LM 15: Murder in the North Atlantic

[frankthetriviaman]

It was Summer 1953; Gunnarson had a chance to go to the movies since London had entered a quiet period when it came to crime. He was watching Titanic, that new film by Charles Brackett based on the disaster that had happened 43 years previously. It was telling a good story, though in the back of his mind, Gunnarson couldn't help but think that the liberties the story was taking were rather... disrespectful considering the fact that this was a real disaster and all. Though when the film came to the end, he couldn't help but shed a tear





The audience gave a standing ovation at the end, and Gunnarson left to go home afterwards.

"What an incredible ship; I wonder what it would have been like to sail on her? Eh, probably boring with no cases to solve" Gunnarson quipped to himself as he proceeded to head home and go to bed. As he climbed into bed and thought about the movie he had just watched, he pondered again "what would sailing on her have been like?" before finally passing out and going to sleep.

......

"Sir? Sir, wake up please, you don't want to miss your boat!" Gunnarson was awoken by a man's voice. The cab he had taken to the Southampton docks of the White Star Line had finally reached its destination.

"Oh? Ah, thank you!" Gunnarson said as he tipped the driver, collected his two suitcases and proceeded to the boarding area. A large crowd of people were waiting.

"What's going on?" Gunnarson asked.

"They're boarding the steerage class first; first class and us don't board till they're done" one of the people explained.

"Oh, I see" Gunnarson observed. He waited a while until at last, it was his turn to board. The magnificent ship's black and white paint gleamed in the sunlight as Gunnarson made his way across the gangway to board the vessel.

"I can't believe I get to be a second-class passenger on the maiden voyage of White Star's newest ship; I've always wanted to visit America" Gunnarson thought to himself. Once on board, he was lucky enough to run into a steward who told him where his cabin was.

"Ah, I see. Thank you sir" Gunnarson said.

"Not at all; I hope you find the RMS Titanic to be accommodating" he said.

"I believe I will" Gunnarson replied as he went to go to his cabin. Finding his way to D-Deck, he made his way to cabin D-78; a small two person cabin with a bunk bed, a sofa, a washbasin and a wardrobe. He would be berthing alone in this voyage, but he was in a very convenient location. Out his cabin and to the left down the hall was the dining saloon, and to the right and down the hall was the lavatories and baths; his basic needs all on one deck.

"And let's see... there's the smoking room, library and promenades, if I recall. Ah, yes, I should find out more next time I see a steward" Gunnarson thought to himself.

Gunnarson stood in the middle of his cabin and admired the brand new furnishings as they sat... it was almost as if he was in a hotel on land. And at 12 Pounds for his ticket, he what he had was an incredible bargain- though his cabin clearly was meant for two people, deducing that from the bunk bed, he did not mind the fact that he would be traveling alone this voyage. In fact, as he was walking down the hall he had overheard a steward say that Second class was "quite underbooked" for this voyage; apparently only 285 or so second class passengers would be sailing, out of a potential capacity of 614. Gunnarson did not mind this at all though; the dining saloon could only seat 394 people anyway, so that meant there was no need to seat in shifts, and thus no need to rush through his meals.

He continued admiring his room; besides the bunk beds, there was a mirror and washbasin on one wall; and a nearby door lead to a wardrobe for his clothes. And finally there was the sofa... what a remarkable addition! Many ship cabins for the most part were just a bed and closet, but Gunnarson felt lucky; how many cabins could have had sofas?
  Then again, he had heard that Titanic's second class was even a step above first class on smaller vessels, so that was something to consider.

The ship wasn't due to leave port for a while, so Gunnarson wondered what he should do. Stepping outside his room, he asked a passing steward specifically where he was allowed to go.

"Ah, well in addition to your cabin and the dining saloon here on D-deck, you have some promenade space on the boat deck, B-deck and C-deck. The library here also functions as a lounge and reading and writing room, you can find it on C-deck. And as a man, you are free to use the second class smoking room on B-deck at your leisure" he explained.

"And I am to stay in second class areas during this voyage, correct?" Gunnarson asked.

"That is indeed correct sir; however, we do permit second class passengers to tour the first class areas while the ship is docked; feel free to do so if you wish; just please remember to return to second class when we depart" the steward explained.

"Thank you sir, I think I shall" Gunnarson replied.

"Not at all" the steward said as he took his leave. Gunnarson then did just that- he went to go take a glimpse of what the first class areas were like.

