The Clock's Chain

[ III ]

The Clock's Chain
Chapter 3

A field investigator on Aaron's death case is on the same train as him? Now that's what he'd call too much coincidence; or maybe a set up for both of them. Whoever planned this must have predicted their exact next step, means professionals. Dang it, thought Ray as he punched the wall lightly, he walked straight to the trap!

"Robbert-" he was about to warn him about the prodigy who planned this midnight train when the thought of he couldn't trust anyone crossed his mind. That's right. In an inevitable encounter, especially with a case still ongoing, he couldn't trust anyone. Even he had to doubt his own mind.

"What is it?" He turned over with a pen and his notebook on his hand. "I'm busy with this 'jumping man' case, boy. But I think we'll need a little private chat later." Focusing back to the crime scene, Robbert Faulkner clenched his fist on his pen; how come that Aaron's brother is on the same, moving train?

Ray was lost in his deep thought for a moment before he finally decided to clear this one little case first. He sighed, staring at the crime scene; where a man jumps off the train according a teenage girl. Sounds a little suspicious for him; why would a man jump out of the train in the middle of the night?

"Looks like we need some additional info here," he said to himself; tapping on the window glass behind him. Consider it as a warm up and a bit magic show of Norringthon's deduction. But first of all, he will need the passengers list to know if there's someone missing here.

***

"WHAT did you just say?" Robbert Faulkner pulled off the cigarette that was hanging on his mouth. "There's no one missing in this damn train?!" He almost bangs the dining table if Ray hadn't stopped him from doing so.

"Quiet!" warned Rayne Norringthon as he looked around; people are glancing at them. "Moreover, can you stop smoking in a freakin dinning cart?"

Robbert stared at those following people who were glancing at them and stub out his cigarette on the ashtray. "That's why we sit on the smoking area. But never mind that. I need you to explain what do you mean by 'there's no one missing in this train'?"

"Satisfy yourself, Mr.Faulkner." He pushed the passenger list he borrowed from the train conductor across the table. "I've already checked every room section with my own eyes the whole night." He yawned, remembering that he hadn't got enough sleep lately.

Robbert scanned through the list as he watched Ray eat his omelette with a tomato sauce. "Can I trust you, Ray?"

That last sentence coming out from Robbert's mouth stopped him from chewing. He didn't trust him either, but this could be a good opportunity. It's better than fighting alone.

Ray gulped his food before answering, "Last night, I thought that we couldn't trust each other. But I found myself wrong; we need to work together instead."

"So it means that I can trust you?"

"You bet on it," he answered; taking a drink from his plain coffee. "Also, you said that we need a private talk. What do you want to talk about?"

Robbert Faulkner leans closer to the table; he gives back the passenger list along with a case journal. "It's a little bit dusty, but this is Aaron's. Your brother's investigation report. He wrote it on his own will, although this wasn't really needed."

The glass clincked on the plate as Ray put it back down. "Then what you want me to do with it?" He's already his hands full of mysteries, unanswerable questions around Aaron's death and now someone wants to add it again. He sighed; just what on earth is happening to his life?