by Box Set
“Should we report it to security? What could they do?” Trish’s head was spinning. She’d never considered what might happen if someone went missing on a cruise.
“They have cameras everywhere. If Carl hasn’t returned his friend’s call when we get back, I think we should report it. They can check the footage from this morning and track what happened to him when he left Carrie’s room.”
Trish pushed out a large breath of relief, resting her head against Rider’s chest for a second. “It’s good to have a plan. I hope they see him go into some woman’s room and find him there safe and sound. As much as I’d think he’s a jerk if he did something like that, it’s better than the alternative of him falling overboard.”
“I can’t even imagine that.” A slight shudder went throughout Rider’s body, and he wrapped his arms around her briefly before releasing her and stepping back. “Let’s get those drinks and get back. I want to know if there’s any news.”
Chapter 10
A half-hour later and several more phone calls from Bill, Carl still hadn’t replied. Rider feared Trish was right about something bad having happened to the man. It was past time to notify ship security or maybe even the captain. They needed to trace Carl’s movements after leaving Carrie’s room and find out what went wrong.
He clapped a friendly hand on Bill’s shoulder. “Look, I’m a private detective back home, and I think we need to report this. They can help us locate Carl.”
Across the table, Carrie blinked rapidly and sniffled. “I thought he just ditched me. I should have gone to his room and talked to Bill this morning.” She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands. “I thought he moved on and lied about his plans to come back.”
Patrick gave a leering stare Rider’s direction, upper lip half curling in a snarl. “Guess people at this table aren’t as against hooking up as you made it sound.”
“Why are you still here?” Rider asked, not bothering to hide his distaste for the man. “I’m sure there are plenty of other women to bother.”
“Whatever.” Patrick shoved away from the table. “If you decide you want a real man before the end of the trip, Carrie, let me know.”
As he stood and sauntered off, Trish cursed under her breath. “What a creep,” she said at full volume. “He makes me think of Ryan. What are the chances so many jerks would book the same singles’ event?”
Bill perked up, grinning despite the distress over his friend’s continued silence. “Maybe that’s why they’re single.”
“I don’t doubt it,” she agreed.
Bill’s good humor was short-lived, and he turned his attention back to Rider. “So, as a PI, what’s your take on this? You think Carl met with foul play?”
Rider didn’t want to panic anyone, but he had a hard time imagining that Carl accidentally fell overboard. The rails were so high, even if Carl had been drunk, Rider didn’t imagine it would be easy to do. “I’m not sure what to think. Hey, Carrie, did you and Carl drink a lot last night?”
Carrie shook her head. “A few cocktails after dinner before heading to my room. I can’t imagine there was any alcohol in his system when he left.”
So a drunken tumble over the railing on the side of the ship was out of the question, even if it was possible.
“Who do we contact?” Trish asked. “I’m not so sure the so-called security guards will be any help. They certainly weren’t last night with Ryan. You said they don’t like to report things if they can get away with it.”
“With what happened last night, that was true,” Rider said. “Stuff where there isn’t hard proof, it’s easier for them not to deal with. I don’t think they’ll brush us off today. Bill, why don’t you come with me? They can check the recordings from our hallway from the time Carl left Carrie’s room and find out where he is.”
Rider hated seeing the hope that shone on Bill’s face. He should have worded things differently. If Carl was as trustworthy and reliable as his friend said he was, Rider didn’t believe the man was okay and would be found safe. While he was a younger man and apparently up for sexual activity, perhaps Carl had a heart attack or a stroke—something that took him out of commission and made him unable to get help. Either way, Rider figured Carl wouldn’t rejoin the cruise.
He stood to leave, but Trish’s hand darted out, grabbing his arm. “Can I come?”
The way her eyes roved the room, constantly searching instead of meeting Rider’s gaze, told him everything he needed to know. She was afraid Thomas Baker would catch her while she was on her own.
“Why don’t we all go?” Carrie suggested, giving a knowing nod to Rider. She might act as put together and calm as Trish always did, but women seemed to have an inherent understanding of the dangers a man could pose. She knew why Trish was afraid.
Rider hated that Thomas had riled up that fear within these ladies. He hated even more that they had the fear to begin with. It didn’t help that Stacy Baker had likely hired the man who attacked Trish outside of Baker & Lutz before Thanksgiving. Trish was already on high alert because of that scum. Now Thomas being here made everything worse.
It was a testament to how much Trish trusted Rider to want him for a protector, and that trust was completely misplaced—at least regarding the reason he tried to gain it in the first place. When this cruise was finished, Rider would make up for the lies he was forced to tell by shutting Stacy Baker down and making the woman wish she’d never gotten into the blackmailing business.
He grabbed Trish’s free hand and pulled her upright. “I promise not to let you out of my sight.”
The first security guard they found didn’t speak any English and no one spoke whatever language he spouted. Trish was almost to the end of her patience when the guard finally took them to his boss, the head of security.
Barry Carpenter was a large man, definitely from the western United States. Trish kept half-expecting him to tuck a dip of chewing tobacco in his bottom lip.
