The ship’s food theme for the day was Indian, which wasn’t Millie’s favorite. She made her way to the back of the buffet line and grabbed a dinner plate and a tray.
The first item to catch her attention was malai kofta. Her eyes squinted as she read the description, fried cheese balls in creamy gravy. Millie liked fried cheese and she liked gravy so decided to try it as she scooped two balls onto the edge of her plate.
Next in line was aloo Shimla mirch. The placard described it as cooked potatoes with green bell pepper, both of which Millie liked so she added that to her plate.
She wrinkled her nose at the next offering, gosht palak, a spinach and sheep mutton curry.
Deciding two new dishes were adventurous enough, Millie made a beeline for the deli in the back where she ordered a sloppy joe on a soft roll, complete with a pickle spear and side of fresh coleslaw.
The dining room was virtually empty and she made her way to her favorite table in the far corner. She unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap before bowing her head to pray, thanking God she hadn’t gotten into too much trouble for sneaking into Paloma’s cabin.
When she lifted her head, Captain Armati was standing on the other side of the table, silently watching her.
“Hello Millie. Do you have a minute?” He didn’t wait for a reply as he pulled out the chair across from her and sat. “Don’t let me interrupt. You eat and I’ll talk.”
Millie nodded and reached for her pickle spear.
“I’ve sent a second request to Majestic Cruise Line’s headquarters, asking for permission to remain on board Siren of the Seas.”
Millie stopped chewing and stared. “You did?”
“Yes.” He nodded.
“I don’t know what to say,” Millie said.
“Say you’ll join me for dinner this evening in my apartment.”
“I…”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” the captain said. “What is your schedule for the rest of the day?”
Millie thought of the plan to search the internet later with Annette and Danielle. “I’m not sure.” She reached inside her pocket, pulled out her daily schedule and then unfolded it. “I’m off during the dinner hour, six to seven and then I have to head back to help out with the “Fond Farewell” party, which starts at 7:30.
“Good.” The captain nodded.
“Captain Armati, do you copy?” The captain’s radio began squawking.
“Never a moment’s peace,” Captain Armati said as he reached for his radio. “Go ahead Antonio.”
“We need you in the bridge.”
“Be right there.” He clipped his radio to his belt and stood. “See you at six?”
“O-of course,” Millie said.
The captain nodded and turned on his heel as he headed out of the buffet area.
Millie hurriedly finished her lunch. She took one bite of the fried cheese balls and decided the sauce was not to her liking. The potatoes with green bell pepper were tasty and she ate the entire dish.
After she finished her food, she carried her empty dishes to the exit where she placed the plate inside the bin and dropped the napkin beside it.
Danielle and Annette were already waiting for her outside the employee computer/lounge area when she got there. She glanced through the glass window and was relieved there was no one inside.
“Let’s get this show on the road.” Millie opened the outer door and held it while Annette and Danielle stepped inside.
Annette surveyed the six computer stations and made her way over to the one on the far side. She settled into a chair that faced the entrance. “We can keep an eye on whoever comes in.”
“Good idea.” Danielle eased into the chair on Annette’s left and Millie took the one on the right.
Annette tapped the keyboard and then swiped her card to access her account. A box popped up, asking for Annette’s password. She leaned forward, blocking Millie’s view but not Danielle’s view.
“Oh. My. Gosh,” Danielle gasped. “Tell me you didn’t type ‘Rag Team NSA.’”
Annette’s fingers froze. She gazed at Danielle out of the corner of her eye. “Is there something you haven’t told me?” Annette’s eyes bore into Danielle’s eyes.
Danielle stared back. “NSA,” Danielle and Annette said in unison.
Millie was confused. “What is NSA?”
Annette lowered her voice, peering over the top of the computer to make sure they were still alone. “National Security Agency, or in this case…”
Danielle finished her sentence. “Agent.”
“National Security Agent?” Millie blinked rapidly. “As in U.S. Government agent?”
She leaned forward in her chair. “Are you a government agent?” Millie asked Annette before shifting her gaze to Danielle. “And you too?”
Millie’s head started to spin as she stared at two people she no longer knew. Small pieces began to fall into place. The jokes the captain had made about Annette. There was the fact Annette was a sharp shooter, a female ninja, a weapons expert, not to mention a computer hack.
Then there was Danielle, who was an expert weapons handler, who knew a lot about electrical, as well as investigations. Millie rested her forehead in the palm of her hand.
“We’ll discuss this later.” Annette turned her attention to the computer screen and began typing again. It all looked Greek to Millie as her friend entered unique number and letter combinations.
Every once in a while, Danielle would add her two cents and Millie could only guess Danielle also had some computer-hacking knowledge.
“There it is,” Annette announced as she jabbed her index finger on the screen of the computer. “The needle in the haystack. Someone used one of these computers to research death by electrocution.”
Millie slipped her reading glasses on and peered at the screen. She was right. There on the screen was an entire in-depth article about wiring and electrocution. “Can you tell when someone researched it?” Millie asked.