[Toz76]

The First Class accommodations were truly luxurious, containing multiple large eating areas that put second class to shame. But Gunnarson didn't mind. 13 pounds was a lot of money, and second class was luxurious enough at that price.

As the ship prepared to leave, Gunnarson made his way to the boat dock and watched the people on shore waving the ship goodbye. Many were relatives of passengers on board the ship, waving them off as they left for America to seek their fortune. Gunnarson remained on the Boat Deck for some time, before finally deciding to go inside for dinner.

The second-class dining room was comprised of several long tables instead of the individual round tables like first class, but Gunnarson didn't mind. He took a seat next to a man of African ancestry, who was sitting with his wife and two daughters. Gunnarson decided to take the opportunity to introduce himself.

"Hello, sir, my name is Adolf Gunnarson. I suppose your family is moving to America?" He asked politely.

"Haiti, actually. I've been promised a job as a math teacher." The man extended his hand. "Joseph Laroche, at your service. This is my lovely wife Juliette, and our daughters, Simonne and Louise."

Gunnarson shook his hand, and the two were soon engaged in an animated discussion with several other nearby passengers.

(The Laroche family were real people who travelled on the Titanic)

[frankthetriviaman]

(And here comes some more second class passengers)

Gunnarson found himself talking with an assortment of passengers. There was Lawrence Beesley, a science teacher who was going on a holiday to the states, and to visit his brother in Canada. Then there was Masabumi Hosono, a Japanese man employed by his country's Ministry of Transport who had spent a couple years in Russia researching their Railway System, and now was travel home via London and America. There was a priest, Father Thomas Byles, who was on his way to New York City to officiate the wedding of his brother. But there was another man who couldn't help but draw Gunnarson's suspicion. He called himself Louis Hoffman, and was traveling with his two young sons, Lolo and Momon. They were moving to America, he said. "Why would a Jewish man not eat kosher..." Gunnarson thought to himself (trust me, this will make more sense later on)

"Can you believe what happened as we were leaving Southampton this morning?" Gunnarson asked.

"Indeed, it was quite the shock" Beesley said as they continued their meal.

......

At noon, Titanic was being helped out of the harbor by tugboats, and all was going smoothly at first. Gunnarson watched as the ship made its way towards the English Channel for the first stop on its voyage: Cherbourg, France. They would arrive later that evening and Gunnarson was delighted; rumor had it that many rich and famous passengers would board there. He was in awe of the possibilities of who he may see, when he was interrupted by a piercing scream.

"It's going to hit us!" Someone shouted. Gunnarson ran for the Port side promenade to see what was happening, and he was horrified. A nearby ship, the SS City of New York, had broken loose of its mooring lines, and its stern was swinging towards the Titanic; there was going to be a collision!

"Oh my God!" Gunnarson shouted and he braced himself for impact. Nearby in the water he could see a tugboat, the Vulcan, taking action to get the City of New York Under control, but the ship came closer and closer until... at last, it stopped.

A mere four feet separated the RMS Titanic from the SS City of New York.

(This really happened folks)

[Toz76]

After some careful maneuvering, the ships were safely separated.

"Well, they say there's a disaster on every voyage, that must have been ours." A steward laughed. "It should be smooth sailing from here on out."

[frankthetriviaman]

Gunnarson sighed with relief, but at the same time felt rather frustrated; the hour delay caused by this incident also delayed Lunch by over an hour. So you can imagine, he was quite hungry by the time it was finally served. A bugler played "The Roast Beef of Old England" to announce that it was ready, and Gunnarson went to the D-Deck dining saloon for lunch. He looked at the menu to see his choices (NOTE: The menus changed daily, but in the interest of simplicity, a single reference menu each for breakfast, lunch and dinner will be used).

"Let's see... Pea Soup, Spaghetti au Gratin, Corned Beef, Vegetable Dumplings, Roast Mutton, Baked Jacket Potatoes ,Roast Mutton, Roast Beef, Sausage, Ox Tongue, Pickles, Salad, Tapioca Pudding, Apple Tart, Fresh Fruit, Cheese, Biscuits and Coffee... a fine selection indeed" Gunnarson thought to himself as he glimpsed the lunch menu. "Though I suppose I can do without the Ox Tongue..." then he asked one of the stewards, "beg pardon... but I do not see any prices here"

"Oh; order whatever you would like; it is all included in the price of your ticket" The steward explained.

"Best 13 pounds I ever spent" Gunnarson thought to himself.

