John woke the next morning and used the few moments he had to jot down some notes on his pad. The scratching barely disturbed Anna, who only responded to the knock on the door alerting them to breakfast, and John smiled when she groaned. As she sat up the sheets and blankets pooled about her waist and John bit at his jaw to stop himself staring.

Anna caught sight of his gaze and smiled, "You're more than welcome to look and appreciate Mr. Bates."

"If I do that then we'll miss breakfast."

"And our opportunity to interrogate our Misters Gillingham and Blake yes?" Anna climbed from the bed, working into the shared water closet where she closed the door before John heard water coming from the small faucet in the space.

"When they're a bit more bleary eyed then they'd be later." John consulted his notes before walking to the door to speak through it and reduce the risk of anyone passing in the corridor overhearing. "I thought you'd like to speak to Mr. Blake and I'd talk to Mr. Gillingham."

"Or," Anna pushed the door open, drying her hair with a small towel. "We could speak to them together. Otherwise it might be suspicious."

"It'll be suspicious anyway."

"After Lord Grantham's invitation yesterday for all of us to get to know one another better?" Anna went through the water closet to her side, picking out clothing as John closed the door to wash himself. "I would think everyone who didn't mind a bit of sharing yesterday might be inclined to repeat the same hospitality today."

"Except your Lady Mary."

"She's never really been the hospitable type." Anna conceded and rapped her knuckles on the door. "How long will you be?"

"Almost finished." John hurried to finish and let the door open for her as he wrapped a towel over himself to dry while he sorted through his own clothing. "I'm not sure everyone won't realize what we're doing anyway."

"Like I said yesterday," Anna pulled her hair back, flicking her gaze at him for a moment, "We could be in a better position to find out who isn't involved by making everyone anxious."

"Anxious in a snowdrift?" John buttoned up his shirt before tucking it into his trousers. "I might be on Mr. Talbot's side when it comes to us not blaring out our intentions at the risk that we might end up outside this train."

"Then we'll try to stay on the side of delicacy." Anna checked herself over in the mirror before leaning on the doorway, "I'll follow your lead."

"That's very kind of you." John pulled his tie tight and reached for his jacket. "Ready for breakfast?"

"I think I'm more ready for tea but I'll enjoy breakfast all the same." Anna trailed John to the door and took the lead when he held the door open.

They joined the queue for the dining car and found two open seats at a table where Blake and Gillingham were already speaking while managing their tea. Both men looked up as John drew a chair out for Anna and took one for himself. After only a moment of silence Blake extended his hand to John first and then to Anna before letting Gillingham take his own turn.

"Pleasure to meet you both." John shifted in his chair, getting comfortable. "I do hope you don't mind us taking these chairs."

"They weren't being saved for anyone." Blake leaned back as Alfred left a plate in front of him and took his knife to spread butter over the scone on the plate. "And I think we could all use to get to know some new faces."

"He's already tired of mine." Gillingham winked at Anna, "It's what happens when you travel together and then choose the same berth."

"You're bunk mates?" Anna allowed her own plate to reach the table and held up her cup when Alfred brought the teapot around.

"We thought it would be easier." Blake shrugged, "I guess we didn't factor the idea that we'd be spending quite so much time in such close quarters to one another."

"I guess it's the risk we all take when on board the same train." John cut into his breakfast. "I don't suppose either of you's enough the company of anyone else on this train thus far whose company you'd recommend to us?"

"We did a round of cards yesterday with that Mr. Talbot over at a table with the Dowager and Mrs. Crawley." Gillingham made a face, "He seemed good enough company but he's rather evasive."

"The Dowager's not much better but, then again, she's what I'd expect from the Old Guard of the Crawley household." Blake stopped when he noted Anna and John's gaze. "I'm acquainted with the family and had a few run-ins with her at social functions. Very acerbic wit and a tongue sharper than any knife I've ever used."

"The risk of age and privilege allowed to develop unchecked." Anna shrugged, "I practically grew up in that house so I know what you mean. A little of The Dowager Countess of Grantham goes quite a long way."

"A little bit of Lady Mary Crawley goes a long way as well." Gillingham admitted, setting down his utensils. "I understand she's pregnant but I think yesterday's outburst at lunch was not what I expected in terms of the future Countess of Grantham."

"Are you only socially acquainted with them as well?" John pressed, swallowing down his bacon.

Gillingham made a face, "We knew one another more as children. When my family moved to London before the war I lost contact with them. What I do know is I was surprised when they extended me an invitation to a house part they threw some time ago."

"Why'd the invitation surprise you?" Anna sipped at her tea, not meeting Gillingham's eyes until the last moment.

