(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[(text-colour:red)[A Fine Time for Murder]
[[Start.]]]
(enchant:?passage,(b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:red))''Choose Your Character''
*The only working playable character at this time is Audrey Van Sloan.*
[[Audrey Van Sloan - heiress and social media influencer, on vacation]]
[[Carmen Collins - detective, headed to a work seminar with her partner]]
[[Dawn Hart - fiction writer, heading to a writers' conference]]
[[Dixon King - college football quarterback, on a recruitment trip]]
[[Drake Malone - reporter, chasing a scoop]]
[[Frank Walker - husband to Margo, on vacation]]
[[Margo Walker - wife to Frank, on vacation]]
[[Walter Abel - job unknown, age unknown, reason for being aboard the train unknown]][[Confirm: Play as Audrey]]
[[Go back.|"Choose your character"]]Carmen is currently a work in progress. Then again, who of us aren't. Unfortunately, that means that you can not play as this detective at this time. Please check back later for future game updates.
[["Choose your character"]] Dawn is currently a work in progress. Then again, who of us aren't. Unfortunately, that means that you can not play as this writer at this time. Please check back later for future game updates.
[["Choose your character"]] Dixon is currently a work in progress. Then again, who of us aren't. Unfortunately, that means that you can not play as this football star at this time. Please check back later for future game updates.
[["Choose your character"]]Drake is currently a work in progress. Then again, who of us aren't. Unfortunately, that means that you can not play as this journalist at this time. Please check back later for future game updates.
[["Choose your character"]] Frank is currently a work in progress. Then again, who of us aren't. Unfortunately, that means that you can not play as this controlling husband at this time. Please check back later for future game updates.
[["Choose your character"]] Margo is currently a work in progress. Then again, who of us aren't. Unfortunately, that means that you can not play as this housewife (with secrets) at this time. Please check back later for future game updates.
[["Choose your character"]] Walter is currently a work in progress. Then again, who of us aren't. Unfortunately, that means that you can not play as this mysterious grey character at this time. Please check back later for future game updates.
[["Choose your character"]] (text-colour:red)[''ACT ONE'']
You slide your phone into your pocket and sling your large bag back over your shoulder. You reach for your wheeled suitcase, but your hand bumps into another. Lifting your head, you meet eyes with Dixon. He gives you a big smile, and you wonder how many girls have fallen for that face.
"Dixon King," he says with an unmistakenly Southern drawl as he reaches his hand out to you. You take his hand and give it a firm squeeze.
He winks at you. "I can get your bags for you, Miss..."
"Van Sloan. Audrey Van Sloan..."
[["... and thank you. That would be great."]]
[["... and I'm fine. Thanks."]]
(set: $dixon to true)
(set: $dawn to true)
(set: $walter to false)
(set: $drake to true)
(set: $carmen to true)
(set: $frank to true)
(set: $margo to true)
(set: $walkers to false)
(set: $affair to false)
(set: $fight to false)
(set: $destroy to false)
(set: $drug to false)
(set: $blackmail to false)
(set: $framewalkers to false)
(set: $framedixon to false)
(set: $framecarmen to false)
(set: $framefrank to false)
(set: $blackmail to false)
(set: $stopavoiding to false)
(set: $talk to false)
(set: $hallway to false)Dixon slings your bag over his shoulder like it weighs nothing and flashes you a broad smile. "Alrighty then. Shall we?" He lifts his free arm to indicate the train.
You slide your hair behind your ear and reach for his ticket. Dixon gives you a strange look.
"You're carrying all my things. The least I can do is hand the conductor your ticket for you."
He hands his ticket over, and you walk over to the conductor and hand him your tickets.
"Welcome aboard, Miss Van Sloan, Mr. King." The conductor stamps your tickets and hands them both back to you. "I hope the two of you enjoy your trip."
[[Board the train.]]"Alrighty then." Dixon smiles broadly at you and indicates the train. "Shall we?"
You slide the bag higher up your shoulder, walk over to the conductor, and hand him your ticket. Dixon also gives him his ticket.
"Welcome aboard, Miss Van Sloan, Mr. King." The conductor stamps your tickets and hands them back to each of you. "I hope the two of you enjoy your trip."
[[Board the train.]]Dixon frowns for a moment as you grab your bag and head toward the train. You pass your ticket to the conductor.
"Welcome aboard, Miss Van Sloan." The conductor stamps your ticket and hands it back to you. "I hope you enjoy your trip."
[[Board the train.]] Dixon follows you into the seating car, and you turn to face him. He flashes you another charming smile.
"Thanks for your help with my bags," you say.
"That's no problem at all, Miss Audrey," Dixon says. "It was my pleasure."
[["Look, I appreciate it, but you have to be careful."]]
[["Don't do something like that again."]]
[["You're too sweet for your own good. I'm glad we have each other's backs while we're here."]] "Just because we sneak around when I'm in New York doesn't mean we have to here," he says. "We're on vacation, Aud."
You glare at him. "There's a reporter here, Dixon. You know the type."
Dixon holds his hand up. "I got it. That was my fault. I just wanted to help. I'll be more careful."
You nod.
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face." Dixon places his hand on your cheek.
You move his hand off your cheek and shoot Dixon a warning glare. Before you can say anything, a throat clears in the seating car, and you both turn to find Walter watching you. He looks suspicious.
[[Explore the train|Go to the reading car.]]Dixon looks like he has something he wants to say. You can also explore the train on your own and potentially chat with the other passengers.
What do you want to do?
[[Talk to Dixon.]]
[[Explore the train|Go to the reading car.]]"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face." Dixon places his hand on your cheek.
A throat clears in the seating car, and you both turn to find Walter watching you. He looks suspicious.
[[Explore the train|Go to the reading car.]]
(set: $dixon to true)You walk into the reading car and find Dawn sitting alone in the corner, rapidly scrawling in a notepad. She doesn't glance up or indicate that she heard you at all. You walk over to a bookshelf and examine the volumes of books. The sound of the door opening and a gust of wind meets you, so you duck behind the bookshelf without thought.
As you peek through the gap between bookshelves, you see that Drake Malone, the reporter, just walked into the reading car. He's watching Dawn strangely, and you wonder if they had plans to meet up. Maybe you should try to sneak out of the car? But... the way he watches her makes you uncomfortable, and you wonder if you should alert her or at least watch to make sure she's safe.
[[Call out to Dawn.]]
[[Try to sneak out of the reading car.]]
[[Silently watch Drake to make sure Dawn is safe.]]You pull your phone out of your pocket and scroll through a few notifications on social media. Your quick post on the platform already has a few thousand likes and a few hundred comments.
[[You sigh.]]Drake jumps at the sound of your voice. He clearly thought that he was alone with Dawn. He looks a little nervous, but since you didn't catch him in anything, there isn't really anything to accuse him of. After all, he could have just wanted to speak to Dawn or even just wanted to find something to read.
Dawn looks up at you, frustrated to be interrupted. She slams her notepad shut and storms out of the room.
[[Explore the train more.]]You place your body flush against the bookcase and silently move toward the exit door opposite Drake, hoping he doesn't look your way. You accidentally kick a stack of books sitting on the floor, and they topple to the floor.
Drake jumps at the commotion. He clearly thought that he was alone with Dawn. He looks a little nervous, but since you didn't catch him in anything, there isn't really anything to accuse him of. After all, he could have just wanted to speak to Dawn or even just wanted to find something to read.
Dawn looks up at you, frustrated to be interrupted and suspicious that you were in the room but didn't say anything. She glares from you to Drake, clearly distrusting of you both. She slams her notepad shut and storms out of the room. She doesn't seem to like you very much now.
[[Explore the train more.]]
(set: $dawn to false)You watch as Drake silently crosses the room, his eyes on Dawn. He doesn't look your way at all. You hold your breath, intent not to make any noise. Dawn hasn't looked up once since you entered the car. She's clearly engrossed in whatever she's writing.
As he draws closer to Dawn, he stops near her purse, bends down, eyes still on her, and reaches inside. He pulls out her cellphone and slides it into his pocket. He reaches inside her purse again and rummages around until he pulls her wallet from the bag. A small smile touches his face, and he begins to back away from Dawn.
[[Alert Dawn to what's happening.]]
[[Confront Drake, now.]]
[[Follow Drake out of the car.]]You have more free time. Maybe you should head back to your room for a bit?
[[Go to your room in the sleeping car.]] Drake jumps at the sound of your voice. He clearly thought that he was alone with Dawn. He looks like he might run from the car any second, but since he has her phone in his pocket, he likely couldn't get away with what he just did.
Dawn looks up at you, frustrated to be interrupted, then she sees Drake with her wallet in his hand. She slams her notepad shut and storms up to him.
"You have five seconds to return all of my belongings to me."
Drake pulls her phone from his pocket and drops her wallet and phone into her outreached hand. He opens his mouth to say something but is stopped when Dawn slams her fist into his nose.
"What the hell!" Drake holds his nose as blood pours from it. He glares from Dawn to you and then dashes from the room.
Dawn shoots you a thankful look. She appreciates your help.
[[Explore the train more.]]
(set: $drake to false)
(set: $dawn to true)Drake jumps at the sound of your voice. He clearly thought that he was alone with Dawn. He looks like he might run from the car any second, but since he has her phone in his pocket, he likely couldn't get away with what he just did.
Dawn looks up at you, frustrated to be inteinterruptedrupted, then she sees Drake with her wallet in his hand. She slams her notepad shut and storms up to him.
"You have five seconds to return all of my belongings to me."
Drake pulls her phone from his pocket and drops her wallet and phone into her outreached hand. He opens his mouth to say something but is stopped when Dawn slams her fist into his nose.
"What the hell!" Drake holds his nose as blood pours from it. He glares from Dawn to you and then dashes from the room.
Dawn shoots you a thankful look. She appreciates your help.
[[Explore the train more.]]
(set: $drake to false)
(set: $dawn to true)Dawn never looks up as you both leave the car. You follow Drake into the hallway of the sleeping car. He pulls Dawn's cellphone from his pocket.
[[Confront Drake.]]
(set: $hallway to true)"I saw what you did," you say.
Drake jumps at the sound of your voice. He clearly thought that he was alone. He looks like he might run from the car any second, but since he has Dawn's phone in his hand, he likely couldn't explain that.
"Audrey, right?" he says. "I've been looking to get an interview with you."
"I saw what you did," you repeat. You look at the phone in his hand.
He slides the phone into his pocket and raises an eyebrow. "You were in the reading car?"
[[You nod.]]You smile up at Drake. "I think that the next time you get bored and decide to go through a girl's personal stuff for a story..." You lift onto your tiptoes and place your mouth right next to his ear. His breath hitches, and you smile.
"You think about me and the pictures I have of you taking advantage of a woman when she's not paying attention."
He takes a step back and glares at you.
"That's not what happened."
"That's not what the media will see," you tisk.
You turn and stride from the car, passing Detective Collins on the way out. She looks at you suspiciously but lets you pass.
[[Go to your room in the sleeping car.]] You smile up at Drake. "So, you think I'm pretty?"
He scoffs. "You don't seem like the kind of girl that needs someone to tell her she's pretty."
[[Drop the act.]]
[[Keep up the act.]]
(set: $drake to true)
(set: $flirt to true)You tap on your text messages and start a new message thread to a contact in your phone.
(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:blue)[= //| J. MARCONI |//
---
''[Q] [W] [E] [R] [T] [Y] [U] [I] [O] [P]
[A] [S] [D] [F] [G] [H] [J] [K] [L]
[^] [Z] [X] [C] [V] [B] [N] [M] ⌫
[ 123 ] [ 😄 ] [ space ] [ return ]''
---
You type out a message:
[[We need to talk.]]
[[I think it's about time you stop avoiding me.]]
[[I'm not above blackmail...]]Three dots show up, indicating that Marconi is responding. You grasp your phone so tightly in your hand that your fingers turn white. The dots disappear and don't return, no matter how long you stare at the screen. You throw your phone on the bed and pace the room.
You stop pacing.
[[Go to Marconi's room.]]
(set: $talk to true)Three dots show up, indicating that Marconi is responding. You grasp your phone so tightly in your hand that your fingers turn white. The dots disappear and don't return, no matter how long you stare at the screen. You throw your phone on the bed and pace the room.
You stop pacing.
[[Go to Marconi's room.]]
