PART 1. The Time Travelers chose to take a Mystery Trip on the Nambah Express from Paris to Istanbul. We all arrived at the station for preboarding paperwork.
The setting is in the Agatha Christie style and feel. Off we go!
The conductor and a Station master, Dave. A sharp dresser.
The boarding paperwork.
She seems to know what she’s doing.
The first passenger being processed.
This is Starry Night, an American Actress traveling from Paris to meet her Producer lover in Istanbul.
This is Mrs. Hubbard, An older American woman who presumably travels to support charitable and educational causes abroad. Her endless gossip and moodiness, as well as her cultural chauvinism, marks her as distinctly American to some of the other passengers.
The Countess Helena Maria Andretti gets her European paperwork processed. She’s famous for saying “I’m always awake at night. In the day I sleep. Some fear darkness; but, I cannot stand the light!”
The processing begins.
Stamps in order.
Documents in order.
Getting close to boarding time!
But the passengers will have to wait a little before boarding.
The waiting area.
Over here!! Come sit a while!
Mrs. Hubbard. Demure yet cleverly nosey.
Starry Night! What an acting job!!
Getting to know one another.
No problem!
"ALL ABOARD The Nambah Express!
Here’s to a great voyage! Cheers!!
Helping Contessa Hellena onto The Nambah Express. Hold on to your secrets!
PART 2. Safely boarded, the passengers pose casually in the 1st Class Club Car before Mystery even begins.
Contessa Hellena.
Mrs. Hubbard.
Starry Night.
Champagne and tea sandwiches were served.
Apple juice for Mrs. Hubbard.
Cheese board and crackers to give us the strength for the task ahead.
Cheers!
The mystery starts with the rules!
The search is on! Starry Night is strategiclly scoping out her surroundings.
Mrs. Hubbard fires up her flashlight and magnifying glass.
Taking notes!
Found a clue! Use your looking glass, Starry!!
The ladies are off to the Privy to discuss the bartering possibilities of sharing their clues. Mrs. Hubbard gladly pays Starry to share her clue!
Mrs. Hubbard relies on her flashlight to find more clues. It may look like Mrs. Hubbard is holding a salted margarita glass, but it is only the cat bed in the background...She is safely holding only her trusty flashlight to get clues. LOL
This was one of the hardest clues to find. Starry kept at it until it was found! Go Starry!
I’m ready for my closeup, now!
Mrs. Hubbard diligently searching.
Very nosey. While looking for a clue in the “Mask Mouth” Mrs. Hubbard found two clues here!
Wrong set of masks, Starry! You missed this one!
Keep looking.
There are 13 clues to find.
Both snoops missed this one!
Looking for Fu Dogs.
I see something.
Now to tally the scores. Who won!?!? You’ll have to wait….it’s Dinner Time! Back to the 1st Class Club Car!!
PART 3. Dinner time! Duchess Potatoes, fresh sautéed veggies, Lamb Chop Lollipops and Shrimp with Snow Crab Cream Sauce. First Class all the way!
First class dining!! Creamed Shrimp and more!
Lamb Chop Lollipops.
Duchess Potatoes.
Assorted Veggies.
Sweet Potato-veggie Pancakes.
Compliments of the Duchess! Bonne Appetito!
All from the little Nambah Express Galley.
Reading The Nambah News at the dining table and getting ready for the next Mystery provided by Mrs. Hubbard.
But before the next Mystery, we need to tally up the scores for the first one.
More notes calculated.
The announcement of the winner!
Starry Night! Wow A body with Brains as well!
PART 4: THE NEXT MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
Conductor Dave spotted an envelope that mysteriously appeared. He opened with care.
The letter and its attachment:
The first clue was discovered on the piano in the Lounge area. A musical puzzle! What are the notes?
...and what do the notes mean? Conductor Dave continued diligently and more notes were calculated.
The clues were coming to light.
Conductor Dave solved it! The notes spelled out more clues!
They all headed straight to the Baggage Car!
They find an Ace of Clubs card and a note that sends them to the Club Car on the train!
They see the sign for the Nambah Express Club Car and enter.
They immediately saw a note taped to the Coffee Machine that appeared to have been burned--resulting in part of the note's message being unreadable. What they could make out read: "Decaf Bag..." One of the clues from the Musical Notes! They knew they were on the right track.
Their eyes were then drawn to a note just below the coffee maker that led them to return to the Baggage car.
After several minutes of searching they came upon a hidden trap door with a manilla envelope sticking out.
On the outside of the envelope had the initials AK. What that stood for they had no idea.
The first of the contents contained a photo that the group now assumed must be who stole Agatha Christie's keepsake. They all realized that through the entire train ride a passenger had been either missing or dead -- having either escaped or died trying through the trap door and the keepsake was no doubt gone forever.
The next item was a property deed signed over to A. Klubkar.
The final item was a Ticket AND Stub -- Ticket 004. They needed to figure out who that belonged to. Starry Night yelled out "The Manifest!"
The Manifest had a sloppy signature showing first name and last name starting with "A" and "K" respectively. Ticket #004 was for A Klubkar! -- The name that was on the baggage claim ticket that was attached to the bottom of the note which they completely ignored -- only following the notation to go TO the Baggage car! They also realized the trick in the clue: A Club Car and A. Klubkar were a clever deception being one and the same.
Conductor Dave just received a Western Union Telegram that read...
And just like that the mystery was solved.
PART 5. Our GLAM Shots.
The Contessa would LOVE to see you on the Nambah Express Train next time.
The resident Egghead, Mrs. Hubbard, will be happy to help you organize the clues...gathered through gossip, of course.
The actress, Starry Night, sent this picture to her lover in Istanbul upon departing Paris for their romantic rendezvous.
Conductor Dave was featured in the news as "Mystery Solver Extrodinnaire" due to his knowledge of music in solving the musical clues on The Nambah Express. He will be awarded another medal of honor from The Board of Mystery Trains.
At the end of the line in Istanbul, the girls raised a toast to their friendship and camaraderie of their adventures with a salute to more ahead.