’

‘Let him stew for a while,’ I said. ‘We’ll talk to the others and then have another go at him. See if we can crack open a few of these secrets he’s so determined to keep hidden from us.’

‘I have to say, I think you’re doing very well, darling,’ said Penny. ‘For someone who was so sure he wasn’t any good at interrogation.’

‘It’s not easy,’ I said. ‘I can’t ask our suspects any of the usual questions in a murder case. Like … where were you when the victim was killed? We already know the answer. I can’t question anyone’s alibi for the time of the murder, because we’re part of it. All we can do is keep piling the pressure on everyone and hope we can trap someone in an obvious lie …’

‘Like Howard,’ said Penny.

‘Exactly,’ I said. ‘Though I can’t help feeling he was merely substituting one lie for another. There’s something not right about Howard …’

‘There’s something not right about this whole case,’ said Penny.

I smiled. ‘We’ve handled worse. Ready to take a crack at the next suspect?’

‘Bring them on,’ said Penny. ‘Who did you have in mind?’

‘I thought Sita Patel.’

‘OK,’ said Penny. ‘This should be fun.’

I stood up and looked down the carriage. Sita met my gaze immediately, as though she’d expected me to pick her next. She glowered at me challengingly, so I hit her with my most engaging smile.

‘Sita,’ I said. ‘Would you come over and join us, please?’

For a moment, I thought she might actually defy me – as if she wanted me to come and fetch her, and drag her down the aisle by brute force. As though that would prove something. In the end, though, Sita heaved herself up out of her seat and stomped down the aisle, scowling. I couldn’t help noticing that Rupert and Howard didn’t so much as glance at her, so intent they were on their own thoughts.

Sita dropped into the seat opposite Penny and me, folded her arms tightly and pressed her lips firmly together, to make it clear we weren’t getting anything out of her without a struggle. She glared impartially at both of us, as though having trouble deciding who was more deserving of her displeasure. She wanted us to start something, so she could have the satisfaction of fighting her corner. I shot Penny a warning glance, but as usual she was way ahead of me.

‘Thanks for helping us out, Sita,’ said Penny, smiling encouragingly. ‘We’d be grateful for anything you can tell us that might help solve the mystery of what happened to Sir Dennis.’

Sita just stared right back at her, not giving an inch.

‘All right, let’s start with the basics,’ I said, as pleasantly as I could. ‘What are you doing on this train, Sita?’

‘I told you,’ she said flatly. ‘I’m a journalist. A staff writer, for the Evening Standard.’

‘Yes,’ Penny said patiently, ‘But what story are you working on? What was it in particular about Sir Dennis that caught your attention and brought you here, to this compartment?’

‘What’s the matter?’ said Sita. ‘Don’t you believe I’m a journalist? Do you want to see my NUJ card?’

‘We don’t have to be enemies, Sita,’ said Penny, in her best Let’s all be reasonable and play nicely tone.

‘Really?’ said Sita, raising her chin so she could look down her nose at both of us. ‘I’m all about telling people the truth, while your job is to protect the secrets of those in power. All the things people have a right to know. What could we possibly have in common?’

‘We all want to find out who killed Sir Dennis, don’t we?’ I said. ‘Wouldn’t that make a much bigger story for you to cover?’

Sita looked at me with new interest. ‘You’d let me be a part of that?’

‘We might,’ I said. ‘You help us get to the truth about the murder, and we’ll see to it you get access to the kind of details that would make for a real exclusive. Of course, if you give us a hard time …’

‘Oh … go on, then; hit me with your questions,’ said Sita. ‘But I have to be allowed to contact my editor as soon as possible! This is the kind of story that makes careers! You can bet the moment the news gets out that Sir Dennis has been murdered, the rest of the media will be all over this story like fleas on a dog. Right now, I’ve got the advantage, and I’m damned if I’ll give it up.’

‘You can have your phone and your laptop back the moment we get to Bath,’ said Penny. ‘But if you can say you were present when the murderer was captured, that should give you a head start on everyone else. Though, of course, you can’t mention Ishmael or me.’

‘Like I even know your real names,’ said Sita, not bothering to hide a sneer at such obvious pseudonyms.

‘Let’s try again,’ I said. ‘What story, exactly, were you pursuing, Sita? What do you know, or think you know, about Sir Dennis and his new appointment?’

‘You sound like my editor,’ said Sita. ‘Always wanting me to be sure of my facts …’ She sighed deeply and actually relaxed a little as she prepared to tell us the truth at last. ‘I got on this train hoping for a chance to pin Sir Dennis to a wall with some really tough questions, in a situation where he wouldn’t have his usual protectors to run interference for him. I had to call in some really serious favours to find out which train he was going to be on this evening. But don’t ask me who leaked the information because I’ll never tell!’

‘That’s all right,’ said Penny. ‘We don’t need to know.’

Sita looked disappointed, as though she’d been hoping that we would insist on knowing, just so she could tell us to go straight to hell. She probably had a fiery speech already prepared, about the sacred duty of a reporter to protect her sources. She hesitated, and I could see the inner conflict in her eyes. She knew she shouldn’t really share any information with the enemy, but she couldn’t resist an opportunity to show off to us how much she knew. She leaned forward in her seat, her gaze darting from Penny to me and back again.

