Thomas and Friends: Mystery on the Golden Arrowby The Blue EM2ChaptersChapter 4: Something about ShoelacesChapter 1: Luxury AwaitsChapter 2: The Journey of a LifetimeChapter 3: Time to DigChapter 5: The End of CircumstancesCreditsChapter 4: Something about ShoelacesDuring lunch, which was delicious to all concerned, Goldie couldn't help but feel she'd spotted something odd in what had happened. The coach in which the cake was stored also had passenger seating, and this meant that the passengers could have a clear view of the cake itself. Therefore, making off with the cake without anybody noticing would have been very difficult, as surely somebody would have heard the noise of it being picked up and moved about, right? None of this seemed to be making sense. Could they all just be not very observant? Wait a moment. Not very observant... Goldie then had a brainwave as she mulled over the evidence in her head. "What if they're in on it?" she said, suddenly, out loud. Argyle glanced up in surprise. "In on what?" he asked. "The passengers in the catering coach somehow didn't notice the cake being taken away, which is very strange owing to the sight lines and the fact that moving a large cake takes a lot of effort. So, I'm beginning to wonder if the passengers in the catering coach were in on the entire scheme." "What would they gain from stealing a cake?" Sunny asked. "This has to be one of the most bizarre crimes I've ever seen." "Well, there was that time a group of crooks stole ice cream from Penmere," Argyle reminded her. "And the missing brake van debacle all those years ago." "That was only about two years ago," Sunny said. "Oh well. I guess wierder things have happened." Goldie sighed. "The closer I seem to get to solving it, the further away the resolution gets. Somebody keeps moving the goalposts, and I wish they'd stop doing it." She went back to her lunch. "I know we can solve this. But we have to work quickly, as the culprit must be caught before the train gets back to Waterloo tomorrow!" Goldie returned to the catering coach that afternoon to continue the investigation, as she simply wasn't prepared to let this one rest. She continued to interview people to try and figure out who might be the thief, or who might know who it was. Unfortunately, her efforts drew her to a blank on that front. They all had watertight alibis, and each of them could account for what they were doing at the time of the cake being taken. The more they thought about this case, the less things made sense. So, it was back to square one. Goldie returned to the main coach and looked again over her notes to try and figure out what to do next. The problems were only going to continue manifesting if she simply left this to fall apart, and as such she needed to ensure that she could figure out who was behind this nonsense. As she mused over her notes, Sunny walked up to her. "Mom?" Goldie looked up. "Yes, Sunny?" "I've been doing some thinking about the case myself, and I've noticed something which might be a potential lead." "What is it?" Goldie was keen for any evidence which may help her along. Sunny thought for a moment. "There's a slightly odd man who was wearing a scarf last night during the journey. Indoors. Inside a climate controlled coach." Goldie thought, and then recalled this rather odd sight. "Yes. I noticed him too. I thought it was odd too, but didn't say anything or do much about it. Has he done something odd?" Sunny nodded. "His scarf was done up in a distinctive knot yesterday, but today it's set loose for some reason. That seems like a slightly odd thing to do." "Wearing a scarf indoors at all is weird, but that's besides the point." Goldie jotted something down. "Thank you, Sunny. I think that's given me a new lead." Sure enough, Goldie encountered him in one of the parlour cars, where he was reading a newspaper. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" Goldie asked. The man looked up from his newspaper. "Sure. I presume you're wanting to interview me?" Goldie took a seat, but was slightly surprised. "How did you know?" "The train's resident Poirot sitting opposite you suggests as such," the man said, putting his newspaper down. "I'll just say that dress really suits you." "Thank you," Goldie replied, before turning back to her notebook. "I know you were in the coach with us during the incident, but may I ask about your scarf?" The man nodded. "Oh? This thing? I bought it in Oxford Street a few years ago. Reminded me of my barnstorming days. Of course, that's all a long time ago." "My daughter noticed you had it in a Windsor knot yesterday, but worn loose today. May I ask why?" The man nodded. "I'll be happy to answer. I've been wearing it so my wife can easily find me- it's easy to get lost and lose track of family members when everybody is dressed to the nines. As for why it's loosened, I was feeling a bit hot so loosened it." Goldie nodded. She knew this wasn't the lead she was looking for, but it at least cleared up something strange. "Thank you for your time." "No problem," the man said. Once she was out of earshot he went back to his newspaper. "Her husband's a lucky guy. Corporate heir, perhaps?" Goldie returned to the coach and once more sat down, seemingly defeated. "Well, that drew a blank as well," she sighed. "He had a perfectly rational explanation for all of that. We're nowhere near closer to figuring this out." "What if it's somebody nobody would suspect?" Argyle suggested. "That was always the rule in Agatha Christie; the killer was the last person you suspected, and the person who was being highlighted as the suspect was usually innocent." "The last person you suspected," Goldie said to herself. "Argyle, you're a genius! You've just given me another lead!" She collected her things and set off on her way. "The train manager and I are going to have a little talk." Chapter 1: Luxury AwaitsSunny pushed a button on her display, and immediately she was logged into the call. "Hey guys! How ya doing?" "Hi Sunny!" Pipp called. "How's the weather in Falmouth! 'Cause it is fab out here!" "We've got a 1960s weekend on in Swanage, which is why she's talking like that," Zipp explained. "It's also quite hot, which is why it's nice I've got the AC working in here." "We've got it set up the old fashioned way," Sunny smiled. "Windows! Least my room faces away from the sun in the morning." "So, what's been going on?" Misty asked. "Alpha- I mean dad is offering to move to Swanage full time, but I'm not sure how good a fit it would be for him. I mean, he's been a nomad for so long I'm not convinced always moving around is a good idea." "I kinda get that," Sunny said. "Mom says she's been to so many places she's lost any real sense of where home is for her." "Well," Hitch said, "Know that the Starshines will always have a home here." "Of course they do!" Izzy chimed in. "It's their house and belongs to them!" "One of the upsides of a fully paid off mortgage, I guess," Hitch said. "So, anyway, you guys went away partway through the summer. What did you get up to?" Sunny grinned. "It was great. On our way to Bristol we stopped off at the West Somerset Railway and visited Minehead- that's where my aunt Veronica lives, by the way. They had some really nice stuff, even if some of the local accents were a little hard to understand. Then, we continued onwards to Bristol and looked around some of the places mom and dad knew from the days they lived there." "I didn't know that!" Pipp said. "Yeah, they moved out after dad finished his degree, and mom's flat wasn't exactly suited for raising a family," Sunny said. "But there's something more important than that. As you probably know, my parents have been married for twenty years! Isn't that something?" "Congratulations to them!" Hitch said, with a smile. "I'll be sure to pass it on," Sunny said. "As our trip coincided with the anniversary, we visited an old stately home called Dyrham Park. It's where they got married all those years ago." She paused again, waiting for something. "Why has it suddenly gone quiet?" Zipp asked. "Suspense," Pipp suggested. "I think Sunny is building up to something EPIC!" Izzy said, before a shower of glitter appeared behind her on the monitor. "Well, that was something that happened," Misty said. "Did your parents do anything special there?" Sunny grinned. "They recreated their wedding portrait. Same spot, same day, clouds were a little different." She clicked some buttons, and then two photos appeared side by side on the screen. One showed the original image from 20 years earlier, and the other the recreation. The subjects looked slightly older in the second shot, but otherwise the two scenes were very similar. "Awwww!" said Pipp. "They're so sweet! I tried to pursuade mom and dad to recreate there's, but we hit a teensy snag in that mom's dress doesn't really fit her anymore." Sunny clicked another button, and another photo moved into place. "They even let me stand in one of them." Just then, the door opened. "Sunny, I've got some laundry for you!" Goldie called, and popped it down on her bed. "Could you sort it- oh. You're telling your friends about our summer, I assume?" "Yes mom," Sunny replied, suddenly looking slightly deflated. "It's fine," Goldie smiled, and sat down next to her. "It was weird being back there after all that time. Standing there in the same spot, in the same dress, next to Argyle... I felt like I was twenty years younger." "It's really remarkable you were able to do that, Mrs Starshine," Misty said. "Please, call me Goldie," Goldie smiled. "Only my financial advisor calls me by my title. And thank you. Arguably what was most remarkable was that after twenty years and a daughter I could still fit in my wedding dress." Sunny looked over. "Mom, I don't know if now's the right moment... but thanks for raising me." Goldie hugged her daughter. "It's never a problem, dear. Becoming a mom was one of the best decisions I ever made, because it meant I got to have you in my life." She stood up. "I'll let you get back to your chat. After all, rolling stock won't sell itself!" "Do you think she's