Mango Chili Cruiser: A Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery (Dolphin Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 6)
Page 14
“This is better than the scavenger hunt, Mom,” Meg spoke in Cassie’s ear.
Cassie’s mind was whirling as she tried to make sense of Cho’s words. Why was Ricky making promises to Alicia in the summer? That was when he started his relationship with Jojo. Ricky must have been two timing her. If Ricky and Alicia were complicit in something, how had he duped her?
Cassie felt Meg jab an elbow in her side. Meg was jerking her neck toward the girls, her eyes frantic. Cassie realized she had missed something important.
Cho was talking about marriage. Ricky had promised Alicia he would marry her. Cassie didn’t know if he was going to leave Jojo at the altar or go through the whole wedding and then divorce her and get a big settlement. Her mind wandered again and she barely heard what Cho said next.
“Ricky did exactly what Alicia was afraid of. He married that rich girl.”
Meg squeezed Cassie’s hand tight, making sure she had heard. Cassie was ahead of her.
“Excuse me,” Cassie cleared her throat. “I couldn’t help hearing. Are you saying Ricky and Jojo got married? But that’s impossible.”
The talkative group appeared to be tongue tied. The girl called Cho looked taken aback. Cassie noted the fear in her eyes and tried to reassure her.
“You’re not in trouble, don’t worry. But Jojo was my friend. I’m trying to find out what happened to her.”
One of the girls was staring at them, her mouth open.
“Are you Cassie Butler?” she asked in a hushed voice. “I’m like your biggest fan.”
Cassie smiled and thanked her, hoping to get the truth from Cho. But a few people in the rows had heard the girl exclaim. Heads started turning one by one. The rehearsals stopped and the theater was suddenly flooded with light. Cassie found herself in the midst of a small crowd.
They wanted selfies with her, the modern equivalent of the autograph. Cassie obliged them patiently. Meg reminded her why they had come to the theater.
“Can you let my daughter take a picture with the cast?” She fluttered her eyes at the director. “It’s for a scavenger hunt.”
The cast was more than happy to do it. Meg clambered up the stage with them and posed for several photos. Many of them asked Cassie when she was coming back to the screen full time.
Cho was making her way to an exit when Cassie hailed her.
“Please, stop. We need to talk.”
“My shift starts in twenty minutes. I need to be at the gift shop before that.” She had just been hanging out with her friends.
“I won’t keep you,” Cassie promised her. “What were you saying about Ricky and Jojo already being married? Is that true?”
Cho’s eyes darted to the door.
“Look, I’m not sure if I should tell you this. Alicia won’t like it.”
Cassie pointed out the cat was already out of the bag. She just wanted details.
“Two innocent people are dead, Cho. You might help us catch the culprit.”
“Alicia got herself assigned to the wedding party, just to keep an eye on Ricky. She was cleaning his room when she came across a marriage certificate.”
Cassie thanked her and looked around for Meg. They needed to find Anna at the earliest and tell her about this latest development.
Meg couldn’t hide her shock when Cassie caught her up on the way to the spa.
“So the wedding was just for show? I don’t care how this looks, Mom. But I believe in Ricky.”
Cassie thought her daughter was young and gullible. They could not ignore hard evidence.
Anna hadn’t arrived at the spa and Cassie was feeling overwhelmed.
“This is the topmost rated spa on the seas, Meg. We’re not going to miss this.”
She surrendered to the excellent masseuse and felt her muscles melt when the hot volcanic stones were placed on points along her spine. A stint in a sauna was next, followed by an immersion in a tub of ice. Cassie felt like a new person by the time she dressed and came out. She hadn’t thought of Jojo for the first time in days.
Meg was waiting in the reception area with Anna.
“Mom!” Cassie enveloped her mother in a hug. “I hope you didn’t miss that massage.”
Anna assured her she hadn’t missed her appointment.
There was a smoothie café right outside the spa. Cassie ordered fruity drinks for all of them, making sure Anna got one with mangoes.
