Undercover Cruise (A Maggie McFarlin Mystery Book 2)

by Charisse Peeler

  “Good,” Joanie said. She stood from her chair and walked out the door, not bothering to close it.

  Maggie closed her eyes. That made absolutely no sense, she thought.

  Chapter 15

  Lido Deck

  Maggie walked out of the infirmary with Tylenol and a strong warning from the ship’s doctor to stay awake for the rest of the day. All other instructions were lost on her as she rushed out and made her way to the suite. The ship was quiet; most of the people had gone ashore for their excursions. She looked forward to a calm day by the pool.

  She took a long hot shower, carefully washing the blood out of her hair where she had cracked her skull. She was lucky her injury hadn’t required stitches, but the superglue felt like a giant piece of bubblegum stuck to her head. She changed into the tankini she purchased from the Tommy Bahama outlet at the Concord Mall, surprised that it fit fairly well given that she hadn’t even bothered to try it on.

  The lido deck was desolate. Plenty of deck chairs were available near the adults only pool. She picked a chair in the shade, where she laid out two towels she picked up from the towel kiosk before taking a prone position. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and let the morning wash away. After she felt her head clear enough to read, she pulled her Kindle out of her bag and flipped through until she found a cozy mystery that looked promising. It seemed like forever since she had read a book for fun. She had been focusing all her spare time studying her online classes for her PI certificate or keeping up on technological changes in her industry just in case she decided to take a job.

  After reading the same page three times, Maggie gave up and put on her dark sunglasses. Her head was still pounding, and she couldn’t focus. She closed her eyes again, trying not to feel sorry for herself. She heard rustling next to her but didn’t bother opening her eyes, but she was curious why someone had to sit next to her when so many chairs were available.

  “Are you okay?” said a familiar voice.

  Maggie sat up and took her glasses off to find Kimberly on the edge of the lounge chair facing her. Was she dreaming?

  “How are you feeling?” Kimberly asked as she began arranging her towel.

  “My head is killing me, but I’m more embarrassed that I passed out in front of a room full of people. I heard I took out a small child.”

  “It wasn’t a child. I heard it was an elderly man with a walker.” Kimberly smiled.

  Now Maggie knew for sure she was dreaming. Kimberly smiled?

  “Why aren’t you with the group?” Maggie asked Kimberly.

  “I don’t care to see the sights of Honduras. It’s depressing, seeing poverty and suffering. It kills me to see children begging in the streets.”

  “I don’t think they show you those parts.”

  “Yeah, but you can feel it all around you. Plus, I wanted the time to talk to you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. I guess I would like to start with an apology. I feel bad for treating you so poorly.”

  Maggie tried to sound sincere. “Honestly, I didn’t notice.”

  “I’m not stupid,” Kimberly said, “and neither are you.”

  Maggie turned to face Kimberly. “I never thought you were stupid.”

  “I know what’s going on, and I don’t like it.”

  “You do?” Maggie asked. Did she?

  “I know Mike is Joanie’s brother, and he used to be a detective in Palm Beach County. I know that he runs a detective agency in Salisbury. I know you’re not from Corporate. And I know you are investigating me and the others.”

  “Why do you think we’re investigating you?” Maggie asked, looking around for any ears in range, but there were none.

  “Last week, my new teller took a deposit from Mildred Brown and deposited it into the wrong account. But when the teller noticed her mistake, she put it back. Unfortunately, she added an extra zero, so the deposit that should have been ten thousand dollars was now $a hundred thousand dollars.”

  “So, couldn’t you just correct that mistake?” Maggie again looked for anyone nearby who might be able to overhear their conversation.

  “We could have, but Mildred saw it before I did and withdrew all one hundred thousand dollars.”

  “Why didn’t you tell Joanie?”

  “I did. Mildred is her aunt so I figured she would talk to her and get it back, but every time I talk to her about it, she said she would take care of it.” Kimberly looked like she was about to cry. “I’ve been with Brownstone Savings and Loan as long as everyone else, and they are a tight-knit group. Nothing has ever happened like this in my entire career.”

