Death Takes a Holiday (19 page)

“Good. Now let’s start with Steve. That should be easy. Do you see him standing right next to me?”

“Steve was there?”

Kyle hung his head.

*

“I don’t care, Kyle, you’re not hypnotizing me,” Grace said once again. She stubbornly crossed her arms and looked away from him.

“I promise you, it’s not going to hurt.” Wondering why she was suddenly so shy, Kyle stood up and moved to her other side. “All I would ask you to do is describe what you saw when we all followed you into the kitchen.”

“Sorry, not interested,” she sai
d blushing furiously. Grace swiftly decided that there were just some things he didn’t need to know.

Suddenly, the door opened and Steve walked through.
“There you all are,” Steve said. “Have you two seen Sara? Poor kid, this whole affair has probably got her scared.”

Grace and Kyle exchanged
worried glances. Kyle said, “Yeah, Steve, Sara’s not exactly—”

Sara suddenly opened the door. “Steve, Mr. W
ellington asked me to find you.” She looked over at Kyle. “He wants you, too, Kyle.”

Steve immediately
pivoted around and followed her out of the room.

“I wonder when he’s going to catch on,” Grace said.

Kyle stood up. “Oh, probably a couple of decades after they’re married. Maybe right before she retires from Wellington’s agency.” He held out his hand. “Want to tag along?”

She slipped her hand into his. “Why not?”

CHAPTER fifteen

Asa Wellington sat
in the back corner of the dining car. Steve, Kyle, Sara and Grace crowded around as Oscar Frazier sat down across from the old detective.

Kyle stood next to Steve. He leaned over and quietly asked, “What’s going on?”

“Oscar’s finally decided to do his civic duty—”

“
What civic duty?” Oscar asked shrilly. He turned to Wellington. “You said that there would be a reward.”

Wellington bristled. “
I’ve spoken it over with Robert’s wife and brother, if you will tell us what you saw, you will receive a reward.”

“You swear
?”

Wellington
’s face hardened. “Yes.”

“
Fine,” Oscar said with a sniff. “I caught Jack Horner scrounging for food in the kitchen before the dinner service. I threw him out after he grabbed one of my kitchen knives and threatened me with it.”

“
Why didn’t you say anything before now?” Grace asked.

“
I did. I let Henry know that there was a problem and he said that he would take care of it. I told him I didn’t appreciate this guy running around the train threatening people.”

Wellington
steepled his fingers together. He gazed up at the ceiling briefly before turning back to Oscar. “Henry knew?”

“Of course.”

“Who else did he threaten besides yourself?” Wellington asked.

“
I heard him threaten to kill Mr. Kirby this morning.”

Wellington
glanced at Sara who shook her head slightly. He didn’t comment. He merely made a motion with his hand and said, “Go on.”

“
The boy is a menace and the sooner he’s caught, the safer I will feel.”

Grace
brushed against Kyle. Standing up on her toes, she whispered into his ear, “Strange he didn’t feel that way before he was offered the reward.”

Oscar looked nervously over his shoulder.
“I know he tampered with the food. I caught him messing with one of the hot chocolate containers and when I grabbed it from him, he smashed one of my glasses and threatened me with the broken shards. I ran out to find Henry and I’m guessing that’s when he added the glass to my sauce.” Oscar shuddered. “Horrible boy.”

“
You said you know for a fact that Jack committed the murder,” Sara said. “How? Did you see it happen?”

“No
, but I bet the steak knife he threatened me with is the same one that was used to kill Robert Kirby. The one he stole had a scratch on the end. It was in the shape of an arrow.”

Kyle looked over at Wellington
. “Does it?”

Wellington
stood up and walked out of the dining car. He returned a few moments later, nodding his head. “Do you know where Jack is now?”

Oscar s
hrugged. “Until ten minutes ago, he had been hiding in my room.”

All eyes locked on Oscar.

Sara looked at him in shock. “You knew we were searching for him, why didn’t you tell us where he was?”

“I didn’t want to upset Henry.” Oscar sniffed. “
But when I realized that I was potentially harboring a murderer I told him to get out.”

