Calmer Cruises

by WINTERS, A. R.

  I wondered if the killer was out here among us somewhere, maybe pretending to have fun while planning their next move.

  The thought gave me the chills even though my heart was still racing from the fun of taking part in the conga line just a few minutes before.

  “Hey there!” A voice I didn’t recognize caught me off guard as I tucked my camera away in my purse. I looked around and saw a group of the Breathe Light yoga members sitting around one of the poolside tables nearby. “Adrienne, right?”

  I nodded and waved as I walked closer. “That’s right. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you guys in Petal’s yoga classes, right?”

  “That’s right!” The bubbly middle-aged woman who had initially called me over gave my hand a vigorous shake and gestured toward an empty seat. “You’re welcome to join us here if you’d like. I just looked over and saw you looking around like a little lost puppy.”

  I laughed. “I was just looking for some good angles to take a few pictures for work. Are you all having a good time?” Before she could answer, I added, “Sorry, I don’t know if I caught your name, or…”

  “Oh, of course!” She clasped her hands together. “Where are my manners? I’m Helen, and this is my husband, Ted. Then there’s Charlene, Edna, and John.”

  I smiled and shook hands as she introduced me to the rest of the group at the table, even though I knew there was no way I’d remember all of their names after about five minutes. Still, they all seemed really friendly, and I considered it part of my job to mingle a little with the guests. Just good customer service, right?

  Plus, it was the perfect excuse to see what they all thought about the yoga classes—not only Petal’s but their rivals at Roar Power as well.

  “We’re all having such a lovely time,” one of the women—Edna, I think?—said. “This is one of the nicest cruises I’ve been on, and I’ve been on a lot of cruises in my day. Kudos to you and the rest of the staff here, Adrienne. It’s clear to me that you all take a lot of pride in the work you do.”

  Hearing such genuine praise warmed my heart and completely validated my decision to sit down with this group for a while. My cheeks were actually starting to hurt a little from all the smiling I was doing. “Thank you so much. I know we all try hard to make each trip a success, but it’s really nice to have such a great group of passengers to work with. That makes the whole thing more enjoyable for everyone involved, I think. And I know my friends and I have really loved getting a chance to take part in your yoga classes, so thank you for welcoming us with open arms.”

  And okay, maybe my own praise was a little over-the-top, but it was all true. For all the dirty looks these yoga groups exchanged with their rivals, they had been nothing but nice and welcoming to Sam, Cece, and me.

  “Speaking of class,” Helen leaned in and lowered her voice a little—though not enough to prevent being heard by everyone around the table. “Did you all hear that some of the people from that other group might be joining us tomorrow?”

  Everyone’s eyes widened as if on cue. I had no idea what she was talking about, and normally wouldn’t blatantly indulge in passenger gossip, but I couldn’t resist asking, “What people? Are you talking about members of the Roar Power group?”

  And I was only asking to help further Ethan’s investigation. Not because this also happened to be a particularly juicy piece of gossip. But just in case it was a long story, I ordered an orange juice from a passing cocktail waitress.

  The other women looked around as I asked my question and Edna leaned in to whisper, “We try not to say that name too loud around here. But yes, that group. Those people. They’re apparently getting a little fed up with the way things are being run.” She feigned an innocent shrug. “At least, that’s what I’ve been told. I can’t say for sure.”

  “I’ve heard the same thing,” Helen confirmed. “Well, those sorts of rumors, anyway. Apparently, it had something to do with their main investor’s death a few days ago.”

  The waitress had just returned with my orange juice, and I’d barely taken a sip when Helen mentioned Rock’s death. I sputtered and coughed then reached out to set the drink down with a loud clank that made everyone within a ten foot radius turn to look my direction.

  “Oh, dear!” Helen reached over to clap me on the back as the men at the table stood up to offer their assistance. “Are you okay? Should we call someone over?”

  I shook my head and held up a hand to hopefully stop anyone from drawing even more attention to our table. Once I could finally speak again, I said, “No, sorry. That just, um… that orange juice must have gone down the wrong pipe or something. I’ll be fine, though, thank you. What were we talking about?”

  “That poor man who died out here,” one of the guys offered.

  “That poor rich man who died out here,” Helen corrected.

  Right.

  Sorry I asked.

  So, that answered the question as to whether the news had made it around to the passengers yet. Ethan, Kelly, and the captain weren’t going to be too happy about that, but it really was inevitable that it would happen.

  Nobody at the table seemed to be too put off by the news, though. They were all out here on the very deck where it happened, laughing and having a great time, after all. Certainly not the actions of people who were terribly concerned for their safety.

  “You must have heard about that, Adrienne,” Edna said. “Terrible news, even if he was responsible for financing that other group.”

  “Terrible news,” I echoed, nodding sympathetically. The less I said about Rock Holliday, the better. But I still wanted to hear what everyone else had to say. “So there are people involved with Roar—with the other group who are unhappy with the way things are going over there ever since, um… since his passing?”