"Because, as I said, we hadn't spoken in years."

"I think they just needed to fill spots at card tables because they invited me as well." Blake laughed before taking a cut of his scone, "They were very polite when I had to decline the invitation and never asked again."

"Rejection comes hard for Lady Mary Crawley." Gillingham sucked the inside of his cheek, "Then again, it might've been that afterward the heir was kidnapped."

"What a horrible coincidence." Anna covered her mouth with a hand.

Blake nodded, "It's one thing to be all over the papers. It's another when you know the names in the papers."

John narrowed his eyes, "What do you know of it?"

"I was in Yorkshire at the time, doing some surveys and studies for the Government, when the news broke. I offered whatever services I could but there was nothing to be done." Blake shuddered, "I was on the next estate over when they found the body of the boy."

"I think the worst things happen to the best people." Gillingham muttered, buttering his own scone with a bit more energy than was strictly necessary. "At the time I thought the worst thing in my life was that Green left my employ."

John felt his blood run cold and Anna's hand grip his under the table. But Blake and Gillingham took no notice as Blake spoke. "I thought you didn't even like him."

"I didn't really but he left without notice. It's one thing to dismiss someone for a poor attitude or a bad relationship but the fellow just ran off. The professionalism-"

"Or lack thereof," Blake supplied.

"Yes, the lack thereof was astounding." Gillingham shrugged, "But, as I said, it wasn't time to bemoan the loss of someone to button a few buttons to brush a dinner jacket when someone's just lost their son."

"I'm sorry," John cut in, "What did you say the name of the man who left your employ was?"

Gillingham frowned, "Why?"

"I'm a detective with the Yard and we were working a case with a man, London native, who slipped our net in Yorkshire about the time of the Crawley child killing and I thought it was an odd coincidence."

"Green, Alex Green." Gillingham waited, "How'd you know he was a London native?"

"You said your family moved to London and I'll assume you hired help from your vicinity, for convenience."

"I did." Gillingham shrugged a shoulder, "I guess the logic there isn't something I'd considered before."

"I didn't know your old valet was wanted by the police." Blake looked at John, "What did you want him for?"

"He was suspected as the perpetrator in a few rape cases filed with the Yard." John admitted and noted the widening in both men's eyes.

"You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately I am." John cleared his throat, "And perhaps the most unfortunate part of it all is that he then evaded us in London before fleeing the country. I don't suppose you know where he'd go?"

Gillingham puffed out air, "I haven't the foggiest. It's the most awkward admission when you realize your valet knows more about you and your personal endeavors than you do about his but it's the truth."

"But if you saw him again, you could recognize him?"

"I'd hope so. The man undressed me at night and dressed me in the morning. I'd hope I'd recognize his face."

"Then did you recognize the man they say went missing on this train?"

Gillingham shook his head, "Can't say I ever got a look at him. With all the chaos of a train platform I didn't and then I didn't meet anyone beyond my table the night they say he vanished off the train."

"Then would you mind coming with me to see something?" John waited, watching Blake and Gillingham exchange confused looks. "It's not what you may think."

"We're thinking quite a lot." Blake pointed a finger at John, "Who are you?"

"My name's John Bates and I'm a detective with the Yard in London and I know where Mr. Green is."

"Then shouldn't you tell the German police?"

"That would be a mistake." Anna ventured, "Seeing as the man is dead and his body is currently in a freezer."

"What?" Blake tried to say but Gillingham interrupted him.

"What makes you think this is the same Green who left my service? I'll admit it's not a very common name but it's not uncommon either."

"Then you can tell us if you recognize his face and we rule you out as a suspect in his murder."

"You don't have to," Blake warned, "As much as I respect an officer of the Yard you've no authority here."

"True but I doubt you want me to give that authority to a brace of police willing to hang whomever they please over this if they knew." John waited, the moment of their standoff weighing the table between them.

Gillingham frowned, shot a look to Blake, and then nodded. "Show me the body and I can tell you if I know him."

"Probably best to wait until after the breakfast rush is through, so as to avoid a scene." Anna warned, going back to her food. "And I'd hate to waste the efforts of the cook."

"Where is the body?" Blake pressed, "And why hide it?"

"Because a dead body on a train passing through Germany wouldn't be ideal for anyone and we'd rather figure out who killed him without putting everyone behind bars." John tucked into his own food, "Besides, if our current suspicions are correct there are multiple assailants and we'd like to rule the two of you out as any of them."

"I'm sure the fact that our alibis are joined doesn't help." Blake sighed, "What I can tell you, having met Gillingham's former man once, is that if he was murdered and it is him in the freezer I very much doubt he was an innocent."

