Three Carols of Cozy Christmas Murder

by Carolyn L. Dean

  By the time he reached the train station, the horse was breathing heavily and steaming. As Eustice leaped down, he could see a bit of blood dripping from its nose and knew the animal had been ruined. He didn’t care. He quickly handed the animal’s reins to one of the alarmed stewards, charging past the surprised man and headed for the ticket window.

  Slamming his hands against the counter, he leaned into the bars where the ticket master was, making the man reel back. “I need information!” he ground out. “A young woman, dark hair and well dressed. She would have had brown eyes and a large nose. Not the most attractive woman. Did you see someone like that come in here today?”

  The man continued to lean back. “Excuse me, sir? I’m sorry sir, but this is most irregular! We don’t share passenger information.”

  Eustice reached through the bars and grabbed the man’s jacket, pulling him roughly into the bars. “I will beat you to within an inch of your life if you don’t tell me what I want to know. She’s my wife, and she’s stolen something from me. Tell me now!”

  The man whimpered, shaking in Eustice’s grip and ignoring the spittle that was being sprayed in his face. “I don’t remember anyone like that! I just came on shift an hour ago!” he cried, shaking in fear. “But she might still be here! The trains were all delayed due to the tracks being frozen! Please let me go!”

  Eustice growled through his grin, pushing the man back before pulling him hard into the bars. The man’s nose impacted one of the bars, compressing with a loud crack and he fell backward with a cry. Eustice let him disappear out of sight, already running toward the first stairs down onto the passenger platforms.

  He ran to the first train, boarding it and moving quickly through the cars. His none-too-careful passage was punctuated by protests and the occasional yell of surprise until he finally reappeared at the end of the far car.

  Cursing, he took his bowler hat off and smacked one of the pillars next to him. It had already taken ten minutes to search just one train and he couldn’t be sure he’d looked everywhere but there was no help for it. He set off for the next platform, growling at anyone that got in his way.

  By the third train, some of the porters were starting to take exception and three of them were approaching him carrying sticks. He was just about to run when he saw several of his own men descend the stairs onto their platform. Grinning, he waited for the men to get closer before pointing behind them.

  The three porters turned, their faces flashing from angry to afraid. Dropping their sticks, they quickly moved out of the way before fleeing the platform. Eustice laughed as his men approached. “She’s on one of the trains. Search them all and if you find her, drag her to me but don’t hurt her. I want to take care of that myself.”

  Each of the men spread out to different platforms, two or three to a train. Eustice cursed but it was too late to call them back and it was just a matter of time before they found Katherine. He idly wondered what her plan was but suspected she had stashed a fair amount of cash in her luggage. That would most likely be a handy bonus, since her dear grandfather would not have wanted her to live in poverty.

  He was looking forward to spending it on gambling and women. It would be perfect justice for the Moores’ attempt to doublecross him, though they would not be around to see it. He could care less what kind of trouble it might cause them. His family owned the constabulary, so what did he have to fear?

  Nothing.

  Eustice grinned as he made his way up into the station proper. He was thirsty and would wait for his men to find Katherine.

  Chapter 24

  Katherine’s boredom was warring with her fear, and the boredom was winning. It had been a few hours, and she had asked the stewards several times if they would be leaving soon. They’d told her every time they should be leaving within a few minutes and she was done with their lies.

  Still, at least her ticket had been taken because she’d been able to let Billy out of the chest he had been hiding in. It stood open, in case he had to dive back in but Katherine hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. Despite the clothes being sacrificial, she still was a little horrified at the wrinkles that Billy had left in her dresses and had made a point of not looking toward the chest in question.

  “Thank you for letting me out of there, Miss Katherine,” Billy said, stretching his arms into the air. “I was starting to get cramps in my legs.”

  Katherine shuddered. “I can’t imagine. Was it cold in there? You must have been out in the elements for a bit of time.”

  “I don’t know. I think I was inside somewhere before being moved to the carriage but it wasn’t until about an hour before we got here. Still, it was warm enough with all those clothes in there. It smelled good, too.”

  Katherine gave Billy a look, not sure how she felt about him smelling her clothes but there wasn’t anything to be done about it. He’d think what he would think and she couldn’t change it now. “Good, I was worried you’d be a frozen icicle by the time we got here. It was freezing! I can see why the tracks are frozen over, but I sure wish they’d hurry and clean them off.” She paused, almost whispering as she looked outside at the people moving around on the platforms. “I just want to be away. I’m scared.”

  “Don’t worry, Miss Katherine,” Billy said, looking at her with concern. “Those Clarks have no clue what is going on. Your grandfather outsmarted them, I’m sure of it.”

  Katherine sighed. “I’m sure you’re right and I’m just being worried for no reason. Still, can you blame me? Wouldn’t it be terrible for Grandfather to have sacrificed so much and this infernal weather stops us?”

  Billy frowned, not knowing what to say and they both lapsed into silence. She felt bad about dampening Billy’s mood, but she wouldn’t be able to relax until the train began to move. Suddenly, she heard a whistle from toward the engine, followed quickly by several others from the other trains that were trapped in the station.

