Chapter 33:

Julia was sleeping soundly. The last few days had been exceptional. And William… Everything was so perfect. How could this be possible? She had never known such a man. He was just perfect. They had kissed passionately and intensely. He had given her an object of such great value. She slept so well… Until she almost fell out of bed when the train came to a stop so abruptly that all the liquors in the cupboard shattered, liquid dripping slowly through the doors. She looked around, completely bewildered, her heart pounding. What could have happened? The sofa as well as the table and the two armchairs had even moved from place to place after the violent braking of the train.

She got up quickly and put on her nightgown and her slippers, her hair falling in a cascade, the necklace William had given her still hanging around her neck. She opened a curtain and noticed the still bright Alaskan light. Was it in the morning? Julia went to her bag and took out her famous pocket watch, which she opened… 4:07am?! But what happened after all?

The young woman put on a bathrobe over her nightgown and decided to go out to see what was going on. She opened the door to her compartment and stuck her head out. She saw no one but noticed all the same that the compartment next to hers was open. She walked past and saw no one inside. She could not remember who was staying in the same hallway as her. She walked past and opened the door to the hallway, she sighed with relief when she saw Elizabeth Hébert there with her little dog in her arms, as well as her good Marie looking around in the hallway, panicked. She continued her way and passed in front of Amandine Wang, then in front of Hiram Lagacé.

"Julia!"

The young woman turned at the sound of a voice she recognized immediately.

"Magnus! What is happening?" she asked quickly.

"I don't know… The train stopped suddenly. I almost fell out of bed and all my stuff fell to the floor."

Julia nodded.

"I was going to the front of the train to see the driver and maybe Walid Champagne?" Julia explained, worried.

"Let's go."

Thus, they both left for the front of the train, meeting a few more passengers. Julia saw neither William nor the Brackenreids and she wondered if they were all right…She hoped with all her heart that none of them had been up when the shaking occurred. Anyone could have hurt themselves badly.

Eventually, the closer they got to the front of the train, the more it lined up and was followed by other passengers. Everyone had decided to go to the front of the train to understand what had just happened.

When Julia and Magnus finally passed through the last door leading to the main dining car, near the conductor's station, they froze, their mouths hanging open.

There was an inanimate person on the ground, right in the middle of the car. Once the shock passed, she looked up and saw Pierre Barton, livid, sitting in a corner. The crowd was beginning to gather around the fallen man and form a perfect circle. There were whispers and murmurs that ran through the whole room. She felt Magnus' hand grab her arm, as if impressed by the scene before him. She looked up from the man and met those of William Murdoch who was in the center of the room, accompanied by Thomas Brackenreid. Damn…that meant it was really bad.

"Your attention please." Detective Murdoch suddenly declared.

The whispers gradually died down until a deafening silence ran through the entire room.

"Thank you…I am Detective William Murdoch of the Toronto Constabulary, and this is Chief Inspector Brackenreid." William began under a crowd that immediately resumed its murmurs and whispers.

Julia looked around her. She saw Magnus raise his eyebrows in surprise and realized that not everyone knew about their trades.

"We will ask you not to panic, please!" continued the Chief Inspector.

"Who is this?" Madam Wang suddenly asked, pointing at the unconscious man, face counter-terror.

"Is he dead?!" shouted Madam Hébert in terror, still holding her little dog in her arms.

"What is happening?" asked Mathias Rojas, his complexion livid.

"Please… Take it easy." William waved his hand in an attempt to calm the congregation.

Her gaze suddenly met William's and he gave her a professional nod that she did not recognize him.

"Doctor Ogden, if you will."

Everyone turned to her, and she felt her cheeks flush. She turned her head towards Magnus who was watching her like an alien.

"Yes of course." she replied, just as professionally, trying to momentarily forget what had happened between them just a few hours ago.

She walked quickly over to the lifeless person and pulled her robe tighter around her. She knelt and held out a hand to check the man's louse. She stood like that for a moment and took out her pocket watch to check the time.

She shook her head negatively and looked at Detective Murdoch.

"He is dead." she declared with such a flat and professional calm that she was almost surprised.

Note: Thanks for reading! The story takes another turn... I hope you would continue to like it. Thank you for the last comment, I hope you will like the sequel as it goes a little bit on another path.