Terror at Sea: Three mysteries aboard a cruise ship

by Debby Mayne

  “Why would we be in any danger? I’m a waitress. Besides serving food, and spending time with my fling of the week, I mind my own business. He just broke up with his girlfriend. Maybe he did it himself. You said you had a bad breakup. Wouldn’t be hard for you to understand how he might feel.” She disappeared and the shower turned on.

  “With a bag? Come on.” Molly stared out the window. Waves lapped the horizon, silver beneath a full moon. Peaceful. Romantic. Trapping them in a floating hotel of death.

  Hilga reappeared. “I’ve heard of stranger ways of knocking yourself off.”

  Molly contemplated telling her roommate about the picture, then decided against it. The less people who knew the better. Hilga could have a flippant attitude, but Molly knew she was in danger. Besides Antonio, Lance, and now the captain and security, she was the only one to set eyes on the infamous photograph.

  God help her.

  The killer could be anyone. How certain was she that the person had graying hair? He could’ve worn a wig. She gasped. Lance had shown up after the supposed murder. Maybe his act of concerned cop was exactly that. An act. What if a cold-blooded murderer lurked behind a handsome face and a badge?

  Her heart threatened to burst from her chest. Who could she rely on? Empty-headed Hilga? Not likely. The captain? He’d be too busy. She was going to have to face the danger on her own.

  Wait. She’d heard something in church about God protecting his children. Why hadn’t she paid closer attention? If He did protect his children, then why were two people dead? Antonio had been Catholic. Didn’t that count?

  Her stomach churned and she bolted from the bed to pound on the bathroom door. “I need in.”

  “It’s open,” Hilga called.

  Molly slammed through and lost her meager dinner in the toilet. Fear rippled across her skin. Lance’s face flickered in her mind. She’d have to trust him.

  There wasn’t anyone else. Lord, let him be who he says he is. Please.

  “Are you sick?” Hilga stepped from the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. “Do you want me to call the doctor?”

  The doctor couldn’t cure what ailed her. Molly didn’t think there was a pill made to take away the overwhelming feeling of terror.

  4

  M olly leaned on the railing and stared at the lush landscape of Kauai, Hawaii. Two police officers waited on the dock. Once the boat anchored, the gangplank was lowered. The men strode up the plank and on board. How could they hide this from the passengers now? A day on the island of Kauai would be delayed. With a sigh, she pushed away from the white rails and headed to breakfast.

  Her hard-soled shoes slapped against the polished wood deck. Each slap echoed the guilty thoughts running rampant in her head. Antonio’s death was her fault. She should have said something sooner. Why had she listened to him and waited? Was the killer watching her now? Icy fingernails raked down her spine. Molly stopped short of the restaurant door. Swallowing the sand dune in her throat, she glanced over her shoulder.

  Those who strolled along the hallway paid no attention to her. Everyone’s eyes were focused on something or someone else. Warmth seeped through her blood stream. She had no idea what the killer looked like except for her suspicion of salt-and-pepper hair. Which described half the male population on the ship. What if she were wrong? What if Antonio got the hair color wrong? It could be anyone!

  The door swished open. A draft brought the tantalizing aroma of eggs, crepes, sausage, and ripe fruit. Molly barely had time to savor the smell before Lance’s pinched face shoved into her view.

  “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t go anywhere alone.” Lance held open the door. “We may be on a ship, but it took me forever to find you.”

  “I don’t want to be a prisoner.” She brushed past him, catching a whiff of his woodsy cologne. Great. The man smelled as good as he looked.

  “The police would like to speak with you.” He fell into step beside her. “They’re in the security office.”

  She should be snapping photos, not being interrogated. Recording pleasant memories was what they had hired her to do. Her stomach plummeted the closer they got to security. The hallway she traversed felt like the proverbial green mile. Not that she’d been there, but she’d read about it. Seen it in movies. Perspiration threatened beneath her arms, and she crooked her elbows into slight wings to encourage air circulation. Why had she chosen the navy blue polo shirt today? It showed everything.

