Cora Flash and the Diamond of Madagascar (A Cora Flash Children's Mystery, Book 1)

by TOMMY DAVEY

  "Cora," called Dabruzzi. "Would you mind coming in next?"

  "Sure thing, Inspector," I replied, heading toward the connecting door. Just as I was about to enter the lounge, Calvin bounded over like a gazelle.

  "Why don't you leave Calvin with me for a bit?" I asked Mrs. Bronwyn. "I can watch him."

  "Well, he does seem to be quite taken with you. I suppose that would be okay with me if the inspector doesn’t mind."

  "That is fine with me," he said. "I quite like the extra company."

  "Then it's settled! Calvin can stay with me."

  The dog curled up at my feet as I took a seat across from Dabruzzi.

  "How did you know?" I began.

  "It is my job to know. I am a detective, Ms. Flash. If I cannot detect a little girl hiding on a beverage cart, then I will certainly not be able to unmask a jewel theft, will I?"

  "I hope you're not mad at me," I said sheepishly. "I just wanted to know what everyone had to say."

  "I am not mad. I am actually quite amused at your antics. When I was your age, I probably would have done the same thing."

  "Inspector, am I a suspect? Do you think I could have stolen the diamond?"

  "I would hope not." He laughed. "But I am hoping you saw something. Or better yet, heard something."

  "Heard something? Like what? What does a stolen diamond sound like?"

  "Cora, people are often truthful with children, and careless. They tell them things they would not otherwise reveal to adults. They're more open."

  I knew this to be true. If I had a nickel for every time I heard people say, "Now, don't tell so-and-so...," I would have enough to buy a small town.

  "Has anyone said anything to you, anything that seemed a little unusual?" he asked, no doubt hoping I would have the missing piece of information that would crack the investigation wide open.

  "No, I don't think so. No one has said anything."

  "Think hard, Cora. Is there anything you saw or heard that might help? Sometimes people hear things or see things that do not seem important at the moment, but turn out to be extremely important."

  "Inspector," I said calmly, "I have been thinking all morning about that diamond and who could have stolen it. No one has said anything to me. I could ask some people if they saw anything. Maybe someone will say something to me."

  He leaned back in his chair, frowning a little. "No. That might be too dangerous. I do not want to put you in a position that might bring harm to you."

  I'm sure he meant well, but I was a little disappointed he was not letting me be an official junior investigator on this case. I would just have to continue on my own, I decided.

  Since Dabruzzi knew I had not seen or heard anything relevant to the investigation, and he hardly suspected an eleven-year-old, he decided to wrap up my questioning.

  Then he leaned forward. "Before we go back, there is something I would like to do."

  The inspector was so serious sounding, I was not sure what to expect. I was surprised to see him rise from his chair, get down on the ground next to Calvin, and start tickling him!

  "Who's the cutest puppy in the world?" cried Inspector Dabruzzi as he tickled Calvin. "You are! Yes, you!"

  Calvin loved the attention, and rolled onto his back and let Dabruzzi rub his belly and scratch him all over. To be honest, I was not sure who was enjoying the experience more—the officer or Calvin.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The train came to a complete stop in the town of Pecan River just as the inspector and I finished our conversation. He announced his presence in the dining car by addressing the whole group.

  "Excuse me," he said. "I realize we have a scheduled stop in Pecan River, and there are some additional passengers we are picking up. I have asked that the other passengers be allowed on, but restricted to the front of the train. You will still have access to the back few cars, as you have for the last little while."

  "Inspector," Mrs. Bronwyn interrupted. "I need to take Calvin out for a little walk; we'll be just a minute." She turned on her heels and started to head for the connecting door that lead to an exit. "Come along, Calvin, time for pee-pees."

  Calvin looked extremely relieved at this statement.

  "One minute, Mrs. Bronwyn. I'm afraid I must forbid you to leave this train."