(set: $stopavoiding to true)Three dots show up, indicating that Marconi is responding. You grasp your phone so tightly in your hand that your fingers turn white. The dots disappear and don't return, no matter how long you stare at the screen. You throw your phone on the bed and pace the room.
You stop pacing.
[[Go to Marconi's room.]]
(set: $blackmail to true)You walk into the kitchen and find a collection of incredible smells. On the menu, for now, is roast chicken, couscous, tuna salad sandwich, and tossed salad.
What would you like to eat?
[[Roast Chicken|Place Order]]
[[Couscous|Place Order]]
[[Tuna Salad Sandwich|Place Order]]You flash Walter a smile and go to sit across from him. He sits his feet in the seat before you can sit down. You look at him and then move to the seat beside him, but he shakes his head.
"Sorry, sweets. Seat's taken," he says.
You roll your eyes.
[[Sit close to Frank and Margo.]] You pull a pair of earbuds out of your pocket and slide them into your ear. You tap on a playlist on your phone and lean your head back, losing yourself to the music. You don't think about the other passengers on the train, where they're going, where you're going, or how everything is about to change. You just enjoy the moment.
After a while, your stomach growls.
[[Head to the kitchen area.]]
(set: $walkers to false)You let out a long sigh. "Yeah, that was all pretty awful, wasn't it?"
He drops his hand from your hair and raises an eyebrow.
"What?" you ask.
"You were just pretending to flirt with me?"
"Hardly. It's just that I don't do the whole 'doe eyes' thing."
"You were pretty good at it. Probably what has that King kid following you around like a lost puppy."
You frown. "What?"
"Dixon King. [[Aren't the two of you traveling together?]]" Drake asks."It's still nice to hear sometimes. Especially when I end up traveling across the country alone."
He raises an eyebrow.
"What?" you ask.
"You mean, you're not here with the King kid?"
You frown. "No. Why would I be here with Dixon?"
"The two of you seemed pretty friendly when we first got here, is all."
"Well, we're not." You place your hand on his chest. His eyes drop to your hand and then move to your face. He watches you for a moment, his chest rising and falling rapidly. You're standing closer than you need to be, but that's okay. It works best this way.
[[Kiss him.]]
[[Don't kiss him.]]You lift on your tiptoes and place your lips against his—a simple yet firm kiss. Enough to leave an impression.
You move to pull away, but Drake puts his hand in your hair and pulls you back. He presses you against the wall. This is a bit more than you bargained for, but you're unsure how to remove yourself from the situation now. The sound of a voice clearing makes you both jump.
You turn to find Detective Collins standing in the hallway watching the two of you. She looks from you to Drake suspiciously like she's trying to piece something together but [[then her phone chimes.]]You lift up on your tiptoes and place your lips near his ear. His breath hitches, and you smile.
"Come see me if you get bored going through people's stuff."
You move to pull away, but Drake grabs your waist and presses you against the wall. You place your hand on his chest and look up at him, teasing, but not too much. This is a bit more than you bargained for, but you're unsure how to remove yourself from the situation now. The sound of a voice clearing makes you both jump.
You turn to find Detective Collins standing in the hallway watching the two of you. [[She looks from you to Drake suspiciously]] like she's trying to piece something together but then her phone chimes.You cross the dim hallway to Marconi's door and knock firmly this time.
The door creeks open.
"Marconi? You in there?"
You pull your phone from your pocket and open [[Marconi's message thread.]]You knock lightly on the door. If anyone is in the room, they will definitely hear the knock, but anyone in the other rooms shouldn't hear anything. You try the doorknob and find it open. It seems strange for a paranoid detective like Marconi to leave his door unlocked, but you're not going to complain. You slide into his room, careful to close the door quietly behind you.
You look around the room. You don't have a lot of time, but you should gather some sort of information while you're here.
There are files spread messily across the desk.
[[Check the files.]]
Marconi's suitcase lays open at the edge of his bed.
[[Check the suitcase.]]
There's a picture peeking out from under his pillow.
[[Look at the picture.]]You slide open the first file folder and gasp. It's a file on Dixon and his family. The Dixon in the picture is about ten years old, but the resemblance is undeniable. He was handsome even then and likely just as charming. You rub a finger across his face. This is the face of a boy that still had a father.
You flip to the next page and skim through a few notes on his father's murder. The case went cold. You know that much. You didn't know that Dixon was home with his father when the murder happened. He was the only witness. And apparently...
A suspect.
You look around the room. You shouldn't be in here much longer. You're already taking a chance with being in here in the first place. If Marconi were to find you...
Then you see it.
[[A glass of water.]]
(set: $files to true)
(set: $picture to false)
(set: $suitcase to false)You dig through Marconi's suitcase but don't find anything of interest other than a box of condoms, which is kind of disgusting.
You look around the room. You shouldn't be in here much longer. You're already taking a chance with being in here in the first place. If Marconi were to find you...
Then you see it.
[[A glass of water.]]
(set: $files to false)
(set: $picture to false)
(set: $suitcase to true)You slide the picture out from under his pillow and jolt. You're unsure what you expected to find, but it certainly wasn't this.
You look at the polaroid of a beautiful woman nearly identical to you, smiling at something or someone out of the frame. She seems happier than you've ever seen her.
You slide the picture into your pocket.
You look around the room. You shouldn't be in here much longer. You're already taking a chance with being in here in the first place. If Marconi were to find you...
Then you see it.
[[A glass of water.]]
(set: $files to false)
(set: $picture to true)
(set: $suitcase to false)"I need to leave the area before someone sees me."
As you walk from the room, the water sits clear, with no fizzing or tampering.
[[Head to the kitchen.]]
(set: $drug to false)
(set: $destroy to false)"My pleasure." Dixon winks at you. He lifts your suitcase by the handle, opting to carry it rather than wheel it, and reaches for the bag over your shoulder.
[[Hand him the bag.]]
[["I've got this one."]]"You sure about that?" Dixon asks. "I really don't mind."
[[Hand him the bag.]]
[[Double down. Grab your bag and board the train.]](text-colour:red)[''ACT TWO'']
Rain pelts against the window and echoes around the room.
You groan. Your head is pounding, and your mouth is dry. There's a small, damp, folded rag across your forehead. You open your eyes to an unfamiliar space, and your heart begins to race.
You sit up too fast. The rag falls to the floor, and your head spins. You reach up, touch the back of your head, and wince, finding it tender to the touch.
[[You glance around the room.]]"Audrey? It's me, Dixon. I'm coming inside to make sure you're okay."
The door opens, and Dixon walks in looking far too good for someone sleeping on a train. Then again, you don't know how long you've been out. Maybe he hasn't slept at all. The lack of light coming through the curtains would suggest that it's nighttime. So at best, you lost a few hours.
"Audrey, sweetheart. How are you holding up?"
You frown.
Then... your breath hitches, and you remember.
Marconi.
[["Who...?"]]"Audrey? It's me, Dixon. I'm coming inside to make sure you're okay."
The door opens, and Dixon walks in looking far too good for someone sleeping on a train. Then again, you don't know how long you've been out. Maybe he hasn't slept at all. The lack of light coming through the curtains would suggest that it's nighttime. So at best, you lost a few hours.
"Audrey, sweetheart. How are you holding up?"
You frown.
Then... your breath hitches, and you remember.
Marconi.
[["Who...?"]]Dixon's eyebrows shoot up, and he searches your eyes for a moment.
"Who what, Audrey?"
"Who killed... him?" you ask, keeping your voice low.
Dixon walks over to the door and pushes it shut. He turns back to you and studies you.
"Who said he was dead?" he asks.
You open and shut your mouth, unsure of what to say.
[["Isn't he]], though?" you ask.You tell Dixon about being in Marconi's room, about the files he has on everyone, and about getting the message to meet with him in his room. You don't say anything about the pill packet.
Dixon stands up and starts pacing.
"What are you thinking?" you ask.
"I think that we're in way over our heads with this one, Aud."
He's right. This is huge.
You nod.
"Look, we'll get through this together, okay?"
Oh, how you hope he's right.
(if: $dawn is true) [[There's a firm knock on the door.]]
(if: $dawn is false) [[You'll just have to get through this together.]]An Amtrak train sits at the platform and makes various whistles, clangs, and huffs in preparation for departure.
AUDREY VAN SLOAN, a young woman in her early 20s, walks onto the empty platform with a large matching luggage set. She pulls out her cellphone, opens her camera, and hits record.
"Made it to the station," Audrey says into the phone. "Might be inactive for a bit, everyone. I hear service on trains stink."
Audrey pouts into the camera.
"Anyway, I'll check in when I can. Love you all!"
Audrey blows a kiss to the camera and ends the recording.
Footsteps sound behind her, and she turns to [[find ...]]You rip the packet open with your teeth and drop the pill into the glass. You watch for a moment as the tablet dissolves.
"I need to leave the area before someone sees me."
As you walk from the room, the water returns to clear, leaving no trace it was ever dosed.
[[Head to the kitchen.]]
(set: $drug to true)You lean your head against the back of your seat and can just make out what the voices are saying. You're not sure, but it sounds like that married couple from the platform, Frank and Margo.
"Did you know?" Frank asks.
"Know what?" Margo murmurs. Her voice is so low that you can barely hear her.
"Don't play dumb with me. Did you know he was going to be here?"
"[[And what if I did, Frank?]]""So, what is it that you want?" you ask.
"Why do you think I want anything from you two love birds?"
Dixon looks at Dawn, surprised. He's clearly on the verge of denying it when you hold your hand up.
"She writes romance for a living, Dixon. She could probably spot a secret couple a mile away."
"Or a few thousand," Dawn says. "I follow you online."
//Ahh. So there it is.//
"Well back to your question, [[I'd like an alliance.]]"She looks relieved for a moment before schooling her expression. "Just let me know if you want to talk some more about everything. I'm sure you're curious about the book."
"Right you are there. I'll let you know when my head stops pounding," you assure her.
She leaves the room, and Dixon comes to sit back beside you.
"What do you think?" he asks. "Do we trust her?"
"Not at all," you say. "Then again... she has a point, and if we can trust her to do her part and keep us safe and out of the spotlight, then we could easily [[do the same for her.]]"She looks a bit disappointed, but she nods. "Just let me know if you want to talk some more about everything. I'm sure you're curious about the book."
"Right you are there. I'll let you know when my head stops pounding," you assure her.
She leaves the room, and Dixon comes to sit back beside you.
"What do you think?" he asks. "Do we trust her?"
"Not at all," you say. "Then again... she has a point, and if we can trust her to do her part and keep us safe and out of the spotlight, then we could easily [[do the same for her.]]"You lean in and press your lips to Dixon's. You won't get too many more private moments like this one for the rest of the trip.
Dixon pulls back and smiles at you. He gives your knee a squeeze and strides back to the door. "I'll see you around, Miss Van Sloan."
"Likewise, Mr. King."
"Oh, and you might want this," he says as he pulls your phone from his pocket.
"Thanks. Yeah, [[I was looking for it.]]"You walk into the kitchen area and find yourself ravenous. After all, you didn't get your food before meeting with Marconi. At the time, it seemed more important. Now, your body hates you for the decision.
You tell the chef you'll take whatever is the fastest, no preference, and immediately regret your choice when he passes you a tray with what looks like a frozen hamburger on it.
You flash him a big smile anyway and take the tray over to a table. As you sit down, Carmen walks into the room. She's clearly in full detective mode as she sits down in front of you and [[watches you for a moment]].You walk to the seating car. Frank and Margo sit on one end, clearly lost in conversation with each other, and Walter sits on the other.
[[Sit with Walter.]]
[[Sit close to Frank and Margo.]]You take your seat in a lovely private area, separate from the other passengers but close enough to listen in on their conversation if you were so inclined. The sound of a muted argument meets your ears.
[[Listen in.]]
[[Mind your own business.]]You head to Dixon's room and try the door without knocking. It turns easily in your hand, so you walk inside. Dixon is lying in bed, clearly asleep. You contemplate waking him up. Then again, you could take a few minutes to look around his room if you don't.
[[Wake Dixon up.]]
[[Look around the room.]]"Actually, there's one thing I might need help with."
He raises an eyebrow. Maybe he didn't expect you to take him up on the offer. Then again, that might just be the face he makes when he thinks he's about to get a nice piece of gossip for the magazines.
"I want to sneak into Marconi's room," you whisper.
A smile spreads across his face.