up to it?" Argyle asked. The couple were sat round the dining table, discussing things whilst the conversation continued upstairs. "They've been fighting nutcases and dealing with chaos around here for several years now," Goldie replied. "I'm glad that's over. I'm glad that Boomer's not going to be giving me trouble anymore- he just didn't seem to be able to grasp the fact that I'd already found the life I wanted." "That's a good point," Argyle noted. "So, on that front we need to figure out logistics. I'm just concerned she'll find it all a bit strange and bizarre. I mean, you know this sort of social arrangement like the back of your hand." Goldie nodded. "Business always does seem to result in formal meals and opera. A lot of opera." She sighed. "I've certainly gotten a fair bit of use out of that dress. They do provide a non-alcoholic option, which is good- as you know I stopped drinking when I was having Sunny and never really took it back up." "So, you think she's up to it?" Goldie smiled. "I know she's up for it. She's more mature than people give her credit, and given what she's been through I think a few days in luxury would do her good. Besides, it'd be a shame to waste the third ticket." "So, it's settled," Argyle said. "I'll speak to her myself," Goldie said, as she got up from the table. "Besides, I've got a gift for her." Sunny turned her chair as she heard the knock at the door. "Yeah?" Goldie opened the door and closed it behind her. "Can we talk for a bit?" "Sure," Sunny said. "Has something come up?" Goldie nodded. "Sort of. As you know, your father and I have been married for twenty years now, and seeing as twenty years is a major milestone we wanted to celebrate in style. As part of that, we've booked a trip on the Golden Arrow." Sunny's eyes widened. "The Golden Arrow? Britain's premier dining train?" "The very same," Goldie replied. She smiled. "I was wanting to ask if you'd like to come along. Given you've been a part of our lives for so long, and you've had quite the hectic year, we thought it appropriate to give you the option." In an instant, her face went more serious. "But this does mean being on your very best behaviour." Sunny nodded. "I understand. I'd love to come, and I won't let you down." Goldie's face softened again. "Good girl." Sunny switched back to her PC and then brought up the website for the Golden Arrow. "I've noticed something, though." "Yes?" Sunny indicated to the dress code. "It states formal dress is required, but I don't know if I have the right sort of thing. The clothing shown here is more contemporary evening wear and 1920s fashions. We may have to find a gown for me at short notice." "What about the one Pipp gave you for the Falmouth Ball?" Goldie asked. "I'm not sure it'll fit," Sunny said. "It's a bit brightly coloured, and it's got a really wide skirt. You'd need an entire row of seats to fit it on even when collapsed." Goldie smiled, knowing where this was leading. "Luckily, I think I have just the thing. Follow me." Sunny got up and followed her mother into her parents' bedroom- a room she rarely, if ever, went in due to having no reason to go in there. "Cover your eyes." Sunny closed her eyes, as instructed, before waiting a moment. "And open!" Sunny opened her eyes, and they went wide with amazement. Hanging on the wardrobe was a sleeveless yellow evening gown, with a narrower bodice and a sweeping skirt with a reasonable amount of volume. Sunny smiled. "Thank you so much!" Goldie smiled. "Never a problem, Sunny. Seeing as you and your father bought the evening gown for me all those years ago it's only fair I return the favour for you." Argyle then appeared at the door. "So, are things set to roll?" he asked. "They most certainly are," Goldie smiled. "We'll also need to pack some overnight clothes- Sunny, you've got your own room as we only felt it fair to respect your privacy." And so, the three prepared for what they hoped was the adventure of a lifetime. Several days on the rails with the company of one another. What could go wrong? Author's Note Hello everybody, and welcome back to an all-new story. I know this is earlier than you were anticipating my return, but I have made the decision to revive my stories earlier than planned. As a result, we kick off the post-Opaline era with something rather more relaxed. Sunny's discussion of her parents' wedding anniversary is partly an allusion to the fact my parents like to celebrate theirs in unusual places (such as the Grand Canyon or in Lancaster County). The Golden Arrow was a luxury boat train operated by the Southern Railway and SNCF (the French rail operator) that connected London and Paris. In many ways the British version of the Orient Express, the train ran from 1926 to 1972 (with a break during WW2) and the name was later revived by Belmond as a luxury railtour. The version of the train seen above is the railtour version (as I struggled to find any historic photos in high enough quality, the above image is a screenshot from Train Simulator Classic). Sunny's formal gown looks like this: The idea behind this was that it echoes Goldie's formal gown, reflecting how Sunny looks up to her mother, whilst at the same time having a distinct style of its own. Next time; Waterloo awaits! Chapter 2: The Journey of a LifetimeNaturally, the journey to London was undertaken by train. Having packed the night before, Sunny and her parents loaded their cases onto a trolley and travelled to Falmouth station. Although it was only nine in the morning, there was already a distinct sense of hurry in the air. "Hello!" called Alexandra. "You look to be heading somewhere!" "You could say that," Argyle said, as he loaded his case onto the luggage rack at one end of the railmotor. "Is it somewhere exotic?" the railmotor asked. "The pyramids, perhaps? Or maybe the Acropolis? Or- picture that- sailing through Venice in a gondola?" "Don't be absurd!" Lord Haven said, with a mirthful tone to his voice. "A railmotor would never fit on a gondola." "It could if it was a rather large gondola," Sunny joked, which prompted some laughter. "Alas, we are not going to those places," Goldie said, as she struggled with her case. "It's Waterloo." "You're going to Belgium?" Lord Haven asked. "Nope. London Waterloo." Goldie put her case into place and then sat down. "We're catching the Golden Arrow." "How exciting!" Alexandra said. "Rubbing shoulders with dukes and duchesses, the very cream of European society. You did well to have gained an opportunity like this." "It's probably not something we'll do all too often," Goldie answered. "We're not that old!" Argyle said. "We've probably still got decades of adventures left in us." "Thank you." Alexandra then whistled, as it was time to go. "Away we go!" The train began to pull away, and before long the formation was skirting the edges of the Cornish coast as it began to climb towards Truro. As they rumbled along the line, familiar sights soon rolled past, looking new and exciting in the morning light. "Sure looks different, eh?" Argyle smiled. "Tell me about it," Sunny said. "Seeing it through big windows sure is a change from Salty's cab windows." After a bit more climbing, the train passed through Perranwell, where Rebecca was waiting on a goods train for them to pass. She whistled to them as they rolled by, and then they were on their way once more. At long last, they pulled into Truro, where they had plenty of time to cross the footbridge and climb aboard the waiting train for the run to Paddington. And not the bear, the place. Once the doors were closed, they were underway once more, with the scenery whizzing past at such a speed they seemed to fly. "The new units are a lot quieter than the old HSTs," Goldie observed. "The commute used to be quite noisy. Nowadays people ride on them precisely because of the noise." "That's because it's more fun," Argyle said. "As nice as climate control is, you can't help but feel you're not on the move. You're in a box somewhere, not on the rails." The journey to London proceeded on time, and the speed limit gradually rose as they flew through Exeter, Taunton, Bristol, and a myriad of other places. As last, the train arrived at the magnificent Brunellian trainshed of Paddington, and the passengers got off. They had, quite wisely, chosen to wait until the train had stopped. The Starshines were amongst them, and walked down the platforms with smiles. "Well, that wasn't too bad," Argyle said. "It feels a bit different not having Rebecca here," Sunny noted. "She was probably the first member of her class in a long time to run to Paddington." "It probably didn't happen all that often," Argyle replied. "Victoria and Waterloo were the London homelands of the class, and seeing massed ones at Clapham Junction must have been quite the sight and sound." "Right, we need to focus now," Goldie said. "We need to catch the District to Westminster then the Jubilee to Waterloo. Follow me." "Yes, ma'am!" Argyle replied. "You know your way round here." "Had to do it many times when Heathrow Express was shut," Goldie replied. The journey underground wasn't too bad, all things considered, and their luggage didn't go missing, which was always a bonus. Once they reached Waterloo, they climbed out of the steps and into the former London and South Western terminus. "This is probably your first time at Waterloo, isn't it Sunny?" Argyle said. "I don't think I've been here before," Sunny said. "All quite noisy for a rural kid like me." "You'll get used to it," Goldie said. "Now then, you two can go and look at the engine if you'd like. I'll get us checked in." Once checkin was complete, and the initial confusion of tickets was resolved (as Goldie accidentally referred to Sunny instead of Sarah when recounting the tickets), they boarded and got their rooms. They were positioned next to one another, with a connecting door linking to a shared shower. The connecting corridor allowed them to speak to and contact one another if they so required. Later on, the train got underway, forming a most magnificent sight as the Bulleid Light Pacific and its long line