  Everyone who was considered a suspect, including me, had gathered in the dining car and had front-row tickets to the exchange between Mrs. Bronwyn and Inspector Dabruzzi. We could not believe he was forbidding her to leave the train, and could not wait to see her response.

  Mrs. Bronwyn, who had been holding Calvin, put him down on the floor and handed his leash to the closest person, who happened to be Sheila.

  "Inspector," she growled, "we have been most cooperative so far with your investigation. When I booked this ticket to visit my sister, I was told we would be making a stop in Pecan River, where I would be permitted to leave the train for a short break with Calvin. The railroad company assured me of this. Now you’re telling me that I cannot leave? I ask you; what am I expected to do? What is Calvin expected to do? We are scheduled to be here for a very short period of time, and we’re wasting it. All I expected was a little break where I can exit the train, take Calvin over to the fence, and let him relieve himself."

  "Inspector," I said, hoping to cut the tension, "I can go with Mrs. Bronwyn and Calvin if that would help."

  "No, Cora, I'm afraid not. I cannot allow that."

  Mr. MacEvoy let out a nervous laugh. "Huh, he even thinks the little girl is a suspect!"

  "What I think," said Dabruzzi calmly, "is that I will accompany Mrs. Bronwyn and Calvin on the restroom break."

  She took a deep breath. "Fine." She exhaled. "Do what you must, but I’m leaving this train right now. Come along, Calvin." She took the leash from Sheila. "Let's go."

  Mrs. Bronwyn walked over to the door that connected the dining car with the sleeper car and made her way to the small staircase that lead to the platform. Dabruzzi followed her after saying to Willy, "Please make certain that no one else leaves or enters these last three cars, Willy."

  "Of course," he replied.

  Through the window, we could see Mrs. Bronwyn, still looking displeased, lead Calvin to a small fence at the side of the platform. We could not hear what she said, but could see her encourage Calvin to find a spot to do his business.

  Calvin sniffed along the fence perimeter and began searching for an area he deemed sufficient. With a couple of sniffs, he found the perfect place and lifted his back leg on a fence post.

  Although I was quite far away, I swear I could see the relief on Calvin's face. We continued watching for quite some time. It was a very, very long relief.

  After Calvin finished, the inspector turned to lead Mrs. Bronwyn back to the train. She yelled something, which we could not hear, at him, who rolled his eyes and turned back to the fence. Calvin, apparently, was not quite done yet.

  The dog resumed his sniffing along the fence, heading toward Dabruzzi and spinning around in one spot several times before hunching over in a squat position for the second part of his bathroom break. As Inspector Dabruzzi watched the continuing events, he took a step back.

  When Calvin was finished, he immediately tried sprinting back to the train, anxious, no doubt, to get back to the mystery. Mrs. Bronwyn tightened the leash, causing Calvin to flatten out in a stubborn concession of defeat. Mrs. Bronwyn reached into a little sack attached to Calvin's leash and pulled out a small black plastic baggie.

  She bent down and scooped up Calvin's business and neatly tied a knot in the bag before handing it to the officer.

  "She's giving it to him!" exclaimed Ted. "I can't believe it."

  Inspector Dabruzzi reluctantly reached out his hand to take the bag from Mrs. Bronwyn. As soon as he had taken it, she returned to the train. Inspector Dabruzzi deposited the baggie in a large trash bin. With another roll of his eyes, he followed her back to the train.

  Once inside, Calvin happily jumped into
my lap and started licking my face.

  "Oh, Calvin! You must have missed me."

  "You see, Inspector," Mrs. Bronwyn thundered, ensuring all the other passengers could hear her. "No harm, no foul. Calvin had his business to do, and that's it. No one made a break for it. Everyone is still here."

  Inspector Dabruzzi made a quick survey of the room to make sure she was right, and that no one had left the train. She was, in fact, correct. Everyone was accounted for.

  "Very well, Mrs. Bronwyn," he said. "You have made your point. As much as I'm sure you have all appreciated this slight diversion from our investigation, I'm afraid we must get back to business. We only have a little time until we reach Topaz Mountain, and I must finish before we arrive."