“Did Meg tell you?” Cassie leaned forward, her eyes shining with excitement.
Anna listened calmly as Cassie told her about her talk with Cho.
“We thought Ricky was innocent because he didn’t have anything to gain. But this changes everything, Mom.”
“As Jojo’s husband, he stands to inherit a big fortune,” Anna mused. “You think he did this for money then?”
“Money is generally the root of all evil, Mom.” Cassie felt miserable. Ricky’s duplicity was sinking in. Jojo would gladly have set him up for life. A few million meant nothing to her. “Ricky may have been happy in his life before. But I bet all the wealth turned him.”
“I don’t believe it.” Meg was vehement. “Ricky’s eyes tell the truth. He loved Jojo and he’s grieving for her.”
Cassie patted her daughter on the back, reluctant to oppose her. She had been young once and had believed in the eternal quality of love. After three failed marriages, she wasn’t so sure.
“How’s the scavenger hunt going?” Anna asked.
“Mom!” Cassie cried. “Ricky finally has motive. He was right there in that suite with her. Aren’t you going to turn him over to that security guy?”
Anna told her it would all happen in good time. Ricky wasn’t going anywhere. Until then, she intended to enjoy their last day on the ship.
Chapter 27
Anna took a deep breath and nodded.
“Let’s do this, girls.”
The evening had passed quickly. She insisted Meg and Cassie finish the tasks for the scavenger hunt. Cho looked apprehensive when they entered the gift shop. Cassie assured her they just needed some pictures. Now they were dressed for a special dinner on Deck 14.
There was a knock on their door announcing Gino’s arrival.
“Are they all coming?” Anna asked as she took his arm.
Gino told her Chief Bernard was making sure of that.
The wedding coordinator had pulled out all stops, unaware of the drama that was about to unfold. A server offered them champagne as soon as they stepped off the elevator. There was a big seafood tower with fat Mazatlan shrimp, crab legs and lobster with a big urn of melted butter and a variety of dips.
Fred Gold sat at a large round table, flanked by Ricky and Millicent. His secretary Martha sat a few seats away. Alicia Todd sat next to her, clutching her champagne flute, looking around nervously. Anna almost didn’t recognize her. Chief Bernard sat in a chair a few feet away, keeping a keen eye on everyone. Half a dozen men wearing the security uniform stood along the deck, discreetly guarding the exits.
Anna accepted a canapé from a server and gave a silent nod. Cassie saw her and stood up, tapping her glass with a spoon to get everyone’s attention.
“Jojo wanted me to give a toast at her wedding,” she began. “Unfortunately, I’m here to carry out an unpleasant task.”
Anna watched an array of expressions flit across the faces of the assembled company.
“Jojo didn’t take her own life,” Cassie continued. “Someone killed her for money. Someone who is right here at this table.”
Cassie pointed a finger at Ricky.
“Jojo loved you so much. We all thought you were good for her. Why did you do this?”
Ricky fidgeted with his collar and looked uncomfortable. He told Cassie she was mistaken.
“Do you deny that you and Jojo got married before you boarded the ship?”
Ricky’s face grew ashen.
“We found out the wedding on this ship isn’t legally binding and we wanted to get married on American soil, just to avoi
d any future complications. So Jojo had this idea. We got a license a few days before this trip.”
Cassie was jubilant.
“This gives you a strong motive. Your whole Captain America image was a sham. Your plan was to take Jojo’s money and marry your old girlfriend.”
“I don’t have any money.” Ricky told them about the prenup he had signed. “According to that, I don’t get a cent of the Gold fortune.”
Anna saw Cassie’s eyes widen in shock. She hated to steal the limelight from her daughter. But Gino and the security chief had discussed the best way to trap the real killer. They had both convinced Anna to let things unfold in a certain order.
“I’m sorry you had to go through this, Ricky.” Anna stood up and walked around the table. “I believe you.”
“But Mom …” Cassie’s mouth hung open.
Anna put her hands on Cassie’s shoulders and stared at the young woman opposite her.
