“I don’t know, people wanting to get to know people, have some laughs, but I am literally in a car full of sleeping duds. I tried to engage one lady into a conversation, and she threatened to call the police and have me banned,” he says, laughing.
“Did she give a reason?” I ask.
“I was being too nosey, so I must be up to no good,” he says, rolling his eyes, and I have to laugh at that statement.
“Well, you can be a little more inquisitive than most people,” I tell him.
“I like conversation. I like getting to know people. Is that so wrong?” he asks, pouting.
“No, sweetie, it’s not wrong, you just have to know your crowd, and obviously that isn’t it,” I tell him as I give him a sad face.
“Right. So, tell me about the conductor,” he says, getting into work mode.
“Let’s grab coffee and a sandwich, then we can sit down and chat. In fact, I’ll get the orders, and you guys go find us a table out of the way,” I tell both of them just as the lady calls next, and that’s us.
I step up to the counter, ordering all of us a coffee and breakfast sandwich. The lady hands me my order, and I thank her, before carrying everything over to the table that the men found. I pass everything out and then take a seat.
I take a bite of my sandwich and take a sip of my coffee, as Shane explains everything that’s happened with the conductor so far.
“Whoo, the man seriously asked for a threesome?” Heath questions.
“Pretty much, yep,” I say before taking a sip of my coffee, then continue, “Makes me wonder if that’s exactly what he said to all the other women.”
“I’m just floored he was awake to come on board,” Heath says.
“Oh, I had a few words with him before I boarded,” Shane says, but I interrupt.
“Though I don’t think he took the hint, by the remark he made when he was briefing us before the train started to move.” I tell Heath about the comment of riding on the seat or wherever and the smirk.
“Interesting. So, the man definitely saw something. Did he ever get interviewed last time?” Heath asks.
“I don’t know, and we don’t have that file with us, since the murders just happened a couple of days ago,” Shane says, but I make a mental note to check when we get back to the precinct.
“My question is, where has he been all this time? Shane says he hasn’t been back in the car since announcing the cafe was open?”
“Maybe the conductors get their own private cars,” Heath says with a shrug.
“Huh?” I ask.
“There are private cars on the train. They cost a pretty penny, but you essentially get your own room where you can sleep, change, and you have your own bathroom,” he informs me.
“How did I not know this?” I ask, flabbergasted.
“You don’t do enough research,” Heath says jokingly. However, in this case, he is right.
“I wonder if we can have a look at these private cars?” I muse.
“I’ll text Nora and see if she can get us a search warrant in case they don’t allow us access,” Shane says, grabbing his phone and shooting off a text.
A few seconds later, I hear a ping. “She’s on it,” Shane says, reading the text. “She’ll meet us at the station when we arrive.”
“Will she be able to find a judge to sign off on it this early in the morning?” I ask.
“Nora will find the judge, don’t worry,” Shane says, and I don’t.
We continue to have our quiet conversation, drinking our coffee until the woman working the cafe says, “Everyone, the cafe is closed. Please make your way back to your seats as we will be arriving in Boston soon.”
We collect our trash and put it in the can, following the rest of the patrons out of the cafe car. When we get to our seats, Heath pouts.
“It’s only for a few more minutes, dear,” I tell him, and he nods but doesn’t look happy having to go back to his seat.
I settle into my seat, and Shane once again sits down next to me, grabbing my hand to hold. I love that he is a touchy-feely guy, who is not shy with public displays of affection, and it makes me smile.
“What’s that smile for?” he asks with his own smile.
“I’m just happy you don’t mind PDAs,” I tell him, and he laughs, kissing the back of my hand.
“Not with you, I’m not. I want everyone to know you are mine,” he tells me quietly before kissing my lips softly.
I can feel the train slowing down, and I know we are pulling up to the station in Boston. Shane pulls away from the kiss, and we both sigh, not wanting to deal with work.
Once the train stops, the doors open, and people gather their belongings and begin to debark. Shane and I stay seated, waiting for Cassanova to make his appearance.
Nora boards the train and finds our car, handing Shane the search warrant.
“So why did I have to bug a judge this early in the morning for access to the private cars?” she asks.
Shane explains Cassanova to her and the fact that we have not seen him since the cafe opened.
