The Vanished Messenger

On a quiet, almost deserted platform at Liverpool Street, a lone American businessman waits with his leather case, his sharp eyes scanning the grimy wall. The station’s late‑hour hush is broken when a nervous young traveler in a tweed suit approaches, breathless after missing his boat train. Their brief exchange sets a tone of urgency and understated tension.

He begs Dunster for a place on a special train bound for Harwich, hoping to catch a connection to The Hague before dawn. Dunster’s inscrutable demeanor hints that the request may involve more than a simple favor, and the young man’s restless eyes suggest he carries his own secret burden. The scene promises a web of intrigue that will unfold as the train departs into the night.