by Ivy Dawson
“It’s Frankie, Shae-bee,” her father said lightly, trying to cheer her up. “when has he ever let us down? It’s going to be okay.”
“I think we need to look into this,” Shae said slowly. And she knew in her heart that it was the right decision.
About an hour later, they stood outside one of the most luxurious cabins on board. Frankie had taken the time to update her on the details of the case. It was a confusing one, and Shae felt a little overwhelmed by all the information.
Recently, she’d been solving a murder here and there. The Invisible Cat case was far out of her league. A little voice told her that she’d let everyone down and disappoint her father. Another voice reminded her that her father couldn’t be disappointed. He was dead.
She rolled her eyes at herself. She was being a little overdramatic today, but who cared? She was allowed to feel a little self-pity.
“Okay, one more time,” Frankie said as he knocked sharply. “who was the Cat’s last victim?”
“Marie Goff, the widow of a Swedish millionaire,” Shae said dully, looking around. A man was walking down the hall, and she noticed that his hair was slightly long and tousled. It was a little darker than her own, and she envied his natural curls. “her diamond set was stolen during her birthday party.”
“Good girl,” Frankie said affectionately, smiling at her.
She didn’t like being treated like a child but felt a familiar little warmth in her heart. He reminded her of better times. Sometimes her father took her out on stakeouts and he’d quiz her about details of the case he was working on. Frankie picked up the habit, and she was proud to say that she almost always got the answers right.
“Finally,” a man opened the door, glaring at them as he spoke. “we’ve been waiting forever. What do you have?”
“I’ve found a partner,” Frankie said, stepping into the room and giving the annoyed man an easy smile. “Jeremy, this is Shae. I used to work with her father.”
“Yeah, okay,” Jeremy said unimpressed, barely looking over at Shae. “what’s new? We’re tired of living in fear. It’s ridiculous. You said we should try to lay low, and now this maniac has followed us.”
“I warned you that the Cat is relentless,” Frankie said simply, “and I’ll be happy to give my client an update. Do you know where she is?”
Jeremy gave Frankie a look that would curdle milk before stomping off and knocking on one of the doors. He disappeared behind a door, slamming it as he went.
“Men are such strange creatures,” Frankie said thoughtfully. “He’s more than happy to let her pay for everything, but still wants to be the head of the house.”
Shae didn’t have a chance to reply before the door opened again to reveal a woman in her late fifties or early sixties. Daniella Carrera was an aging wealthy woman who did what most aging wealthy women did.
She tried to stop the aging process. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working, and Daniella had every right to sue her plastic surgeon. Her face looked uncomfortably tight, and what was once a pretty face was now exaggerated and frozen.
“Frankie,” Daniella said in her thick Italian accent. “what news do you have? I can’t rest. I can’t do anything. My jewels, they’re like my babies. I haven’t left my room. I just can’t!”
Despite her awkward face, Daniella had impeccable fashion sense, and sat down gingerly in her expensive clothes to prevent them from wrinkling.
Jeremy, who was still handsome despite his advancing age, hovered near her like an anxious fly. He looked as though he expected Frankie to snatch his girlfriend and run away with her.
“You understand our concern, of course,” Jeremy said, shaking his head. “losing those jewels would be a serious financial setback. We can’t just give them away to a common criminal.”
Shae tilted her head at him slightly. Frankie had shown her a whole file about Jeremy Pascale. He was a playboy who’d blown his family fortune on drugs, gambling, and a whole host of unsavory practices. The man knew how to lose money, and how to catch women.
Daniella was nothing more than a cash cow to the man who’d singlehandedly bankrupted an entire family and had more debt than a small country. If anything, Daniella’s jewels were in more danger from her playboy boyfriend than any international thief.
“We understand,” Shae said sympathetically. “we’re doing everything we can to help you protect your jewels. I hear there was an attempt to steal them already. Can you tell us what happened?”
“I was out for dinner,” Daniella said, “and when we got back, my room door was unlocked, and the painting in front of the safe was open. That’s when I found Christine. The poor dear had offered to look after them while I was away.”
“And where were you?” Shae asked Jeremy simply.
“I was at the gym,” Jeremy said, his color changing as he sniffed indignantly. “why do you ask?”
“We just need a full picture of what happened,” Shae said, shrugging her shoulders at him. “do you know what the jewels are worth?”
“About half-a-million dollars,” Jeremy said easily.
Shae’s expression didn’t change, and she watched him casually. He didn’t hesitate about revealing the value of his girlfriend’s diamonds. He knew how much they were worth. She guessed that the amount that was stolen would go a long way toward settling his crippling debt. Did Daniella know about his financial problems?
She didn’t know much about their relationship but guessed that any normal person might be hesitant about letting him near such expensive jewelry.
“What about the jewelry stolen from Marie Goff,” Shae asked. “do you know how much that was worth?”
“What a question,” Daniella scoffed, putting a hand over her chest. “it was a party. No-one was asking such impertinent questions.”
Shae lifted her eyebrow slightly when Daniella spoke. She’d interrupted Jeremy as he was going to answer. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew exactly how much was stolen. The only question was whether he knew exactly where the jewelry was.
