The group bowed their heads and Cat began to pray. “Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for this delicious food set before us. Thank you for bringing Millie back to us safe and sound. Thank you for all of my wonderful friends. We pray, Lord, you give Dave Patterson and the investigators wisdom and help in solving the mysterious death of Delilah and that Millie’s name is cleared. Thank you most of all for Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
“Amen,” they all said in unison.
“Dig in,” Annette added.
Millie scooped a heaping spoonful of chicken, carrots, potatoes and peas from the center of the dish. She savored the creamy gravy and the crusty top as she chewed the goodies inside. “This is so good.”
“I agree,” Cat murmured. “You’ve got another winner, Annette.”
“Winner, winner, chicken dinner,” Danielle joked. “Seriously, I’ve never had pot pie before but this is delicious.” She changed the subject. “So what’s the plan?”
While they ate, Millie told them about her research on the computer and what she’d found on the Boskos.
“I think we need to take a closer look at them,” Annette said.
“Not to mention Roger,” Cat added.
Millie broke a piece of crust off the top of her pie, dipped it in the gravy and popped it in her mouth. “I think someone tainted the food after it was delivered. Somewhere between the time Carmen delivered the tray of food and the time Delilah ate the food.”
“Remember Carmen said there were a couple times the room service trays sat unattended near the service elevator while she delivered to other rooms,” Annette said. “She also told us she kept a copy of the special order with the dishes so she wouldn’t mix them up with the others.”
“So it’s possible while she was delivering to another room, someone snuck into the delivery area and tampered with the food,” Danielle said.
“I’ve never noticed the service elevators. Do any of you know where they are?” Millie asked.
“I do.” Amit who had so far remained silent, piped up. “I deliver when we’re slammed and Miss Annette make me go.”
“You’re a good man.” Cat patted Amit’s arm.
“Annette doesn’t deserve you,” Millie teased.
Annette frowned at Millie. “He does too deserve me. We deserve each other.”
“I’d like to check out the area,” Millie said. “As long as we don’t draw attention to ourselves.”
Amit shook his head. “This time of night, the only people who use it are maintenance staff and room service. I think it be okay. The service elevator is not far from the galley.”
They finished their potpie dinners, rinsed the dishes and stuck them in the dishwasher.
Annette wiped her hands on the towel and hung it on the nearby hook. “Lead the way Amit.”
The group exited the galley with Annette the last to leave as she shut off the lights and locked the door behind them.
The ship’s corridors were quiet. Several late night venues were still in full swing as guests hung out at the late nightclubs, were up on the lido deck enjoying the Mexican buffet, watching the late night comedy show in one of the lounges or had retired for the evening.
Tomorrow was a mixed day with the first half at sea. The ship would arrive in San Juan later that afternoon. They were running out of time. If Patterson and his men or Millie and friends weren’t able to figure out what had happened to Delilah Osborne, Millie would be on the hook.
Amit stopped abruptly in front of a metal door, only a short jaunt from the galley. The door was one Millie had never noticed before. On the front of the door was a small black keypad. He pressed several buttons on the keypad and after a loud beep, the door opened.
Behind the door was a narrow hall and at the end of the hall was a set of elevator doors. The doors were motion sensitive and when they got close, they opened automatically.
Amit stepped inside and waved them in. “It will be a tight fit.”
Annette and Danielle squeezed in to the small space. Cat slid in after them.
Millie hung back as her claustrophobia kicked into high gear and her heart began to race. “No way. You know how I feel about elevators.”
Annette grabbed Millie’s hand and dragged her inside. “You’ll be fine.”
“That’s debatable,” Millie gasped as the door closed. The elevator jerked and a grinding noise filled the cramped space.
“It appears we may have maxed out the weight limit.” Danielle pointed at a placard above the door. “The sign says maximum occupancy is three people.”
After a couple more jerks, the elevator began making a dull grinding noise and shuddered to a stop but the doors didn’t open.
Millie stared at the door, willing it to open. “Why isn’t it opening?” She fought to keep from panicking as she wedged her fingers between the doors and attempted to force them open. “I think we’re stuck.”
Annette tilted her head and stared at the sign. “Yeah. We definitely have too many people in here.” She shifted her gaze and studied the door. “You may be too close to the door, Millie. Let’s try scooching back.”
A chorus of groans went up as the five of them squeezed in even tighter. Millie inched back until she was leaning against Cat.
Amit, who was closest to the elevator buttons, pressed the open button. The elevator let out a low moan and the doors slowly opened.
“Thank you God.” Millie bolted from the elevator. “Never again,” she vowed. “I am never getting on another elevator again.”
Annette followed her out. “We might’ve been stuck in there awhile.” She turned her attention to the room. “This looks vaguely familiar. I think I was in here way back when I first started working on board the ship.”
The tiny room was only slightly larger than the elevator. In one corner was a trio of bins. One container was labeled plastic, one labeled food and the third glass and aluminum.
There was a small stainless steel sink and a compact icemaker in the opposite corner. “The employees wheel the delivery carts into this room and then deliver the food to the passengers,” Amit explained.