"You just keep surprising me, sweetheart. And I love it. [[Meet me in my room in an hour."]](text-colour:red)[''//An hour later.//'']
You tap quietly on Drake's door, and he opens almost immediately and pulls you into the room.
He leans you against the door and puts his face in your hair. Your breath hitches, and your heart speeds up.
"There might be a wire in my room," he whispers in your ear. "I caught Detective Collins in here earlier."
You nod.
"Let me put on some music real quick," he says.
With a few taps on his phone, music fills the room. He leans in again, though this time not nearly as close.
"Let's go, but don't shut the door."
[[Follow Drake to Marconi's room.]]Drake tries the doorknob, but it's locked. He pulls a bobby pin out of his hair and winks at you before swiftly picking the lock. The two of you slide into Marconi's room without making a noise, save for your breathing, and shut the door behind you as quietly as possible.
The cold air hits you both hard. They had to keep the air on full blast until examiners could get to the body.
Drake lifts a finger to his lips to indicate that neither of you should speak.
You nod and start looking around the room. You glance around the room, avoiding [[the white sheet on the floor.]] You shuffle through the files, careful not to move anything too much. Drake stands beside you and watches over your shoulder.
(if: $files is true) [You notice at least one file missing from before—Dixon's.]
(if: $files is false) [There's a file for everyone on the train. Well, everyone but Dixon. //Strange.//]
You lift a file you didn't expect to see here, unable to help yourself.
[[Open the Carmen File.]](if: $drug is false) [You walk over to the trashcan. It's empty.]
(if: $drug is false) [[Leave the room.]]
(if: $drug is true) [You walk over and glance in the trashcan. There is a small pill packet with lipstick on the edge where it was ripped open.]
(if: $drug is true) [[Grab the packet.]]
(if: $drug is true) [[Leave the packet.]]You flip open the Carmen File and find a collection of incident reports. You frown. Why in the world would her partner keep this sort of information on her? Why did he even have a file for everyone on the train in the first place?
Drake taps on your shoulder. You probably shouldn't stay here much longer.
[[Leave the room.]]
[[Check the trash.]]
(Set: $carmenfile to true)He leans his head toward the door and you nod.
At the door, he places his head to the door to listen for sounds outside. He nods and puts his hand on the doorknob, then stops.
You raise your eyebrows in question.
He pulls a folded business card with a chewed piece of gum out of his pocket. He lifts it so you can see the name on the card.
Detective Carmen Collins.
He looks at you for approval. After all, if you do this, you really are in this together.
[[Nod. Plant the evidence.]]
[[Shake your head. Don't plant the evidence.]]You sit down on the side of your bed and let out a breath you didn't know you were holding.
Drake runs his hands through his hair.
"I can't believe we just did that," you say.
"I've done plenty of stuff to //retrieve// information, but never something like that. It was..." He looks at you.
[["Exhilarating. Let's do it again."]]
[["Terrifying. I think I'm going to be sick."]]He flashes you a big smile. "I knew you were like me."
You're not sure how that statement makes you feel, but you like that you have Drake on your side for now.
"So, there's something else I wanted to tell you. But first..." he says as he leans down to kiss you.
There's a (text-style:"rumble")[(text-colour:red)[knock]] on the door and [[you both jump.]]He looks uncomfortable. "Yeah, same here."
You're not sure if you believe him, but you like that you have Drake on your side. For now.
"So, there's something else I wanted to tell you," he says as he walks over and sits beside you.
There's a (text-style:"rumble")[(text-colour:red)[knock]] on the door and [[you both jump.]](text-colour:red)[''ACT THREE'']
''(text-colour:red)[//The next morning.//]''
A food bar lines the back wall of the dining car. Pancakes, muffins, biscuits, cereal bars, yogurt, bowls of fruit, and various breakfast foods cover the bar.
Six small tables sit throughout the room.
You walk up to the bar and grab an apple and yogurt, unsure if you'll even be able to eat either with your stomach doing somersaults.
Frank and Margo sit at a table nearest the bar, their heads nearly touching. Frank growls at Margo under his breath.
Margo leans back and glances around the room. She meets your watching gaze and gives you [[a pleading look.]]Carmen looks disappointed. She stands up to leave, then places her hands on the table and leans in your face.
"I don't know what you were meeting Marconi about or why. Clearly, you have something to hide, and I'll find out what it is."
"Maybe your bully tactics work on other //witnesses// detective, but they won't work on me. Let me know when the officers working the case have questions for me, and I will be happy to help."
Carmen frowns at you before heading to the door.
You did not make a friend there.
As she walks out of the room, [[Drake walks into the room.]]
(set: $carmen to false)You tell Carmen how shaken up you are over finding Marconi like that, moments after he texted you. You rub your arms as chill bumps creep up them.
"I mean, I must have barely missed the killer."
Carmen looks sympathetic. "That must have been pretty scary."
You nod. "It makes me really sick to think that someone on the train has the capacity to murder someone like that."
"You'd be surprised by how little I'm surprised by humanity at this point in my career."
You place your hand on hers and [[give it a slight squeeze.]]You take his hand in yours and look up at him like a girl that needs saving. Maybe you are. Or maybe... you're good at playing the part. If this keeps you safe, it doesn't really matter which.
[[See what Dixon is doing.]]
[[Ask Drake to help you with something.]]
(set: $drake to true)Your breath hitches, and Drake leans forward in his seat.
"Hey, look. It's going to be okay. If you want to talk about anything, come see me in my room anytime. Off the record, okay?"
You look up at him like a girl that needs saving. Maybe you are. Or maybe... you're good at playing the part. If this keeps you safe, it doesn't really matter which.
[[See what Dixon is doing.]]You grab the packet and shove it into your pocket.
Drake taps you on the shoulder, and you jump.
He raises his hands and leans his head toward the door, and you nod.
At the door, he places his head to the door to listen for sounds outside. He nods and puts his hand on the doorknob, then stops.
You raise your eyebrows in question.
He pulls a folded business card with a chewed piece of gum out of his pocket. He lifts it so you can see the name on the card.
Detective Carmen Collins.
He looks at you for approval. After all, if you do this, you really are in this together.
[[Nod. Plant the evidence.]]
[[Shake your head. Don't plant the evidence.]]
(set: $destroy to true)You stare at the packet in the trash but leave it. It's probably for the best. You don't know who's been here and seen it there or if anyone has taken pictures or anything.
Drake taps you on the shoulder, and you jump.
He raises his hands and leans his head toward the door, and you nod.
At the door, he places his head to the door to listen for sounds outside. He nods and puts his hand on the doorknob, then stops.
You raise your eyebrows in question.
He pulls a folded business card with a chewed piece of gum out of his pocket. He lifts it so you can see the name on the card.
Detective Carmen Collins.
He looks at you for approval. After all, if you do this, you really are in this together.
[[Nod. Plant the evidence.]]
[[Shake your head. Don't plant the evidence.]]
(set: $destroy to false)(if: $carmen is false) [Carmen might have been a bit rough around the edges when you talked to her before, and you have to look out for yourself. Plus, there's a whole file with her dirty laundry in it on the table. Would Marconi really have kept a file folder on his own partner if there wasn't something suspicious about her?]
(if: $carmen is true) [Carmen has been really kind and welcoming to you, but you have to look out for yourself over anyone else. Plus, there's a whole file with her dirty laundry in it on the table. Would Marconi really have kept a file folder on his own partner if there wasn't something suspicious about her?]
Drake smiles and passes you the card.
You walk over to the trash, drop the card in, and cross back to the door.
You slip out of the room as quietly as you came. You nod toward your room so that the two of you can talk. As far as you know, Carmen hasn't been in //your// room to plant a bug.
You unlock the door to your room, and the two of you [[go inside.]]
(set: $plant to true)(if: $carmen is false) [Carmen might have been a bit rough around the edges when you talked to her before, but she doesn't deserve this. Besides, there's a whole file with her dirty laundry in it on the table. The police can look at that if they want to investigate Carmen.]
(if: $carmen is true) [Carmen has been really kind and welcoming to you. She doesn't deserve this. Plus, there's a whole file with her dirty laundry in it on the table. The police can look at that if they want to investigate Carmen.]
Drake hesitates for a moment, then nods his head.
You slip out of the room as quietly as you came. You nod toward your room so that the two of you can talk. As far as you know, Carmen hasn't been in //your// room to plant a bug.
You unlock the door to your room, and the two of you [[go inside.]]
(set: $plant to false)You think about the choices you've made so far. Have they been the right ones? Are you prepared to face the police? Have you prepared yourself the best you can?
You look around at the other people in the room.
(text-colour:magenta)[(if: $drake is true) [Drake moves over and joins you.]
(if: $dawn is true) [Dawn and Walter move over and join you.]
(if: $carmen is true) [Carmen moves over and joins you.]]
You've built your team. Now you have to trust it to keep you safe.
You look at Dixon. No matter what, you're going to [[keep him safe.]]
(set: $dixon to true)You think about the choices you've made so far. Have they been the right ones? Are you prepared to face the police? Have you prepared yourself the best you can?
You look around at the other people in the room.
(text-colour:magenta)[(if: $dixon is true) [Dixon moves over and joins you.]
(if: $dawn is true) [Dawn and Walter move over and join you.]
(if: $carmen is true) [Carmen moves over and joins you.]]
You've built your team. Now you have to trust it to keep you safe.
You look at Drake. He's had your back this whole time. No matter what, you're going to [[have his back, too.]]
(set: $drake to true)You think about the choices you've made so far. Have they been the right ones? Are you prepared to face the police? Have you prepared yourself the best you can?
You look around at the other people in the room.
(text-colour:magenta)[(if: $drake is true) [Drake moves over and joins you.]
(if: $dixon is true) [Dixon moves over and joins you.]
(if: $carmen is true) [Carmen moves over and joins you.]]
You've built your team. Now you have to trust it to keep you safe.
You look at Dawn and Walter. You're unsure what is going on between them, maybe they don't even know, but you're going to do what you must to [[leave this train free with their help.]]
(set: $dawn to true)
(set: $walter to true)Dixon leans forward in his seat.
"I have something to tell you, Aud."
"Okay," you say. You give him an easy smile. His familiar face has been such a breath of fresh air through all of this. You don't really know what you would have done without him.
"So, you know that Frank guy?" he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "The married one?"
You nod.
"Well, the first day we were here, I heard something I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to. [[I just didn't know if I should say anything.]]"Drake pulls you aside for a moment.
"Hey, I looked into something that I think you should know about."
You raise an eyebrow.
"I know you think you know King, but something's up with that kid."
You glance over at Dixon, who's deep in conversation with Dawn. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Drake says. "I'm sure you know about his father's murder?"
You nod.
"Did you know that he was the only witness?"
(if: $files is true) [You nod again.]
(if: $files is false) [You shake your head.]
"Thing is, Marconi was working the case back in the day, but all leads led back to the King kid. The public hated that, though. So naturally, it was shut down."
"You don't really think..." You let your sentence [[hang in the air.]]Dawn twirls a pen in her hand.
"So, I have an idea." She glances around the room to see who is listening and, more importantly, check that some are not. "I don't know if you'll like it..."
She looks to you for approval.
[["Tell me about it."]](text-colour:red)[''//The next day.//'']
You stand with the rest of the suspects in the reading car, spread throughout the reading are of the car.
Dawn closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. A small smile touches her lips.
Walter watches Dawn, a soft look on his face.
The door opens, and air whooshes in as Officers Scott and Welsh join the group, faces stoic, a unified front.
"Sorry to have taken up so much of your time here today," Officer Scott addresses the room.
//[[This is it.]]//"Due to the overwhelming evidence suggesting there was foul play, the death of Jacob Marconi has been deemed a murder."
(if: $framecarmen is true) [He looks at [[Carmen.]] ]
(if: $framedixon is true) [He looks at [[Dixon.]] ]
(if: $framefrank is true) [ He looks at [[Frank.]] ]
(if: $framewalkers is true) [He looks at [[Frank and Margo.]] ]
(if: $drug is true and $destroy is false and $plant is false and $blackmail is true and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false) [ He looks at you, [[Audrey.]] ]
(if: $carmen is false and $fight is true and $plant is true and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false) [ He looks at [[Carmen.]] ]
(if: $dawn is false and $plant is false and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false) [ He looks at [[Dawn.]] ]
(if: $dixon is false and $files is true and $framewalkers is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false and $framedixon is false) [ He looks at [[Dixon.]] ]
(if: $drake is false and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false) [ He looks at [[Drake.]] ]
(if: $margo is false and $affair is true and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false) [ He looks at [[Margo.]] ]
(if: $frank is false and $margo is true and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false) [ He looks at [[Frank.]] ]
(if: $walkers is true and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false) [ He looks at [[Frank and Margo.]] ]
(if: $walter is false and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false and $dawn is false) [ He looks at [[Walter.]] ]Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Drake.
