by Cindy Bell
“Oh yes, this is a good deal.” She hit a few buttons on her keyboard then gave Eddy the total. Eddy reached into his wallet.
“You’re not using a credit card, are you?” Walt grimaced. “Credit cards are best used only in emergencies, Eddy, you should know that.”
“Relax Walt, I handle my finances just fine, but I am going to use cash.” He winked at the woman behind the counter as he handed her the money. “Retired accountant, you know how numbers guys are.”
“Sure, sure.” She laughed. “Here are your tickets. Just make sure that you keep your vouchers for the free food and drink with you, all right?”
“We will.” Eddy smiled. “They’re not going to leave my side.” He took the tickets and vouchers from her. As they turned to walk back towards the platform, Eddy narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on over there?” He raised an eyebrow. A small crowd had formed around the area of the platform where Samantha and Jo waited.
***
Samantha sighed and checked her watch. “It is taking them forever.”
“That’s why I bought ours ahead. There’s some kind of boxing tournament not far from the flower show, so there’s a lot of people taking the train.”
“So, what flowers are you most excited to see at the show?” Samantha did her best to sound interested.
“I’d like to learn more about orchids. They are difficult to grow in this climate, very delicate.”
“Are you going to try to grow some?” Samantha’s question was interrupted by a loud bang. She jumped at the sound and spun around to see a woman who stood in the middle of the platform. Her large suitcase was flat on the ground. Samantha guessed that she had dropped it. She walked over to help her retrieve it. As she got closer to the woman she could see that her features were pale and speckled with sweat. Her eyes were tightened as if she tried to hold back tears. Several other people gathered to see if the woman was all right.
“Miss, are you okay?” Samantha picked up her suitcase. The woman took it from her and nodded.
“Yes, sorry if I startled you.” When she spoke the smell of alcohol drifted right under Samantha’s nose. She was one of the people that had enjoyed a few too many drinks at the restaurant.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Samantha frowned.
“I’m fine really, I’m sorry to bother you.” She clung tightly to her suitcase.
“Are you with anyone?” Samantha glanced around. “A friend, your husband?”
“No one.” The woman dabbed at her eyes. “I’m alone. But I’m fine. I just want to get on the train.”
Samantha nodded. Jo steered her away by the elbow.
“She doesn’t want any help, Samantha. Best to leave her alone.” The crowd began to disperse.
“She seems pretty drunk.” Samantha grimaced. “I hope she can make it onto the train.”
“That’s her choice.” Jo clenched her jaw. “I have no patience for drunks. As Samantha and Jo walked away from the woman she saw that Eddy and Walt were ready with their tickets. They walked over to Samantha and Jo.
“What’s going on?” Eddy tilted his head towards the woman who still struggled with her suitcase.
“Oh, she seems a little drunk.” Jo frowned. “I have a feeling this might not be as peaceful a ride as I had hoped.”
“Don’t worry,” Eddy said. “Walt and I will keep things nice and boring for you.”
Chapter Four
“Time to board.” Jo pointed to the groups gathered near the entrance of the cars. The four walked over to join the line by theirs. As they waited to board Samantha looked around at the crowd.
“Looking for someone?” Eddy asked and quirked his brow.
“Yes.” Samantha continued to search.
“Peter?”
“What?” Samantha looked at him. “No! That’s not who I’m looking for. I’m looking for the woman from the platform. I just wanted to make sure she gets on the train okay.”
“You’re a bleeding heart.” Eddy shook his head.
“Nothing wrong with looking out for your fellow human beings.” Samantha sighed. “Right, Jo?”
“Actually, I agree with Eddy on this. Anyone who would get that drunk before they even get on the train deserves whatever they get.” Jo frowned.
“Thank you, Jo.” Eddy tipped his hat.
“It’s nice to see you two agree on something.” Walt smiled. “But you should both be a little more compassionate.”
“What do you mean?” Eddy stepped aside to let Jo and Samantha board in front of him.
