Week 4

Hello passengers and personnel,

By the end of this lesson, you should have put at least 3 posts under your person's name:

1. The Voki i.e the presentation of your person

2. Your witness report (recorded)

3. The first part of your story. Write as if you are the person traveling on the train. Describe your person, the environment, what is happening, who you think is the murderer, why it is done etc. It should be a story, not a description. Let us know what you see, hear, say, think... and as always, motivate your answers.

Good luck / Miss Swanson

my story

I am running down the platform, as the train is supposed to leave in a minute or two. I work as a waitress on the Taurus Express and I enjoy it very much, when we have nice passengers, otherwise it could be a bit boring. I am Emily Landrake and 22 years old. I am not like any other on this train. sometimes quite shy, but effective. I love to serve breakfast to the passengers because it´s good for me too move my legs. I look outside the window and see that it begins snowing. Emily does not like the snow. She would anyway not like to get snow in her face. Not so convenient. I turns around and suddenly a man in 24-year-old asks her where the toilet is. I am watching his beautiful eyes and gets nervous. I looks up again and asks the young man to ask about his question. Emily pointing to the left side and the man continue his way there. His eyes were as shiny crystals. There are not many who believe in first sight but Emily do. I continue with his job and then have days run out.Emily went to her compartment in paris coach. I change my clothes to sleepwear and jumped into bed. I closed my eyes and begin thinking about the murder of Samuel Ratchett. Emily was in love with louis but today she was really impressed by the charming man. 

Voki- Greta Ohlsson

The End!

My name is Lily Blake and I’m 32 years old and I’m quite straightforward and bossy. I like to tell the other waitresses what they should do and I’m a little lazy. My body is stout and I’m tough. I keep my long, blond hair in a tidy knot and my samll blue eyes observe everything. I keep track of everyone, both staff and passengers. 

I come from Newcastle and I have been working for the train company for eight years since my divorce from my alcholic husband. We didn’t ger any children. 

I like travelling around the world meeting new people all the time. I will work a lot during Christmas and New Year’s holidays to earn some extra money. I like fancy clothes. I’m secretly in love with the restaurant waiter Robert Jason. I sleep in berth nummer 4 in the staff section in the Paris coach. I share the compartment with Sarah Walker.

I know now that everybody killed him. But before I got the answer, I thought that it was someone of the waitresses. I don’t just thought that maybe he was kind of rude or didn’t tip them?

I was actually on the train just because I thought to my self that I would miss Robert too much. And I may as well get some one out of it. And maybe because I really wanted to meet Mr. Rachett. I have heard a lot about him. And there were going to be a lot of intresting people on the train. Also I was always working at the same place, and I thought it may be fun for me to get on a train and just talk and make food for people.

3 years later..

I and Robert Jason got married just last week. I found out that he liked me too, thanks to Mr. Rachett. The same day when Mr. Rachett was murdered he told me:

- Would you look at that? He, Mr. Jason, lights up whenever you smile. I think you should take a chance and just give it all you have.. It’ll be worth it.

I will forever be thankfull to Mr. Rachett, because of him I got my prince. I don’t think that Mr. Rachett was a bad person, just that he was in all the wrong places at the worst time. I mean if it wasn’t for him, I would never in millions years got the courage to go up to Robert and just talk. 

nånting?

Hello. I’m Wendy Lewis. I work here as a maid. I think there is something wrong here on the train... I mean, the count and the countess are a little special here. The count is very over-protective and he never let his wife talk to anyone. She always looks down, I think there is something wrong there. Well I spoke with my colleague yesterday. We spoke about it and she thinks that I’m right. She thinks it too, and it is a very akward feeling. I think that there is something special with them because they never ever speak to anyone and that is what gives it an akward feeling! But... Someone found a knife in the bedroom of miss Harriet Hubbard yesterday, and when I was in the kitchen yesterday at the night to get something to drink I saw that the knife was gone and before the knive was gone count André was in the kitchen, and when i asked him what he did there he wouldn’t give me an answer and just said ”nothing” I became a little scared, because he and mister samuel rattchett had a lot of problem with some money and they always faught about money. One day I heard them fighting very much and André said to Samuel ”If you don’t give me the money on thursday afternoon I’ll kill you. I don’t know what is going on here but I think that the count André killed Samuel and he just hid the knife in the room of Harriet so nobody would think it was him. But I still think that André is the murderer. I don’t know if it is true and we’ll see. 

