Deep Sea Dead

by Lori Avocato

  Speaking of Jackie, I had to head off and see what I could find out. I walked toward the door. “Tell him hi when he wakes. Daddy too.”

  My father mumbled.

  Mother brushed some imaginary dust from the bedside table. At least I couldn’t see any. Then again, I didn’t have her “cleaning” genes. “Almost time for dinner, Pauline. Do not eat at the buffets around here,” she repeated. “You never know who touched what. And if they washed their hands first.”

  “Yes, Mother. You mentioned that before.” Suddenly I lost my appetite.

  “Doesn’t hurt repeating. Not all passengers wash their hands before meals. I read that before we came on this ship.”

  “Love you both,” I said and hurried to the door.

  My mother stepped in front of me. “You really do look nice.”

  I nodded in agreement (the only sensible thing to do) and ran out (the other sensible thing to do). Once in the hallway, I wondered, What the hell did she mean by that? Was mother just being nice or did she have some hidden meaning behind her words?

  Pauline, I said to myself, we’re talking about Stella Sokol here.

  I went with hidden meaning.

  On the way up to Miles and Goldie’s suite, I told myself my mother was going to spend her entire trip trying to find me a husband-and I’d be sequestered on this damn floating singles prison until she did.

  I shook my head as the elevator door opened-and I ran smack into a prospect. “Oh! Sorry.”

  The bronzed god caught me before I knocked him against the wall. With a face as red as a cooked lobster, I looked up at him. With shoulders like that, he couldn’t be knocked into anything.

  Well-built arms held me for a few more seconds until I eased free. He had on black shorts, a sleeveless black-and-white tee shirt and matching sneakers. Yikes he looked good.

  “No problem.” He leaned near and read my name badge. “Ms. Sokol. Nurse Sokol, I’m guessing.”

  “How did you know?” The elevator door started to close. The god stuck his hand out and it slid back into the wall. I don’t think he even touched it.

  “The uniform. I’m Hunter Knight. Cruise director.” He held out his hand and the elevator door started to close again.

  Since he ignored it, I went to grab for it. “You’ll miss your floor.”

  He took my hand and said, “It’ll be there.”

  The door shut.

  My heart might have stopped for a few seconds. I wasn’t sure, but I had all the symptoms, including that white light thing. Well, maybe that was the reflection of Hunter’s teeth. They were damn perfect, as was the rest of his body, right up to the blond hair and blue eyes. Maybe contacts. But still looked good. Hey, we could all use some artificial help sometime.

  The elevator started to move. I had to ignore it. Once I was stuck in an elevator with Jagger and I ended up passing out. Well, stuck was not exactly the correct term. He’d stopped it. I looked at Hunter and told myself Jagger was miles away and that I should just concentrate on the present.

  “So, what do you think about the Golden Dolphin so far?”

  “I…please press Eleven. Thanks.” I eased back and realized the wall behind me was glass. The entire passenger population could see my butt pressed up against it even though covered in my whites. Pull yourself together, Pauline. “Oh, this is my first cruise, but the boat…ship…is wonderful. I mean you can’t even feel it moving. It’s so…lovely and the purple and green and gold and the passengers look so happy…”

  I pushed away from the glass and looked to see Hunter grinning. Once again I had babbled uncontrollably in the presence of a gorgeous guy. I blamed the recent incident on my mother making me flustered.

  I had to get “lucky” soon.

  Obviously it had been way too long.

  The door opened. “Here’s Eleven.” He held the door and said, “I’ve got all kinds of good things planned for this cruise. I hope you will join me in some of them.”

  My mouth went dry. Words wouldn’t come until I ordered myself to say, “Sure. I’m sure it will be fun on my time off.”

  He smiled.

  Yikes.

  Before I stepped out, he said, “How about joining me tonight? I have a dance set up for welcoming the passengers. Lots of single ladies, so I’ve hired some male hosts-”

  I felt my eyes widen. “Hired?”

  He chuckled. “Not like I’m some pimp, Pauline. It’s very common on cruises. Males are needed for escorts to the shows or to dance or just to have dinner with single ladies. I arrange that.”

