The Diamond Chariot by Boris Akunin Read Free Book Online Page A

out?’
    Fandorin led the sleuths’ boss across to the break and started climbing down the dangling rails. Mylnikov clambered after him, gasping and crossing himself.
    ‘L-look.’
    The hand in the grey glove pointed to a charred and splintered sleeper and a rail twisted like a paper streamer.
    ‘Our experts will arrive any minute now. They are certain to discover particles of explosive …’
    Mylnikov whistled and pushed his bowler hat on to the back of his head.
    The detectives hung there above the black water, swaying slightly on the improvised ladder.
    ‘So the gendarme’s lying when he says he inspected everything? Or even worse, he’s in on it? Shall we arrest him?’
    ‘Loskutov – a Japanese agent? Rubbish. Then he would have run for it, like the Kolpino t-telegraph clerk. No, no, there wasn’t any mine on the line.’
    ‘Then how’d it happen? There wasn’t any mine, but there was an explosion?’
    ‘That’s the way it is, though.’
    The court counsellor frowned thoughtfully and set off up the sleepers.
    ‘Go and report this to the top brass … Now won’t there be a real song and dance.’
    He waved to the agents and shouted:
    ‘Hey, get me a boat!’
    However, he didn’t get into the boat, he changed his mind.
    He watched Fandorin walking away towards the express train, scratched the back of his head and went dashing after him.
    The engineer glanced round at the sound of tramping feet and nodded towards the motionless train.
    ‘Was there really such a small distance between the trains?’
    ‘No, the express halted farther along, on the emergency brake. Then the driver reversed. The conductors and some of the passengers helped to get the wounded out of the water. It’s not so far to a station this side as on the other. They drove a farm cart over and took them off to hospital …’
    Fandorin summoned the conductor-in-chief with an imperious gesture and asked:
    ‘How many passengers on the train?’
    ‘All the seats were sold, Mr Engineer. That makes three hundred and twelve. I’m sorry, but when can we get moving again?’
    Two of the passengers were standing quite close by: an army staff captain and an attractive-looking lady. Both covered from head to foot in mud and green slime. The officer was pouring water on to his companion’s handkerchief from a kettle, and she was energetically scrubbing her mud-smeared face. Both of them were listening to the conversation curiously.
    A platoon of railway gendarmes approached at a trot from the bridge. The commanding officer ran up first and saluted.
    ‘Mr Engineer, we’re here at your disposal. There are two platoons on the other bank. The experts have started work. What will our orders be?’
    ‘Cordon off both sides of the bridge and the banks. Let no one near the break, not even if they hold the rank of general. Otherwise we renounce all responsibility for the investigation – tell them that. Tell Sigismund Lvovich to look for traces of explosive … But no, don’t bother, he’ll see that for himself. Give me a clerk and four of your brightest soldiers. Yes, and one more thing: put a cordon round the express train as well. Let none of the passengers or train staff through without my permission.’
    ‘Mr Engineer,’ the captain of the train’s crew exclaimed plaintively, ‘we’ve been standing here for over four hours.’
    ‘And you’ll b-be standing here for a long time yet. I have to draw up a complete list of the passengers. We’ll question all of them and check their credentials. We’ll start from the final carriage. And you, Mylnikov, would do better to turn your attention to that telegraph clerk who disappeared. I can manage things here without you.’
    ‘Of course, right enough, it’s your move,’ said Mylnikov, and he even waved his arms, as if to say: I’m leaving, I’m not claiming any rights here. However, he didn’t leave.
    ‘Sir, madam,’ the conductor-in-chief said to the officer and lady in a dejected