  “But really, it wasn’t your fault. It sounds like the teller’s fault,” Maggie said, trying to sort out the huge inconsistencies in what Kimberly was saying compared to what Joanie said happened.

  “That’s the other problem. I let the teller use my login against company policy. It usually takes David several days to issue the individual logins to new employees. We were so busy, and the girl had previous banking experience, so I let her use my login. As far as the bank is concerned, it was me who made a mistake.”

  “I’m sure the girl will back up your story.”

  “I tried to call her phone, and the number is disconnected. I even went to the address she provided, and it was the address of the old Cheerwine factory downtown. How can I have been so stupid?”

  Kimberly put her hands over her face to hide her anguish. Maggie spotted a poolside server and motioned him over.

  “Can we get two Patrón margaritas?” She flashed the card at the end of her lanyard, signaling that the drinks were included with the drink package. Then she turned back to Kimberly. “I’m so sorry,. I have to admit I’m a little surprised you’re telling all of this to me.”

  “I looked you up on the internet. I know you were involved in a murder in Boca Raton.” Kimberly took her hands away from her face.

  “Technically, I wasn’t involved in the murder.” Maggie deliberately emphasized the word involved.

  “I needed someone to know my side of the story. I feel like Joanie doesn’t believe me when I tell her aunt was the one who took the money she knew didn’t belong to her. Honestly, I feel like Joanie is setting me up.”

  “Are you one hundred percent sure Mildred deposited the original ten thousand dollars?”

  “I guess I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I do remember Mildred being in the bank at the end of the day; but as I said, it was the new girl who did the transactions.”

  “So, basically, you’re asking me to help prove what?”

  “I didn’t take the money.”

  She said it almost too loud. The server walked up, tilting his head with interest as he handed Kimberly and Maggie each a plastic margarita glass filled to the brim; the rim of each glass had been thickly salted. Maggie waited for the server to leave before she spoke.

  “Do you think someone thinks you did?” She licked some of the salt from the glass then took a sip of the margarita.

  “I think Joanie thinks I did it, and I also think she’s trying to trick me into admitting I did something I didn’t do. Her aunt told her she doesn’t have any money, and her aunt’s bank account is empty.” Kimberly wiped the salt from a section of her glass before she took a long sip.

  “So, let me ask you this, who hired the disappearing teller?” Maggie asked.

  “I did, of course, but John highly recommended her. He said he knew her from another bank. Honestly, it’s not easy finding someone who will work for low wages in such a regulated industry. I didn’t even bother to check her references. I was just happy to have her.” Kimberly took another long drink of her margarita; then she signaled the server, who had been standing close by, obviously bored. He started walking toward them, but when Maggie pointed to her glass, he got the signal and turned to get two more drinks.

  “I think this is making my head feel better,” Maggie said, finishing off her drink, setting the glass down.

 
“So, are you going to help me figure this out?” Kimberly asked.

  “Let me talk to Mike,” Maggie started before Kimberly interrupted her with a loud “No!” causing Maggie to jump. “You can’t tell him. What if Joanie is responsible somehow. There’s no way Mike will turn in his sister. He’s been covering for her whole life.”

  “What do you mean, covering for her?”

  “Joanie has been in a lot of trouble in her life. She’s far from the Goody Two-shoes she portrays.”

  “Okay,” Maggie said. “I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.”

  “And don’t count Joanie out as part of this whole thing.”

  “Have you spoken to anyone else about this?” Maggie asked. “Like maybe David?”

  “Well”—Kimberly hung her head—“a little. I asked him if he could use his security software to trace some other suspicious transactions over the last six months. He said no, and I might have raised my voice a bit.”

  “Are you two romantically involved?” Maggie asked.

  “No, not at all,” she said, “but I do trust him, and he could clear me.”