“What seems to be the problem?” Barry asked once the other guard walked away.
Rider stared at Bill for a few moments before clearing his throat. It seemed he had become the unofficial spokesperson for the group. “Our friend’s missing.”
Barry sighed, looking as if that was the last thing in the world he wanted to deal with. “What age and how long missing?”
“He’s an adult if that’s what you’re wondering,” Rider replied. “However, he’s not responding to phone calls, and he didn’t show up for any plans we had today. After leaving Carrie’s room last night, he never made it back to the room he shares with his roommate and long-time friend.”
“It’s not like him to disappear,” Bill said again, for what felt like the millionth time.
The guard pulled a notepad from his pocket. “Give me times and room numbers. I’ll check the security footage and see where he went.”
Trish was relieved the man seemed to take their concerns seriously, especially after what happened last night.
Once Carrie and Bill told Barry everything they knew about what might have happened to Carl, Barry’s gaze fell on Trish and his eyebrows narrowed. “You look awfully familiar, miss.”
Trish snorted, hoping her scorn showed clearly. “I should be familiar. A man put something in my drink last night after dinner. All your team wanted to do was shut me up. It’s almost like you want to protect criminals on this ship.”
Barry nodded. “Ah, yes. Trisha Brier. They told me what happened. I know it seems like my man didn’t care, and honestly, he’s a shitty guard and I’m letting him go after this trip, but I care.”
“So why didn’t you do anything?” she challenged. For the sake of all women on this cruise, she couldn’t let this slide now that someone was listening.
“I checked the security footage from dinner last night.” Barry shrugged. “That boy knew what he was doing. I can’t see him on the camera because he stepped behind a taller man when he stopped at the bar. I have nothing to go on.”
“But you k
now he must have done it!” Trish shook her head, frustrated.
“We can’t accuse him and start a panic, especially not without proof. That doesn’t mean I’m not keeping my eye on him.” Barry ran a hand through his graying hair, looking tired and almost as frustrated as Trish felt. “I can’t throw him in the brig based on the evidence we have, but if the man so much as looks at another woman wrong, trust that I’ll be there to stop him.”
Raising her eyebrows, Trish looked at Rider. “So much for your theory that they don’t care.”
Barry rolled his eyes. “We get accused of that a lot. I follow all the laws for the flag this ship flies under, but scaring a bunch of people unnecessarily isn’t part of my job description. Trust me, if he screws up and I can prove it, I’ll turn his ass over to police at the next port.”
Trish felt better knowing her accusations hadn’t fallen on deaf ears. Maybe Rider didn’t trust the security team onboard, but now that she had met Barry, Trish had a lot more faith in her safety level.
“What happens now,” Rider asked, getting to the subject at hand. “Can we watch the footage with you, point Carl out? I might be able to be of assistance. I’m a private investigator by trade.”
If anything, that seemed to put Barry on guard. “I’ll look into this. If there’s anything to report, I’ll get back to you.”
Darting a quick glance at Bill, Trish knew she had to ask even if it would upset the man. “If Carl went overboard somehow, will your cameras have caught it?”
Bill paled and sucked in a loud breath.
“I doubt that could happen without someone noticing, Ms. Brier,” Barry assured her. “I’m not saying it never happens, but it isn’t a common occurrence.”
“Someone would have seen him go over at three in the morning?” Trish persisted.
Barry held up a hand to stop further argument. “Stop speculating. I’ll find out where he is. You four go back to the dinner and have fun. The movie’s starting soon, and you wouldn’t want to miss that.”
Knowing they had been dismissed, Trish pulled on Rider’s arm. “Let’s go. There’s nothing more we can do here.”
The group stayed quiet as they made their way to the main deck. Deep down, Trish figured they all knew something bad had happened to Carl. Barry wouldn’t find him.
However, with sleazes like Thomas Baker and Ryan onboard, Trish had to wonder if an accident befell Carl, or if someone had made him disappear on purpose.
Chapter 11
Rider looked over to where Trish sat on the cushions next to him. She shivered slightly in the wind coming off the ocean despite the jacket she’d worn.
“Come here,” he said, holding out his arm in an invitation for her to snuggle against him. “I’m not getting fresh or anything, but you look like you’re freezing.”
It was gratifying how quickly she curled against him, tucking her arms in the space between them to conserve her heat. “I’m not really into this movie,” she admitted. “I can’t stop thinking about Carl.”
At least she had stopped thinking about Thomas Baker, although Rider couldn’t get his mind off the man. He’d thought Stacy was crazy and hadn’t expected Thomas to show up on the ship.
Now, Rider couldn’t help but worry exactly what he might try next. It was obvious Thomas had come on the cruise expecting to get Trish to himself. The damn dog needed to keep his distance, but Rider had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn’t.
“I’m sure the security team will find Carl,” Rider replied, not actually having faith they’d find him. “Try not to worry.”
“But how can we have a good time with all the creepy things happening?” she asked.
“Shhh...” hissed a woman sitting next to them. “Watch the show.”