Emily landrake - story

She running down the platform, as the train is supposed to leave in a minute or two. She work as a waitress on the Taurus Express and I enjoy it very much, when we have nice passengers, otherwise it could be a bit boring. I am Emily Landrake and 22 years old. She is not like any other on this train. sometimes quite shy, but effective. Emily love to serve breakfast to the passengers because it´s good for me too move my legs. She look outside the window and see that it begins snowing. Emily does not like the snow. She would anyway not like to get snow in her face. Not so convenient. She turns around and suddenly a man in 24-year-old asks her where the toilet is. emily watching his beautiful eyes and gets nervous. She looks up again and asks the young man to ask about his question. Emily pointing to the left side and the man continues his way there. His eyes were as shiny crystals. There are not many who believe in first sight but Emily do. Emily continues with his job and then have days run out.Emily went to her compartment in paris coach. she changes her clothes to sleepwear and jumped into bed. She closed her eyes and begins thinking about the murder of Samuel Ratchett. Emily was in love with louis but today she was really impressed by the charming man. 

Princess Nathalia Mirnoff

December 1974. I’m an old and ugly princess from Russia, my name is Nathalia Mirnoff. I’m traveling from Constantinople where I visited some friends at the Austrian Embassy. Together with me on this trip is my maid, Hildegard Schmith. She helped me with some stuff and gave me some massage at nights, because I have some rheumatic pains from which I suffer. When we jumped on the train, I saw many people, some regular some rich and many maids. I told my maid too carry my bags too my room, number three.

- Oh! I can hear some birds who are singing outdoor, so beautifully and wonderful. 

The train, ”Taurusexpress” was a very popular, nice and a beautiful train. Consisting of a dining car with a little kitchen, a sleep car and two passenger cars. When I came in to the train it was a red carpet on the floor, so beautiful and cozy.  I think that it was a bit cold on the train...

My first night was so weird. I was in the dining car and told the conductor to make up my bed. When I eat my dinner I sat with two older guys. After my dinner I went directly to my bed. I read until eleven in my british history book and then I turned out my light.

I couldn’t sleep because I had some pains, so I rang for my maid. I think the time was about a quarter to one when she came. Hildegard Schmith came and gave me some massage so I felt sleepy. I can’t say exactly when she left me.

I woke up suddenly when Hildegard woke me. She was pale and looked very frightened.

Mr Ratchett has been murdered tonight! And we had stuck in a snowdrift, so the train is fixed now and the murder can’t ran away from the train.

I was very scared because a murder are loose on the train, I felt discomfort in my stomach. Everyone went to the dining car because the conductor want to told us what’s happening the night. I felt so afraid then. But Mr Ratchett was a very stupid and nasty person. He has murder many children in his years so he deserve to be murdered, I think. But his family was of course sad about it.

I think the conductor is the murder, because he has all keys to the room and he was weird at the night. He was a bit quiet and suspicious. And the button from a conductor's uniform is found in Mrs Hubbard's compartment. The conductor's uniform is found hidden in the toilet in the Calais coach. He don’t like Mr Ratchett so much, so I think he is the murdered to Mr Ratchett murder.

Marco Foscarelli - Witness Report

Emily landrake - Story

She running down the platform, as the train is supposed to leave in a minute or two. She work as a waitress on the Taurus Express and I enjoy it very much, when we have nice passengers, otherwise it could be a bit boring. I am Emily Landrake and 22 years old. She is not like any other on this train. sometimes quite shy, but effective. Emily love to serve breakfast to the passengers because it´s good for me too move my legs. She look outside the window and see that it begins snowing. Emily does not like the snow. She would anyway not like to get snow in her face. Not so convenient. She turns around and suddenly a man in 24-year-old asks her where the toilet is. emily watching his beautiful eyes and gets nervous. She looks up again and asks the young man to ask about his question. Emily pointing to the left side and the man continues his way there. His eyes were as shiny crystals. There are not many who believe in first sight but Emily do. Emily continues with his job and then have days run out.Emily went to her compartment in paris coach. she changes her clothes to sleepwear and jumped into bed. She closed her eyes and begins thinking about the murder of Samuel Ratchett. Emily was in love with louis but today she was really impressed by the charming man.

