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¡¡¡¡The¡¡investigator¡¡gave¡¡her¡¡his¡¡attention¡¡and¡¡everyone¡¡leaned¡¡forward¡¡slightly¡¡to¡¡hear¡¡the¡¡answer¡£
¡¡¡¡'It's¡¡possible¡£¡¡It¡¡can¡¡be¡¡done¡¡also¡¡while¡¡the¡¡train¡¡is¡¡moving£»¡¡which¡¡is¡¡why¡¡we¡¡want¡¡to¡¡know¡¡if¡¡there¡¡was¡¡anyone¡¡in¡¡the¡¡dome¡¡car¡¡who¡¡was¡¡unknown¡¡to¡¡you¡¡all¡£¡¡Unknown¡¡to¡¡any¡¡of¡¡you£»¡¡I¡¡should¡¡say¡£'
¡¡¡¡There¡¡was¡¡a¡¡long£»¡¡respectful£»¡¡understanding¡¡silence¡£
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¡¡¡¡'You¡¡don't¡¡think£»'¡¡Mrs¡¡Young¡¡said£»¡¡putting¡¡her¡¡finger¡¡unerringly¡¡on¡¡the¡¡implication£»¡¡'that¡¡the¡¡car¡¡was¡¡unhitched¡¡by¡¡someone¡¡in¡¡our¡¡party'£¿'
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¡¡¡¡A¡¡man¡¡at¡¡the¡¡back¡¡of¡¡the¡¡crowd¡¡said£»¡¡'I¡¡was¡¡sitting¡¡in¡¡the¡¡dome¡¡car¡¡lounge¡¡when¡¡Xanthe¡¡came¡¡through£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡can¡¡tell¡¡you¡¡that¡¡no¡¡one¡¡had¡¡e¡¡the¡¡other¡¡way¡£¡¡I¡¡mean£»¡¡we¡¡all¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡only¡¡the¡¡Lorrimores'¡¡car¡¡was¡¡behind¡¡the¡¡dome¡¡car¡£¡¡If¡¡anyone¡¡except¡¡the¡¡Lorrimores¡¡had¡¡gone¡¡that¡¡way¡¡and¡¡e¡¡back¡¡again¡£¡£¡£¡¡well¡£¡£¡£¡¡we¡¡would¡¡have¡¡noticed¡£'
¡¡¡¡Another¡¡nodding¡¡of¡¡heads¡£¡¡People¡¡noticed¡¡everything¡¡to¡¡do¡¡with¡¡the¡¡Lorrimores¡£
¡¡¡¡I¡¡was¡¡watching¡¡the¡¡scene¡¡from¡¡the¡¡kitchen¡¡end¡¡of¡¡the¡¡dining¡¡car£»¡¡standing¡¡just¡¡behind¡¡Emil£»¡¡Cathy¡¡and¡¡Oliver¡£¡¡I¡¡could¡¡see¡¡Xanthe's¡¡troubled¡¡face¡¡clearly£»¡¡and¡¡also¡¡Filmer's¡¡beside¡¡her¡£¡¡He¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡me¡¡to¡¡be¡¡showing¡¡diminishing¡¡interest¡¡in¡¡the¡¡enquiry£»¡¡turning¡¡his¡¡tidily¡¡brushed¡¡head¡¡away¡¡to¡¡look¡¡out¡¡of¡¡the¡¡window¡¡instead¡£¡¡There¡¡was¡¡no¡¡tension¡¡in¡¡him£º¡¡when¡¡he¡¡was¡¡tense¡¡there¡¡was¡¡a¡¡rigidity¡¡in¡¡his¡¡neck¡¡muscles£»¡¡a¡¡rigidity¡¡I'd¡¡watched¡¡from¡¡the¡¡depths¡¡of¡¡the¡¡crowd¡¡during¡¡the¡¡brief¡¡day¡¡of¡¡his¡¡trial¡¡and¡¡seen¡¡a¡¡few¡¡times¡¡since£»¡¡as¡¡at¡¡Nottingham¡£¡¡When¡¡Filmer¡¡felt¡¡tense£»¡¡it¡¡showed¡£
¡¡¡¡Even¡¡as¡¡I¡¡watched¡¡him£»¡¡his¡¡neck¡¡went¡¡rigid¡£
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¡¡¡¡There¡¡was¡¡a¡¡munal¡¡sigh¡¡as¡¡the¡¡real¡life¡¡investigation¡¡broke¡¡up¡£¡¡Zak£»¡¡I¡¡thought£»¡¡would¡¡be¡¡finding¡¡the¡¡petition¡¡too¡¡stiff£»¡¡the¡¡fiction¡¡an¡¡anti¡climax¡¡after¡¡the¡¡fact¡£¡¡He¡¡hadn't¡¡appeared¡¡for¡¡this¡¡scene£º¡¡none¡¡of¡¡the¡¡actors¡¡had¡£
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¡¡¡¡Filmer¡¡was¡¡yelling¡¡furiously£»¡¡'I¡¡said¡¡before¡¡Vancouver¡£'