  Katherine pushed her face against the glass, followed closely by Billy. They couldn’t see what was going on, but hoped it meant the train would soon be on its way. Even as they watched, one of the far trains began to blow out steam and its powerful wheels began to turn, slowly gaining traction and pulling the train away from its platform.

  Katherine and Billy hugged each other. Finally! They would be leaving the station! It was a joyful moment, and after all of the waiting and stress, Katherine was hopeful her torture and worry would be done. She blew out a breath and fell back against the seat in relief.

  “Um, Miss Katherine,” Billy said. She snapped her eyes open at the tone in his voice. “There’s some rough looking men boarding the trains over on that platform.”

  She was immediately beside Billy in the window, peering out at the sight. He was right. There were several men running and shouting to each other on the platform next to them. Even as she watched, she saw them get onto the train and begin moving through the cabins. They didn’t look like they were finding seats. Instead, they were walking quickly through, and sometimes bending down to stare into people’s faces.

  “Oh, no,” Katherine whispered, covering her mouth. “It’s them, Billy. It has to be the Clarks. They’ve found out our plan and are looking for me.”

  “Do you think they are constables? They might just be after some criminal or other.”

  Katherine frowned. “They don’t look like constables to me, Billy. They look like the men that were following grandfather and me.”

  “What are we going to do? It looks like our train is next.” Billy stood facing the door to the sleeping cabin. “I’ll fight them, Miss Katherine! I won’t let them take you.”

  Katherine felt a renewed affection for the boy, smiling at his back as he readied himself for battle but knew he wouldn’t be able to stop the men looking for her. She was looking around for any kind of idea when her eyes fell on the large chest that stood open. Of course!

  “Billy! You won’t need to fight them but you’re going to have to help me. My dress is goin
g to make this difficult.”

  He turned, and saw her as she stood next to the chest. He blinked for a moment before his face brightened and he moved toward her, offering himself as a balancing point while she gingerly climbed into the half-empty chest.

  It wasn’t easy. She wasn’t nearly as flexible as the young man and her upper coat was too tight. She couldn’t bend forward enough for the top of the chest to close. Cursing in a very unladylike way, she looked up at Billy. “Do you have a knife?”

  Billy looked at her for a moment, uncertain what she was asking but quickly reached into a pocket, pulling out a small pocket knife and unfolding it. He held it out toward her, wide-eyed even as they heard people yelling in alarm. “They’re here, Miss Katherine! What should I do with the knife?”

  “Give it to me!” Katherine said, quickly grabbing the knife out of the startled boy’s hand. She felt the blade bite into her hand, cutting it and cursing once again before turning it on herself, sliding the sharp blade through the front of her jacket. It was a shame to ruin something so beautifully done. Lady Crenshaw had outdone herself, but if she didn’t do something, everything they’d planned would be for naught.

  The coat front opened with a rip, letting Katherine duck further into the chest. Billy slammed it shut and then dove for the chair just as two men opened the door to their cab and looked around. They gave Billy a dark look, cursed, and shut the door before moving on.

  They had done it.

  Ten minutes later, they both felt the train begin to move. Katherine only came out of the chest when they were fifteen minutes out of the station.

  Chapter 25

  The train was approaching Albany station half of a day later. Katherine and Billy had passed the time talking about their hopes and dreams, but as time progressed, Billy became quieter until Katherine pulled a book from her chest and began to read.

  “Miss Katherine,” he said with a strange note in his voice. “I’ve been thinking.”

  She glanced up from her book and raised her eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Billy?”

  “Nothing’s wrong, ma’am. Or really, there is. I’ve been asking you to take me with you, but I really should be asking what I can do to help you. From what you told me, the plan is for the luggage to continue on to Chicago, but we’re going to head south, right?”

  “Right,” Katherine said, worried at where Billy was going with his thinking. She had a sinking feeling she wouldn’t like it.

  “But they’re looking for a woman. They’ll figure out which train you took, and then they’ll be combing the train stations asking about someone dressed like you that leaves the train. Once they do that, they’ll follow you to the docks of New York.”

  “There’s no way they could figure out I am going to take a ship,” Katherine said, frowning at Billy.

  “Really? But they’ll know your father’s ship stopped there. How hard would it be to figure out?”

  Katherine’s face went pale. Billy was right but she didn’t know what to do about it and then she realized Billy already had an idea. “So, what do you want to do about it?”

  Billy licked his lips and leaned forward. “I think…I think that I should continue on to Chicago. I can wear your clothes, and make everyone think I’m you. That way when they look for you, they’ll think you disappeared in the city rather than left here.”

  “Oh, Billy!” Katherine said, wringing her hands. “No! You were supposed to come with me. Besides, you’re not a girl. How are you going to make them think it’s me? Also, how am I going to leave without them knowing it’s me?”

  “I can wear one of your dresses. I know it won’t be perfect, but we can...uh-“ Billy said, blushing profusely and cupping his hands in front of his chest, “-you know, pad here? We can use some of your other clothes.”

