Sally, Alice & Martha, sisters – they were known as the Sam Sisters owing to their first name initials. They were identical triplets and it was hard for those who met them to tell which was which. Mostly wherever they went, they were together. All three had attended university and had succeeded in their subjects and becoming debutantes was still in fashion. The invitation to travel from Glasgow to London for the celebrated dinner and dance was offered to the three sisters. The excitement as all three went shopping to buy their gowns which were identical in every detail as were their travelling clothes. Their close relationship throughout their lives had given them an inferiority complex that to dress differently from each other would make them strangers to one another.
Each sister, dressed in grey coloured suits with a narrow cream strip throughout the material, boarded the train at Glasgow Central for their journey to Paddington, London. They waved goodbye to their parents as each sister hogged a carriage door window. The train drew slowly out of the station. There had been a bit of a delay as a man had boarded the train with a large crate. British Rail had to search round for a ramp and metal rollers and three porters and the passenger pushed the box up until they were well inside the guards van.
Barton Freidland with leather bag stood around the box and produced from his bag a screwdriver and loosened all the screws that formed the lid. He told one of the porters that he was picking up an outboard motor for his craft which would be waiting for him at Paddington Railway Station. He showed his ticket and it was a three day return.
* * *
The sisters settled down to read their magazines. Sally and Alice fell asleep – it was going to be a long journey. Martha didn’t feel sleepy and decided to do one of the many crossword puzzles in the magazines they had bought at Glasgow Railway Station Newspaper shop before boarding the train. They had been travelling for almost two hours and many passengers passed their carriage door and Martha could hear in the distance, an announcement the first sitting for luncheon would be in ninety minutes time. Martha tried to wake the other two when the ninety minutes was up. One of them yawned and said sleepily ‘You go ahead, we’ll both go to the second sitting.’ Martha was famished and She took her magazine and a small notebook and pencil which she placed in her suit pocket. She decided to leave her handbag behind and just take her visa card to pay for her lunch.
The Catering man opened the carriage door where the two sisters had just woken up and Martha hadn’t returned. He announced the second sitting was now. The time was one thirty. Sally asked the man if those that had gone at 12noon had finished. He answered in a loud voice, so that everybody who was in earshot could hear that the first sitting finished at 1:15pm and the second sitting was at 1:30pm. Sally and Alice didn’t bother with lunch. They decided to search for their sister. There was no trace of Martha anywhere on the train.
* * *
Barton Freidland suddenly leapt to his feet which startled the two old ladies in the carriage. He apologized and stared at the figure of a woman going towards the guards van. A incredulous look formed in his eyes as he watched her. Having reached the final coach she made her way back, passing where his carriage. The train was slowing down and the two old ladies got off. No one got on and the train wouldn’t be stopping until it reached Paddington. Barton got to his feet wandered up and down the compartment with a worried look on his face. He murmured to himself, ‘Timing was everything.’ He sat down.
* * *
Sally and Alice were beside themselves with worry. They had approached another member of the train staff and reported that their sister was missing and they had been up and down the train looking for her and she was not to be seen anywhere. The train staff walked up and down to check and reported back that there was no sign of her. One of the men said’ ‘Perhaps she got off at the last stop, thinking she had arrived at Paddington.’ ‘No! said Alice, ‘I was looking out when the train stopped at the last station.’
The man rang the Railway Police informing them of a person who has gone missing on the train. Would they inform Scotland Yard. After a brief chat the man finished his conversation.
* * *
Barton Friedland heard the announcement on the intercom that the train would be shortly pulling into Paddington. In fact in five minutes time. He left the compartment and walked to the rear of the train to the guards van and quickly unscrewed the two screws and lifted out the body of a woman and making sure that part part of the train was clear of people, made his way back to his carriage. He had drugged her and she was still out cold, he had assumed. He began to search her pockets and found her notebook and pencil and also a piece of paper. He grabbed the items. Martha opened her eyes and snatched the piece of paper back. Barton Freidland hadn’t noticed that the train had arrived at the station and porters and police were opening all the carriage doors.
Barton was endeavouring to strangle his victim, get hold of the piece of paper and at the same time trying to shield his actions from passengers alighting the train, porters and policemen running up and down the platform. Chief Inspector Sillwell opened the carriage door and asked the man what was going on?
* * *
Sergeant McTavish of Glasgow Central Police station was pleased to be released from another crate. He was bound hand and foot and also gagged. He had spotted Barton getting on the train at the last moment. If it hadn’t been for the crate being loaded on he would have missed him. Barton had sneaked up and knocked the Sergeant out and taken his identity and it was easy to approach Martha and escort her back to her carriage compartment stating that the Crossword Murderer was on the train.
Apparently Barton Friedland had thought Martha had witnessed him committing another murder three weeks ago when she missed her connection to catch the local bus home. When Martha was questioned by the police regarding the incident, she stated that she thought they were a courting couple kissing goodnight.
