The morning arrived and it was as foggy as predicted. Richard and his team prepared their engines as he, Kaitlyn, Teletraan, and Amy cleaned Percy and James before lighting their fires while Azuliterii looked over Boco. The three engines stirred as their crews finished their work. “Good morning,” greeted Boco.
“Morning,” replied everyone. James then recalled what the day was going to consist of.
“And there’s the falsely accused suspect,” mused James as he looked over to Edward, still stuck in his berth.
“Right, how do we begin?” asked Boco. Percy dreaded what James’ potential answer would be.
“Well, isn’t it obvious?” asked James. “We have to get the suspect’s side of the story.”
“I suppose you want me to ask the questions?” muttered Percy.
“No, you and Boco just make sure you get Edward’s story memorized in case I somehow forget. I’ll do the asking.” Teletraan and Amy then entered James’ caba and he puffed onto the turntable. Once he was turned around, he rolled into the berth next to Edward’s. The old engine was confused.
“James?” he asked. “Are you here to keep me company?”
“For the moment, yes,” replied James. “But I need to leave to start my investigation of the Missing Special Coach.”
“Investigation? You mean you’re-?”
“Going to clear your name. Edward, I know we have our differences, but I know you. You’re not a thief.”
“Tell that to the Stationmaster at Knapford.” By then, Boco and Percy had backed into the berths near James and Edward.
“I assure you, we will,” promised Boco.
“We’ll solve this case!” assured Percy.
“Right!” declared James. Richard then pulled out his phone and began recording. “So, Mr…the Blue Engine, what can you tell us about the night of the Coach’s disappearance.
“…Mr. the Blue Engine?” Kaitlyn asked Richard and Percy.
“Just go with it,” advised Percy. Edward then began his story.
“It was Nine O’clock in the morning last Friday,” he said. “Spencer had just arrived carrying the Special Coach at the request of his owners, the Duke and Duchess of Boxford. They were downsizing the amount of coaches Spencer needed since they only sat in one while he always pulled two. He told me to shunt the Special Coach away. I told him I was too busy to shunt it away, but he snapped at me, then left the coach at the platform. I needed that platform to arrange an empty train meant for the Anopha Quarry, so I put the Special Coach in a siding out of the way. Siding 3, I believe. I then went on with my shunting duties. Once I had finished, the Fat Controller and new Stationmaster asked where the Coach was. I found it odd at the time, so I told them which siding it was in. But it wasn’t there. I swore up and down that I put it there, but the Stationmaster said that I stole it. That was when the Fat Controller said that, until the case was solved, I was to remain here at Tidmouth Sheds.”
“Was there anyone else at the station?” asked James. “Anyone that came later?”
“Let’s see, after I shunted the coach away, there was Diesel, then there was Thomas with his afternoon passenger run, then Gordon returned after his return express, and then there was Duck looking for some form of new rolling stock on the Little Western.”
“That’s four suspects,” remarked Percy.
“Six, actually,” corrected James. “Spencer and the new Stationmaster could have hidden it away to embarrass Edward.”
“Perhaps we should start with the Stationmaster,” suggested Boco. “Is she in today?”
“Let’s find out,” replied James.
“Thank you so much,” said Edward. “I’d love to get back to work and be Really Useful again.”
“You will, Edward,” promised James, “This, Sherlock James, promises! Come along, you two! The game is afoot!” He then puffed onto the turntable and was turned onto the line for Knapford Station.
“…Sherlock James?” asked Azuliterii.
“This is going to be one of those days, isn’t it?” sighed Percy as he puffed onto the turntable.
The three engines and their crews made it to Knapford Station and asked to speak with the Stationmaster. The porter they asked then dashed to the Stationmaster’s office. “What’s the new Stationmaster like?” Richard asked Percy.
“A little…unusual.”
“Why is it that they want to talk to me?” called a woman’s voice. “I’m a very busy lady and…Rickie?!”
“Wait a minute,” gulped Richard. “Rickie?! I haven’t heard that since…!” He stuck his head out of the cab and saw a brunette woman with her hair in a bun and wearing lipstick. She smiled wide when she saw him. Richard, on the other hand, groaned. “Oh no,” he said as he put his head against the interior wall of the cab. “Katie Barker! Percy, you were right, it IS going to be one of those days!”