  I was walking a fine line between trying to get the information I was after and maybe seeming a little too interested in the details of the yoga gossip, but this was the best chance I was likely to get and I didn’t want to waste it.

  And so far, they all seemed more than happy to share what they knew.

  “Well,” Helen began with a knowing look around the table, “I think we all know there were some divisions within that other group that go back… way back to when the group was founded. I personally can’t imagine ever being happy with that sort of program. It’s so regimented and in-your-face.” She grimaced. “No, that’s definitely not my cup of tea.”

  “Not mine, either” Edna shook her head.

  The guys grumbled something about hating all the shouting and brow beating that Guru Shakti used—which made me smile a little to myself because while I could certainly see where they were coming from, I knew a lot of people really did appreciate that kind of over-the-top motivation. I even enjoyed the excitement of the class, just… not so much the profuse sweating and heart palpitations that went along with the extreme level of activity.

  For the moment, though, I decided it would be better to keep my opinions on the Roar Power group to myself.

  “There’s a lot to be said for the methods Petal uses,” I observed, trying to steer the conversation in a more positive direction while still keeping the women engaged in case there was anything else they wanted to share. And to be honest, I was genuinely enjoying my time out on the deck with them. “I’ve been trying to make it to as many classes as I can, but I’ve kind of been slacking a little lately.”

  Not so much slacking as recovering from a concussion, but those were just semantics. No need to distract them with that information.

  “Oh, you should try to pop in tomorrow, dear.” Helen tossed me a conspiratorial wink. “There might be some surprising new faces in our morning session.”

  “Really?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. “So the defectors from the other group are really serious about it? They’ll be joining you as early as tomorrow?”

  Again, she only offered an unconvincingly innocent shrug. “That’s the word on the street. That’s all I can say.”
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  Edna smiled sweetly and shook her head. “We’ve probably already said too much. You didn’t come out here to hear a bunch of older folks gossip, did you Adrienne?”

  It wasn’t what I’d gone out there for, but it was one hundred percent why I’d stayed for so long. The ocean breeze, the juicy gossip, and the cold glass of orange juice were just too good to pass up.

  “I have to confess I’ve enjoyed every minute,” I replied before finishing my glass of juice. “But I probably should be going. I have some great pictures of the crowd that I need to post before I call it a night.” Then, to half justify the time I’d just spent sitting down, I added, “Can I get a group picture of all of you? You’ll be featured on the ship’s social media feeds.”

  “That sounds wonderful!” Helen clapped her hands excitedly and then quickly moved around to the other side of the table to arrange her friends for the picture. She was definitely a force of nature, but in the best possible way.

  “Okay,” I nodded once everyone seemed to be in place. “On three. One… two… three.”

  They all smiled, and I took a couple of quick snaps of my new acquaintances. We said our goodbyes and then I was off on my own again. As I walked back to the covered part of the deck, I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up, as if someone was staring at me. Someone nearby.

  I turned to look back at the table where I’d just been sitting, but they all had their backs turned to me, no doubt already engaged in another round of gossip.

  Maybe it was just my imagination.

  Or maybe it was someone else out there. Someone who was watching and waiting for the right time to strike again.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next morning, Sam was already awake and dressed by the time I rolled out of bed.

  “Are you up so early because you want to go with me to the Breathe Light class?” I asked, still barely opening my eyes as I slowly started my morning routine.

  “I wish.” She grimaced. “We have a department meeting at the crack of dawn, and none of my attempts to skip it have worked, so… here I am. Dressed and ready with my customer service smile firmly in place.”

  I laughed. “I think you might need a little more coffee for that smile to start seeming authentic.”

  At the moment, her smile was still decidedly shaped like a scowl. Not that I could blame her. Six in the morning was awfully early to be getting ready for a staff meeting, but early mornings and late nights were really the only times when they would be able to hold a meeting without being completely swamped by passenger requests.

  Even the more fun jobs on board like the ones Sam and I had came with their drawbacks. And while I didn’t envy the fact that Sam had to be out the door and on the clock in just a few minutes, I had my own early-morning commitment to prepare for.

  And honestly? At the moment, I was wondering if sitting through a boring meeting might actually be easier than attempting to do yoga while still half-asleep.

  But no. I promised the nice group I met last night that I’d be there, and I actually wanted to show up a few minutes early to see if there really were some new faces in the class.

  “You must really be enjoying all of that yoga to set your alarm for a session on your day off,” Sam mused out loud.

  She was looking at me with one eyebrow raised as I made my bed and walked like a zombie to the tiny cubicle we called a kitchen so I could pour my first cup of coffee for the day. She wasn’t totally wrong. I did enjoy it quite a bit. Mostly.

  But I couldn’t lie to Sam. And she would have instantly known I wasn’t telling the truth if I’d tried to pass off the need for exercise as my only motivation for joining the class today.

  “I got a tip last night that there might be some defectors from Shakti’s class showing up today,” I explained as I held the steaming mug of coffee up to my nose and closed my eyes to inhale the aroma. “There’s seriously nothing in the world that’s better than freshly brewed coffee in the morning.”

