I went back to my seat by the door, carefully ignoring Brian, sat down and stared at nothing. Penny sat beside me, not saying anything, allowing me to concentrate. Further down the carriage, I could see Rupert and Howard and Sita sitting in their separate seats, not even glancing at each other, all of them lost in their own thoughts.
It was quiet in the First-Class compartment. A very strained quiet, that no one wanted to break. The train sped on towards Bath, and there was nothing outside the windows but the night. I sat still, frowning hard, trying to find some new way to attack a problem that refused to be solved. I had to be missing something, but I was damned if I could see what.
I studied the three passengers carefully, taking my time. None of them struck me as a killer, let alone the professional assassin I’d been warned about. But none of that mattered, because none of them could possibly have done it. They were all sitting in their seats, right in front of me, while Sir Dennis was being killed. They couldn’t have got past me.
Sir Dennis had been a real pain in the arse while he was alive, and being murdered hadn’t changed that one bit.
There was always the chance that someone was messing with my head. Which meant I had to re-examine the possibility of a hidden psychic assassin. The evidence – what there was of it – seemed to be forcing me in that direction. But I hadn’t observed any of the usual psychic fallout, the odd events and strange coincidences that should have accompanied a psychic exercising his powers. And I was still certain I would know he was there, no matter how well he hid himself.
Because no psychic had ever been able to hide himself from me.
But I’d never come up against a really powerful rogue. I looked slowly around the compartment, taking in the apparently empty seats. Could the killer really be sitting there, hiding behind the power of his monstrous mind, watching me flounder about and get nowhere … and smiling? And if so, was there any way I could force or trick him into revealing himself? I thought about that for a while … And a cold hand clutched at my heart as I suddenly realized there was one way. One simple, direct and extremely dangerous way.
All I had to do was lower the defensive routines operating in the back of my mind, and leave my thoughts open for the rogue psychic to read. He had to be feeling frustrated at not being able to read my mind. He shouldn’t be able to resist taking a look. If nothing else, he must want to know whether or not I suspected his presence. So if I left my mind wide open, and let him in, and he saw the truth of who and what I really was, the shock of finding out I wasn’t actually human ought to be enough to shatter his concentration and make him drop his invisibility, if only for a moment. And then I would be able to see him, and I would know.
It didn’t matter how powerful his mind was; he was still only human. And I could use my more-than-human speed to get to him before he could do anything to me.
But if I did decide to drop all my defences, that would mean revealing my secrets not only to the rogue but potentially also to the Division psychics watching over the train. According to Mr Nobody, the Division was fascinated by the Organization and desperate to learn all they could about its field agents. If the watching psychics thought they could get away with it, without being noticed, would they be tempted? Would a gentlemen’s agreement really be enough to keep them out of my mind? And if the Division found out who and what I was, what would they do with that information? Pressure me to work for them, instead of the Organization? Or, since they were a part of the Government, would they feel obliged to turn me in?
My hands were clutching the seat’s arm rests so fiercely they ached. I was so tense I could hardly breathe. I’d spent decades hiding the secret of my existence from the world. Was I really ready to give it up, just for a chance at taking down a professional assassin? It wasn’t as if he’d killed anyone who mattered. No one was going to miss a corrupt scumbag like Sir Dennis. If I lowered my defences, I could be putting my life in danger, or at the very least throwing my freedom away for nothing …
No, not for nothing. To prevent a killer from getting away. I couldn’t put my own needs first. That wasn’t the kind of man I was, the kind of man I’d chosen to be. I couldn’t live with myself if I stopped being that man.
I turned to Penny and quietly explained what I had in mind. She started shaking her head almost immediately and put a staying hand on my arm, but I just kept talking, quietly and reasonably. When I finally stopped, she had her answer ready, carefully keeping her voice calm and controlled.
‘This is a really bad idea, Ishmael. Even if the Division psychics do follow the rules and stay out of your head, you can’t depend on the rogue just taking a quick look. What if he decides to attack your mind while he has the chance?’
‘I’ll just have to risk it,’ I said steadily. ‘And trust my hidden self to fight him off. I’d back that scary bastard against any psychic. Either way, I have to do this, Penny. I can’t risk letting the killer getting away. God knows how many more people he might kill before he is finally brought down, and I can’t have that on my conscience. So I need you to keep a careful eye on the empty seats while I do this. Watch for even the briefest glimpse of someone sitting where no one should be. You won’t be in any danger; the rogue will be too occupied with me to even notice you.’
‘No, wait a minute, please … Think this through, Ishmael.’ Penny was clutching my arm with both hands now, her gaze fixed desperately on mine. ‘Even if you can surprise the rogue into revealing himself, what then?’
‘Then I’ll deal with him.’
‘How?’
‘The same way I deal with any threat,’ I said. ‘I’ll jump him before he can react, and punch him repeatedly in the head until he’s so unconscious even his powers won’t be able to wake him up. Once we get to Bath, we just hand him over to the authorities and let them handle him.’
