From Paddington. Mrs. McGillicuddy was going along the platform, trying to catch up with the porter who was carrying her suitcase

(after A. Christie)

Mrs. McGillicuddy was going along the platform, trying to catch up with the porter who was carrying her suitcase. Mrs. McGillicuddy was burdened with a large number of parcels; the result of a day’s Christmas shopping. Platforms were crowded; people were rushing in several directions at once, to and from undergrounds, left-luggage offices, tea-rooms, information bureaus, indicator boards, to the outside world.

At long last Mrs. McGillicuddy arrived at Platform No 3. She deposited one parcel at her feet and showed the ticket to the stern uniformed guardian at the gate.

At that moment, she heard a loud announcement: “The train standing at Platform 3 is the 4.50 for Brackhampton, Milchester and Roxeter. Passengers for Brackhampton travel at the rear of the train. Passengers for Carvil change at Roxeter”. The voice clicked off and then reopened by announcing the arrival of the 4.00 from Birmingham at Platform No 9.

The conductor clipped the ticket and let the elderly lady in. Mrs. McGillicuddy found her porter outside the door of a third-class carriage. “Here you are, lady.” - “I’m traveling first-class,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy. “You didn’t say so,” grumbled the porter. He took the suitcase and marched with it to the first-class coach. The 4.50 was almost empty, because the first-class passengers preferred either the faster morning express or the 6.40 with a dining car. Mrs. McGillicuddy handed the porter his tip, which he received with disappointment, considering it more suitable to third-class than to first-class travel. But Mrs. McGillicuddy, though prepared to spend money on comfortable travel after a night journey from the North and a day’s intense shopping, was at no time an extravagant tipper.

She made herself comfortable and opened a magazine. Five minutes later, the train started. Three minutes later she was asleep. She slept for forty minutes and awoke refreshed. It was quite dark now. “Serving last tea now,” said the conductor, opening the corridor door. But Mrs. McGillicuddy had already had tea at a large department store.

She looked at the window and saw a train traveling in the opposite direction. The train passed through a station, then it began to slow down and stopped. In some minutes it started to move forward again, gathering speed. For some time, two trains ran parallel. Mrs. McGillicuddy looked from her window through the windows of the parallel carriages. The other train was not very full and there were many empty coaches. Suddenly in one of the compartments of the passing train Mrs. McGillicuddy saw a man. His hands were round the throat of a woman who faced him; he was slowly strangling her…