  Maggie nodded in affirmation but put the thought to the back of her mind; she would evaluate it later. Just then the two margaritas arrived. As she took the glass, someone sat down on the other side of her chair.

  Silas.

  “What happened to you, Maggie?” Silas whispered loud enough for Kimberly to hear. “You stick your nose in the wrong place?”

  “Oh, jeez, what are you doing here?” Maggie asked, ignoring his comments regarding the current state of her face.

  “I’m on a cruise,” he said, flashing his white teeth. “And who is your beautiful friend?”

  “This is Kimberly. Kimberly, this is Silas.”

  “Very nice to meet you, Kimberly.”

  Silas stood and moved close enough to Kimberly to hold out his hand. When Kimberly held hers out, he kissed the top of it before releasing it. Kimberly’s face flushed as Silas looked her up and down like a hungry hyena.

  “Okay, Casanova, we’re having a private conversation, if you don’t mind,” Maggie said. “Why are you on the ship? Shouldn’t you be galivanting ashore?”

  “Jay and I went on the early dive trip,” Silas said, smiling. “We got everything we needed, and now I have a free afternoon to galivant on board.”

  “What exactly did you need on the dive trip?” Maggie asked.

  Silas narrowed his eyes. “You know what I mean, sunshine and sharks.” He smiled again.

  “Sharks?” Kimberly said, surprised.

  “We saw a few but didn’t get close enough to interact. The ship discourages it.”

  “Didn’t you go on the dive trip when we were in Cozumel?” Maggie asked.

  “We did.” He smiled. “If you’re keeping track, we’ve taken every dive excursion at every port a dive was offered. Jay and I like to dive.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes. She looked at Kimberly, who was watching the interaction with too much interest.

  “If you girls would like to meet up later for a drink, I’ll be at the wine bar at eight o’clock.” Silas walked away with his bare chest pushed out to emphasize the body he worked so hard to maintain.

  “Who was that?” Kimberly asked.

  “No one.”

  “He didn’t look like a no one,” Kimberly said.

  “Believe me. Silas is not someone you want to know.”

  “Sounds like you know him pretty well.”

  “You could say that,” Maggie said. Her head was feeling better, but her stomach was hollow: she never had the chance to eat breakfast, and it was already well past lunch time. “Let’s go up and see what Chef Paul can throw together for lunch. I missed breakfast.”

  “Sounds good,” Kimberly said. She stood and held out a hand for Maggie, who accepted it. She was beginning to see a whole new side of Kimberly; however, she knew people are tricky. Maggie kept an open mind, but she needed to write down everything Kimberly had told her. She was troubled by the fact that she couldn’t talk to Mike about it.

  The two women walked side by side, chatting about the ship and their travel companions but nothing beyond the typical surface conversation. When they entered their suite, Ralph came out from the room David and John were sharing. He was holding a small notebook, which he quickly hid in the pocket of his suit. His normally slicked-back hair hung at odd angles, as if he had taken a nap.

  “Ladies,” he said nervously. “Welcome back. Can I get you a drink?”

  Maggie twisted her face and held the drink she carried up from the pool, toward him. “I think we’re good,” she said. “You okay?”

  “Of course.” He looked back to the door he just exited. “Just tidying up.”

  “Is the chef here?” Kimberly asked.

  “Of course, let me get him.”

  Ralph rushed out the sliding glass doors to the balcony. He quickly closed the doors behind him, watching the women..

  “What was that about?” Kimberly asked Maggie.

  “I don’t know, but whatever it is he’s acting guilty of something.”

  Ralph soon reopened the sliders, letting Chef Paul step in ahead of him.

  “Ladies,” Chef Paul said.

  “We hate to bother you, but would you mind fixing something for lunch?” Maggie asked.

  “How about a Chicken Caesar salad?” the chef asked.

  “Sounds good to me,” Kimberly said.

  “Me too,” Maggie said, again feeling the rumbles in her empty stomach.

  Ralph was still standing at the glass doors. “Why don’t you two ladies sit out here with your drinks, and I’ll bring your salad as soon as they are prepared.”