‘But what if, when we arrive at Bath, the authorities aren’t just there for him?’ Penny said urgently. ‘What if the Division psychics pass on what they’ve discovered about you, and the authorities are there to grab you as well? You can’t rely on the Organization to protect an alien passing as human.’ And then she stopped as a new thought struck her. ‘Unless … Ishmael, do you suppose the Organization knows what you really are, and has done all along?’
‘I have wondered that, from time to time,’ I said. ‘The Organization and I get along perfectly well not asking questions and respecting each other’s secrets. But you’re quite right; they wouldn’t fight for me. I’m just a field agent, an expendable asset; I’ve always known that.’
‘After everything you’ve done for them?’
‘That’s just the job,’ I said. ‘That’s always been the job, whichever underground group I’ve worked for. Penny, I have to try this. Because if there is a rogue psychic in here with us, I don’t know any other way to stop him.’
Penny smiled suddenly. ‘And you wonder if you’re really human. You care about other people, darling. What could be more human than that?’
‘Keep a careful watch,’ I said. Because right then I couldn’t trust myself to say anything else.
I settled back in my seat, trying to get comfortable, if not actually relaxed. I closed my eyes and looked inwards, checking my mental protections were still in place. The old routines, quietly running themselves in a constant murmur at the back of my thoughts, that I couldn’t normally hear. Slowly, deliberately, I shut down my protections, layer by layer, and the murmur grew fainter and fainter until finally it stopped. I tried to ignore how fast my heart was beating and sat very still. I felt horribly exposed and vulnerable – like a goat staked out in a jungle clearing, waiting for the tiger to come and get it.
I braced myself, though I wasn’t sure against what. I had no idea what a telepathic invasion would feel like. I still had no sense, no feeling, that there was a psychic anywhere near me. There were no strange voices in my head, no unexpected thoughts or impulses, not even a deep-down suspicion that I might not be alone in the dark. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around the compartment. There wasn’t even a flicker of an unexpected presence in any of the empty seats. Nothing to suggest a tiger was lurking in the undergrowth. I started my protective routines running again, slamming each layer back into place as quickly as I could, sealing my mind off from all outside thoughts and influences. Until finally I could relax again.
I was breathing hard, and so exhausted I could barely move. A cold sweat had beaded on my face. Penny mopped it away with a handkerchief, looking at me anxiously, and I managed a smile for her.
‘I’m back. And I’m still me. No unwelcome visitations inside my head. Did you see anything?’
‘No, Ishmael. And I looked really hard.’
‘While I didn’t get any sense of another presence …’ I stretched slowly, easing the aches in my muscles as the tension fell slowly away.
‘Can we can be sure now that there isn’t a rogue psychic in here with us?’ said Penny.
‘I don’t see how he could have avoided giving himself away,’ I said. ‘It’s not every day you encounter an alien from outer space travelling on a London train.’
Penny looked round sharply. ‘Ishmael! Sita’s on the move again.’
I sighed. ‘That woman is more trouble than everyone else put together.’
‘Of course. She’s a journalist.’
Sita went striding determinedly down the aisle, to loom over Rupert. He looked up, startled, as she dropped into the seat opposite him and leaned forward, gesturing sharply for him to do the same. Once their heads were almost touching, Sita murmured fiercely to him for some time. Then they both sat back in their seats and looked at me suspiciously. I made sure I just happened to be looking somewhere else. Sita and Rupert got to their feet and went to join Howard. He looked at them coldly when they sat down facing him, making it clear he wasn’t interested in anything they had to say. But once again Sita leaned forward and murmured urgently, and after a while Howard started nodding, if a little reluctantly.
Penny leaned in beside me. ‘What do you suppose is going on there?’
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘Looks like Sita’s had a new idea. I’d better find out what she’s up to.’
‘Like she’d tell you anything,’ said Penny.
‘I wasn’t planning on asking her,’ I said. ‘I’ll just crank up my hearing and listen in on what they’re saying. You keep an eye on Brian; make sure he doesn’t get up to anything unfortu-nate while I’m preoccupied. But please, don’t speak to me unless it’s urgent; I’m going to have to really concentrate.’
‘You and your weird senses,’ said Penny.
I watched Sita and Rupert and Howard carefully, as I opened my hearing up to more-than-human levels. Most of the time I keep it cranked down low, so the sheer noise of the world won’t overwhelm me. I carefully faded out the sounds of Penny sitting next to me, the rustle of her clothing as she moved, the steady rhythms of her breathing. And then I did the same with Brian. Finally, I shut out all the noises of the train: the distant roar of the engine, the wheels on the tracks. I focused only on what the three passengers were saying … and their voices came to me perfectly clearly, as though I was sitting right there with them.
I studied their faces closely as well, because the words of a conversation don’t tell you everything.
