Abyss by Claire Delacroix

Author:Claire Delacroix
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Deborah A. Cooke
Published: 2014-01-26T16:00:00+00:00

VI

In Kara’s dreams, a dark shadow loomed behind Tupperman, a menace that would snatch him away. She awakened with a jolt, her breath coming quickly. She reached out a hand, only to discover that Tupperman was gone.

So was his bag.

She was instantly awake and on her feet.

“He went to eat,” said the lady across the aisle, pointing toward the dining car.

With his luggage? Kara thought not.

He’d left.

She didn’t doubt that he’d made a selfless and noble choice, probably believing that she’d be safer without him. But leaving her wouldn’t be quite that easy.

“Thank you.” Kara smiled at the matron, seized her own bag and headed in pursuit.

To her astonishment, she almost collided with Tupperman in the dining car. He was marching toward her, his features pale.

“What is it?”

“Just turn around, now,” he said through his teeth. Kara glanced over his shoulder and saw two conductors come out of the baggage car. They looked dismayed as they conferred quickly. One reached for the train intercom.

“Passenger Tupperman, please identify yourself to a crew member. Passenger Tupperman, identify yourself, please.”

“What’s going on?” Kara whispered, even as Tupperman ushered her back toward their seats. “They’ll find you there.”

“I’m not going there,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong?”

When they reached the small junction between two passenger cars, Tupperman pulled his laze. He put its muzzle against the lock on the door to the car they’d just left, and melted the lock. Then he urged her into the nook that was out of sight of both cars. There was a dull echo of further announcements being made and Kara’s heart began to pound.

She wouldn’t let them take him away.

All she could see was the intensity of Tupperman’s gaze; all she could feel was the grip of his gloved hand over hers. His voice dropped low. “There’s a duffle bag with a corpse in it, bleeding in the baggage car.”

Kara caught her breath.

“The bag must have my name on it.” He swallowed, his gaze flicking past her to the unsecured door. “I was going to pass through the car…”

“And leave the train.” Her tone was hard. “You were going to leave me.”

Tupperman ignored that charge, but his eyes flashed. “I saw it and stopped to look. I was there when the conductors came.”

“So, they found you beside the body.” Kara tightened her grip on his hand. “Did you touch it? Can they link you to it?”

He shook his head. “They won’t get any prints, but I saw the man inside.”

The way he swallowed told her all she needed to know. “You know him,” she guessed.

“I did. I know he died because of me.”

“You didn’t kill him.”

“Not directly.” Kara shook her head in confusion, but Tupperman urged her back toward their seats. “Go.” His eyes blazed. “You don’t know me and you never did.”

“But what about you?”

“I’ll do whatever I have to do.”

She’d thought he was grim before, but he was doubly so in this moment. The announcement echoed again. Kara held fast to his hand. “No, I’ll go with you…”

“No!” Tupperman had time to protest before the handle turned on the door that led to the forward car.

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