  "But there is no one left! You’ve spoken to everyone," volunteered Mr. Sloane. "Who will you interrogate?"

  "I'm not interrogating anyone," he said. "I am searching for information, hoping someone can shed some light on the case."

  Mr. Sloane rubbed his chin. "I guess that makes sense."

  Everyone slowly dispersed to take their seats, ready for the Dabruzzi to announce the next step of the investigation. Calvin had settled quietly in my lap and was starting to snore. The events of the room were not as exciting for a puppy dog as they were for the other passengers.

  The train whistle broke the silence, announcing its departure from Pecan River. We would soon be in Topaz Mountain. Not much time was left to discover who stole the Diamond of Madagascar.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  After determining that the diamond was not in anyone's possession, and not among their belongings, the inspector seemed to need some time to consider his options. "If you'll excuse me," he said. "I must look over the facts."

  And with that, he left us and entered the lounge. We could see him through the glass door of the car, pacing back and forth, talking to himself and scratching his head repeatedly.

  I knew there was no point staring at him, so I decided to conduct a search of my own. There were clues he may have missed, and I took it upon myself to discover them.

  In the sleeping car, there were only four compartments, one of which was taken by Mr. Sloane. At the end of the area were the two washrooms everyone in the regular car had to share. I wasn't looking forward to searching in there.

  The first room, closest to the dining area, was the compartment Mr. Sloane had occupied. I thought I would start in the car immediately beside it.

  My first thought was that in some movies, there was a connecting door between the cars. Perhaps that was how someone got in to the compartment to steal the diamond and escaped without being noticed.

  Once inside the compartment, I was surprised at how large it was, even though it was on a train. There was a large bench along one wall that I supposed converted to a bed. Across from that was a small sink and mirror. Immediately beside the sink was a tiny closet. I was a bit taken aback when I opened the door and discovered it was not actually a closet but, in fact, a toilet. Above the toilet was a showerhead, which I guessed would drain out through a small hole in the center of the water closet. It was all a little too crowded for my taste, but I was impressed at its efficiency.

  Unfortunately, my hunch was incorrect. There was no connecting door between the compartments. "So whoever stole the diamond," I whispered to myself, "must have entered Mr. Sloane's compartment through his door."

  There was nothing left to discover in this particular compartment, so I continued to the next one. It was exactly the same as the first, except the bench had already been converted into a bed. It looked like someone had slept in it. Perhaps Willy had taken a nap. After determining there was nothing of interest, I moved along to the fourth and final room.

  The fourth looked just like the first one, the one next to Mr. Sloane. The bed was still a bench, and the room was empty of anything other than what should have been there.

  Just as I was about to leave, I stepped in a small wet spot in the carpet. "Huh," I said. "That's funny."

  It was strange for there to be a wet spot in a room that was unoccupied. I looked up at the ceiling to see if there was a leak of some sort, but the ceiling did not show any obvious signs of leaking.

  My next thought was that perhaps Calvin had relieved himself on the carpet, not quite able to make it to Pecan River. There was a small box of tissue beside the sink, so I took it upon myself to press a few tissues into the damp spot on the floor. The tissue turned wet as it soaked in the liquid from the carpet, but it was clear, not yellow as I thought it might be. It appeared the stain was water, and not of Calvin's doing.

  Then I heard a loud thump behind me in the direction of the door. I had left the door open during my investigation, but someone in the hallway had slammed it shut. Since the door opened into the compartment, it would not have been in the way, should anyone attempt to pass down the hall. It must have been the motion of the train that slammed it, I concluded. My deduction, however, was short lived when I heard another bang on the door. It was not quite as loud as the slam, but it was even more alarming. Something was not right.

  "Hello?" I called. "Is there someone there?"

  I waited for a response, but no one said anything. Whoever had been banging on the door was gone now, but what had they done?

  I pulled the handle to open the entrance. It wouldn't budge. I tried my best several times to open the door, but to no avail. I could not get it to move. Someone had locked me in!

