Night Train to Murder

by Simon R. Green

  ‘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?’