“This train is cursed. It surely is.”
Audra heard the words, mumbled in Dalia’s sweet drawl. “Dalia?”
“Yes, ma’am. Praise the Lord you are with us still.”
Audra cracked an eye and peeked at the large woman, who cradled Audra’s head in her lap. “You had me fair worried. Yes, indeed.” She patted Audra’s cheek. “The smelling salts did their work.”
“Where am I?”
“I had Robert carry you to my room so I could keep an eye on you. You ready to get up?”
“I’ll try.” Audra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Other than a pounding in her head, she felt fine. Her thoughts traveled to Lana. “That poor woman.”
“I know.” Dalia’s jowls drooped. “Someone evil is on this train.”
Audra couldn’t disagree. With Lana’s murder, she had to believe evil followed her steps. Maybe she should distance herself from the train before anything else happened.
“That won’t make any difference. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Are you a mind reader now, Dalia?”
“No, ma’am. I’m just answering you.”
Audra realized she had spoken her thoughts out loud. “Then I’m more addled than I thought.” Audra pushed to a sitting position then looked around the small room. It was hidden in shadows and, from what she could see, looked like all the other berths she’d visited on the train. “Why are we stopped?”
“The conductor’s taking care of Miss Lana’s body.”
“Of course.” Audra rubbed her forehead, praying her thoughts would cooperate. Would catch up with all that had happened. Lana. She needed to make sure the killer didn’t do anything to change the evidence the police would find. “How long was I unconscious?”
“Long enough we’re in the next town. I don’t know what the caravan will do.”
“I imagine the show will go on.” Audra shuddered at the thought.
“Hollywood can be cold sometimes.”
“Maybe.”
“All I know is I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me too, Dalia. Me too.” Audra slowly stood, keeping a hand firmly on the mattress. To her surprise, the room didn’t spin. “Your smelling salts worked well.” She turned to hug the woman but stopped at the tight lines around her eyes. The easy peace that normally surrounded Dalia seemed to have abandoned her. “Are you all right?”
“No, ma’am, I’m not.” Dalia opened her mouth then firmly closed it.
“None of us is okay right now. Is there anything I can help with?”
The woman shook her head, her kerchief slipping forward a bit on her forehead. “I’ll be just fine. You see to Miss Lana. She was a misunderstood woman.”
Audra took a step toward the door then paused and collapsed in the small chair tucked in a corner. “Why does God let evil win, Dalia?”
“It won’t in the long run. Remember, we know who wins at the end.”
“But the last few weeks it hasn’t felt like He’s winning. I’m certainly not.”
Dalia shifted her girth on the bed. “But we gotta look with our hearts’ eyes, not what we can see. If we only go by what we see, we miss God. His fingerprints are all over this world. Someday we’ll understand. Yes, ma’am, someday we’ll understand.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“He promised though we see through a glass darkly, one day that will change. These weary bones looks forward to that day.”
Audra considered her words. She’d chew on them later. “Well, thank you for caring for me.” She hugged Dalia then slipped from the room.
She crossed the bridge between cars and hurried toward Lana’s berth. It had become a hive of activity. Robert and Mark stood on the outskirts watching several uniformed police move in and out of the room. Audra looked for an unfamiliar man in suit and tie. He’d likely be the detective in charge, but she couldn’t find one. Maybe he’d already slipped inside or had yet to arrive. There was only one way to find out.
“Audra! You’re all right.” Robert hurried toward her, relief lighting his eyes.
“Yes. I’m surprised Mark hasn’t chased you off to the lounge car with everyone else.”
“The police were waiting when we arrived at the station a few minutes ago. They asked me to stay until the detective arrives.” He brushed her cheek, and warmth spread from him in the caress. “Are you sure you should be up?”
“If I’ve learned anything in the last few weeks, it’s that the police will want to talk to me.” Audra sank into his touch, unable to stop herself.
“Then let’s get you settled so you can rest until he arrives.”
“If they’ll let me through.”
“Wait here.” Robert left her and hurried to one of the officers. After a hushed conversation, he returned. “You’re cleared. We just can’t talk to the others until the detective interviews us. Let’s get you something to drink.”