  "Help!" I yelled. "Someone let me out of here!"

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  I knew very well that the doors only locked from the inside, so I could not understand how I had been locked in the room. Pulling on the door had no effect; it would not give. Whoever had secured me in the room did not want me to get out.

  I banged on the door, yelling for anyone who was passing by, but there did not seem to be anyone around. Mr. Sloane's compartment must have been too far away for him to hear me.

  Suddenly, I remembered I had my cell phone in my pocket, but who would I call? I couldn't possibly call my mother. Mom did not know anything about the diamond theft and I certainly did not want to tell her about it until I was safely in Topaz Mountain. I wished I had a number for Willy or someone else on the train, but this was not the case. Earlier, I noticed Abigail had a phone on her that she would check from time to time. It was a long shot, but I had an idea.

  I opened an Internet browser window on my phone and logged into the Facebook application. Once I was signed in, I searched for anyone named Abigail Norton, hoping to see a picture that looked familiar. There were many, many pages of “Abigail Norton” contact records. I started sifting through them, one-by-one.

  On the fourth page, just as I was preparing to give up, I saw a picture that was most definitely the Abigail I was looking for. Quickly, I typed a message to Abigail's contact record and hit “send”. I prayed Abigail checked her Facebook account often.

  A few minutes passed, which felt like hours, and I even considered taking a nap. Just as I determined the bench looked quite comfortable, and would make the perfect spot for an eleven-year-old girl to take a quick snooze, I heard a voice on the other side of the door.

  "Cora? Are you in there?"

  There was no mistaking it. The voice belonged to Abigail. "Yes!" I yelled to her. "I'm locked in. Someone locked me in!"

  "Okay. Stand back from the door. We're going to get you out."

  I quickly moved away from the entrance and heard Willy's voice from the other side.

  "Are you safely away from the door, Cora?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  "Okay," Willy said, confirming he heard my response. Seconds later, I heard a loud crash and the door buckled slightly before flying open and slamming against the compartment wall. Even though I was out of the way, the sudden loud opening alarmed me and I let out a little scream.

  "Are you okay?" asked Willy.

  "Yes," I said as I calmed down. "I'm fine."

  Abigail asked, "What happen
ed? How did you get locked in here?"

  "I don't know. I was in here, looking around, and I heard a few bangs on the door. It had shut behind me and when I tried to leave, I couldn't."

  "That's because someone jammed it shut," Willy said. "They took this spoon from the dining car and jammed it in the door hinge, so you were unable to open it from the inside."

  "Who would do such a thing?" Abigail wondered.

  "I don't know."

  Willy looked at me with great concern. "Have you found anything that could lead us to the thief?"

  I considered the wet spot on the floor and debated if I should tell Abigail and Willy about it, but decided to keep it to myself, at least for now. Although I trusted them both, I wanted to ensure they would not tell anyone else. Clearly, someone was not happy with me, thinking I knew something.

  "No," I finally answered. "I didn't find anything."

  "Huh," replied Willy. "I think you should come back to the dining car. You need to stay with other people."

  "He's right," said Abigail. "Stay with me."

  "Okay. Safety in numbers, right?"

  "Right," Abigail and Willy said at the same time.

  We started to walk to the dining room, but just as we were about to go through the door, my cell phone rang. The call display told me it was my mother.

  "It's my mom," I said. "Hello?" I said, answering the phone.

  "Hi sweetie, it's Mom. How are you?"

  "Fine," I said. "I'm fine."

  "Have you made any friends on the train?"

  "I've made some friends," I answered. "There are some, um, interesting people on board."

  "That's good. Anything fun happening on the train?"

  I thought about her question but decided not to say anything to her, not just yet, anyway.

  "No," I answered. "Nothing fun is happening on the train."

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  "Ladies and gentlemen," Inspector Dabruzzi said as we assembled in the lounge. "I am afraid we have reached a dead-end. I have not been able to locate the diamond. It is still unaccounted for."