‘When you’re a young reporter just starting out on the political beat in London, and you haven’t had a chance to build up your own stable of reliable contacts like the older guys, the best place to pick up useful information is in the bars around Westminster – where the people who work for the people in power go to drink, and try to forget the kind of day they’ve had. Just by being pleasant and personable, and keeping them company while they drink, and most importantly not bothering them with questions, you can learn a lot.

‘Everyone was talking about Sir Dennis being awarded an important new position he definitely wasn’t entitled to. I wasn’t the only one who found that suspicious. Sir Dennis has never been more than just another arse-kissing functionary. Word is he got his knighthood for warning someone in the last Cabinet that a fetish club they belonged to had been infiltrated by a tabloid journalist.

‘Anyway … an awful lot of people were spitting feathers over this new promotion, even if none of them seemed to know exactly what it was. Some were outraged because Sir Dennis was getting a job they thought the people they represented should have had, while others were taking it as a personal affront that they hadn’t been consulted. They’re a fragile lot in politics; they bruise easily.

‘I kept my head down and quietly eavesdropped in all directions while they took it in turn to bitch to each other. All I could make out for sure was that Sir Dennis had been appointed head of some really secret part of the MOD. Which was more than usually interesting, because no one with half a brain would let Sir Dennis anywhere near a secret that mattered. So how did he get the job? No one seemed to know – and these were people who prided themselves on knowing the kind of things most people never get to hear about.’

Sita leaned back in her seat, smiling cheerfully. She was on a roll, so involved in impressing us with her insider knowledge that she’d forgotten we were the enemy and not to be trusted.

‘I smelled a rat,’ she said gleefully. ‘A sudden jump that far up the ladder could only be the result of nepotism, cronyism, bribery or blackmail … All tactics Sir Dennis had been known to use to get what he wanted but wasn’t entitled to.

‘Working the political beat taught me to be suspicious of everyone and cynical about everything … but Sir Dennis was in a class of his own. An openly corrupt, back-stabbing bottom-feeder, who’d only survived for so long because of all the dirt he could spill if he wasn’t kept happy. Not that unusual in today’s politics, but the thought of someone like Sir Dennis as head of an MOD department made my blood boil. So I decided to do something about it!’

Sita finally lurched to a halt because she’d run out of steam and had to take a break to get her breath back. She looked searchingly at Penny and me, gauging our reaction to what she’d been telling us. I was perfectly prepared to believe her. I’d heard a lot worse in my time. And Penny took her cue from me. Sita seemed a little taken aback that we weren’t more surprised or shocked. I think she would have preferred it if we had been, so she could sneer at our naivety.

‘Don’t you find it disappointing?’ Penny asked Sita. ‘Never being able to believe in anyone or anything?’

‘Of course not!’ said Sita. ‘That’s what keeps me going! Searching for just the right story I can use to bring one of those arrogant bastards down. When you’re fighting power and influence and Very Important Scumbags protecting each other, the truth is the only weapon you have.’ And then she stopped and fixed both of us with a sudden scowl. ‘Speaking of which, who is it you work for, exactly? Because I’m telling you everything and you’re not telling me a damned thing. If I’m going to trust you, I need more than an obvious runaround like security to go on.’

‘Who do you think we work for?’ I said, with just the slightest of smiles.

Sita started to say something and then broke off, as her mind tried to run off in a dozen directions at once. She sat silently, not even looking at Penny or me as she ran through all the possibilities. Or at least the possibilities she knew about. Underground groups survive because no one knows they exist, so if you’ve even heard of a group, the odds are they’re not that important. Several times Sita started to ask me something and then stopped herself. I decided to let her take a break, while I had her off balance. I’d learned a lot from Sita. Not enough to clear or incriminate her, but enough to give me something to think about.

‘That’s all for now, thank you,’ I said.

Sita broke off from her deliberations to look at me sharply. ‘Really? I was only just getting started! There’s a lot more you need to know, and a hell of a lot more about you two that I need to know!’

‘For the moment, we’re just getting a feel for who everyone is,’ Penny said smoothly. ‘We’ll get back to you, once we’ve finished speaking to the others.’

Sita looked at her narrowly and then at me. ‘You have to promise to keep me informed.’

‘When we know something, you’ll know something,’ I said.

The look on her face made it clear she wasn’t at all convinced about that, but she got up out of her seat with a minimum of bad grace and stalked back down the aisle to her original seat, so she could settle down to some hard thinking. Rupert and Howard both took a break from their deliberations to look at her curiously, probably wondering what she could have been telling Penny and me for so long, but she didn’t even glance at them. Penny looked at me expectantly, but all I could do was shrug.

‘That was all very interesting,’ I said. ‘But we’re still no closer to figuring out who killed Sir Dennis, or why, or how they did it.’

‘At least Sita confirmed what we suspected,’ said Penny. ‘Sir Dennis wasn’t short of enemies. Any number of people had good reason to want him dead. Including people afraid of what a man like Sir Dennis might do once he had access to that kind of power and influence.’

‘But I didn’t hear anything to suggest that any of these political insiders knew anything about the Psychic Weapons Division,’ I said. ‘Professional jealousy might result in some parliamentary back-stabbing, but I can’t see it as a motive for murder.’

Penny looked at me thoughtfully. ‘Do you think Sita knows about the Division?’

‘I doubt it. She wouldn’t be able to keep a story that big to herself. She’d be hitting us with all kinds of questions, desperate to dig some sort of confirmation out of us. A story about the Division’s existence would be much more important than the murder of a mid-level functionary.’