  “And I can wear your clothes,” Katherine said softly, looking down in sadness.

  “Yes, Miss Katherine. We’re pretty close to the same size, right? That will give you the best chance to escape.”

  Katherine didn’t answer as her heart broke. She was going to lose the last person she knew and she didn’t know what to do about it. She knew once they separated, she would most likely never see him again, but there was something she could give him.

  Getting up, she moved toward the chest that Billy had not been within and opened it. In the bottom, she reached down and pulled up a false bottom. It wasn’t hidden overly well, having been constructed just to foil casual examination, but it was deep enough to hold a small fortune.

  “This was to give the Clarks something to find when it arrived in Chicago, but I have a better use for it,” Katherine said, turning to the boy and putting her hands on his shoulders. “Go to Chicago and in half-a-year, seek out Albus Moore. He’s a lawyer, Billy. Remember when you told me you wanted to become something that could help people? He can show you how.”

  Billy was looking down into the chest. It was an immense amount of money. Far more than he’d ever seen or even imagined. When he’d contemplated continuing on to Chicago, he had thought he would be condemning himself to destitution and poverty, but here was enough money to live for a lifetime even if he did nothing with it.

  Now, thanks to Katherine, he had a future.

  He suddenly lunged forward and gave her a hug, almost weeping in happiness and their pending separation. He knew, just as much as Katherine, that it would be a miracle if they ever saw each other again, but this was his best chance to help out his friend.

  “Thank you, Miss Katherine,” Billy said, sobbing softly. “For being my friend.”

  “No, thank you, Billy Carrington. Thank you.”

  Chapter 26

  Katherine reached the city of New York the next morning. After switching clothes, she’d been terrified that she would be easy to spot, but between the baggy coat they’d stolen from elsewhere on the train, a hat, and a gentle smudge along her jaw which gave the illusion of a shadow, she was surprised to find that no one gave her a second look.

  Booking passage was a bit more risky, since she had to be so close to the ticket master, but the man barely looked up. It was unusual, being ignored by men. Most of the time she took great care to ignore the looks and glances, but now she was almost invisible. It was a pleasant experience.

  Finding the ship was easy. The St. Mary’s hope rocked easily in the harbor and while it wasn’t pretty, it looked good to Katherine. A fitting transport into her new life, wherever that was going to lead. She was determined to take advantage of what her grandfather had told her about starting over. She was not going to let the past get in her way.

  Stepping onto the ramp, she took a deep breath and climbed onto the ship, disappearing from Boston history forever.

  *****

  Billy Carrington smirked as he took the dress off he’d been wearing on the train. He’d stepped out occasionally, making sure other passengers and stewards saw him before ducking back inside of the cabin, but now he had reached Chicago and it was time to remove the constricting material. It had been a horrible experience and he wondered how women ever managed to make it look so comfortable.

  In his forays, he’d managed to steal another set of men’s clothes that were of better quality than he’d ever had, but didn’t fit well. Still, they would serve, and he had enough money to buy himself better clothes once he had escaped the station and rented an apartment.

  Working his way off of the train, he moved along the passenger platform, followed closely by a porter who he’d tipped generously to assist him with the one chest he was keeping. It was over. He had made it to Chicago, and Katherine was wherever she’d gone to catch her ship. Idly, he wondered if he’d ever see her again and promised himself for the hundredth time he would eventually seek her out.

  He would have to be careful that he didn’t inadvertently give her away, so decided to let many years pass before trying. It would be difficult, but he had vowed to help her, and help her he would.

  He was almost to the exit ramp when three m
en raced by him, and he almost swallowed his tongue when he recognized Eustice Clark in their company. He almost froze, but kept himself walking even as he went stiff, but the three men didn’t even spare him a second glance.

  After they’d passed, he turned and watched them for a few moments. They had no idea who he was. Eustice had never even realized he was a person, and now he was thankful for the obscurity of being a simple houseboy.

  Whistling softly, he continued on and away from the train.

  *****

  Katherine spent over a month in Portland, getting to know the city and its people. It was not Boston, but it had its own charm and was far more developed than she was expecting. Still, it reminded her too much of what she’d left, and she didn’t want the power and wealth of her previous life to ever endanger her again.

  She vowed that she would keep her life simple and rely on no one but herself. Still, she had become nervous as the time had worn on for a very different reason. She and William had grown close on the months long trip from New York to the port of Portland, and she put her hand on her stomach, feeling the new life stirring faintly within. The problem was, she never wanted to have a husband again and had determined William would never know of his child.

  But she was fond of him, and as he drove the large team of horses pulling a very solidly built wagon, she smiled at his handsome face and kind eyes.

  “Are you sure I can’t talk you into coming up to Seattle with me, Kat?” William said, smiling at her wistfully. On the ship he had helped her decide on a new name. Kat Morgan. It sounded enough like her old name that she would respond to it, but not close enough to be tied to her old family. Since the delivery of the huge boilers, she knew that the name Moore was known here, and she didn’t want to be associated with it even by accident.