Just a quick thank you to everyone who has submitted a review to date. It
was great to read such positive feedback. I hope you keep enjoying it as I
get further into it.
Jo. xx
Chapter 3 - The Report
Mark and Jesse sat at one table in the dining car whilst CJ and Dion, wanting to appear independent, sat at on a little way from the two doctors, slurping soda and munching on sandwiches. Mark looked as if something was nagging at him.
"What is it Mark? Is it the thing you need to talk to me about?"
Mark a deep breath, it's now or never, I guess.
"Jess you know the dead guy?" Jesse nodded.
"Not personally, but yeah, go on,"
"Well, you remember Susan."
"Mark, of course I remember Susan. How could I forget her after she ran off with that chiropractor. You know I'd never met him, I never even knew she knew a chiropractor." Mark out his hand up to silence Jesse.
"Jess, this might be easier if you let me talk first, OK?" Jesse nodded his head, though it was obvious that there were still many things in his mind about Susan that remained unsaid. "Right. Well, the dead guy is a Daniel Robinson. He had a card with his name on it and a contact number. Jesse, Daniel was the chiropractor." A flicker of concern crossed Jesse's face.
"How did she take it Mark?"
"She doesn't yet know. I've not called her." Jesse looked puzzled.
"In that case, how did you know it was her number?" Jesse noticed a slight twinge flicker across the older doctor's face. If he didn't know better, Jesse might have suspected it to be guilt.
"Well, when she left, she gave me a number on which she could be contacted should anything arise that she may need to know about."
So it was guilt. Jesse thought. Mark continued:
"Anyway, I recognised the number on the card we found in the corpse's possession. I couldn't place it at first, but then it came to me." Jesse was about to speak, but Mark Pre-empted what was coming. "She asked me not to tell you Jesse. She thought you'd be mad that she gave the number to me."
"What, so running off with another guy without so much as a word wouldn't make me mad?"
There was a brief lapse of silence.
"Are you going to ring her Mark? Because, if you do, I'd just like to have a talk with her."
"Jesse, are you all right, you're not going to do anything foolish are you? Susan will already be upset when she finds out the news, she doesn't need you to provoke matters."
"No Mark, I won't, I promise you!"
* * * * *
The guard entered the compartment Sloan, with a stewardess he had encountered on the way. She was small both in height and stature with chestnut brown hair scraped harshly back from her face in a tight bun, and hazel eyes which were disguised by a thin, pointed pair of spectacles. She was in her mid-thirties though like the guard she looked older. She seemed prim, what appeared to be an ideal match for her colleague.
They'd be perfect for each other, I've never seen two people who seem more suited, Steve smiled to himself.
That uniform is certainly not kind to people, thought Amanda, who was studying the new arrivals.
"Oh my!" said the woman, looking shocked, and stepping aside to let her partner in to the body.
"Doctor Amanda Bentley." Amanda said holding out her hand to the steward, "Pathologist."
"Lieutenant Steve Sloan, LAPD." Steve said following suit.
The guard spoke for both of the train's crew.
"Clarke Williams and Jane Earl. Train crew. I guess you'll be able to fill me in on the details?"
"Well." Amanda began.
"I just passed him in the corridor a few minutes ago." Jane mumbled. Clarke just glared at her. Jane took her cue and was silenced.
Steve and Amanda were unsure exactly what to disclose.
Best to stick to the basics, thought Steve.
"His name is Daniel Robinson. We found this card on him." Steve presented the card to Clarke, who looked down at it. "We presume that this is a contact number."
Amanda was aware that Steve was trying to keep the finer details of their investigation to themselves. She continued for him:
"Although I feel secure in saying he was murdered, I don't feel that I'm in any position to say how and why he was killed until an autopsy has been carried out." A look of disgust appeared on Mr. Neal's face, so in attempt to appease, Amanda added: "Don't worry Mr. Neal, I can't see that it would be anything that the train company would be liable for."
"I suppose we'll be able to get the train moving again?"
"Yes, but the body is not to be moved, and I think I shall stay and head up this investigation. I feel as if I now have an obligation. And I'd like for facilities to be arranged for doctor Bentley to be able to carry out an autopsy."
"Fine. But you do know that there's an hour to go until we reach the first suitable stopping point." Clarke simply turned on his heel and marched off grumbling that his pay wasn't sufficient for the work he did, never mind all this additional hassle. Jane smiled meekly, and followed him.
Amanda and Steve exchanged glances, knowing that their discovery was for now, for their friends' eyes only.
* * * * *
As Mark, Jesse and the boys were coming back to the compartment to hand the boys over to their mother, the train once again began it's steady rattle, and they were once again on their way.
