Chapter 5:
"Well, tell me. When did you realize your watch was missing, Miss Ogden?" William asked seriously as he followed the young woman to her compartment which was four aisles and a dining wagon from his.
"I believe it was just before entering the main car, earlier."
William nodded and could not help speaking before thinking. "The train has just left, and you've already had something stolen."
Julia rolled her eyes but said nothing. He watched her hold back the repartee she dreamed of getting out to him and William gloated discreetly. She seemed grateful that he was helping her, so she preferred to keep quiet. At least until she finds her supposedly stolen watch.
"There, we are in front of my compartment."
William looked down the hallway and inspected it only with his eyes.
"Are you sure you didn't leave it in your compartment?"
"Yes." Julia huffed in annoyance. "I always put it in the same place. Either in the back pocket of my purse or in my jacket. I looked at the time before leaving my cabin and put it in my jacket. And then it disappeared."
William nodded.
"Did you meet people before you realized your watch was missing?"
"Ooh there… I had the impression of meeting all the inhabitants of a city before arriving at the main car…"
William could not help but laugh slightly and he saw the shadow of a smile appear on the young woman's face. And the least he could say was that this expression suited her admirably.
"I came across…" the young woman reflected. "Magnus Duvaux… or Duval I believe? Yes, excuse me. Magnus Duval. He accompanied me to the other side of a dining car, and we hit it off."
"Did you really need someone to cross a train car?" William asked curiously.
The young woman rolled her eyes again.
"No, a couple was arguing in the train car and… anyway. I passed two young men in a cabin, but just from a distance. A father and his daughter... I think that's all. And of course, this very charming driver: Pierre Barton." Concluded Julia ironically.
"So, if I understand correctly, it can only be this Mr. Duval?"
"I also met Madam… Finally, Marie – I only remember her first name. But it's not her. She was too busy worrying if she didn't get an answer from the conductor about when the train was going to leave." continued the young woman.
"Are we going to interrogate this Duval then?"
Julia lowered her head, uncertain.
"What is happening?" asked William, stopping to walk. He turned to Miss Ogden who now seemed very quiet.
"I don't know… He was so nice to me." she declared shyly.
William rolled his eyes upon hearing that. "He was so nice to me…". So what? He too was kind in helping her, was not he?
"Look, we're just going to ask him questions. We're not going to blame him, okay?"
The woman with green-grey eyes nodded still uncertainly and met William's gaze who felt his heart leap slightly in his chest.
"Let's go?" William softens in the face of the first touching emotion that crossed the face of this woman.
She nodded and left in front of him. The hallway was not very wide, and when she passed, she almost brushed against him. William took a deep breath. He was literally on edge. He did not know what was going on. He could not understand his reactions and he felt really confused. He did not know this woman at all. He had met her for the first time barely two hours ago.
William came out of his thoughts and shook his head when he saw the young woman waiting for him at the door of the first dining car from the end of the train. They both walked in silence to the front of the train and hardly passed anyone, much to their relief. The train having finally left for more than two hours, most customers were finally enjoying their room quietly.
On their way they passed a young Asian woman with long black hair and a man who was almost oddly tall.
Finally, when they were in the last lane of cars, Julia stopped.
"He told me his room was here."
"Good." the young man nodded before knocking on the first door.
The door opened after a few seconds warily.
"Yes? Who is this?"
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Duval?"
"No…" a gray-haired man appeared from behind the door and looked William up and down. "My name is Hiram. Hiram Lagacé. I don't know the gentleman you are telling me about, sorry."
"Do you know if the room next to yours could be occupied by this gentleman?"
"No, it's impossible. It's a woman in the compartment next to mine. Colleen Forbes. We met a little earlier." asserted the man who now seemed bored with the discussion.
"Is she accompanied?"
"No, she's not. She is alone." concluded Mr. Lagacé.
"Good, thank you for…" but William could not finish his sentence as Hiram closed the door with a slight buzz of hearing. "…your help."
He then turned to Miss Ogden, frowning.
"You told me his compartment was here."
"I don't understand, I saw him enter one of the two. I just couldn't remember which one exactly." Julia affirmed with conviction.
William raised his eyebrows.
"You do not believe me?" annoyed Julia who found her old self in the company of the detective.
"I mostly think you just lost your watch, miss." snapped William, who also found himself annoyed again.
They both seemed to have a knack for making each other angry.
"Good. If you didn't want to help me, you had to say so right away. There was no need to take me here."
The young woman quickly turned on her heels and left the corridor in which William remained planted. He stared at the door Miss Ogden had passed through and huffed in annoyance – at himself this time. He wanted to punch himself. Sometimes he wondered if his superior's lack of tact was rubbing off on him. After all these years under his command, it could not be otherwise.
William in turn returned to his compartment, shuffling. Decidedly, this trip started well. He could not figure out Julia Ogden at all. He did not know if she just liked complaining, making trouble or if her watch had really been stolen and she was just being sensitive. The young man suddenly raised his head when he saw an employee walking past him with a tray in his hand. The man simply lifted his tray over William's head and did not give him a smile or even a look.
Maybe Miss Ogden was fragile right now? In the same way as himself since the death of his fiancée Liza.
He finally opened the door to his compartment, happy not to have run into the sordid couple next door, the Savard. He quickly made his way to the bed after closing his cabin door and collapsed on it which turned out to be cozy beautifully. He thought he had never touched such a bed. He sighed and looked at the small clock that was on the nightstand by the bed. It was 5:15 p.m. Tonight there was a reception at 7:00 p.m. in the main carriage with all the passengers. To get to know. Classy and elegant attire was required, they said.
Note: It seems that William and Julia are unable to get along... However, it seems more complicated than that, doesn't it? I hope you like the start of the story.