Murder on the Sconset Express

It was cloudy and not much to see on the dark ride home. Miguel was swaying slightly as the train moved along the dark cold tracks and he drifted in and out of a slumber. His mind wondered anxiously around the globe in his dream space. There was a jungle with monkeys and lions. There was a pirate ship full of gold doubloons. A riverbank with mermaids lying along it under sparkling rainbows. He was dreaming as the train carried him home to his mother and father. All of a sudden he felt a blast of cold air that caused him to open his eyes. He then saw Marshal opening the car doors. He was a little startled at first with an unsettling feeling of not quite sure where he was at. He put his hand to his head. His hat was still there. He then quickly realized he was in Sconset and the train had stopped. The fresh cold air seemed to snap him back to reality rather quickly. What had he been dreaming? He tried to recollect how had it ended. What did it mean if anything at all? Miguel rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms over his head. The dreams started to come back to him slowly. They were colorful. The sketch of a train in purples and blues trailing almost magically off to Sconset. There had been blood on the floor of the train and some sort of bag in the corner. His father Julio was holding a sketch of a garden and then somehow mermaids. Miguel let out a small yawn as he rose out of his seat. His head was now aching with epic thumps and pounds. His stomach was also churning as sourness formed in his mouth. As he climbed off the train he mumbled to no one in particular. This makes no sense. He also wondered if Marshal knew he was drunk. When he got off Marshal gave a polite nod his way. Maybe he was trying to save Miguel any embarrassment of tripping while getting on his way by distracting the other riders. Probably not Miguel thought to himself. There were four people climbing out of the first compartment and Marshal was helping them down saying, “Goodnight and watch your step.” There was a quiet rumble of steam coming out from the front engine while the train sat idle on the tracks. The others in his compartment had already gotten off and he could see two of them had scurried up Broadway. While the other two headed down the path to Cod Fish Park. Miguel proceeded up the lane for the chilly ten minute walk back to his family home. The cool crisp air woke up his senses and put a bounce into his step. He mumbled as he walked,”I could use another drink.” His words carried soundlessly into the night and faded into the air. At that point there was a break in the clouds and a full moon was shined down on him. Two cats were fighting somewhere in the bushes along the road. He quickly thought of Marshmallow and it brought a small smile to his face. Miguel muttered to himself again as if to an imaginary companion, "Sconset on these fall nights makes me think of witches. Witches and devils!” As he approached his house he saw his fathers light on in the study. Miguel then muttered, “Oh no, not now. All I want to do is go to bed. I am not in the mood to deal with my father!” His father Julio was waiting for him in the dim lit entryway as he had done numerous times in the past. Julio was relieved when he heard the crunch of Miguel’s boots on the shell path. Even with the house secured against the elements of the cold salt air he always kept one of the front windows cracked for little fresh air to enter the house. Lately whenever Miguel left the house, Julio would worry endlessly that he might not come back. Just walk off with out a care in the world to places unknown. Julio could sense his son’s wanderlust growing every passing day. The simple hello's and good byes. Missing family lunches and dinners and his drinking. Julio understood this to a degree as once he was also young and full curiosity of things to come. But now Julio was getting older and wanted the best for his son. He wanted Miguel to begin to take life more seriously and become more responsible. All he could do was hope. Julio was wringing his hands together knowing that he would have almost the same conversation time and time again. “Hello son, how was your day?” All he could do is hope that Miguel might want to join him in the study and tell him that he had done some soul searching and he thought it might be a good idea for him to return to Santiago to start taking over in his father’s foot steps with the family business. Julio was no different then any other father. He wanted his son to carry on in his family name. Sure his cousin Oscar was perfectly capable of running the business but Julio had always hoped to hand the company down to his only son. Over time Julio had tried to keep Miguel involved which he seemed to do until the past few years. Somehow it had seemed to Julio that they just drifted farther apart, almost distant. Julio figured it was just a passing faze and he would grow out of it but it seemed to just get worse. Over the last twenty-five plus years the precious gems business had increased one hundred fold and their reputation was regarded as a very fine and reliable company to deal with. Oscar and Julio worked well together but in his heart, he wanted Miguel involved on a more permanent basis. Lately Miguel’s vagabond lifestyle was just zig-zagging from here to there with out a care. If he had money in his pocket he would just burn through it and seemed foot loose and fancy free.