“Rickie Boy!” cheered the woman, Katie.
“You know the new Stationmaster, Richard?” asked Boco.
“She’s my cousin on my mom’s side,” explained Richard. He then stepped out of Percy’s cab with Kaitlyn in tow. “Katie, how did you even get here?! Did something happen?!”
“Yes, the best thing happened!” cheered Katie. “I’m married to an Adrexian!”
“Did I hear that right?” asked Azuliterii as she stepped out of Boco. “You’re an Adrexian’s wife?”
“Azuliterii, yes?” quizzed Katie. “Not only an Adrexian’s wife, she turned me into one! I was feeling low and jaded, then the most glamorous woman descended from the heavens and showed me the multiverse! She then cured me of aging and death and now, here I am, living the life I deserve and working on this little railroad!”
“It’s ‘railway’ here,” grunted Richard. “So, you’re the Stationmaster here?”
“Katie Barker, Stationmaster of Knapford, at your service!”
“Well, my engine and his friends want to ask you some questions.”
“Oh, you’re working here too?! Awesome! And who’s the girl?”
“My daughter and current Firewoman. I didn’t think to tell you, but Megumi and I married and are blessed with twin girls.”
“I’m Kaitlyn,” greeted Kaitlyn.
“Lovely to see you! Now, what’s this about your engine’s questions?” Richard led Katie to the ramp where she faced James, Percy, and Boco.
“Stationmaster, was there a coach in siding 3 last Friday?” asked James.
“I didn’t see any there. I see, this is about Edward’s theft of the Special Coach.”
“Edward is no thief!” hissed Percy.
“Percy, please,” urged James. He then resumed his questioning. “Did you see Spencer, Diesel, Thomas, Gordon, or Duck with a coach at all?”
“I only saw Spencer that day, as he was leaving after his argument with Edward. The other guys you mentioned, I didn’t see them at all.”
“Rather odd for a Stationmaster not to see them,” remarked Richard.
“Rickie, I promise you, I got word that they picked up their respective trains. A Stationmaster can’t spend all day on the platform. Sometimes they need to go over paperwork in their office.”
“Maybe Edward misremembered where the Coach was,” mused Boco.
“I DID account for that and had the other sidings searched, but there was no Special Coach in them, and no one picked it up by accident. The only logical conclusion for me is that Edward stole it. …Or, if we can be fair for a minute, may have absentmindedly left it somewhere else on the island.”
“That’s not likely, given that he was shunting here all day on Friday,” remarked James. “Right, we’ll be in touch. Do you happen to know if the Fat Controller’s in his office?”
“As a matter of fact, I was talking to him before the Porter called me up here.”
“Perfect, he should have a better lead on where the other engines are. Thank you for your time, Ma’am.”
“My pleasure. I’ll get Sir Topham Hatt here so you can talk to him. Oh, Rickie, when you finish up here, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do! And your daughter’s so CUTE!” Katie then pinched Kaitlyn’s cheek before setting off to get the Fat Controller.
“…Maybe she should help us,” mused Teletraan.
“She’s doing enough as is!” hissed Richard. “I want as much distance as possible between us and her!”
“Daddy, why are you so uptight about your own cousin?” asked Kaitlyn.
“Because I’ve known her longer than anyone here! Katie Barker is the typical Barker woman, a gold-digging opportunist! I doubt there’s an honest bone in her entire body! …Come to think of it, I think my mom’s the only Barker woman with at least one honest bone. Heck, she’s got a whole honest skeleton.”
“Well, she IS a policewoman people look up to,” mused Kaitlyn. Just then, the Fat Controller arrived.
“I understand you have suspects outside of Edward?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir,” confirmed James. “We need to talk to Spencer, Diesel, Thomas, Gordon, and Duck.”
“Spencer is at the Works, going through routine maintenance. Diesel’s at the shunting yards here. Thomas is in the sheds on his branch line due to there not being enough passengers for both him and Daisy. Gordon is due to arrive in Vicarstown for a rest. Duck is at Arlesdale to help Oliver arrange the ballast trains.”
“Great!” cheered James. “We’ll start with Diesel!” The engines and their crews then left for the shunting yards nearby.