“Alcoholism is not easy to shake. Too many people think it’s a choice, but the numbers show that it’s a disease. Just something to think about. If the woman had a heart condition would you find her so repulsive?”
“I never said anything about repulsive.” Eddy shook his head.
“Maybe you have a point, Walt, but I’ve never known anyone who has got a heart condition that caused an accident,” Jo said.
“She’s getting on a train, not in a car.” Walt stepped up onto the train as well.
“Our room is down this corridor.” Eddy nodded his head to the right.
“Ours is this way.” Jo pointed in the opposite direction.
“Let’s meet in the dining car in a couple of hours after we get settled.” Samantha waved to Eddy as the crowd swept her and Jo down the corridor.
***
Eddy pushed open the door to the room he would share with Walt. The moment he did, he regretted it. The space was tiny, but that was not the problem. The problem was the smell in the room. It smelled like something had been left behind and ignored for a very long time. Walt poked his head in.
“Oh, no, no.” He shook his head. “I can’t stand for this.”
“Walt, I doubt they’re going to let us change rooms. It’s so packed on this train.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t want to change rooms. I want to clean this one.” Walt stepped right in and opened his bag. He pulled out a few wipes and cleaning supplies. Then he looked under the furniture. Eddy could only stand back and watch as Walt searched the entire room.
“Aha! Here it is!” Walt held up a bag that he had pulled out from under the bed. “Someone left behind some rotten apples.”
“I think there’s a joke there.” Eddy grinned.
“Here you go.” Walt held out the bag. “It’s your job to take out the trash.”
“Is that a cop crack?” Eddy asked as he took the bag. “I’ll find a trashcan far away from here for this.”
The corridor had cleared from the initial rush of people in search of their rooms. Eddy noticed a man at the end of the corridor. He appeared to be struggling with the door to his room. Eddy walked past him into the next car of the train to dispose of the rotten apples. As he brushed past the man he noticed that the hair on the back of his neck was soaked with sweat. The temperature on the train was very cool. He looked at the man a moment longer.
“What is that smell?” The man looked up, annoyed.
“Sorry, found it in my room.” Eddy held up the bag.
“Well, get it out of here will you?” The man was finally able to open the door. He ducked inside his room and closed his door. Eddy shook his head and moved into the next car of the train. He threw the apples out in the trash and turned around to head back to his room. By the time he stepped back in, the room smelled like lemon and Walt was perched on the edge of his bed.
“Wow, you work fast.”
“Better huh?” Walt smiled.
“Much.” Eddy started to walk in.
“Uh, shoes off!” Walt pointed at his feet.
“Seriously?” Eddy sighed and slid his shoes off. “This is going to be a long eighteen hours.”
“Really, it’s only seventeen now.”
***
Samantha looked around the room. “Well, it’s cozy.”
“You could call it that.” Jo grinned. “We will make it work. Wait until you see the view.” She opened the shade on the window.
“There’s this amazing overpass, the mountains are enough to make you want to become a painter.”
“Sounds gorgeous.” Samantha settled into the seat by the window. “I really think this was a great idea, Jo.”
“So far, so good.” Jo unzipped her bag and rifled through it. “I’m sorry that you haven’t seen Pete yet. Maybe you’ll see him in the dining car.”
“I’m not sure if I even want to see him.”
“Oh, you do, you know you do.” She laughed.
“I have to admit that I’m curious.” Samantha frowned. “But I doubt with the amount of people on this train that I will run into him. I guess I’ll leave it up to fate.”
“Good plan.” Jo grabbed her by the hand. “My plan is to get you in the dining car where he might be able to spot you!”
Samantha laughed as Jo pulled her down the corridor towards the dining car. Samantha caught herself checking the faces of all of the people she passed to see if it was Peter. She noticed the woman they had seen on the platform. She stood near the end of the corridor close to a room door. Samantha lowered her eyes as she wanted to avoid a potential conversation. When Samantha stole a peek in her direction, it seemed to her that the woman checked every person who walked by as well. Samantha wondered for a moment who she was looking for since she had stated that she was alone. Then she brushed the thought from her mind.
