Page 38 of Murder on the Brighton Express
He must be referring to Odette Pridhurst. “Do you mean she bobbed down so they couldn’t see her pass?”
He nodded. “When she stepped out of the dead woman’s compartment again, she was crying. Another woman also entered the first compartment. She wore a big hat.”
“Was it red?”
He shook his head. “That actress wore the red hat. It was another woman.”
I removed my notebook and pencil from my bag. “Can you describe her?”
He hesitated. “I don’t like saying this, but if it helps…she wasn’t very nice to look at it. Her face was disfigured here.” He scratched the side of his beard. “And she looked mannish, if you get my meaning.”
Geraldine Lacroix had described her compartment companion in a similar fashion. “And the third person you saw moving around?”
“Another ugly person, this time a man. Flat nose, a laborer’s clothes. If I hadn’t seen his first-class ticket with my own two eyes, I’d have thought he snuck on without one. But I swear to you, I gave it a good look before I clipped a hole in it.”
“He also entered Ruth’s compartment?” I clarified.
“Aye.”
“At which point of the journey did the passengers enter her compartment?”
“And in what order?” Harry added.
Mr. West leaned one shoulder against the carriage as he blew out a puff of smoke. “This is where my memory fails me. I think the cove with the squashed nose was last, but as to the other two, I’m not sure. I reckon they all paid their visits to compartment one in the first half of the journey.”
“Before the viaduct?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Is there anything else you can tell us about the flat-nosed man? Did you see him meet anyone here when he arrived?”
“Sorry, Miss, I didn’t. I get busy, seeing off passengers, communicating with the guards, that sort of thing.”
The stationmaster approached and cleared his throat to get Mr. West’s attention. The conductor hurriedly extinguished his cigarette and apologized to us. “I have to get back to work, but can I ask why you want to know everyone’s movements? I was told that girl threw herself off the train, but your questions make it sound like you suspect someone pushed her.”
I wasn’t sure whether to tell the truth or not. I didn’t want to worry him that there might be a murderer on the loose, but he could prove useful if he remembered something important. If he did, he’d be more inclined to inform us if he knew why it was important.
While I dithered, Harry stepped in with a ready explanation. “The police think she killed herself, but her brother doesn’t believe it. We hope our investigation will confirm one way or another for his peace of mind.” He handed the conductor a business card. “You can contact Miss Fox or me at my office. Thank you for your time, Mr. West.”
The conductor tucked the card into his pocket and gave us a nod before joining the stationmaster.
Harry suggested we stop and ask the other railway staff if they recalled the flat-nosed man getting off the first-class carriage last Thursday. Considering they saw hundreds of passengers pass them by every day, we weren’t surprised when none could remember him.
“He’s the key to this,” Harry said as we crossed the concourse to the exit. “Three witnesses have now claimed to have seen him moving about the carriage—Beecroft, who shared his compartment, Geraldine who saw him pass hers, and now the conductor says he saw him enter Ruth’s compartment.”
“How do we find the identity of one man in this city? His appearance is distinctive, but that’s all we have to go on.”
“Don’t get discouraged, Cleo. We’ll keep digging.”
“We will, but I don’t want to discount the other suspects yet. West says he saw the man dressed as a woman moving about, but Geraldine didn’t mention him leaving the compartment they shared.”
“She probably fell asleep,” Harry said.
“She didn’t mention it when we questioned her, and shedidnotice the flat-nosed thug. So she must have been awake when he passed. West also mentioned Odette, but no one else did, likely because she ducked under their windows. I think it’s time we question Lord Pridhurst. I want to hear his explanation for why his daughter was seen entering Ruth’s compartment.”
“Do you know where to find him?”
“Hopefully he still has business here in London. If he does, he’ll be staying at the Coburg Hotel.”