“Did you come to this revelation before or after you found out how much Tracy and Lucas were willing to offer you?” Grace asked.

Oscar ignored her question. He looked over at Wellington. “Can I go now?”

“
Do you have anything more to add?” Wellington asked.

“
Yes. When will I get paid?”

Wellington
’s eyebrows drew together. “We will have to let the police conduct their own investigation.”

Oscar jumped up.
“Oh no, that’s not what you said earlier, Mr. Wellington.”

Wellington
stood up, towering over the other man. “I know what I said. You will be compensated once everything you’ve said has been verified to the letter.”

“I was promised . . .”

“Promised what?” Henry asked from the doorway.

Oscar shook his head. “That’s fine. You know, I’ve done my duty. Well, I’m going to go to my cabin
and I’m not coming out until we reach the station, so don’t bother disturbing me,” he said, sliding past Henry and exiting the car.

“
Well, that settles it,” Sara said confidently. “Jack killed Robert.”

Grace shook her head. “Until we find Jack Horner nothing’s clear and I don’t trust Oscar. He was lying to us.”

“Why would he lie?” Sara asked.

“What’s going on?”
Henry interrupted.

“Mr.
Frazier had something he wanted to tell us,” Wellington said dismissively.

Henry
crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Mr. Wellington, I’m still the conductor on this train. I’m responsible for everyone’s safety. I demand to know what is going on.”

“You are also the one who helped Jack arrange this little
rendezvous,” Wellington pointed out carefully.

“I
told you before that I had no idea that he tricked everyone into coming,” Henry said defensively. “What did Oscar say?”

“Did Oscar speak
to you about Jack this morning?” Kyle asked.

“Yes, but—”

“See!” Sara said, quickly jumping on Henry’s admission.

“Go on, Henry,”
Wellington said.

“He
saw Robert Kirby hit Jack and just wanted to know what it was all about.”

“That’s all. He didn’t say anything else?”
Grace asked.

“No, that was all,” Henry said
.

Grace glanced at Wellington before turning to Henry.
“Nothing about Jack threatening him with a knife?”

“No,” Henry said
in surprise. “Oscar said that?”

Only Grace nodded.

Scowling, Henry turned away and walked back to the door.

“Where are you going?”
Wellington asked.

“To talk to Oscar.”

With a flick of Wellington’s wrist, Sara jumped up and blocked Henry’s way. “I don’t think that’s wise, Mr. Cross,” Wellington said gravely. “Stay away from Mr. Frazier. He’ll be questioned by the authorities when we arrive and you’ll have a chance to get your side out then.”

Henry pursed his lips together. “Fine.”

“Do I have your word that you will keep your distance and not interfere?”

“Yes,” Henry said through gritted teeth. “You have my word.”

“Good,” Wellington said. “You may go,” he added when Henry made no move to leave.

Henry’s eyes narrowed. He jerked open the door and stalked out of the room.

Sara walked back around the tables until she was standing next to Steve. “Jack must have drugged the hot chocolate canister when he stole the knife.”

Grace shook her head. “
I don’t believe for a second that Jack Horner got within ten feet of the kitchen anytime in the last six hours. Someone would have seen him.”

Sara pointed toward the door. “Someone did. Oscar saw him. I think I see how it happened now. Jack snuck
into the kitchen sometime before dinner service, drugged one of the containers of hot chocolate, threw the glass he broke into the sauce, threatened Oscar with a knife he picked up and then
waited until everyone fell asleep. When he was certain he wouldn’t be seen, he crept up and stabbed Robert in the chest.”

“That’s brilliant,” Steve said in awe.
“I agree with Sara. Jack Horner killed Robert.”

They turned as Lucas walked into the car. He leaned against the car door. “What was with Henry? I just said hello and he practically chewed my head off.”

“Mr. Cross is under a great deal of stress right now,” was all Wellington would say. “Is there something we can help you with, Mr. Kirby?”

“I just wanted to know if you had found out where Jack is, yet.”