  All I could say was, “I hope they don’t have to pay for their trip.”

  He laughed and moved to the side. “It’s taken care of. Part of the deal. Shall I pick you up around nine?”

  “P.M.?” I had envisioned myself asleep by then.

  He nodded. “I’ll find your cabin.”

  With that I stepped off the elevator, not even realizing that I’d successfully ridden it without so much as a heart palpitation from my phobia.

  The door closed behind me. I stood and looked around.

  Suddenly I’d forgotten where I was or why I was there.

  Four

  “Suga? Is that you?”

  I swung around to see Goldie, dressed in his Sandra Dee outfit and wig, coming down the hallway. Looked lovely and perky all at once. Now I remembered that I’d come here to see my friends. If I ran into any more bronze gods like Hunter and Rico, I might not be able to do either of my jobs.

  “Oh, hey, Gold.”

  He grabbed me and swung me around. “Don’t you just look precious in that outfit, Suga!”

  I laughed. “Thanks. How are you guys doing?”

  “Come inside. We are doing fab. Miles is down at the gym doing his Miles thing. I’ve been out looking at the scenery and planning our trip. This ship has a great cruise director…”

  I know Goldie was still talking, but my mind flashed back to the elevator-and Hunter Knight. “White knight in shining armor” came to mind, or maybe, since it was a swinging singles cruise, white knight out of his shining armor.

  “Suga?”

  I felt a tug on my arm.

  “You all right?”

  “I…met him. The cruise director.”

  Goldie whistled. “Ah. Now I see why the trance. Good. Keeps your mind off that dangerous yet infectious Jagger. You know he’s not good for you-”

  I didn’t want to hear Goldie’s usual “Jagger is like a drug” routine. He’ll hook you and then hurt you. “He’s not good for anyone. I know. Yes, I met Hunter Knight. As a matter of fact, I’m meeting him tonight-”

  “Yippee!” Goldie shouted.

  A young couple walking down the hallway hand in hand turned and smiled.

  “You go, girl,” Goldie added, a bit more controlled. “I have a very good feeling about this cruise, Suga. Just what the doctor ordered.”

  “I thought you were worried we’d get sucked into the Bermuda Triangle.” I chuckled.

  Goldie waved a hand. His nails matched the pink in his shirt perfectly. “Sometimes we have to take our chances in life. It’s time for you, Suga. Time.”

  Time? Hopefully it wasn’t my time for…you know. “Hey, Gold. Listen to this.” I told him about Betty and Jackie being at odds, not wanting to tell me something, and then dropping the bomb about the missing nurse.

  Goldie shrieked, oh-so-very-Goldie-like. “Suga, you have to find out more. A missing nurse? It sounds as if there is more deception going on around here than just your fraud case!”

  “That much I already knew. Actually, there has to be much more going on around here. Neither women seemed…scared. They were more evasive, as if hiding something.”

  Goldie hugged me. “You be careful-and wear your pink necklace.”

  I laughed. “I thought you and Miles were here to protect me, but I guess you’re too busy having fun.”

  He looked at me a second. A tiny painful look filled his eyes.

  I slapped his
arm. “I’m kidding. I know you guys would jump overboard to save me.” I forced a laugh and Goldie smiled.

  “We sure would-”

  “As long as you were wearing every life jacket that was onboard.” We both laughed this time.

  With that, Goldie kissed my cheek, and confident that my friends were having a good cruise already (and deserved it), I headed back to my quarters.

  I’d have to get to know Jackie better. She was, after all, my new roomie, and I’d be working with her very soon. Whatever had gone on with her and Betty, I had no idea, but I’d look into it, along with the overcharges-and the missing Remy Girard.

  I eased the door to my cabin open very slowly so as not to wake Jackie. When I peeked inside, I saw her sitting on a chair, feet up on my bed, and painting her nails. Between each toe was a wad of cotton. Her hair was pulled up on her head and some orange cream covered her face.

  Damn it all, but she still looked good.

  “Oh, hi,” I said coming in. She didn’t move from my bed.