Greta Ohlsson

The train driver started the motor and all the passengers were excited about the following days. I, Greta Ohlsson, opened the window of compartment 10, which is mine the whole trip, and my hair was blowing in the wind. It's Mary Debenham's to, the compartment, we share it, second class. The moon was shining in the dark and it reflected in my eyes. The train now have pretty fast speed so I pulled back my head and closed the window. I got kind of scared, because I didn’t notice that my roommate came in while I was living my life with my head out through the window. Right when I was going to fix my stuff and make my bed the waitress Sarah Walker came in and asked if I wanted any help to fix and pack up, she was a sweet girl and I received the help. Mary wanted to sleep in the top bed, so I let her, and then I made my bed. I felt hunger, I hadn’t eat since lunch, about 11 hours ago. Mary was packing up all her 3 bags, it was all clothes, clothes and some shoes... so well, I didn’t bather asking her to join me in the dining-car. I sat alone at my table, didn’t really know anyone, except Mrs. Hubbard and her daughter, but they had a kind of eagerly talk so I didn’t wan’t to disturb. Even though I was hungry I couldn’t eat that very much, it felt like something was wrong. I laid the napkin on the table and walked over to Mrs. Hubbard’s table anyway and had a little chat with her and her daughter. Right when I came, they stopped talking about whatever they were talking about before and instead we talked about dinner, which actually was very tasty. But after a while all three of us went back to our compartments. I walked through the hall and first when I came to my door I felt a terrible headache. I opened the door and walked strait to my purse and looked for an aspirin. No luck,  Mary Debenham wasn’t in the compartment so I couldn’t ask her for one. Mrs. Hubbard lived a few compartments away so I decided to walk over to her. But then I got unsure of witch was her compartment, and of course I chose the wrong door. There was Mr. Ratchett laying on his bed reading. He heard me and bracket his look in my eyes. 

- What are you doing here, Mrs. Ohlsson?

- I’m so sorry, Mr. Ratchett. I was going to Mrs. Hubbard but obviously I came wrong. I’m leaving. 

- You better. You are too old and too ugly, I don’t wan’t you in my compartment. 

I just got stabbed. Old and ugly? He doesn’t know how to talk with a lady. 

- Like I said, I’m sorry. 

I ended the conversation by closing the door pretty rough and then walked to Mrs. Hubbard instead. She was very welcoming to me from the moment she opened the door. 

- Hi Greta! What are you doing here? 

- I have this terrible headache and no aspirin. 

Mrs. Hubbard smiled too me and invited me in. She gave me an aspirin, we said goodnight and then I walked to my compartment again. My watch showed that it was 22:30 at night so I decided to go to bed. Mary was already sleeping in the top bed and snoring too which gave me a hard time trying to sleep and it took me nearly 30 minutes to fall asleep. 

It was morning. The sun looked throw the blinds and loose me right in my eyes. Outside the door I could hear people talking loud and upset. I got up and saw that Mary’s bed was empty. Right at that moment Mary opened the door and looked right at me. 

- Greta, come on! 

I didn’t care about changing my clothes, just walked out and there was really crowd of people trying to talk with the maid Wendy Lewis, all at the same time. 

- Mary, what have happened? why is everyone so upset? 

- Someone got killed last night. 

- Someone? who? 

- I don’t know, they are just about to tell us, quiet. 

Everyone had their eyes on the maid and she looked pretty nervous. 

- Ok, everyone just need to calm down. Go and eat breakfast and at the same time we that work here can talk about what we are going to about this accident. 

Mary took my arm and drew me back in our compartment. 

- Why don’t we go and eat breakfast? I asked.

Mary looked at me like if I should already know. 

- Are you really going and eat in public looking like that? 

I was only wearing my pink pajamas with teddy bears that looked like it was for someone in age 5. 

- Anyway, at 5 am this night I was going to the toilet, and I heard someone moaning. I called on the conductor and that’s when they found Mr. Ratchett. 

I lost my breath. 

- Did you hear anything else? 

- No, but Mr. Ratchett is dead. Now change if you are going to have breakfast with me, don’t go to the dinner-car with those lame pants. Or that shirt. 