She followed him to the lounge car, surprised to see the light of dawn beginning to break on the horizon as they walked between cars. She stopped, letting the sun’s first rays soak into her heart. His compassions are new every morning. She’d read the promise many times in her Bible. But this morning, after all that had transpired in the night, she clung to the promise. She sensed she’d need all the compassion she could get to make it through the day.
A bird sang nearby. She flinched. “It’s Thursday, right?”
“Yes.” Robert studied her curiously.
Audra gripped the railing and held on tight. “This afternoon is Rosemary’s funeral.” Bile rose in her throat and she trembled. A sob almost choked her as she tried to hold it back. Robert wrapped his arms around her and she clung to him. “I should be there, but I couldn’t watch my baby sister be buried. I just couldn’t do it.”
He stroked her hair, each touch sending a shiver of comfort through her. “Your parents understand.”
“It doesn’t matter. When this caravan ends I’ll return to Indianapolis, and then I’ll have to face the truth. Even if I find her killer, Rosemary will still be dead. My baby sister will still be ripped from our family. And I’ll always wonder how much of what I’ve learned is true about her.” She muffled her sobs in the soft fabric of his shirt. “How can I ever forgive myself for not doing more to make sure she was okay?”
His hands stilled then moved to her shoulders, where he pushed her only far enough away to look into her eyes. “Audra, you cannot accept the lie that you are responsible for Rosie’s death. She was an adult who chose to move to Hollywood. The actions she took after moving out there were her responsibility. Not yours.”
She knew he was right, but somehow her heart couldn’t accept the truth.
He wiped the tears from her cheeks then hugged her. “Keep reaching for God. He’ll show you the truth.”
Before she succumbed to the darkness that thoughts of the funeral brought, Audra nodded and tried to smile. It felt fake and taut on her cheeks. A hum of voices trickled from the car in front of her. “Is everybody in there?”
Robert nodded, his blue eyes solemn. “They’ll probably be awhirl with gossip.”
“And want me to add to it.”
“Likely.”
“They’ll be sorely disappointed.”
“I think they’ve noticed your propensity to ask questions rather than answer them.”
Audra released her breath slowly. The truth in his words hit her. She’d need to be careful, especially after Lana’s murder. The murderer, whoever it was, didn’t feel the need to hide. While she couldn’t know if Lana’s death was connected to Rosemary’s, she needed to stay careful and vigilant. She soaked in the sky another moment then nodded. “Let’s go.”
Robert leaned in front of her and opened the door.
“There she is. The woman of the hour. So how’d you do it? What a woman, taking out her nemesis. ” Danny Lester stood to his feet and swayed, even though the train didn’t move. How much alcohol had been consumed since the performers had been secluded in the lounge car? The piano remained silent in its corner, but it looked like at least some of the stars had made use of the small bar.
Audra settled into the first vacant booth, ignoring Danny and his words.
Royce looked like he’d tried to drown a lifetime of sorrows as he slumped forward over a table. Constance had snuggled next to him, but he seemed oblivious to her presence. Frank had an eagle eye on the pair, though. Audra could only imagine what he thought of Constance.
Victoria sat on the piano bench, fingers playing with the keys. When she caught Audra’s gaze, she stood and hurried over. “Are you all right? I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through tonight. On the heels of Rosemary. It’s too horrible to consider. And ignore Danny. He’s deep into his bottle.”
A numbness settled over Audra. She didn’t know who to trust. As she sat there, staring at the woman she’d begun to consider a friend, she fell mute.
Trust Me.
The words reverberated through her heart. A lifeline from a caring God. One she needed to connect with at a deep and desperate level. So little of her life made sense. At the moment nothing was turning out as she’d imagined or planned. Instead, her carefully constructed life, filled with intentioned moves and steps, had spiraled out of control.
She didn’t like the feeling. Not one little bit.
Father, You have to show me what to do. Who to confide in. I’m flummoxed and uncertain. So uncertain.
“Audra?” Concern laced Victoria’s words.
As Audra considered the woman, she decided she could rely on her. No matter how crazy and confusing life had gotten, God had planted a friend in her life. Gratefulness welled inside her, spilling out as tears on her cheeks. “It’s been an unimaginable night.”
