Mango Chili Cruiser: A Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery (Dolphin Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 6)

by Leena Clover

  “I agree with Aunt Julie. I shouldn’t have eaten those pastries at breakfast.”

  Anna couldn’t hold herself back.

  “I think you’re avoiding that man. Is he one of your exes?”

  “What?” Cassie exclaimed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Mom.”

  She started climbing the stairs to the top.

  “What was that all about?” Julie’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you being judgmental again?”

  When Cassie first came home to Dolphin Bay to take care of Anna, there had been a period of adjustment. Cassie had been away for twenty years, barely coming home for a short visit. She hadn’t been able to make it home for her father’s funeral and it rankled. Anna thought her daughter’s life had been one big party but the truth was that Cassie had suffered her own set of trials and tribulations. It had taken them a while to break the ice and come around.

  “There’s something about that man.” Anna pressed her lips together. “I hope we can get rid of him soon.”

  Meg came back shiny eyed and chattered nonstop about the view. Gino had taken pictures.

  “We saw our ship from the top.”

  Mia took them to the cathedral next. They passed cobblestoned streets with brightly painted buildings and quaint roadside cafes. Stefan insisted they stop for a drink.

  Anna felt a sense of peace inside the church. The pulmonias whisked them off to an old theater and a few more local spots. Anna lost count of them after a while. Her favorite was a long, winding road called the malecon, with a large concrete boardwalk and the ocean in the distance.

  Meg wanted to walk for a while so they all got out. Pictures followed and Mia proposed having lunch at a well known local restaurant.

  “This is our last stop,” she told them. “You can get a day pass at one of the big resorts if you like.”

  “Why don’t we do that now?” Cassie asked brightly. “They have food, right?”

  Stefan was talking softly with Meg, pointing in the distance. His arm came around her shoulders. Cassie suddenly flew past Anna and pushed the old man away.

  “Cassie!” Anna sputtered in shock. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “No worries,” Stefan grinned cheerfully. “I think she stumbled on something.” He rubbed Cassie’s arm. “Are you alright, baby?”

  “Leave us!” Cassie spit out. “This is a family lunch and you are not invited.”

  “My apologies.” Stefan gave a small bow. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

  Mia read the situation and rallied around.

  “Luckily, there are plenty of good eateries in town. Your pulmonia driver will take you to a nice restaurant, Stefan. Don’t forget to enjoy our local lager and shrimp.”

  Anna took Cassie’s arm and pulled her away.

  “You and I need to talk, young lady. You won’t get away with this.”

  Cassie looked shaken. She nodded mutely and climbed back into the taxi.

  Lunch was a revelation and Anna was relieved when Cassie finally relaxed and cracked a smile.

  Mia had taken them to one of the restaurants along the Malecon. It directly overlooked the ocean and they had a spectacular view. Meg was excited when she spotted a few fins in the distance. Mia told her it was a rare sight for the time of the year.

  “You can take a boat out and go whale watching,” she told them. “It’s early in the year but it can be fun.”

  With Mia’s help, they ordered an assortment of drinks featuring the local lager. Anna and Julie went for micheladas, the spicy tomato based drink. Meg tried the horchata with local fruit.

  “You have to try the aguachiles,” Mia insisted, referring to the local specialty of shrimp soaked in a mixture of lime juice and green chilies.

  After several rounds of chilaquile, coconut shrimp, ceviche and grilled oysters, they could eat no more. But they all tried the arroz con leche, a Mexican rice pudding for dessert.

  The sun was high in the sky and the day had grown hotter. There was a unanimous call for a brief siesta back on the ship. Mia dropped them off at the pier and said goodbye.

  The guest relations staff welcomed them back and offered them cold, scented towels and lemonade.

  “I’m going to have a massage,” Cassie declared.

  Anna wove her arm through her daughter’s.

  “You can do that later, Cass.”

  Meg and Julie were yawning their heads off. Neither protested when Anna went off with Cassie.

  Anna consulted one of the staff in the atrium and took the elevator to Deck 5. They found a deserted alcove with tall windows and a good view.

