by Ann Mullen
“Then you do have secrets!”
“I was just kidding you.” I looked at Billy. “We aren’t hiding anything, are we?”
He turned and started fiddling with the container of pens on the desk. His silence spoke for him. He had kept something back from even me. I was hurt, and when I get hurt, I can’t hold back my feelings.
“I can’t believe you would hold something back from your wife. Spit it out right now, or you can move your toned little butt in here with Bella and Loukas.”
“Come on, Billy,” Bella said. “I know about the eye drops. I know about the cell phone call from Jimmy, and that he works for Utah. Remember, Utah works for us, so you can bet that we’re going to keep a close eye on him. He’s quite the dangerous one, but he’s not behind this. Nell would divorce him in a minute if anything happened to me or her father. She loves the man, but she doesn’t trust him anymore. That marriage is doomed. And the best of all, all my girls have a prenuptial agreement. You don’t think for one minute that I’d let anyone marry one of my rich daughters without one, do you? I must say, though, the one about Jimmy Carlson was a bit unnerving. We treat all of the people who work for us well. Why would…” She let her voice trail off.
Billy turned around to face us and said, “I’m not holding anything back. I uncovered something suspicious, but I wanted to make sure my instincts were right before I said anything.”
“What… what is it?” Bella asked.
“In the scheme of things, Bella, a pre-nup doesn’t mean a thing if the wife dies. It only applies to divorce. How about a will? Do your girls have a will?”
“The pre-nups and the wills were drawn up by my lawyers, and signed by each one of the girls and their husbands. My girls are covered.”
“I don’t like what I have to tell you, but here goes. Utah, Jeff, and Steven each took out a five-million dollar life insurance policy on their wives six months ago. Now, why do you think they’d do that at the exact same time?”
Bella and I raised our eyebrows.
“We have large polices on our girls that we set up for our grandchildren or for future grandchildren,” Bella added. “Their husbands don’t get a cent of that money. I never questioned whether they had insurance on our girls. Maybe I just figured they probably did, like most folks. Obviously, they didn’t until now. That’s an awful lot of money, but my girls would be more valuable alive than a measly five-million-dollar life insurance policy.”
“Why not have it all?” I asked with a determined look on my face, my eyebrows raised, and my head bobbing.
Bella and Billy laughed.
“You and your faces!” Billy said, and then smiled again. He became serious. “I’m not so sure that Loukas is the only target. When a spouse takes out such a large policy, a red flag goes up for me. How about you?”
“Those lousy creeps!” Bella shouted. “I could see Utah doing something like that, but Steven and Jeff? I’m shocked at the idea. I think the subject is worth bringing up at dinner, don’t you?”
“Not unless you want the evening to turn out like it did last night.”
“How can I hold something like this back? I have to speak my peace!”
“No, Bella,” Billy commanded. “I told you this so you would be in the know. If you bring this up, you could set off a chain reaction that we can’t control. No, you must save this information for just the right time. Tonight is not the night.”
Bella calmed down a little and decided to heed Billy’s advice. “You’re the P.I. here, so I’m going along with you for now. Please feel free to let me know when I can spring this on my sons-in-law. I’ll have to tell Loukas.”
“He already knows. I told him as soon as I found out.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” I asked, my feelings hurt.
“You were too busy getting stuck in an elevator with Sherlock Bella Holmes and Jessica Savannah Fletcher.” Billy let out a little chuckle.
I turned to Bella and said, “I’m curious to know how you found out about the poison and Jimmy Carlson before me if Billy didn’t tell you.”
“I have my ways.”
“I see you’ve been around my husband too long,” I joked. “That’s what Billy always tells me when I ask him where he got his information.”
“So, I’m a copycat.”
“You’re a trip, Miss Bella,” I said. “But can you keep this bit about the insurance to yourself for the time being?”
“My lips are sealed.” She zipped her lips as if to emphasize her intent.
“We’re assuming that no one knows about the policies,” Billy said. “How would you feel if you broke bad on Utah, Jeff, and Steven, only to find out this was old news to the girls?”
“I’d be wrong. I can afford to be wrong at least once.” She laughed. “But what if I’m right? Then I’d get the chance to lambaste that hateful Utah Hawks. The joy of it would be worth it to me. If those men did what you said, they had bad intentions. I’m sure of it. I’ll confront them without the presence of my daughters. That way I can fill my cup with happiness. I’m sorry to think that Jeff or Steven would go along with Utah, but if they did, they will no longer be in my good graces.”
Bella Constance is a woman with strong principles. Cross her, and you might as well go hang yourself from the nearest tree. Billy and I found that out rather quickly, but it didn’t matter. She could count on us. Loyalty is our family motto. We stick by the ones we love, and we break the ones who try to hurt us. Bad guys don’t stand a chance with us.
So far…
Chapter 15
After deciding that we’d keep mum about our discovery of the life insurance polices and everything else until we got more evidence, Billy demanded that Bella agree to stay out of the way.