All three were bent forward in their seats, their heads close together. Sita looked intense and utterly convinced by what she was saying. Rupert looked interested but sceptical. Howard looked detached and only slightly intrigued. But the more Sita talked, the more the other two wanted to listen.
‘We have to do something!’ she said urgently. ‘Jones and his partner still see us as suspects!’
‘Isn’t that their job?’ Howard said mildly. ‘They’re investigating a murder, and we’re the only ones who could have done it.’
‘Are we?’ Sita said immediately. ‘Really? Jones has already admitted there’s no way we could have sneaked past him and Penny to get to Sir Dennis without either of them noticing.’
‘If they’re trying to find a killer,’ said Rupert, ‘doesn’t that mean we have a duty to cooperate? We don’t want the killer to escape.’
‘But that’s only if they are what they say they are,’ Sita said darkly. ‘And I’m not convinced about that. We know they’re not police, just security – whatever that means … What if they’re not really here to identify the killer, but just to cover up what happened? Because the Government would find it too embarrassing, to have to admit that the new head of an important division could be killed so easily. It would be so much better for them if they could pretend none of this ever happened, and Sir Dennis just died of a heart attack or something.’
‘I love the way your mind works,’ said Howard.
‘What has all of this got to do with us?’ said Rupert.
‘Think about it!’ said Sita. ‘If this does turn into a cover-up, Jones and Penny won’t want us telling anyone the truth, will they?’
‘But we’ll be arriving in Bath soon,’ said Howard. ‘They can’t stop us talking after that.’
‘I’ll be glad to get off this train,’ said Rupert. ‘This whole journey has been nothing but one nightmare after another.’
‘How many times do I have to say this before it sinks in?’ Sita said urgently. ‘They’re not police; they’re security – and we’re in their power!’ Her voice was cold and grim now. ‘What if they decide to have us arrested in Bath? What if someone then decides it would be in the Government’s best interests if we just disappeared? So we couldn’t contradict the official version of what happened here?’
‘You’re reaching now,’ said Howard.
‘Am I?’ said Sita.
‘Yes,’ Rupert said firmly.
Sita looked at their faces and realized she’d lost them.
‘All right, maybe they wouldn’t go that far … But we still can’t trust Jones or Penny! We have to do something, to make it clear to them we’re not going to just roll over and go along with whatever they say.’
‘What did you have in mind?’ said Howard.
‘What can we do?’ said Rupert.
‘We can insist on being allowed to go and sit in another carriage, with the rest of the passengers,’ said Sita. ‘If we all stick together and stand up to them, they can’t stop us walking out of here.’
‘What difference would changing carriages make?’ said Rupert. ‘We’d still be stuck on this train, with a murderer on the loose.’
‘I think we’d be a lot safer in another carriage,’ said Sita meaningfully.
‘How?’ said Rupert. ‘The killer could still come after us, wherever we are.’
‘That’s not what she’s getting at,’ said Howard, looking thoughtfully at Sita. ‘If we were sitting among a crowd of witnesses, that means Jones and Penny wouldn’t dare touch us.’
‘Wait a minute … You think they might hurt us?’ said Rupert. ‘But they’re here to protect us, aren’t they?’
‘Are they?’ said Sita.
They all turned around in their seats, so they could get a good look at Penny and me. I looked away the moment I saw their heads start to turn, and waited for them to start talking again before I turned back.
‘You really think they might … do something to us?’ said Rupert. ‘Even though they’ve admitted there’s no evidence any of us is the killer?’
‘People like them don’t need evidence,’ Sita said darkly. ‘It’s always going to be about whatever they can justify as necessary. I’m starting to think there’s a lot more going on here than we’re being told.’
‘How do you mean?’ said Howard. For the first time, he was starting to sound genuinely interested in the situation, rather than his own dark thoughts.
‘I already told you I cover the political scene for the Standard,’ said Sita. ‘So trust me when I say there’s simply no honest way a shifty little creep like Sir Dennis could have been properly appointed head of an important military department. The only way he could have got a top job like that was if there was a fix.’
‘What kind of fix?’ said Rupert. He was frowning hard as he struggled to keep up with Sita’s thinking.
‘I haven’t worked that out yet,’ said Sita. She sounded more embarrassed than angry at being forced to admit there was something she didn’t know. ‘But given that it’s my business to know things like that, or at least be in a position to make an educated guess, the fix must have come from somewhere really high up. That must be why Jones and Penny are here, and it’s why we can’t trust them. We have no way of knowing what secret instructions they might have been given.’
Sita watched Rupert and Howard closely as they sat silently, working through the implications of what she was telling them. I was impressed at how much of the truth Sita had worked out on her own. She was drawing completely the wrong conclusions, but only because she didn’t have all the facts. And, of course, I couldn’t tell her.
‘You honestly believe Jones and Penny pose a threat to us?’ Howard said finally.
‘I thought you didn’t care what happened to you?’ said Rupert.