of Pullman Cars and Sleeper Coaches got underway through the south London streets. As the journey had begun, the guests had started to exit their rooms as they had gotten changed into rather more formal attire. Argyle had brought his suit as was custom, though he had changed out the usual tie for a bow tie to better fit the ambience. Goldie, naturally, had brought her dark blue evening gown, and with a bit of help had gotten her hair into a suitable formation for the evening. "Thanks for the help," she said. "Normally I'd have had it done professionally, but there was too great a risk of it coming apart on the journey." "Never a problem to help," Argyle smiled. They found their seats in the day coach and sat at them. The cutlery was already laid, and the glasses sat there. Complementary glasses already charged with drink sat in place. Goldie looked at the note. "Non alcoholic, as requested," she said. "They've thought of everything." She then reached forward, before stopping. "Sunny, can I ask you something?" Sunny, who was fussing with her own skirts, glanced up. "Yes?" "Is my glove on right?" Sunny took a look. "Looks slightly to the side, as far as I can see." Goldie pulled on one side, and found it was correctly adjusted. "Must have pulled it on at the wrong angle. Thanks for the help." "No problem, mom." The starter and first course proceeded without too much incident, and as was only fitting on such a train there was live entertainment. The musician and her group moved between the coaches, performing newer songs rewritten in a Jazz style which really fit the ambience. As the musician made her way from one carriage to another, she suddenly stopped at the Starshine table. "Hey, I know you!" she said to Sunny. "Sunny Starscout, right?" Sunny's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was. "Ruby Jubilee!" she said. "Fancy seeing you here!" "I know, right?" the musician smiled, looking at the assembled people. "I don't believe we've met," she said to the parents. "I'm Ruby Jubilee. I met your daughter when I was performing at the music festival in Bury back in February." "Argyle Starshine," Argyle replied. "Goldie Starshine," Goldie added. "Nice to meet you, Miss Jubilee." "Please, just Ruby." The musician adjusted the skirt of her dress, which seemed to be oddly puffy for the environment, as well as being covered in flower motifs. "Well, I can't hang around and chat for long, got another passenger car to entertain. See ya around!" As she disappeared up the coach, Argyle sat back in his chair. "Well, I'll be," he said. "First we're friends with English nobility, then we're on first name terms with major pop stars. Whatever next?" "The main course, of course!" Goldie joked. Goldie had noticed a few odd things during the trip. One chap across the row was wearing a scarf with a windsor knot in it- a very strange thing to wear indoors on a train to say the least. But things came to a head when there was a scream from down the carriage. "What on Earth was that?" asked a passenger. Goldie slipped out of her seat and began to head up the train as quickly as her clothing could permit her. When she arrived at the source of the noise, she found one of the chefs standing in horror. "What happened?" she asked. "Oh, it is terrible!" said the chef. "The desert has been stolen! This took hours to make, and I don't know if we can recreate it in time!" Goldie thought to herself. "The train hasn't stopped since we left Waterloo, and therefore nobody will have had a chance to get off and hide it," she said. "This means the cake is still on the train- and the thief is still onboard." "What do you mean?" the chef asked. "We have a little mystery to solve," Goldie said. "And it's time to put our collective grey cells to work." Author's Note Welcome back to another chapter, which has more of an old staple of my writing- travel. The journey here is the one from Truro to Paddington, one I would thoroughly recommend doing if you ever find yourself in the UK. The coaching stock in use on the Golden Arrow is a mixture of older Pullman cars (namely the all-steel K Type) and the British Rail MK1 Sleeper. The former type was built from 1928 onwards and makes up the backbone of the luxury railtour industry. The latter is a popular choice for overnight railtours (as it means there's no need to book a hotel). After an abscence of several stories, Ruby Jubilee is back- as an entertainer, no less. The dress she is wearing is based on one worn by the character of Agatha in the film The School of Good and Evil. Agatha was played by Sofia Wylie in the film, so consider it an actor allusion. But the crime has been committed! Now it is up to the cast to find out who stole the cake, and why! Chapter 3: Time to DigThe night, thankfully, passed with no further chaos, and the characters awoke from their slumbers without too much difficulty. Although all three of the Starshines had experience of sleeping on moving trains, it was still a rather strange experience to open the curtains and discover you had awoken in a different location to the one you had fallen asleep in. Once through the shower and fully dressed again, the three set off back to their assigned table. The sun was well risen in the sky, shining its glorious beams down upon the windows and bathing the interior of the coach in light. It was also nicely highlighting the terrain around it, which was always a bonus as the south coast of England was certainly quite stunning. Unfortunately, the theft of the cake had rather put a damper on proceedings, and as such the breakfast was eaten in a somewhat subdued manner. Sunny leaned in. "It's oddly quiet," she said. "I can hear the rumbling of the pony truck from here." "Pony truck?" Argyle asked. "I can't see a pony pulling a truck." "Presumably that's the same as leading wheels," Goldie said. "Excuse me." She quickly turned her head and sneezed, before starting to fish about in her handbag. "I know I left a kleenex in here somewhere." "Freight cars!" Argyle added. Sunny looked confused. "What's going on?" she asked. "Why are we all using US terms all of a sudden?" "I'm not sure, actually," Goldie said, having finished blowing her nose. "I know I still sometimes use American vocabulary from time to time, but not in this amount." "That's reasonable, given that you were born and grew up in the States," Argyle replied. "But I have think I know why it's happening here." "Why?" Sunny asked. "Somebody has accidentally put the US dub on by mistake. So, we just need to switch back to the UK dub and we should be fine!" And then everything went blurry. The night, thankfully, passed with no further chaos, and the characters awoke from their slumbers without too much difficulty. Although all three of the Starshines had experience of sleeping on moving trains, it was still a rather strange experience to open the curtains and discover you had awoken in a different location to the one you had fallen asleep in. Once through the shower and fully dressed again, the three set off back to their assigned table. The sun was well risen in the sky, shining its glorious beams down upon the windows and bathing the interior of the coach in light. It was also nicely highlighting the terrain around it, which was always a bonus as the south coast of England was certainly quite stunning. Unfortunately, the theft of the cake had rather put a damper on proceedings, and as such the breakfast was eaten in a somewhat subdued manner. Sunny leaned in. "It's oddly quiet," she said. "I can hear the rumbling of the leading wheels from here." Argyle shrugged. "That's probably the sound of the carriage bogies." As breakfast landed on plates, which in turn was placed before them, Goldie addressed her husband and daughter. "Let's get down to business," she said. She looked at Argyle. "And no, please don't make the obvious joke." "Noted," Argyle replied. "I think we've done it once before anyway." "Anyway, we need to find out who took this cake. I have every reason to suspect the cake and the cake thief are still onboard the train, as they would have had no opportunity to get off without risking serious injuries." "Presumably because we haven't stopped?" Sunny said. "Precisely." Goldie nodded. "And that means we have a chance to interview potential suspects. I can safely rule out anybody who was in the coach at the same time as us because if they had a cake on them we would have seen them moving it." She flipped open a menu and showed a photo. "You'd struggle to carry that without anybody noticing." "So, we need to talk to the people who were closest to the cake at the time it vanished," Sunny said. "And that's how we find out whodunnit!" "Who did it," Argyle gently corrected. "Whodunnit is only used when talking about the genre." Goldie rubbed her hands. "Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be a lead that you can chase up. OK, I know that's not what Conan Doyle wrote, but it works far better for my method. Once we are done with breakfast, we have a few interviews to conduct." Once breakfast was done, sleuthing could begin. Goldie had decided to use a part of the seating area as an interview zone, and right now the man she was speaking to was the head chef. "So, what did you see that night?" she asked. The head chef thought for a moment. "It was around nine in the evening. Myself and two of the other chefs had picked up the cake from where we had assembled it. Every aspect of the food on the train is prepared to order, as would be expected with an experience like this, so we had been getting it ready for an hour or two whilst the hot meals were going out." Goldie nodded and penned this down. "Thank you. Did you see anything after that?" "I'm not sure," the head chef admitted. "I stepped out of the coach for a second to help one of my colleagues, who was having a bit of trouble moving a trolley back to the main part of the coach. It was awfully stiff, and it took us several minutes to finish moving it. But by the time myself and he were back in the coach the cake was gone! It had vanished!" "Did anybody else see the cake being moved?" Goldie