“Stay close.” Jo slid open the door to the dining car. Samantha stayed right behind her. There were only a few open tables left. The bar which also served as the food counter was packed with people. Jo found the closest table and sat down. Samantha sat down beside her.
“Well, now that we’re here we better not get up.” Samantha laughed.
***
The dining car rocked back and forth as Eddy stepped into it. He grabbed the wall to steady himself.
“Oh here, you’re going to need this.” Walt held out a disinfectant wipe.
“Walt, give it a rest. We’re going to be stuck on this train with all of these people for a long time. Just relax.”
“If only I could.” Walt frowned. Eddy shook his head and walked further into the dining car. The place was packed, as was the rest of the train. He didn’t see a single empty booth.
“Over here!” Samantha waved her hand in the air from a booth near the counter.
“Oh good, they’ve saved us a spot.” Eddy led with his right shoulder in an attempt to force his way through the crowd. “Excuse me, excuse me.” He was about half way there when he realized that Walt was no longer right behind him. He turned back to see Walt staring at the crowd with great trepidation. Rather than annoyance, Eddy’s demeanor softened with sympathy. He often forgot how difficult it was for Walt to function outside of his safe home and routine. He moved back through the crowd.
“Come on. I’ll get you to where you need to be.” He grabbed the sleeve of Walt’s suit jacket and guided him through the crowd. When they reached the table, Jo smiled at them.
“Do you feel like a sardine?”
“I think that sardines have more room.” Eddy grinned. He sat down at the table. Walt took a moment to make sure that his seat was clean and then he sat down as well.
“It’s worth it.” Samantha tapped the table with her fingertips. “We are going to have a great time.”
“Plenty of opportunity to people watch.” Jo smiled.
“I’ll be having fun when the free food and drinks start flowing.” Eddy chuckled. “It’s pretty crowded up at the bar. Why don’t all of you give me your vouchers and I’ll go up and get our drinks?”
“That’s very kind of you, Eddy, thank you.” Samantha handed him her voucher. Jo nodded and handed him hers as well.
“Walt?” Eddy raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not sure if I want to drink anything from here.” Walt cringed. “Do you think they wash those glasses?”
“Of course they do, Walt.” Samantha patted the back of his hand.
“No, I mean really wash them, not just rinse them out in the sink.” Walt sighed. “Those glasses could be covered in germs.”
“Don’t worry, if they are the alcohol will kill them.” Eddy clapped him on the back.
“Ouch.” Walt frowned. “I asked you not to do that.”
“Sorry. Habit. So, are you going to give me the voucher or not?”
“Sure, all right. Here it is.” Walt handed it to him.
“Great, I’ll be right back with drinks for all of us.” Eddy turned towards the bar. When he saw the crowd there he amended his statement. “All right, maybe not right back. It could be a while.”
As Eddy lined up with the rest of the customers, he was relieved that Walt did not join him. People were pressed so close together that Eddy could hear snippets of their conversation, and feel their breath on him. He was sure that Walt would not be able to deal with it. As the line moved forward Eddy found himself beside a man who held the attention of several people in line. With nothing better to do, Eddy listened in.
“I need a little liquid courage for this trip.” The man chuckled. He appeared young to Eddy. Perhaps in his twenties. “I’m finally going to pop the question,” he said as he held up a diamond ring. “I’ve even bought the rock.”
“Oh yeah?” another man barked out. “Why would you want to go and do a stupid thing like that?”
“I know, I know, it’s not manly to be in love. But this girl, this woman, is the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. We were forced into a long distance relationship, but now I can finally cross the distance and ask her the question that I’ve been dreaming of asking for so long. I cannot wait to hear, Ryan Barker will you take Leila Wall to be your lawfully wedded wife.”