“You have got to stop playing detective,” Billy said in a stern manner he uses when he’s trying to get his point firmly across. “I know you all have stuck your noses in some places you shouldn’t have. You need to stop it right now. Jesse might seem like just one of the girls, but she’s also a professional. She’s good at what she does. I’m afraid that if she keeps running around with you and Savannah, she’ll get distracted. So, no more lunches!” Billy laughed at both of us, and when he noticed that we weren’t laughing, he stopped. “I was trying to add a little humor to a not-so-humorous situation. Seriously, someone could get hurt.” He looked at Bella. “Enjoy the cruise, keep your eyes open, and go on about your business as if nothing’s wrong. In other words—be like a tourist enjoying the cruise. I’ll keep you informed every step of the way. And if I need your help, I’ll let you know. You can still hang around my wife as long as you behave yourself.”
Bella looked at me and said, “I guess he told me, huh?”
“He plays it straight from the hip. Billy don’t pull no punches!”
“Such improper grammar!” Bella protested. “If your mother could hear you now she wouldn’t believe her educated, beautiful, and brilliant daughter would speak so poorly.”
“You don’t even know my mother!” I kidded her.
“I know everyone, my dear… everyone that matters. How do you think I got to where I am?”
“By being educated, beautiful, and brilliant!” I mocked her. “How else?”
“Power, my dear. If you have the know-how to achieve power, you can have it all… know it all…”
I looked at Billy and interrupted her by saying, “Did we bring our wading boots? We’re going to need them. It’s getting a little deep in here.”
There was a light tap at the door.
“May I come in?” Loukas asked as he stuck his head in. “I hope I’m not interrupting. What’s the topic of conversation?” He walked in and closed the door.
“We were just discussing the same matters you and I talked about earlier,” Billy answered. “I’m glad you’re here. I think it’s imperative that we keep all our information limited to a very select group of people… a very select group.”
“I agree,” Loukas said. H
e looked at Bella. “Don’t tell anyone anything you know. Not even the girls.”
“I won’t,” she said. “Billy has already told me to keep quiet. I know how dangerous this can get, so trust me, I won’t say a word. I would never do anything to put my girls in jeopardy.” She stepped forward, kissed Loukas on the check, and said, “Or you.”
The phone on the desk rang.
Loukas lovingly smiled at his wife, kissed her on the cheek, and said, “You’re a good woman, Bella Constance.” Then he turned, walked over to the desk, and picked up the phone. He mumbled a few words and then handed the phone to Billy. “It’s your friend in Atlanta.”
Billy took the phone and excused himself as he walked to a corner of the room. When he returned, he had some very interesting news for us. “My friend and his men waited for the wife to leave and then searched Jimmy Carlson’s house. You’ll never guess what they found.”
“What?” the three of us asked at the same time.
“They found a briefcase under the master bed with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in it. It has to be a payoff. Who keeps that much cash hidden under the bed… in a briefcase?”
“The question is,” I said, “where did the money come from?”
“More to the point,” Loukas added. “The money just goes to prove that he was involved.”
“Why did he try to warn you if he was part of the plan?” Bella wanted to know.
“Perhaps he developed a conscience,” I suggested.
“I think he was involved, and then changed his mind, but couldn’t find a way out,” Billy deduced. “And… I think he committed suicide.”
“He drank poison on purpose?”
“Here’s something I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you until now,” Billy said to Loukas, and then looked at Bella and me. “Jimmy’s wife, Eva, accompanied his body when they took it off the ship. As a courtesy, Captain O’Riley promised that his crew would collect their belongings, and have them sent to their home as soon as possible. So, as soon as I could, I went through their things and found a bottle of Zanax. Now, the odd thing about that is, the date on the prescription was four days ago, but the bottle only had three pills in it. I think he took a handful, and then drank the champagne to wash down the pills. He might not have known the glass was coated with eye drop solution… or he might have.”
A light tap at the door interrupted our conversation.
“We should rejoin the others,” Billy said. “We can pick this up later. Put on your poker faces. We will keep our secrets to ourselves.”
With that said, the four of us, straight-faced, walked out of the office.
Everyone knows what a poker face is, but to be able to put one on instantly is hard to do, especially if you’re in the company of someone like Bella. Both of us almost laughed out loud when she looked at me and smirked, distorting her face.
I leaned close to her and whispered, “Stop it, bad girl! You’re going to get me sent to the principal’s office.”
It was all she could do to stifle her laughter, but she rebounded and kept it together. For a minute, I thought I had her there. I just knew she wouldn’t be able to contain herself, but she fooled me. What a prim and proper woman!
“Sir, you should not leave my presence unless you’re in the bathroom,” Jacob whispered to Loukas. “I can’t protect you if you slip out of my sight.”
“Oh, Jacob, you worry too much,” Loukas replied as he patted him on the back. “We were with Billy and Jesse. We’re safe.”
Captain O’Riley walked over and spoke to us. “The ship will dock in the morning sometime before noon. I can’t pinpoint the exact time right at the moment, but I’ll have an update soon. I’m sorry we’re running a little behind, but out here the weather rules the sea.”
“We understand,” Loukas replied.
Chatter commenced. Everyone went about their business socializing. No one seemed to want to discuss the negative things that had happened so far, which lightened the mood for everyone. Food, alcohol and good conversation abounded.