  “Relax.” Lance placed a hand on the small of her back. “You’ve done nothing wrong. They’ll question us. Take a look at the photograph, question the employees who have cabins close to Antonio’s, then tape off his room. We’ll be free to go.”

  She glanced up at him. “That sounds too easy.”

  He flashed a grin that threatened to stop her heart. “I’ve volunteered to keep an open eye during the investigation. Most of the passengers think I’m just one of them. The only ones aware that I’m a detective are the top security man, SVP, and the captain. Maybe I’ll hear something. And, I get to spend time with you.”

  Wow. She didn’t know what to make of that last statement. Why would a man who’d just met her be so interested in a short, skinny woman with hair that wouldn’t behave? Especially with a boat full of gorgeous women at his disposal. She had to work hours to get a tan, and she had freckles scattered across her face. She might be a child of English immigrants, but somewhere down the line an ancestor had been Irish. She was definitely not a picture of glamour. “Do I really need a bodyguard?”

  “Do you want to take that chance?”

  Endure his constant presence or chance a run-in with a faceless killer alone? The icy fingernails on her spine were back. No competition there. “No.”

  She shoved open the door to the security office. Except for their round, tanned faces, dark hair and eyes, the two officers didn’t look anything like the actors on the old drama Hawaii 5-0. She wished they did. They’d be more welcoming. Instead, their stern faces caused her to break out into a sweat.

  “I’m Officer Okymoto, this is Officer Brown. Please have a seat Miss Nicholson.”

  Molly perched on the edge of a hard plastic chair and clasped her moist hands in her lap.

  “May I have the photograph?” Officer Okymoto held out his hand.

  Pulling the picture from her camera case, Molly handed it over.

  Several drawn out minutes passed while he studied it, and then handed it to Officer Brown. “We’ll keep this. Any idea who the two men in the window are?”

  Molly shook her head. “I didn’t notice them until Antonio developed the picture.”

  “And you found Mr. Rodriquez?”

  Images of Antonio’s bluish face flashed through her head. She winced, fighting them off. “Lance and I did.”

  Officer Okymoto jotted down her answers on a large yellow legal pad. “Why were you in his room?”

  “I found out Lance was a police officer.” Molly stared at the man’s hand as it glided across the page. “I showed him the picture, and he wanted to speak to Antonio.”

  “Did you see anyone else?”

  “No. The halls were empty, but most of the employees were either working, or enjoying some free time.”

  “We’ll be questioning the other employees before releasing the ship.” He cupped his fingers and rested them on his chin. “I’ve checked the crime scene, but doubt we’ll come up with any clues. Crimes at sea are difficult to solve. Detective Spencer will continue to investigate during the cruise. Unofficially, of course.”

  “Can I continue with my job?” Lord, don’t let them fire her. She didn’t have the funds to fly back home. She’d taken the photography job to make some easy money in a fun way and to have the opportunity to see exotic locations. Not to mention getting over the heartache of an abusive relationship.

  “Under the supervision of Detective Spencer. The perpetrator likely knows you took this photograph. We don’t want you taking any chances.” Officer Okymoto sto
od and directed his comments to the captain. “Give us a couple of hours to finish here, and we’ll clear the ship.”

  That was it? Molly’s shoulders slumped. Wasn’t the ship a part of the United States? Didn’t the passengers and the victim warrant the same consideration that a murder on the mainland would receive? She’d heard stories about crimes at sea and the rushed investigations done, but she’d written them off as rumors.

  Molly rose. “What about the FBI?”

  Okymoto frowned. “We’ll know more after our investigation, Miss Nicholson. Let us do our job, and you continue doing yours.” The two officers marched from the room.

  Summarily dismissed and feeling like a ‘little’ woman who’d been put in her place, Molly’s face heated. “Of all the arrogant, self-righteous … ”

  “That’s enough, Miss Nicholson.” The captain’s reprimand made her stiffen. “You have a job to do. I’m sure there are still passengers at breakfast. They’ll have questions. Answer as little as possible.” He skirted the edge of the security officer’s desk. “Keep them happy.”