"Drake Malone, you are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
Officer Scott cuffs Drake's wrists.
You let go of Dixon's hand and take a step towards Drake.
"Drake, what's going on?" you ask.
"Audrey." Dixon places a hand on your shoulder. "We should probably go."
"You should listen to your boyfriend. I know you love people telling you what to do." Drake glances at Dixon's hand holding you back.
You shrug off Dixon's hand and turn to Officers Scott and Welsh.
"[[Can I speak to him]] for a moment before you take him?"Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Dawn.
"Dawn Hart, you are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
Dawn holds her head high as Scott cuffs her wrists.
"Of all the people," Walter says.
You drop Dixon's hand and turn to Walter, whose eyes are on Dawn.
"Excuse me?" you ask.
"You could have pinned it on anyone on this train. That detective? The reporter? They both deserve it. The Walkers are hardly bad people, but [[even that would have been better.]]"Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Walter.
"Walter Abel, you are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
Officer Scott cuffs Walter's wrists.
Walter lunges at you, a snarl on his face.
Dixon steps between you and Walter.
"Victor sends his regards," Walter says.
You take a step back.
"He'll be delighted to know that you bested him. What is it that he always says? It's not the little soldiers that count?" [[Walter pretends to think.]]Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Carmen.
"Carmen Collins, you're under arrest for the murder of your partner, Detective Jacob Marconi."
Officer Scott cuffs Carmen's wrists.
"I don't know how you did it," she says, glaring at you.
You drop Dixon's hand.
"Come on, Audrey," Dixon says.
"[[You think this is over?]]" Carmen asks.Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Dixon.
"Dixon King, you're under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
Officer Scott places his hand on Dixon's shoulder.
Dixon drops your hand, turns to face you, and holds your gaze as Officer Scott cuffs his wrists.
Officer Welsh watches the two of you.
"Dixon, there's so much that I need to say to you," you say, your voice breaking.
Dixon shakes his head. "It's okay. I know."
"I'll figure this out. Don't worry. [[I'll fix this.]]"Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on you.
"Audrey Van Sloan, you are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
Your vision grows cloudy as what he said sinks in. Your hand is shaking, but it's not you shaking it. Dixon. He's still holding your hand.
Officer Scott places his hand on Dixon's shoulder, and just like that, Dixon drops your hand like it burned him. His own still shake.
He takes a step back, staring at you with wide eyes.
Do those eyes seek direction now? Or are they searching to see if you are truly capable of doing this? Would you kill a man?
It looks like Dixon is wondering this now.
You let out a shaky breath. There was so much you wanted to tell Dixon, but there [[might not be time for that now.]] Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Frank.
"Frank Walker, you are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
Officer Scott cuffs Frank's wrists.
"You can't be serious. I didn't touch the man," Frank says.
"His blood on the sleeve of your shirt would suggest otherwise,' Officer Scott says.
"I punched the guy. One time. That doesn't mean I killed him!"
"No, but lying about it certainly doesn't help your case, Mr. Walker," Officer Welsh says.
Frank, chest heaving, turns his attention to his wife. "[[Did you do this?]]"Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Margo.
"Margo Walker, you are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
"Now wait just a damn minute," Frank says.
Officer Scott cuffs Margo's wrists.
"You can't just ... " Frank takes a step toward Officer Scott.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to back off my partner," Officer Welsh says.
"Your partner? What about my wife?" Frank asks.
"The best thing you can do now is call your lawyer and [[meet your wife at the station]], Mr. Walker," Officer Scott says.Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on Frank and Margo.
"Frank Walker. Margo Walker. You are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Marconi."
Officer Scott cuffs Frank's wrists while Officer Welsh cuffs Margo's wrists.
"Stay strong, Margo. We didn't do anything wrong. They can't keep us," Frank says, not even looking at Margo.
A tear streaks down Margo's face.
"I'll get us a great lawyer, the best lawyer, and we'll be back home in no time."
[[Officer Scott places his hand on Frank's back.]]Officer Scott's eyes sweep the room and land on you.
"Due to the overwhelming evidence suggesting there was no foul play at hand, the death of Jacob Marconi has been deemed a suicide."
The rest of his words grow muffled in your head as you sag with relief. Dixon squeezes your hand and lets it go. There will be time for you two later. After all, there is much to talk about.
[[Carmen glares]] at you as she walks over.You tell Dixon the truth about the pill packet. He watches you and listens to your story without interrupting. As you tell him about getting the message to meet with Marconi in his room, Dixon stands up and starts pacing.
"What are you thinking?" you ask.
"I think that we're in way over our heads with this one, Aud."
He's right. This is huge.
"Look, I don't think the pill had time to work that fast. You say that he texted you, and you went straight to his room, right?"
You nod.
"If the drugs had time to kick in, he wouldn't have been coherent enough to send that message."
Oh, how you hope he's right.
(if: $dawn is true) [[There's a firm knock on the door.]]
(if: $dawn is false) [[You'll just have to get through this together.]]You tell Dixon the truth about the pill packet. He watches you and listens to your story without interupting. As you tell him about getting the message to meet with Marconi in his room, Dixon stands up and starts pacing.
"What are you thinking?" you ask.
"I think that we're in way over our heads with this one, Aud."
He's right. This is huge.
"Look, I don't think the pill had time to work that fast. You say that he texted you and you went straight to his room, right?"
You nod.
"If the drugs had time to kick in, he wouldn't have been coherent enough to send that message."
Oh, how you hope he's right.
(if: $dawn is true) [[There's a firm knock on the door.]]
(if: $dawn is false) [[You'll just have to get through this together.]]Your eyes widen, and you look at Dixon for direction. Usually, it's the other way around. Then again, as far as everyone on the train is concerned, you two are meeting for the first time.
"Get the door," you say, taking back control. "Just... you know the drill."
Dixon opens the door and says something to whoever is there. You can't hear what's being said, but you can tell that it's a feminine voice. Dixon turns to glance at you questioningly. You give him a nod, and he lets the door swing the rest of the way open, [[allowing Dawn to walk into your room]]."We need to be careful," you remind him. "If we suddenly came out that we knew each other but pretended to be strangers on the train, that would be insanely suspicious."
"Good point," he says.
You shake your head. "How did we get here?"
"I don't know, Aud. But I'm pretty sure that staying holed up in here is the last thing we need to do."
He's right. You should go [[see what you can find out.]]"Oh, there's something I heard earlier that I thought you should know about," you say casually. The couple, Frank and Margo? They were arguing about Marconi this morning. Apparently, Margo knew he would be on the train, and Frank seemed pretty mad about it."
She raises her eyebrows. "That's interesting."
[[Let her leave.]]
(set: $framewalkers to true)He slides into the seat across from you that Carmen just vacated.
"How are you holding up?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Well, it's not every day you discover a dead body," he says. He reaches over and takes your hands in his. "Hey, was Collins bothering you?"
They think I murdered him.
Drake drops your hands and leans back in his seat.
"That's insane, Audrey."
(if: $hallway is true) [So what, you flirt with a girl in the hallway once and suddenly know if she's capable of murder?.]
He shakes his head. "It's not that, it's just..." he pauses for a moment. "Why is she even working the case anyway? This is a complete [[conflict of interest."]]He slides into the seat across from you that Carmen just vacated.
"So," he says.
You look up at him.
"You're adorable trying to hide from me in the middle of an empty dining car." He reaches over and grabs your burger. He raises an eyebrow as he takes a big bite. "So, how you holding up?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Well, it's not every day you discover a dead body," he says. He motions behind him. "Collins bothering you?"
"They think I murdered him."
Drake drops your hands and leans back in his seat.
[["That's insane."]]He makes a face at the door toward Carmen and then turns and makes eye contact with you.
(if: $flirt is true) [ [[You raise your hand in greeting and he walks over.]] ]
(if: $flirt is false) [ [[You duck your head.]] ]
(if: $drake is true) [ [[You duck your head.]] ]
(if: $drake is false) [ [[You stare at your food.]] ]Drake glares at you as he walks over, makes him some coffee, and goes to leave the room. Right as he opens the door, he turns to you.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this, but watch out for Collins."
You frown. "Thanks."
He nods and leaves the room.
[[See what Dixon is doing.]]You meet his gaze and dare him to try. You love a good game, and Drake Malone seems like he's up for it.
"Then again," you say. "I'll be real hard to get if I'm in jail."
"Guess that means we just have to make sure they don't find any reason to look at you more than necessary."
You raise an eyebrow.
"I'll vouch for you..." he says, offering his hand to you.
"If I vouch for you."
[[Take his hand.]]
[[Look away.]]
(set: $drake to true)"Or maybe, I'm actually not interested."
"Fair," he says. He pastes on a fake smile.
"Then again," you say. "We'd both be real hard to get in jail."
"Guess that means we just have to make sure they don't find any reason to look into either of us more than necessary."
You flash him a smile.
"I'll vouch for you..." he says, offering his hand to you.
"If I vouch for you."
[[Take his hand.]]
[[Look away.]]You wake Dixon up and let him know about everything that has been going on since you last saw him. He listens to everything you say, responding when necessary, but mostly looks bored. You're a bit confused by his response. Although he's not acting like he has something to hide... Maybe you should have searched the room before you woke him up.
You decide to [[head to your room]] for a bit.You look around the room and see that Dixon keeps his room pretty clean. He didn't bring much with him because he's never really needed much to get by.
His sports bag hangs on the doorknob.
[[Check his bag.]]
There's a file folder on the dresser in the room.
[[Check the file.]]"I don't know if you heard, but Marconi was trying to force his way into my room the first day, but Drake stopped him."
"He did?" you ask, glancing over at Drake. He flashes you a dazzling smile, and you wonder if he really could be the white knight type. And if so, is that what you want?
Dawn nods.
"Anyway, he didn't pack those for me. In fact, he didn't know I was going to be on the train until he saw me at the station. I already knew about Margo, though, and had just about everything I needed for my story, so I was content to let it all die out there.
Until I saw that he had [[files on her and her husband."]]"Well, I did." She smirks at you. "The day we boarded the train when he was busy going around threatening everyone and picking fights."
Walter scoffs. "Not everyone."
"I don't know if you heard, but Marconi was trying to force his way into my room the first day, but Drake stopped him."
"He did?" you ask, glancing over at Drake. He flashes you a dazzling smile, and you wonder if he really could be the white knight type. And if so, is that what you want?
Dawn nods.
"Anyway, he didn't pack those for me. In fact, he didn't know I was going to be on the train until he saw me at the station. I already knew about Margo, though, and had just about everything I needed for my story, so I was content to let it all die out there.
Until I saw that he had [[files on her and her husband."]]"Also, I noticed something weird. But I'm not sure if I'll get in trouble if I tell you."
"Anything you tell me, Audrey, will stay between us. No matter what you did. I'll help you out any way that I can."
"Well, it's just that... Dixon and I didn't meet for the first time on the platform."
"Oh?" she asks like she already knew this information.
"We've been seeing each other off and on for about a year now, and I happen to know that Marconi was the head detective in charge of [[Dixon's father's murder investigation.]]"As she leaves, Drake walks into the room. He makes a face at the door toward Carmen and then turns and makes eye contact with you.
(if: $flirt is true) [ [[You raise your hand in greeting and he walks over.]] ]
(if: $flirt is false) [ [[You duck your head.]] ]
(if: $drake is true) [ [[You duck your head.]] ]
(if: $drake is false) [ [[You stare at your food.]] ]
(set: $carmen to true)You shuffle around through his things and find nothing but clothes. Some clean, and some obviously are not.
What do you want to do?
[[Go to your room for the night. You're exhausted.]]
[[Wake Dixon up.]] You open the file and cover your mouth. In a way, you knew what you would find, but you're still surprised that you found the case file that Marconi had on Dixon here in his room.
That means that Dixon snuck into Marconi's room sometime after you found it in there the first time and stole it. Was it after he died? Or was he in there during Marconi's final moments?
