Collision

Chapter 7

That woman gave me the confidence to go after Daisy that night. I stared at her for a little bit before shaking myself out of my thoughts, grabbing two small cakes, and eating one on the way back to my compartment. Miss Debenham, my governess, Miss Estravados, my sister's nurse; it all seemed too much to be a coincidence. So I wondered if the people on the train I thought were dead ringers of people from my past, were not actually look-alikes, but the people themselves. That's it! I yelled in my mind. All of these people must have something to do with my family, so they must have all killed Cassetti out of revenge! There was one problem however. I didn't recognize all the people on the coach so how, or why, did they kill Cassetti? I thought about this question as I came to the door of my compartment. When I opened it Miss Debenham held out my winter coat. " Our interview is now, and it is outside. Come on." she told me. Lily shrugged on my coat, gave Miss Debenham the cake, and together we went outside where three chairs, a table with tea, and the detective were waiting.

" Miss Debenham, Miss Greenwood, you do not mind to brace the air? For you we have the picnic." the detective said kindly, kissing each of our gloved hands. " While you made my former roommate suffer cramped quarters. I see, choose the best location to extract the truth from each suspect. Put her off-balance, and me freeze. Clever." Miss Debenham said cheekily as she was seated across from the detective. He laughed slightly. " By the way, thank you Detective for allowing me to be with Miss Debenham during this time." I told him graciously as I sat down. " But of course! I am well aware of your injury Miss Greenwood, and I know she is the person who is making sure it does not get worse, yes? How is it?" the detective asks me. " Not terrible. The dizzy spells come and go, but it is not terrible." I replied. He nodded, and turned back to Miss Debenham. " Will you write down your full name and address please? Both of you?" he asked, sliding a notebook, and pen over to Miss Debenham. " A pale Mauve by the way." she said, as she wrote. " Miss Estravados told me you asked the color of her dressing gown." She passed the notebook over to me who wrote my name quickly before handing it to the detective. " Merci." he said, reading the names aloud, " Mary Hermoine Debenham. Lily Rose Greenwood". He looked at me quickly before turning back to Miss Debenham, " Do you ever go by Hermione?" he asked. " A constant Mary when I'm not employed as Miss Debenham." she replied. " Left handed." she said suddenly, " Unusual I know. You mustn't have your theory fixed if you are testing our handwriting." she tells him. He ignores her, continuing, " What did you think of the dead man?" he asked. " Uh, I can't say I did think about him. I don't quite see the point of your question." she said, and I noticed a slight change in her body language. I also noticed the detective hesitate before asking his next question, as if debating whether or not to ask it in front of me. " Excuse me, might I go play in the snow for this little interview since it has nothing to do with me." I ask, and Miss Debenham nods, adding, " Don't go far." I nod, and run a few feet away where the snow is piled high. I take a stick, and draw in the snow my theory, not far from the table I sat at moments earlier. " It has to be all of them. But what do they have to do with it?" I ask myself circling the stick figures that portray the professor, Mr. Macqueen, and Pierre. I looked behind me, and saw the detective and Miss Debenham standing about 3 feet away from where I sat. I see Miss Debenham look down before looking at me. I quickly covered up my drawing with snow, not wanting the detective to see my theory before walking toward her. Miss Debenham puts an arm around me protectively. " You care about her very much, do you not?" the detective asked when he saw the gesture. " She's a 14 year old girl alone on a train, and I work with kids as my job. Yes, I care about her." she snips. " Might I borrow her for a private interview? I promise I will make sure she does not faint or otherwise while with me?" the detective asks. Miss Debenham looks at me, and I nod. " You tell him if you need to go back on the train, okay?" she said to me, and I nods. Miss Debenham turns, and walks off.