“This is also where they bring the dirty room service trays when they’re done. There are two exits.” Amit pointed to a door. “This door is used for this side of the corridor. The other door opens to the other side.”
Annette opened the door and stuck her head out. “Suite ten thirty-two. Ten twenty-seven must be on the opposite side.”
Cat opened the other door and stepped into the hall. “This side has the odd numbers.” The group followed her into the empty hall.
“This way.” Amit pointed to the left.
They passed by several cabins until they reached 1027. “This is it.”
The group retraced their steps and re-entered the crew service area.
“It’s possible while Carmen was on this side delivering food, someone else snuck in the other door.”
“But how would they know, the ‘poisonaire’ if you will?” Cat asked.
“They would know if they ordered it,” Millie said. “Roger might not have motive for poisoning Delilah, but he certainly had opportunity. I still wish we could find out if there’s a connecting door in Roger’s suite and if so, whose cabin it connects to.”
“Nikki Tan might be able to tell us if there’s a connecting door,” Danielle said.
Millie glanced at her watch. “It’s too late to find out tonight. I could head down there first thing tomorrow morning.” Time was running out. The suspects and maybe even witnesses, including her children, would be departing the ship when they reached San Juan. “Beth would know too. I’m sure she’s been inside Roger’s suite.”
Mother and daughter planned to meet up for an early breakfast while David watched the children. It would be their last chance to spend time together before Roger and the others disembarked for the flight home. “I’ll talk to Nikki if Beth can’t remember. We need to figure out if someone intentionally tainted Delilah’s food bef
ore we reach San Juan.”
Amit pressed the elevator button and the doors opened. “I’m heading to the crew quarters. Anyone else want a ride?”
Cat and Danielle nodded and stepped inside the small elevator.
“No way.” Millie shook her head. “I’ll pass.”
“I’ll keep Millie company,” Annette said.
The two of them waited until the elevator doors closed before exiting the service area and making their way into the hall. “I wonder if Patterson took a look at the order log. I was gonna do that and completely forgot. Do you have a minute to make a run by the galley to take a peek?”
“Of course,” Millie said. “Maybe if we can retrace Carmen’s steps the other night, we can stumble on some sort of clue.”
When they reached the galley, Annette fished her keys from her jacket pocket and unlocked the door. She flipped the light on and after they stepped inside, she locked the galley door behind them. “It’s over here.”
Annette pulled the clipboard from the wall and flipped through the loose sheets of paper. “That’s odd.”
“What’s odd?” Millie stepped closer and peered over her shoulder.
“The order log from the other night is missing.”
Chapter 9
“Missing?” Millie asked.
“Yeah. I was looking at it this morning and thinking to myself I would mention it to you to see if any of the other names on the list rang a bell,” Annette said. “I didn’t see the name Beth or David although I have no idea what their last name is.”
“Volk. Beth’s last name is Volk.”
Annette shook her head. “I definitely don’t remember seeing that name.”
“What about Bosko or Keebler?” Millie asked.
“The old noggin isn’t what it used to be.” Annette tapped the side of her forehead. “I can’t say for certain. There was a bunch of room service orders on the list. I’m better at remembering food than names.”
“Patterson probably came and got it so he could go down the list of names looking for possible witnesses,” Millie said. “The man is starting to cramp my style.”
“That would be my guess.” Annette hung the clipboard back on the wall. “There’s nothing left to do tonight. If I were you, I’d talk to your daughter first thing in the morning. If she’s got any of her parents’ sleuthing genes, she could very well have picked up on something that might be useful.”
Millie thanked Annette for all of her help, and waited in the corridor while her friend turned off the lights and locked the door a second time. “The next logical step would be to find out who may have had it in for Delilah.”
“What if it was an accident, an honest to goodness someone in the kitchen contaminated the dish by accident?” Millie asked. “At this point, no one can prove I had anything to do with her death.”
“True,” Annette agreed. “From what we’ve heard your ex seems set on blaming you but from what you told me, the woman was not pleasant and she may have ruffled a few family or friends’ feathers.”
The women made their way to deck one and the crew quarters. “Maybe a good night’s sleep will help clear our minds and we can think better,” Annette said.
Millie agreed before she told her friend goodnight and headed to her cabin. Even if Patterson and the investigators decided Delilah’s death was accidental, she wondered if, in the back of her ex’s mind, her children’s minds, there would always be a lingering doubt about her innocence.
Forty-eight hours ago she had no idea she would have to face her ex-husband again and have him rub his upcoming marriage to the woman he left her for in her face, but also planned to have Captain Armati, Millie’s boyfriend, marry them. The irony was unbelievable. Now the woman was dead and Roger was accusing her of murder.
If it weren’t so horrifying, it would be laughable.
“Millie, do you copy?” Millie’s radio squawked. “She’d forgotten to turn it off after her shift ended, but she was glad she hadn’t. It was Captain Armati.
“This is Millie. Go ahead N-Captain Armati.” She almost slipped and called him Nic.
“I wondered if you had a moment to stop by the bridge before turning in for the night.”