  “Finding your way around?”

  I nodded and watched while she painted the middle nail a deep bronze color. Goldie would love it. Jackie really didn’t look at me as she spoke-more over my head-and I noticed she didn’t address me by name. Guess she forgot it.

  “Why, yes. I had a nice tour of the medical facility by Betty-”

  Jackie groaned.

  “-and Rico.”

  Jackie grinned.

  Hmm. Very interesting. “I saw on the schedule that I’ll be working with you on Monday.”

  She nodded. “That’s fine. Read the manual so you know what the hell to do.”

  For a few seconds I stood there speechless. Jackie was an odd duck even if a pretty one. Her dark brown eyes and matching hair, even shoved up in a mess, emphasized her European features. If she were male, I’d call her swarthy, but since she wasn’t, I had to go with exotic.

  “Oh, yeah. I’ll be sure to read the manual by then.” I sat on her bed and shoved off my shoes. “There is one thing that will be very different for me, I’m sure.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Well, I’m not used to dealing with the patients-”

  “Passengers,” she corrected without so much as a glance. Her right foot was up on my bed now, and she was gingerly painting the little toe with more care than she had acknowledged toward our conversation.

  “Oh, yeah.” I laughed. “I can’t get used to calling them passengers. Anyway, I’m not used to charging them or having anything to do with that end of the care either. Billing is not my thing.”

  Her hand stopped. The nail-polish brush slipped. A bronze streak marked her upper foot. Suddenly I felt as if we’d docked in Paris. Jackie went on and on in French. The only words I understood were diabolique and enfer-both of which I guessed had something to do with hell. Either way, Jackie did not seem like a happy camper.

  She had to be my ticket to solving this case and finding out who was taking all the money from overcharging passengers for medical care. Well, at least she could be a start. How convenient that she was rooming with me and-gulp-how scary.

  Jackie swabbed off the nail polish from her skin. For a second, I thought I should just leave her alone. But then again, where better to start my questioning?

  “So,” I said, “We really don’t need to deal with who gets charged how much?”

  She seemed to have calmed herself as she pitched the bronze-covered swab into the trash. “Oui.”

  We what? I waited until it dawned on me that Jackie had slipped back into French. Hmm. Seems as if when she became upset, she would speak in her mother tongue. Speaking of mothers, I wish I had mine’s ability to get the truth out of someone with just a look. “That’s good. I’m not good with numbers.” I laughed. So her story wasn’t really any different from Betty’s.

  “Did I tell you that my family is on this cruise too?” I hoped that didn’t sound as out of place and stupid as I felt saying it. I’d only had a minute amount of conversation with Jackie earlier, but there was a method to my madness.

  “Family?”

  “Yep. Parents and one uncle. Two friends too. Great friends. They’re my roommates back home in Connecticut.”

  She didn’t even look up.

  “Whereabouts are you from, Jackie?”

  She finished her toes, leaned back in the chair and let her feet stay on my bed until, I was guessing, her nails dried. “Paree.”

  Made me crave a croissant dripping in real butter and a black coffee-even though I’d prefer tea or decaf loaded with half and half. “Paris.”

  “I was born in New York City but raised in Paris since a baby.”

  So Jackie really was an American citizen. Actually she had dual citizenship. How cool. “Raised in Paris. Wow. Very glamorous.”

  “Do not let the world fool you.” She gently took the cotton out from between her toes and then got up. When she stopped at the bathroom door and turned, she said, “Do not let anyone fool you. It could cost you.”

  My mouth dropped down to my knees, the usual sign that something had shocked the dickens out of me. Jagger very often was the cause, but Jackie’s words added a bit more emotion, a new sensation stronger than anything Jagger had ever caused: fear.

  The exotic woman with bronze toenails knew something.

  That was all I could think about as I changed into a pair of silky black slacks and a silver-and-black sparkly sleeveless top and brushed my hair until it shone. Thank goodness Goldie had forced me to go shopping in the short time I’d had between receiving my assignment and sailing. There was no better personal shopper than my Gold. Even Miles would acknowledge that.