  Lance grasped her hand. With a nod to the captain, he led her from the room.

  Once out of sight, she jerked free of his hold and adopted a mocking look on her face, complete with pruned lips. “Now, be a good little girl and do as you’re told. Keep your mouth shut, and let the men handle things.” Her fists clenched. “The man might as well have spoken those exact words. Ugh!”

  A bemused look passed over Lance’s face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, kneading the knot forming at the base of her neck. “You need some down time.”

  “I have a few hours this afternoon.” His massage made it hard to concentrate. It was especially difficult to hold onto a bad mood.

  She pasted on her required happy face. Marching down the hall and up two flights of stairs, she kept her chin up and spine straight. Once they reached the dining room, she took a deep breath, lifted her camera, and began to take pictures of those still left in the room.

  “Want to visit the island with me?” Lance wiggled his eyebrows.

  Despite her irritation at being treated in what she perceived as a chauvinistic manner by the police, she smiled. “I’d love to. I’ve heard of this great cave we can check out. Oh, wait. Wrong island. But this one has a lighthouse.”

  “Will the cave be dark?” He winked.

  “They do advise flashlights.” She laughed at the impish look on his face. “You, Mr. Spencer, are a flirt.”

  “Makes life more interesting.”

  Oh, boy.

  *

  Stretched out in a lounge chair beside the pool, Lance kept an eye on Molly while she flitted from passenger to passenger snapping pictures. Trim legs flashed beneath white shorts. A simple blue tee-shirt and red belt completed the ensemble. He wished for a camera of his own. Someone ought to take her picture.

  “Do you know why we’re not allowed on shore yet?” A plump woman fell into the chair next to him, almost knocking him over with a sweet wave of perfume wafting from her. “I went on this cruise to see the islands.”

  “No, ma’am.” Lance pulled a pair of sunglasses from his pocket. Isn’t that why everyone took a Hawaiian cruise?

  She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I heard one of the crew members was murdered last night. Awful thing. Then someone else said he killed himself because of a broken heart. I wonder which it was.”

  “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.” Lance laid his head back and pretended to sleep. News traveled fast. When he found out who leaked the information, he’d strangle them. The woman’s cloying perfume threatened to gag him. He turned his head away.

  “Well, my roommate heard it from one of the waitresses. So it must be true. They’re like a close-knit family, the crew members. They wouldn’t make up something so terrible if it weren’t true.”

  “Uh-huh.” Thankful the glasses hid his eyes, he kept his gaze focused on Molly. A man approached her, said something that made her hang her head, then she moved on, taking pictures.

  Molly weaved her way through the throng of sunbathers to Lance’s side. “That was Antonio’s roommate. He said the boat has been cleared. They’re lowering the gangplank as we speak.”

  The lady next to him sat up with a gleeful shriek, clapped her hands, and bolted from her chair. “Wonderful.”

  Lance sat up and pulled Molly away from the woman’s prying ears. “Let’s do some sightseeing.”

  “Shouldn’t you do some investigating first?”

  “No. You’re my first priority. Investigating is second. The local police have jurisdiction here. I’m just to inform them if I find out anything. I’m on vacation, remember?”

  “So you say.”

  “Detective Spencer?” Lance turned at Officer Okymoto’s voice. “As suspected, we’ve found nothing. A few prints, but I’m willing to bet they belong to the cabin occupants or cleaning crew. We contacted Honolulu. A body was found early this morning in the empty warehouse beside the dock. Looks like a routine mugging.”

  “ID?”

  Okymoto shook his head. “Not yet.”

  Lance glanced down into Molly’s pale face. “Was he strangled?”

  The Officer nodded. “You may be right about Miss Nicholson being in danger. The SVP will help watch out for her and continue to search the ship for clues. We have no reason to detain the passengers any longer. We don’t know that the murderer is on board. Most likely he fled the area as soon as the gangplank was lowered. But, mind you, we haven’t completely ruled out suicide.”