  “I specifically asked for an enclosed space,” she told Cassie. “We could use some air conditioning.”

  Cassie was quiet. Anna didn’t rush her. She sensed the next few minutes were going to be uncomfortable for her daughter.

  “The first few years were hard. I missed you and Dad a lot.” Cassie broke the silence a few minutes later. “I met Stefan at a launch party. He was the studio head and was producing the movie I had just landed a lead in.”

  “It would be natural to have a crush on him.”

  Cassie shook her head.

  “You misunderstand, Mom. Stefan was so debonair. He reminded me of Dad.”

  “He must’ve been the same age,” Anna nodded.

  A dozen scenarios raged through Anna’s head and she was trying hard to hold back.

  “He’s very talented. I suppose I looked up to him at first.” Cassie looked stricken. “It was all an act, Mom.”

  Anna opened her arms, knowing Cassie needed her to empathize more than anything else.

  “I didn’t think anything was amiss when he invited me to his trailer. And then …”

  Tears streamed down Cassie’s eyes. Anna seethed with anger as Cassie poured out the whole story. Stefan Lancaster was a cad who had taken advantage of her young daughter.

  “Who would’ve believed me?” Cassie answered Anna’s silent question. “I was a nobody. He could have ended my career before it started.”

  The movie did well and Cassie had gone on to win the coveted Oscar award. Offers poured in and her star ascended for a decade. It had been easy to stay away from the scumbag producer.

  “What’s he doing here, on this ship?”

  “He’s part of the wedding party, Mom. He must have tagged along with someone. I don’t think Jojo would invite him.”

  “Did Jojo know about him?” Anna asked.

  “He offered her a small role in one of his films a few years ago. I had to warn her. She’s the only one who knew, apart from Bobby.”

  Anna swallowed a lump. She realized she hadn’t been there when her daughter needed her. She wondered how she could thank the effervescent fitness trainer who was joined at the hip with Cassie.

  “I owe Bobby more than I thought.”

  “Bobby held my hand through the darkest period in my life, Mom.”

  “I hope you never feel compelled to associate with such riffraff.” Anna stroked her daughter’s back, fighting her own tears. “We may not be rolling in money but we have enough to live comfortably, Cassie. I just regret you have to hide your light in a small town like Dolphin Bay. You have so much talent, sweetie. The world is missing out.”

  Cassie smiled through her tears and tried to roll her eyes.

  “That’s just mother’s love.”

  She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes with a tissue.

  “I’m older now and hopefully, a little wiser. And I have Meg. You know that audition I gave in Los Angeles a few months ago?”

  Anna remembered how excited Cassie had been about the role. But the offer hadn’t materialized.

  “I almost signed the contracts, Mom. Then I learned Stefan was one of the producers.”

  “So you turned it down,” Anna beamed.

  She knew how much Cassie hankered for a comeback in Hollywood.

  “I’m so proud of you.”

  They sat there, arm in arm, staring out of the windows until Meg a
nd Julie arrived and broke the silence.

  “There you are!” Meg collapsed on the arm of Cassie’s armchair. “Why are you two hiding out here?”

  “Meg has news,” Julie declared. “Tell them!”

  Anna saw Meg’s eyes were wide and a pink blush covered her cheeks.

  “Is this about a boy?”

  “Guess who I met in the atrium?” Meg squealed. “You remember Drake Benson? He asked me out on a date.”

  Chapter 17

  Cassie whisked Meg off to the spa for a last minute facial. Gino wanted to take Anna out on a dinner date. They had barely spent any time alone on the trip so she agreed readily. Then she wished she had joined the girls at the spa. After a moment’s thought, she opted to soak in the hot tub on their veranda, watching life unfold on shore.

  “I’m staying in this evening,” Julie told her when they went back to their suite. “My deadline’s looming and I need to put in some work.”

  “You can order anything from room service.” Anna tried to cheer her up.

  Julie assured her she didn’t mind.

  “You go have fun with Gino. He must be getting restless.”