He looked at his watch... it was about a quarter to three now. "They said we should be in Cherbourg by 6:30... I can't wait to see France, even if it is but a glimpse" he thought to himself.

[Toz76]

While eating his supper with Laroche, Beesley, Hosono, Byles, and Hoffman, word came that the ship had arrived in Cherbourg. The six men and their families left their meals and ran up to the top deck to get a view of the French Coast.

"Beautiful!" Hosono breathed.

"I wonder if Paris is visible from here." Beesley mused.

As the group looked across the shore, something about the lifeboats caught Gunnarson's attention- specifically, how few there were.

[frankthetriviaman]

"I say, Beesley" Gunnarson said to the man standing next to him "is it just me, or does is seem that for such a large vessel, we've got very few boats" he observed.

"Come to think of it, youve got a point. There's four over here and four on the other side.. and another eight down closer towards the from by the first funnel" Beesley recalled.

"16 boats for such a large vessel?" Laroche asked, confused.

"20 actually; there's two boats above the officer's quarters and two more beside boat one and boat two" a man corrected. Standing on the boat deck, it just so happened that Gunnarson and the others were standing right where the promenade space for second class ended and first class began. The well dressed man was in his late thirties by the looks of it and held a notebook in one hand.

"You appear to know this ship quite well" Gunnarson noted.

"I should think so, after all I did oversee much of her design, and her sister ship Olympic" the man said with a laugh.

"Oh, I see. Terribly sorry Mr..."

"Andrews. Thomas Andrews, head of the drafting department at Harland and Wolff" he said as they shook hands.

"Well as I was saying; quite a few lifeboats for such a large ship" Gunnarson noted.

"Truth be told, we originally designed Titaniv with 68 lifeboats in mind. But we cut it down to twenty. So let's see...." he said as he began scribbling notes "65 each in the 14 lifeboats... 40 each in the two seaboats... 47 each in the 4 collapsible boats... space for 1,178 people. And to think there's space aboard for 3,547" Andrews noted.

"That's not even a third!" Byles said in shock.

"Well the law does say that any ship over 10,000 tons needs to have 16 boats minimum. So at 20 lifeboats we actually exceed that" Andrews explained.

"Come to think of it" Gunnarson thought, "I do recall about 3 years ago, the RMS Republic didn't have enough boats either; but help arrived and the boats were used to ferry everyone to the rescue ship; the only deaths were those in the initial collision" he recalled.

"Precisely; this ship has a double bottom, and of the 16 watertight compartments on this ship, we can remain afloat with the front four flooded. We're quite safe here" Andrews assured.

"Why are we docking out in the harbor like this anyway Mr Andrews? Shouldn't we go up to one of the docks?" Laroche asked.

"I'm afraid at over 46,000 tons Titanic is a bit too big for the port. However, that's not a problem, since the tenders will be here soon" Andrews assured.

"Tenders?" Hosono asked.

"Well you see, ah there they are" Andrews pointed out. Sailing towards Titanic were two small ships with a paint scheme similar to Titanic's.

"The SS Nomadic carries the first and second class passengers, the SS Traffic carries the third class passengers and mail" Andrews explained.

"Mail? Isn't this a passenger ship?" Gunnarson asked, confused

"Yes, but White Star also transports cargo and mail for additional revenue. RMS does stand for Royal Mail Steamer after all" Andrews pointed out. The group then proceeded to watch as the tenders came up to Titanic. Gunnarson eyed the Nomadic, hoping to recognize some of the rich and famous.

[frankthetriviaman]

As the Nomadic lined up with the Titanic, Gunnarson was in awe of just how many faces he was recognizing; was all of high society boarding Titanic?!

He saw Colonel John Jacob Astor IV; a prominent member of the Astor family, along with his wife Madeline. Oh, what Gunnarson wouldn't give to met such a remarkable man in person! He was a writer, with A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future being one of Gunnarson's favorite novels; to think, by the year 2000 there would be a worldwide telephone network, solar power and space travel to Jupiter and Saturn; at least as Astor saw it.  He was an inventor, having patented a bicycle brake, a road-improver and all sorts of other things.  But of course, he had made his fortune in real estate... what Gunnarson would do to spend even one night in the Astoria Hotel... the most luxurious in New York.  But alas, Gunnarson was only a second class passenger.

He saw Karl Behr; the tennis player who won runner up in the doubles tournament at the 1907 Wimbledon championships.  He was the Number Three ranked tennis player in the United States that year; a remarkable player indeed!