“Ricky’s innocent because I know who killed Jojo. Are you going to say something now, Millicent?”
Milli started to get up. One of the security guys had moved to stand behind her chair.
“I’m not sure about one thing. Was it all you, or did Fred here lend a helping hand?”
Millicent folded her arms and stared at Anna defiantly. She hadn’t said a word.
“Martha mentioned how Fred would probably hand over the business to you, now that Jojo is gone. I could never forget that you were right there in the Empress Suite that night. So I decided to make sure you didn’t have a motive.”
Anna told them she had talked to some of the bridesmaids and a few members of the staff, people who were part of the wedding party. They all agreed that Jojo and Millicent were like oil and water. Millicent thought Jojo was a spoilt brat who had never done an honest day’s work in her life. Jojo barely noticed her.
Jojo started coming to the office six months ago to learn the ropes. They had been at loggerheads since day one. Millicent tried hard to sabotage her. She firmly believed the company wouldn’t survive with Jojo at the helm.
“But you were going to be President!” Fred Gold exclaimed. “I was going to announce it at Jojo’s wedding reception.”
“Millicent didn’t know that,” Anna pointed out. “And knowing her, it’s probably not good enough.”
Millicent’s face was set in a smirk.
“President’s just a courtesy title, Fred. You and I both know it. The CEO is the one the world bows to.”
“Jojo always looked up to you, Milli.” Cassie was looking horrified. “You pushed her just to become CEO?”
Millicent sipped her champagne calmly and gave a tiny shrug.
“Your mother’s senile, Cassie. It’s obvious she’s losing her mind.” She gave Anna a mock toast and took another sip. “It’s not like you have any proof.”
The elevator doors opened and a bearded man in a white coat joined them, holding a little plastic bag.
“You’re just in time, Dr. Santos.” Anna smiled encouragingly. “Why don’t you show everyone what you brought?”
The doctor held up the transparent bag containing a strip of shiny green material. He told them he had found it between Jojo’s fingers.
Anna told them what she had been up to that afternoon. She had convinced the security chief to take a second look at Jojo’s body. He and the doctor had performed a thorough examination while Anna waited outside with Gino. Luck had been on their side. They found the tiny scrap of material in Jojo’s hands. Anna had been sure Jojo had worn something else that night but they had gone through her effects one more time, just to make sure.
“Millicent always said that Jojo was alive when she left the Empress Suite that night,” Anna explained to the attentive crowd. “But there was no one who could confirm that. Ricky was already passed out.”
“I know the dress that comes from.” Cassie got a word in. “Jojo lent it to Milli for the bachelorette party. It was one of her favorite couture pieces but Jojo was like that, generous to a fault.”
Millicent had spilled something on her dress at the rehearsal. Jojo insisted she change before they went to the dance club.
Anna thanked Cassie for clearing that up. She had found the dress hanging in Millicent’s closet with the tear clearly visible.
“Why don’t you get it off your chest, dear?” Anna looked at Millicent. “Was it all for the sake of a job? If you are that smart, surely someone would have hired you as CEO?”
“It wasn’t just any job!” Millicent slammed a fist on the table. “And being smart isn’t enough!”
Anna waited for her to continue. Gino had told her a good lawyer could make the scrap of cloth thrown out as evidence. It was always better to have a voluntary confession in front of witnesses.
“I devoted my life to Gold Labs,” Millicent seethed. “Ever since I started working there as a teenager, I dreamed of being CEO. And Mr. Gold encouraged me. He told me he was grooming me for the top spot.”
“My brother was proud of you, Milli,” Fred told her sadly. “The whole world knew you were his protégé. Who knows what he would have done when the time came to appoint his successor?”
“He shouldn’t have died,” Millicent shot back. “That upset everything!”
She whirled around to face Ricky.
“And you! You gave that party girl a conscience. She suddenly started thinking about the people who worked at the company. Thought she could sit in her penthouse office and make a difference.”
