Suite Revenge (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8)

by Hope Callaghan

  “Who was it?” Millie asked.

  “Julie Bosko. She called to tell me she wanted her cabin ‘deep cleaned,’ whatever that means. I told her to call her room steward and she said she tried but he hadn’t responded and she wanted it cleaned ASAP.”

  Nikki waited for several guests to pass by before continuing. “I waited to finish my shift and then stopped by Patterson’s office. He jotted down a few notes but he didn’t seem to think it was an odd request.”

  “I wonder who the room steward is,” Millie mused. “I’d be curious to know what that was all about.”

  Nikki slowly smiled. “Isla is the room steward and I already called her. She’s on her way there now to meet Julie Bosko in her cabin.”

  Chapter 14

  Millie tapped the top of her nametag, pinned to the front of her uniform. “I’d give anything to head up there and listen in on the conversation but I’m sure the Boskos know who I am.”

  Annette tugged on the collar of her white chef’s jacket. “I don’t think I could come up with a good excuse for being there and I don’t have time to change.”

  Millie and Annette slowly turned to Nikki.

  “What?” Nikki squeaked.

  Annette grabbed Nikki’s hand and began dragging her down the hall. “You’re the perfect person to check it out. All you have to do is tell the Boskos you’re from guest services and you’re stopping by to make sure Mrs. Bosko’s issue was satisfactorily resolved.”

  Nikki pulled back. “I-I want to help, but I’m not sure about this. I don’t want to get into any trouble.”

  “You won’t.” Millie hurried next to them. “Think of it as guest relations. The passenger has an issue. You’re there to make sure it’s been resolved.”

  “Right,” Annette agreed. “No one will suspect a thing.”

  Millie’s head was spinning. Roger and Delilah’s suite was directly across the hall. It was late. There was no way the room steward was going to show up to clean it that late at night. Besides, if Isla were the room steward she would be busy taking care of the Bosko’s issue.

  Annette and Millie could hide out inside the cabin and spy on them through the peephole in the door. “We’ll be there for moral support, right across the hall.”

  “I dunno about this.” By the time they reached deck ten, Annette and Millie had managed to convince Nikki there was nothing wrong with checking up on the guests to make sure their needs were taken care of.

  “The Boskos might buy it. What if Patterson shows up?” Nikki asked.

  “That’s a legitimate concern but you’re smart. You’ll think of something,” Annette said.

  “Well, I do have to log passenger complaints,” Nikki said.

  “Bingo. There you go.” Annette snapped her fingers. “You needed to investigate so you could log the issue.”

  As they got close to the Bosko’s cabin door, Millie held a finger to her lips. She silently slid her keycard in Roger’s door and Annette and she quietly slipped inside.

  Annette gave Nikki a thumbs up before she closed the door.

  Millie squinted her eyes and peered through the peephole. Nikki shot a quick glance in their direction and for a second, Millie thought she was going to change her mind and bolt but she didn’t.

  Nikki sucked in a breath and rapped on the door. The door flew open. Millie couldn’t see past Nikki to see who’d answered. Nikki stepped inside the cabin and the door shut behind her.

  “She’s in,” Millie reported as she took a step back and Annette took her place.

  “What do you think it is?” Millie asked.

  “It could be a toilet backup for all we know. Maybe Julie Bosko was too embarrassed to tell Nikki she flooded the cabin with toilet water.”

  Millie remembered the time her cousin, Liz, had done that. She still wasn’t sure exactly how it had happened. The ship’s plumbing system was a mystery to Millie. All she knew was when she pressed the button everything inside the toilet was sucked out.

  During one of the recent staff meetings, Frank Bauer, head of maintenance, had asked Andy to remind the passengers of the ship’s sensitive plumbing system. They’d been having sporadic issues with passengers flushing items they shouldn’t and it was causing major headaches, not to mention a slew of passenger complaints since the clogged toilet not only affected the passenger who’d done the clogging, but an entire section of the ship that shared the same system.

  “If it was a plumbing issue, I would think the Boskos would’ve needed to contact someone in maintenance, too,” Millie pointed out.

  “True.” Annette shifted her feet. “Houston, we have a problem.”

  “What?” Millie leaned in in an attempt to look over Annette’s shoulder.

  “Doctor Gundervan just arrived.”

  “You’re kidding,” Millie gasped.

  “I wish I was.” Annette took a step back. “He went inside.”

  “Millie, do you copy?” Andy’s voice blared from her radio and she fumbled to turn the volume down. “Uh-oh. He doesn’t sound happy.” Millie moved away from the door until she was certain no one in the hall could hear her talk.

  “I’m here Andy. What’s up?”

  “I’m in Donovan’s office. Can you meet me there?”

  “Of course. I’m on my way.” Millie’s heart began to race. Those were two names she didn’t want used in the same sentence…Donovan and Andy.

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Annette said. “Would you like me to go with you?”

  “Please. I can’t wait to hear why I’m being summoned to Donovan’s office this time of the evening.” Millie retraced her steps and Annette and she eased out of the empty cabin and into the hall.

  “Fifty bucks says it has something to do with the Boskos or your ex,” Annette said as they picked up the pace.