He saw Helen Candee, the journalist and feminist who often made papers for her work on advancing women's rights.  Even the Swede had to admit after reading some of her work, she had some very valid points

Then he saw a couple who were trying to keep a low profile.  Clearly they didn't want to draw attention to themselves, but Gunnarson deduced their identities rather quickly... they were Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon, the Scottish landowner who won the silver medal in fencing for Great Britain in the 1906 Olympics, and his wife Lady Duff Gordon... also known as Lucille, the famous fashion designer.

The steady line of passengers kept moving and... Gunnarson was surprised!  There was Dorothy Gibson, the silent movie actress.  He recalled seeing her in Miss Masquerader and Hands Across the Sea just last year... she was brilliant in those films.

Then there was the businessman Benjamin Guggenheim, from one of the most prominent families in the United States.  Gunnarson was in awe, and that wasn't even half of the first class passengers boarded yet.

He managed to recognize Edward Austin Kent; one of the most prominent architects in New York.  Gunnarson hoped that he would run into some of his "work" while he was in the United States... after all, he was due to visit Buffalo New York a couple weeks from today.

Then there was Margaret Brown, another famous socialite who also was big on talking about women's rights.  Perhaps she would get along just fine with Ms. Candee...

Then he recognized Francis Millet, the famous American painter.  Gunnarson was fond of his work; At The Inn and An Autumn Idyll were two of his favorite paintings, and it was so exciting to see the creator in the flesh.

He saw John Thayer, one of the directors of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.  Gunnarson planned to see much of America while he was abroad, and that meant a lot of train travel.  He wondered if he would end up on one of his trains at some point... Gunnarson watched as he boarded along with who appeared to be his wife and son.

Gunnarson recognized only one other face... Richard Norris Williams, the tennis player who won the Swiss Championship just last year.  Two tennis players on Titanic... what were the chances?  He watched Williams board with an older man who appeared to be his father.

"It's amazing just how many people from higher standing in society want to sail on this ship" Beesley observed in fascination.

"And to think... many more are just emigrating to America to start a new life" Laroche pointed out, and he observed the Third class passengers board Titanic via the Traffic.  They watched as the two tenders unloaded their passengers and mail, before the Traffic left.  However, a couple dozen people boarded the Nomadic before she pulled away as well.

"Why did they get off here?"  Gunnarson asked, confused.

"Cross-channel passengers; they only go this far on the voyage" Andrews explained.

"I see.  Well, I think we should all head back down now; wouldn't want to miss dinner after all" Gunnarson declared.  They were about to leave when someone came running up to the crowd.

"Excuse me, I am looking for a Mr. Adolf... Gunnarson, is it?  Has anyone seen him?"  The well dressed crewman said.

"That would be me... is there a problem?"  Gunnarson asked, confused.

"In a way... yes.  A passenger has lost some property and... well, as purser I'm not quite sure how to address the situation.  I saw in the passenger list that you are a detective and thought you may be able to lend a hand" he explained.

"I suppose I could help... where do I need to go?"

"Cabin A-37 on A-Deck; right this way" the man said.

"But... I'm a second class passenger; isn't that first class?"  Gunnarson asked, confused.

"I will allow it just this once sir; please come with me"

"Oh, don't worry about it; it's just across from my cabin, I'll take him there, you return to the purser's office" Andrews assured.

"Thank you; probably for the best" the man sighed with relief.

"It's my pleasure to help, mr..."

"McElroy.  Herbert McElroy, I'm the ship's purser" he said before leaving.

"Right this way" Andrews said as he escorted Gunnarson to the cabin in question.

......

Soon, Gunnarson found himself at the top deck of the aft grand staircase, where to one way, he could see the entrance to the first class smoking room, and on either side of the staircase was a cabin.

"A-37 is over there Mr. Gunnarson; I suggest you do not take long, lest you get in trouble.  You are bending the rules after all" Andrews explained as he left, presumably to go to dinner.

Walking over to the cabin, Gunnarson knocked on the door and it opened.  A man who appeared to be in his early thirties answered the door.

"Did the purser send you?" He asked.

"Yes; I am a detective.  I understand you are having an issue that requires my help?"  Gunnarson asked.

"Oh, yes!  Thank goodness you have arrived.  It is quite urgent, for you see I am getting off this ship tomorrow and I have lost something quite important" he explained.

"What is it?" Gunnarson asked.

"Well you see... photography is a hobby of mine, but I appear to have lost some rolls of my film.  Now, I know it may sound trivial, but those rolls of film are quite important to me, and I would appreciate some professional help in locating them" he explained.

