The Vampire in our Midst

Due to space constraints, he noticed that the Noble and the Lady went to dine in the casino car. Since the mobster would be in the restaurant car and the situation was tense, the Illusionist decided to eat there as well, leaving the rest in the restaurant car.

The Illusionist ate alone, trying not to stare too much at the couple and pondering whether there would be a situation where he could talk to one of them alone. The Noble seemed less worn out than in the morning, while the Lady remained elegant and charming.

Once again, the food was delicious, and he felt the need to thank the Noble; his choice of a Cook had been perfect.

As they finished their meal, he overheard the couple talking.

"Don't you want to play cards?" the Lady asked the Noble.

"I don't think I'm in the mood for that."

"I'll stay here then, you can go to bed."

The Noble didn't seem comfortable with that.

"There's a killer on this train! Do you want to stay here alone?"

"Not alone, the Waiter is the one organizing the games here, and maybe more people will join. I won't stay all night either, just an hour of playing."

The Illusionist wouldn't wait for a better opportunity. He got up and approached their table.

"I was planning on playing for a while as well. At least you'll know who's going to be with her," the Illusionist said, reassuring the Noble.

"Well, just don't take too long," the Noble requested, leaving the two alone in the car. The Waiter was still attending the restaurant and wouldn't be able to help with the games until everyone was finished.

The Illusionist went to one of the shelves and picked up the deck of cards he found most beautiful, bringing it over to the Lady.

"This doesn't seem very fair. I don't think I could beat the Illusionist in a card game."

"Well, maybe I can pull some tricks out of my sleeve to win, but I also know how to play fair. No tricks up my sleeve, what do you say?"

"I'm not sure I trust your words, but I guess I don't have a choice if I want to play."

The Illusionist professionally shuffled the cards and began dealing them. He didn't have much time; he couldn't face her if the Waiter or someone else arrived.

"What would you say if I told you I know your secret?" the Illusionist asked, focusing on his cards rather than the woman.

"That I have many secrets, and you would have to be more specific," she replied, maintaining her smile.

"Fair enough. I noticed you had lunch in the shade. You heard things in the room that no one else did; your hearing is quite good, isn't it? Also, you were the one who slept the latest and didn't wake up in the morning. Do you consider yourself a night person?" he continued, still focused on the game but ready to defend himself if necessary.

"Is being a night person a crime now? You can't possibly be suggesting what I think you're suggesting. Or you certainly wouldn't be so calm."

They continued playing, with the tense conversation dominating the atmosphere.

"Would you feel more at ease if I told you that, despite all this, I believe you're innocent?" the Illusionist inquired.

"You'd have to be very clever for that, or very naive. I win."

The Lady had won the game, and now she was the one shuffling the cards.

"All of this is very strange. A vampire killed Cowboy's town and left clues leading right to this train. It could be a vampire's game, but it's also possible that someone is manipulating everything and the real killer is still hidden."

"Do you believe all of this even after seeing the Fortune Teller's body?" she asked as she dealt the cards.

"It's her body that makes me think it wasn't a real vampire, and you think the same, don't you?"

Now the Lady stared at him, still smiling and still playing, but wanting to know if she'd have to kill him then and there.

"She hardly lost any blood; a vampire would have fed on her. Besides, I smelled a strange scent there afterward. It must have been a poison that left her in that state."

The Illusionist smiled at his conclusion, feeling good about being on track and unafraid in the presence of the Lady. She finally sighed.

"You're right. I am the Vampire and I've been framed for quite some time. I thought this train for a fresh start would be a good escape, but clearly, that was part of the plan."

"And what about the Noble, does he know?"

"He... has some idea. I'm using him, and he's probably using me too, but he doesn't know everything. I don't trust him much, but he certainly didn't kill your little friend; he was sleeping all night."

Despite being in front of a newly revealed vampire, the Illusionist felt confident. And if she were being honest, she could remove the Noble from the list of suspects.

"Before we continue, do you have any theories?" the Illusionist asked without revealing his own ideas.

"Someone really wants to get me, someone other than Cowboy. If I'm being manipulated, so is he, so he can't be the killer, although I'd love to get him off my back."

"And what about the Criminal and the mobsters?"

"I know as much about them as you do. Certainly none of them have a clean record. None except maybe the Heiress; she's still young, but give her a few years, and she'll be just as bad as the others. Any of them could be the culprit."

"Well, I have a proposal for you. If we find the poison and the injector, we'll find the culprit and clear your name. There won't be any reason for Cowboy to come after you, and you'll be free," the Illusionist suggested.

They stopped playing, focusing solely on their conversation. The Waiter entered, carrying dirty dishes, but he quickly headed to the kitchen, leaving them alone once again.

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

"You mentioned that you smelled a strange scent on the Fortune Teller's body. Your sense of smell is also very keen, isn't it? Let's try to identify that poison and then figure out a way to investigate everyone's belongings until we find who's keeping the poison."

"You know that if we get caught, it will be much more suspicious. I really am a Vampire, and you're already suspect to a lot of people."

"It's the only way to solve this crime. What do you say?" he asked, extending his hand to the Vampire, which elicited her biggest smile yet.

"You're a curious person, Illusionist. Sure, let's see where this leads, but if you try anything funny, my teeth will be in your neck."