Wellington shook his head. “Not yet.”

Lucas leaned against the doorway and closed his eyes. “This is ridiculous. Did you talk to Henry? He must be hiding him somewhere on this train.”

“If he is here on this train, we will find him, Mr. Kirby,” Wellington said confidently.

*

Grace smothered another yawn, wondering what time it was. She glanced at her watch and groaned.

Eleven fifty-eight
.

They all had
spent the last fifteen minutes arguing until they were all exhausted and tired of arguing the same points over and over. Well, not everyone, Grace thought sarcastically.

“You have to admit that is the most obvious solution,” Sara insisted.

Grace shook her head. She had been more than willing to agree to disagree, but Sara wanted nothing more than Grace’s complete capitulation.

“There’s just one problem, Sara,” Grace said. “Henry
didn’t corroborate Oscar’s story.”

“
Henry’s obviously lying,” Sara said. “He’s protecting Jack. He’s not going to admit that he let Jack run around with a knife all day threatening people.”

A sudden crack reverberated throughout the train.

“What was that?” Grace asked nervously as she listened to the sound of the train rumbling across the tracks. “Are we on a bridge?”

Kyle
nodded.

Grace felt her stomach drop to the floor. She glanced around at the car and everyone standing to one side. She quickly walked to the opposite side in a vain attempt to balance the car out. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t a couple of you come over to this side?”

They looked at her curiously, but didn’t move.

Ignoring Grace, Steve looked to Wellington. “What do you think we should do now?”

Wellington steepled his hands under his chin and considered the question. “We should weigh all of the evidence carefully. Measure each piece out . . .”

Grace looked out the window and down into the chasm below.

“And once we have each piece—”

“
Please stop talking,” Grace whispered, “until we’re off the bridge.”

Wellington looked at her in amusement, but snapped his mouth shut.

Kyle walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, while Sara and Steve exchanged annoyed glances.

“You sound just like Merry,” Lucas said
from behind the bar. She whirled around. He had been so quiet the last half hour, she had forgotten he was even there. And judging from everyone else’s expressions of surprise, she wasn’t the only one. He casually stepped away from the bar and approached her.

She breathed a little easier when she felt the train leave the bridge and settle back on firm ground.
Feeling Kyle kiss the top of her head, she leaned against him heavily.

“See
? Everything’s fine,” Kyle said with a smile.

“Don’t worry,” Lucas said gently. “
All these bridges up this way are brand new and they all had a recent inspection.”

“How do you know that?”
Grace asked.

Lucas gave a half shrug. “I was a little nervous taking a train up the mountain, so I did a little checking. We’re safe. Well, except for the crazed murderer running around.”
He turned back around and walked to the door. “As interesting as it is to watch all you brainy folks bicker, I’m going to go to bed. When Merry gets done in the kitchen, tell her to stop by my room.”

Kyle yawned. “
I’m with Lucas. It’s late and we’re getting nowhere. I say we all get some sleep and revisit this in the morning.”

Sara strode forward and faced
Wellington. “I think we should gather everyone together again.”

“Why?”
Wellington asked.

“Safety,” Sara said. “Jack may be after one of the others. If
we're all together then he’s less of a danger.”

“That’s assuming Jack’s
still on this train,” Grace pointed out.

Sara pivoted around. “We’ve had several people report seeing him today, including you.”

“Where is he?” Grace asked in annoyance

“Oscar said—”

“Oscar’s done nothing, but lie since he walked in here,” Grace said. “According to Oscar, Jack threatened him with a steak knife and then a few minutes later it was broken shards of glass. One second he was throwing Jack out of the kitchen and the next Oscar was running to get Henry. His story isn’t consistent. And we haven’t even gotten to the fact that he supposedly allowed Jack to hide in his room while everyone was looking for him, despite Jack apparently threatening him with a knife earlier.”

“If Jack had a knife, Oscar may have felt he had little choice,” Sara countered
. “He was probably afraid.”

“Yet, he was
finally able to summon enough courage to throw him out before meeting us in here to give his story?” Grace asked.