Penny nodded slowly. ‘Do you think all that stuff about Sir Dennis was true? Was he really that bad?’

‘Wouldn’t surprise me,’ I said. ‘Sita was being very careful to report only what she’d heard from people in a position to know.’

‘But there’s always the possibility she only told us the things she did in order to avoid telling us something else,’ said Penny.

I looked at her. ‘Like what?’

Penny smiled ruefully. ‘That’s the point, isn’t it? We were both so fascinated, listening to her spill secrets from behind closed Westminster doors, that we never got a chance to ask her anything about herself. And I can’t help thinking that might have been the point.’

I grinned at her. ‘You’re getting the hang of this interrogation thing. It is frustrating, though, isn’t it? Circling round and round the truth, knowing it’s there but never being sure whether you’re getting any closer.’

‘All right, what do we do now?’ said Penny.

‘Keep asking questions, and checking the answers against each other, until finally something sticks out.’

‘And if it doesn’t?’

‘Then we’re in trouble.’ I looked down the aisle to where all three passengers were conspicuously not looking at us. ‘I think it’s time we talked to Rupert.’

‘We are not going to browbeat him, Ishmael,’ Penny said firmly. ‘I think he might actually fall apart under rough handling.’

‘Unless that’s what we’re supposed to think,’ I said.

‘My brain hurts,’ said Penny.

‘Join the club,’ I said. ‘We have T-shirts and secret handshakes.’

I called down the aisle to Rupert. Sita and Howard turned quickly to look at him. Rupert stared at Penny and me for a long moment, not moving. He looked like a man facing the prospect of his own execution. He finally took a deep breath to brace himself, got up from his seat and walked unsteadily down the aisle. His eyes darted back and forth between Penny and me as though trying to decide which of us might prove the most sympathetic. He sat down facing us and folded his hands together in his lap. And perhaps only I would have noticed he was doing that to hide just how much they were shaking.

‘It’s time to answer a few questions, Rupert,’ I said.

‘We’ll try to get through this as quickly as possible,’ Penny said reassuringly. ‘How are you feeling, Rupert?’

He shrugged listlessly. His face was drawn and tired, and I only had to look at him to understand he didn’t want to say anything because he didn’t want to give away something that might be used against him.

‘Why are you on this train, Rupert?’ said Penny.

‘You know why,’ he said quietly. ‘And I really don’t want to talk about it.’

‘All right,’ I said. ‘What kind of business are you in?’

‘Import/export,’ he said diffidently. ‘Bit of this, bit of that. Always looking to find a gap in the market I can take advantage of. Just a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles … I used to have that on my business card, but no one ever got it. I never get to deal in anything big or important, but it all adds up to a decent living.’ He smiled briefly. ‘My wife has never understood why I feel the need to spend so much time running around, chasing down one deal after another. Julia always says she has more than enough money for both of us – and, of course, she does. But I need to be doing something, if only for my pride’s sake. And I am very good at it.’

He stopped abruptly, as he realized how much his mouth was running away with him. He’d started out telling us about his business and now he was talking about himself. I watched him make a conscious decision to rein himself in and be more careful about what he was saying. He fixed me with a forced smile, ignoring Penny because she was the sympathetic one. He knew I was the one he had to convince.

‘I had never even heard of Sir Dennis before I got on this train,’ he said flatly. ‘I’ve never been interested in politicians. Why should I? They’re not interested in me.’

‘We all heard what Dee had to say,’ Penny said gently. ‘About why you’re going to Bath.’

‘Is it true, Rupert?’ I said. ‘Do you have a girlfriend on the side?’

He winced, as though he’d been hit. ‘Please don’t put it like that. You make it sound so sordid.’

‘It is what it is,’ I said. ‘Unless you tell us otherwise.’

‘Do we have to talk about this?’ Rupert said desperately. ‘If I give you my word that none of it has anything to do with Sir Dennis?’

‘The more you don’t want to talk about it, the more we’re bound to think we need to know,’ Penny said kindly. ‘Please, Rupert, just tell us what’s going on.’

‘You’re not the first man to have an affair,’ I said. ‘What’s so special that you have to keep it a secret?’

‘Because I don’t have a girlfriend,’ said Rupert. ‘I have a boyfriend.’ He broke off to breathe deeply, as though searching for the strength to continue. He looked down at his hands, clasped tightly together in his lap, so he wouldn’t have to look at either of us. ‘I’m on my way to spend the weekend with him in Bath. We’ve been seeing each other for almost a year now.’ He finally raised his eyes and looked searchingly at both of us, to see how we were taking this. He seemed to find some reassurance in our expressions, and after taking a moment to compose himself, he continued.

‘Daniel and I are in love. He has to keep it secret, because of the way his family is, and I keep it quiet because Julia wouldn’t understand.’ He smiled mirthlessly. ‘I’m not sure I do. I still love my wife, I really do. But the time I’ve spent with Daniel has been the happiest I’ve ever known.

‘You have no idea how much trouble I’ve gone to, to keep Julia from finding out about Daniel. To keep everyone from finding out … that I’m not the kind of man I always thought I was. But I suppose, in the end, I was making so many business trips it was bound to make Julia suspicious. It honestly never even occurred to me that she might have me followed.’

He looked at me steadily and then at Penny. ‘I love Daniel, but I still love my wife. I don’t want to hurt either of them. But … I have to be true to myself. Whoever or whatever that is. I’m going to have to make a decision, aren’t I? Before we get to Bath. I have to decide who or what is really important to me.’