Mary sighed and then walked out the door to the breakfast without me. I took a fast shower and then put on some new clothes. My jeans had holes on the knees but I didn’t bather, they matched my lazy t-shirt with flowers on. The clock was 10:am so I hurried to the breakfast so that I could eat with Mary. On my way to the dinner-car I met Mrs. Hubbard. She was kind of upset and right when she saw me she came right to me and started talk. 

- I need to tell you something, Greta. Yesterday it was someone in my compartment! I swear! So I called the conductor and when they came they was looking throw my room to sure me that there were no one there, and they found a knife! 

- Mrs. Hubbard! What was you doing with a knife? 

- It’s not mine! I don’t know how it got there. But then Mary Debenham shouted and the conductors ran over to her. After like 30 minutes they came back and said that Mr. Ratchett was murdered, and they think that it was with the knife they found in my compartment! And now I’ve been talking them out of thinking it was me, but I think I’m still suspect... What shall I do, Greta?

- And you didn’t do anything? 

- Of course not! My daughter was with me all night so I have proof. 

I gave Mrs. Hubbard a hug and said that it was going to be ok, if she didn’t do anything then she doesn’t need to worry. I continued walking to the breakfast and right when I walked throw the doors I started looked for Mary. She was still at our table so I sat down besides her and obviously smiled very lame to her, because she gave me that look that a fashion-freak gives you when your shoes doesn't match your dress. While I ate my toast I studied all the people in the dinner-car. Someone I haven’t talked to yet is George Arthur, he is a colonel and a little bird whispered to me that they found a button from a uniform in Mr. Ratchett’s compartment, that might be kind of suspect... I also heard one of the waitress’s talking and they said that at 0.40 this night Mr. Ratchett called to the conductor and said; C'est rien. Je me suis trompé. By translation that means; It is kidney. I cheated follows. But I think that he pronounced some words wrong and then it means; It was nothing. I was wrong. That sounds more right, but why french? Mrs. Hubbard didn’t kill him, I know that, and not Mary either. My eyes was lying on they, I know what they did and they are all going to pay for it. Those people murdered Mr. Ratchett. 

Story

My name is Sue watson and i’m a maid on this train. I’m not going to tell my age. You are probably wondering why. It’s because I think the age dosen’t matter. It’s just a stupid number. So, I have black hair and I think I’m very effective when I’m working. I don’t like stand idle. 

I’am from Brighton. And I was a housewife before. But since me and my man divorced I’ve been working as a maid for the railway company and I don’t have any children. I work on the train because think the life is more simple on board trains. 

I will work alot during the christmas and New Year’s holidays. I don’t have any relatives to celebrate with and I really hate being alone during the holidays. 

I share compartment with maid Wendy Lewis.  

I’m a littlebit scared right now. I am afraid because of the murder committed on this train. Maby it will happend aigen. You can never be sure. Me and my job mate are watching out for eachother because both are really scared. Who will miss me if i got killed? 

So I went to the resturant wagon to see if it needed to be cleaned:

I walked past the long corridor when I heard footsteps behind me. I stopped for I while thinking if I’m gonna turn around and pretend to be scared or just keep on walking. I just stood there when I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. At that point I got really scared. I turned around with very shaking hands. I looked up and saw Wendy

-Need som help?

-Oh my god! You almost made me shit my pants!

-Haha oh, i’m sorry Sue! I diden’t mean to. Haha but you should have seen you’re face thought. 

-Just shut up and come with me to the resturant wagon and see if it needs to be cleaned.

We walked without talking for a while. I guess everyone is a bit shocked since the murder was committed on Mr. Ratchett. I can’t go safe anywhere. Wendy interupt me in my thoughts 

-We haven’t talked so much about the murder. She said.

-Well, what is it to talk about? 

-I don’t know. Who do you think it is?

-We can’t talk about this here. Someone can hear us. 

-No, everyone is sleeping!

-Okey...

-So, who do you think it is? Some suspicions?

-Umh,actually... yes! I said

-Really? 

-Yepp. What about you?

-No. I have no idea. But tell me! Who do you think it is?

-Well, I think it is the conductor! Do you wanna know why? Ofcourse you want! I said and winked.

-Dah? Tell me! Wendy said.

-I think that because he has the keys to all roms. So he can easy sneak in to someones room, stab them and then walk out like nothing happened. 