“Yes. It appears to have been a week ago yesterday at 2:53 in the morning,” Annette said. “This means the person snuck down here when they were certain everyone else was in bed so they wouldn’t be spotted.”
“Wouldn’t be spotted using the computer,” Danielle added. “In case someone…a hacker or computer geek took a look at the files.”
“So it looks as if the killer may not have had a background in electrical engineering,” Millie mused.
“Or it’s a red herring to throw the authorities off, who may have already covered this angle and checked the crew’s computer access,” Annette pointed out.
“True.” Millie shook her head. “So we’re back to square one.”
The women discussed the photo of Paloma and Marcus, the letter Danielle and Millie had found in Paloma’s room as well as Carmine’s reported obsession with Paloma.
“I’m going to ask Marcus point-blank if he had a thing for Paloma,” Millie announced. “If I catch him off guard, he might slip up and say something.”
Annette logged off the computer and started to stand, but Millie reached out and stopped her. “No one goes anywhere until you two spill the truth. Do you both work for the government?”
“No,” Annette shook her head. “Not anymore.” She told Millie and Danielle how she’d grown up in a military family, moving from town-to-town, country-to-country, while her father worked his way up the ranks.
The travel and being a military brat was in her blood and she joined the U.S. Armed Forces right out of high school where she discovered she had a knack for spying.
Annette’s father and family friends pulled a few strings and she began her career working for the National Security Agency, traveling all over the world, wherever the agency sent her.
“Several years ago, I was involved in a particularly brutal takedown and, although I wasn’t engaged in the gunfire, a child was killed in the crossfire.” Annette stared at her clenched fists. “I held that dying child in my arms as the mother,
who watched her child die, picked up a gun…the gun I had dropped when I tried to shield her child from the bullets and committed suicide.”
Annette closed her eyes. “I still see that poor baby and still hear the mother’s anguished screams.” She opened her eyes. “After that, I lost my edge. I couldn’t do it anymore.”
“So you joined Siren of the Seas as the director of food and beverage?” Millie asked.
“I immersed myself in a prestigious culinary institute and discovered my second passion…food. After I finished, my former boss put in a good word for me and Captain Armati agreed to give me a chance.”
She continued. “Plus, I’m a darn good cook, with the help of my trusty sidekick Amit,” Annette said. She placed the palms of her hands on the desk and pushed herself up. “So that’s my story. The captain knows, Donovan knows. I’m officially retired but as you know, they’re still tempted at times to drag me into the fray.”
“I don’t help, either,” Millie said.
Annette patted her shoulder. “I believe God sent you here for a reason and one of those reasons was to let me know it ain’t over yet. There’s still a little adventure and purpose left for Annette Delacroix.” She turned to Danielle. “What’s your story young lady?”
Danielle shrugged. “I grew up in a military family and heard the term more than a few times, that’s all,” she answered vaguely.
“I see you’re not ready to talk.” Annette slid the chair under the desk. “We all have skeletons in our closets and a life filled with regrets…that fraction of a second where you wish more than anything you could go back and change things, but we can’t. We have to move forward.”
The trio wandered out of the employee lounge and down the hall. They stopped in front of Danielle and Millie’s cabin.
“Carpe diem. Seize the day,” Annette said. “I better get upstairs before Amit launches a search party.”
Danielle headed back to the cabin while Millie watched Annette march down the long corridor and disappear from sight. She decided, then and there, even if Captain Armati transferred to Baroness of the Seas, she was going to make the most of the time they had left.
Carpe diem.
Chapter 21
At 5:59 on the dot, Millie slipped inside the bridge. Staff Captain Vitale turned when he saw Millie cross the room. “It’s good to see you Millie,” he said.
“It’s good to see you, too, Captain Vitale,” she simply said before she made her way down the small hall that connected the bridge and the captain’s apartment.
Millie tapped on the outer door and a couple seconds later, the door opened. A brown bundle of fur darted through the opening and pounced on her heeled shoe.
She picked Scout up and held him close, closing her eyes while he licked her face, her chin, the side of her neck and anywhere else his small, pink tongue could reach.
Finally, she set the wiggling pup down and he raced back inside. Captain Armati held the door and waited for Millie to step across the threshold. “He has missed you. I have missed you.”
Before Millie could reply, the door closed. The captain pulled her into his arms and kissed her, slowly at first, but the kiss soon intensified until every fiber of Millie’s body was on fire.
She began to feel lightheaded and placed both hands on his chest. Nic took this as an invitation and the kiss deepened.
When he finally pulled away, Millie was breathless. She pressed a hand to her throat and said the first thing that popped into her head. “I hope you don’t greet every woman who comes into your apartment with a kiss.”
Captain Armati…Nic…smiled. His dark smoldering eyes were mesmerizing. “No, just one beautiful, amazing woman who has been avoiding me.” He stepped into the kitchen and returned a second later, a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in his hand. “For you,” he said.
“Oh my gosh. They’re beautiful.” Millie took the bouquet. She touched the tip of a rose with her finger and breathed in the fragrant aroma.
“We should put them in water until you take them home.” He waved her into the kitchen where he filled a plastic drink cup with water and Millie placed the gorgeous bouquet inside.
