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tree　having　the　edge　over　Mercer's　Premiere　that　was　ing　to　Winnipeg　by　road。
　　George　Burley　presently　came　into　the　dining　car　and　spoke　for　a　while　to　Nell；　who　subsequently　went　from　table　to　table；　clipboard　in　place；　repeating　what　he'd　said。
　　'We're　stopping　at　Thunder　Bay　for　longer　than　scheduled；　as　there'll　be　an　investigation　there　about　the　Lorrimores'　car　being　uncoupled。　We'll　be　there　about　an　hour　and　a　half；　as　we're　not　going　on　until　after　the　regular　Canadian　has　gone　through。　The　Canadian　will　be　ahead　of　us　then　all　the　way　to　Winnipeg。'
　　'What　about　lunch？'　Mr　Young　asked。　Mr　Young；　though　thinnish；　had　a　habit　of　eating　half　his　wife's　food　as　well　as　his　own。
　　'We'll　leave　Thunder　Bay　at　about　a　quarter　to　one；'　Nell　said；　'so　we'll　have　lunch　soon　after。　And　a　more　leisurely　dinner　before　we　get　to　Winnipeg；　instead　of　having　to　crowd　it　in　early。　It　will　all　fit　in　quite　well。'　She　was　smiling；　reassuring；　keeping　the　party　from　unravelling。　'You'll　be　glad　to　stretch　your　legs　for　a　bit　longer　in　Thunder　Bay；　and　some　of　you　might　visit　your　horses。'
　　The　owner　of　Redi…Hot；　who　seemed　to　spend　most　of　his　time　reading　a　guide　book；　told　Mr　and　Mrs　Wordmaster；　who　looked　suitably　impressed；　that　Thunder　Bay；　one　of　Canada's　largest　ports；　was　at　the　far　west　end　of　the　St　Lawrence…Great　Lakes　seaway　and　should　really　be　called　what　the　locals　called　it；　The　Lakehead。　Grain　from　the　prairies　was　shipped　from　there　to　throughout　the　world；　he　said。
　　'Fancy　that；'　said　Mrs　Wordmaster；　who　was　English。
　　I　retreated　from　this　scintillating　conversation　and　helped　Oliver　and　Cathy　clear　up　in　the　kitchen；　and　shortly　before　eleven　we　slid　to　a　halt　in　the　port　that　was　halfway　across　Canada　on　some　rails　parallel　with　but　a　little　removed　from　the　station　buildings。
　　Immediately　a　waiting　double　posse　of　determined…looking　men　advanced　from　the　station　across　two　intervening　tracks；　one　lot　sprouting　press　cameras；　the　other　notebooks。　George　stepped　down　from　the　train　to　meet　the　notebook　people；　and　the　others　fanned　out　and　began　clicking。　One　of　the　notebook　crowd　climbed　aboard　and　came　into　the　dining　car；　inviting　anyone　who　had　seen　anyone　or　anything　suspicious　the　previous　evening　to　please　unbutton；　but　of　course　no　one　had；　or　no　one　was　saying；　because　otherwise　the　whole　train　would　have　known　about　it　by　now。
　　The　investigator　said　he　would　try　his　luck　with　the　scenery…watchers　in　the　dome…car；　with　apparently　the　same　result；　and　from　there　he　presumably　went　in　to　see　the　Lorrimores；　who　apart　from　Xanthe　were　still　in　seclusion。　He　then　reappeared　in　the　dining　car　with　an　interested　crowd　of　people　following　him　and　asked　to　speak　to　Xanthe；　who　up　until　then　had　kept　palely　quiet。
　　He　identified　her　easily　because　everyone　looked　her　way。　Filmer　was　still　beside　her：　the　passengers　tended　all　the　time　to　linger　at　the　tables；　talking；　after　the　meals　had　been　cleared；　rather　than　return　to　the　solitude　of　their　bedrooms。　Nearly　everyone；　I　would　have　guessed；　had　been　either　in　the　dining　room　or　the　dome　car　all　morning。