I could see Wendy think on what she just heard me say. 

-Yeah, it seems logical!

-You think? I said.

-Yepp!

The day went quite fast. I sat in my wagon and listened to music when someone knocked on the door. It was late and I’am not the one who use to get scared but this time I got really scared. I was alone in the wagon. Wendy was out. I lowered the music and then it knocked again.

-Who is it? I said but no one answered.

-Hello? Who is it? I screamed.

-It’s me! The conductor! Oppen please! he said.

I got even more scared.

-Umh.. I can’t oppen. I’m not dressed! I said fast. 

Then I heard he took up his keys and he oppened my door.

-Hello Sue!

-H..he..hello conductor

-why are you lying to me? You are dressed!

-Sorry! I’m so sorry sir!

-Yeah yeah. Well, I’ve heard that you talking about me! Is that true?

-What? No! Who told you that? I said with very shaking voice.

-You don’t have to know that. Just tell me the truth. Someone said that you think I have murderd Mr Ratchett!

-W...what? No, no I haven’t sir! 

-WHY ARE YOU LYING TO ME?! He screamed. At this very moment, I wish I was dead.

-Okey. I have. But sir, I diden’t mean it!

-But now when you know my secret I have to kill you!

-So you are the murder?

-Haha stupid women!

That was the last thing I heard then everything went black. 

Marco Foscarelli

I’m Marco Foscarelli. I’m from Italy, but i  lived in Chigaco for 10 years now. I work as a salesman for Ford motor cars. People say that I’m a very happy person, I talk a lot and I love to talk about my work. I was on the train because I had business in Milan. So i was on my way to Milan. The night when the man was murdered, I sat in the dining-car for a long time. It was very nice there. I ate a big steak with mashed potatoes. I was talking to two americans. They sat with me and we talked about our work. We sat there a couple of hours and we bought some drinks and talked. It was really nice and we became good friends. We asked for the bill and then we all payed our food and drinks. One of the guys thought it was really expensive and was complaining about the price. But then it was something wrong on his order, they fixed it and he payed the money. Then i went back to my compartment it was empty. my roommate, Mr Masterman, wasn’t there so i watched some TV. I watched a football game between Real Madrid and Barcelona, El classico. It was a great game and it ended 2-2. Then it went to penalty shoot-out and Barcelona won. 

When the game was finished Mr Masterman came back from Mr Ratchett. He was down and felt very weird. He sat in his corner and read a book. The conductor came in to our room and made our beds. I was very pleased that he made my bed beacuse I was so tired. It was very hard to sleep because Mr Masterman had a toothache so he groaned all night. He kept me awake for hours. When i slept he woke me up a several times with his noices. Suddenly i woke up and heard weird noices from the compartment next to us. It was from Mr Ratchett’s room. I heard a scream, from a man. And then footsteps. I ran in Mr Ratchetts compartment and i found him lying on the floor, coverd with blood. His last word was:

- It was her. Mrs... 

Then he closed his eyes. I called for the staff and a doctor. They carried away his body and whispered to eachother, they told me to go to sleep again. When i woke up in the morning i went to the dining-cart and had a great breakfast. I sat with the two americans again and i told them about what I saw. One of them took a bit on his fresh sandwich and told me he saw Mrs Hubbard running to her compartment in the middle of the night. He was on his way back from the toilet. She was covered with a something and her shirt was destroyed. It was dark and he asked what she had done. She said she droped her shampoo when she took a shower. He thought it was weird to shower in the night but he was so tired so he went to sleep again. Then I told him what i heard and saw:

- I heard he was talking to Mrs Hubbard. They were argued about something. I think they were in love. Mrs Hubbard said she saw Mr Ratchett with another woman, Greta Ohlsson. She saw them kiss. Mr Ratchett said she attacked him and he pushed her away. But she got mad because she knew he lied to her, I said. 

 We talked about it for a while and we decided to go to Mrs Hubbards room and have a little talk with her. When we got there she wasnt there. But her door was open, so we went in. Under her bed we found a knife! Then in her bag we found bloody clothes. We ran fast to  Mrs Swanson’s compartment. She told us to show what we found and we went to 

Mrs Hubbards compartment again. She called for the conductor and his staff and they all came to take a look. We told everyone to gather in the dining-cart. Mrs Hubbard showed up and looked very uncomfortable. Mrs Swanson told everything and the conductor and the cook took Mrs Hubbard and locked her in the closet. On next station the police arrived and took Mrs Hubbard. 

witness report

Countess Helena André

My name is Helena André. I come from an upper class family in London. And I'm married to count André, we've been married for a year. And I like to go with my husband when he goes abroad working as a diplomat. 