  There was a flurry of excitement as Anna and Meg primped before the mirror, excited about their dates.

  “Is it a bit odd that I’m as excited as Meg?” Anna ran a brush through her pixie cut salt and pepper hair and eyed herself critically.

  “Of course not!” Meg planted a kiss on her cheek. “Maybe we can double date, Anna.”

  “Whoa!” Cassie’s mouth dropped open. “Slow down, will you? Why don’t you see what happens tonight?”

  “I have a feeling we’re gonna get along,” Meg confessed.

  Anna watched with amusement as Cassie warned Meg to be careful and made sure she had cash in case she had to get back to the ship on her own.

  “Relax,” Anna told her. “She’s old enough, and she’s used to watching her back.”

  “She better not like this guy too much,” Cassie muttered. “He doesn’t even live in Dolphin Bay.”

  “Monterey’s not that far,” Anna reasoned. “Don’t count your chickens prematurely.”

  Cassie wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

  “I might walk around near the pier or I’ll visit one of the famous buffets on the ship. Don’t worry about me, Mom.”

  Anna took her advice.

  Gino knocked on the door of their suite.

  They said goodbye to Julie who was already hunched over her laptop with a glass of wine by her side.

  Anna was buzzing with excitement by the time they got off the ramp. The atmosphere around them was lively.

  “You know I love your family.” Gino took his hand in hers. “But can I say I’m glad to have you to myself?”

  “I feel the same.”

  They took a pulmonia to the Malecon and strolled along, watching people and just reveling in the ocean breezes. Delicious smells wafted from the many bars and cafes they passed.

  Gino ushered her into one of them a few minutes later. They got a table facing the water.

  “I thought we might enjoy the sunset.”

  Anna tasted a local drink called Jamaica, made with hibiscus flowers and fruit. Gino stuck to the local beer and ordered ceviche.

  “We talked to one of the wedding guests this morning,” Anna began. “She works at Gold Labs.”

  Gino listened closely as Anna brought him up to speed.

  “So let me sum this up. The groom, the bride and this Millicent all walked into the Empress Suite late that night. Ricky fell asleep and Millicent left soon after.”

  “She confirmed it.”

  “Logan Powell, a man who claims to have loved Jojo, is very conveniently staying in the cabin next door. Doesn’t that seem odd to you? Why wasn’t Ricky given that cabin?”

  Anna explained the reason. Jojo had been very particular about not running into Ricky on the day of the wedding.

  “Technically, if they were together after midnight, it was already the day of the wedding.”

  Anna agreed with that. But they had all been so intoxicated, they might not have realized that.

  “Let’s think from Logan’s perspective,” Gino frowned. “If I were him, I would be looking for an opportunity to make a last ditch effort to win my girl back.”

  “You think he talked to Jojo that night?” Anna raised her brows.

  “What if Logan entered the Empress Suite via the connecting door? He tried to talk Jojo into dumping the fiancé. They got into a fight. Logan lost his cool and pushed her over.”

  “I don’t buy that!” Anna’s eyes grew wide.

  “Maybe it was an accident,” Gino shrugged. “Logan’s a big man and Jojo was barely five feet and half his weight.”

  Anna was shaking her head, trying to process Gino’s theory.

  “It sounds very farfetched to me.”

  They had worked through the ceviche while they talked. The sun was hanging low on the horizon, a big ball of fiery orange. There was a sudden hush as people watched nature’s spectacle, holding hands and kissing each other. Some of them scrambled to take pictures, trying to capture the right angle.

  Gino stood up and took her hand. They walked out and stood gazing at the ocean, content in enjoying the perfect moment.

  “I wish we had one more day here. There are some villages nearby which are worth visiting.”

  “Maybe we can come back.” Anna looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and smiled. “Just us.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  They took a taxi to another restaurant that Mia had recommended. Anna went for a michelada this time and they ordered chilorios, a dish of pork simmered in a chili sauce which was another local delicacy. Gino accepted the server’s recommendation and got a big seafood platter, boasting of lobster, octopus, shrimp and oysters.