Scout, who had followed them into the kitchen, began pawing at the back of Millie’s ankle. She patted Scout’s head and gave his ear a gentle tug. “Thank you, too.”
“Come. Dinner is ready. I had the meal delivered early so we wouldn’t be disturbed.”
Millie followed Nic into the cozy dining room. A pale blue tablecloth covered the small, round table. In the center of the table a candelabrum with three tall, tapered candles gave the small room an intimate glow.
He pulled out Millie’s chair and waited for her to sit before taking the seat across from her. “Our time is short, unfortunately, but next time I will order a special dinner we can savor out on the balcony,” he promised.
Millie reached for her glass of water. “Will there be a next time?” His face fell and Millie wished she could take back the comment, but it was too late.
“God is in control. I’ve been praying about it,” she confessed as she lifted her glass. “Here’s to many more voyages across the ocean together.”
The captain smiled and lifted his glass. “To many more.”
Millie sipped her water and carefully set the glass next to her plate. “What are we having for dinner?”
“I chose a mixed salad and strawberry bisque soup. I remembered how you told me you loved strawberries,” Nic said. “For our entrée, we have pan-seared halibut with lemon dill sauce.”
“It sounds delicious.” Millie said as she removed the covers from her soup and salad dishes.
The conversation was light and they stayed on safe topics, careful to avoid mentioning the elephant in the room…Nic’s upcoming transfer.
They discussed the ports, the food and the entertainment schedule and even touched on Luigi Falco’s demise. It seemed somewhat surreal to Millie that she was sitting across from a man she cared so much about, who was days away from leaving.
She forced the thoughts from her head and focused on the conversation.
Scout stopped by to beg for treats and Millie shared some chunks of her soft bread roll and a piece of fish.
Dessert was a tempting array of bite-size treats. She plucked a small cheesecake, topped with chocolate shavings from the tray and then poured coffee into two cups from a carafe sitting on the edge of the table.
Captain Armati decided on a miniature chocolate cupcake. He removed the wrapper and bit into it. “Very good,” he mumbled between bites.
After they finished their desserts and a cup of coffee, he abruptly shoved back his chair and stood. “Come with me.” He beckoned her out of her chair.
“Where?”
“The balcony.”
Scout led the way as Nic and Millie trailed behind. The sun was setting and cast a soft, orange glow across the water. It was a beautiful Caribbean evening and the gentle ocean breeze made the salty sea air the perfect temperature.
Millie tilted her head and peered up at the suite balconies as she remembered Gloria and Liz’s recent cruise. It seemed so long ago.
The captain moved closer and Millie turned to face him. She wondered if he was going to kiss her again and her pulse began to race.
“No matter what happens, Millie, I will be back. Don’t give up on me so easily.” He gazed into her eyes, his expression unreadable.
“I’m sorry I was avoiding you. It’s just that I was shocked,” she admitted.
“I wanted to tell you the other day when you stopped by, but I couldn’t,” he said. “By the time Andy said something, it was too late. I’m sorry, too.”
He leaned forward, his lips gently brushing Millie’s lips.
Millie wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him even closer. Time stood still as they remained locked in a loving embrace. Finally, Millie leaned back and pressed the palms of her hands to her flushed cheeks. “I…I’m sorry.”
Captain Armati grinned. �
��Sorry for what? I’m not sorry,” he teased as he reached into his front pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box. “This is for you…my Millie.”
Millie stared at the jewelry box.
“Don’t you want to open it?” he asked.
“I-yes. Of course.” Millie took the box from Nic and slowly lifted the lid.
Inside the box was a heart-shaped diamond necklace. Millie’s fingers trembled as she carefully tugged on the silver chain, removing the dainty piece of jewelry from the box. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a promise,” Nic said. “Here, let me help.” He took the necklace from Millie, unhooked the clasp and then reached around her before fastening it near the back of her neck. “It’s my promise for our future, Millie.”
Millie gazed at the heart. She flipped it over and rubbed her thumb over the back. She didn’t have her reading glasses but could tell there was something etched on it. “I can’t read the letters.”
“Those are my initials. NDA. Niccolo Davide Armati.” Nic tucked his hand under Millie’s chin and lifted it so that their eyes met. “I love you,” he whispered huskily. “I cannot ask you the question I want to but one day, hopefully soon, we can put this behind us and begin our life together.”
Millie’s eyes widened. “I…”
Captain Armati…Nic…leaned forward and gently kissed Millie. The kiss was a promise, his promise things would work out and they would have a future together.
A loud pounding on the outer door interrupted their moment and Nic reluctantly pulled back. “It is time to return to the real world.”
Millie swallowed hard and absentmindedly touched the diamond studded heart necklace. “I love you too and I’m going to pray God works this out for us,” she whispered softly.
Nic nodded before he grasped her hand and led her back inside. She stood near the dining room table as the captain hurried to the door and flung it open.
Captain Vitale stood on the other side. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a crew member on deck, threatening to jump overboard.”
Killer Karaoke (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 7) Page 11