‘What do you think you’re going to decide?’ I said.

Rupert smiled sadly. ‘I haven’t got a clue. All I can be sure of is that, whatever I do, someone’s going to be hurt. Almost certainly me. All I really get to decide is who else I’m going to hurt.’

Penny put a hand on my arm, and I nodded. ‘Thank you, Rupert. I think that’s enough for now.’

‘Are you sure?’ said Rupert. He looked too worn out even to feel relieved the questioning was over. ‘We haven’t talked about Sir Dennis.’

‘You’ve given us more than enough to think about for the moment, Rupert,’ said Penny.

He got up and went back to his seat. Sita and Howard looked at him enquiringly, but he had nothing to say.

‘Well,’ said Penny, ‘that was interesting. But not terribly useful.’

‘It turns out the problem isn’t getting these people to open up, after all,’ I said. ‘It’s getting them to stop talking. And what secrets they do have don’t seem to have any connection to Sir Dennis.’

‘None of them feel like professional killers,’ said Penny. ‘Or clever enough to have worked out a way to get past us to Sir Dennis, without us noticing. If there was anyone else in this carriage to point a finger at, I’d clear all of them as suspects. But where does that leave us? Back with the invisible psychic assassin?’

‘I still don’t believe in him,’ I said.

‘Maybe that’s what he wants you to think,’ said Penny.

‘Really not helping …’

And then we both looked round sharply as Sita suddenly launched herself up out of her seat and came striding down the aisle. She shot Penny and me a brief contemptuous glare as she stalked past us, before finally slamming to a halt right in front of Brian, still standing guard at the door. I didn’t make any move to stop Sita – partly because I thought I could trust Brian to keep his mouth shut, but mostly because I was interested in what Sita might have to say. Brian looked at her coldly.

‘What do you want?’

‘Just to talk,’ said Sita.

‘I don’t talk to reporters,’ said Brian.

‘Why not?’ said Sita. ‘Got something to hide?’

She tried to say it lightly, but that wasn’t how it came out. Brian moved forward, and Sita quickly retreated a step.

‘You should go back to your seat,’ said Brian. ‘And mind your own damn business.’

‘Why?’ said Sita. ‘What is it you’re afraid I might ask?’

‘I’m not afraid of anything,’ said Brian, pulling himself up to his full height. And then wincing despite himself as his injured knee complained. ‘Least of all a muckraker like you.’

‘Come on, Brian,’ said Sita, doing her best to smile winningly. ‘You must have some idea of what’s really going on. You were Sir Dennis’s official bodyguard. What made him suddenly so important? And why was he in so much danger that he needed someone like you to protect him?’

Brian just looked at her. Sita waited, bouncing impatiently on her toes, until she realized he had no intention of saying anything, and then she made an angry sound, turned round and stomped back to her seat. She’d gambled on bypassing me and Penny in the hope of getting more information out of Brian, and now she’d failed in front of everyone. She threw herself back into her seat and scowled angrily out of the window, so she wouldn’t have to look at anyone else.

A thought occurred to me, and I left my seat. Penny started to get up, but I gestured for her to stay where she was and keep a careful eye on everyone. I made my way down the aisle to where Rupert was sitting. He saw me coming and rose quickly from his seat to stand in the aisle and face me.

‘None of what’s happened is anything to do with me!’ he said loudly. ‘Why can’t you just leave me alone? There’s nothing more I can tell you. Why do you keep hounding me when there’s a professional killer on this train?’

‘He has a point,’ Howard said mildly.

‘Damn right!’ said Sita. ‘You tell him, Rupert!’

Rupert glared right into my face, so angry now he was actually trembling with the force of his emotions.

‘You must have some idea who was after Sir Dennis! Is the killer some kind of terrorist? Is that what all this is about?’ And then he stopped abruptly, as he realized what he’d just said. ‘A terrorist … Is there a bomb on this train?’

‘Calm down, Rupert,’ I said. ‘I just wanted to ask you …’

But he’d already turned away from me. ‘Everybody! Listen to me! There could be a bomb on this train!’

Rupert’s gaze lit upon the communication cord, and he lunged towards it. I had to grab him by the shoulder and haul him back. He fought me fiercely, desperate to get to the cord, until I had no choice but to bearhug him. His legs buckled as all the breath shot out of his lungs, until I was the only thing holding him up. I eased him back into his seat, patted him on the shoulder and then turned around to address the rest of the compartment in my most reassuring voice.

‘There’s no need for anyone to panic. There is no bomb planted anywhere on this train.’

‘You can’t be sure of that!’ said Sita. She looked genuinely worried. ‘You haven’t had time to search the whole train.’

‘I can be absolutely certain there isn’t any bomb,’ I said patiently. ‘Because if there was, the killer wouldn’t have needed to kill Sir Dennis personally, would he?’

There was a pause as everyone considered that, and then all three of them started nodding as they realized that made sense.

‘Sorry,’ said Rupert. ‘Oh, God, I’m so sorry. Of course you’re right. It was just … Once I got the idea in my head, I couldn’t get rid of it. And it finally felt as if there was something I could do …’

‘Now that’s a feeling I can appreciate,’ I said. ‘But even if you had pulled the cord, it wouldn’t have made any difference.’

‘Why not?’ Sita said immediately.

‘Because this is a special express,’ I said. ‘The driver has strict instructions not to stop for anything.’

