Murder On The Sapphire Bay Read online

  Blood coated everything.

  Pam was muttering, and the waiter looked like he was about to pass out.

  “Is this some sort of sick joke?” Olivia rounded on Pam, striding forward. Her cheeks were pallid, and rage burned in her eyes. “You think the murder mystery needs to look like this?”

  “This isn’t a part of the game,” Pam whispered, shaking her head.

  “W . . . what?” Olivia stuttered, head swivelling toward the glass again. “You mean . . .”

  Pam nodded. “This woman has been murdered.”

  I stared at the scene, aware of the irony we now faced. I booked the experience to do something different, to get away from the nuances of death and hunting ghosts. But here I was, faced with a real death.

  “Okay.” Pam took a deep breath and blew it into the cup her hands formed. She turned away from the scene and lowered her hands slowly as if purging herself of the image.

  “What do you mean, okay?” Olivia shrieked.

  I squeezed her arm. “Olive, calm down.”

  “Calm down? There’s a body in there!”

  “And panicking isn’t going to help.”

  “Panicking. I’m not panicking.”

  I turned to Pam. “What do we need to do?”

  “The train doesn’t stop until we reach the next station,” she answered.

  “Which is when?”

  “Sunday morning,” the waiter said. It was the first time I’d heard him speak, and he was on the edge of breaking.

  “Sunday!” I took a deep breath.

  That meant thirty-six hours on board a train with a dead woman.

  “Is there any way to contact the police?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “There’s a radio.”

  “Okay. Good. Make contact. Inform them of the situation.”

  “And what about this?” She thrust her hand out, without daring to look.

  “For now, we block off the compartment and make sure nobody comes or goes. Watch everybody and make sure nobody travels alone.”

  Just as the words left my mouth, the door in front of Pam opened and someone stepped through.

  The breath caught in my lungs, and my eyes darted to the scene and back before registering who it was.

  Jake.

  He looked at the four of us standing in the corridor, eyes questioning, and then he turned his head. I couldn’t do anything to stop him from seeing the woman’s body.

  “Oh, shit,” he muttered.

  “Your plan is working so far,” Olivia snapped.

  “You calm down. And you,” I grabbed the waiter’s arm, “find something to cover the window. We can’t stop people from coming through, but we can give the woman her dignity and stop a mass panic.”

  He nodded and rushed off, seemingly glad to be relieved of the situation. I also suspected that he’d be willing to relieve his mouth and it wouldn’t be long until the whole train was talking about this.

  “It looks like you’ve got things under control here.” Pam backed away.

  I nodded. “Go make the call. I’ll wait and help cover this up.”

  “I’ll be back.” She scurried past Jake, down the narrow corridor.

  “Does weird just follow you around?” Jake pressed his mouth into a grim line.

  I sighed and bit the inside of my lip.

  It sure did.

  Twenty minutes later, Olivia, Jake, and I entered the dining cart where Pam had rounded up the other participants. There was a woman in the corner sobbing hysterically, tissue pressed to her face. I wondered if she knew the murdered woman or if she was just sensitive. An older lady sat with an arm across her shoulder as the rest of the car looked on.

  I slid down into the booth with Olivia, legs hanging over the seat as I listened to everything. Pam stood in the centre of the room and took several attempts to calm everyone.

  She held up her hands. “Ladies and gentleman, as you’re all probably aware, a tragedy has happened.”

  A few murmurs went up around the room.

  Pam kept on talking “Someone has been found dead on the train.”

  Several gasps went up, and in the booth in the corner, the sobbing woman began to wail. Her shoulders shook, and my heart went out to her. Surely she was a relative or friend of the dead woman.

  “What happened?” someone shouted.

  Pam’s hands went up again. “I can’t say anything further, regarding the incident.”

  That was met with a round of louder mutters.

  “The police have been informed. However, the train won’t be able to stop until its scheduled to on Sunday morning.”

  “Sunday morning!” A woman said. “We can’t stay here with a body for that long.”

  The woman in the corner wailed again.

  “I need to inform you all,” Pam raised her voice, “that you will be searched and questioned upon arrival.”

  That was met with a roar of disbelief that built like a tidal wave. People threw their hands up, muttered, yelled, and complained.

  “That means the death wasn’t natural.” A man stood up, pointing an accusatory finger towards Pam.

  “Tell us what’s going on,” another man said.

  “We deserve answers,” a woman chimed in.

  In the corner, the woman continued to sob, head shaking as her grief poured out. The woman whose arm was around her looked angry and scared.

  “If you’ll just . . .”

  Pam tried to regain control, but the rabble continued, people talking over each other until the cabin was awash with panic-stricken voices.

  “Hey!” I yelled, taking to my feet. Then I crossed the floor until I stood beside Pam.

  That got some people to quiet down, but it wasn’t enough. Others kept talking, and I knew if I didn’t take control of the situation it would escalate until everyone on board was in full-blown panic mode.

  I stuck my fingers in my mouth and whistled, the noise splitting the room and commanding complete attention. All eyes were on me, and I floundered for a second, but then I glanced at Pam, her expression grateful.