“How long were you planning this?” Ricky’s eyes were red. “Were you thinking of killing my Jojo when you promised to be her maid of honor?”
“She couldn’t even give me that!” Millicent wailed. “She had to choose some washed up Hollywood starlet who taught her how to drink.”
“Hey!” Meg sprang up. “That’s my mom you’re talking about.”
Anna pulled her down and placed a warning hand over her knee.
“This trip was my idea.” Millicent sounded proud. “I had seven days to convince Jojo she didn’t have to be a working girl. She could wear an apron and bake pies for her hubby in her Bel Air mansion.”
“And what if she refused?” Cassie voiced the question every person at the table wanted to ask.
Millicent waved a hand around her.
“Well, if she didn’t, it’s easy to get lost at sea.”
“But your plan backfired.” Anna stared into her eyes. “Had you decided you were going to do it on the night of the rehearsal?”
“I knew Jojo had to go.” Millicent’s eyes gleamed. “First I was going to let her have her last wish, marry this deadbeat and have a honeymoon. But he was a wildcard. Where would I be if he decided he wanted to run the company?”
“The shots were your idea,” Cassie accused. “You planned to get her drunk.”
Millicent laughed.
“It wasn’t that hard. Jojo never met a bottle she didn’t like. I hadn’t counted on this bozo accompanying us to the Empress Suite though.”
Millicent told them she had plied the couple with more drinks once they entered the suite. Ricky had obliged her by passing out on the couch. She took Jojo out on the balcony to watch the moon.
“How did you haul her over?” Gino spoke up. “Did you practise that too?”
Anna had been trying hard to sound aloof. She almost lost control when she heard Millicent’s response.
“When Jojo was in middle school, she and I went to watch Titanic. She was crazy about that movie.”
“Kate and Leo in the famous Titanic pose,” Cassie murmured.
Millicent laughed harshly.
“I told her she and Ricky would look great doing it. It would make a nice addition to the wedding album.”
“But Ricky was asleep inside,” Meg countered.
Millicent promised Jojo she would go inside to fetch Ricky. Then she convinced her to get up on the railing.
“One of her shoes must’ve slipped while she climbed up.” Millicent let out a growl.
“She spread her arms out wide, just like in the movie, thinking Ricky was there to hold her.”
“But he wasn’t!” Meg stared at her in dismay.
“The princess was too drunk to notice.” Millicent’s eyes were hard and her face was set in a sneer. “I gave her a push and made sure she was flying.”
Anna realized Jojo’s survival instincts must have kicked in. She had grabbed Millicent’s arm and tried to hold on to it, only latching on to a piece of cloth.
Millicent seethed with anger as she explained her plan. She had assumed Jojo would go overboard and fall in the water. By the time she was discovered missing, the ship would be miles away. But luck hadn’t been on her side.
Anna shivered as she realized the magnitude of what they had just heard. Her hands shook and she hid them under the table. Julie placed a wrap around her shoulders.
“Logan suspected you, didn’t he?” Anna forced herself to continue.
“He was as drunk as Jojo,” Millicent rolled her eyes. “But he must have heard me leave. Unfortunately, his memory started coming back. It was very inconvenient.”
Millicent casually told them how she had taken advantage of Logan’s history of drug abuse. She wasn’t taking any chances.
Chief Bernard gave a silent signal, directing his men to lead Millicent out.
“She’ll be in the brig until we disembark,” he told Fred Gold. “We’ll turn her over to the local authorities.”
Tears had welled up in the older man’s eyes. Cassie went around and hugged him.
“I had no idea, believe me.” He looked pleadingly into Anna’s eyes. “We treated Millicent like family.”
Anna wondered if Jojo had a moment of clarity in the last few seconds of her life. Had she managed to kick off her shoe so she could leave a trail of breadcrumbs? After all, it had been the clue that led Anna to her killer.
Epilogue
Anna woke at dawn and went out on the veranda, hoping to catch her last sunrise at sea. She was in for a disappointment.