Rupert looked at me disbelievingly. ‘But … what if we really needed to stop? What if there was a medical emergency?’

‘I didn’t hurt you that badly,’ I said.

‘You know what I mean! What if the killer decided to strike again, and one of us got hurt?’

They all saw the answer to that in my face.

‘Typical security,’ Sita said bitterly. ‘You people don’t give a damn what happens to the innocent bystanders, as long as you get your man.’

‘As long as the killer is still on the loose, we’re all in danger,’ I said steadily. ‘By concentrating on finding him, I’m working to protect all of you.’

‘You’d say anything, wouldn’t you?’ Rupert said sullenly. ‘To get us to do what you want.’

Penny hurried down the aisle and knelt beside him. ‘Would you like me to sit with you, Rupert? Keep you company, till you’ve calmed down a bit?’

‘I’d rather be on my own,’ he said stiffly. ‘I don’t trust you. Either of you. My private life is my business, and if I don’t want to talk about it, I shouldn’t have to. You have no right to bully me! Nothing that’s happened on this train is anything to do with me, and I don’t want anything to do with it.’

He turned away and stared determinedly out of the window at the darkness beyond. Sita applauded loudly, and Howard looked as if he wanted to. Penny stood up and looked at me. I shrugged, and we walked back to our seats.

‘What was it you were going to ask him?’ said Penny.

‘Nothing worth upsetting him that much. I just wanted to check whether his boyfriend might be connected to Sir Dennis in some way.’

‘That’s a bit of a long shot, isn’t it?’

‘It’s not as if we have any other leads worth pursuing.’

Penny lowered her voice. ‘If the communication cord wouldn’t work, why did you have to go to such lengths to prevent Rupert from pulling it?’

‘Because I couldn’t be sure that the driver really would ignore an actual emergency call,’ I said quietly. ‘At least now we can be certain that none of the others will try it.’

Penny looked at me sharply. ‘That’s cold, Ishmael.’

I shrugged. ‘Rupert isn’t the only one who’s feeling a bit frustrated. Look, why don’t you go and sit with Sita for a bit? See what you can get out of her, when I’m not there for her to disapprove of. I’ll have another word with Howard. I have a feeling he might open up a bit more if it’s just me.’

‘What am I supposed to say to Sita?’ said Penny.

‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘Girl talk?’ I caught the expression forming on Penny’s face and hurried on. ‘I’ve been wondering whether she was supposed to overhear all that political stuff at Westminster. See if the same thought had occurred to her, and if so, how much of it she thinks we can trust.’

Penny nodded reluctantly and went over to Sita. The young journalist scowled at her suspiciously, but grudgingly allowed Penny to sit down. I left them to it and went to stand next to Howard. He looked up at me wearily.

‘What now, Mr Jones?’

‘Just a few more questions,’ I said. ‘Shall we move down the aisle a little, away from curious ears?’

Howard nodded resignedly and got to his feet. Of all the people in the carriage, he struck me as the least affected by everything that had happened. He didn’t even appear that bothered about being questioned again. We made our way further along the aisle and sat down opposite each other, and he looked at me as though he was just waiting for this new intrusion to be over, so he could go back to thinking about whatever it was that was so important to him.

‘Won’t Penny be joining us this time?’ said Howard. ‘I like Penny.’

‘She’s very likeable,’ I said. ‘I thought you and I should have a quiet word on our own, Howard, because sometimes we can say things to a stranger that we could never say to anyone we know. As long as there aren’t any witnesses.’

He just looked at me.

‘You’re keeping something from me, Howard,’ I said. ‘And I need to know what it is.’

He managed a small smile. ‘I would have thought everyone in this compartment was keeping something from you.’

I nodded, acknowledging the point. ‘I need to find out what it is you’re concealing from me, Howard, if only so I can stop worrying about it.’

‘But what if it’s something I don’t want to talk about?’ said Howard, meeting my gaze unflinchingly. ‘What if it’s just none of your business?’

‘In a murder enquiry, everything has to be my business,’ I said. ‘Because I can never be sure what might turn out to be connected to the killer or their motivations. Look, if your secret really does turn out to be nothing to do with what’s going on here, I promise I’ll keep it strictly to myself. I won’t even tell Penny.’

Howard sat stiffly in his seat, completely unmoved. ‘I have nothing to say to you. And there’s nothing you can threaten me with, Mr Security Man Jones. I’m not afraid of you, or whatever authorities you really represent.’

‘No,’ I said, ‘you really aren’t, are you? And that … is interesting. Everyone else is at least a bit intimidated by me, or the thought of whom I might represent. And they’re all more than a bit worried that one of their fellow passengers might turn out to be the murderer. But you don’t even give a damn about that, do you, Howard?’

He shrugged. ‘I didn’t see or hear anything. I’m not a suspect or a witness. None of this is anything to do with me.’

‘No,’ I said. ‘That’s not it. That’s not why you’re so … unconnected from everything that’s going on.’

‘I just want to be left alone,’ said Howard.

‘That’s what everyone wants,’ I said. ‘Unfortunately, the situation doesn’t give a damn what we want. I have to get to the truth or the murderer could get away, and I can’t let that happen.’

He shrugged again. ‘Sorry.’

‘No,’ I said. ‘I really don’t think you are. I don’t think any of this affects you in the least, Howard, because you’re only thinking about one thing.’