“Well, good luck, chap, I guess, if that’s what you want.” The other man shrugged and turned back to the bar. Eddy smiled to himself. He could remember the first time he thought he was in love, and the first woman that he thought hung the moon. It was a heady, wonderful time, until she didn’t feel the same way. He hoped the young man would get to avoid that kind of heartbreak.
“Good luck.” He nodded to the man.
“Thanks. I’ll probably need it.” He laughed as a barmaid finally walked over to take Eddy’s order. Eddy balanced the drinks in his hands and walked back towards his table. It took a little maneuvering, but he managed to reach it without spilling a drop. He set the drinks down at the table and settled into his chair.
“That was a jungle. I have a feeling we’re not going to be seeing as much of this free food and drink as we hoped.”
“Well, it always tastes better when it’s free.” Jo took a long swig of her drink.
“I agree.” Eddy held up his drink then swallowed down half of it. Walt rubbed the rim of his glass clean with a tissue and then took a sip. Samantha’s drink sat untouched. Her gaze locked to a man who had just walked into the dining car. Peter Wilks weaved his way between people that waited in line at the bar. He didn’t get in line. Instead, he walked all the way to the other side of the dining car. There were no open tables. He leaned against the wall. Samantha bit into her bottom lip. She wondered if she should invite him to sit at their table. Just as she was about to dismiss the idea, Eddy shot his hand up into the air.
“Peter! Hey Peter!” He waved his hand. Samantha instinctively sunk down in her chair. She knew there was no getting out of it now.
Peter raised his hand enough in the air to silence Eddy, but he made no move to walk over. Samantha lowered her eyes. All of the hopes she had of rekindling any kind of connection with Peter burst. He clearly didn’t want anything to do with her, and was even avoiding Eddy because she was there. Whatever she had done to hurt him, must have been pretty bad.
“I don’t think he wants to sit with us, Eddy,” Samantha said.
“He probably just doesn’t want to walk all the way back across the dining car.”
Jo leaned across the table. “Is that him? Is that the famous Peter?”
“Yup, that’s him all right. What has she be
en telling you?” Eddy asked.
“Nothing much, just that she broke his heart.”
“Okay stop, that’s enough.” Samantha shook her head. Her cheeks burned bright red from her friends’ comments and from the disappointment of Peter not being interested.
Eddy coughed, then took another swallow of his drink. “Don’t worry about him. He’s probably working a case.”
“On the train?” Samantha raised an eyebrow.
“Can you think of another reason that he would be going to a flower show?” Eddy asked.
“You know, Eddy, there are plenty of men who enjoy horticulture as much as women.” Jo finished her drink and set her glass down. “Just because you’re not in touch with your nourishing side, doesn’t mean other men aren’t.”
“In touch with my nourishing side?” Eddy joked. “I wouldn’t think that I had one to get in touch with.”
“Oh, you do.” Jo smiled. “Everyone does.”
Samantha couldn’t keep her eyes off Peter. He continued to simply lean up against the wall. How was that more important than catching up with old friends?
“It’s so crowded in here.” Walt shifted in his seat. “I don’t think I can take it much longer. The air is getting so thick.”
“Just try to relax, Walt. This is a good exercise for you, right?”
“Exercise?” Walt frowned. “This isn’t going to make me any calmer about crowds, trust me. When you combine the speed of this train with the amount of people in this particular car, the result you get is disaster.”
“Are you saying the train might crash?” Samantha raised an eyebrow.
“Walt, stop scaring her. Samantha, the train isn’t going to crash.” Jo shook her head.
“You’re absolutely right, Jo. Samantha, the train is not likely to crash. Not many trains actually crash, as in collide with other things. However, they do derail much more frequently, which is actually worse than crashing. If a train crashes it’s likely that only the front of the train is impacted, not many lives lost. If a train derails, then there is the potential for all of the cars to tip, twist, explode.” Walt shrugged. “Many more lives lost. So, as Jo said, the train is not likely to crash.”