Chill bumps spread up your arms, and you suddenly don't want to be in this room anymore. You go to shut the file folder, but the sound of footsteps behind you makes you jump and sends [[the papers scattering to the floor.]]"I'll chat with you later, Dixon."
You leave the room before he can say anything more to you. On your way to your room, you pass Drake in the hallway.
(if: $drake is true) [[Ask Drake for help with something.|Hey, what have you been up to?]]
(if: $drake is false) [[Ask Drake for help with something.|Hey, how's your nose?]]
[[Go to your room for the night. You're exhausted.]]You go back to your room, pack your things in hopes that everything gets sorted soon, and lay down on your bed. Before you know it, you've fallen into a deep sleep filled with nightmares.
There's a knock on your door in the middle of the night that wakes you up.
You stumble to the door and find Dixon standing in the doorway, hair freshly wet from a shower.
"Can I come in?"
[[Yes.]]
[[No.]]The man, an officer in full uniform with his hair gelled and his shoes shined within an inch of their life, steps forward and scans the room. He eyes everyone and looks like he is taking careful note of who sits with whom.
He glances at his partner, a tall woman with short curly hair pulled into a loose pony tail and nods to her. She clears her throat.
"My name is Officer Welsh, and this is my partner Officer Scott." Her eyes fall on Detective Collins. "We have been assigned to look into the death of Detective Jacob Marconi and report our findings. We promise to make this as painless as possible, as long as you all cooperate with us."
Officer Scott flashes you all a smile. "So, who's first?"
[[Go first.]]You stand from the table, and all eyes go to you.
"Might as well get it over with," you say.
"Thank you, Miss...?" Officer Welsh asks.
"Van Sloan. Audrey Van Sloan."
The two officers exchange a glance, and you swallow the sudden nervousness that threatens to rise.
"Right this way," says Officer Scott.
You follow the officers into the reading car and take a seat across from them. Officer Welsh places her hands in her lap and watches you. [[Officer Scott pulls out a notepad and pen.]]Drake shakes his head. "I don't know what to think. All I know is, a few months ago, Marconi started digging into the investigation again. He started following Dixon."
"What?" This is news to you.
"Exactly."
"And now he's dead."
"And now he's dead," Drake agrees.
You raise your eyebrows. This is just the sort of information that the police would love to know.
And speaking of the police...
The room grows quiet as [[two officers walk into the room.]]
(set: $files to true)
(set: $confidedrake to true)"You didn't hear anything else? Any names or anything?"
Dixon shakes his head.
"Did Marconi say anything back to him?"
"No, he just laughed." Dixon shivers. "It was actually really creepy, Aud."
"Wow."
"Either way, it's not something you want to say to a guy the night he dies."
You raise your eyebrows. This is just the sort of information that the police would love to know.
And speaking of the police...
The room grows quiet as [[two officers walk into the room.]]
(set: $fight to true)
(set: $frank to false)
(set: $margo to true)You slam your foot down on Dixon's and run from the room. Your heart is pounding so hard in your chest that you can't hear anything else.
[[Go to your room and lock the door.]]
(set: $dixon to false)You laugh and place your hand on Dixon's chest.
He smiles down at you and lowers his lips to yours.
Your heart races in your chest, and you don't feel safe, the way you usually do when you're with Dixon.
"Do you want to stay the night?" he asks.
"Thanks, Dixon, but I think I'm going to head back to mine. It's probably best, anyway, until everything dies down."
You turn to leave the room, but Dixon grabs your arm. "Hey."
You meet his gaze.
"You know everything I do is to protect you, right?" he asks.
You don't trust your voice, so you nod.
[[Head to your room.|head to your room]] You run back to your room and lock the door behind you. A few minutes later, there's a knock on the door.
"Aud? Can I come in?"
"No."
"Come on, Audrey. I have something important to tell you."
"Go away, Dixon."
"I heard something a bit ago," he tells you through the door.
"Oh, yeah?" You throw the door open and [[glare at him.]]You pull a picture from your pocket and glance at it for a moment before handing over the image of your mother. He takes it gingerly in his hand. He glances from the image to you and then back. He shows it to Welsh.
"I found this in his room... //that// day."
"Your mother?"
You give them both a somber look.
"My mother had an affair with a young officer checking in on her domestic violence case."
"[[Your mother's husband was hurting her?]]" Scott asks."Thank you for your time, Audrey," Welsh says as she stands and offers you her hand.
"You have given us a lot to think about," says Scott."
You are escorted back to your private room to await the conclusion of the investigation.
[[Final Scene]] "Thank you for your time, Audrey," Welsh says as she stands and offers you her hand.
"You have given us a lot to think about," says Scott."
You are escorted back to your private room to await the conclusion of the investigation.
(set: $framewalkers to true)
(set: $walkers to false)
(set: $dixon to true)
(set: $dawn to true)
(set: $walter to true)
(set: $drake to true)
(set: $carmen to true)
[[Final Scene]] "Thank you for your time, Audrey," Welsh says as she stands and offers you her hand.
"You have given us a lot to think about," says Scott."
You are escorted back to your private room to await the conclusion of the investigation.
(set: $framefrank to true)
(set: $frank to false)
(set: $margo to true)
(set: $dixon to true)
(set: $dawn to true)
(set: $walter to true)
(set: $drake to true)
(set: $carmen to true)
[[Final Scene]] "Thank you for your time, Audrey," Welsh says as she stands and offers you her hand.
"You have given us a lot to think about," says Scott."
You are escorted back to your private room to await the conclusion of the investigation.
(set: $framecarmen to true)
(set: $carmen to false)
(set: $dixon to true)
(set: $dawn to true)
(set: $walter to true)
(set: $drake to true)
(set: $walkers to true)
[[Final Scene]] "Thank you for your time, Audrey," Welsh says as she stands and offers you her hand.
"You have given us a lot to think about," says Scott."
You are escorted back to your private room to await the conclusion of the investigation.
(set: $framedixon to true)
(set: $dixon to false)
(set: $dawn to true)
(set: $walter to true)
(set: $drake to true)
(set: $carmen to true)
(set: $walkers to true)
[[Final Scene]] "Thank you for your time, Audrey," Welsh says as she stands and offers you her hand.
"You have given us a lot to think about," says Scott."
You are escorted back to your private room to await the conclusion of the investigation.
(set: $framedixon to true)
(set: $dixon to false)
(set: $dawn to true)
(set: $walter to true)
(set: $drake to true)
(set: $carmen to true)
(set: $walkers to true)
[[Final Scene]] (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[
(enchant:?passage,(b4r:"ridge")+(b4r-colour:red))Are you happy with the choices that you've made?
[[Play Again?|Confirm: Play as Audrey]]
]"Your guess is as good as mine. She found out she was pregnant, and he was gone."
"You had recently reached out to him? It shows that you were the last person he exchanged texts with and that you were planning to meet around the time of his murder," Officer Welsh says.
(if: $blackmail is true) [ "Apparently, you threatened him moments before going to meet him."
You sigh and rub your face.]
"I came on this trip to get away from home. I just couldn't... be there anymore. I needed a break from it all so I could process everything for a bit."
Officer Scott frowns. "What does that have to do with Marconi?"
"[[My mother passed three months ago]]," you tell them. "Suicide."
//My Dearest Jacob,
I know a life with you was never in the cards for me. I knew it the moment I found out I was pregnant. After all, life on the run with you is all I could ever hope for since Victor would never let me leave. But a baby?
That complicates things too much. And I knew I could never leave my precious child alone with him. So, I stayed. I stayed and endured living with this hateful man, always wondering where your life had taken you. I watched our little girl grow into someone you would be so proud of.
When she moved out last month and got a place of her own, I thought, this is it! I can do this. I can leave Victor. He will never lay his hand on me again.
But when I reached out to you looking to meet you, you turned me away. To say that I was heartbroken doesn't do it justice. Jacob, I write this to you now to let you know that I am sorry. I couldn't do it anymore. I can't stay strong when I am so very tired. I hope you understand.//
[[Yours always, Alice]]"Just because we sneak around when I'm in New York doesn't mean we have to here," he says. "We're on vacation, Aud."
You glare at him. "There's a reporter here, Dixon. You know the type."
Dixon holds his hand up. "I got it. That was my fault. I just wanted to help. I'll be more careful."
You nod.
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face." Dixon places his hand on your cheek.
You move his hand off your cheek and shoot Dixon a warning glare. Before you can say anything, a throat clears in the seating car, and you both turn to find Walter watching you. He looks suspicious.
[[Explore the train|Go to the reading car.]]You pick up Marconi's phone and tap to wake up the screen. You navigate to the most recent message, the one from you. Did Marconi reread this message during his last moments?
(if: $blackmail is true) [[Erase the incriminating message.]]
(if: $blackmail is true) [[Leave the incriminating message.]]
[[See who else has been texting Marconi.]]You clear the message from his phone and toss it back on the bed. If the police were going to look into you, they likely would have found a message threatening blackmail to be more than interesting.
Drake taps on your shoulder. You probably shouldn't stay here much longer.
[[Check the trash.]]
[[Leave the room.]]
(set: $blackmail to false)You leave the message on his phone and toss it back on the bed. If the police are going to look into you, they likely would have already checked Marconi's phone records and seen that there was an incoming message from you right before his death. The message being removed from his phone might only make them more suspicious.
Drake taps on your shoulder. You probably shouldn't stay here much longer.
[[Check the trash.]]
[[Leave the room.]]
(set: $blackmail to true)You scroll through his messages to find that Marconi had recently been exchanging some rather cryptic messages with one M.
There's nothing really identifying there, other than the fact that M seems to be a woman from what you can gather.
Is M an initial, maybe? Or does it stand for something? Madame perhaps? Or Married? Either way, this doesn't really help you prove your innocence in Marconi's murder when the police show up. Unless, of course, M stands for Murderer. Likely, this is just distracting you from what's truly important.
Drake taps on your shoulder. You probably shouldn't stay here much longer.
[[Check the trash.]]
[[Leave the room.]] "Damn," you say.
"Indeed."
"So, Marconi brought condoms hoping to hook up with Margo while her husband was on board?"
Dawn smiles like you just asked the right question. "That's the thing. Frank wasn't supposed to come. They tell everyone that they're on vacation, but really, I overheard her telling Marconi she was going to her parent's house for a while to get space from Frank."
You raise your eyebrows. This is just the sort of information that the police would love to know.
And speaking of the police...
The room grows quiet as [[two officers walk into the room.]]
(set: $affair to true)Teardrops fall on your mother's familiar script, and the page crumbles in your fist. Your mother was the strongest person you ever knew. You never expected her to take her own life. The part that hurts the worst was finding this letter, though. Not one addressed to your father. Not one addressed to you—this one.
You wish you could have been there for her more. If you had known she was hurting this way, maybe there was something you could have done. Maybe there is something you can do now.
[[Drop the pill into the glass.]]
[[Don't dose the water.]] Dixon sits down on the bed next to you. "Audrey, before I answer your question, I have a real serious question to ask you first."
"Okay," you say. "Don't be so ominous, Dixon. Just ask."
"Did you do something to Marconi?"
You lean back, surprised by his question but also needing to distance yourself. This wasn't something you wanted to face yet, if ever.
"You can tell me, love. Whatever you did, no matter what, I'm here for you. I'll help you. We're in this together."
(if: $drug is false) [[Tell Dixon the truth. You didn't dose Marconi's water.]]
(if: $drug is true) [[Tell Dixon the truth. You drugged Marconi.]]
[[Lie.]]"Not to mention the fact they were clearly having a falling out when they boarded the train," you say.
"Listen, you need to watch out for Collins, okay?"
"Because she's giving me a hard time? I'm used to it." You shrug. "You grow up with the Van Sloan name, and you learn real quick that you can't trust anyone around you."
"Ouch, and here I am trying to help you."
"Sorry. I know that sounded extra, but really, [[there are not many people I trust to have my back]]," you say."Why is she even working the case anyway? This is a complete conflict of interest." He shakes his head. "Listen, watch out for Collins, okay?"
"Because she's giving me a hard time? I'm used to it." You shrug. "You grow up with the Van Sloan name, and you learn real quick that you can't trust anyone around you."
"Ouch, and here I am trying to help you."
"Sorry. I know that sounded extra, but really, [[there's not many people I trust]]," you say.FRANK WALKER, a man in his 40s, holding two train tickets and a suitcase, and MARGO WALKER, his wife, in her 30s, trails behind him, carrying a purse and a travel bag.