enquired. "I didn't. But I'm certain that my staff at least had one person on standby in the room, so somebody must have seen something happen, even if it was just in the corner of their eye." Goldie nodded, and closed her notebook up. "I think I'll be speaking with them next." Goldie found that moving about in her formal gown was easier than she had thought over long periods of time, suggesting she was just very, very used to wearing it by now. Whilst she wouldn't admit it very often she wasn't opposed to dressing up nicely. It was simply that she had a less is more attitude when it came to aesthetics, and as such a lot of formal wear simply didn't appeal to her. Her investigation of the rest of the catering staff also drew a blank, so she retreated back to the table and sat down, sighing. "Everything OK?" Argyle asked. "No," Goldie said. "Watertight alibis, the lot of them. None were in the coach at the time the cake went missing, and passengers can vouch for them being in other coaches at the time. Whomever did this timed their moment to strike extremely well." "I couldn't find any clues either," Sunny replied. "The CCTV system was down in that coach, meaning we can't see what was going on at the time." Goldie sighed. "It's all quite frustrating." She opened her handbag and dropped her notepad and pen back into it before closing it again. "This is one of those moments where I could do with pockets for storing things." Argyle nodded, but gently took her hand. "No problem is ever solved overnight," he said. "Often it just needs a new approach to figure out how to get there. If we'd given up on having kids at the first hurdle, we'd never have met Sunny. And I think our lives would be the poorer for it if we hadn't." Goldie smiled, glancing over to Sunny. "That is true. And above all we mustn't give up. We need to clear our heads and figure out a new approach. After all, we've only searched one coach. It may come up somewhere else, and we still have a lot of other people to interview." Suddenly, the buzzer went overhead. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we will shortly be starting to serve lunch. Please take your seats and ensure your seat number is clearly visible. Thank you." Sunny nodded. "Well, at least we can mull things over whilst we eat." As things began to move about, Goldie couldn't help but feel she was inside a mystery novel. Vanishing cakes, a train full of exotic people, mystery and intruigue, and questions to answer. At least their hadn't been a murder, which is always a positive thing, but something was nagging at her mind. The fact that nobody had seen the cake move seemed weirdly contrived. Had nobody really been there when the cake was taken? It all seemed rather implausible. Unless, of course, it was. Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. And, no matter what, Goldie was determined to find the truth. It may just need a bit of lateral thinking. Author's Note Hello, and welcome back to another chapter! The mystery deepens as we delve deeper into the cake theft. The opening is based on an infamous Thomas VHS released in the UK that had the US dubbing tracks (I think it had a blue box). Safe to say, this tape thoroughly confused me as a young child. Having said that, it at least introduced me to how Thomas and Friends was released in overseas markets. The usage of railway terms can also be a giveaway for an author's nationality. A notable example occurs in the fanfiction Sodor Fallout, where the narrator (Charlie Sands) make a brief reference to Edward's pony truck derailing. The story's author, Tidmouth Thunderbolt, is Canadian, where the term 'pony truck' is used. The only issue is Sodor Fallout takes place in the UK and Sands is British, where the term 'leading wheels' is used. Argyle correcting Sunny is based on a similar error Pinkie makes in Mystery on the Friendship Express. At one point in the dialogue, Pinkie states they need to find 'who dun it'. Whilst 'whodunnit' is a real word, it is only used to refer to a genre; in the context of establishing guilt the correct phrase would be 'who did it'. Twilight Sparkle tries to point this out, but it only causes Pinkie to get worse. Next time; interviews after lunch! Chapter 5: The End of Circumstances"I'm not sure how much I'd be able to contribute to the situation, but I'll try." The train manager looked over the table. "I can tell you where I was on the night of the stolen cake." "And where was that?" Goldie asked, firmly but with a reasonable tone to her voice. The train manager nodded. "I was in the brake coach, communicating with the locomotive crew. A passenger had commented on some rough acceleration as we pulled out of a platform after a passenger pickup. I was asking them not to accelerate too quickly, as it was causing soup to start to slosh about." Goldie noted down the heavy use of sybillance in the train manager's speech and looked over to the door. "That would be quite messy. But that does seem a bit odd to run at those sorts of speeds on a dining train." She began musing to herself. "Almost as if somebody knows something they aren't letting on." "You're not suggesting the engine driver was in on this?" the train manager said. "No. But it has given me an idea. Up to this point, I had been working on the assumption that only one person was behind the theft of the cake. But what if two people were, in fact, working together?" Goldie flipped to a new page in her notebook, as the prior page was basically full. She then noted a new heading down. "What if it's somebody we weren't suspecting?" Suddenly, a person whizzed past them and into the next carriage. "After them!" Goldie said. Ruby Jubilee had just finished an afternoon performance when she noticed something was awry. "Thank you everybody!" she said. "That's all for now, but come back later this evening for another set. That'll be old classics sung a new way!" Just then, she spotted somebody push through the crowd and out the other door. "What in the?" Not long after that, Goldie appeared. "After him!" she called, and continued through the room. How in the world was she running in a dress like that and heels? Ruby found moving at speed in this difficult enough. "Excuse me, everybody. I've got something I need to do." With that she pulled her skirts up and began to follow down the corridor to gain a bit more speed. Once she was through the doors and out the other side, she was in one of the dining coaches, where the serving staff were still removing plates and silverware from lunch. Ruby stopped to let several trolleys loaded with plates pass by, then continued down the corridor, aware she was falling behind. Just then, she heard a voice from up ahead. "Block the corridor, Sunny!" Ruby shook her head, feeling a little silly. In the circumstances she had forgotten that the woman was Sunny's mother. She continued on regardless, and just then saw the crowd up ahead had stopped. Sunny was standing in the pathway, and sure enough the person they'd been chasing abruptly turned back towards them. Ruby had an idea. She dropped the skirt down and stopped. At full width it blocked the corridor and stopped the other person from doubling back. "Nice try, but you're not getting away." The man stopped, and turned back to Goldie, who was now standing in the middle. "Now then, could you kindly explain why you started running when I suggested that what if it's somebody we weren't suspecting?" The man nodded. "I took the cake. But it's not what you think it is." "It's always the last person you suspect!" Argyle said from a nearby table. Goldie sighed. "But normally you can figure out it was them from context clues or at least somewhat suspect them. I would never have come to this conclusion. It's like the plot resolution of a Gilbert and Sullivan oparetta!" "Who's Gilbert and Sullivan?" asked the man. "Am I interrogating you or are you interrogating me?" Goldie asked. "Fair point." "Anyway," Goldie said, keen to get the plot back on track, "why did you steal the cake?" "The cake is in the baggage car," the man revealed. "The truth is that it wasn't my idea to steal the cake. You see, I am an actor. The company hired me to move the cake, as previous feedback from patrons has stated that passengers would prefer to have some drama whilst the train is on the move. This whole thing was staged as a mystery for the passengers to solve." Goldie nodded. "How very odd. Seems an unusual thing not to advertise." She shrugged. "But having said that I did have fun solving the mystery, as did we all." "Shall we have the cake then?" Sunny suggested. Ruby laughed. "I propose we do one better and eat it!" With the mystery of the theft of the cake succesfully resolved, all returned to merriment onboard the Golden Arrow. The passengers enjoyed another night of good food and dancing, with the central coach cheerfully sounding to the delightful tones of positive music. When the journey came to an end at Waterloo the next day, the passengers all disembarked, having returned to normal attire in the interim. Although it had been an interesting time, there was no doubt they had all had a good, relaxing time onboard. They had boarded as strangers but left as friends. Would they stay in contact? Only time would tell. But, sure enough, people were certain it was time well spent. And it would have been much needed. Little did anybody know, but the coming times would bring intense challenges for them all, and the world would once again need to call upon the skills of the residents of Falmouth. Life had become but a weirdness magnet for them, but that was simply part of the challenge of negotiating life in the brave new world that magic had created. And you either grab opportunity with both hands or let it pass you by. And they knew which they'd rather take. CreditsCast - in Order of Appearance Vanessa Hudgens - Sunny Starscout Sofia Carson - Pipp Petals Liza Koshy - Zipp Storm Bahia Watson - Misty Brightdawn James Marsden - Hitch Trailblazer Kimiko Glenn - Izzy Moonbow Tara Strong - Goldie Starshine Michael McKean - Argyle Starshine Jodie Whittaker - Alexandra Richard E. Grant - Lord Haven Sofia Wylie - Ruby Jubilee David Suchet - The Chef John Malkovich - The Man with the Scarf
