Alice-Miranda in the Alps (21 page)

The train pulled into the snow-covered town of Disentis, with its pretty gable-roofed houses and majestic Disentis Abbey, now home to the Fanger's Chocolate factory. The children grabbed their coats, hats and gloves and exited the carriage, after promising to return five minutes before the train was due to depart.

‘I wish we could visit the chocolate factory,' Millie said, glancing at the clock above the station.

‘We don't have time,' Alice-Miranda replied, knowing they were due to leave again in half an hour. The children walked along the platform to the front of the train, past Anton, who gave them a wave. Then they turned around and walked back again.

‘So there are four passenger cars, split by a dining car in the middle then two goods cars,' Sep said, counting them off.

Sloane rolled her eyes. ‘Seriously, are you becoming one of those dorky trainspotters?'

‘What if I am?' Sep replied. ‘Everyone has hobbies.'

‘Boring!' his sister quipped, and everyone laughed.

‘I wonder if Nina's grandfather has been found yet,' Alice-Miranda said as she watched an elderly couple helping each other along the platform.

Millie caught sight of a man exiting the engine at the back end of the train. ‘Hey, isn't that the cranky driver we met on the way over?'

‘Andreas?' Alice-Miranda said, craning her neck to spot him among the crowd.

Millie nodded. ‘The one who looked like Rotten Marius.'

The children turned to walk away but Alice-Miranda couldn't take her eyes off Andreas. The
man had his coat collar pulled up around his neck and was wearing dark glasses and a hat. She watched as he hurried past the goods carriages and slipped in between them and the first passenger car.

Alice-Miranda scurried along the platform, making sure to keep her distance. As he turned around, it suddenly hit her. It wasn't Andreas at all. It was Herr Roten and there was no doubt in her mind that he was up to no good.

‘What do you mean it's Rotten Marius?' Millie exclaimed after Alice-Miranda rushed over to tell her friends what she had just witnessed.

‘What's he doing on the train?' Jacinta asked.

Millie frowned. ‘Are you sure it was him? He and that Andreas guy look a lot alike.'

‘I
saw
him – it wasn't Andreas,' Alice-Miranda insisted. ‘I think he was unhitching the goods wagons from the rest of the train.'

‘Maybe they do that all the time,' Millie said. ‘I mean, they could be loading Fanger's Chocolate for all we know.'

Alice-Miranda bit her lip, unconvinced. ‘He was acting like he didn't want anyone to see what he was doing,' she said, almost to herself.

‘Let's go and look,' Sep suggested. ‘It does sound suspicious.'

The children turned around and made their way back across the chilly platform. There was no sign of Marius but there were lots of passengers from the train milling about and taking in the fresh air.

Sep peered at the end of the first goods carriage. ‘It's unhitched,' he confirmed.

Sloane jumped at a thumping sound close by. ‘What was
that
?'

‘It's coming from in there,' Alice-Miranda said, pointing to the goods carriage. It sounded as if someone was kicking the wall from the inside.

‘Let's check it out,' Lucas said.

The only way to get there was through the passenger car, so the children piled back onto the train. As she hopped on board, Millie spotted her parents walking along the platform and gave them a wave.

The children moved through the carriage and the gangway connection, then came to a door. In the distance, they could hear the conductor blow his whistle to indicate that the train was about to leave.

‘Can you get through?' Millie asked.

‘I'm not sure,' Alice-Miranda said. She turned the handle but it wouldn't budge.

Sep pressed his ear against the door. ‘There's someone in there,' he said, his eyes widening. ‘I think they're shouting for help.'

He pushed the handle, harder this time, and the door flew open. Inside, the car was filled with stacks of the Fanger's Chocolate containers.

‘Wow – that's a lot of boxes,' Millie said, licking her lips.

‘Herr Dettwiller!' Alice-Miranda gasped. The other children gasped too. Alice-Miranda ran over to the old man, who was writhing around in the far corner of the carriage. She whipped off his gag while Lucas and Millie untied the ropes around his arms and legs.

‘Oh, my dear children, you are a sight for sore eyes,' the man breathed. ‘But we cannot tarry. We must get to the front of the train.'

The floor beneath their feet jerked suddenly. Everyone grabbed onto each other to keep their balance. Alice-Miranda and Lucas helped Herr Dettwiller to his feet and they shuffled towards the carriage door.

‘It's splitting apart!' Caprice shouted from the entrance.

‘Jump then,' Millie called.

Caprice watched as the Glacier Express surged away. ‘It's too far.'

The children came up behind her and peered out through the gangway connection. Their train was fast becoming a speck in the distance.

‘It's gone,' Sep said. ‘They've split the train apart. There's just us, two goods carriages and the engine.'

‘And Rotten Marius,' Millie said glumly.

‘There is another man too – Andreas,' Herr Dettwiller said, his voice hoarse from yelling.

‘What are they up to?' Caprice demanded. ‘Surely chocolate is not that valuable – especially in Switzerland.'

Lucas unclasped the lid on one of the Fanger's Chocolate boxes. It was full of chocolate bars the same as the one he had seen in the loading dock at Fanger's Palace. ‘At least we've got something to eat,' he said, trying to lighten the mood.

He picked one up and was astonished at the weight. He quickly unwrapped the block and held it up for everyone to see.

‘Gold!' Caprice exclaimed.

There was a loud crunch followed by another jolt.

‘What was that?' Millie said, holding onto Herr Dettwiller.

‘I think they have moved the engine so that we can keep going in the same direction as the other part of the train,' Herr Dettwiller surmised.

‘But why? I don't understand any of this,' Caprice huffed. She was beginning to wish she had stayed in Cervinia.

The door between the engine and the goods carriage opened. Marius stepped inside and stopped dead in his tracks. ‘What are you lot doing here?' he barked, looking set to explode.