"See, Frank?" Margo says as they come to a stop. "We're not even late."
"But we nearly were thanks to you. I don't understand how you slept in," says Frank.
"I told you. I took sleeping medicine last night. I didn't think it would knock me out so hard."
Frank [[shakes his head.]]Excited chatter fills the platform as DIXON KING, an attractive man in his 20s with a small sports bag slung over his shoulder, and DRAKE MALONE, a dark-haired man in his 30s, with a plain black backpack on his back, join the group.
Drake pulls a small notebook out of his pocket. "Can you confirm the rumors that another school is currently recruiting you?"
Dixon shakes his head. "I'm blessed to be where I am, and I wouldn't dream of betraying my team like that."
"Surely you can give me something?" Drake asks. "You've had a truly incredible year."
"Thanks, man." Dixon flashes Drake a smile. [["But I wouldn't be anywhere without my team."]]DAWN HART, a small bookish woman in her 20s, silently enters the platform with a small wheel behind suitcase, walks over to the bench furthest from the group, and sits down.
JACOB MARCONI, a man in his 40s, wearing casual clothes, shades, and a detective badge on a chain around his neck, steps onto the platform.
His eyes skim over Margo and Frank, pause on Dixon, then stop on Dawn. He starts toward her but stops when ...
"Marconi, we need to talk."
Marconi turns to find his partner, CARMEN COLLINS, storming toward him. Carmen looks to be in her 30s, and much like Marconi is wearing plainclothes, though her badge is clipped to her pants pocket rather than around her neck.
"One second, Collins. [[There's something I need to do."]]Carmen crosses her arms over her chest and glares at Marconi.
"No. Now."
Marconi glances around him and his eyes land on ...
WALTER ABEL, a man somewhere in his 20s or 30s, wearing a beanie and sunglasses, stands at the edge of the platform, a lit cigarette hangs from his mouth. He meets Marconi's gaze, takes a long drag, and blows smoke in the space between them. He drops the cigarette and grinds it with his boot.
Walter walks up to Marconi and spits at his feet.
[[Marconi jumps back.]]Carmen raises an eyebrow, a smirk on her face.
Walter walks over to Dawn and sits down beside her.
Dawn shifts in her seat.
A CONDUCTOR ducks his head out of the train door.
"All aboard!"
''[["Choose your character"]]''(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=
(enchant:?passage,(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:blue))[=//| J. MARCONI |//
(if: $talk is true) [ AUDREY: We need to talk. ]
(if: $stopavoiding is true) [ AUDREY: I think it's about time you stop avoiding me. ]
(if: $blackmail is true) [ AUDREY: I'm not above blackmail... ]
J. MARCONI: //(fifteen minutes ago)// I'll meet you now. [[In my room.]]
---
''[Q] [W] [E] [R] [T] [Y] [U] [I] [O] [P]
[A] [S] [D] [F] [G] [H] [J] [K] [L]
[^] [Z] [X] [C] [V] [B] [N] [M] ⌫
[ 123 ] [ 😄 ] [ space ] [ return ]''
You slide your phone back into your pocket.
Glancing around the hall, you place your hand on the door, push it open, and step into the room.
Light shines through the window, illuminating a twin-sized bed with a cellphone and suitcase atop it.
"Marconi?" you call out.
You flip on the light and (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"shudder")[[SCREAM]].Marconi's body lays in the middle of the floor, eyes wide open. Shattered glass and a small puddle of water and blood surround his hand.
(if: $picture is false) [ The pink-tinged mixture seeps into a polaroid of a beautiful woman nearly identical to you, smiling at something out of the frame. You grab the picture and stuff it into your pocket. ]
You look back down at Marconi and stumble.
Muffled voices echo in the hallway.
You place a hand to your head as the room pulses around you. Someone yells from the hallway, but as you turn to see who it is, you fall to the floor beside Marconi.
''(text-colour:red)[END OF ACT ONE.]''
[[ACT TWO]] A small battery-operated lamp sits on a desk and sheds light on the room. A large bag full of shoes sits in a chair by the desk, and a suitcase sits open on the floor with high-end clothes exploding out of it on all sides.
You pat both pockets of your jeans and frown.
There's a soft knock at the door.
You slide your knees up to your chest and wrap your arms around them and wait for whoever is at the door to go away.
They knock again, firmly this time, and you flinch.
"Audrey?" a voice calls through the door. "Are you awake? Can I come in?"
[[Stay silent.]]
[["Who's there?"]]Drake stretches across your bed, arms behind his head.
You sit on the edge of the desk and prop your feet on the chair in front of you.
Dixon leans against the wall and crosses his arms across his chest.
"You said you have news?" you ask.
"Okay, so yesterday," Drake says as he sits up.
(if: $hallway is true) [[ "Remember when we had our delightful little conversation in the hallway?" ]]
(if: $hallway is false) [[ "Remember when we had our fun little run in in the reading car?" ]]You nod.
"Well, I followed Detective Collins afterward to see what had her so distracted when she got that text. A good cop exposé is always fun."
"Right," Dixon says dryly.
Drake ignores Dixon, eyes glued to you. "So, she meets up with Marconi and starts in on him. Apparently, he still hands out with her ex-husband, and she doesn't like that."
"Ouch." Dixon runs a hand through his hair. "That would suck, man."
"That's not all," Drake says. "She just got word at the station that she failed her last partner evaluation. They denied her promotion because of it."
"[[Which is why she was so mad when they first got there]]," you say.
(Set: $carmenfile to true)You nod.
"Well, I ran into Detective Collins afterward, only she was so distracted on her phone that she didn't even see me. So, naturally, I followed her."
"Naturally," Dixon says dryly.
Drake ignores Dixon, eyes on you. "So, she meets up with Marconi and starts in on him. Apparently, he still hands out with her ex-husband, and she doesn't like that."
"Ouch." Dixon runs a hand through his hair. "That would suck, man."
"That's not all," Drake says. "She just got word at the station that she failed her last partner evaluation. They denied her promotion because of it."
"[[Which is why she was so mad when they first got there]]," you say.
(Set: $carmenfile to true)"Exactly," Drake says. "She accused Marconi of sabotaging her career because of her ex."
Dixon lets out a slow whistle. "Shit."
"That's motive if I ever heard one," you say. You stand and pace the room.
Drake puts his finger to his nose.
"So, what are you saying? You think Detective Collins killed Marconi?" Dixon asks.
You stop pacing and look to Drake.
Drake twists his mouth, then [[meets your eyes.]]"I'm saying if they started looking into Collins for the murder, there would be plenty to keep them busy."
Your mind flashes back to you and Drake standing in Marconi's room--the crime scene--not even an hour ago, to him holding up a folded business card with the name DETECTIVE CARMEN COLLINS on it. A chewed piece of gum inside. Drake's eyebrows lifted to you in question.
[[Drake Malone is smart.]] It's almost scary how smart.Carmen whispers in Officer Welsh's ear, flashes her a smile, and then winks at you.
"If you have a lawyer you would like to use, we can contact them on the way to the station," Officer Scott continues.
You stare at the floor.
"Do you have a lawyer?" he asks.
"I know a guy," you say.
Walter's phone rings.
He puts it to his ear. Without saying a word to the caller, he strides over to you and [[holds the phone to your ear.]]"I suggest you leave Miss Van Sloan alone. Nothing you say at this point will help your case," Officer Welsh says to Carmen.
"Save it for your lawyer. Yeah?" Drake says, a smirk on his face.
Carmen smiles. "Can you call him for me? Have him meet us at the station?"
Officer Scott nods. "Do you have his information?"
"He's the last call on my phone. Victor Van Sloan."
All eyes are on you as the officers lead Carmen from the car.
[[''The End.'']]"Audrey, we should go," Dixon says.
"You could have framed me," Walter continues. "And I would have been fine with it. I deserve it."
Walter turns to face Audrey.
"But Dawn?" He clenches his fist. "She didn't deserve this."
Walter looks from Audrey to Carmen.
"Tell Victor I'm done. I want nothing more to do with the Van Sloan name."
Walter storms out of the car.
[[''The End.'']]"You know that you don't have to fix everything, right?" he asks you.
"What do you mean?"
"It's not your job to fix the world, Aud. Sometimes, you just have to look out for yourself. I get it."
Officer Scott places his hand on Dixon's back and [[leads him from the car.]]Scott and Welsh exchange looks.
"You say this man killed my birth father, moments before I got a chance to speak to him for the first time, and then tried to get close to me. I want to know why."
"We can give you five minutes," Officer Welsh says.
"And we're cuffing him to a chair," Officer Scott adds.
You nod.
Everyone leaves the car but you and Drake.
"Did you do it?" you ask.
Drake shrugs.
"Does it matter? You know how it is when they get it in their head you did something."
"How'd you know him?" you ask. "[[Off the record.]]"Drake flashes you a smile.
"A few years back, I was investigating a few of his cases that didn't sit well with an informant of mine. So, I start digging. Know what I find?"
"What?"
"Not a damn thing. The cases had been completely scrubbed from all databases," Drake says.
"How is that even possible?" you ask.
"That's what I was wondering. So, I start looking even further. Except, next thing I know, my informant ends up six feet under, I get fired from my job, no one but alien mags will hire me, and [[even then I have to write under a pen name.]]""Interesting."
"The truth is out there," Drake says.
"I don't think you're allowed to say that as Drake Malone, sir."
"It gets worse," he says.
"I don't see how it could."
"I come home one night and find none other than Detective Collins herself in my shitty little apartment. She tells me that Marconi has his hands in everything and that it was in my best interest to back off."
"What'd you do?" you ask.
Drake raises his cuffed hands. "Clearly, I backed off."
The reading car door slides open, and Officer Welsh enters.
"I hope you were able to get the closure you were looking for."
You look at Drake.
"I got exactly what I needed. Thank you, officer."
[[''The End.'']]"What do you think you're doing?" Officer Welsh demands.
"You said she could call her lawyer," Walter says.
"Hello?" you say into the phone.
The voice on the other end of the line hits you like stepping on a patch of ice for the first time. Unexpected, terrifying, it takes your breath away, and somehow, in some twisted way, it still reminds you of fond memories of ice skating and home. Even if it chills you to your core.
Your eyes flash to Walter.
"Seems like you've gotten yourself into quite the situation, Dearest," Victor Van Sloan says.
[[''The End.'']]Margo turns her back to Frank, a tear streaks down her face.
"Just wait until I get home. You thought I'd take the fall for the murder of your little boyfriend?"
Officer Welsh raises an eyebrow at Scott.
"Alright, buddy." Officer Scott places his hand on Frank's back. "Time to go."
Carmen smirks at you. "Pretty pleased with yourself?" she asks.
You drop Dixon's hand.
"Come on, Aud. We don't have to listen to this," Dixon says.
"I just wanted to congratulate her on a job well done," Carmen says.
Drake takes a step over to the group. "I think maybe you should back off, Detective."
"Victor will be in touch," Carmen tells you before she turns and strides out of the car.
[[''The End.'']]Frank struggles to look at Margo. "Margo? You hear what I said? Everything is going to be fine."
"Okay, buddy." Officer Scott nods at Welsh, who moves Margo away from Frank. "Let's go. We'll get it sorted at the station."
"Margo? Say something!" Frank yells, twisting to look at Margo.
Carmen frowns at you.
You drop Dixon's hand.
"Audrey, we should go," Dixon says.
"Know who else loves toying with marriages?" Carmen asks. "Your wonderful father."
"Which one?" you ask.
Carmen touches the side of her nose.
[[''The End.'']]Margo looks at Frank with wide eyes.
Frank clenches both fists and nods his head. "We'll figure this out, Margo."
Carmen frowns at you. "Pleased with yourself, Miss Van Sloan?" she asks.
"Come on. Let's get out stuff," Dixon says.
You drop Dixon's hand and turn away as the officers escort Margo out of the car.
"Victor would be so proud," Carmen continues.
You grit your teeth. "I'm nothing like that man."
"Oh, how wrong you are. I'd expect a call once I give him the news," she says.
You turn to Carmen.
She winks at you and strides from the car.
[[''The End.'']]"It's the queen," you say.
"Though, I suppose he already took your queen. Didn't he?" Walter starts laughing as Officer Welsh leads him away.
Dixon places his hand on your shoulder. "What is it?"
"He works for my father."
"Marconi?"
"Victor."
"Who does?" Drake asks, stepping up beside you.
You glance over to find Carmen watching you, smirking.