‘I don’t,’ said Howard. ‘But I am … interested.’
‘Jones does strike me as something of a hard man,’ Rupert said thoughtfully. ‘You saw how easily he took down the bodyguard. But I don’t think Penny would allow him to do anything bad to us.’
‘Don’t be naive,’ said Sita. ‘She works for the same people he does.’
‘Right,’ said Howard. ‘It’s just bad cop, good cop.’
‘They’re hiding things from us,’ Sita said flatly. ‘And I think we need to find out what.’
‘You’ll never get either of them to tell you the truth,’ said Rupert.
‘And even if we do stick together and demand to be allowed to leave, I can’t see them going along with it,’ said Howard. ‘It’s not like we can force our way past them.’
‘There’s always Sir Dennis’s bodyguard,’ said Sita. ‘What if we could get him on our side?’
They all turned to look at Brian, standing guard at the door. He met their gaze for a moment and then looked away, making a show of ignoring them.
‘Jones already took him down once,’ said Howard.
‘Only because he caught Brian by surprise,’ said Sita.
‘But he’s military police,’ said Rupert. ‘He’s not going to turn against people in authority, is he?’
‘Let me talk to him,’ said Sita. ‘He doesn’t like Jones; I can tell.’
‘I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like you either,’ said Rupert.
‘We all saw him hurt you,’ said Howard.
Sita sniffed. ‘That was just a scuffle. He knew he was in the wrong there; I saw it in his eyes. Maybe I can use that – make him feel guilty enough to listen to me. I’m sure he knows something about Jones … You two stay put, and keep an eye on Jones and Penny.’
‘Why?’ said Howard.
‘What could we do?’ said Rupert.
‘Just … watch them!’ said Sita. ‘And give me some warning if either of them starts moving!’
She jumped up from her seat and strode down the aisle. Brian watched her approach and stood a little straighter. His expression didn’t change, but he was clearly doing his best to be ready for anything. Sita stopped a cautious distance away and faced him steadily.
‘Hello, Brian.’
‘What do you want now, Reporter?’
‘I thought we could talk,’ said Sita, giving him what she probably thought was a disarming smile.
‘Think again,’ said Brian. ‘I don’t have anything to say to you.’
‘Why don’t you trust Mr Jones?’ Sita said bluntly.
She leaned forward a little, inviting confidentiality. Brian shot a quick glance in my direction, and again I was careful to be looking somewhere else and apparently paying them no attention. I looked back when Brian answered her, his voice low.
‘What makes you think I don’t trust him?’
‘Come on, Brian,’ said Sita. ‘I can see it in your face, every time you look at him. And it’s just as obvious that you’re scared of him. Now why is that, Brian? What is there about that man that scares a big tough soldier boy like you?’
‘Mr Jones is in charge here,’ Brian said steadily. ‘I accept his authority, that’s all.’
‘You haven’t answered my question,’ said Sita. ‘Why don’t you trust him?’
‘Because he’s more than he seems to be,’ said Brian. ‘He isn’t what you think he is.’
‘How do you mean?’ said Sita. She kept her voice soft as well as low, as though she was more interested in him than his answer. ‘Are you saying Jones isn’t really a security agent?’
Brian shook his head and said nothing. Sita studied him carefully.
‘You’re shaking, Brian.’
‘No, I’m not.’
‘You are. You’re actually shaking, just at the thought of what you know about him. What could possibly scare you that badly?’
Brian met her gaze steadily. ‘All right, I’m frightened. You would be too, if you knew what I know.’
‘Then tell me,’ said Sita. ‘Maybe if you share what you know …’
Brian shook his head firmly. His face was pale, and his lips were pressed together so hard they’d lost all colour. Sita started to reach out a hand to him and then pulled it back again.
‘Are you scared of what he might do to you if you went against him? Has he threatened you?’
She stopped. She could tell her questions were going wide of the mark, even if she didn’t know why. She looked at him for a moment, choosing her words carefully.
‘Brian … I can’t help you if I don’t know what the problem is.’
‘You can’t help me,’ Brian said flatly. ‘And why would you want to anyway, Reporter?’
‘Because we’re all of us in the same boat, in the same carriage. And my name is Sita.’
‘There’s nothing I can tell you, Sita.’
‘But you want to, don’t you, Brian? I can tell. You know that what’s happening here is wrong.’
‘You have no idea what’s really going on here,’ said Brian. ‘And you should be grateful for that.’
Sita looked at him, and I saw a chill go through her as she realized how serious he was.
‘What the hell did he do to you, Brian?’
‘He put me in my place,’ said Brian. ‘Look, we have to find Sir Dennis’s killer before we get to Bath, and Mr Jones and Penny are the only ones who can do that. They’re the experts, so we have to go along.’
‘But are they?’ said Sita.
Brian looked at her. ‘What?’