“Of course. I’ll be right there.” Millie did an about face and headed back up the steps. Judging by the tone in his voice and the fact it was late told Millie whatever he wanted to discuss was important.
Millie’s fingers trembled as she slid her keycard in the slot and gently eased the bridge door open. She’d always loved visiting the bridge at night. All of the colorful lights from the computers blinked and it reminded her of Christmas lights.
Tonight she barely noticed as she hurried past Captain Vitale and made her way to the other side where Captain Armati stood staring out the window at the dark seas.
“Captain Armati.”
The captain spun around at the sound of Millie’s voice. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. I know it’s late.” He waved her toward the side bridge door. It led to a small walkway that ran the entire starboard side of the bridge. “We can chat out here.”
Millie followed him out and waited for him to close the door behind them.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Millie,” Captain Armati apologized. “I know you have your hands full with just coming back on board, not to mention your daughter and family.”
“There’s something else.” Nic paused as if searching for the right words. “I spoke to your ex-husband earlier after he made a scene down at guest services.”
The blood drained from Millie’s face. “Good news travels fast.”
Nic rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I had no choice. He demanded to speak with me. From what the staff said, he was blustering about a staff member who had killed his fiancée and insisted we were harboring a murderer.”
“Did he name me specifically?” Millie asked, although she already suspected she knew the answer.
“Unfortunately, yes.” Nic shifted his gaze and stared out into the darkness. “Donovan Sweeney heard the commotion, brought Mr. Sanders to his office in the back. That’s when Donovan called me. Mr. Sanders has convinced himself you had something to do with Ms. Osborne’s unfortunate demise. After Mr. Sanders calmed and finally left, Donovan and I both agreed we’re worried about your safety.”
“You think Roger intends to harm me?” Millie was shocked. In all the years she’d been married to Roger, he’d never shown signs of being abusive.
Beth hadn’t mentioned a concern her father was so upset he might harm his ex-wife. Maybe he’d gone off the deep end after their split. Despite what everyone had told her, deep down, she was having a hard time accepting the fact Roger might actually believe Millie would intentionally harm Delilah.
They say you can live with someone for years and never really know them. What if Roger had taken out a hefty life insurance policy on Delilah, devised a plan to kill her during their cruise and somehow found a way to make it seem as if Millie, the jilted ex-wife, had plotted her revenge after discovering Delilah had potentially lethal allergies?
It would be the perfect crime.
“What do you want me to do?” Millie asked.
“I’ve already talked to Andy. We’re taking you off active duty until we reach San Juan and your ex disembarks. You’re free to move about the crew areas of the ship but I ask that you avoid all passenger areas of the ship.”
Nic placed both hands on the rail. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I know you don’t like the idea but I love you and want to keep you safe. We all know you’re innocent and plan to get to the bottom of this but in the meantime, we need your help.”
Sudden tears burned the back of Millie’s eyes. More than anything, she wanted to throw herself in his arms and bawl her eyes out, but Captain Vitale and other crew were in the bridge and had a clear view of them.
Instead, she stiffened her back. “I appreciate your concern.” A sob caught in her throat. “I love you too and I’m so sorry.” Certa
in she was about to burst into tears, she spun on her heel and hurried back inside.
She attempted a smile at Captain Vitale, who gave her a knowing look as she rushed out the bridge door. She didn’t slow her pace until she reached the crew deck and her cabin.
Millie slipped her keycard in the slot and opened the door to her cabin. Danielle was already inside. “What took you so long? I’ve already been up on the lido deck and back.”
“Annette and I stopped by the galley to take a look at the room service order log from the other night, which, by the way, is missing.” Millie slumped onto the edge of her bunk. “Captain Armati called me up to the bridge to give me some bad news. Why? What’s up?”
“When I got back here and you weren’t here, I went up to the lido deck to grab a couple cookies from the Mexican buffet. As I was wandering around eating them, I noticed some people up there. I think they may be the ones who came on board with your ex and his peanut partner.”
“Peanut partner?”
“Despicable Delilah, may she rest in peace,” Danielle said.
“Danielle,” Millie admonished.
“Okay. Miz Osborne. Anyway, if those were the folks who were with her, they sure have a weird way of mourning her death.”
Millie shrugged. “There are thousands of people on board this ship. You could be wrong.”
Danielle grabbed her cell phone off the desk, switched it on and tapped the screen. “That’s why I snapped a couple pictures. I think this is the same woman I saw when I accompanied Roger and Delilah to their suite.” She held the phone out. “Do these people look familiar?”
Millie slipped her reading glasses on and took the phone from Danielle. “Beth showed me a picture she’d taken of Delilah’s sister and her husband.”
The woman in one of the pictures looked like she was ready to burst into tears as she stood near the railing. Millie tapped the screen with the tip of her finger “This looks like Dixie, Delilah’s sister.”
She swiped the screen. The next picture was of a couple seated at a high top table, eating. Millie squinted her eyes as she studied the woman’s face. It was the woman she’d seen on the social media site…Delilah’s friend, Julie Bosko.
Suite Revenge (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8) Page 6
