In the prolog we meet an assassin with a "contract,"
but all we know about the contract is that "the game's afoot" as
Sherlock would say.
A trip on the California Zephyr will be won by one of the crews
that work in Ammunition Supply, one of the departments in Herlong, a defense
outpost in the northern California desert.
As the men on the ammunition crews work to get the most
"tonnage" to win the trip the Zephyr leaves Chicago with three
passengers that have some connection with Herlong. What that connection is
remains to be seen.
A gaggle of Herlong characters look forward to and finally board
the Zephyr. Mark has been relieved of having to kill Dude Shibeley as he and
Dude's wife board the Zephyr.
Harry Witmore, the assassin, uses his false FBI credential to
send a message he hopes will allow his confederates to mount a diversion that
will give him the chance to execute his contract on Smith/Wiggington.
And then there's the revenge that Shorty Cummings wants to take
on Jones.
Will any of the killings take place on the train? We'll have to
read on for the answer(s).
Some of the mystery surrounding Whitmore has been resolved, but
not in the way he foresaw.
Mark Sheffield appears to have fulfilled Helen's desire to be
rid of her husband.
The ongoing needling that Shorty lays on Wine is relentless. As
he torments Wine for his use of "improved Spanish" Shorty plots to
get his revenge on Jones for the death of Shorty's cousin at the hands of a
Jones' relative.
Smith/Wiggington appears to have been relieved of the threat on
his life. His view of the threat might be a reinforcement of the adage that
"it seems too good to be true."
Are there more twists to the story? We'll have to finish the
last quarter of the book for the answer.
Shorty's plot to take revenge on Brett Jones takes an unexpected
twist.
Ballard, the conductor, is beset with one problem after another.
It may well turn out to be the worst trip he's ever taken on the Zephyr.
Elaine Higgins retains her secret and begins to enjoy the train
ride. She will be surprised and not pleasantly when the train arrives in
Sacramento.
Ben Cranna, Mr. C.Z., is appalled and amused by the events that
have caused Ballard so much heartburn.
The Herlong crews enjoy the scenery, the food and the ride. They
appear to be the clientele the operators had in mind when they amalgamated
their routes to form the California Zephyr.
This trip on the Zephyr will be one that all the riders will
remember, some more enjoyably than others.