‘Are they really experts?’ said Sita. She moved in a little closer, holding his gaze with hers. ‘We have no proof they’re who or what they claim to be. We don’t know who gave them their orders, or what their real agenda might be. You’re military police, Brian. You know as well as I do that security can mean anything.’
‘That’s the problem,’ said Brian. ‘It can mean anything. You’re wasting your time, Sita. I can’t go against Mr Jones.’
‘What do you think is going to happen when this train finally gets to Bath?’ said Sita. ‘To me and Rupert and Howard, and maybe to you as well? Do you honestly think Jones and Penny will let us just walk away if they haven’t found the killer? Do you think being a good soldier will protect you from people like them?’
Brian actually smiled for a moment. ‘You reporters do love your conspiracies and cover-ups, don’t you?’
‘I hate them,’ Sita said steadily. ‘That’s why I work so hard to drag them out into the light, so everyone can see them.’
‘Are you always this paranoid?’ said Brian. And for the first time he seemed more interested in her than in her answer.
‘Mostly,’ said Sita. ‘And I’m right more often than I’m wrong. What is it you know about Jones, that you don’t want to tell me?’
Brian hesitated and then shook his head quickly. ‘I can’t talk about that. And you wouldn’t thank me if I did.’
Sita scowled. ‘So many secrets on this train … There must be something you can do to help us!’
Brian looked at her thoughtfully. ‘I do have a backup weapon.’
‘What?’
‘I have another gun,’ said Brian. He was keeping his voice carefully low, and Sita had to lean in closer to hear him. Brian carefully avoided looking at me as he continued. ‘I have a second gun in an ankle holster, on my other leg. My superiors thought I should be prepared for … emergencies.’
‘Why haven’t you used it?’ said Sita.
‘And do what?’ said Brian. ‘Even if I was prepared to go up against Jones, and I’m not, he still has my main weapon. Given the atmosphere in this carriage, he’d probably open fire the moment I drew my gun. And besides … I’m not convinced a gun would be much use against him anyway.’
Sita looked at him sharply, intrigued by what Brian wasn’t saying but which she could still hear in his voice.
‘What are you saying, Brian? That Jones has body armour?’
Brian shook his head. ‘I just don’t see anything useful I could do with a gun.’
‘Then give me the gun,’ said Sita.
Brian looked at her for a moment and then smiled. ‘You’ve got guts; I’ll give you that. But what would you do with a gun, if I did let you have it?’
‘I don’t know! Protect myself and the other passengers. From the killer, and Jones and Penny. Maybe … force Jones to tell us all the truth about what’s really going on.’
She broke off. Brian had stopped smiling and was shaking his head.
‘You don’t want to know what’s really going on. Trust me. Anyway, does Jones look the type to be intimidated by a gun?’
Sita scowled. ‘Not really, no.’
‘He’d just take it away from you,’ said Brian. ‘I’m keeping my backup weapon until we get to Bath. Just in case the killer reveals himself.’
‘And if Jones and Penny turn out to be as much a threat to us as the killer?’
Brian looked at her steadily. ‘If push should come to shove, there is a line I won’t cross. I would never let him hurt you.’
‘Well, that’s good to know. Thank you, Brian.’
They looked at each other for a long moment, and then Sita turned away and went back to sit with Rupert and Howard. They looked at her expectantly, but she just sat there quietly, thinking hard.
‘Well?’ Howard said finally. ‘What was that all about?’
‘Something just happened there,’ Sita said slowly. ‘And I’m not entirely certain what.’
‘What did he have to say?’ said Rupert.
‘Brian can’t help us,’ said Sita. ‘I think he’d like to, but he’s too frightened to go against Jones. And I mean really frightened.’
‘Why?’ said Rupert, shooting a quick glance in my direction. ‘What’s so special about Jones?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Sita. ‘Brian was too scared to say.’
‘But he’s a military policeman!’ said Howard.
‘Exactly,’ said Sita. ‘The kind of man who isn’t easily intimidated. Which suggests there has to be a lot more to Jones than we’re seeing.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Rupert. ‘But I’m not buying into any of this conspiracy stuff. Sir Dennis’s important new appointment made him a target, that’s all. We have to help Jones and Penny find the killer, if only because I won’t feel safe until they do.’
‘But I’m on to something here,’ said Sita.
‘No!’ said Rupert. ‘I may not be happy with the way Jones is doing things, but I don’t see any reason why I should trust you more than him. You just want a story; Jones wants to catch a killer. We have to trust him.’
‘He’s right, Sita,’ said Howard. ‘If Jones is right, and someone in this carriage did murder Sir Dennis, how can we be sure you’re not the killer, trying to turn us against the one man who might be able to prove that it’s you?’
‘I’m not a killer!’ said Sita. ‘I’m a journalist!’
‘We have to trust Jones and Penny, because we can’t trust any of us,’ said Rupert. ‘They’re the only ones who can protect us from each other.’