　　Mrs　Young　squeezed　Xanthe's　hand　encouragingly　from　across　the　table　while　the　half…child　half…young…woman　shivered　her　way　through　the　dangerous　memory。
　　'No；'　she　said；　with　everyone　quiet　and　attentively　listening；　'no　one　suggested　I　went　to　our　car。。。　I　just　wanted　to　go　to　the　bathroom。　And　I　could。。。　I。。。　could　have　been　killed。'
　　'Yes。。。　'The　investigator；　middle…aged　and　sharp…eyed；　was　sympathetic　but　calming；　speaking　in　a　distinct　voice　that　carried　easily　through　the　dining　car；　now　that　we　weren't　moving。　'Was　there　anyone　in　the　dome　car　lounge　when　you　went　through？'
　　'Lots　of　people。'　Xanthe's　voice　was　much　quieter　than　his。
　　'Did　you　know　them？'
　　'No。　I　mean；　they　were　on　this　trip。　Everyone　there　was。'　She　was　beginning　to　speak　more　loudly；　so　that　all　could　hear。
　　A　few　heads　nodded。
　　'No　one　you　now　know　was　a　stranger？'
　　'No。'
　　Mrs　Young；　intelligent　besides　forting；　asked；　'Do　you　mean　it's　possible　to　uncouple　a　car　while　you're　actually　on　the　train？　You　don't　have　to　be　on　the　ground　to　do　it？'
　　The　investigator　gave　her　his　attention　and　everyone　leaned　forward　slightly　to　hear　the　answer。
　　'It's　possible。　It　can　be　done　also　while　the　train　is　moving；　which　is　why　we　want　to　know　if　there　was　anyone　in　the　dome　car　who　was　unknown　to　you　all。　Unknown　to　any　of　you；　I　should　say。'
　　There　was　a　long；　respectful；　understanding　silence。
　　Nell　said；　'I　suppose　I　know　most　of　our　passengers　by　sight　by　now。　I　identified　them　all　at　Toronto　station　when　I　was　allocating　their　sleeping　quarters。　I　didn't　see　anyone　yesterday　evening　who　puzzled　me。'
　　'You　don't　think；'　Mrs　Young　said；　putting　her　finger　unerringly　on　the　implication；　'that　the　car　was　unhitched　by　someone　in　our　party'？'
　　'We're　investigating　all　possibilities；'　the　investigator　said　without　pompousness。　He　looked　around　at　the　ranks　of　worried　faces　and　his　slightly　severe　expression　softened。　'The　private　car　was　deliberately　uncoupled；'　he　said；　'but　we're　of　the　preliminary　opinion　that　it　was　an　act　of　mischief　mitted　by　someone　in　Carder；　the　last　place　you　stopped　before　Miss　Lorrimore　found　the　car　was　missing。　But　we　do　have　to　ask　if　the　saboteur　could　have　been　on　the　train；　just　in　case　any　of　you　noticed　anything　wrong。'
　　A　man　at　the　back　of　the　crowd　said；　'I　was　sitting　in　the　dome　car　lounge　when　Xanthe　came　through；　and　I　can　tell　you　that　no　one　had　e　the　other　way。　I　mean；　we　all　knew　that　only　the　Lorrimores'　car　was　behind　the　dome　car。　If　anyone　except　the　Lorrimores　had　gone　that　way　and　e　back　again。。。　well。。。　we　would　have　noticed。'
　　Another　nodding　of　heads。　People　noticed　everything　to　do　with　the　Lorrimores。
　　I　was　watching　the　scene　from　the　kitchen　end　of　the　dining　car；　standing　just　behind　Emil；　Cathy　and　Oliver。　I　could　see　Xanthe's　troubled　face　clearly；　and　also　Filmer's　beside　her。　He　seemed　to　me　to　be　showing　diminishing　interest　in　the　enquiry；　turning　his　tidily　brushed　head　away　to　look　out　of　the　window　instead。　There　was　no　tension　in　him：　when　he　was　tense　there　was　a　rigidity　in　his　neck　muscles；　a　rigidity　I'd　watched　from　the　depths　of　the　crowd　during　the　brief　day　of　his　trial　and　seen　a　few　times　since；　as　at　Nottingham。　When　Filmer　felt　tense；　it　showed。