Chapter 4: Something about ShoelacesDuring lunch, which was delicious to all concerned, Goldie couldn't help but feel she'd spotted something odd in what had happened. The coach in which the cake was stored also had passenger seating, and this meant that the passengers could have a clear view of the cake itself. Therefore, making off with the cake without anybody noticing would have been very difficult, as surely somebody would have heard the noise of it being picked up and moved about, right? None of this seemed to be making sense. Could they all just be not very observant? Wait a moment. Not very observant... Goldie then had a brainwave as she mulled over the evidence in her head. "What if they're in on it?" she said, suddenly, out loud. Argyle glanced up in surprise. "In on what?" he asked. "The passengers in the catering coach somehow didn't notice the cake being taken away, which is very strange owing to the sight lines and the fact that moving a large cake takes a lot of effort. So, I'm beginning to wonder if the passengers in the catering coach were in on the entire scheme." "What would they gain from stealing a cake?" Sunny asked. "This has to be one of the most bizarre crimes I've ever seen." "Well, there was that time a group of crooks stole ice cream from Penmere," Argyle reminded her. "And the missing brake van debacle all those years ago." "That was only about two years ago," Sunny said. "Oh well. I guess wierder things have happened." Goldie sighed. "The closer I seem to get to solving it, the further away the resolution gets. Somebody keeps moving the goalposts, and I wish they'd stop doing it." She went back to her lunch. "I know we can solve this. But we have to work quickly, as the culprit must be caught before the train gets back to Waterloo tomorrow!" Goldie returned to the catering coach that afternoon to continue the investigation, as she simply wasn't prepared to let this one rest. She continued to interview people to try and figure out who might be the thief, or who might know who it was. Unfortunately, her efforts drew her to a blank on that front. They all had watertight alibis, and each of them could account for what they were doing at the time of the cake being taken. The more they thought about this case, the less things made sense. So, it was back to square one. Goldie returned to the main coach and looked again over her notes to try and figure out what to do next. The problems were only going to continue manifesting if she simply left this to fall apart, and as such she needed to ensure that she could figure out who was behind this nonsense. As she mused over her notes, Sunny walked up to her. "Mom?" Goldie looked up. "Yes, Sunny?" "I've been doing some thinking about the case myself, and I've noticed something which might be a potential lead." "What is it?" Goldie was keen for any evidence which may help her along. Sunny thought for a moment. "There's a slightly odd man who was wearing a scarf last night during the journey. Indoors. Inside a climate controlled coach." Goldie thought, and then recalled this rather odd sight. "Yes. I noticed him too. I thought it was odd too, but didn't say anything or do much about it. Has he done something odd?" Sunny nodded. "His scarf was done up in a distinctive knot yesterday, but today it's set loose for some reason. That seems like a slightly odd thing to do." "Wearing a scarf indoors at all is weird, but that's besides the point." Goldie jotted something down. "Thank you, Sunny. I think that's given me a new lead." Sure enough, Goldie encountered him in one of the parlour cars, where he was reading a newspaper. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" Goldie asked. The man looked up from his newspaper. "Sure. I presume you're wanting to interview me?" Goldie took a seat, but was slightly surprised. "How did you know?" "The train's resident Poirot sitting opposite you suggests as such," the man said, putting his newspaper down. "I'll just say that dress really suits you." "Thank you," Goldie replied, before turning back to her notebook. "I know you were in the coach with us during the incident, but may I ask about your scarf?" The man nodded. "Oh? This thing? I bought it in Oxford Street a few years ago. Reminded me of my barnstorming days. Of course, that's all a long time ago." "My daughter noticed you had it in a Windsor knot yesterday, but worn loose today. May I ask why?" The man nodded. "I'll be happy to answer. I've been wearing it so my wife can easily find me- it's easy to get lost and lose track of family members when everybody is dressed to the nines. As for why it's loosened, I was feeling a bit hot so loosened it." Goldie nodded. She knew this wasn't the lead she was looking for, but it at least cleared up something strange. "Thank you for your time." "No problem," the man said. Once she was out of earshot he went back to his newspaper. "Her husband's a lucky guy. Corporate heir, perhaps?" Goldie returned to the coach and once more sat down, seemingly defeated. "Well, that drew a blank as well," she sighed. "He had a perfectly rational explanation for all of that. We're nowhere near closer to figuring this out." "What if it's somebody nobody would suspect?" Argyle suggested. "That was always the rule in Agatha Christie; the killer was the last person you suspected, and the person who was being highlighted as the suspect was usually innocent." "The last person you suspected," Goldie said to herself. "Argyle, you're a genius! You've just given me another lead!" She collected her things and set off on her way. "The train manager and I are going to have a little talk."
Chapter 1: Luxury AwaitsSunny pushed a button on her display, and immediately she was logged into the call. "Hey guys! How ya doing?" "Hi Sunny!" Pipp called. "How's the weather in Falmouth! 'Cause it is fab out here!" "We've got a 1960s weekend on in Swanage, which is why she's talking like that," Zipp explained. "It's also quite hot, which is why it's nice I've got the AC working in here." "We've got it set up the old fashioned way," Sunny smiled. "Windows! Least my room faces away from the sun in the morning." "So, what's been going on?" Misty asked. "Alpha- I mean dad is offering to move to Swanage full time, but I'm not sure how good a fit it would be for him. I mean, he's been a nomad for so long I'm not convinced always moving around is a good idea." "I kinda get that," Sunny said. "Mom says she's been to so many places she's lost any real sense of where home is for her." "Well," Hitch said, "Know that the Starshines will always have a home here." "Of course they do!" Izzy chimed in. "It's their house and belongs to them!" "One of the upsides of a fully paid off mortgage, I guess," Hitch said. "So, anyway, you guys went away partway through the summer. What did you get up to?" Sunny grinned. "It was great. On our way to Bristol we stopped off at the West Somerset Railway and visited Minehead- that's where my aunt Veronica lives, by the way. They had some really nice stuff, even if some of the local accents were a little hard to understand. Then, we continued onwards to Bristol and looked around some of the places mom and dad knew from the days they lived there." "I didn't know that!" Pipp said. "Yeah, they moved out after dad finished his degree, and mom's flat wasn't exactly suited for raising a family," Sunny said. "But there's something more important than that. As you probably know, my parents have been married for twenty years! Isn't that something?" "Congratulations to them!" Hitch said, with a smile. "I'll be sure to pass it on," Sunny said. "As our trip coincided with the anniversary, we visited an old stately home called Dyrham Park. It's where they got married all those years ago." She paused again, waiting for something. "Why has it suddenly gone quiet?" Zipp asked. "Suspense," Pipp suggested. "I think Sunny is building up to something EPIC!" Izzy said, before a shower of glitter appeared behind her on the monitor. "Well, that was something that happened," Misty said. "Did your parents do anything special there?" Sunny grinned. "They recreated their wedding portrait. Same spot, same day, clouds were a little different." She clicked some buttons, and then two photos appeared side by side on the screen. One showed the original image from 20 years earlier, and the other the recreation. The subjects looked slightly older in the second shot, but otherwise the two scenes were very similar. "Awwww!" said Pipp. "They're so sweet! I tried to pursuade mom and dad to recreate there's, but we hit a teensy snag in that mom's dress doesn't really fit her anymore." Sunny clicked another button, and another photo moved into place. "They even let me stand in one of them." Just then, the door opened. "Sunny, I've got some laundry for you!" Goldie called, and popped it down on her bed. "Could you sort it- oh. You're telling your friends about our summer, I assume?" "Yes mom," Sunny replied, suddenly looking slightly deflated. "It's fine," Goldie smiled, and sat down next to her. "It was weird being back there after all that time. Standing there in the same spot, in the same dress, next to Argyle... I felt like I was twenty years younger." "It's really remarkable you were able to do that, Mrs Starshine," Misty said. "Please, call me Goldie," Goldie smiled. "Only my financial advisor calls me by my title. And thank you. Arguably what was most remarkable was that after twenty years and a daughter I could still fit in my wedding dress." Sunny looked over. "Mom, I don't know if now's the right moment... but thanks for raising me." Goldie hugged her daughter. "It's never a problem, dear. Becoming a mom was one of the best decisions I ever made, because it meant I got to have you in my life." She stood up. "I'll let you get back to your chat. After all, rolling stock won't sell itself!" "Do you think she's up to it?" Argyle asked. The couple were sat round the dining table, discussing things whilst the conversation