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  When they reached Donovan’s office, Millie rapped lightly on the door.

  Donovan opened the door and waved the women inside the room. Not only were Donovan and Andy inside, but also Dave Patterson, Captain Armati and Staff Captain Vitale.

  Donovan eased past Patterson and settled into his chair behind the desk. “I’m glad you’re here too, Annette. You were next on my list.”

  Millie’s claustrophobia threatened to kick in as her pulse began to race. Annette, noting the look on her friend’s face, gave her arm an encouraging squeeze as she shifted to the side to give her a little more breathing room.

  “We’re waiting on Doctor Gundervan. He should be here any moment.”

  “I need to…” Millie was about to say she needed to step outside to get some air when there was a light rap and Doctor Gundervan stepped into the office.

  “I’m sorry to call all of you here this late,” Donovan apologized as the ship’s doctor eased into the crowded room. “What’s the report?”

  “Just as we suspected,” Doctor Gundervan said. “I think we have another case of norovirus on our hands.”

  The blood drained from Millie’s face. “Norovirus?” The highly contagious virus on a cruise ship was a nightmare. Another thought entered her mind. “You said another which means there are more cases?”

  Doctor Gundervan shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “Yes. So far, we have a confirmed forty-five passengers who have come down with the illness. A few more and we’ll have to implement a red alert.”

  “And we’ll also have to report it to the CDC,” Captain Armati said. He turned his attention to Gundervan. “I trust you told the guests they’re not allowed to leave their cabin.”

  “I did.” Gundervan sighed heavily. “These last two are insisting we turn the ship around to allow them to get off in San Juan.”

  “It’s too late to turn back,” Andy said. “If Isla hadn’t told us about having to clean up the cabin, we never would’ve known the couple had contracted the virus.”

  “I trust we’ll be adding additional sanitizers throughout the ship and station extra crew in front of th
e buffet and dining room to ensure passengers are using the sanitizers,” Captain Vitale said.

  “Of course. After we leave here, I’ll call a meeting with my staff to give them a heads up and ask them to keep an eye out,” Andy promised.

  Donovan turned to Annette. “Please meet with your kitchen staff to give them a heads up. We may need to station some of them in front of the dining areas.” He shuffled the papers on his desk. “I’ll let you know if anything changes.” It was his way of dismissing the group and they slowly started to shuffle out of the room.

  Millie tugged on Gundervan’s arm and asked him to stay behind for a moment. “Is it possible Delilah Osborne wasn’t poisoned after all and perhaps fell ill from a severe case of norovirus?”

  “I’ve already considered that angle.” Doctor Gundervan shook his head. “As much as I would like to say it was, the woman had a lethal reaction to nuts. Patterson is sending the food to a lab for a thorough analysis, but I noted a lingering odor of peanut butter on the cream puff.” He shifted his gaze to Donovan, “I’m surprised if the woman had that level of sensitivity, she didn’t smell the peanut butter before eating the food.”

  He walked Millie to the door. “It has been a long day. I’m going to turn in for the night but will have my radio turned down low and next to my bed in case we have another call come in.”

  Millie followed the weary doctor out of Donovan’s office. “We had such a quiet few months while you were gone, Millie.”

  “I heard. I’m only sorry it hasn’t been smooth sailing for at least a few more days,” Millie said.

  The doctor headed toward the bank of elevators and Millie headed in the opposite direction when she caught a glimpse of Nikki and Annette huddled close together and off to the side. She made her way over to them.

  “I was telling Annette Mrs. Bosko let me into the room before she collapsed in the chair. She kept saying the same thing over and over, that they never should’ve come on the cruise.”

  “Did she say why?” Millie asked.

  “She said she hated the ship, hated cruising and the only reason she’d come was because Delilah Osborne had begged her. She said she couldn’t stand Roger, couldn’t stand Delilah’s daughter, Linda. The only reason she’d agreed to come was because Delilah had told her friend someone was harassing her and she was scared.”

  “Harassing her before she got on the ship?” Annette asked.

  “Right.”

  “Did she tell Patterson that when he talked to her?” Surely, the woman would’ve mentioned it when Patterson questioned her.

  “I tried to ask her but she started heaving…”

  Millie held up a hand. “I get the picture. Why would someone be harassing her? Beth never mentioned anything about it. Roger must’ve known.” Unless Roger was behind it. Maybe Delilah feared Roger, but then why would she move forward with plans to marry him?

  “I don’t know.” Nikki shook her head. “I hope I’m not going to come down with norovirus now.”

  “As long as you didn’t touch anything inside their cabin and you washed your hands right after, you should be okay.” Millie patted her arm. “You were a huge help, Nikki. I owe you one.”

  “Thanks Millie.”

  Annette and Millie told Nikki goodnight and then made their way past the elevators to the stairs.

  “I smell a rat,” Annette said.

  “It seems like there was a lot of bad blood swirling around Delilah.”

  When they reached the crew deck, Millie paused. “I’m going to try to jot out a timeline of events. Maybe it will help clear my head and something will jump out at me. Thanks for the backup.”

