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. \u201cGood morning,\u201d greeted Boco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMorning,\u201d replied everyone. James then recalled what the day was going to consist of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd there\u2019s the falsely accused suspect,\u201d mused James as he looked over to Edward, still stuck in his berth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight, how do we begin?\u201d asked Boco. Percy dreaded what James\u2019 potential answer would be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, isn\u2019t it obvious?\u201d asked James. \u201cWe have to get the suspect\u2019s side of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI suppose you want me to ask the questions?\u201d muttered Percy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, you and Boco just make sure you get Edward\u2019s story memorized in case I somehow forget. I\u2019ll do the asking.\u201d Teletraan and Amy then entered James\u2019 caba and he puffed onto the turntable. Once he was turned around, he rolled into the berth next to Edward\u2019s. The old engine was confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJames?\u201d he asked. \u201cAre you here to keep me company?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor the moment, yes,\u201d replied James. \u201cBut I need to leave to start my investigation of the Missing Special Coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInvestigation? You mean you\u2019re-?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGoing to clear your name. Edward, I know we have our differences, but I know you. You\u2019re not a thief.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTell that to the Stationmaster at Knapford.\u201d By then, Boco and Percy had backed into the berths near James and Edward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI assure you, we will,\u201d promised Boco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll solve this case!\u201d assured Percy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight!\u201d declared James. Richard then pulled out his phone and began recording. \u201cSo, Mr\u2026the Blue Engine, what can you tell us about the night of the Coach\u2019s disappearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Mr. the Blue Engine?\u201d Kaitlyn asked Richard and Percy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust go with it,\u201d advised Percy. Edward then began his story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was Nine O\u2019clock in the morning last Friday,\u201d he said. \u201cSpencer 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\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWas there anyone else at the station?\u201d asked James. \u201cAnyone that came later?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s four suspects,\u201d remarked Percy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSix, actually,\u201d corrected James. \u201cSpencer and the new Stationmaster could have hidden it away to embarrass Edward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPerhaps we should start with the Stationmaster,\u201d suggested Boco. \u201cIs she in today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s find out,\u201d replied James.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you so much,\u201d said Edward. \u201cI\u2019d love to get back to work and be Really Useful again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou will, Edward,\u201d promised James, \u201cThis, Sherlock James, promises! Come along, you two! The game is afoot!\u201d He then puffed onto the turntable and was turned onto the line for Knapford Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Sherlock James?\u201d asked Azuliterii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is going to be one of those days, isn\u2019t it?\u201d sighed Percy as he puffed onto the turntable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s office. \u201cWhat\u2019s the new Stationmaster like?\u201d Richard asked Percy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA little\u2026unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy is it that they want to talk to me?\u201d called a woman\u2019s voice. \u201cI\u2019m a very busy lady and\u2026Rickie?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait a minute,\u201d gulped Richard. \u201cRickie?! I haven\u2019t heard that since\u2026!\u201d 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. \u201cOh no,\u201d he said as he put his head against the interior wall of the cab. \u201cKatie Barker! Percy, you were right, it IS going to be one of those days!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRickie Boy!\u201d cheered the woman, Katie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know the new Stationmaster, Richard?\u201d asked Boco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s my cousin on my mom\u2019s side,\u201d explained Richard. He then stepped out of Percy\u2019s cab with Kaitlyn in tow. \u201cKatie, how did you even get here?! Did something happen?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, the best thing happened!\u201d cheered Katie. \u201cI\u2019m married to an Adrexian!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid I hear that right?\u201d asked Azuliterii as she stepped out of Boco. \u201cYou\u2019re an Adrexian\u2019s wife?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAzuliterii, yes?\u201d quizzed Katie. \u201cNot only an Adrexian\u2019s 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!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s \u2018railway\u2019 here,\u201d grunted Richard. \u201cSo, you\u2019re the Stationmaster here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKatie Barker, Stationmaster of Knapford, at your service!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, my engine and his friends want to ask you some questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, you\u2019re working here too?! Awesome! And who\u2019s the girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy daughter and current Firewoman. I didn\u2019t think to tell you, but Megumi and I married and are blessed with twin girls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m Kaitlyn,\u201d greeted Kaitlyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLovely to see you! Now, what\u2019s this about your engine\u2019s questions?\u201d Richard led Katie to the ramp where she faced James, Percy, and Boco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStationmaster, was there a coach in siding 3 last Friday?\u201d asked James.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t see any there. I see, this is about Edward\u2019s theft of the Special Coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEdward is no thief!\u201d hissed Percy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPercy, please,\u201d urged James. He then resumed his questioning. \u201cDid you see Spencer, Diesel, Thomas, Gordon, or Duck with a coach at all?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI only saw Spencer that day, as he was leaving after his argument with Edward. The other guys you mentioned, I didn\u2019t see them at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRather odd for a Stationmaster not to see them,\u201d remarked Richard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRickie, I promise you, I got word that they picked up their respective trains. A Stationmaster can\u2019t spend all day on the platform. Sometimes they need to go over paperwork in their office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe Edward misremembered where the Coach was,\u201d mused Boco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI 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. \u2026Or, if we can be fair for a minute, may have absentmindedly left it somewhere else on the island.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not likely, given that he was shunting here all day on Friday,\u201d remarked James. \u201cRight, we\u2019ll be in touch. Do you happen to know if the Fat Controller\u2019s in his office?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a matter of fact, I was talking to him before the Porter called me up here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPerfect, he should have a better lead on where the other engines are. Thank you for your time, Ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy pleasure. I\u2019ll get Sir Topham Hatt here so you can talk to him. Oh, Rickie, when you finish up here, we\u2019ve got a lot of catching up to do! And your daughter\u2019s so CUTE!\u201d Katie then pinched Kaitlyn\u2019s cheek before setting off to get the Fat Controller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Maybe she should help us,\u201d mused Teletraan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s doing enough as is!\u201d hissed Richard. \u201cI want as much distance as possible between us and her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaddy, why are you so uptight about your own cousin?\u201d asked Kaitlyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I\u2019ve known her longer than anyone here! Katie Barker is the typical Barker woman, a gold-digging opportunist! I doubt there\u2019s an honest bone in her entire body! \u2026Come to think of it, I think my mom\u2019s the only Barker woman with at least one honest bone. Heck, she\u2019s got a whole honest skeleton.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, she IS a policewoman people look up to,\u201d mused Kaitlyn. Just then, the Fat Controller arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI understand you have suspects outside of Edward?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d confirmed James. \u201cWe need to talk to Spencer, Diesel, Thomas, Gordon, and Duck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpencer is at the Works, going through routine maintenance. Diesel\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGreat!\u201d cheered James. \u201cWe\u2019ll start with Diesel!\u201d The engines and their crews then left for the shunting yards nearby.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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. \u201cGood morning,\u201d greeted Boco. \u201cMorning,\u201d replied everyone. James then […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[754,880],"tags":[482,9,146,597,337],"class_list":["post-6404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journey-through-wonder","category-story-journey-through-wonder","tag-fantasy","tag-kamen-rider","tag-sonic","tag-thomas-and-friends","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6404"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6405,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6404\/revisions\/6405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}