　　Even　as　I　watched　him；　his　neck　went　rigid。
　　I　looked　out　of　a　window　to　see　what　he　was　looking　at；　but　there　seemed　to　be　nothing　of　great　note；　only　the　racegoing　passengers　streaming　off　their　forward　carriages　en　route　to　write　postcards　home　from　the　station。
　　Filmer　looked　back　towards　Xanthe　and　the　investigator　and　made　a　small　gesture　of　impatience；　and　it　seemed　to　trigger　a　response　from　the　investigator　because　he　said　that　if　anyone　remembered　any　helpful　detail；　however　small；　would　they　please　tell　him　or　one　of　his　colleagues；　but　meanwhile　everyone　was　free　to　go。
　　There　was　a　munal　sigh　as　the　real…life　investigation　broke　up。　Zak；　I　thought；　would　be　finding　the　petition　too　stiff；　the　fiction　an　anti…climax　after　the　fact。　He　hadn't　appeared　for　this　scene：　none　of　the　actors　had。
　　Most　of　the　passengers　went　off　to　don　coats　against　what　appeared　to　be　a　cold　wind　outside；　but　Filmer　climbed　down　from　the　door　of　the　dome…car　end　of　the　dining　car　without　more　protection　than　his　carefully　casual　shirt　and　aristocratic　tweed　jacket。　He　paused　irresolutely；　not　scrunching；　as　the　others　were　beginning　to；　across　the　two　sets　of　rails　between　our　train　and　the　station　but　meandering　at　an　angle　forwards　in　the　direction　of　the　engine。
　　Inside；　I　followed　him；　easily　keeping　pace　with　his　slow　step。　I　thought　at　first　that　he　was　merely　taking　an　open…air　path　to　his　own　bedroom；　but　he　went　straight　past　the　open　door　at　the　end　of　his　sleeping　car；　and　straight　on　past　the　next　car　also。　Going　to　see　his　horse；　no　doubt。　I　went　on　following：　it　had　bee　a　habit。
　　At　the　end　of　the　third　car；　just　past　George　Burley's　office；　he　stopped；　because　someone　was　ing　out　from　the　station　to　meet　him：　a　gaunt　man　in　a　padded　short　coat　with　a　fur　collar；　with　grey　hair　blowing　in　disarray　in　the　wind。
　　They　met　between　George's　window　and　the　open　door　at　the　end　of　the　car　and　although　at　first　they　looked　moderately　at　peace　with　each　other；　the　encounter　deteriorated　rapidly。
　　I　risked　them　seeing　me　so　as　to　try　to　hear；　but　in　fact　by　the　time　I　could　hear　them　they　were　shouting；　which　meant　I　could　listen　through　the　doorway　without　seeing　them　or　being　seen。
　　Filmer　was　yelling　furiously；　'I　said　before　Vancouver。'
　　The　gaunt　man　with　a　snarl　in　his　Canadian　voice　said；　'You　said　before　Winnipeg；　and　I've　done　it　and　I　want　my　money。'
　　'Cooee'　trilled　Daffodil；　teetering　towards　them　in　chinchillas　and　high…heeled　boots。　'Are　we　going　to　see　Laurentide　Ice？'
　　
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　Ten
　　
　　Blast　her；　I　thought　intensely。　Triple　bloody　shit；　and　several　other　words　to　that　effect。
　　I　watched　through　George's　window　as　Filmer　made　great　efforts　to　go　towards　her　with　a　smile；　drawing　attentio