Overview
Francine is a meerkat visitor in Claudia Braun and the Disappearing Sable. Claudia Braun can meet her in the lobby and den of Schön Bed and Breakfast near Plumwald Station.
Francine is from the New Countries. She wears a big coat and skirt, reads Dormouse magazines near the bed-and-breakfast’s unlit hearth, and talks about changing her fur color, a falling-out with her best friend, and time between shows.
Meeting Aleksei
Francine saw Aleksei Oblaka at the bed-and-breakfast bar the night before Claudia’s investigation. She remembers his voice and says he was speaking quietly about taking the Shadow Express that night.
Her memory can help Claudia because it supports the idea that the sable is still connected to station travel and gives another witness account of his distinctive voice.
Library research
Francine can also help Claudia identify Aleksei’s surname. If Claudia sends her to the Barenstadt library, Francine travels by cable car to look for a Khomyak-to-Dormouse dictionary. After enough time has passed in the story, she returns with the information that “oblaka” means “clouds.”
That translation lets Claudia connect a language clue to Aleksei’s surname. If Claudia has already learned the name from Valery, Francine can still confirm the meaning.
Role in the story
Francine is one of the witnesses who turns a vague description of the sable into usable evidence. She also shows how the investigation can move even when Claudia delegates part of the work to someone else and returns later for the result.