He stared back at me, saying nothing. I sat back in my seat and considered him carefully. Howard was holding himself perfectly still, and had been ever since he sat down. Not because he was worried or hostile … but because it was taking all his strength and concentration to hold himself together, so he wouldn’t give anything away.

‘What could be so important,’ I said finally, ‘that you’re ready to let a cold-blooded killer escape rather than talk about it? Perhaps I should have brought Penny with me after all; she’s the one with the people skills. But you see, Howard, I have the advantage that comes from being an outsider. I’ve spent most of my life pretending to be just like everyone else, when I’m really not. And I’ve put so much effort into constructing an everyday mask to hide behind that I’ve learned to see past everyone else’s. So what have I learned, Howard, from studying you?

‘You don’t care that Sir Dennis was killed. You don’t care about my questions. You’re not scared of the murderer or the situation you’re in, which makes you unique in this compartment. Add to that … your mind is always somewhere else, preoccupied with something you’re planning to do, once you get to Bath. The one time you stood up to me was when you were concerned you might not get there on time. So I have to wonder, Howard, what could be so important to you that you can’t think of anything else, even when your life could be in danger?’

Howard met my gaze steadily, his face completely unmoved. We might have been talking about the weather.

‘It’s just something I have to do,’ he said.

‘And what then?’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘What will you do after you’ve done this very important thing, Howard?’

He seemed genuinely lost for words for a moment. In the end, he just produced another of his shrugs.

‘Then … it’ll be done. I won’t have to think about it any more.’

‘Ah …’ I said. ‘I was afraid of that. I’m sorry, Howard, but you’re really not very good at concealing the truth, while I am very good at getting to the bottom of things. Now I’ve put all the clues together, there is only one conclusion that makes sense. Tell me, Howard, how long have you been planning to kill yourself?’

His eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped as though he’d been hit. And then he let out all his breath in a long sigh and slumped back in his seat as all the strength went out of him. He looked suddenly older, and worn out, as though I’d kicked away the last crutch that had been holding him up. He smiled at me tiredly, with perhaps just a little bit of relief in it, now he no longer had to pretend.

‘Oh, hell … why not? Why not tell the truth and shame the devil? What difference can it make? What does any of it matter now?’ He nodded to himself for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then he leaned forward and fixed me with a defiant look.

‘I haven’t been entirely honest with you, because I didn’t think my life was any of your business. But you’re never going to leave any of us alone until you’ve revealed all our secrets. And to hell with who it hurts. Very well, then; this is my secret. And damn you to hell for making me say it.

‘My wife is dead. I lost my Annie when I lost my job, because of Sir Dennis and his interference. I didn’t find another job, because it turned out there was a glut of people like me on the market, and most of the others were a lot younger than me. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t know anything else.

‘We ran through our savings in under a year. We were going to lose the house. Annie loved that house. It was all we had; she never wanted children. She died at the end of last year. She wasn’t ill; I think by then she was just so tired, and so frightened of the future, that she simply decided she didn’t want to live any more. I blame myself for her death. I promised Annie I’d always look after her, and I didn’t.’

‘So that’s why you got on this train?’ I said. ‘To confront Sir Dennis, the man responsible for your wife’s death.’

Howard looked at me as though I was mad. ‘No. I didn’t know he was going to be here. I’m going to Bath so I can go back to the hotel where Annie and I spent our honeymoon, all those years ago. I was able to book the very same room. We were so happy then. We had no idea how our lives were going to turn out. I’m going to sit in that room, look out at the view and then kill myself. Because that’s the only way I can be with her again.’

He glared at me openly, defying me to feel sorry for him. ‘Do you want to see my bottle of pills? Or the razor blade?’

He undid his left cuff and pulled back his jacket and shirt sleeve, to show me his forearm. It was covered with cut marks. Some were old, little more than scars, while the most recent were still red and angry. None of them were more than two or three inches long, criss-crossing each other in a vicious, ugly pattern. Howard turned his arm back and forth, to make sure I got a good look.

‘The technical term is self-harming, but I like to think of them as practice. Learning how much willpower and self-control it takes to cut into your own skin. To not care about the pain or mind about the blood. I went online first, to check out the details. There are all kinds of helpful sites. Did you know that if you cut across your wrists, there’s always the chance your blood will clot and keep you alive long enough for some well-meaning fool to save you? If you want to be sure – I mean really sure – you have to cut the length of the vein from the wrist up to the elbow. No one’s going to save you after that. And I don’t want to be saved.’

He pulled his shirt and jacket sleeves back down and looked at me coldly.

‘I would prefer to go out peacefully, with some dignity, but one way or another I’m going. You want to know what I was writing on my laptop? My suicide note. It’s harder than you think to sum up a lifetime’s regrets in just a few words. In the end, all I had was that I just don’t want to do this any more.’

Howard finally ground to a halt and fixed me with a burning gaze, demanding a response.

‘You can’t just give up,’ I said finally. ‘Life can always surprise you.’

‘Take your platitudes and shove them,’ said Howard. ‘You know, it’s actually very liberating when you decide your life is over … You don’t have to give a shit what anyone thinks. All that matters is that I’m going to be with my wife again, and you can’t stop me!’

I looked around the compartment. Everyone was staring at us. Howard’s voice had risen to the point where they couldn’t help but overhear. Penny was already hurrying down the aisle to join us. I was relieved. I had no idea what to say to Howard. Penny crouched down beside him.

‘What was your wife’s name, Howard?’ she said quietly.

‘Annie,’ he said.