"I don't know... I mean were they stolen?"  Gunnarson asked.

"No no... I'm fairly certain they were just misplaced." he explained.

"Then how can I help?"  Gunnarson asked.

"Surely an expert such as yourself is quite skilled at finding missing property.  Please, I need that film; I still haven't developed the pictures from it yet" he explained.

Thinking it over, Gunnarson sighed before giving in.  "All right, no harm in trying, I guess" he admitted.

"Oh, thank you!  I am quite grateful for this, God bless you, sir!" he declared.

"Not at all, Mr...?"

"Browne.  Francis Browne... I will be Father Browne once I complete my training though" he stated.

[frankthetriviaman]

"Oh, I see. Well good sir... what can you tell me about your lost film?" Gunnarson asked.

"Well, I have been taking pictures of this magnificent ship all day, and I was planning on getting them developed once I disembarked in Ireland" Browne explained.

"Ireland? You're not going to America?" Gunnarson asked.

"As much as I'd love to, I cannot. I have clear orders to get off this ship at Queenstown from my superiors. But this film is very important to me. Please, you must help me" he asked.

"Very well. Walk me through your day, where was the film?" Gunnarson asked. He and Browne proceeded to mentally map all the places Browne had been that day, and then.

"Let us walk to the place you know you used your camera last; from there we backtrack until the film is found" Gunnarson concluded. Browne went to get his coat, when something fell out of his pocket.

"What is that?" Gunnarson asked as he went to pick it up. Browne was delighted.

"My film! I must have put it in my coat pocket instead of with the rest of my film when I pulled it out of the camera" he reasoned. taking out and counting all his roles, he sighed with relief. "That's all of it; thank you Mr. Gunnarson, if I had lost track of this film and I didn't develop it in time... well, all that hard work would have gone to waste" he said.

Gunnarson acknowledged and proceeded to head back to second class. Unfortunately, he had gotten a bit lost and wound up in the D-Deck first class Reception Room, just outside the first class dining saloon. Deciding that he simply could not pass up the opportunity, he peaked through the windows of the saloon to see if he was able to recognize any other faces.

At one table he saw mystery writer Jacques Futrelle along with a woman presumably his wife; his stories of Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen captivated Gunnarson, and though a different man from "The Thinking Machine," Gunnarson nonetheless enjoyed Futrelle's work.

At another, he saw a man in a sailor's uniform; he was an older gentleman with short white hair and a beard. But Gunnarson knew who it was pretty quickly.

"Must be the ship's captain... I have heard that captain's often have a table in the dining saloon, but what a privilege it must be to dine with him" Gunnarson thought.

"Mr. Gunnarson? What are you doing here?" Gunnarson turned around to see Purser McElroy.

"Oh, terribly sorry sir. I helped Mr. Browne find his lost property, but when I tried to return to second class, it seems I got lost" Gunnarson explained.

"I understand; don't worry, it's not to far away, please follow me" and McElroy escorted Gunnarson back to second class. Deciding he had enough excitment for one day, he went to his cabin, and went to bed.

......

Gunnarson had awoken, and enjoyed his breakfast in the dining saloon with the Laroche family and Beesley before taking some time to enjoy the second class smoking room.  Afterwards he took a stroll along the second class promenades.  It was about 11:10 a.m. when, near the area where the first and second class promenades, Gunnarson met Browne one more time.

"I just wanted to thank you one more time before I get off; I hope you enjoy your trip to America" Browne said.

"Thank you; best of luck with becoming a priest" Gunnarson replied.

At 11:30 am Gunnarson watched as Titanic docked near Queenstown, Ireland.  The Tenders America and Ireland came alongside and brought aboard passengers and mail.  Gunnarson smiled as he saw the passengers... most of them were immigrants, looking to start a new life in America.

Though well over 100 passengers boarded, Gunnarson saw that Browne was one of only seven passengers to disembark here.  Guess this was it then; from here it was a trip to America for all on board.

It was 1:40 pm when Titanic finally sailed away from Queenstown.  Gunnarson had to cover his ears as three loud, mournful blasts came from Titanic's whistles.  Before turning in to go to lunch, Gunnarson heard bagpipes from the stern.  Looking over to the third class promenade, he saw a young Irishman on bagpipes, playing a sad sounding song as Titanic sailed away.