While this should have been a romantic interlude, what with the large cushions spread around the deck, bright stars overhead, and just enough of a chill to make Trish amenable to cuddling, the romance had definitely died. Rider hoped not for the entire trip, but Trish was a defense attorney. She would worry this problem to death until they found out what happened. Rider had to admit that he wasn’t much different.
“Let’s find Barry.” Standing, he offered his hand and pulled Trish to her feet.
“Should we have Carrie come with us?” Trish asked, looking off in the direction Carrie and Bill had disappeared in before the movie started.
Shaking his head, Rider kept his claim on Trish’s hand and led her through the clusters of people around them. Luckily, they had sat far from the screen, so they made it through the crowd quickly.
Once they entered the deserted dining room, Rider slowed his pace. “Carrie and Bill seemed to be hitting it off. I don’t want to worry her if she’s having a good time.”
Trish’s nose wrinkled slightly. “If you were out of your mind with worry about your best friend, why would you hit on the woman he had his eye on?”
She made a good point. It was rather odd that Bill stuck to Carrie so closely after they left the security office earlier. “What are you saying?”
“What if Carl didn’t go missing?” She glanced up, the open skepticism on her face showing how much she distrusted people in general. “If Bill was also interested in Carrie, he and Carl might have fought over her...”
“And what? Bill threw his best friend overboard and then let us report it to security?” Rider shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense. Besides, who would kill someone over a woman they’d just met?”
“Maybe they already knew about Carrie. Not that I’m implying she knows them,” Trish rushed to say. “I don’t think she’s been lying to us. But what if they’re from the same city she comes from? The men could have come on this cruise to win her over.”
“You’re making a lot of assumptions.” He knew it wasn’t a good idea to argue with her when he had to win her heart before the trip ended, but Trish had obviously been overloaded the past two days with all the oddness on the ship. She was inventing convoluted crimes that hadn’t happened.
“They all have a similar accent,” she argued, not giving up as easily as Rider had hoped. “Sounds like they could be from Louisiana, just like Carrie.”
“I’ll agree they have a similar sound, but accents can cover a lot of areas. Even if they are from the same state, it’s unrealistic to expect them to know each other.”
“But you and I ended up on the same ship, and we’re from the same town.”
She had him there, and Rider couldn’t tell her that had been by design. “It was a fluke. What you’re describing with those three is highly unlikely.”
“You think I’m being hysterical.” She shrugged. “It’s just a hunch. I agree, it’s a bit farfetched, but I haven’t reached the position I’m in by ignoring my hunches. Let’s find Barry and see what he knows.”
At least she wasn’t defensive and pissy because he didn’t agree with her. There was something nice about that. Rider really needed to stop thinking about the reason he’d come on this trip.
The truth was if Stacy Baker hadn’t forced him into the job and he’d met Trish on his own, there were a lot of things he admired. From what he’d seen so far, there was potential for real feelings to develop.
They walked through the dimly lit dining room together, making their way for the stairs to descend to Barry’s office several decks below. Rider doubted the man would share information, but it couldn’t hurt to try.
When they knocked on his office door, a gruff voice shouted, “Enter.”
Rider opened the door into a small, cramped space, mostly filled by a desk bolted to the floor and large filing cabinets. A laptop dominated the desk, and Barry looked up from it, a scowl on his face.
“What now?”
Rider cleared his throat, intimidated by the imposing man. Barry might be getting up there in years, but he had the build of a bouncer from a bar, able to take care of anything that came his way. “We were wondering if you’d made any progress on finding Carl.”
Barry’s
eyes slid past Rider’s face to glance briefly at Trish before looking toward the hallway. “Is it just you two? What happened to your friends?”
“I think we need to be upfront with you,” Rider said. “We don’t know Carl. Carrie is a single woman who I had dinner with last night. I tried to help her out today when she told me Carl stood her up for a breakfast date, so I invited her to spend the evening with Trish and me. We just met Bill a couple hours ago when he came to our table and yelled at Carrie.”
“So what’s your interest then?” Barry asked, bushy gray eyebrows jumping upward.
“Call it professional curiosity.” Rider shrugged. “I already told you I’m a PI. Trish is a defense attorney. We’re worried about what happened to that man.”
Trish took a tentative step forward. “Something feels off. I can’t shake the feeling that Carl met with foul play on the way to his room.”
“It’s not your concern, and I don’t want you to worry,” Barry replied. “I’ve notified the FBI, and they’ll head up an investigation. In the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t alarm the other guests. We dock at the Dominican Republic tomorrow morning. I want everyone to enjoy their visit, not worry about a missing passenger.”
“You notified the FBI?” Rider squeezed Trish’s hand, trying to let her know that was significant. “Then Carl’s still missing? You didn’t find him on the security footage?”
“Not so much missing as lost.” Barry leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head, looking like he’d been stuck behind the desk reviewing the laptop for hours. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but he went overboard as you suspected. We have approximate coordinates on our location from the time it happened, but...”
“But it’s nearly been twenty-four hours,” Trish supplied.
“Exactly,” Barry said. “Even if they follow the trajectory of the current from where Carl went in, there’s little hope he’s alive after this long in the water. Finding his body will be nearly impossible.”