  “You’re welcome.” Annette smiled. “I know you’d do the same for me.”

  Millie wandered down the hall to her cabin. Danielle was nowhere in sight so Millie got ready for bed before she settled into the chair in front of the desk. She reached for the notepad and pen on top but when she spotted her worn Bible, she grabbed it instead.

  She flipped the Bible open to where she’d left off. Millie was studying the Book of Isaiah, one of her favorites for reading Biblical prophecies and turned to Isaiah, Chapter 41:

  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV

  Millie closed her eyes and meditated on the words. It seemed as if she hadn’t had a moment’s peace since boarding the ship. There were times she wondered if she was meant to be there and perhaps somehow God was trying to tell her something.

  She finished reading chapter 41 before tucking her bookmarker inside. Millie closed her eyes to pray. She’d been so wrapped up in all that was going on, that her prayer life had suffered.

  Millie asked God to forgive her and then poured her heart out, questioning her reason for being on the ship and questioning why it seemed she had a dark cloud of disaster following her around.

  A sense of peace enveloped her and by the time she lifted her head, she felt much better. She glanced at the pad of paper and pen and then slid them to the corner. She would have plenty of time to work on a timeline in the morning.

  All she wanted to do at that moment was spend a few hours stress and drama-free. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers around her chin before falling asleep.

  Chapter 15

  Millie woke to Danielle shuffling around inside the cabin. She opened her eyes and blinked in an attempt to adjust to the bright fluorescent light. “What are you doing?”

  She watched as Danielle, who was already dressed in her work uniform, flipped the light on and then stood in front of the full-length mirror, deftly smoothing her long blonde hair into a ponytail.

  “I’m scheduled to work in the library for a few hours.”

  Millie narrowed her eyes as she gazed at Danielle suspiciously. “You hate the library. In fact, you hate reading.”

  “It was either that or host the singles early bird paint and pastries get-together.”

  Millie threw her covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Do you really hate hosting the singles events that much? We can ask Andy to start swapping some of our schedules so you can get a break.”

  “I have to admit there are times I get tired of the singles events, but it’s not that. I was looking forward to the painting get-together, but there’s this creepy guy who keeps hitting on me at the singles events and I’m trying to shake him.” Danielle tugged on the bottom of her blouse.

  “I’m not surprised.” Millie slowly stood and lifted her hands over her head to stretch. “I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more, Danielle. You’re one hot chick.”

  Danielle snorted. “Thanks, I think. I’ve been hit on a few times and have had to nip some advances in the bud but this guy won’t give up and he’s starting to get on my nerves. I’m afraid I’m gonna get fed up and deck him.”

  “What does he look like?” Millie wondered if she’d seen him around the ship.

  “About yay tall.” Danielle held her hand level to her chin. He’s got bulging eyes, a spreading rotunda and when he gets close, his breath smells like curdled milk and he talks like this.” Danielle blew a burst of air from her mouth. “Mark-uh.”

  “His name is Mark?”

  “Yah, at least I think it’s Mark. I had better head out before I’m late. Buh-bye,” she gasped.

  Millie grinned as Danielle slipped out of their cabin to start her shift in the library.

  With everything that had gone on the previous evening, Millie had forgotten to stop by Andy’s office to grab her schedule. It was still early and she had plenty of time to head down there to pick it up.

  Andy wasn’t there but the schedule was lying on his conference table. She picked it up and slipped her reading glasses on. She scanned the list and paused when she noticed Cruise Clue, the new adult mystery/scavenger hunt, scheduled for early afternoon.

  There was also a white envelope wi
th her name on it. Millie reached inside and removed the contents. Clipped together were small slips of paper. Each clipped pile was numbered. She scanned the instructions and after realizing these were the clues for the game, she tucked the papers in her jacket pocket and headed out.

  Thankfully, she wasn’t scheduled to co-host one of the early morning exercise classes which gave her enough time to grab a bagel and cream cheese before heading to the theater for the St. Thomas port stop shopping talk. St. Thomas was famous for jewelry and the fact passengers could purchase duty-free merchandise on the island was a big draw.

  Millie was hosting the event. Because of her recent break, she’d forgotten some of the key tips so she skimmed through her notes before stepping onto the stage to start the presentation. After the slide show ended, many of the passengers made their way to the front to pick up discount coupon books.

  The theater emptied and Millie headed to the library to check on Danielle, concerned for her friend now that she was aware a passenger on board was making her uncomfortable.

  She stepped inside the small library where several clusters of passengers sat at tables playing board games and cards while others lounged in leather chairs near the large picture windows.

  Millie spotted Danielle sitting at a small desk near the door. “Have you had any sightings of your overzealous admirer?”

  Danielle tightened her ponytail. “No thank goodness. Maybe he found someone else to stalk.” The two women chatted for several moments before Danielle’s replacement wandered in and the women exited the library.

  “Have you heard anything else on the norovirus?” Danielle whispered as they walked.

  “No.” The last thing Millie needed was to catch the virus. She had enough on her plate to deal with. “Maybe that’s what happened to your mysterious admirer.”

  The women passed by the buffet as they made their way to the salad bar, located in the center of the dining room.