"Erin's Lament... a fitting way to say goodbye" Gunnarson thought.  Then he left to go to lunch.  The rest of the day went on uneventful.  Gunnarson socialized with passengers in the smoking room, lounge and dining saloon, then after a long day, went to bed.

......

In first class, White Star Line Managing Director J. Bruce Ismay was in the sitting room of his suite on B-Deck.  With a sitting room (B-52), two bedrooms, (B-54 and B-56), a private bathroom, lavatory and Promenade deck it was one of the most luxurious spaces on the ship.  He was growing a little impatient though.  His valet, John Richard Frye, was supposed to come to him nearly half an hour ago after taking care of somethings in the B-56 bedroom.  Mr. Ismay stood up and decided to go see what was keeping him.

"Mr. Frye!  I would very much like to know what is taking so l..." he could not finish his sentence as he stood in shock of the scene before him.  His valet was lying on the floor... dead.

......

Gunnarson was enjoying some quiet time in his cabin when a knock was heard at the door.  He went to open it and two men in uniform were standing before him.

"Adolf Gunnarson?" One asked.

"Are you... police officers?" Gunnarson asked, confused.

"In a sense, yes.  I'm Joseph Bailey and this is Thomas King, we are the ship's masters-at-arms" Bailey explained.

"Am I in trouble, sir?"  Gunnarson asked.

"No.  Rather... we need your help.  You see... we need you to come to first class again" King explained.

"Another missing property case?" Gunnarson asked.

"Afraid not.  You see... there's been a murder" Bailey said quietly, to not upset any nearby passengers.

"A murder?!" Gunnarson replied, mindful to keep his volume low.

[Deleted]

"Yes! Come this way."

Gunnarson followed Bailey to a bedroom in the first-class section. He saw a shocking sight. An older man in a red jacket lay dead, a stab wound in his chest.

"Who is this man?" Gunnarson asked.

[frankthetriviaman]

"John Richard Frye; he was my valet" the older gentleman in the room said.

"Forgive me, you are?" Gunnarson asked.

"Ismay. Joseph Bruce Ismay, managing Director of the White Star Line" he said.

"Ah" Gunnarson looked over the scene. The man's chest wound seemed off, so Gunnarson turned the body over... that was when it hit him. "He was stabbed in the back; the blade went all the way through and... it would seem that he stumbled, and died after taking a look at his attacker" Gunnarson said.

"But I didn't hear anything!" Ismay insisted.

"Exactly; there was no struggle. The assailant stabbed him, and... would seem they just stood there. If I'm not mistaken... a my yes, based on what I am seeming, these bruises indicate he fell forward, he turned over to the position we see him in, and the murderer took off" Gunnarson explained.

"But who would want to kill my valet?" Ismay asked.

"Did he have any enemies?" Gunnarson asked.

"None that I am aware of" Ismay replied

"Was he staying in this room?" Gunnarson asked.

"No, he was in another cabin. So was my secretary, Mr. Harrison" Ismay explained.

"Can I speak to you in private please?" Gunnarson said, leading Ismay out to his private promenade.

"Well, what is it you want to tell me?" Ismay asked.

"I didn't want to cause a stir but... I don't think your valet was the one the murderer wanted to kill" Gunnarson explained.

"What are you saying?" Ismay asked.

"Mr Ismay... I have reason to believe that you were the intended victim" Gunnarson declared.

[Eyes]

"Good god, man!" Ismay ejaculated. "That's insane! What leads you to such a conclusion?"

"Well," Gunnarson started...

[frankthetriviaman]

"it seems to be the most rational conclusion. Think about it- Frye wasn't staying in this room, but you were. Mr. Ismay, I'm not sure if you are familiar with my work, but I solve cases based on three parts: means, motive and opportunity... at least when my imagination doesn't get the better of me. More to the point- taking this piece by piece, it seems you were the intended target" Gunnarson explained.

"How so?" Ismay asked.

"Let's focus on opportunity. The murderer wants to kill his victim, so he needs to do it at just the right moment. But when? As I'm sure you've realized sir, many areas on this ship are large and open... terrible places to commit murder, what with all the potential witnesses. And yet, there is one kind of room on this ship that is perfect for a murder. It's quiet and secluded, with much privacy. And dare I say... with few entrances and exits, the perfect place to commit a crime and get away with it" Gunnarson explained.

Ismay thought about it for a few seconds before it suddenly hit him. "M... my stateroom?" Ismay asked in realization.

"Exactly. The means was the knife. The opportunity was your cabin. But the motive... the motive, dare I say, seems trickier to figure out" Gunnarson explained.

