The Final Enemy by Alanna Knight

Author:Alanna Knight
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: detective, mystery, Sherlock Holmes rivals, historical
ISBN: 9780786269808
Publisher: Chivers
Published: 2005-10-15T19:14:13.579000+00:00

Chapter 15

Before sending a message to Imogen, Faro required a reliable timetable. No doubt this would be available at Stuttgart railway station.

When he mentioned this Dieter seemed pleased at the prospect of their journey's end and said, with more enthusiasm than usual, 'It is possible that the guard will have timetables since the Orient Express passengers often have to link up with other trains.'

'Good,' said Faro. 'I'll take a walk along the train. See if I can find some information about trains to Heidelberg.' He was feeling restless as well as in desperate need of exercise after all the rich fare he had consumed.

'May I come with you, sir?' asked George.

'Of course.'

'I should like to see the rest of the train.'

'Me too,' said Anton.

The two boys hurried ahead of Faro, chattering excitedly, while Dieter trailed in the rear.

Walking along the corridors, they were greeted by other passengers similarly engaged in this very restricted activity, the only exercise available on the great train.

A door ahead of them opened and amid shrieks a tiny dog rushed out barking and dragging a ball of wool entangled in its paws. As the dog's owner appeared, shouting to it to stop, Faro bent down, grabbed the little creature by the collar and with a bow returned it to the middle-aged lady, who was volubly expressing her gratitude in German.

Suddenly he realised that the ball of wool was familiar. A ball of red knitting wool.

'That belonged to Helga!' he said sharply to Dieter.

Dieter said nothing, merely shook his head and gave a despairing sigh.

'I tell you that is her wool. Ask the lady where her dog got it from.'

'1 cannot do that,' Dieter protested.

'Of course you can, Do it!"

There followed a conversation of what seemed like interminable argument and length. It was very difficult to follow but Faro gathered that the lady thought he wanted the wool for some reason and freed her pet from its entanglement, eager to hand it over.

Faro got only the gist of it. 'Ask her where her dog found it?'

The woman clearly thought this Englishman was quite mad and Dieter said, 'the dog has had it since before they left Paris, so it could not have belonged to Helga. She would never have been parted from her knitting.'

'She could have dropped it,' Faro insisted.

Dieter gave an exasperated sigh. 'Red is not an unusual colour, Mr Faro. Many women the length and breadth of Europe will be knitting garments in that colour. This is a mere coincidence. I should advise you to be calm, sir.'

Calm indeed! Here was Dieter making him sound like the village idiot. Damn!

Again that frustration of not knowing the language, but Faro was sure the woman was pointing and saying that the dog had found it. Someone lost it. He heard the word Strasbourg. Left the train?

Certain that Dieter was lying, Faro groaned. If only George hadn't dashed ahead. He could have translated.

Finally the woman dismissed them with a rather exasperated shrug and returned to her compartment, clutching the dog and firmly closing the door.

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