  “Ricky and Jojo were both roaring drunk, right?” Gino picked up their earlier conversation. “Cassie confirms that.”

  Anna nodded, sipping her drink and smacking her lips as the chili hit her palate.

  “You agree Jojo wasn’t in any position to haul herself up and jump down. And I’ve seen Millicent. I don’t think she’s strong enough to lift Jojo and throw her over.”

  Anna decided Gino was biased against Logan Powell. She told him that.

  “Logan was upset about the wedding.” Gino stuck to his theory. “He had the means, the motive and above all, he had the opportunity, being right next door.”

  “Ricky was in that room too,” Anna reminded him. “How do we know he didn’t wake up later? He and Jojo had a lovers’ tiff, things got out of hand and he pushed her.”

  “He doesn’t have a motive.”

  Their food arrived. Both exclaimed at the colorful array and the generous spread before them.

  Anna picked up a lime wedge and squeezed it over the grilled lobster.

  “Who would believe we lived on the coast? It’s like we never tasted seafood before.”

  Gino gave the octopus a wide berth and picked up an oyster shell.

  “Ricky would have access to millions the moment he said ‘I do’. But without the wedding, he’s the same impoverished blue collar worker he always was.”

  “We don’t have any proof that Logan went into the Empress Suite,” Anna sighed. “I will ask Cassie if she talked to him at the bachelorette party.”

  Gino thanked her for coming around.

  “I’ll be happy if we can eliminate him, Anna. Let’s try to find out what his state of mind was that night.”

  They paid attention to the food after that. Very soon, it was time to go back to the ship. A pulmonia took them to the pier. The ship’s horn was tooting as they rushed up the ramp, giggling like youngsters.

  “You’re just in time.” The guest relations staff was rounding up the stragglers.

  It was almost 9 PM and time for the ship to leave port.

  Anna’s thoughts flew to Meg and her date.

  “Hello Anna.” Meg ran up
the ramp, holding hands with Drake Benson. “Are you waiting here for me?”

  Anna shook her head.

  “See you later,” Meg called out and followed her young man around a corner.

  “Looks like their date isn’t done yet,” Anna murmured.

  “Neither is ours,” Gino whispered softly in her ear.

  They walked to the big dinner buffet, hoping to catch Cassie. Anna spotted an ice cream counter and wanted some. Gino got two giant waffle cones and they headed to their secret deck for a walk in the moonlight. The ship had already started moving and the lights and noise from the shore gradually receded.

  Gino found a spot at the stern and they watched the frothy wake deepen as the ship picked up speed.

  Anna sidled closer to Gino and he placed his arm around her. Her heart started beating faster.

  A shrill cry reached her the same moment a hand landed on her back.

  “There you are!”

  Cassie and Meg beamed and clung to the couple on either side. Gino spread his arms wider and pulled them all in.

  “How was your date?” Cassie poked Gino with her elbow. “Was it romantic?”

  She saw Anna’s expression and laughed out loud.

  “Not as romantic as mine,” Meg tittered. “First dates are the best, Mom.”

  “How many first dates do you plan to have, young lady?” Gino wiggled his eyebrows.

  They teased Meg for a while.

  “I almost forgot, Mom,” Cassie burst out. “You remember Whitney? She was one of Jojo’s bridesmaids.”

  “The blonde,” Anna nodded. “She likes to bake.”

  “That’s the one.” Cassie told them she had run into the girl at the buffet. “Whitney was talking about Logan.”

  “She was slow dancing with him at the bachelorette party,” Meg interrupted. “Like, a lot!”

  Cassie grew animated.

  “Whitney said Logan was in a very bad mood. He was determined to stop the wedding at any cost.”

  Chapter 18

  Anna went to sleep with a smile on her face that night. The sun woke her up the next morning, streaming through the veranda doors. There was a hazy outline of some hills in the distance and Anna surmised they must be close to port.

  Julie was already up and sitting outside with her laptop. But she had made coffee.