After thirty minutes or so, I was ready to leave. I had eaten way too much food, and chitchatted until I was exhausted. I was ready to take a break. I wanted to check on Maggie and Teresa to make sure they were still doing okay, and I wanted to have a little time with my husband before something else happened… which I knew it would. Impending doom seemed to cloud my thoughts. Utah Hawks was also on my mind. I couldn’t get rid of that nagging feeling that he was up to something. Killing would not be hard for him. I’ve seen his kind. They have no heart.
I gave Billy the look, and within seconds he announced that we were leaving. He said he had business to attend to, but he didn’t elaborate, and no one asked. He also conveyed to the group that he wanted a little private time with his wife. He reached over, put his arm around my shoulder, and said, “What do you say, `ge ya? Shall we take care of business and then head back to our room?”
“I’m with you.” I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Lead the way.” I stopped for a second and then said, “I’d like to check on Maggie first, if you don’t mind.” I looked at the captain and asked, “Where is she?”
“She should be at the Med Center with her daughter, but I can call to find out for sure if you’d like.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
The captain pulled out his phone, walked to the other side of the room for privacy, and spoke to someone. When he returned, he closed the phone and stuck it back in his pocket.
“She’s still at the Med Center with her daughter. Dr. Whitley says she’s doing fine, and wants to know if you still have her medication. He says that her blood pressure is way up and she needs the pills. We don’t stock medication like that.”
Billy looked at me as I said, “I put them in a plastic bag to protect them for fingerprinting. They’re in my jacket pocket. I thought they should be turned in to someone as evidence, but I didn’t know who.” I looked at Billy. “What do you think? Shouldn’t they be tested for fingerprints?”
“We’ll talk to the doctor. If he’s positive the blood pressure pills are the right ones, I don’t see why she can’t have them. He can put them in a separate bottle, and we’ll still have the original container.” Billy looked at the captain and said, “I’ll talk with the doctor.”
The captain seemed to be satisfied that Billy had everything under control, or so he let everyone think that he was. I still had my reservations about him. Anyone who always appeared to be so nice, but would talk so hateful to an employee had a personality flaw, or wasn’t really the nice guy he appeared to be. Perhaps he was hiding something. That would be my guess.
As Allison walked over and handed us our jackets, Bella strolled up and said, “Cocktails at seven. Dinner at eight.”
I looked at the buffet table and then back to her.
“After eating all that food, who needs dinner? I’m ready for a nap!”
“That’s not the point, my dear,” she said in her lady-like voice. “The idea is to socialize, enjoy ourselves, and take full advantage of our cruise. You can sleep when you get home.” She winked at me.
“You know I’ll be here,” I replied, smiling. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I love being in your company. But first, I have something to do, and then I’m going to take a quick nap. I can’t keep going all day without fifteen minutes of shuteye at some interval.”
As we headed to the door, her parting words were, “See you at seven.”
Billy and I waved and mumbled our good-byes with the idea that we would see everyone later. We didn’t know it at the time, but that dinner was not to be.
The two of us talked as we walked close together toward the elevator on our journey to the top deck. I had now developed a fear of the death box and mentioned it to him.
“I know,” he said. “But I’m right here, and I’m not going to let anything happen to my woman. You know I have your back.”
“Yes, I do,” I replied, a bit relieved at the n
otion that I had a man who not only loved me, but would always protect me. “I trust you with my life, so if you tell me that the death box isn’t going to suck me up in it, I know it has to be true. I’m not afraid anymore. Let’s get this show on the road, partner.”
We stepped into the elevator and rode one deck up. When we exited, a familiar face stopped us, and said, “Thank you so much, Mrs. Blackhawk! You were right. That man had my dad’s wallet and my mom’s jewelry.”
“Maura?” I questioned. “You’re Maura Rodrigus, right?”
“You remembered my name!”
“Of course, I do. That’s part of my job. I have to be observant. So, your folks got back their personal belongings. I’m so glad to hear it.” I looked at Billy, then back to Maura, and asked, “Have you met my husband, Billy Blackhawk?”
“Not personally,” she replied. “But I’ve heard many good things about him.” She looked at Billy and added, “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m sure everyone on this ship is glad that the two of you are on board. I never knew there was so much mystery on a cruise… and so much crime. How is that guy doing who got stabbed with a fork? The rumor is he’s going to die. I heard they handcuffed that crazy woman and now have her locked up in the storage room. Is that true?”
Billy and I smiled.
“Rumors. That’s all it is,” he replied. “It’s a complicated story, but the bottom line is, the man’s going to be fine, and the woman isn’t crazy. Her medications got mixed up.”
“But I saw her,” Maura said. “She went nuts when she saw that guy. She attacked him. And I don’t mind telling you, she had a crazed look on her face when she did it. I think she’s dangerous.”
“Everything is under control,” Billy said, trying to reassure her. “You have nothing to fear on this ship except the weather.”
Maura chuckled. “I guess you’re right,” she said. “Tongues do wag, don’t they?”
“It was very nice to meet you, Maura, but Jesse and I must take our leave. We have urgent business to attend to.”
“I’m sorry to have held you up. Is there anything I can help you with?”