He got up, returned to his seat and sat down with his back to them. Sita looked at Howard.
‘Do you honestly think I could have killed Sir Dennis?’
‘Don’t get me wrong,’ said Howard. ‘I won’t shed any tears over that man being dead. Whoever killed him did the world a favour. And you have given me something to think about. Thank you for that. It helps take my mind off other things. But … I’m really not convinced by any of the things you’ve said. So you go right ahead and do whatever you feel you have to, but please leave me out of it.’
He got up and went back to his own seat. Sita glared after him, then at Rupert and finally at me and Penny. I saw no reason to look away this time, so I just smiled cheerfully back at her. Sita turned away and scowled at the empty seat before her. I could tell she was still working on some new form of rebellion, so after a moment’s thought I got up, walked along the aisle and sat down opposite her. She looked up, startled.
‘I’m not answering any more questions!’
‘You know, you don’t have to be afraid of me, Sita.’
‘I’m not afraid of you!’ she shot back immediately. ‘Brian is the one who’s scared of you, though God alone knows why. You’re not exactly impressive. What did you do to Brian?’
‘He wanted to know the truth about me,’ I said. ‘But when he got a glimpse of it, he couldn’t cope.’
Sita frowned. ‘Am I supposed to understand any of that?’
‘Not really,’ I said.
‘Just as well, then.’
‘I’m only interested in working out what happened to Sir Dennis,’ I said patiently. ‘Unless you’re the killer, you have no reason to be afraid of me.’
‘Do you think I did it?’ said Sita, meeting my gaze unwaveringly.
‘I’m so tired I don’t know what to think,’ I said.
She seemed a little surprised that I was ready to be so open with her. Or that I’d admit to something so ordinary as weariness.
‘We’re all tired,’ she said finally. ‘Comes from not being able to trust anyone.’
‘I saw you talking with Rupert and Howard, and then Brian,’ I said carefully.
She sniffed loudly. ‘You’ve no reason to worry about any of them. They don’t have enough balls between them to give you any trouble.’
‘Unlike you?’
Sita smiled coldly. ‘You’re running out of time, aren’t you? And you’re no closer to finding the killer than when you started. What will you do when we get to Bath and you have to admit to the authorities that you’ve got nothing? Are you going to have us all arrested?’
‘I don’t do things like that,’ I said.
‘Then what do you do?’ said Sita. ‘Who are you really, Mr Jones?’
‘I’m the one who gets to the truth,’ I said. ‘Whatever it takes.’
‘I thought that was my job,’ said Sita. She sat back in her chair and folded her arms defiantly. ‘What do you want from me?’
‘Just some space. And a little cooperation,’ I said. ‘So I can do my job.’
‘Don’t let me stop you,’ said Sita.
You just know some conversations aren’t going to go anywhere you want them to. I went back to sit with Penny. She slipped her arm through mine and leaned against me companionably.
‘I’m guessing that didn’t go at all well.’
‘Not really, no.’
‘I could have told you that, darling. Did you really think you were going to get anything useful out of her?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘But I had to try.’
Penny sighed. ‘What are we going to do?’
‘I’m thinking.’
‘Well, think faster, darling.’
And then we both looked round as Rupert rose suddenly from his seat and hurried down the aisle to join Howard.
‘What the hell is going on now?’ I said quietly to Penny. ‘Why can’t everyone just stay put?’
‘I’m glad someone’s talking to Howard,’ said Penny. ‘He needs bringing out of himself.’ She looked at me. ‘Do you have to listen to them this time? It might not be anything to do with the murder.’
‘I still need to know,’ I said.
Howard was looking wearily and not at all patiently at Rupert. His voice was barely polite.
‘What do you want now, Rupert? I’ve got a lot on my mind and I’m really not in the mood for company.’
‘Can’t honestly say that I am,’ said Rupert. ‘But there are things we need to talk about, Howard.’
‘Like what?’
‘Who do you think the killer is?’
‘Why are you asking me?’ said Howard. He actually sounded a little amused at the idea that he of all people might know the answer.
‘Because I’ve decided that out of everyone in this carriage, you’re the only one I trust,’ said Rupert. ‘Though, admittedly, that isn’t saying much.’
‘I’m flattered,’ said Howard. ‘I think. But I genuinely have no idea who killed Sir Dennis. It’s all a complete mystery to me.’
‘I know I’m not the killer,’ said Rupert. ‘And I really can’t see you in the role either.’
‘Why not?’ said Howard, a little nettled at being dismissed so quickly. ‘I might have it in me to kill a man like that.’
‘I think you’re only interested in killing one person,’ said Rupert.
Howard sighed quietly. ‘You heard me talking to Jones.’
‘You did get a bit loud there, at the end,’ said Rupert. ‘I’m pretty sure everyone heard.’
‘It’s still no one’s business but mine,’ said Howard. ‘Look, Rupert … I really don’t care about the murder, or who might be involved in it.’