  “Agreed,” she nodded. “And that sounds like quite a coup if Petal somehow got Shakti’s crew to abandon his program for hers. You can bet her assistant will be crowing about that achievement with her.”

  I smirked at the thought. “No doubt about that. And Petal deserves a pat on the back if it’s true. Especially since those groups were well-established long before this cruise. Those people each paid a lot of money to join one program over the other. It would have taken something pretty big to make them change their minds about who to follow at this point.”

  Sam cocked her head to the side. “Hm, that’s a good point. So maybe it wasn’t so much that Petal has a more appealing program for those defectors as…”

  “As the speculation that Roar Power might start moving in a direction that those people aren’t comfortable with.” Talking through the whole thing with Sam made me remember another important piece of information from the night before. “Oh, and by the way—they know about Rock’s death.”

  Sam’s eyes went wide. “Who knows? How did they find out?”

  “The people from Petal’s class know, so I think it’s safe to assume they know about it in Shakti’s class, too. As far as how they found out…” I took a small sip of coffee and shrugged. “I mean, we knew it wasn’t going to stay a secret forever. Any number of people could have told them. I think we’re just lucky it hasn’t become a public relations nightmare yet. The people I talked to last night didn’t seem concerned at all that there is still a killer running free somewhere on this ship.”

  “Ugh,” Sam winced. “Maybe they hadn’t thought about it in those terms. I know I’ve been trying so hard to pretend like things are still normal that I’ve almost convinced myself it was just a bad dream when we found that body on the deck.”

  I could definitely relate to that feeling. I’d been hoping to wake up from the same bad dream ever since it happened. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t really be able to go back to normal—whatever normal was supposed to be—until we were finally able to find the person who killed Rock and close this case.

  “Whatever the situation is, I hope it’s over soon,” I said.

  “You and me both.” Sam smiled. “But on the bright side, it has to be over soon. We only have a couple of days left until this cruise is over. Then we get to start all over again with a bunch of new faces.”

  I shook my head and grinned. “That’s supposed to cheer me up? I’m still learning names and faces from this cruise.”

  “Just remember to try and enjoy the time that’s left,” she replied as she started to walk toward the door. “I have to go to my meeting, but I’ll be back later. Don’t work too hard.”

  “Breathe Light yoga doesn’t count as work,” I shot back as she stepped out of the cabin.

  “Pretty sure that brain of yours never rests, Addi. Even during yoga.”

  She disappeared into the corridor and closed the door behind her before I could reply. Which was probably for the best, since I didn’t have a good comeback for that one. It was just the honest truth.

  Sam knew me too well.

  Despite my slow start to the morning, I somehow made it to Petal’s yoga session with almost ten minutes to spare before it was scheduled to begin. I immediately spotted Helen and the gang from the night before, and they cheerily waved me over to the middle of the room where they were all gathered.

  “Good morning, Adrienne,” Helen beamed. “You look nice and refreshed today.”

  I smiled. “I made it an early night, but I’ve also had some help from the coffee pot this morning. So I’m definitely awake, but I’m not sure about the refreshed part.”

  They laughed. “You hide it well,” Edna chimed in. “That’s one of the few things I miss about being your age—the ability to stay up and do what I wanted without my body rebelling for days afterward.”

  Now it was my turn to laugh. “If drinking orange juice and going to bed early has me feeling this sleepy, I’m scared to try and actually go out on the town these days.�
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  Helen looked like she was about to make some more small talk when her eyes suddenly went wide and she sucked in a sharp breath. “There they are!” she stage whispered so loudly that several other heads in the room turned to look where she was gesturing. “The people from the other group.”

  She might not have been subtle, but she was right. Four members—or former members, I guess—from Shakti’s class walked through the door, each of them looking like a deer caught in headlights.

  Petal and her assistant Tomek swooped in just moments later and no doubt made the newcomers feel even more awkward as every set of eyes in the place followed their movements.

  “Come in, come in,” Petal urged, ushering the nervous-looking group into the room. “I won’t overwhelm you with introductions right now, but just know that we’re all so glad you’re here.” She turned toward the rest of us. “Isn’t that right? Aren’t we glad they’re here?”

  The message was clear from the way she emphasized her words and raised her eyebrows. Welcome these people with open arms. Or else.

  Sam was right. This was a coup for Petal, and she was going to have her moment in the spotlight. We all—myself included—murmured polite greetings as the new people took their place in the back of the room, near the spot Sam and I usually chose for ourselves.

  “Looks like they got your place, dear,” Helen whispered.

  I had to smile because it was clear that nothing got past Helen and her friends. She might look and sound like someone’s sweet old grandmother, but she was still sharp as a tack.

  “Maybe I’ll stay up here with my new friends,” I replied, still grinning. “I have a feeling this spot is the place to be.”

  She laughed quietly so we wouldn’t interrupt whatever Petal was saying up at the front of the room. “You’re right about that, dear. I knew you would fit right in the moment I saw you. Forget those new people—we’re glad you’re here.”