  “I’ll have the captain inform me if any scheduled arrivals on board fail to show each evening.” Lance shook the officer’s hand. If Antonio committed suicide, he’d eat a volcanic rock.

  Guiding Molly from the deck, he felt her tremble beneath his hand. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “I’ve never been in danger before for anything worse than a broken heart. Maybe a bruise or two.” A shaky laugh escaped her. “And I’ve had plenty of those.”

  “Here.” Lance lowered her into a plush chair in the lounge. “Relax for a minute. We’ll leave when most of the passengers have gone.”

  “I need to pray.” Molly lowered her head.

  Lance took her hands in his. She glanced up, a surprised look on her face, then bowed her head again before praying silently. Lance sat in agreement with her as his gaze roamed the crowd waiting to disembark. He didn’t agree with Okymoto’s assessment of the culprit fleeing the ship. Where better to hide than in plain sight? Which one of the passengers or crew was a cold-blooded killer?

  5

  “T his will be great.” Molly flashed Lance a grin and waved a tourist brochure in his face. “There’s lots to see on Kauai. On all the islands, actually. Maybe I’ll take an Alaskan cruise next. Or the Mediterranean. I could ship hop for the rest of my life.”

  His returned smile caused her heart to flip-flop, and her eyes dropped to his chiseled lips. She wrenched her gaze away before he caught her staring.

  “I’ve rented a car. Where do you want to go first?” His smile widened.

  Apparently he could decipher what she’d been thinking. The cad.

  A car? She’d expected a tour bus. A car was much better. “How about we start on the north shore and work our way back to the ship? There’s something to see around every corner. There’s a lighthouse I want to visit, and a chanting beach. Wouldn’t it be cool to shout Bible verses across the waves?” She motioned to her camera. “If I see passengers, I’ll snap some great shots and get mementos of my own in the meantime. What about you? Anything in particular?”

  “Nope. I’m sure whatever you want will be fine with me.”

  She scowled. There were about a million questions she wanted to ask. Once they were in the car, away from hundreds of pairs of ears, she would fire away. Vacation, her foot! Something else was behind Lance’s motive for taking a cruise, and she intended to find out what.

  “I’ll choose where we eat lunch.” L
ance winked.

  “Deal.” Molly offered her arm.

  Lance intertwined his arm with hers, and they merged with the crowd of sightseers heading down the gangplank and on shore.

  Hawaiian girls stood with arms weighted down by heavy scented leis. Molly bowed her head to allow the circle of orchids to be put around her neck, then stood to the side while the welcoming committee greeted Lance.

  Lush flowers in every hue of the rainbow dotted the landscape of the island. Their heavy fragrance teased her nose, inching its way through her body. Molly closed her eyes and inhaled the smell of jasmine, orchids, and other tropical plants. Her spirits lifted, helping her forget the gruesome sight of Antonio’s lifeless body. Nothing would spoil this day. She lifted her chin. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t accomplish when she set her mind to it.

  A navy-blue Mustang convertible was parked not far away. An attendant clad in a turquoise floral print shirt and khaki shorts stood guard. Lance showed identification and took the offered keys.

  Molly slid into the front seat and giggled at his frown. Maybe she should’ve waited for him to open the door for her. Tough. They weren’t on a date. She was a semi-tourist slash photographer and he was her bodyguard. Nothing more.

  Within minutes they were on a road curving around the island. The thick green foliage rose on one side of them, on the other the brilliant ocean twinkled in the sunlight, hurting her eyes. Definitely heaven come to earth.

  Molly tore her attention away from the scenery. No sense beating around the bush. Surprise would be her best attack. “Why are you really on this cruise?”

  The only indication that her question bothered him was a tightening of his grip on the steering wheel. “Excuse me?” He cut his gaze to her.

  “You’re too willing to give up your vacation to follow me around.” She crossed her arms. “Sure, you’re a cop, but you aren’t active right now, right? This isn’t about my unpaid parking tickets is it?”

  His laugh rang out. “No, this isn’t about that. Although you should pay them.”