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Our train passes another onco whoomp I ju past us But I have the weirdest sensation that Willem is on it Which is impossible He would’ve had to fast-forward to another station to get that train

But that’s not to say he’s on this train

I look at my watch It’s been twenty minutes since he went to the café car Our train had not yet left the platforirls even before we departed Or at this last station Maybe that’s what they were saying Why don’t you ditch that boring A out with us?

He is not on this train

The certainty hits ed hisets grocery stores put at the checkout aisle so you’re out the door before you realize what a piece of crap you just bought

But then another thought hits me: What if this is all some sort of master plan? Find the most naïve American you can and lure her onto a train, then ditch her and send in theI don’t knowthe thugs to nab her? Mo just like this on 20/20 What if that’s why he was looking at ht me out earlier today on the train from Stratford-upon-Avon? Could he have chosen easier prey? I’ve seen enough of those Anio for the weakest gazelles

And yet, as unrealistic as this possibility is, on a certain level, there’s a nugget of cold coain That at least would explain why I a lands on my head, soft and crackly, but in my panic, it makes me jump

And there’s another one I pick up the projectile, a packet of Walker’s salt-and-vinegar crisps

I look up Willerin of a bank robber, not toout of his hands: a candy bar, three cups of assorted hot beverages, a bottle of orange juice under one armpit, a can of Coke under the other "Sorry about the wait The café is at the other end of the train, and they wouldn’t open it until the train left St Pancras, and there was already a queue Then I wasn’t sure if you liked coffee or tea, so I got you both But then I remembered your Coke from earlier, so I went back for that And then on the way back, I stuian and spilled coffee all over myself, so I had to detour to the loo, but I think I just s worse" He plunks doo of the small cardboard cups and the can of soda on the tray table in front of estures to the front of his jeans, which now have a huge wet splodge down the front of theh at fart jokes or gross-out huy last year and Mrs Huberman had to let the hysterical class out early, she actually thankedthe only one to exhibit any self-control

So it’s not like me to lose it Over a wet spot

And yet, when I open my mouth to inform Willem that I actually don’t like soda, that the Coke before was for Melanie’s hangover, what cohter, it sets off fireworks I’ for air The panicked tears that were threatening to spill out of my eyes now have a safe excuse to streaives his jeans a yeah-yeah look He grabs some of the napkins from the tray "I didn’t think it was so bad" He dabs at his jeans "Does coffee leave a stain?"

This sends hter Willeh to accept the joke at his expense

"I’ At Your Pants"

Pants! In her tutorial of British English versus Alish call underwear pants and pants trousers, and we should beto do with pants to avoid any es She went pink as she explained it

I aht, I see one of the French girls coes behind Willeers there for a second Then she says so into her seat

Willem doesn’t even look at her Instead, he turns back to ht you got off the train" The adne bubbles of my relief

Oh, ht out of me I’m afraid to look at him Because if he didn’t want to leave me on the train before, I’ve reive of the seat as Willee to peer over at hiusted He just has that ains to unpack the junk food and pulls a bent baguette out of his backpack After he’s laid everything out over the trays, he looks right at et off the train?" he asks at last, his voice light and teasing

I couldOr because he realized he needed to get back to Holland after all, and there wasn’t ti But I don’t

"Because you changed your ust, his shock, his pity, but he still looks aued now too And I feel this unexpected rush, like I just took a hit of so, my own personal truth serum So I tell hihtto sell "

I look at hi as he strokes his chin "Hoould I do that?" he asks

"I don’t know You’d have toWhat’s that stuff they use? Chloroforainst your nose, and you fall asleep"

"I think that’s just inyour drink like your friend suspected"

"But you got me three drinks, one of them unopened" I hold up the can of Coke "I don’t drink Coke, by the way"

"My plan is foiled then" He exaggerates a sigh "Too bad I could get good money for you on the black market"

"How much do you think I’m worth?" I ask, amazed at how quickly fear has become fodder

He looksme "Well, it would depend on various factors"

"Like what?"

"Age How old are you?"

"Eighteen"

He nods "Measurements?"

"Five feet four One hundred and fifteen pounds I don’t know metric"

"Any unusual body parts or scars or false limbs?"