‘Is this … what you’re planning to do … is this what Annie would have wanted you to do?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Howard. ‘And I don’t care.’

And then he started crying and couldn’t stop. Penny put a comforting arm across his shoulders.

‘Let it out, Howard,’ she said gently. ‘And we’ll give you some time alone. I need to talk to Ishmael, but we won’t be far away if you need anything.’

Howard just nodded. I think we all knew he was past the point where even the most well-meant words of comfort would help. I got up out of my seat, and Penny and I moved off down the aisle.

‘Are you all right?’ she said quietly.

‘Not really,’ I said. ‘You know that wasn’t what I wanted.’

‘I know.’

‘I didn’t pressure him into a confession,’ I said. ‘I just worked it out, by listening to what he didn’t say.’

Penny shook her head. ‘You’re good at getting to the truth, Ishmael, but you don’t always think enough about the collateral damage.’

‘We’re running out of time,’ I said. ‘And we still aren’t any nearer working out who the murderer is.’

‘I think we can safely assume it isn’t Howard,’ said Penny.

‘Can we?’ I said. ‘Who’d make a better killer than a man who honestly doesn’t care whether or not he gets caught?’

‘You don’t really mean that, Ishmael.’

I nodded reluctantly. ‘Either he’s the best actor I’ve ever seen or he’s in no fit state to commit a murder. And I don’t think anyone’s that good an actor.’

‘You won’t get any more out of him for a while,’ said Penny. ‘Poor man. Maybe we can get him some help when we get to Bath.’

I shook my head helplessly. ‘Every time I figure out what one of our suspects is keeping from us, it turns out to be nothing to do with Sir Dennis or his killer.’

‘There is one person left that you haven’t talked to,’ said Penny.

She nodded at Brian, still standing guard at the door and glaring suspiciously at everyone else.

‘I know,’ I said. ‘I’ve been putting it off, because once I’ve talked to him … I don’t have anywhere else to go.’

‘Talk to the man,’ said Penny. ‘He must know something.’

‘Oh, I’m sure he knows something,’ I said. ‘But what are the odds it’ll turn out to be anything useful?’

Penny looked at me, not quite smiling. ‘Do you want me to come with you and hold your hand?’

‘Better not,’ I said. ‘He wouldn’t respect me then.’

‘I’m not sure he does now,’ said Penny.

I made my way down the aisle. Brian saw me coming, and his scowl actually deepened. I gestured for him to stand aside, so I could look through the glass partition in the door. He did so reluctantly, as though in giving up his position he was surrendering what little authority he had left. I stared through the vestibule to the darkness in the next carriage, reassuring myself we were still cut off from the rest of the train.

‘There’s no one out there,’ said Brian. ‘I’ve been keeping an eye. Can I be blunt, Mr Special Bodyguard?’

I turned back to face him. ‘I’d be shocked if you were anything else.’

I could see he was disappointed that I hadn’t objected, so he could justify being angry with me. I gave him my most polite smile, just to annoy him.

‘What’s on your mind, Brian?’

‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said. ‘I’ve been a military policeman for almost eight years now, and I’ve seen enough evil in men that I really can’t bring myself to buy into any of this psychic nonsense. What I saw on the cover of Sir Dennis’s file must have been code for something else, and I think it’s about time you told me what. I need to know what’s really going on, so I know what to look for.’

‘Sorry, Brian,’ I said. ‘Sometimes … things just are what they are, whether we want them to be or not.’

‘Don’t feed me that bullshit!’ Brian said loudly. ‘If you don’t want to tell me the truth, you don’t have to, but don’t insult my intelligence.’

‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ I said. ‘Can we talk about Sir Dennis now?’

He glowered at me fiercely. ‘You’ve talked to everyone else and got nowhere, so now you’re left talking to me. But I did everything I was supposed to. Sir Dennis only died because he was stupid enough to ignore his own bodyguard! You’re not pinning anything on me, just because you can’t find the real murderer!’

He lashed out at me so suddenly that I honestly didn’t see it coming. My reflexes sent me stumbling backwards the moment he started moving, but the punch still hit my nose hard enough to drive my head back. I raised my hands to defend myself and only then realized that Brian had lost all interest in attacking me. His face had gone deathly pale, and his eyes were wide with shock.

I started toward him and he backed quickly away. The door hissed open behind him and he stumbled back into the vestibule, making awkward warding-off gestures with his hands, as though he was facing some kind of monster. I stopped where I was.

‘What is wrong with you, Brian?’

‘Stay where you are,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Don’t come any closer. What the hell are you?’

‘I already told you,’ I said. ‘I’m security.’

‘But what else are you?’ said Brian. His voice was choked with horror.

I felt something touch my upper lip. I put my hand to my nose, and when I took it away my fingertips had golden blood on them. The blow to my nose must have connected more solidly than I’d realized. I took out a handkerchief and pressed it to my nostrils, stopping the bleeding. I cleaned my nose and upper lip carefully, put the handkerchief away and looked steadily at Brian.

‘Get back in here. Don’t make me have to come and get you.’

Brian came slowly back into the compartment, never taking his eyes off me until the door slid shut behind him.

‘No one else saw anything,’ I said quietly. ‘And you didn’t either. Is that understood?’

‘Got it,’ said Brian. He swallowed hard. ‘I didn’t see anything.’

‘And you can’t tell anyone else about this. Is that clear, Brian?’

‘Who would I tell?’ Brian said numbly. ‘Who would believe me?’