“I’m so sorry.” Victoria said the words, but they echoed in the shadows filling Robert’s eyes.
Audra sensed he would have spared her finding Lana if he could. “We’ll get through somehow.”
“They don’t think she died of natural causes?”
Audra considered Victoria’s question. Could she state with certainty that Lana was murdered, or had her over-stimulated imagination gotten the best of her? “I really don’t know.”
A delicate shiver vibrated across Victoria’s shoulders. “It terrifies me to think someone on this train killed her. These people are our friends. At least I thought...”
“I guess it shows you never really know someone.” Annabelle leaned into the threesome. “Mind if I join you? This whole situation gives me the willies.” She slid onto the seat next to Robert and leaned against him. “You’ll protect us from whoever did this, won’t you?”
Robert shuffled as far away from her as he could before nodding. The door to the car opened, and Audra looked up to find a man wearing a suit striding inside.
He stopped and observed the assembled group. When all conversation stumbled to a stop, he clasped his hands behind his back. “I’m looking for Miss Schaeffer. A Mr. Garfield as well.”
Audra clenched her fists on top of the table. Could she endure another interrogation? It didn’t really matter, since she had little choice in the matter. Robert placed his hand on top of her fists. She laced her fingers through his and studied their hands. This time she wouldn’t be alone.
She settled back, exhaling quickly, and then pulled free. “We’re here.” She looked around the packed car. “Where would you like to talk?”
“Mr. Feldstein suggested the dining car.”
Audra nodded. That made good sense.
The detective eyed the room. “We’ll have a bit of privacy there, so the rest of you stay here until I call you.”
Victoria and Annabelle slid off the benches, making way for Robert and Audra to stand. He placed his hand at the small of her back, a surprisingly comforting gesture. The assembled performers parted like the Red Sea as she and Robert walked through the car and onto the deck at the end of the car. The swirl of colors from the sunrise had evaporated, replaced by increasing humidity that signaled they were in the heart of the muggy South. Audra was relieved to cross and enter the dining car, leaving the humidity outside.
“Why don’t y’all have a seat at the table? I’ll interview you separately. But we can address the preliminaries together.” The detective gestured to the nearest table. “This will do. My name is Earl Brown. I’m with the Williamsburg PD. Looks like y’all stumbled into some trouble on your trip.”
“Yes, sir.” How else to answer such an inane comment?
Audra studied Detective Brown as he pulled out a notepad and pen from an inner jacket pocket. Where Detective Franklin had been wiry, giving the impression he could chase down any criminal, Mr. Brown gave the good-ole-boy impression of someone who enjoyed his time at the local diner filling up on pie and coffee. His girth indicated a definite lack of interest in physical activity, and Audra hoped that inactivity did not carry over to his mental acuity.
“I’ll begin with you, Miss Schaeffer. Mr. Garfield, you can wait over there.”
Robert looked at her a moment, as if asking permission to leave her alone with the detective. “Do you want me to get someone?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve been through this before and after all, I am an attorney.”
Mr. Brown’s ears perked up at her comment. “Been through this before. What’s that mean?” He shooed Robert away as he stared at her.
“My sister was murdered in Hollywood a couple of weeks ago. And I discovered a body in her apartment when I went there to check on her.” She clasped her hands in her lap and planted her feet on the floor. “It’s been a horrifying period.”
“So I see.” He made a notation on his paper. “Who was the investigating officer?”
“Detective Franklin with the Hollywood Police Department. I think it’s imperative you talk to him.”
“That so? Can I ask why a pretty thing like you would think that?”
“Because I believe these murders are connected.” Audra braced for his disbelief.
He quirked an eyebrow and let his silence talk.
Heat crept up Audra’s cheeks. “Call it instinct, but please talk to him.”
The detective jotted down a few notes but remained silent.
Even though she knew his silence was meant to encourage her to speak, she couldn’t hold her tongue. “I don’t ask you to believe me. But Detective Franklin needs to know about Lana’s murder.” She paused and licked suddenly dry lips. “If I’m right, then my sister’s murderer is on this train.” Should she mention Lana’s last word? If she wasn’t 100 percent sure about it? And if her heart knew Robert couldn’t be the killer?