“I heard that the woman who died was your friend,” Shae said sympathetically, changing the subject abruptly. “I wanted to say that I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Yes, Christine was my best friend,” Daniella sniffed sadly. “I can’t believe she’s gone. She’s never had heart problems before. Or maybe she didn’t tell me.”
“If you don’t have any new information,” Jeremy said suddenly, putting a concerned hand on Daniella’s shoulder. “I think you should leave.”
Frankie and Shae shared a knowing look. They’d been expecting this. Daniella picked up a tissue and wiped her eyes, not commenting on Jeremy’s rudeness.
They quickly said their goodbyes and left the room. Shae’s mind was swirling, occupied with a thousand questions. She was so preoccupied that she nearly didn’t notice the man with the curly hair was still lingering in the corridor.
She noticed that he quickly put his head down and walked away when they came out of the cabin. It was almost as if he’d been listening in on their conversation.
Chapter 3
“I think I’ve figured out the route that the Cat would’ve used to get away from Daniella’s room,” Shae told Frankie.
They were in a little storage closet near the ship’s jail cell that Captain Tim allowed her to use during her investigations. It was a versatile little room and was often used to interrogate suspects.
“Don’t drive yourself crazy doing that,” Frankie told her with a sigh, walking over to where she was studying a map of the ship. “this guy just disappears. I’ve tried that tactic before, it just never works out. Sorry, Shae.”
She looked down at the map in front of her. She’d drawn a few lines in pencil, trying to map out the correct route. At last, after an hour of poring over the map, she’d finally found a plausible route.
She tried not to get annoyed by Frankie’s rejection of her plan. He’d been working on this case for years, and probably knew way more about
the Cat than anyone else. He’d brought down all his research from his room, and Shae was shocked by the sheer amount of work that had gone into the investigation.
If they stuck every page of research onto the walls around them, they’d paper the entire room twice and still have pages left over.
“Look, Frankie,” she gestured at the route. “if the Cat was careful, he could’ve used the blind spots in the cameras here. Everyone was at dinner, and this passage leads away from the restaurants and lets out at the back of the ship. He could’ve gotten in and out without being seen.”
“I’m telling you, drop this. It’s too obvious. He’d never do something that stupid.”
“I’m just saying that he could’ve been a little distracted. He didn’t expect to find Christine in the room. He would’ve been rattled and made a few mistakes.”
“He doesn’t make mistakes,” Frankie said in annoyance, walking away from her and pacing at the other end of the room. “I know this guy.”
Shae was about to respond when the door opened, and the maintenance manager stuck his head into the room. She felt a familiar sensation of butterflies in her stomach and couldn’t help but smile at him.
“I heard you were stuck in here,” he said, his eyes sparkling mischievously. His hair was starting to get longer, and he had to move some of his dark blonde hair away from his face. “I brought coffee.”
“I like this guy,” Frankie said easily, noticing her reaction. His annoyance evaporated and he smiled genuinely at the handsome employee. “please tell me there’s a cup for me too.”
“Sure thing,” he said easily, handing Frankie a steaming cup. “my name’s Jax.”
“I’m Frankie,” he said, shaking Jax’ hand heartily. “how do you know my niece?”
A long time ago, back when things were still good, Shae used to call him uncle Frankie. She never had a big family, and always yearned for more relatives. Frankie was always around, so in her mind, he was her uncle. He whole-heartedly accepted the title and started calling her his niece.
Hearing him say the words again, made her feel sad in a way that she’d never be able to explain. It was a bittersweet feeling, and she found that she didn’t mind being his niece again.
“We work together,” Jax said, glancing at her quickly. He handed her a cup, and she smiled gratefully. Coffee was exactly what she needed.
“What a life,” Frankie said enviously, sinking into his chair. “I’d give anything to spend my days on a ship like this.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Jax admitted with a shrug, sitting down at the table and looking at the research with interest. Frankie noticed this and frowned slightly. “we spend most of our time inside, helping the guests.”
“That’s no way to live!” Frankie said indignantly. “You should be out there! With the sun on your face.”
“That would be great,” Shae said with a little laugh, “but I think I’m going to be stuck down here forever.”
“No,” Frankie said, shaking his head. “I’m not letting that happen. We’ve worked for hours, Shae. I think you deserve a break. Why don’t you let Jax escort you on a nice little walk? Enjoy the nice sea breeze and get some air.”
Shae blushed slightly when she realized what he was up to. He winked at her, causing her to blush even more. She looked at Jax and he smiled at her, seemingly happy with the idea.
“I don’t want to leave you here on your own,” she said, frowning as she said it. She didn’t know how long he’d still be on board the ship. Shae didn’t have a lot of time with him, and she found that she wanted to catch up with him. This was a man who knew her father almost as well as she did. Frankie probably missed her father too.
Frankie seemed to sense her feelings and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Go, we’ll have plenty of time to catch up with each other. I’ll be fine.”
She smiled at him and got up while Jax opened the door for them.
“Frankie seems great,” Jax said as they walked out. “it must be so weird having him around again.”