Edward Mastermans witness report

Mr Mastermans story

My name is Edward Masterman and i’m 39 years old. Me and Mr MacQueen are travelling on this train to serve Mr Ratchett when he is travelling around the world to do business. Hector MacQueen is helping Mr Ratchett with the language and i’m helping him with other things like give him something to drink or folding his clothes and serve him as best as possible. We are travelling on the Taurus Express and it looks like its a big train with two coaches the Paris coach and the Calais coach and a dining coach. I sleep in the Calais coach and i share a compartment ith a big italian fellow, I think his name is Foscarelli.

In the first day nothing happened really, it was really boring. I didn’t have much time for myself because Mr Ratchett needed help pretty often but i still met pretty many of the passengers and the staff on the train, some of them was nice and some others were not very nice. In the afternoon me, Mr Ratchett and Hector went to the dining cart and had supper. I sat with Mr MacQueen and I think her name is Hildegard maybe? Anyway it was delicious and after some talk and maybe a cup of coffee we began to sleep for the night at about 9 o’ clock I went into Mr Ratchetts compartement and folded and hung up his clothes and put his false teeth in a glass. Mr Ratchett were a bit upset that evening because of a threatening letter he got earlier. He was a bit mad at me because he thought I had put it there but it wasn’t me, maybe Mr MacQueen? 

I am sad and a bit terrified because Mr Ratchett has been murdered! I don’t know who did it, nobody knows! But I still think it’s Mr MacQueen because i think he was with Mr Ratchett most that evening and I think he put the letter on his nightstand.

Dr. Constantine Witness Report #2

My name is Dr. Constantine and I'm a Doctor on my way to my hometown, Athen in Greece.
That's why I'm on the Taurus Express..

The other day I met Samuel Ratchett.
I saw that Samuel Ratchett had a chocolate egg in his purse, the egg looked so damn delicious.
I just couldn't control myself, I HAD TO TAKE THE EGG..
So I did, it felt like magic in my fingers, it's mine... Mine! My precious, I stared on it for a while and i saw that Ratchett took down his hand in his pocket.. Was it another egg?
No lol it can't be. I punched him in stomach and I ran away while screaming: LOLOLOLOLOLOL.. I was fascinated by his amazing invention.
I had never seen anything like that. Subsequent I went to my compartment and worked on the idea.
After i ate the chocolate i found something amazing.. It was toy inside the egg, The next day i went to Ratchetts compartment and saw that he was dead, It was a sign from heaven, I must continue the work on the chocolate egg. I must find a name for the piece of glory.. I might call it, "The kinder egg".
I went into Ratchetts compartment and found a handkerchief with a letter embroidered onto it, I also found a pipe cleaner.. Lucky me i don't smoke pipe.

But I found a blood stain on my white costume, I suspected it was period.. Weird, I went out of my compartment to get some food and everyone was staring at me really weird. After I ate my food i went to Ratchetts compartment once again and I saw something very leery, It was a medical book written by me! Everything was spinning around and i was thinking: Did i murder him, no it can't be.. I was in my compartment all night, I found a prescription of The Kinder Egg in Mr. Ratchetts cabinet I saw that it was containing loads of drugs. Was i the one who might have killed Samuel Ratchett?

The prescription:

Chocolate ova:

Chocolate ovum continet 40% Cocos et 40% albus Cocos
sed etiam 10% Marijuana 10% of alia pharmaca.

Signatus by:
Samuel Ratchett

Translation:

Chocolate eggs:

Chocolate egg contains 40% cocoa and 40% white cocoa

but also 10% Marijuana 10% of other drugs.

Signed by:

Samuel Ratchett

So that's what happend? I killed the rich american when i was on drugs?

