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'No one you now know was a stranger？'
'No。'
Mrs Young； intelligent besides forting； asked； 'Do you mean it's possible to uncouple a car while you're actually on the train？ You don't have to be on the ground to do it？'
The investigator gave her his attention and everyone leaned forward slightly to hear the answer。
'It's possible。 It can be done also while the train is moving； which is why we want to know if there was anyone in the dome car who was unknown to you all。 Unknown to any of you； I should say。'
There was a long； respectful； understanding silence。
Nell said； 'I suppose I know most of our passengers by sight by now。 I identified them all at Toronto station when I was allocating their sleeping quarters。 I didn't see anyone yesterday evening who puzzled me。'
'You don't think；' Mrs Young said； putting her finger unerringly on the implication； 'that the car was unhitched by someone in our party'？'
'We're investigating all possibilities；' the investigator said without pompousness。 He looked around at the ranks of worried faces and his slightly severe expression softened。 'The private car was deliberately uncoupled；' he said； 'but we're of the preliminary opinion that it was an act of mischief mitted by someone in Carder； the last place you stopped before Miss Lorrimore found the car was missing。 But we do have to ask if the saboteur could have been on the train； just in case any of you noticed anything wrong。'
A man at the back of the crowd said； 'I was sitting in the dome car lounge when Xanthe came through； and I can tell you that no one had e the other way。 I mean； we all knew that only the Lorrimores' car was behind the dome car。 If anyone except the Lorrimores had gone that way and e back again。。。 well。。。 we would have noticed。'
Another nodding of heads。 People noticed everything to do with the Lorrimores。
I was watching the scene from the kitchen end of the dining car； standing just behind Emil； Cathy and Oliver。 I could see Xanthe's troubled face clearly； and also Filmer's beside her。 He seemed to me to be showing diminishing interest in the enquiry； turning his tidily brushed head away to look out of the window instead。 There was no tension in him： when he was tense there was a rigidity in his neck muscles； a rigidity I'd watched from the depths of the crowd during the brief day of his trial and seen a few times since； as at Nottingham。 When Filmer felt tense； it showed。
Even as I watched him； his neck went rigid。
I looked out of a window to see what he was looking at； but there seemed to be nothing of great note； only the racegoing passengers streaming off their forward carriages en route to write postcards home from the station。
Filmer looked back towards Xanthe and the investigator and made a small gesture of impatience； and it seemed to trigger a response from the investigator because he said that if anyone remembered any helpful detail； however small； would they please tell him or one of his colleagues； but meanwhile everyone was free to go。
There was a munal sigh as the real…life investigation broke up。 Zak； I thought； would be finding the petition too stiff； the fiction an anti…climax after the fact。 He hadn't appeared for this scene： none of the actors had。
Most of the passengers went off to don coats against what appeared to be a cold wind outside； but Filmer climbed down from the door of the dome…car end of the dining car without more protection than his carefully casual shirt and aristocratic tweed jacket。 He paused irresolutely； not scrunching； as the others were beginning to； across the two sets of rails between our train and the station but meandering at an angle forwards in the direction of the engine。
Inside； I followed him； easily keeping pace with his slow step。 I thought at first that he was merely taking an open…air path to his own bedroom； but he went straight past the open door at the end of his sleeping car； and straight on past the next car also。 Going to see his horse； no doubt。 I went on following： it had bee a habit。
At the end of the third car； just past George Burley's office； he stopped； because someone was ing out from the station to meet him： a gaunt man in a padded short coat with a fur collar； with grey hair blowing in disarray in the wind。
They met between George's window and the open door at the end of the car and although at first they looked moderately at peace with each other； the encounter deteriorated rapidly。
I risked them seeing me so as to try to hear； but in fact by the time I could hear them they were shouting； which meant I could listen through the doorway without seeing them or being seen。
Filmer was yelling furiously； 'I said before Vancouver。'
The gaunt man with a snarl in his Canadian voice said； 'You said before Winnipeg； and I've done it and I want my money。'
'Cooee' trilled Daffodil； teetering towards them in chinchillas and high…heeled boots。 'Are we going to see Laurentide Ice？'
Chapter Ten
Blast her； I thought intensely。 Triple bloody shit； and several other words to that effect。
I watched through George's window as Filmer made great efforts to go towards her with a smile； drawing attention away from the gaunt…faced man； who returned to the station。
Before Winnipeg； before Vancouver。 Julius Apollo had mixed them up yet again。 'You said before Winnipeg； and I've done it。 I want my money。' Heavy words； full of threat。
What before Winnipeg？ What had he done？
What indeed。
It couldn't have been the Lorrimores' car； I thought。 Filmer had shown no interest and no tension； had been obviously uninvolved。 But then he would have been calm； I supposed； if he hadn't been expecting anything to happen except before Vancouver。 He hadn't been expecting the Lorrimores' car to be uncoupled before either city； of that I was certain。 He had instead been cultivating his acquaintanceship with Mercer； a game plan that would have e to an abrupt end if the Lorrimores had deserted the trip； which they would have done at once if the Canadian had ploughed into their home…from…home。
If not the Lorrimore's car； what else had happened？ What had happened before Winnipeg that Filmer had intended to happen before Vancouver？ In what way had the gaunt man already earned his money？
Anyone's guess； I thought。
He could have robbed someone； bribed a stable lad； nobbled a horse。。。
Nobbled a horse that was going to run at Winnipeg； instead of one running at Vancouver？
From the fury in their voices； the mistake had been devastating。
Only Flokati and Upper Gumtree were due to run at Winnipeg。。。 Laurentide Ice was running at Vancouver against Voting Right and Sparrowgrass。。。。 Could Filmer have been so stupid as to get the horses' names wrong in addition to the cities？ No； he couldn't。
Impasse。 Yet。。。 gaunt…face had done something。
Sighing； I watched the Youngs walk past the window en route； I supposed； to the horse car。 Soon after； the Unwins followed。 I would have liked to have checked at once on the state of the horses； but I supposed if there were something wrong with any of them I would hear soon enough。
I wished I'd been able to take a photograph of gaunt…face； but I'd been more keen to listen。
If he'd done something to or around the horses； I thought； then he had to have travelled with us on the train。 He hadn't just met us in Thunder Bay。 If he'd been on the train and had walked with the other racegoers towards the station； Filmer could have seen him through the window 。。。 and just the sight of him had caused the tensing of the neck muscles。。。 and if Filmer hadn't yet paid him for whatever。。。 then he would e back to the train。。。
I left George's office and went two doors along to my roomette to dig my telescopic…lens binoculars…camera out of Tommy's holdall； and I sat and waited by the window for gaunt…face's return。
What happened instead was that after a while Filmer and Daffodil appeared in my view； making a diagonal course towards the station buildings； and pretty soon afterwards； acpanied by a lot of bell…ringing and warning hooters； a huge bright yellow diesel engine cam