¡¡¡¡The¡¡gaunt¡¡man¡¡with¡¡a¡¡snarl¡¡in¡¡his¡¡Canadian¡¡voice¡¡said£»¡¡'You¡¡said¡¡before¡¡Winnipeg£»¡¡and¡¡I've¡¡done¡¡it¡¡and¡¡I¡¡want¡¡my¡¡money¡£'
¡¡¡¡'Cooee'¡¡trilled¡¡Daffodil£»¡¡teetering¡¡towards¡¡them¡¡in¡¡chinchillas¡¡and¡¡high¡heeled¡¡boots¡£¡¡'Are¡¡we¡¡going¡¡to¡¡see¡¡Laurentide¡¡Ice£¿'
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¡¡¡¡¡¡Chapter¡¡Ten
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¡¡¡¡Blast¡¡her£»¡¡I¡¡thought¡¡intensely¡£¡¡Triple¡¡bloody¡¡shit£»¡¡and¡¡several¡¡other¡¡words¡¡to¡¡that¡¡effect¡£
¡¡¡¡I¡¡watched¡¡through¡¡George's¡¡window¡¡as¡¡Filmer¡¡made¡¡great¡¡efforts¡¡to¡¡go¡¡towards¡¡her¡¡with¡¡a¡¡smile£»¡¡drawing¡¡attention¡¡away¡¡from¡¡the¡¡gaunt¡faced¡¡man£»¡¡who¡¡returned¡¡to¡¡the¡¡station¡£
¡¡¡¡Before¡¡Winnipeg£»¡¡before¡¡Vancouver¡£¡¡Julius¡¡Apollo¡¡had¡¡mixed¡¡them¡¡up¡¡yet¡¡again¡£¡¡'You¡¡said¡¡before¡¡Winnipeg£»¡¡and¡¡I've¡¡done¡¡it¡£¡¡I¡¡want¡¡my¡¡money¡£'¡¡Heavy¡¡words£»¡¡full¡¡of¡¡threat¡£
¡¡¡¡What¡¡before¡¡Winnipeg£¿¡¡What¡¡had¡¡he¡¡done£¿
¡¡¡¡What¡¡indeed¡£
¡¡¡¡It¡¡couldn't¡¡have¡¡been¡¡the¡¡Lorrimores'¡¡car£»¡¡I¡¡thought¡£¡¡Filmer¡¡had¡¡shown¡¡no¡¡interest¡¡and¡¡no¡¡tension£»¡¡had¡¡been¡¡obviously¡¡uninvolved¡£¡¡But¡¡then¡¡he¡¡would¡¡have¡¡been¡¡calm£»¡¡I¡¡supposed£»¡¡if¡¡he¡¡hadn't¡¡been¡¡expecting¡¡anything¡¡to¡¡happen¡¡except¡¡before¡¡Vancouver¡£¡¡He¡¡hadn't¡¡been¡¡expecting¡¡the¡¡Lorrimores'¡¡car¡¡to¡¡be¡¡uncoupled¡¡before¡¡either¡¡city£»¡¡of¡¡that¡¡I¡¡was¡¡certain¡£¡¡He¡¡had¡¡instead¡¡been¡¡cultivating¡¡his¡¡acquaintanceship¡¡with¡¡Mercer£»¡¡a¡¡game¡¡plan¡¡that¡¡would¡¡have¡¡e¡¡to¡¡an¡¡abrupt¡¡end¡¡if¡¡the¡¡Lorrimores¡¡had¡¡deserted¡¡the¡¡trip£»¡¡which¡¡they¡¡would¡¡have¡¡done¡¡at¡¡once¡¡if¡¡the¡¡Canadian¡¡had¡¡ploughed¡¡into¡¡their¡¡home¡from¡home¡£
¡¡¡¡If¡¡not¡¡the¡¡Lorrimore's¡¡car£»¡¡what¡¡else¡¡had¡¡happened£¿¡¡What¡¡had¡¡happened¡¡before¡¡Winnipeg¡¡that¡¡Filmer¡¡had¡¡intended¡¡to¡¡happen¡¡before¡¡Vancouver£¿¡¡In¡¡what¡¡way¡¡had¡¡the¡¡gaunt¡¡man¡¡already¡¡earned¡¡his¡¡money£¿
¡¡¡¡Anyone's¡¡guess£»¡¡I¡¡thought¡£
¡¡¡¡He¡¡could¡¡have¡¡robbed¡¡someone£»¡¡bribed¡¡a¡¡stable¡¡lad£»¡¡nobbled¡¡a¡¡horse¡£¡£¡£
¡¡¡¡Nobbled¡¡a¡¡horse¡¡that¡¡was¡¡going¡¡to¡¡run¡¡at¡¡Winnipeg£»¡¡instead¡¡of¡¡one¡¡running¡¡at¡¡Vancouver£¿
¡¡¡¡From¡¡the¡¡fury¡¡in¡¡their¡¡voices£»¡¡the¡¡mistake¡¡had¡¡been¡¡devastating¡£
¡¡¡¡Only¡¡Flokati¡¡and¡¡Upper¡¡Gumtree¡¡were¡¡due¡¡to¡¡run¡¡at¡¡Winnipeg¡£¡£¡£¡¡Laurentide¡¡Ice¡¡was¡¡running¡¡at¡¡Vancouver¡¡against¡¡Voting¡¡Right¡¡and¡¡Sparrowgrass¡£¡£¡£¡£¡¡Could¡¡Filmer¡¡have¡¡been¡¡so¡¡stupid¡¡as¡¡to¡¡get¡¡the¡¡horses'¡¡names¡¡wrong¡¡in¡¡addition¡¡to¡¡the¡¡cities£¿¡¡No£»¡¡he¡¡couldn't¡£
¡¡¡¡Impasse¡£¡¡Yet¡£¡£¡£¡¡gaunt¡face¡¡had¡¡done¡¡something¡£
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