Hector MacQueens story

Hector MacQueen was going to go on a trip with his employer, Mr Ratchett. Hector was a good looking man about thirty years old. He was Mr Ratchett’s secretary because he had to help Mr Ratchett with all kinds of languages. But Mr Ratchett had gotten threatening letters. He started to get them a few weeks earlier. Some one or some people wanted to murder him. It said ”We will get you” so Hector assumed that it was more then one person. An other thing was that he thought that Mr Ratchett traveled under a false name. He assumed it was to get away from the people who wanted him dead.

Then the day came when they were going to leave Constaniople. Ratchett got his last threatening letter there. When they went aboard the train Hector MacQueen went to his cabin to get some rest because he had to get up early to catch the train. His cabin was quite ugly. Later on, when he woke up and went to get something to eat. There, there was a detective asking all the passengers onboard the train questions. The questions were stuff like, why they were on the train, who they were and where they were going.

The train was quite big. He just noticed it. There were a few empty cabinets. The one next to Hector MacQueen was empty. 

But Hector MacQueen didn’t know that Mr Ratchett would get murdered onboard the train. The night before the attack he read after dinner he read a book. It was his favorite book that he had owned ever since his childhood. Then a little later he went and talked with a young English lady that lived in compartment number ten. He later, about ten o’clock wrote notes for Mr Ratchett. The notes were about tiles and pottery that Mr Ratchett bought in Persia. He wanted it for a letter he was going to send. That was the last that Hector MacQueen saw of Mr Ratchett before he was murdered. After writing the notes he discussed world politics, the government of India and the Wall Street crisis with the Englishman Colonel Arthur. Hector MacQueen usually thinks that Britishers are stiff-necked, but he liked Colonel Arthur. They talked until two o’clock. He then called the conductor to make up his bed. When the conductor had made up his bed, he went to bed. He and Colonel only left the compartment once, too stretch there legs. They did it when the train had stopped. But when they were going to open the door to there sleeping-car the door was locked. It was cold and snowing hard so we went back to my compartment. He saw the conductor pass by twice during our talk, once he was coming from the dining-car and the other time towards the dining-car.

He thought for a while, but after many hours I decided that it could be a conductor, Mrs Hubbard and somebody else. He wanted to be careful about picking as close as possible. This is why he thought it was them: Press here!

He decided that he wanted to find out more and be sure. So he spied a little on the conductors and Mrs Hubbard and he discretely tried to find out about more information about them. But did it so nobody would expect that he suspected them. But after a couple of weeks he gave up on his search because he didn't get anywhere on it. He decided to leave the mystery for the detective and went to sleep the whole trip without coming out from his compartment.          

                                                                                                The End

Sarah Walker- Story

It was a December morning, 10 am. I was walking along the streets in Istanbul. Christmas holidays were over and it was three day until New Years Eve. Usually I would feel sad about going home from a journey but this time I was happy. I had received a letter from my sister saying that it was a lot of snow in Edinburgh, the place I lived. Winter was my favourite season and Christmas the best holiday. For the last five years I had spent all of my Christmas holidays on the train or in a different city instead of with my family. It was very nice to see different cities by Christmas. All had their own way of celebrating it. Europe was my favourite, all the snow and decorations. 

   I realized I had totally lost track of time when I got to the platform where the train, the Taurus Express, stood waiting to return to France. While I slowly ran down the platform I looked at the windows of the train. I saw my own reflection, the short, black hair as curly as usual and the brown eyes looking straight into mine. I was wearing a red lipstick, as usual. When I got to the doors the big clock on the wall said that it was half past ten. Just in time. 

   When I had settled in to the berth number 4 in the staff section in the Paris coach I went to the dining car to prepare coffee and tea for the passengers. I looked forward to meet the passengers again. That was one of the reasons that I travelled with the train. I really loved to meet new people, which I did when I was a waitress. 

”Can you help me to prepare the compartments?” Luis Henry, one of the conductors, walked slowly into the dining car. I blushed a bit, Luis had always been the one I liked the most on the train. 

”Yeah, of course.” I put down the teapot and followed Luis to the compartments. After about an hour of work the passengers started to drop in. I helped Greta Ohlsson, the Swedish missionary, to get settled in. 

    It was a busy evening, more people then usual on this time of the year. The director of the railway company was also a passenger so we, the personal, wanted to make a good impression. I heard that the english lady Mary Debenham was talking quietly to the Colonel about something. 

”I can’t even enjoy the beautiful view like I’m used to.”, Mary said. 