Jo. xx
Chapter 3 - The Report
Mark and Jesse sat at one table in the dining car whilst CJ and Dion, wanting to appear independent, sat at on a little way from the two doctors, slurping soda and munching on sandwiches. Mark looked as if something was nagging at him.
"What is it Mark? Is it the thing you need to talk to me about?"
Mark a deep breath, it's now or never, I guess.
"Jess you know the dead guy?" Jesse nodded.
"Not personally, but yeah, go on,"
"Well, you remember Susan."
"Mark, of course I remember Susan. How could I forget her after she ran off with that chiropractor. You know I'd never met him, I never even knew she knew a chiropractor." Mark out his hand up to silence Jesse.
"Jess, this might be easier if you let me talk first, OK?" Jesse nodded his head, though it was obvious that there were still many things in his mind about Susan that remained unsaid. "Right. Well, the dead guy is a Daniel Robinson. He had a card with his name on it and a contact number. Jesse, Daniel was the chiropractor." A flicker of concern crossed Jesse's face.
"How did she take it Mark?"
"She doesn't yet know. I've not called her." Jesse looked puzzled.
"In that case, how did you know it was her number?" Jesse noticed a slight twinge flicker across the older doctor's face. If he didn't know better, Jesse might have suspected it to be guilt.
"Well, when she left, she gave me a number on which she could be contacted should anything arise that she may need to know about."
So it was guilt. Jesse thought. Mark continued:
"Anyway, I recognised the number on the card we found in the corpse's possession. I couldn't place it at first, but then it came to me." Jesse was about to speak, but Mark Pre-empted what was coming. "She asked me not to tell you Jesse. She thought you'd be mad that she gave the number to me."
"What, so running off with another guy without so much as a word wouldn't make me mad?"
There was a brief lapse of silence.
"Are you going to ring her Mark? Because, if you do, I'd just like to have a talk with her."
"Jesse, are you all right, you're not going to do anything foolish are you? Susan will already be upset when she finds out the news, she doesn't need you to provoke matters."
"No Mark, I won't, I promise you!"
* * * * *
The guard entered the compartment Sloan, with a stewardess he had encountered on the way. She was small both in height and stature with chestnut brown hair scraped harshly back from her face in a tight bun, and hazel eyes which were disguised by a thin, pointed pair of spectacles. She was in her mid-thirties though like the guard she looked older. She seemed prim, what appeared to be an ideal match for her colleague.
They'd be perfect for each other, I've never seen two people who seem more suited, Steve smiled to himself.
That uniform is certainly not kind to people, thought Amanda, who was studying the new arrivals.
"Oh my!" said the woman, looking shocked, and stepping aside to let her partner in to the body.
"Doctor Amanda Bentley." Amanda said holding out her hand to the steward, "Pathologist."
"Lieutenant Steve Sloan, LAPD." Steve said following suit.
The guard spoke for both of the train's crew.
"Clarke Williams and Jane Earl. Train crew. I guess you'll be able to fill me in on the details?"
"Well." Amanda began.
"I just passed him in the corridor a few minutes ago." Jane mumbled. Clarke just glared at her. Jane took her cue and was silenced.
Steve and Amanda were unsure exactly what to disclose.
Best to stick to the basics, thought Steve.
"His name is Daniel Robinson. We found this card on him." Steve presented the card to Clarke, who looked down at it. "We presume that this is a contact number."
Amanda was aware that Steve was trying to keep the finer details of their investigation to themselves. She continued for him:
"Although I feel secure in saying he was murdered, I don't feel that I'm in any position to say how and why he was killed until an autopsy has been carried out." A look of disgust appeared on Mr. Neal's face, so in attempt to appease, Amanda added: "Don't worry Mr. Neal, I can't see that it would be anything that the train company would be liable for."
"I suppose we'll be able to get the train moving again?"
"Yes, but the body is not to be moved, and I think I shall stay and head up this investigation. I feel as if I now have an obligation. And I'd like for facilities to be arranged for doctor Bentley to be able to carry out an autopsy."
"Fine. But you do know that there's an hour to go until we reach the first suitable stopping point." Clarke simply turned on his heel and marched off grumbling that his pay wasn't sufficient for the work he did, never mind all this additional hassle. Jane smiled meekly, and followed him.
Amanda and Steve exchanged glances, knowing that their discovery was for now, for their friends' eyes only.
* * * * *
As Mark, Jesse and the boys were coming back to the compartment to hand the boys over to their mother, the train once again began it's steady rattle, and they were once again on their way.