"Who indeed."
[[''The End.'']]Drake smiles at you.
"Hey, what have you been up to?" you ask.
"Still following me around?" Drake asks.
"To be fair, I could have let her know what you were doing." You give him a pointed look.
"So, [[now we're to blackmailing.]]""Hey, how's your nose?" you ask.
"Are you looking for other ways to get me punched again?" Drake asks.
"To be fair, I didn't know she was going to punch you. Also, maybe if you weren't going through people's stuff..."
Drake glares at you.
You raise your hands in a show of surrender. "I'm not trying to stir the pot. [[Just trying to make nice.]]""Then she has two people vouching for her when before she would have been alone."
"So would we," you remind him. "If we suddenly came out that we knew each other but pretended to be strangers on the train, that would be insanely suspicious."
"Good point," he says.
You shake your head. "How did we get here?"
"I don't know, Aud. But I'm pretty sure that staying holed up in here is the last thing we need to do."
He's right. Go socialize and [[see what you can find out.]]"Might be a bad time to point out that you're a suspect in a murder investigation and that trusting people might make the difference between jail and freedom," Drake says.
You sigh. "At this point? I think we all are."
"Process of elimination, right?" he asks.
You nod.
"Guess that means we just have to make sure they don't find any reason to look at us [[more than necessary.]]""What I was saying about Collins is that she's building a case against you," Drake says.
"What? Can she do that?" you ask.
He shakes his head. "Legally, no. But she's going to go in any tell the cops everything she knows, and at this point, she's trying to make sure she knows everything there is to know about you."
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."
[["How so?" he asks.]]You open your bag of shoes and stifle a scream. All of your shoes are covered in blood. You pull out your phone, take a picture of the mess, and email it to yourself in case you need a lawyer soon. Even if the email fails, you'll have it in your sent folder.
Maybe you should go back and speak to the officers about this. Welsh and Scott seem like they really care about what happened to Marconi. If you could just get them to see what's going on...
That someone is clearly messing with you. Maybe they wouldn't keep focusing on you as a suspect.
(if: $destroy is true) [ After all, you got rid of the evidence that you drugged Marconi. What could they have on you that isn't substantial at best? ]
You sit on the edge of your bed and put your [[head in your hands.]]You place your order with the chef and wait in the kitchen for your food to be ready. While you wait, you pull your phone out of your pocket and see that you have a new message from Marconi.
*Strange. You never heard the alert.*
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:blue)[(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=//| J. MARCONI |//
(if: $talk is true) [ AUDREY: We need to talk. ]
(if: $stopavoiding is true) [ AUDREY: I think it's about time you stop avoiding me. ]
(if: $blackmail is true) [ AUDREY: I'm not above blackmail... ]
J. MARCONI: //(ten minutes ago)// I'll meet you now. In my room.
---
''[Q] [W] [E] [R] [T] [Y] [U] [I] [O] [P]
[A] [S] [D] [F] [G] [H] [J] [K] [L]
[^] [Z] [X] [C] [V] [B] [N] [M] ⌫
[ 123 ] [ 😄 ] [ space ] [ return ]'']
You're not so hungry anymore.
[[Head to Marconi's room.]]It's the perfect opportunity. But... do you really have it in you?
You reach into your pocket and pull out two items.
An envelope addressed to Jacob Marconi and a single-dose pill pack.
[[Open the envelope.]]
[[Drop the pill into the glass.]]
[[Don't dose the water.]]You wait for him to continue. He glances around the room, ensuring no one else is listening. Frank is still sitting with his wife at their table. Neither is speaking or eating, for that matter.
"I was looking for you and was walking through the private rooms car, and Marconi's door was open. Frank was inside with Marconi, and the two of them seemed to be arguing about something. Something slammed against the wall, probably someone's fist, so I stopped to listen for a minute. Then I heard Walter tell Marconi that he was going to 'kill him for what he did to her.'"
"Her?"
[[Dixon shakes his head.]]You make yourself a cup of coffee as you open the note she passed you.
(b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:cyan)[(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[
He's been talking to Det. Collins. They're going to say it was you.
]]
You turn and try to meet Margo's eyes, but she is now positioned [[facing away from you.]]Margo stands to refill Frank's coffee. She spills a little coffee on the counter and grabs too many napkins in her effort to clean it up.
You help her pick up a few of the napkins she dropped to the floor.
"Thank you," Margo says. "I'll take those."
She holds your gaze as she takes all of the napkins from your hands while pressing a note firmly into your palm.
You nod as she tosses the trash into the bin and [[returns to Frank]] with fresh coffee.You scan the room.
Drake meets eyes with you from the corner of the room. He opens his mouth to say something, glances down at his phone, and frowns. He runs a hand through his hair, then looks back up, a small smirk on his face, and lifts an eyebrow.
[[Go sit with Drake.]]
Dixon waves at you from the middle of the room, a huge smile on his face. Plates, both empty and not, cover his table. His button-up shirt wears remnants of his breakfast.
[[Go sit with Dixon.]]
Dawn and Walter sit together at a table by the door, speaking in hushed tones. Walter faces the door, and Dawn faces you. She glances your way and gives you a small smile.
[[Go sit with Dawn and Walter.]]"Interesting."
"How is that interesting?" you ask.
"Well... A pretty girl like you, so smart and business savvy. It's a bit interesting that you didn't say anything when you caught me." He takes a step toward you. He lifts his hand and plays with your hair. "What is it that you want?"
[[Blackmail him.]]
[[Flirt with him.]]"Audrey, you were the person who found Marconi, yes?" Scott asks.
You nod.
"Can you walk me through what you were doing that day up until that moment?" he asks.
You take a deep breath and relay your day to the officers. Leaving the part out about sneaking into Marconi's room, of course.
Officer Scott scrawls rapidly in his notepad and [[Welsh watches you intently.]]"What exactly were you meeting Marconi for, Miss Van Sloan?" she asks.
Ahh, and there it is—the question you've been dreading all along.
You close your eyes like what you're about to say is painful.
"Jacob Marconi is my father."
Officer Scott stops writing and jerks his head to look at you.
"Excuse me?" asks Welsh.
[[Show him the picture.]]You shrug. "Victor Van Sloan was a heartless man with little time for anything trivial. I can only assume my mother was wasting his money, mocking his power, or forgetting her place."
The officers exchange a look.
"You'd be surprised how easy it is to do any of the three. Especially as a child growing up."
Welsh leans forward in her seat. [["And Marconi?"]]
(set: $truth to true)Neither officer say a word as they wait for you to continue.
"The best part? She only left one note. And it wasn't to my dad or me. It was to Jacob Marconi."
"I'm very sorry for your loss," Officer Scott says. "You filled in a lot of holes. Would you like to take a break for now while we interview some of the other passengers?"
You nod and rise from the chair.
"[[Head back to your room]] until we've gotten through all of the interviews," Welsh says.You go back to your room, but find your door wide open. You're not sure if you locked it when you left, but you definitely didn't leave it like this.
You take a step into the room and find your clothes strewn all over your room.
You turn around to call for help in case someone is still hiding in your room but pause when you realize that you have no idea who did this.
You pack your things back up in hopes that everything gets sorted soon. All of your clothes are accounted for except for one of your gloves. You look under the desk, in the drawer, under the bed, between the mattress and bed frame, but can't find it. [[Maybe you didn't pack the other one after all.]]A lawyer would be the best course of action at this point, but that's not something you're ready to face. The best lawyer you know isn't someone you're speaking to right now, and you'd rather avoid an explanation. Especially considering the victim.
There's a knock on the wall by your door, and you realize that you left the door open.
"Hey," Margo says.
"Hey," you reply.
"Are you okay?" she asks, still standing in the doorway.
You start to nod and then shake your head. Nothing is okay right now and lying about it to anyone, much less yourself, is just [[too much.]]She glances into the hallway and rubs her neck.
"Are you okay?" you ask.
Her gaze returns to you, and she watches you before looking at her feet.
"I always thought that women who took abuse were weak," she says. "But what can they do really when they're stuck in this pattern that keeps repeating and they can't stop no matter how hard they try?"
You take a deep breath.
"They can break the pattern," you say. You hold her gaze. "No matter what he says, no matter the promises, they can break the pattern."
[[She stares at her feet again.]]"I just wanted to tell you that they're talking to him now, and he's sticking to the story that it was you." She wraps her arms around her torso. "I just thought you should know. So you could be prepared."
"Thank you. And thank you for the note earlier."
She nods, glances up at you again, and then steps back into the hallway.
How many of these people have decided that you committed this crime?
(if: $drug is false) [You didn't even drug him. You decided that you would be better than the violence you were raised in.]
(if: $drug is true) [Could you claim emotional distress at this point? You run into the guy responsible for your mother's suicide and just snapped. That's something that happens, right? Then again, Marconi didn't make your mother commit suicide. She made the decision herself. If only you could have seen the signs, maybe you could have gotten her the help she needed. Maybe you could have been the help she needed. ]
You need to [[speak to the police again]].You head back to the room where Officer Welsh and Scott are conducting their investigation.
As you raise your hand to knock on the door, Frank comes out of the room. He narrows his eyes at you but says nothing as he walks away.
"Miss Van Sloan? Is there something you wanted to add?" Officer Welsh asks.
You look at her and shake your head. "Something happened when I got back to my room."
"[[Come in and tell us]]," Scott calls out from inside the room."When I got back to my room after speaking with you two, I found all of my clothes thrown around the room," you tell them.
Officer Scott starts scrawling notes across a notepad.
"Someone was in your room?" Welsh asks.
You nod.
"Did you make sure to lock it before you left this morning?" she asks.
"I thought I did, but now I have no idea. I know that I definitely didn't leave it wide open with all of my clothes thrown out, though."
Welsh makes an mmm-hmmm noise as she studies you.
"[[Was anyone with you]] when you discovered your room was messed with?" Officer Scott asks."No, sir. I was alone," you say.
"So, you don't have any proof?"
"Well, I have a bag full of bloody shoes in my room."
"Excuse me?" Welsh asks.
"When I packed everything up, I opened my other luggage bag looking for something and found all of my shoes covered in blood. I also took a picture of it on my phone in case I needed to show someone what it looked like when I found it."
"I'd like very much to see the shoes right now if you could take me." Officer Scott stands from the table and walks to the door. "Also, I would like the picture as well."
You nod and [[pull the image up on your phone]]. You show both officers, who exchange a look.
"What is it?" you ask.
"Nothing. Can you take us to your room now?" asks Officer Welsh.
You nod and lead them to your room.
You unlock the door and let the officers in the room. The bag is where you left it. You point to it and give Officer Scott a nod for him to open it.
Welsh pulls on a pair of gloves and retrieves one of the shoes from the luggage bag. She holds it up to the light and then to her nose. She passes it to Officer Scott, now also wearing gloves, and he inspects the shoe the same way. If either of them had brought the blood-soaked item to their lips, [[you might have passed out]] right there."We're going to take two back with us and run them for samples. Right now, my guess would be that this is fake blood," says Scott.
"Fake blood?" you ask. Even though you know good and well what fake blood is, you can't keep yourself from asking the question.
Welsh nods. "Maybe a prank?"
You wrap your arms around yourself and shiver, despite yourself.
"Are you okay?" Officer Scott asks.
You nod. "I'm just ready for all of this to be over with, so I don't have to be around death again for a while."
They both nod, but they don't really understand. They're likely around death all the time. This is an everyday thing for them. Whereas you've been sheltered from the bad in the world for most of your life. Well, [[most of the bad.]]"When you packed everything back up, did you notice anything missing?" Welsh asks.
"Well, I couldn't find one of my gloves, but I might have just forgotten to pack it," you say.
Officer Welsh pulls out his phone and shows you an image of what looks like your missing glove. "Do you recognize this glove?" he asks.
"Yes, that's the one I couldn't find."
Officer Scott glances at Welsh, and they communicate something between them silently.
"The glove has traces of blood on it. We're having it tested to see what comes back," explains Welsh.
You sit down on your bed.
//[[Did someone take the glove from your room?]]//"Where was it found?" you ask.
"In the kitchen trash," Scott answers. "Where were you before you went to meet with Marconi?"
Your stomach drops. "In the kitchen, like I said earlier, but..."
"The chef says that he remembers you ordering your food but that you left before it was ready." He leans against the wall and watches you for a reaction.