”Schy, don’t talk so loud.”, the Colonel whispered. ”It will be over soon.” With those last words the Colonel left the table where Mary was sitting. He walked out of the dining car, fast. Mary looked around, took a deep breath and smiled at me. At that moment I realized that I had been standing still, just looking at them with slightly squinted eyes. I blushed a bit and hurried back to work. 

   After eight o’clock, people started to round off to go back to their compartments, alone or with company. When everyone had left and I had prepared breakfast I went to my berth to sleep. I brushed my hair, put on my nightgown and brushed my teeth. It had been a lot to do at the dinner so I was very tired. The last thing I saw before I fell asleep was the clock. 10. 

   ”Miss Walker? Miss Walker!” Someone was yelling my name over and over again. I opened my eyes and saw Lily Blake. At first I though that I had overslept, but then I noticed Lilys face. She was pale and looked very scared. 

”Whats wrong Lily?” I asked with a hoarse morning voice. 

”He’s dead. Mr Ratchett. He was murdered last night.”

    It was a very strange atmosphere at the breakfast. With the knowledge that I was serving a murderer, I wasn’t as happy as usual. I poured the tea and coffee, served sandwiches and bacon, everything mechanical. On our way to the dining car Lily had told me everything about the night. 

”We left Vincovi a bit late and then, at half past twelve, the train had to stop because of a snowdrift. No one was able to leave or get on the train. About seven minutes later, Mr Ratchett calls one of the conductors speaking France. Can you believe that? After a while Mrs Hubbard thinks that there is a man in her compartment, and her daughter stays in her mothers compartment till half past three. At 5 am Mary, you know the English lady, hears a moaning when she is on her way to the toilet. Of course she tells the conductor, who finds Mr Ratchett and fetches the doctor. Miss Swanson talks to Ratchett shortly and then he dies of too much blood loss. Can you believe that? He was stabbed between midnight and two o’clock. Miss Swanson found some things in Ratchetts compartment. I think it was a handkerchief with the letter ”H” embroidered, a pipe cleaner and a button from a conductors uniform. She also found a conductors uniform hidden in the toilet in the Calais coach. And do you know where the murder weapon was found? In Mrs Hubbard’s compartment.”

    Mrs. Hubbard was very pale where she sat, neither eating nor drinking. When I asked her if she was finished with the sandwich that she hadn’t even tasted she nodded slightly, smiled a fleeting smile and then continued to look straight down at the table. It was like she was somewhere else, and it didn’t surprise me. I would also be terrified if the murder weapon was found in my compartment, because that means that the murderer must’ve been in her compartment. Miss Swanson must’ve talked to her about that. I didn’t know what to believe. Was she innocent? Or was she the murderer? I sighed lightly, everything was a big mess. I turned around and looked and Mrs. Hubbard again. 

”I have to ask you, Mrs. Hubbard, do you know anything about the murder?” Mrs. Hubbard looked at first surprised and then offended. 

”I have to tell you this. Of all the times I've traveled, this is the worst. Not that it was a murder, but because you, the staff, is so incredible rude.” She pursed up her lips, lifted her nose in the air and dried her eyes with a white handkerchief with the letter ”H” embroidered on it before she walked out of the dining car with angry steps. I shook my head and went on with my job. While I was serving Miss Swanson I thought of what Lily had told me and the chat with Mrs. Hubbard. It must’ve been her. I came to think of the handkerchief as Mrs. Hubbard had used to dry her eyes with. It must be the same as the one that was found in Ratchett's compartment. I gasped, but I still didn’t know for sure who the murderer was. I actually had no idea when it all came down to it. 

    I had a break between breakfast and lunch and I used it for a walk on the train. When I got to the Calais Coach I heard someone talking quietly. 

”No, I'm sure. The waitress knows that it is we who murdered him, or at least that it is me. We need to get off this train before she tells anyone.” Mrs. Hubbard. I knew it. I just needed to see who she was talking to. 

”Okey, I’ll stop the train tonight, be ready.” Luis Henry. That one really surprised me. I didn’t even know that they knew each other. But then, what did I know? I didn’t stay another minute. As fast I could without attracting attention, I hurried through the train to Miss Swanson compartment.

”Miss Swanson.” I knocked on her door, breathless. ”I know who the murderer is. The two of them.”