  I took out my Estee Lauder perfume and sprayed my neck and wrists.

  Jackie indeed was a piece of work to study, but right now I had to get ready for my “date” with Hunter. Date? Maybe I was being presumptuous. He probably didn’t mean for it to be a date. Maybe he was just trying to welcome a new crewmember onboard.

  When the knock sounded on my room’s door, I stuck my feet into my black spike heels and gave myself one last look in the mirror before shoving the sink back up against the wall.

  Hmm. Not bad.

  Jackie had left sometime before supper, after telling me where and when to go eat with the crew. I had a nice turkey meal (not buffet) in the crewmembers’ dining hall on deck two with Betty and the crew’s purser, Claude Bernard, who now dated Jackie. Hmm. He told me that he handled all the crew paperwork and assisted in all crew matters. I already knew all that but didn’t interrupt. I wondered how much he knew about me. I was anxious to meet the main medical receptionist, but never did, since I had to get back to my room to change.

  Knock. Knock.

  “Oops. Coming in a second!” One last look in the mirror, and then I hurried and opened the door.

  “Good evening.”

  Hunter Knight gave new meaning to the term “white knight in shining armor.” He looked delicious. For a second I felt as if I’d traveled back in time to the Love Boat and he was the guest star of the show.

  “Hey. Was I supposed to wear my uniform?”

  He chuckled. “You look wonderful. When it is your time off, Pauline, you can wear whatever you like…or not.”

  The twinkle in his eye would be classified as X-rated.

  And the thoughts on my mind would be too.

  Hey, a girl needed a reprieve from fear/fraud/ and friends every once in a while.

  Since it was my time off and Hunter’s job involved planning fun for the passengers, we were allowed in the Bottlenose Lounge tonight. The chairs, a deep aquamarine, were shaped like half barrels with nautical designs of anchors on them.

  On the walls were a series of golden dolphins that appeared to be swimming and jumping through waves. In the center of the place was a gigantic column-shaped tank of water-with three live dolphins swimming in it! At least they looked real. Less than four feet long, they must have been some kind of miniature, but it was really neat.

>   The column had to run two floors up, to the top deck, where they could go for air.

  A band was set up on the stage, which was a few feet above the wooden dance floor. Tables of passengers filled the room and amid the chatter, the music played softly.

  Hunter took my elbow and eased me toward the front of the room, where a bar, its glass top filled with colorful tiny fish, wrapped around the stage. He pointed to a stool shaped like a dolphin at the end. On the bar was a little gold “reserved” sign.

  “Just for you, Pauline. Tonight is the welcome dance.” He leaned near and whispered, “Welcome.”

  My toes curled in my pointy pumps.

  The bartender came over. She nodded at Hunter and smiled at me. Hunter introduced her as Edie Edwards. She reminded me of Adele Girard, Fabio’s receptionist and another of my friends, although dressed in her nice white crew’s uniform, I was guessing that Edie wasn’t an ex-con. Adele, however, was. “Nice to meet you,” I said.

  “Likewise, honey.” Edie had a Southern accent similar to Goldie’s. I wondered if she was from Louisiana too. Hunter excused himself to go talk to some passengers while Edie offered to get me a drink on Hunter’s tab.

  “Beer. Any kind,” I said, liking her already. It was nice to see a woman as the bartender. She probably was better at listening and being sympathetic than any guy could be. Well, except maybe a gay one.

  Edie laughed and poured me a mug from the tap. “So, you’re the new nurse.”

  It wasn’t a question, and I didn’t remember Hunter mentioning it in our introduction. I had the feeling there was a tight-knit community of crewmembers onboard this ship. I only hoped that I could infiltrate it.

  I took a sip of the ice-cold beer and smiled at Edie. She started to wipe the glass top of the bar with a white linen towel. “How long have you been working on this ship, Edie?”

  She paused. “Too damn long.” She chuckled.

  I thought of Adele again. Edie could come across as motherly just as Adele had. I laughed along with her. “Well, I’m sorry the nurse that I replaced became…ill, but I’m glad to be here.”