"I don't understand" Ismay said in confusion, "what about it is so hard?"

"Mr. Ismay... I can't rule it out because I haven't seen evidence to the contrary yet, so it is entirely possible..." Gunnarson said as he went to admire the view from the private promenade.

"Yes?" Ismay said as he walked along side him.

"...it's very well possible that the murderer was trying to attack you because of your position... the motive very well could have something to do with the Titanic herself... or the White Star Line" Gunnarson explained.

"Are you sure?" Mr. Ismay asked.

"Like I said, the possibility exists. Now, if you excuse me, I think I shall take a look at the crime scene again" Gunnarson said as he walked back to the bedroom. Bailey was looking around the room, while King was in the hallway, ensuring no curious passengers found out about the situation.

"What now?" Bailey asked the Swede, who looked over the room.

"I suppose I had better bring up the matter to those in charge... after all they're probably the ones who need to decide what the next course of action will be. Who is in charge of this ship?" Gunnarson asked.

"That would be the Captain, of course. Though he may not be on the bridge at this time... I suppose you'll need to speak to him or one of his deck officers. They're the ones in charge" Bailey said.

"Have you got a handle on this? One of us should really be back in..." King began.

"Oh yes, of course. I got this King; you head back to the regular post" Bailey said as King left.

"And me, sir?" Gunnarson asked.

"I'll see who is on duty now. There's normally a senior officer and junior officer on the bridge at all times; but the others shouldn't be far from their quarters" Bailey said.

Gunnarson waited for Bailey to return. He hoped that someone in charge would get the message... a murder, on the maiden voyage of White Star's newest ship? This was a delicate situation, and needed to be handed with care, or the press would... well, it certainly wouldn't be good.

(NOTE: for those unfamiliar, Titanic's officers are:

Captain Edward Smith

Senior officers: Chief Officer Henry Wilde, First Officer William Murdoch, Second Officer Charles Lightoller

Junior officers: Third Officer Herbert Pitman, Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall, Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, Sixth Officer James Moody)

[Eyes]

As he waited for Bailey to return, Gunnarson stepped out of the cabin and sighed. He’d thought it would be boring to sail on the Titanic with no murders, but now he wished that this hadn’t happened. What a mess.

As he ran a hand through his hair, a man came up to him. “Excuse me, Gunnarson, is it?”

Gunnarson turned and looked at the man. Recognition hit him; he seen this man earlier. “You’re the mystery writer... Jacque Futrelle, is it?”

“That’s me,” Futrelle answered.

“I’ve been an avid admirer of your work,” said Gunnarson.

“And I of yours. Your trifecta has inspired me on more than one occasion.”

“Beg pardon sir, but why are you here?”

“Well,” the author began, “I overheard someone talking about a murder, and in all my time as a mystery writer, I’d never witnessed one firsthand. I regret to say that my curiosity got the better of me.”

[frankthetriviaman]

"Yes, but please keep this on the low.. we don't want everyone panicking" Gunnarson explained.

"Oh yes, of course. So, is it an awful sight?" The author asked.  

Not really; But I must warn you... you'd better not peak in if you are faint of heart" Gunnarson warned.

"I see. Well. What do you know so far?" Futrelle asked. Gunnarson proceeded to discuss the case so far with the mystery writer.

"Interesting. And no motive yet?"

"It's unclear. But I must say; if only Professor Augustus were here; I would not mind some help" Gunnarson quipped.

"Quite true. Wish I could be of help Gunnarson, but I'm afraid I'm not a detective myself; I do not solve mysteries; I only write them. Shall I take my leave then? I don't want to take up too much of your time" Futrelle offered.

[Eyes]

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea. But if I may ask you a favor...?”

“Yes?” asked Futrelle.

“From time to time I find myself in need to tell my thoughts to another person. I’ve read your stories and you seem quite level-headed. If I ever need some assistance or advice, would you mind if I came to you?”

“Certainly,” the author replied. “I want to help out as much as I can.”

The two shook hands and Futrelle departed. It was at this moment that Bailey returned, accompanied with another man, who Gunnarson could tell was a very important official onboard the ship.

[frankthetriviaman]

"Ah, Mr. Bailey. Were you able to find the captain?" Gunnarson asked.

"I'm afraid Captain Smith is on other business at the moment; but I was able to find the highest ranking available officer" Bailey explained.

"Ah, I see. Thank you Mr..."