‘But what if Jones is right, and the killer decides he needs to finish us all off before we get to Bath?’
‘I’m not interested!’
Rupert sat back in his seat and studied Howard carefully. ‘You know, you and I have a lot in common.’
Howard gave Rupert his full attention. ‘All right, I didn’t see that one coming. What could you and I possibly have in common?’
‘You lost everything that mattered to you,’ said Rupert. ‘And I think I may be about to.’
Howard nodded slowly. ‘What is it you want from me, Rupert?’
‘I’ve got enough shit about to rain down on me,’ said Rupert. ‘I want this murder business over and done with, so I can concentrate on my own problems. I need you to help me figure out what’s going on here.’
‘The killer can’t be one of us,’ said Howard. ‘We were all in plain sight when Sir Dennis died.’
‘Jones seems pretty sure that one of us must have managed it somehow,’ said Rupert.
‘That’s his problem.’
‘Unfortunately,’ said Rupert, ‘he seems determined to make it our problem.’
Howard suddenly sat up straight as a new idea took hold of him. He looked quickly at me and then turned back to Rupert.
‘What if the killer really isn’t one of us? What if … it’s him?’
‘What?’ said Rupert. ‘I don’t …’ And then he stopped and looked quickly at me before staring wide-eyed at Howard. ‘You think Jones killed Sir Dennis? How is that even possible?’
‘Think about it,’ said Howard, fixing Rupert with a hard stare. ‘None of us left the compartment. But Jones did. We all saw him do it. And then he came back and told us Sir Dennis was dead.’
Rupert slumped in his seat as though he’d been hit. It was a while before he felt able to say anything.
‘If you’re right, then we’ve been trapped in here with the killer all along. It does make sense. What better cover could a professional killer have than to masquerade as the man investigating the murder? But then … that would have to mean Penny—’
‘Yes,’ said Howard. ‘She’d have to be a part of it too.’
‘But I like her!’ said Rupert. ‘She seems so nice, so helpful …’
‘That’s probably her job,’ said Howard. ‘To make us think someone was on our side and keep us from seeing the obvious.’
‘But … What can we do?’ said Rupert.
‘There’s only one thing you can do: challenge Jones to his face and, if need be, take him down.’
‘What? Are you kidding?’ Rupert’s voice rose sharply, and it took him a moment to bring it back under control again. ‘Why does it have to be me?’
‘Because you’re the brave young man, and I’m not.’ Howard sighed. ‘I’d rather not be involved in any of this, but I can see I’m never going to get a moment’s peace until we sort it out. I can’t go up against Jones, because he’d never take me seriously. And Brian is afraid of him. I suppose if you’re not up to it, we could always ask Sita; I don’t think she’s afraid of anyone.’
‘Of course not,’ said Rupert. ‘She takes on the establishment for fun. But I think … this is going to take all of us. You, me, Sita and Brian. It’s not like Jones is going to admit anything, is he? But if we all just pile on to him and drag him down …’
‘Oh, hell,’ said Howard, smiling suddenly. ‘Why not? It’s something to do, until I get to Bath.’
They both got up out of their seats, carefully not looking in my direction, and walked casually over to join Sita. I kept watching and listening, fascinated to see how far this would go. Sita fixed Rupert and Howard with a cold stare as they sat down facing her.
‘What do you two want? I thought you’d decided you didn’t believe anything I had to say?’
‘We think Jones is the killer,’ said Rupert.
‘We think it’s a possibility,’ Howard said quickly.
‘It was your idea!’ said Rupert.
‘Keep your voice down,’ said Howard.
A slow grin spread across Sita’s face. ‘OK … I like that. It would explain a lot. I never did trust the man.’
‘Rupert thinks we need to overpower Jones, maybe tie him up, before we get to Bath,’ said Howard.
‘It was your idea to confront him!’ said Rupert.
‘But we’re going to need Brian’s help to take Jones down,’ said Howard, concentrating on Sita. ‘Do you think you could talk him into it?’
‘I might be able to,’ said Sita.
They all looked surreptitiously at me, while I pretended not to notice.
‘Hold it,’ said Rupert. ‘Jones has a gun. He took it from Brian, remember? If he even suspected we were on to him … Maybe we’d be better off waiting till we get to Bath, and then denounce him to the authorities there. Let them handle him.’
‘Why would they take our word for it?’ said Howard. ‘He’s one of them.’
‘Only if he is who he says he is,’ said Sita. ‘Maybe he killed the real security man and took his place!’
‘I don’t think we can wait till we get to Bath,’ said Rupert, changing direction at speed. ‘Remember what Jones said earlier, about the murderer needing to kill all the witnesses?’
‘I think if Jones was going to do that, he’d already have done it,’ said Howard.
‘He could be waiting for just the right moment,’ Rupert said stubbornly.
‘We’ve got to get that gun away from him,’ said Sita.