"We're of the same position that whomever did kill him wanted to extract a form of justice but we're still under the imperative to find out."

Blake turned to Anna, "Who's imperative? And why not let the body be found?"

"Because if we're questioning everyone then it's not an interrogation and if the body was found we'd all be in trouble." John cut in, "And the imperative is the behest of the conductor."

"Man's been fidgety the last two days." Blake conceded, "But why question us about a relationship with the Crawleys? What've they got with Gillingham's man?"

"That's the thing." John winced, "We believe, based on solid information from a source we trust, that he was the one responsible for the death of the Sixth Earl of Grantham."

Gillingham's mouth dropped and he recovered only in time to bring his napkin up to catch his cough. "I might be sick."

"Why?" Anna narrowed her eyes.

"Because I took Green with me to that house party. They were celebrating the birth of the Sixth Earl. If Green's the one who did it then I was his unwitting accomplice."

"That baby's death wouldn't be on you." John assured, "We all suffer for our own sins."

"I need to see that body right now." Gillingham put down his napkin, "I can't eat or do anything else until I know."

John nodded at him and then turned to Anna, "I should take him alone, if that's alright."

"It'd be more suspicious if I didn't keep Mr. Blake here company." She turned to him as John and Gillingham left their seats. "So, I heard from someone you sing opera in your spare time."

John led Gillingham to the freezer, whispering to Alfred to keep everyone else away, and unlocked the cuffs. He pulled the door wide and shivered with Gillingham at the blast of cold air. The other man ducked his head in but swiftly withdrew to nod.

"That's him. Alex Green, my former valet."

John closed the freezer door, locking it with the cuffs again, and faced Gillingham. "Your address was used as a drop for correspondence tracking Mr. Green's movements through the continent for the last year. Why would your former valet's now former valet be informing you of his whereabouts?"

"Who was his former valet?"

"Mr. William Mason, also on this train."

Gillingham shook his head, "I never received anything from a Mr. Mason."

"It was sent to your house in London." John extracted the letter and showed it to Gillingham. "Unless Lord Grantham was wrong and this isn't your address."

"It is mine, that's correct." Gillingham squinted at the script and then closed his eyes as if trying to remember something. "I do recognize this hand though."

"But not in letters addressed to you?"

"They were stacked with letters for Lady Mary Crawley."

John frowned, "I thought you weren't close with her."

"I'm not… anymore." Gillingham cringed, "It's awkward to admit but we had a tryst some time ago. Before either of us were married and if anyone found out it'd ruin us both, even now. She's faced her own scandal in that regard and I'd rather not bring a dark cloud over the birth of the Eighth Earl of Grantham."

"I'm the soul of discretion in that." John assured him, "But why would she use your house in London for her correspondence?"

"She and her husband live in London, at Grantham House, and she told me she was planning a surprise for him. She didn't want to risk him getting word of it and requested I take some letters at my house between Piccadilly and Savoy."

"And you did?"

Gillingham nodded, "She told me it was a sale she wanted to come through for his birthday and I never asked for more than that."

"And Mr. Green?" John rapped his knuckle on the freezer door. "What else do you know about him?"

"He disappeared shortly after that house party and I never saw him again." Gillingham swallowed, "Until now, that is."

"Thank you for your help Mr. Gillingham." John waited a beat, "And I must confess that I lied to you. We weren't looking for him in York."

"You…" Gillingham closed his eyes as realization dawned, "You needed me to give you information."

"We're trying to find out who killed him."

"Then I'd look no further than the Crawleys and stop your investigation right here. Leave the dead man be and move on."

"You think they did it?"

"If Lady Mary Crawley had the slightest inkling that the man you're preserving in that freezer was responsible for her parents' greatest loss I'd bet everything I own she'd claw the heart out of the man responsible with her own hands." Gillingham pointed to the freezer, "The fact he was only stabbed to death speaks of a restraint to their actions."

"And you'd have me leave this case alone?"

"Mr. Bates," Gillingham put up a hand, "I respect what you're trying to do but I also believe that man deserved what he got. I didn't like him as my valet, that's true, but if he did even half of what you say then I'd have joined them in their venture if they'd asked me."

"They already did."

"Then I wish I'd known the real reason when they did ask. I'd have given more to this cause. The sorry fact is that I'm only sorry I ever hired the man or had anything to do with enabling his actions." Gillingham nodded at him. "Good day Mr. Bates."

John watched Gillingham go, the weight bearing down on his chest. Alfred appeared from around the corner, "Everything alright sir?"

"No, nothing's alright." John nodded at him, "But unfortunately I don't think it's something you can help me solve."