continued upstairs. "They've been fighting nutcases and dealing with chaos around here for several years now," Goldie replied. "I'm glad that's over. I'm glad that Boomer's not going to be giving me trouble anymore- he just didn't seem to be able to grasp the fact that I'd already found the life I wanted." "That's a good point," Argyle noted. "So, on that front we need to figure out logistics. I'm just concerned she'll find it all a bit strange and bizarre. I mean, you know this sort of social arrangement like the back of your hand." Goldie nodded. "Business always does seem to result in formal meals and opera. A lot of opera." She sighed. "I've certainly gotten a fair bit of use out of that dress. They do provide a non-alcoholic option, which is good- as you know I stopped drinking when I was having Sunny and never really took it back up." "So, you think she's up to it?" Goldie smiled. "I know she's up for it. She's more mature than people give her credit, and given what she's been through I think a few days in luxury would do her good. Besides, it'd be a shame to waste the third ticket." "So, it's settled," Argyle said. "I'll speak to her myself," Goldie said, as she got up from the table. "Besides, I've got a gift for her." Sunny turned her chair as she heard the knock at the door. "Yeah?" Goldie opened the door and closed it behind her. "Can we talk for a bit?" "Sure," Sunny said. "Has something come up?" Goldie nodded. "Sort of. As you know, your father and I have been married for twenty years now, and seeing as twenty years is a major milestone we wanted to celebrate in style. As part of that, we've booked a trip on the Golden Arrow." Sunny's eyes widened. "The Golden Arrow? Britain's premier dining train?" "The very same," Goldie replied. She smiled. "I was wanting to ask if you'd like to come along. Given you've been a part of our lives for so long, and you've had quite the hectic year, we thought it appropriate to give you the option." In an instant, her face went more serious. "But this does mean being on your very best behaviour." Sunny nodded. "I understand. I'd love to come, and I won't let you down." Goldie's face softened again. "Good girl." Sunny switched back to her PC and then brought up the website for the Golden Arrow. "I've noticed something, though." "Yes?" Sunny indicated to the dress code. "It states formal dress is required, but I don't know if I have the right sort of thing. The clothing shown here is more contemporary evening wear and 1920s fashions. We may have to find a gown for me at short notice." "What about the one Pipp gave you for the Falmouth Ball?" Goldie asked. "I'm not sure it'll fit," Sunny said. "It's a bit brightly coloured, and it's got a really wide skirt. You'd need an entire row of seats to fit it on even when collapsed." Goldie smiled, knowing where this was leading. "Luckily, I think I have just the thing. Follow me." Sunny got up and followed her mother into her parents' bedroom- a room she rarely, if ever, went in due to having no reason to go in there. "Cover your eyes." Sunny closed her eyes, as instructed, before waiting a moment. "And open!" Sunny opened her eyes, and they went wide with amazement. Hanging on the wardrobe was a sleeveless yellow evening gown, with a narrower bodice and a sweeping skirt with a reasonable amount of volume. Sunny smiled. "Thank you so much!" Goldie smiled. "Never a problem, Sunny. Seeing as you and your father bought the evening gown for me all those years ago it's only fair I return the favour for you." Argyle then appeared at the door. "So, are things set to roll?" he asked. "They most certainly are," Goldie smiled. "We'll also need to pack some overnight clothes- Sunny, you've got your own room as we only felt it fair to respect your privacy." And so, the three prepared for what they hoped was the adventure of a lifetime. Several days on the rails with the company of one another. What could go wrong? Author's Note Hello everybody, and welcome back to an all-new story. I know this is earlier than you were anticipating my return, but I have made the decision to revive my stories earlier than planned. As a result, we kick off the post-Opaline era with something rather more relaxed. Sunny's discussion of her parents' wedding anniversary is partly an allusion to the fact my parents like to celebrate theirs in unusual places (such as the Grand Canyon or in Lancaster County). The Golden Arrow was a luxury boat train operated by the Southern Railway and SNCF (the French rail operator) that connected London and Paris. In many ways the British version of the Orient Express, the train ran from 1926 to 1972 (with a break during WW2) and the name was later revived by Belmond as a luxury railtour. The version of the train seen above is the railtour version (as I struggled to find any historic photos in high enough quality, the above image is a screenshot from Train Simulator Classic). Sunny's formal gown looks like this: The idea behind this was that it echoes Goldie's formal gown, reflecting how Sunny looks up to her mother, whilst at the same time having a distinct style of its own. Next time; Waterloo awaits!
Chapter 2: The Journey of a LifetimeNaturally, the journey to London was undertaken by train. Having packed the night before, Sunny and her parents loaded their cases onto a trolley and travelled to Falmouth station. Although it was only nine in the morning, there was already a distinct sense of hurry in the air. "Hello!" called Alexandra. "You look to be heading somewhere!" "You could say that," Argyle said, as he loaded his case onto the luggage rack at one end of the railmotor. "Is it somewhere exotic?" the railmotor asked. "The pyramids, perhaps? Or maybe the Acropolis? Or- picture that- sailing through Venice in a gondola?" "Don't be absurd!" Lord Haven said, with a mirthful tone to his voice. "A railmotor would never fit on a gondola." "It could if it was a rather large gondola," Sunny joked, which prompted some laughter. "Alas, we are not going to those places," Goldie said, as she struggled with her case. "It's Waterloo." "You're going to Belgium?" Lord Haven asked. "Nope. London Waterloo." Goldie put her case into place and then sat down. "We're catching the Golden Arrow." "How exciting!" Alexandra said. "Rubbing shoulders with dukes and duchesses, the very cream of European society. You did well to have gained an opportunity like this." "It's probably not something we'll do all too often," Goldie answered. "We're not that old!" Argyle said. "We've probably still got decades of adventures left in us." "Thank you." Alexandra then whistled, as it was time to go. "Away we go!" The train began to pull away, and before long the formation was skirting the edges of the Cornish coast as it began to climb towards Truro. As they rumbled along the line, familiar sights soon rolled past, looking new and exciting in the morning light. "Sure looks different, eh?" Argyle smiled. "Tell me about it," Sunny said. "Seeing it through big windows sure is a change from Salty's cab windows." After a bit more climbing, the train passed through Perranwell, where Rebecca was waiting on a goods train for them to pass. She whistled to them as they rolled by, and then they were on their way once more. At long last, they pulled into Truro, where they had plenty of time to cross the footbridge and climb aboard the waiting train for the run to Paddington. And not the bear, the place. Once the doors were closed, they were underway once more, with the scenery whizzing past at such a speed they seemed to fly. "The new units are a lot quieter than the old HSTs," Goldie observed. "The commute used to be quite noisy. Nowadays people ride on them precisely because of the noise." "That's because it's more fun," Argyle said. "As nice as climate control is, you can't help but feel you're not on the move. You're in a box somewhere, not on the rails." The journey to London proceeded on time, and the speed limit gradually rose as they flew through Exeter, Taunton, Bristol, and a myriad of other places. As last, the train arrived at the magnificent Brunellian trainshed of Paddington, and the passengers got off. They had, quite wisely, chosen to wait until the train had stopped. The Starshines were amongst them, and walked down the platforms with smiles. "Well, that wasn't too bad," Argyle said. "It feels a bit different not having Rebecca here," Sunny noted. "She was probably the first member of her class in a long time to run to Paddington." "It probably didn't happen all that often," Argyle replied. "Victoria and Waterloo were the London homelands of the class, and seeing massed ones at Clapham Junction must have been quite the sight and sound." "Right, we need to focus now," Goldie said. "We need to catch the District to Westminster then the Jubilee to Waterloo. Follow me." "Yes, ma'am!" Argyle replied. "You know your way round here." "Had to do it many times when Heathrow Express was shut," Goldie replied. The journey underground wasn't too bad, all things considered, and their luggage didn't go missing, which was always a bonus. Once they reached Waterloo, they climbed out of the steps and into the former London and South Western terminus. "This is probably your first time at Waterloo, isn't it Sunny?" Argyle said. "I don't think I've been here before," Sunny said. "All quite noisy for a rural kid like me." "You'll get used to it," Goldie said. "Now then, you two can go and look at the engine if you'd like. I'll get us checked in." Once checkin was complete, and the initial confusion of tickets was resolved (as Goldie accidentally referred to Sunny instead of Sarah when recounting the tickets), they boarded and got their rooms. They were positioned next to one another, with a connecting door linking to a shared shower. The connecting corridor allowed them to speak to and contact one another if they so required. Later on, the train got underway, forming a most magnificent sight as the Bulleid Light Pacific and its long line of Pullman Cars and Sleeper Coaches got underway through the south London streets. As the journey had begun, the