The gorilla slid open the door, and I was pushed in. The compartment was large – in fact two compartments turned into one. There was a man sitting in a lounging position, reading a document; he looked up as I and the three musketeers came in. I had never met this man before, but I had little difficulty in recognizing him from the newspaper photographs. It was Deke Sleder, and he didn’t bother with any introductions.

‘Perhaps you would care to tell me the meaning of this charade you have organized – but first, perhaps you would be kind enough to place your hands on your head, my acquaintances appear to have overlooked something.’

I didn’t have much option, and Sleder reached across inside my jacket and pulled out my Beretta.

‘How very observant of you, Sleder. That probably explains why you’re a millionaire and they’re just humble thugs.’

Sleder smiled, a short, dry smile. His blue eyes looked cold, cold as swimming pools in winter. ‘We’ll keep the jokes to a minimum, Mr Flynn. Now, please talk – you have the floor.’

‘I don’t talk to loaded guns,’ I said, and sat down and stared at him. For some reason, it upset him quite a lot; he stood up and smashed me with the palm of his hand, and then sat down again. If he hadn’t shown his colours before, he’d certainly done so now.

‘Where are Douglas Yeodal and Harvey Sparrow?’

‘Dead, Mr Flynn, as you will be in a few minutes too. Your technician man was removed from the train during the night – as was his luggage – through the window of his compartment. But do not worry – we are not litter louts – we arranged for everything to be collected. If you wish to see your friend Mr Sparrow, then it will give me great pleasure to show him to you. He did very kindly point out to us that he was Harvey Sparrow and not Max Flynn, but all the same, we felt it might not be wise to keep him alive.’

Sleder stood up, peeled back the carpeting from the floor, to reveal a hatch. He lifted up the hatch, and there was a very dead-looking Sparrow, his neck twisted horribly, lying in a large metal container attached to the underside of the compartment floor.

‘Very ingenious,’ I said.

‘You may not know, or you may know but have forgotten, that my company has very extensive links with the railroad. I can get small favours done.’

‘How very convenient,’ I said, ‘I have problems even getting a housekeeper.’

I was trying to figure out my next move and I wasn’t getting very far.

‘I am sorry to hear of your problems,’ he said. ‘In a few moments, you will be able to discuss them quietly with Mr Sparrow.’