“How did you…” Shae started in confusion. Then her expression evened out and she nodded her head. The ship was only so big, and there wasn’t much entertainment. The staff was like a family, and everyone knew your business as soon as you did.
“Did Alexa tell you?” she asked in a deadpan tone.
Alexa was her best friend. She was also a notorious gossip and would spread news around like wildfire. She had a big mouth, but she was like Shae’s sister.
“Yeah,” Jax said sheepishly. “sorry. I didn’t tell anyone, I just asked where you were and she gave me this whole long story. It took about half an hour.”
“You were asking about me?” Shae asked, feeling a little thrill as she repeated the words. He smiled again, a little embarrassed, and nodded his head. She smiled back and bumped his arm with her shoulder.
“So, where do you want to go?” Jax asked, gesturing grandly. “I’d like to give you a grand tour.”
She laughed at his antics, and sat down on one of the benches. Despite the fact that she’d been sitting down for a few hours, her legs felt tired and she just wanted a moment to breathe. As she looked around, she noticed several passengers were also sitting on the benches.
One was reading a book about World War Two, but what caught her attention was the curly hair that was bent over the book. She frowned as she looked at the man and he seemed to sense her stare. He looked up, his brown eyes meeting hers.
He was a good-looking man. Not uncommonly handsome, but cute in his own way. He nodded at her slightly, as if they had some sort of agreement, then looked down at his book.
“Do you know him?” Jax asked curiously, sitting down next to her.
“No,” Shae said slowly, her eyes narrowed at the man. “I don’t think so. Listen, do you mind helping me out with something?”
“No problem,” Jax said immediately, “what do you need?”
She got up and motioned for him to follow her as she explained her hunch about what route the Cat might’ve used to get away from Daniella’s room.
“I wonder why Frankie didn’t want to look here,” Jax said curiously as they made their way down the corridor that Shae had marked on the map.
She looked down, trying to find something that could help their case.
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
Shae was so focused that she nearly walked headlong into a man who was leaving his room. Jax quickly pulled her out of the way, holding both her arms gently so that she didn’t trip.
“Sorry,” she said in surprise, looking up at the man before smiling gratefully at Jax.
“Watch where you’re going,” the man said in annoyance.
Shae stepped back in surprise and heard a strange crunching sound under her shoe. She looked down and noticed a little bottle on the floor. It was spreading liquid from where she’d stepped on it, so she bent down to pick it up.
The label was still intact and had a strange medical name on it. She quickly pocketed it, forgetting about the annoyed man who was still standing by his door.
“Shae,” Jax said softly, “come on, we need to go.”
“Shae,” the man echoed, looking at her in surprise. “are you working for Daniella Carrera?”
“Well, kind of,” Shae said uncomfortably.
“My name is Andrew,” the man said enthusiastically. “I’m here with Daniella too. Do you have any news about that thief yet?”
“Andrew,” Shae said slowly, looking at Jax for help. He shrugged, not sure about what to say. “she didn’t mention you.”
“I get it,” Andrew sighed, “I’m a poor relative. She’s looking after me, you know. I think it’s just as a favor to my mom.”
“Oh,” Shae said slowly, “I’m sorry. Listen, it was nice meeting you, but we have to go to the doctor’s rooms.”
“Oh great,” Andrew said sincerely, “I’ll join you. I know Daniella would be so happy to hear tha
t I’m helping out. I just want to be useful; you know.”
Jax looked down at Shae, silently communicating his annoyance. She nodded at him, sharing his feelings. Before they could say anything, Andrew started walking, babbling as he went.
By the time they made it to Dr. Zooberg’s office, they knew much more about Andrew than they ever wanted to know. He was the type of person who overshared with strangers without a second thought. He was telling them about his failed first kiss as they walked into the outer office, and Shae felt like gagging.
“And then…” Andrew continued, oblivious to their disgust.
“Hey, man,” Jax said kindly. “that’s an interesting story, but I think we should talk about Daniella’s jewels. Is there anything you can tell me?”
The man looked as though he just won the lottery and took a deep breath before launching into a complicated version of events.
Jax angled Andrew away from Shae, so that she could sneak off to talk to the doctor. She sighed gratefully and squeezed his arm gently before walking away. He nodded at Andrew’s words, and gave her a small wink before giving Andrew his full attention.
“Shae!” Dr. Zooberg said happily when she stepped into his office. “Just the girl I was looking for. You’ll never guess what I found.”
“What is it?” Shae asked, walking up to his desk as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. She felt a pang of sympathy for the old man.
Christine had been found late last night, and she wondered if the doctor got any sleep at all. Judging from his yawn, he probably didn’t.
“I found this strange wound on her neck,” he said, handing her a photo. The skin was slightly bruised, and there was a small mark in the middle. “I think Christine was poisoned.”
“Well done,” she said, taking the label out of her pocket, careful not to cut herself on the glass. “and I think I found something too. I found this on the floor. I found a possible escape route, and this was just lying there.”
“Hepaimpadace Xotolis,” he read, squinting at the words. “this sounds familiar. Where have I heard of it before?”
