Page 102 of The Secrets of Lord Grayson Child
“What train did he leave on?” Baines reached beneath the grille and beckoned to have the photograph returned.
The clerk came to the window and handed the photograph over. “Well, he hasn’t left yet. He bought a ticket for the one-thirty to Dover about half an hour ago.” The clerk squinted up at the sign, with its large clock on one end. “Daresay he’ll be on board by now—that train’s due to pull out in another three minutes.”
Baines’s expression cleared. “You have to stop that train.”
The clerks looked shocked.
“Stop it?” the youngest parroted.
“We can’t do that, mate,” the eldest said. “Worth our jobs, it’d be, messing with the schedule.”
“But it’s vital we capture him!” Baines insisted. “You have to at least hold the train and let us nab him.”
“Don’t know about that, sir—Inspector,” the eldest said, with the other four nodding seriously. “Not something we can do, is it?”
Fixated on stopping the train, Baines, joined by Littlejohn, continued to plead their case.
Izzy cast a startled glance at Gray, caught his eyes, and looked at the clock.
Gray nodded and moved with her to the other window.
He attracted the attention of one of the clerks and promptly asked for seven tickets for the Dover train about to depart.
The clerk reeled them off, took Gray’s money, and handed over the tickets.
With Gray, Izzy turned.
Baines was red-faced and close to shouting.
Hennessy, Donaldson, and Digby had seen what Gray and Izzy were about and had collected themselves and their equipment and started for the platform.
Gray tore off four tickets and thrust them at Izzy. “Go with the others. We’ll catch up.”
She took the tickets and went. In her skirts, she couldn’t run as fast as the men could.
Following the others, before she rounded the corner, she glanced back and saw Gray grab Baines’s shoulder and haul him away from the window, waving the tickets in his face. “Leave it—we’ll have to catch the train and pick him up in Dover.”
Izzy heard the first warning toot and, picking up her skirts, ran flat out after the other three.
From behind, she heard one of the clerks helpfully sing out, “It’s Platform C you want.”
Izzy was close behind Hennessy, Donaldson, and Digby when the three ran onto the platform.
“All aboard for Dover!” came the stentorian bellow from the guard at the very rear of the train.
Digby, in the lead, leapt up, caught the lever handle of the door at the end of the last carriage, dragged it down, and swung the door wide.
Puffing, Hennessy nodded at Digby and staggered up the iron ladder, then turned to take the heavy camera Donaldson held up. Hands freed, Donaldson turned to help Izzy up the steps, then grabbed the tripod Digby had been carting and leapt up after her.
The train whistle sounded—one long piercing blast.
“Come on, Digby,” Donaldson urged.
“The others are coming—I can see them,” Digby reported. Then he looked up and explained, “The conductors can’t let a train start if there’s a door open.”
“Clever boy,” Izzy remarked and made her way into the carriage.
Seconds later, Gray arrived, followed by Baines, huffing and puffing and all but pushed up the steps by Littlejohn. Digby nimbly hopped on board and slammed the door after him, just as an irate conductor came running up.