  “Pam is trying to talk. You need to listen.”

  For a second there was silence, and I realised I had shamed them all into submission.

  That was until Tom spoke. “This is all part of the game, right?” A slow, lazy grin spread across his face.

  I could’ve smacked it right off if I was close enough.

  “This is no joke.” Pam shook her head. “This is not a part of the game. There’s a dead woman on this train.”

  Another sob from the corner. She was handed another tissue, which was joined with a host of others in her fist.

  “So we’re expected to sit here and wait it out?” a man asked.

  “And to think that that poor woman was killed by someone on this train,” a woman said, shaking her head as if she wasn’t here and involved in all this.

  “There’s a murderer on board!” a third voice said, shocked.

  The rabble began again, slowly rising to a crescendo.

  “Hey!” This time it was Jake coming to the rescue. “We need to stay calm.”

  “And who are you to tell us what to do?” a man yelled, standing up.

  “I’m not telling you what to do.” Jake stood up and took a step forward, gaze unwavering. “But this situation is not a pleasant one. None of us expected to find ourselves here, and panicking or starting a riot won’t do anything to help.”

  For a second, they continued to stare at each other, two men fighting for the authority, and then the man slowly backed down and took his seat.

  I looked across to Jake, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod and then slid back into his own seat.

  I couldn’t believe we were meeting for the first time in ten months under these circumstances. Now he was really going to think death followed me around.

  Pam continued now that she had complete control over the room. “We will all stay calm, and we will all stay together.” She eyed the whole cart, making sure her instructions were clear. “If anyone wishes to use the bathroom or desperately needs anything from their compartment, they must be escorted by me.”

  “How do we know you didn’t do it?” Tom shouted.

  I bit my tongue as I stared him down. Tom had gotten on my last nerve from the moment he first opened his mouth, and it appeared this whole thing was a joke to him.

  “It wasn’t her,” I said after taking a deep breath. “I was with her the whole time. I heard the scream.”

  “Maybe it was you then. Or her.” He pointed at Olivia.

  Olivia’s palm slapped the table. “Hey! Don’t you—”

  “Olivia!” I cut her off.

  Her jaw closed, but the eye daggers were enough.

  “We can’t start suspecting everyone of this crime. None of us are police. We need to stay safe until we arrive at the station. That’s all.” Pam closed a line under the subject. “There will be tea and coffee available, and I can field any questions. Or I can try. Now let’s all stay as calm as possible.”

  With her final piece spoken, Pam nodded her thanks at me and moved towards the back of the carriage where she’d sat earlier this evening, and dropped into the cushion like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.

  I didn’t envy her position at all. She was responsible for these people. That death happened on her watch, and while she didn’t do it, this would tarnish her name, her reputation, her mind.

  “Hey.”

  Someone grabbed my arm, and I turned to find Olivia standing next to me. Colour had returned to her cheeks, and she looked slightly more subdued.

  “Sorry about my outburst there. I think I’ve just about had it with that guy.”

  “You’re not the only one.”

  “Y
ou want a coffee?”

  I nodded. “Please.”

  She took off towards the back of the room, next to Pam’s seat.

  Order had been restored. A queue was forming, Pam was offering comfort to the grieving woman, and the panic had subsided. For now.

  “So?”

  I looked up to find Jake standing just in front of me. He’d loosened his shirt jacket and the bow tie was gone, but he still looked amazing. I just wished I was seeing him under better circumstances.

  “Hey.” I offered a weak smile. It was all I had.

  “This is a bit of a coincidence, if you ask me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We go on a murder mystery dinner and end up stuck in a murder mystery.”

  I nodded. “Tell me about it. I came here hoping for a normal night, and here I am fielding questions about a dead body.”

  “Did you see anyone?” he asked.

  “Where?”

  “Near the compartment.”

  I shook my head. “I heard the scream and stuck my head out of our booth. That’s when Pam and the waiter ran past.”

  “Was it close?”

  “Only a few down from ours.” I shuddered.

  “The culprit couldn’t have just vanished into thin air.”

  His words hung between us. He was right. Nobody vanished into thin air.

  My eyes flicked to him and then to the floor.

  “Hey, I’ve got your coffee.” Olivia returned, holding out a china cup.

  I took it gratefully, though a cup that small wasn’t going to last long and would require frequent topping up.

  “Thanks.” I took a sip.

  The caffeine drink was hot and rushed over my tongue. Instant refreshment.

  “There’s not a dull moment with you around, is there, Peyton?” Jake said.

  My eyes met his, and for a second I was scared he might just walk away, but the corner of his mouth flicked into a smile before he turned and headed back to his table.

  I cradled the cup as I sat down. Tom and his friend Aaron had vacated the table. I wondered if it was the negative vibes we were putting out. I could see them standing close to the door as if they were going to bolt. The pair of them looked like deer caught in headlights.

  “You’re quiet.”

  My eyes flicked into focus. Olivia was sitting across the table, hands cupped around her coffee, and she studied me intently. Her blue eyes, minus the usual glasses in favour of contacts for the weekend, were sparkling in the dim light.