"That's when I got the response from Marconi and went to meet him," you say. "[[My appetite was a bit lost]] when I realized I was finally going to be confronting him.""Confronting?" Welsh raises an eyebrow.
"As in asking him where he's been, literally all of my life, and not in a romantic way. I had a lot of questions for the guy, including why my mother would write to only him. A month after I moved out. My mother and I have always been incredibly close. That didn't make sense to me. None of this does. Including the fact that you're still treating me like a suspect in the murder of my biological father moments before speaking to him for the first time."
"Okay, let's just take a step back," Welsh says. "This is clearly getting you worked up, and I understand why, but we're just trying to find out what happened."
[[You cross your arms]] over your chest."Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?" Welsh asks.
Now is your last chance to talk to the officers about the case. You might have gotten too emotional with your own confession earlier, and you know at least Carmen and Frank are basically working together to frame you.
Maybe it's time to talk about someone else?
//This is your last chance to speak to the officers during the investigation.//
[[I just wish I had gotten a chance to speak to him.]]
(if: $affair is true) [[Tell them about the Walkers, the fights, and the affair.]]
(if: $files is true) [[Tell them about Marconi's missing Dixon file.]]
(if: $confidedrake is true) [[Tell them about Dixon having Marconi's missing file.]]
(if: $fight is true) [[Tell them about Frank and the fight.]]
(if: $carmenfile is true) [[Tell them about Carmen and the file.]]"Can you shut the door?" she asks Dixon.
He glances into the hallway before shutting the door firmly behind him and turning back to face them.
"Okay, so I'm just going to lay it out straight," Dawn says, getting right to the point. "This doesn't look good for any of us."
She motions between the three of you.
"You found the body, you have the whole 'cold-case past' with him, and I... Well, I slept with him and then started writing a book about his deepest darkest secret."
Dixon gapes at Dawn.
"I'm not saying any of us in this room killed him, and I'm not saying we're the only ones on this train with motive. I'm just laying the cards out on the table."
[[You sit back.]]"What is this, the Hunger Games?" Dixon laughs. He looks from Dawn to you and back and then shakes his head.
"What exactly do we get out of this?" you ask. You need to keep your head right now. Even though it's far from clear and you're almost positive you can't trust her.
"Well, you scratch my back, I destroy evidence for you. That sort of thing."
[[Tell Dawn an alliance sounds great.]]
[[Tell Dawn you need some time to think.]]"How would you know something like that?"
"You need to keep your voice down."
"Don't tell me what I need to do, Margo. You can hardly take care of yourself on a good day. I don't need you trying to manage me."
Silence.
"You're right, Frank." A sniffle. "I'm sorry."
You learned some interesting information about the Walkers. Why are they arguing about Marconi? And what might that mean for you when it comes to the investigation? Maybe, if you had Marconi's phone, you could check to see if there is more of a relationship between him and the wife.
[[Head to the kitchen area.]]
(set: $walkers to true)You take a large bite of the burger, and despite its appearance, it really isn't that bad.
"What were you doing in Marconi's room?" she asks.
"What, no 'how are you doing?'"
"Clearly, you're fine. It must not be that big of a deal to discover a dead body. Unless, of course, you didn't really discover it."
[["I can't speak to you without my lawyer present."]]
[[Confide in Carmen.]]You raise an eyebrow.
"I'll vouch for you..." he says, offering his hand to you.
"If I vouch for you."
[[Take his hand.]]
[[Look away.]]You turn to find Dixon right behind you, and you yelp. He places his hand over your mouth.
"What are you doing sneaking in my room in the middle of the night, Aud?" He removes his hand from your mouth so you can respond.
"I was just coming to see you. I couldn't sleep."
"You sure you weren't coming to poison me?"
The silence in the room is deafening, and you can't breathe.
[[Run from the room.]]
[[Laugh it off.]]You open the door and allow Dixon to come into the room with you. He lays down on your bed and puts his hands behind his head.
"So, I heard something a bit ago," he tells you.
"Oh, yeah?" You rub the sleep from your eyes. You don't understand why this couldn't wait until the morning.
"The police will be here in the morning to take over the investigation. Detective Collins has been pulled off the case due to a conflict of interest."
You sit down hard beside Dixon.
The news that the authorities will be there in just a few hours is jarring. It's almost as if the whole murder was just a bad dream, and now, you actually have to face the reality of it all.
Dixon sees the look on your face, directs you to lay down, and rubs your back until you fall back asleep.
(text-colour:red)[''END OF ACT TWO.]''
''[[ACT THREE]]''"Come on, Audrey. I have something important to tell you."
"Go away, Dixon."
"I heard something a bit ago," he tells you through the door. "About the investigation."
"Oh, yeah?" You throw the door open and [[glare at him.]]"The police will be here in the morning to take over the investigation. Detective Collins has been pulled off the case due to a conflict of interest."
You stumble in the doorway.
The news that the authorities will be there in just a few hours is jarring. It's almost as if the whole murder was just a bad dream, and now, you actually have to face the reality of it all.
Dixon catches you and directs you to your bed. He covers you up, kisses you on the forehead, and leaves the room, locking the door behind him. If things were normal, you would have asked him to stay. But nothing is normal right now. Do you even know Dixon?
(text-colour:red)[''END OF ACT TWO.]''
''[[ACT THREE]]''You raise your hands in a show of surrender. "I was actually looking for a favor, but you can call it blackmail if you're into that sort of thing."
Drake raises an eyebrow.
You flash him a smile.
"I want to sneak into Marconi's room," you whisper.
A smile spreads across his face.
"You are full of surprises, sweetheart. I'm in. [[Meet me in my room in an hour."]]
(set: $drake to true)He sighs. "What is it you want?"
"Well..." You look around the hallway to make sure you're alone. "I was wondering if you might be up for a little snooping through other people's stuff."
He raises an eyebrow.
You flash him a smile.
"[[You want me to dig through your boyfriend's room?]]" Drake asks."I was thinking we'd look through a more interesting room."
"Oh, yeah? And who might that be?"
"I want to sneak into Marconi's room," you whisper.
A smile spreads across his face.
"You are full of surprises, sweetheart. I'm in. [[Meet me in my room in an hour."]]
(set: $drake to true)Did she mean Frank? That's the most likely scenario. She could be talking about any of the men on board, but what are the chances she had exchanged more than passing words with any of the others? You glance from Frank, muttering under his breath at Margo, to Detective Collins.
Carmen sits, coffee in hand, and leans over files spread across every inch of the table. She lifts a file marked AVS.
She glances up and glares at you.
"Save it for your lawyer, Van Sloan."
Carmen building a case against her doesn't come as a surprise, at least. Of all the people here, she was the closest to Marconi. Regardless of their recent fights, she likely knew him better than anyone else. She might even know about his [[connection to Audrey.]]Your heart hammers in your chest.
Dixon reaches over and intertwines his fingers with yours.
"I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time here today."
(if: $drug is false and $plant is false and $blackmail is false and $framewalkers is false and $framedixon is false and $framecarmen is false and $framefrank is false and $dixon is true and $dawn is true and $walter is true and $drake is true and $carmen is true and $frank is true and $margo is true) [ [[Hear the announcement.]] ]
(else: ) ["Most of you had nothing to do with this," he continues. "And I’m sorry you had to experience this tragedy.."
//Most of you.// [[Hear the verdict.]] ]"Like father, like daughter," she says.
"I hardly knew Marconi," you say.
"Setting up the death of a man you hate to look like a suicide? What a very Victor Van Sloan thing to do." Carmen shakes her head. "He'll be so proud when he hears you've followed in his footsteps."
Carmen winks at you then strides from the car.
[[''The End.'']]"Right. The one that was never solved?"
You nod, eyes now on the floor.
"What is it, Audrey?"
"I went into Marconi's room while he was still alive to snoop around and found a file on Dixon."
She looks deep in thought. Suddenly, her face changes in a way that you know she just took the bait. You get a bit sick at your stomach at the idea of framing your best friend.
You made a friend, or something close, in confiding in Carmen.
[[Let her leave.]]
(set: $carmen to true)
(set: $files to true)
(set: $framedixon to true)You raise your hand to stop a tear as it slips down your face. You lift your phone from your pocket and open a contact named: Do Not Call.
"Who you calling?" Drake asks from beside you.
"The best lawyer I know."
The line rings a few times.
"Audrey, dear," Victor Van Sloan says through the phone. "I knew you'd need me sooner or later."
[[''The End.'']]"No. Why would I be here with Dixon?"
"The two of you seemed pretty friendly when we first got here, is all," he says.
"Well, we're not." You take a step forward and place your hand on his chest. His eyes drop to your hand and then move to your face. He watches you for a moment, his chest rising and falling steadily. You're standing closer than you need to be, but that's okay. It works best this way.
[[Kiss him.]]
[[Don't kiss him.]]"I have a few questions for you two, but I think we have plenty of time for those later."
"It's not a crime to kiss a pretty girl, detective," Drake says as he moves past her, heading to the door. "Maybe you should try it sometime."
She grunts at Drake, gives you one last warning look, and follows him out.
[[Go to your room in the sleeping car.]] "I have a few questions for you two, but I think we have plenty of time for those later."
"It's not a crime to flirt with a pretty girl, detective," Drake says as he moves past her, heading to the door. "Maybe you should try it sometime."
She grunts at Drake, gives you one last, concerned look, and follows him out.
[[Go to your room in the sleeping car.]] "I'm here if you need someone to talk to. I'm sure it's not easy to lose your partner like that."
She gives you a small smile.
"Thanks, Miss Van Sloan."
"Audrey, please."
She smiles at you as she stands from her seat and heads to the door.
[[Let her leave.]]
(if: $walkers is true) [ [[One more thing, Detective.]] ]
(if: $files is true) [[Actually, there's something else|Tell her about Dixon's file.]]
(set: $carmen to true)"I guess I thought that since I fainted right after I found his body, people would see that I wasn't some cold-blooded killer. But if I //had// killed him, I probably would have 'discovered the body' and fainted to get the attention off of me as soon as possible.
Drake studies you. "You're smart. I like that about you."
(if: $drake is true) ["So what, you like to go for the hard to get girls?"]
(if: $drake is false) ["So what, you attracted to girls that clearly aren't into you?"]
"Depends on if you're one of those girls that like to play hard to get."
[[You are.]]
[[You're actually not interested.]]The files that lay across Marconi's desk yesterday have been moved around since you last saw them. Maybe Marconi moved them, but you find it more likely that someone messed with them yesterday after his body was found.
His phone sits on his bed. Maybe he tossed it on the bed when he walked into his room to meet with you. Or perhaps someone took it out of his pocket when they murdered him and found out you were on your way.
[[Look through the files.]]
[[Check the trash.]]
[[Check his phone.]]Before you can even stand to go toward the door, it swings open, and Dixon walks in. He opens his mouth to say something and then closes it as his eyes adjust, and he realizes you are not alone.
His forehead creases a bit, but you have to give it to him. He doesn't let any emotion flash across his face.
You stand and close the door before turning to Dixon.
"What's going on, Audrey?"
"Dixon, you met Drake at the station, right?"
He glances at Drake and slowly nods.
"Well, he came here with some [[information about the murder."]]Dixon pushes off the wall and brings you back to the present.
"Well, I came over with some news too," he says. "The police will be on board tomorrow to handle the investigation."
Drake stands from your bed.
"Detective Collins was officially told to stand down since it was her partner that was murdered," Dixon adds.
You look from Drake to Dixon.
"Looks like it's time to get our stories straight."
(text-colour:red)[''END OF ACT TWO.]''
[[ACT THREE]] "Well, you know how I told you that I was sleeping with Marconi?"
You nod.
"The thing is, I wasn't the only one."
Your eyebrows raise, and Walter smirks.
Dawn mouths the name MARGO, and it takes everything in you not to swing your head over to the married woman.
"Are you sure?"
"You find condoms in his suitcase?"
(if: $suitcase is true) [[I did.]]
(if: $suitcase is false) [[I never looked through his suitcase.]]"I thought you might be. You dropped it when you fainted, so I grabbed it and meant to leave it here with you earlier when I put the towel on your head but forgot."
You smile at Dixon as he leaves your room.
You stretch, groaning at the pain in your left elbow and hip, and then climb from the bed. You apply a bit of concealer under your eyes and a swipe of lipstick. You don't want to look too put together, but you don't want to look guilt-stricken either.
You head out of your room.
[[See what the other passengers might be doing.]]