‘That’s the spirit,’ I said. ‘Now, stay here and guard this door, until I tell you otherwise.’

I started to turn away.

‘What are you?’ said Brian.

‘Undercover,’ I said.

I went back down the aisle, to where Penny and Sita were chatting happily together. I dropped on to the seat facing them, and they both stopped talking, exchanged a look and burst out laughing.

‘Are you all right, darling?’ said Penny, once she could control herself. ‘That punch did look as if it might have been a bit painful.’

‘It was only a glancing blow,’ I said, with as much dignity as I could manage. ‘I think he just needed to get it out of his system.’

‘Are you ready now to tell me who you really work for?’ said Sita. ‘And don’t try to fob me off with that security crap. It might work on anyone else, but I’ve been around. What department are we talking about? What’s your remit, and who gives you your orders? I know I can’t write about it, but I still need to know if I’m going to trust you.’

‘You must have heard rumours,’ I said. ‘About departments within departments, that don’t officially exist.’

‘Oh …’ said Sita. ‘So you work for one of those?’

‘Of course not,’ I said. ‘They don’t exist, remember?’

Sita gave me a withering look and turned to Penny.

‘You want the truth?’ Penny said calmly. ‘All right, then. Ishmael and I work for an organization so secret it doesn’t have a name. Even we have no idea who they are or what they’re for.’

Sita glared at her. ‘I know when I’m being patronized.’ She jumped to her feet and strode off in a huff, dropping moodily into another seat some distance away.

‘You tell them the truth and they still won’t believe you,’ said Penny.

‘We should try that more often,’ I said. ‘Can I just ask: what were the two of you cackling about so companionably?’

Penny grinned. ‘How much Sita wanted to punch you on the nose, like Brian did. I told her I often feel the same way.’ She glanced back at Brian. ‘Something freaked him out there. What happened?’

‘He made my nose bleed,’ I said. ‘Just for a moment.’

Penny’s mouth made a small Oh! of understanding, and she leaned quickly forward to check there was no blood left on my face.

‘Hold it,’ I said. ‘Sita’s up to something.’

‘Now what?’ said Penny.

Sita was back up on her feet again, commanding the middle of the aisle. She glared at Penny and me, and raised her voice to address the whole compartment.

‘We can’t let those two order us around! We have no idea who they really are, or who they work for. They have no authority over us!’

‘What do you suggest we do about it?’ Rupert said mildly. ‘We’re trapped on the train with them, all the way to Bath.’

Sita stabbed a finger at him triumphantly. ‘You had the right idea. Pull the communication cord and stop the train. Then just sit tight until the proper authorities can get here and take over.’

‘But according to Mr Jones, pulling the cord won’t make any difference,’ said Howard. ‘The driver has orders not to stop for anything.’

‘And you believe him?’ said Sita.

‘Why would he lie to us?’ said Rupert.

‘Why do you think?’ said Sita.

She smiled at me defiantly and lunged for the cord, but Brian had moved quietly down the aisle and was already in position to block the way with his body. Sita scowled at him, and he smiled back at her.

‘Get out of the way, Brian.’

‘Sit down, Sita.’

‘And what if I don’t choose to take orders from a hired thug like you?’ said Sita.

Brian’s smile widened. ‘Then I’ll just have to make you do what you’re told, won’t I?’

Sita went to dodge round him, one outstretched arm straining for the cord, but Brian grabbed a handful of her jacket and hauled her up short. She fought to break free of him, and Brian couldn’t hold on to her, so he threw her to the floor. She cried out as she sprawled helplessly on all fours. I was down the aisle and on top of Brian before he had time to react. I picked him up with one hand and threw him the length of the compartment. He hurtled ungainly through the air and finally hit the floor hard enough to drive all the breath out of him.

It was suddenly very quiet. Everyone watched wide-eyed as I walked unhurriedly down the aisle to stand over Brian. He was already struggling to get to his feet again, but one look at me was enough to put a stop to that.

‘I was only doing my job,’ he said.

‘From now on, your job is to do nothing except what I tell you to do,’ I said coldly. ‘So get up, go back to the door and, whatever happens, stay there. Leave the passengers alone.’

Brian got to his feet, pulled his clothes back into place and looked at me uncertainly. I don’t think he’d ever been handled that casually before. He leaned forward, lowering his voice so no one else would hear us.

‘I know what you are now. You’re one of those psychic people, aren’t you?’

‘Guard the door, Brian.’

He brushed past me and limped off down the aisle. He stepped carefully around Sita, went straight to the end door, put his back to it and stared straight ahead. Penny helped Sita to her feet, but Sita immediately jerked free of her and went back to her seat, without looking at Penny or me. Rupert and Howard looked at each other and said nothing. I raised my voice, to make sure everyone would hear me.

‘We will be arriving in Bath in about thirty minutes. Anyone who wants to make an official complaint can talk to the authorities then. You can wait that long, can’t you? Now please, all of you … just stay put where you are, and let Penny and me get on with our investigation.’

‘Of course,’ Sita said bitterly. ‘Because you’ve done such a great job so far, haven’t you?’

‘You’re still alive, aren’t you?’ I said.

She wouldn’t look at me. Neither would Brian. Howard and Rupert said nothing. Penny moved in beside me.

‘All right,’ she said quietly. ‘Now what are we going to do?’

‘Damned if I know,’ I said. ‘But we’ve got less than thirty minutes to think of something.’