  “I thought we’d do something different to leave the real world behind, and look what’s happened.” I hitched my thumb towards the narrow cart we were in.

  In contrast to earlier, everybody was subdued. Talk was low, with only one topic of conversation.

  “You do know that when we get to the station the weekend will be far from over.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Police will want to question everyone. We’ll probably be there for hours.”

  “I know.” I nodded. “That doesn’t bother me so much.”

  “What does?”

  “Aside from the fact that a woman has been brutally murdered, I fail to see how anyone could’ve possibly done it.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I don’t think she was murdered by anyone living.” I met her stare across the table.

  “A ghost?” Her eyes widened.

  I nodded. “A ghost.”

  The next half-hour crawled. People milled up and down the narrow passageway between the booths in the carriage and helped themselves to coffee. Chatter was quiet, speculative. Everyone had a theory. People eyed others with suspicion while the deceased woman’s friend continued to cry, her sobs more subdued now. In the corner, Pam fielded questions as best she could, looking more and more haggard as each person approached.

  Then my eyes met Jake’s. That look. Those dark eyes were unmistakable. He was sitting with his friends. The collar of his shirt popped open, revealing a little of his bronzed skin. His hand rested on the table as he cradled a cup.

  He was staring at me. Not angry or upset, maybe just bemused. I could see the cogs working in his mind as he tried to piece the puzzle together, much like everyone else.

  Even though his friends were talking, and every now and then someone would try and grab his attention, he only had eyes for me. I couldn’t look away. Instead I drunk him in, looking at his hair, strong shoulders tapering down to his chest. Stubble graced his cheeks just the way I remembered, and his dark eyes fixated on me.

  His tongue darted out of his mouth to wet his lips, and my core flipped. I clenched my legs a little tighter and let out a shuddering gasp. I toyed with the urge to get up and go over there, when I was hit with a blast of darkness so loud and sharp I thought I was haemorrhaging.

  Everything went black.

  “Peyton?”

  Olivia’s voice floated to me in the darkness.

  I put my feelers out, trying to reach out to her. I couldn’t see through the muddy sludge of my mind. My arms floated in the dark, unable to grasp. I tried to tether myself to her voice and travel back to the light, but as the echo died, reality became harder to find. I was lost in the darkness, falling deeper into the depths, when the voice hit me. It bellowed in my mind becoming a chorus of unearthly music.

  Next time, it’s her.

  “Peyton!” The voice was male, strong.

  And this time, as I reached out my hand, pushing my mind towards the light, I was met with his warmth and yanked out of oblivion.

  I was lying on the floor, head in Jake’s hands. The lights overhead were dazzling after the darkness, and I winced.

  Jake leaned over me. Beside him, Olivia’s eyes were full as she held her hand to her mouth.

  “Peyton, are you okay?” She moved closer and knelt to the floor, then grasped my hand.

  “Why am I on the floor?” I tried to push myself up, but Jake held me steady.

  “Careful,” he said in a husky voice. “You hit your head.”

  “That would explain the banging in my skull.” I winced.

  “You were saying something,” Olivia said.

  “What?”

  “Just before you woke up, you were muttering. Peyton, what happened?”

  “I . . . I think we were right.”

  “About the ghost?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How do you know?”

  I stared into her eyes. “He says you’re next.”

  “Tell me you’re joking.” Olivia’s face was ashen, eyes wide.

  I was worried it might be her turn to faint.

  “I wish I was.” I pushed my hand against the floor and tried to stand.

  Jake guided me, hands strong, secure as they supported my back.

  Back on my feet, I felt unsteady. My head was still woozy, and pain lingered beneath the surface but whether that was because I’d hit my head, or a side effect of the intrusion on my brain, I couldn’t be sure.

  Being blasted in the mind by such a loud, arrogant arsehole had been bad enough, but it was like he’d left a residue of darkness after I swam back to the light. It lingered, a black oily substance that stunk of evil, and it was slowly seeping into the depths of my mind. I knew this would stay with me for a long time.

  “Peyton!” Olivia grabbed the top of my arm, fingers squeezing too hard as she tried to keep a lid on her panic. “Tell me.”

  “Olivia!” I yelled, shrugging out of her grip.

  “Come on.” Jake halted the whole charade.

  People were staring, and I was the focus of attention again because of my fainting episode. My cheeks burned from embarrassment.

  Jake guided me towards the seat. “I think we all just need to sit for a minute and calm down.”

  “Calm down?” Olivia shrieked. “I’ve just been told that I’m next, and you expect me to calm down?” Her eyes were wild.

  Not that I could blame her. I knew exactly what she was picturing, because I was seeing it, too.

  Jake sat me down on the cushioned bench, hand resting on my shoulder, and Olivia, after taking a breath or two, dropped into the seat opposite.

  “Peyton, are you okay?” Pam asked.

  She looked whiter—if that was possible—as she set a glass of water down in front of me. Her face was gaunt, making her real age apparent. Her clothes were dishevelled and her hair, so neatly put up at the beginning of the evening, was now frayed as if each moment of stress had plucked another strand from its tight up-do.