Overview
The Shadow Express is an eastbound international train in Claudia Braun and the Disappearing Sable. It is scheduled to leave Plumwald Station on the day Claudia Braun investigates the missing sable.
The train creates urgency for Marnie Stout’s case. Marnie believes the sable may leave the city that night, and station information identifies the Shadow Express as the final day train.
Ticket clue
A special Shadow Express ticket can give Claudia one of the strongest leads in the investigation. The ticket is for an eastbound international trip, but the seat and car information are marked as not applicable. The name fields contain X marks, the passenger species is listed as sable, and the document includes a temporary identity code issued by the Dormouse National Police.
When Claudia brings this code to Inspector Felix Frohe, he can search official records and identify the ticket holder as Aleksei Oblaka.
Role in the ending
Several witnesses connect Aleksei to the Shadow Express. Francine says he told her he planned to take it that night. The train’s impending departure raises the pressure on Claudia to find him before he leaves Barenstadt.
The successful ending reaches Duchess Haselschwanz’s private rail car before departure. There, Claudia learns that Aleksei’s travel is part of a secret diplomatic effort between Dormouse and the Khomyak Empire.