guests had started to exit their rooms as they had gotten changed into rather more formal attire. Argyle had brought his suit as was custom, though he had changed out the usual tie for a bow tie to better fit the ambience. Goldie, naturally, had brought her dark blue evening gown, and with a bit of help had gotten her hair into a suitable formation for the evening. "Thanks for the help," she said. "Normally I'd have had it done professionally, but there was too great a risk of it coming apart on the journey." "Never a problem to help," Argyle smiled. They found their seats in the day coach and sat at them. The cutlery was already laid, and the glasses sat there. Complementary glasses already charged with drink sat in place. Goldie looked at the note. "Non alcoholic, as requested," she said. "They've thought of everything." She then reached forward, before stopping. "Sunny, can I ask you something?" Sunny, who was fussing with her own skirts, glanced up. "Yes?" "Is my glove on right?" Sunny took a look. "Looks slightly to the side, as far as I can see." Goldie pulled on one side, and found it was correctly adjusted. "Must have pulled it on at the wrong angle. Thanks for the help." "No problem, mom." The starter and first course proceeded without too much incident, and as was only fitting on such a train there was live entertainment. The musician and her group moved between the coaches, performing newer songs rewritten in a Jazz style which really fit the ambience. As the musician made her way from one carriage to another, she suddenly stopped at the Starshine table. "Hey, I know you!" she said to Sunny. "Sunny Starscout, right?" Sunny's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was. "Ruby Jubilee!" she said. "Fancy seeing you here!" "I know, right?" the musician smiled, looking at the assembled people. "I don't believe we've met," she said to the parents. "I'm Ruby Jubilee. I met your daughter when I was performing at the music festival in Bury back in February." "Argyle Starshine," Argyle replied. "Goldie Starshine," Goldie added. "Nice to meet you, Miss Jubilee." "Please, just Ruby." The musician adjusted the skirt of her dress, which seemed to be oddly puffy for the environment, as well as being covered in flower motifs. "Well, I can't hang around and chat for long, got another passenger car to entertain. See ya around!" As she disappeared up the coach, Argyle sat back in his chair. "Well, I'll be," he said. "First we're friends with English nobility, then we're on first name terms with major pop stars. Whatever next?" "The main course, of course!" Goldie joked. Goldie had noticed a few odd things during the trip. One chap across the row was wearing a scarf with a windsor knot in it- a very strange thing to wear indoors on a train to say the least. But things came to a head when there was a scream from down the carriage. "What on Earth was that?" asked a passenger. Goldie slipped out of her seat and began to head up the train as quickly as her clothing could permit her. When she arrived at the source of the noise, she found one of the chefs standing in horror. "What happened?" she asked. "Oh, it is terrible!" said the chef. "The desert has been stolen! This took hours to make, and I don't know if we can recreate it in time!" Goldie thought to herself. "The train hasn't stopped since we left Waterloo, and therefore nobody will have had a chance to get off and hide it," she said. "This means the cake is still on the train- and the thief is still onboard." "What do you mean?" the chef asked. "We have a little mystery to solve," Goldie said. "And it's time to put our collective grey cells to work." Author's Note Welcome back to another chapter, which has more of an old staple of my writing- travel. The journey here is the one from Truro to Paddington, one I would thoroughly recommend doing if you ever find yourself in the UK. The coaching stock in use on the Golden Arrow is a mixture of older Pullman cars (namely the all-steel K Type) and the British Rail MK1 Sleeper. The former type was built from 1928 onwards and makes up the backbone of the luxury railtour industry. The latter is a popular choice for overnight railtours (as it means there's no need to book a hotel). After an abscence of several stories, Ruby Jubilee is back- as an entertainer, no less. The dress she is wearing is based on one worn by the character of Agatha in the film The School of Good and Evil. Agatha was played by Sofia Wylie in the film, so consider it an actor allusion. But the crime has been committed! Now it is up to the cast to find out who stole the cake, and why!
Chapter 3: Time to DigThe night, thankfully, passed with no further chaos, and the characters awoke from their slumbers without too much difficulty. Although all three of the Starshines had experience of sleeping on moving trains, it was still a rather strange experience to open the curtains and discover you had awoken in a different location to the one you had fallen asleep in. Once through the shower and fully dressed again, the three set off back to their assigned table. The sun was well risen in the sky, shining its glorious beams down upon the windows and bathing the interior of the coach in light. It was also nicely highlighting the terrain around it, which was always a bonus as the south coast of England was certainly quite stunning. Unfortunately, the theft of the cake had rather put a damper on proceedings, and as such the breakfast was eaten in a somewhat subdued manner. Sunny leaned in. "It's oddly quiet," she said. "I can hear the rumbling of the pony truck from here." "Pony truck?" Argyle asked. "I can't see a pony pulling a truck." "Presumably that's the same as leading wheels," Goldie said. "Excuse me." She quickly turned her head and sneezed, before starting to fish about in her handbag. "I know I left a kleenex in here somewhere." "Freight cars!" Argyle added. Sunny looked confused. "What's going on?" she asked. "Why are we all using US terms all of a sudden?" "I'm not sure, actually," Goldie said, having finished blowing her nose. "I know I still sometimes use American vocabulary from time to time, but not in this amount." "That's reasonable, given that you were born and grew up in the States," Argyle replied. "But I have think I know why it's happening here." "Why?" Sunny asked. "Somebody has accidentally put the US dub on by mistake. So, we just need to switch back to the UK dub and we should be fine!" And then everything went blurry. The night, thankfully, passed with no further chaos, and the characters awoke from their slumbers without too much difficulty. Although all three of the Starshines had experience of sleeping on moving trains, it was still a rather strange experience to open the curtains and discover you had awoken in a different location to the one you had fallen asleep in. Once through the shower and fully dressed again, the three set off back to their assigned table. The sun was well risen in the sky, shining its glorious beams down upon the windows and bathing the interior of the coach in light. It was also nicely highlighting the terrain around it, which was always a bonus as the south coast of England was certainly quite stunning. Unfortunately, the theft of the cake had rather put a damper on proceedings, and as such the breakfast was eaten in a somewhat subdued manner. Sunny leaned in. "It's oddly quiet," she said. "I can hear the rumbling of the leading wheels from here." Argyle shrugged. "That's probably the sound of the carriage bogies." As breakfast landed on plates, which in turn was placed before them, Goldie addressed her husband and daughter. "Let's get down to business," she said. She looked at Argyle. "And no, please don't make the obvious joke." "Noted," Argyle replied. "I think we've done it once before anyway." "Anyway, we need to find out who took this cake. I have every reason to suspect the cake and the cake thief are still onboard the train, as they would have had no opportunity to get off without risking serious injuries." "Presumably because we haven't stopped?" Sunny said. "Precisely." Goldie nodded. "And that means we have a chance to interview potential suspects. I can safely rule out anybody who was in the coach at the same time as us because if they had a cake on them we would have seen them moving it." She flipped open a menu and showed a photo. "You'd struggle to carry that without anybody noticing." "So, we need to talk to the people who were closest to the cake at the time it vanished," Sunny said. "And that's how we find out whodunnit!" "Who did it," Argyle gently corrected. "Whodunnit is only used when talking about the genre." Goldie rubbed her hands. "Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be a lead that you can chase up. OK, I know that's not what Conan Doyle wrote, but it works far better for my method. Once we are done with breakfast, we have a few interviews to conduct." Once breakfast was done, sleuthing could begin. Goldie had decided to use a part of the seating area as an interview zone, and right now the man she was speaking to was the head chef. "So, what did you see that night?" she asked. The head chef thought for a moment. "It was around nine in the evening. Myself and two of the other chefs had picked up the cake from where we had assembled it. Every aspect of the food on the train is prepared to order, as would be expected with an experience like this, so we had been getting it ready for an hour or two whilst the hot meals were going out." Goldie nodded and penned this down. "Thank you. Did you see anything after that?" "I'm not sure," the head chef admitted. "I stepped out of the coach for a second to help one of my colleagues, who was having a bit of trouble moving a trolley back to the main part of the coach. It was awfully stiff, and it took us several minutes to finish moving it. But by the time myself and he were back in the coach the cake was gone! It had vanished!" "Did anybody else see the cake being moved?" Goldie enquired. "I didn't. But I'm certain that my staff at least had one person on standby in the room, so somebody must