  The two women walked out onto the balcony, but before sitting, they leaned over the rail to take in the view of the Honduran coastline. Maggie looked down. “I wonder what’s ‘ below us?”

  “I think it’s the bridge,” Kimberly said.

  “I thought that was on the other side of the ship.”

  “I believe it takes up the entire deck, from bow to stern,” Kimberly said confidently.

  Maggie looked wary. “Do you seriously know that?”

  “I have no idea. It sounded good, though, right?”

  Some of the balconies below had other passengers on them, but most were vacant. They had a great view of the far side of the lido deck, where two ping pong tables stood side by side.

  “I would hate to fall overboard from this far up,” Kimberly said, leaning toward the rail. “It’s a long way down.”

  “I don’t think you would survive,” Maggie said, unrolling a blue striped towel and stretching it out on the lounge chair before sitting.

  Kimberly stood for a few more minutes at the rail of the ship, looking down. She shook the rail, which was securely welded; it didn’t move. Then Kimberly leaned over as far as she could to get a look at the deck below.

  “Don’t jump.” Ralph stepped out the sliding glass doorway carrying two salads, “Things will get better.”

  Kimberly turned, smiling. “I was just trying to figure out what was directly below us,” she said.

  Ralph handed Maggie her salad and set Kimberly’s down on a small table. He unrolled her towel and tucked it in the lounge.

  “Directly below us is the spa. The next deck above is the back end of the bridge.” He handed Kimberly her salad when she settled in her chair. “Now you girls eat, sit back, and relax. You are on vacation. I’ll bring the drinks. How does a refreshing mojito sound?”

  Both women nodded their heads vigorously as their mouths were full of salad.

  Chapter 16

  Dinner and a Show

  John and David were the first to walk into the suite. Both looked as though they had gotten too much sun but were in high spirits. John’s bald head was unusually shiny. It looked like a crystal ball ready to predict the future.

  “Wow,” John said, stopping abruptly in front of Maggie and Kimberly, who were sitting on the couch. “You girls
okay?”

  Maggie had forgotten this was the first time the guys were seeing her after the incident earlier that morning.

  “Can’t say it wasn’t inevitable,” David said casually, looking back and forth between the two women before disappearing into his room. John shook his head and followed David into the bedroom. He looked back to the couch at the two women one more time before shutting the door.

  “I guess they can’t believe we’re getting along,” Maggie offered.

  Kimberly smiled broadly. “I don’t think that’s it.”

  Maggie watched her. It was nice seeing a smile on Kimberly’s face. She was such a pretty girl, and when she smiled, her face lit up. Maybe just telling her side of the story had released all the worry she had bottled up.

  Moments later, Mike and Joanie walked in and gasped loudly, causing Maggie to stand up.

  “What?” Maggie said, looking at the two men.

  “What happened between you two?” Mike asked.

  “We worked it out,” Kimberly said. She stood up, tilted her head at the two men, and walked into her room, leaving the three alone.

  “You okay?” Mike asked, putting his arm around Maggie’s shoulder.

  “Why is everyone making such a big deal about this? I’m fine. We talked it out. Period.”

  “Then how did this happen?”

  Mike took her hand in his and led her to the entrance of the suite, where a large gold-framed mirror hung on the wall. Maggie looked at her reflection. She didn’t recognize the woman looking back at her. A woman with a black eye. It looked like she had been in a fight and she was not the winner. She instinctively put her hand to her face, paying extra attention to her left black eye. She touched it in several spots, but it didn’t hurt. It was just black. Her hair was out of control, and with no makeup she was extra pale.

  “Wow, it does look bad,” Maggie said. “Kimberly never said anything.”

  “Did she hit you?” Joanie asked from behind her. Maggie turned to face her.

  “I didn’t hit her,” Kimberly said. She had emerged from her bedroom with a strange smile that looked like maybe she wouldn’t mind taking the credit.