‘How?’ said Rupert. ‘Professional assassins are probably very good at spotting people who want to take their guns away from them.’
‘You two distract him,’ said Howard. ‘And I’ll move in from behind and take the gun out of his pocket.’
‘Why you?’ said Sita.
‘Because Howard doesn’t care what happens to him,’ said Rupert.
Sita looked at Howard. ‘That’s no way to live.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ said Howard.
Sita frowned. ‘If we’re going to take Jones down, we’re going to need a better plan than just sneaking the gun out of his pocket. Whatever Jones might really be, he’s definitely a professional. You’d never get anywhere near him.’
‘And even if he didn’t suspect something, Penny probably would,’ said Rupert. ‘She doesn’t miss much.’
‘Then someone will just have to talk to Penny,’ said Howard. ‘Keep her distracted.’
‘You should do it,’ Rupert said to Sita. ‘Girl to girl, that sort of thing …’
She shook her head immediately. ‘No offence, but I’m a better fighter than both of you put together. You can’t do this without me. You talk to her, Rupert.’
‘Why me?’
‘Because she wouldn’t see you as a threat.’
‘She has a point,’ said Howard.
Rupert nodded glumly. ‘All right. I’ll think of something to say …’
Howard looked thoughtfully at Sita. ‘So it’s you and me against the experienced security man. How are we going to do this, exactly?’
Sita smiled. ‘We use an old street tactic, from my student protest days. How to stop a policeman, without being violent: send a pretty girl to hug him tightly. Before Jones figures out how to react, you get the gun out of his pocket and then pass it to me.’
‘Why should you have it?’ said Howard.
‘Do you know anything about guns?’ said Sita.
‘No. Do you?’
‘Enough to fake it.’
Howard shook his head. ‘I’m not sure about this … You said it yourself: Jones is a professional. You saw how easily he disarmed Brian and took down the private detective.’
‘Are you scared of him?’ said Sita.
‘Yes!’ said Howard. ‘There’s something about that man …’
‘He’s just putting on an act, to intimidate us into behaving,’ said Sita. ‘He’s not really scary, any more than Penny is really friendly.’
‘Bad cop, good cop,’ said Howard.
‘Exactly,’ said Sita.
‘He could still be dangerous,’ said Rupert.
‘No! Hold it! Wait a minute …’ Sita frowned fiercely, concentrating, and then shook her head regretfully. ‘No. Nice try, boys, but … no. Forget it. Jones isn’t the killer.’
‘What?’ said Rupert. ‘Why not? How can you be so sure?’
‘Because if he had been the killer, he wouldn’t have put so much time and effort into trying to get a confession out of one of us,’ said Sita. ‘And there was already a railway guard outside the locked toilet, before Jones got there. I heard him banging on the door and calling out. So Sir Dennis must have been dead before Jones left the carriage.’
‘Oh, hell!’ said Rupert. ‘I really thought I was on to something there.’
They all sat and looked at each other for a long moment.
‘Well,’ said Howard. ‘That was a nice touch of excitement, but I think I’ll go back to my own seat now. I have some important brooding to be getting on with.’
‘Isn’t there anything we can do to help?’ said Rupert.
‘No,’ said Howard.
He went back to his seat. Rupert and Sita watched him go.
‘You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped,’ said Sita.
‘Maybe we could help him to want that,’ said Rupert.
‘He’s had a long time to think about this,’ said Sita. ‘What could we possibly say to Howard that he hasn’t already come up with himself?’
Rupert didn’t have an answer to that. He went back to his own seat, and Sita went back to concentrating on her own thoughts. I was quietly relieved that what could have been an open rebellion had come to nothing before I had to do something to defuse it. And yet … After listening to all of that, I was more convinced than ever that none of them could be the murderer. Which put me right back where I started.
Penny suddenly grabbed my arm and squeezed it hard. ‘Ishmael! I’ve just had an idea!’
‘Oh, good,’ I said. ‘That’s one more than me.’
‘Maybe there’s a reason why we never saw anyone go past us! What if the killer released a gas into the carriage that put all of us to sleep? Just long enough for him to get past us, kill Sir Dennis and then hurry back to his seat before any of us woke up? We wouldn’t know anything had happened!’
I looked at her.
‘And that’s your idea?’
‘Yes! What do you think?’
‘I think you’ve been watching too much television,’ I said.
‘But it would explain the gap in our memories …’
‘It wouldn’t explain how the killer was able to smuggle a canister of gas into the compartment without being noticed, and then hide the empty canister afterwards. Or how he could time the effects so exactly, when any gas affects different people differently. Or a dozen other practical problems. No, Penny, that kind of thing only works in bad television shows. There’s a reason why they call them mission impossible. And, anyway, if there had been a gas, I’d have smelt it.’
‘All right!’ said Penny. ‘You come up with something!’
‘I’ve been trying,’ I said. ‘And I’ve got nothing. I don’t see how anyone could have done it.’