have seen something happen, even if it was just in the corner of their eye." Goldie nodded, and closed her notebook up. "I think I'll be speaking with them next." Goldie found that moving about in her formal gown was easier than she had thought over long periods of time, suggesting she was just very, very used to wearing it by now. Whilst she wouldn't admit it very often she wasn't opposed to dressing up nicely. It was simply that she had a less is more attitude when it came to aesthetics, and as such a lot of formal wear simply didn't appeal to her. Her investigation of the rest of the catering staff also drew a blank, so she retreated back to the table and sat down, sighing. "Everything OK?" Argyle asked. "No," Goldie said. "Watertight alibis, the lot of them. None were in the coach at the time the cake went missing, and passengers can vouch for them being in other coaches at the time. Whomever did this timed their moment to strike extremely well." "I couldn't find any clues either," Sunny replied. "The CCTV system was down in that coach, meaning we can't see what was going on at the time." Goldie sighed. "It's all quite frustrating." She opened her handbag and dropped her notepad and pen back into it before closing it again. "This is one of those moments where I could do with pockets for storing things." Argyle nodded, but gently took her hand. "No problem is ever solved overnight," he said. "Often it just needs a new approach to figure out how to get there. If we'd given up on having kids at the first hurdle, we'd never have met Sunny. And I think our lives would be the poorer for it if we hadn't." Goldie smiled, glancing over to Sunny. "That is true. And above all we mustn't give up. We need to clear our heads and figure out a new approach. After all, we've only searched one coach. It may come up somewhere else, and we still have a lot of other people to interview." Suddenly, the buzzer went overhead. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we will shortly be starting to serve lunch. Please take your seats and ensure your seat number is clearly visible. Thank you." Sunny nodded. "Well, at least we can mull things over whilst we eat." As things began to move about, Goldie couldn't help but feel she was inside a mystery novel. Vanishing cakes, a train full of exotic people, mystery and intruigue, and questions to answer. At least their hadn't been a murder, which is always a positive thing, but something was nagging at her mind. The fact that nobody had seen the cake move seemed weirdly contrived. Had nobody really been there when the cake was taken? It all seemed rather implausible. Unless, of course, it was. Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. And, no matter what, Goldie was determined to find the truth. It may just need a bit of lateral thinking. Author's Note Hello, and welcome back to another chapter! The mystery deepens as we delve deeper into the cake theft. The opening is based on an infamous Thomas VHS released in the UK that had the US dubbing tracks (I think it had a blue box). Safe to say, this tape thoroughly confused me as a young child. Having said that, it at least introduced me to how Thomas and Friends was released in overseas markets. The usage of railway terms can also be a giveaway for an author's nationality. A notable example occurs in the fanfiction Sodor Fallout, where the narrator (Charlie Sands) make a brief reference to Edward's pony truck derailing. The story's author, Tidmouth Thunderbolt, is Canadian, where the term 'pony truck' is used. The only issue is Sodor Fallout takes place in the UK and Sands is British, where the term 'leading wheels' is used. Argyle correcting Sunny is based on a similar error Pinkie makes in Mystery on the Friendship Express. At one point in the dialogue, Pinkie states they need to find 'who dun it'. Whilst 'whodunnit' is a real word, it is only used to refer to a genre; in the context of establishing guilt the correct phrase would be 'who did it'. Twilight Sparkle tries to point this out, but it only causes Pinkie to get worse. Next time; interviews after lunch!
Chapter 5: The End of Circumstances"I'm not sure how much I'd be able to contribute to the situation, but I'll try." The train manager looked over the table. "I can tell you where I was on the night of the stolen cake." "And where was that?" Goldie asked, firmly but with a reasonable tone to her voice. The train manager nodded. "I was in the brake coach, communicating with the locomotive crew. A passenger had commented on some rough acceleration as we pulled out of a platform after a passenger pickup. I was asking them not to accelerate too quickly, as it was causing soup to start to slosh about." Goldie noted down the heavy use of sybillance in the train manager's speech and looked over to the door. "That would be quite messy. But that does seem a bit odd to run at those sorts of speeds on a dining train." She began musing to herself. "Almost as if somebody knows something they aren't letting on." "You're not suggesting the engine driver was in on this?" the train manager said. "No. But it has given me an idea. Up to this point, I had been working on the assumption that only one person was behind the theft of the cake. But what if two people were, in fact, working together?" Goldie flipped to a new page in her notebook, as the prior page was basically full. She then noted a new heading down. "What if it's somebody we weren't suspecting?" Suddenly, a person whizzed past them and into the next carriage. "After them!" Goldie said. Ruby Jubilee had just finished an afternoon performance when she noticed something was awry. "Thank you everybody!" she said. "That's all for now, but come back later this evening for another set. That'll be old classics sung a new way!" Just then, she spotted somebody push through the crowd and out the other door. "What in the?" Not long after that, Goldie appeared. "After him!" she called, and continued through the room. How in the world was she running in a dress like that and heels? Ruby found moving at speed in this difficult enough. "Excuse me, everybody. I've got something I need to do." With that she pulled her skirts up and began to follow down the corridor to gain a bit more speed. Once she was through the doors and out the other side, she was in one of the dining coaches, where the serving staff were still removing plates and silverware from lunch. Ruby stopped to let several trolleys loaded with plates pass by, then continued down the corridor, aware she was falling behind. Just then, she heard a voice from up ahead. "Block the corridor, Sunny!" Ruby shook her head, feeling a little silly. In the circumstances she had forgotten that the woman was Sunny's mother. She continued on regardless, and just then saw the crowd up ahead had stopped. Sunny was standing in the pathway, and sure enough the person they'd been chasing abruptly turned back towards them. Ruby had an idea. She dropped the skirt down and stopped. At full width it blocked the corridor and stopped the other person from doubling back. "Nice try, but you're not getting away." The man stopped, and turned back to Goldie, who was now standing in the middle. "Now then, could you kindly explain why you started running when I suggested that what if it's somebody we weren't suspecting?" The man nodded. "I took the cake. But it's not what you think it is." "It's always the last person you suspect!" Argyle said from a nearby table. Goldie sighed. "But normally you can figure out it was them from context clues or at least somewhat suspect them. I would never have come to this conclusion. It's like the plot resolution of a Gilbert and Sullivan oparetta!" "Who's Gilbert and Sullivan?" asked the man. "Am I interrogating you or are you interrogating me?" Goldie asked. "Fair point." "Anyway," Goldie said, keen to get the plot back on track, "why did you steal the cake?" "The cake is in the baggage car," the man revealed. "The truth is that it wasn't my idea to steal the cake. You see, I am an actor. The company hired me to move the cake, as previous feedback from patrons has stated that passengers would prefer to have some drama whilst the train is on the move. This whole thing was staged as a mystery for the passengers to solve." Goldie nodded. "How very odd. Seems an unusual thing not to advertise." She shrugged. "But having said that I did have fun solving the mystery, as did we all." "Shall we have the cake then?" Sunny suggested. Ruby laughed. "I propose we do one better and eat it!" With the mystery of the theft of the cake succesfully resolved, all returned to merriment onboard the Golden Arrow. The passengers enjoyed another night of good food and dancing, with the central coach cheerfully sounding to the delightful tones of positive music. When the journey came to an end at Waterloo the next day, the passengers all disembarked, having returned to normal attire in the interim. Although it had been an interesting time, there was no doubt they had all had a good, relaxing time onboard. They had boarded as strangers but left as friends. Would they stay in contact? Only time would tell. But, sure enough, people were certain it was time well spent. And it would have been much needed. Little did anybody know, but the coming times would bring intense challenges for them all, and the world would once again need to call upon the skills of the residents of Falmouth. Life had become but a weirdness magnet for them, but that was simply part of the challenge of negotiating life in the brave new world that magic had created. And you either grab opportunity with both hands or let it pass you by. And they knew which they'd rather take.
CreditsCast - in Order of Appearance Vanessa Hudgens - Sunny Starscout Sofia Carson - Pipp Petals Liza Koshy - Zipp Storm Bahia Watson - Misty Brightdawn James Marsden - Hitch Trailblazer Kimiko Glenn - Izzy Moonbow Tara Strong - Goldie Starshine Michael McKean - Argyle Starshine Jodie Whittaker - Alexandra Richard E. Grant - Lord Haven Sofia Wylie - Ruby Jubilee David Suchet - The Chef John Malkovich - The Man with the Scarf