‘What is going on back there?' someone yelled from behind him.

Marius sucked in a deep breath and was about to say something when Andreas appeared next to him.

‘How did they get in here?' he roared. ‘This door was supposed to be locked.'

‘I unlocked it so that we could get through once the train was turned around,' Marius hissed.

‘Imbecile! I have a key.' Andreas glared at his colleague.

Having had enough of listening to the two crooks, Millie drew herself up to her full height. ‘We know what you're up to and as soon as we get off this train, we're going straight to the police,' she said.

Andreas narrowed his eyes at her. They were the colour of coals. ‘As soon as you get off this train, my dear,' he said menacingly, ‘you are going to spend days in the wilderness trying to find your way home. By then we will be long gone.'

Jacinta shuddered and tears welled in Caprice's eyes.

‘Our parents will realise we're missing any minute now and then you're done for,' Alice-Miranda said with her hands on her hips.

Millie shook her head. ‘I don't think that's going to happen for a while,' she whispered.

‘Why not?' Caprice sniffed.

‘Mummy and Daddy saw us getting onto the train,' Millie replied.

‘They'll know we're not in our seats,' Jacinta said.

Alice-Miranda gulped. ‘Mummy said that the adults were all going for a late lunch in the dining car, so they won't realise for a while.'

‘And by then,
you
will be long gone,' Andreas threatened.

‘Hadn't you better get back and drive?' Marius said. ‘The last thing we need is a crash.'

‘Fine. Stay here and make sure they don't try anything,' Andreas spat, then stormed off.

Marius pulled the door shut. ‘All of you, on the floor now!' he shouted.

The train was gathering speed, rollicking along the tracks. Millie slipped and fell, landing on her bottom with a thud.

‘Ow!' she yelped, grimacing. ‘Not another bruise.'

‘I think that's the least of our worries,' Jacinta whispered, lowering herself onto the ground.

The rest of the children and Herr Dettwiller sank to the floor as the train bumped and swayed.

Marius Roten took a step closer and reached into his coat.

‘Please don't shoot us,' Jacinta whimpered. She grabbed hold of Lucas, who shielded the girl's face. But Marius did not pull out a gun. It was a badge.

Alice-Miranda leaned closer to read the words. ‘Interpol.'

Caprice's face lit up. ‘Yes! We're saved.'

‘You're an awesome actor,' Millie blurted. ‘But what about your twin? How come he's a bad guy?'

‘Andreas is not my twin. It's just an unfortunate coincidence that we look so much alike,' the man's words spilled quickly.

‘Is Roten
really
your name?' Millie asked, thinking it had to be a cover.

‘Yes, it is,' Marius said, narrowing his eyes.

Millie flinched. ‘Sorry, it just sounded made … Never mind.'

‘Shush! You must be quiet!' The man held up his hands to quell the children, who were firing questions over the top of one another. If Andreas realised what was going on, they were all done for. He could derail the train at any time, and Marius knew the man was capable of exactly such a thing.

‘Is it all gold?' Alice-Miranda asked, gesturing to the stacks of Fanger's Chocolate boxes.

Marius nodded. ‘Stolen in Italy and smuggled over the border into Switzerland,' he whispered.

Alice-Miranda's eyes widened with the dawning of a realisation. ‘The Black Diamonds!' she gasped. ‘They've been moving the gold, haven't they?'

‘No wonder that guy was so worried about his backpack,' Sep said.

‘But why haven't you arrested anyone?' Millie asked.

‘We have been biding our time to catch Signor Grande, the man responsible for all this,' Marius explained. ‘My associates and I have received intel that he will be present at the delivery of the shipment tonight.'

‘Why did you and Andreas meet Frau Doerflinger at the restaurant near the ice rink?' Alice-Miranda asked. ‘Is she part of this too?'

Marius looked at her in surprise, then shook his head. ‘She is a mere pawn in this criminal operation – a greedy woman who made a deal with some very bad people.' Marius handed Herr Dettwiller a bottle of water. ‘I am sorry that you have been caught up in all of this, sir.'

The old man took a sip. ‘Thank you,' he said gratefully.

‘What about Herr Fanger?' Alice-Miranda asked. She couldn't imagine the man as a crook.

‘No, from what I can tell, he knows nothing of his wife's dealings,' Marius replied.

Alice-Miranda stared at the ground then suddenly looked up. ‘I know where I saw Andreas before. He was the man making the delivery when we were in the docks at Fanger's Palace,' she said, pleased to have finally remembered.

Marius nodded.

Millie reached into her pocket and pulled out the little gold disc she'd found at Fanger's Palace. She fidgeted with it, turning it over in her fingers.

‘What is that?' Marius asked.

Millie handed it to him. ‘I found it on the floor at Fanger's Palace.'

He examined it closely, relief washing over his face. ‘It's a key to the Fanger's vault,' he laughed, unable to believe his luck. ‘We have been trying to get one for ages. As far as we know there are only two in existence. Frau Doerflinger keeps one on her at all times and the spare is in the safe in her office, for which only she knows the combination.'

‘What?' Millie screwed up her nose. ‘I tried to hand it in, but the concierge said that it wasn't worth anything.'

‘It is worth
everything
,' Marius replied. ‘May I keep this?'

Millie nodded.

‘What do we do now?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Andreas had planned to leave Herr Dettwiller behind in the second goods carriage, in a siding high in the mountains off the main line,' Marius replied. ‘There are some empty Fanger's boxes in the
second car – I want you to find them and bring them here. When the time comes, you will hide inside those until I let you out again.'

Caprice's bottom lip trembled. She imagined all the things that could go wrong – Marius tricking them, their becoming stranded and freezing to death or being eaten by bears. She tried to remember if there were any bears in Switzerland.