"Murdoch. First Officer Murdoch. So how bad is it?" He asked. Gunnarson showed him the scene, and Murdoch observed it for a moment. "This won't settle well if Word gets out. Bailey, I have this, go back to your regular duties. Mr Gunnarson, I'm going to have to ask you to accompany me to the bridge... I've got a feeling we'll need to tell the others about this" Murdoch explained. As they went to leave, Murdoch told Ismay and the steward nearby to not let anyone in the room.

Gunnarson soon found himself at the command center of the ship... the bridge. Murdoch went over to the other nearby officer, "Mr.Lowe, please go tell the other officers to meet here; tell them it's urgent" Murdoch explained.

"Yes sir" Lowe said as he went to go collect Titanic's other six officers.

[Eyes]

(Did you make a mistake, Frank? Minus the Captain, Murdoch, and Lowe, I only got five officers, not six.)

He soon returned. Murdoch took control of the situation. “I’m going to cut right to the chase,” he said. “There’s been a murder here.”

“A murder?” gasped one of the officers.

“Yes,” replied Murdoch. “Luckily we have on board with us Mr Adolf Gunnarson, a famous detective who has agreed to help us out.”

“Yes,” Gunnarson spoke up. “Before we continue, however, might I know who it is I’m speaking with?”

[frankthetriviaman]

(I don't think Gunnarson is too famous here Eyes; remember- no one in second class recognized him and the only person far to have recognized him is Futrelle)

"I'm Sixth Officer James Moody" the junior-most officer began, "and how is he famous? I've never heard of him" he pointed out.

"I believe I did overhear the purser mention he's famous among London's mystery and detective community. At any rate I apologize for not coming myself earlier, but other matters came first. Captain Edward Smith" he said as he shook hands.

"The Millionaire's captain?!" Gunnarson thought to himself. Captain Smith was something of a legend in the North Atlantic; many first class passengers would only reserve spots on voyages with White Star so long as he was the captain.

"I suppose this is one way to close my career at sea; I'll be retiring at the end of this voyage you know" Smith informed.

"I see. And the rest of you?" Gunnarson asked.

"Chief Officer Henry Wilde"

"Second officer Charles Lightoller"

"Third Officer Herbert Pitman"

"Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall"

"Fifth Officer Harold Lowe"

"Pleasure to meet all of you" Gunnarson began. "Now I know technically I am not allowed on the bridge so I will make this as brief as I can" Gunnarson explained, bringing the officers up to date on the situation.

"Well we can't just turn around and head back to England; that would be problematic" Murdoch pointed out.

"Yes; we'll have to keep onward to New York" Captain Smith decided.

"But we'll need to get the body somewhere out of sight; if the passengers see it..." Pitman began.

"Indeed. wait, what time is it?" Boxhall asked. Then he looked at the clock. "Of course; it's almost lunch time sir; we could take advantage of the period where everyone is in the dining saloon or a la carte restaurant and move the body while no one is looking"

"That could work. I'd better head back to second class then; don't want to miss lunch" Gunnarson explained.

"When you're ready to return just ask for the purser; he'll have someone escort you in first class" Captain Smith explained. And so, Gunnarson returned to the second class areas, and hoped that all would go well.

......

He was sitting in the Second class dining room, with the Laroche family, Beesley, Byles, Hosono, the Hoffman family and others, but unlike the past couple days Gunnarson didn't talk much. In between eating his meal he sort of stared into space, wondering about how he would proceed with his investigation.

"Gunnarson? Are you ok?" Laroche asked.

"Huh? Oh, terribly sorry, yes, I'm quite all right" he assured.

"We didn't see you much after breakfast; what happened?" Hosono asked.

"Oh, I stayed in my cabin for a while; I decided I needed some quiet time" Gunnarson explained.

"The way you're talking you look like you've just seen a murder" Beesley quipped.

"Maybe... but I think I've got New York on my mind is all. To think this is my first time going to America" Gunnarson mused, trying to direct the conversation away from murder; he felt it best if his fellow passengers didn't have the thought on their minds... especially Laroche's children. "Louis sons seem to young to understand; but I will still keep my silence" Gunnarson decided.

[Eyes]

"So what have you all been up to?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the topic on his mind.

"We went to the pool!" one of the children said, cheerily.

"Funny, isn't it?" Laroche said. "Here we are, sailing over miles and miles of water and there's a pool on board. Back in the olden days, all you'd have to do is jump over the side of the ship if you wanted to go swimming."

They chuckled at this.