Cruise Control (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 6)

by Hope Callaghan

  “How many extra security guards?”

  Andy shrugged. “He didn’t say. Said Donovan Sweeney had all the pertinent information but not to mention it to the other staff or crew. He said no one should even notice.”

  Millie tore a chunk of her crusty bread and dipped it in the lasagna sauce. She had never known the ship to bring on extra security guards, especially on short notice. Every person employed by the cruise line went through a rigorous background check and it took weeks, sometimes months, to complete the process.

  Obviously, someone even higher up than Captain Armati had authorized the extra security. Millie knew many, but not all of the employees onboard Siren of the Seas.

  “The only thing he told me is they would be scattered about the ship working in various areas.”

  “Including entertainment?”

  “Yep.” He nodded.

  It would be nearly impossible to figure out who the extra employees would be. Every week there were new crewmembers joining the ship, along with those returning from break or transferring from a sister ship to begin working on Siren of the Seas.

  Andy finished his last bite of chicken, wiped his mouth with his napkin and set the napkin, along with his fork, on top of the empty plate. “Why don’t you give your family a tour of the ship after making your rounds? I won’t need you backstage until later, before the first headliner show, Gem of the Seas, begins.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Millie smiled. “I’m heading up to lido to check in with Zack and the sail away party before making a run by the youth area to check on Danielle.”

  “Good idea. Hard telling what brilliant new idea Danielle has come up with this week for our young passengers.” Andy slid his chair back and stood as he reached for his tray of dirty dishes.

  Millie watched Andy zigzag around the dining tables, nodding to guests and stopping to chat with a couple of them before he disappeared through the sliding glass doors.

  She quickly finished her food and carried her tray to the bin near the door. The lido deck and pool area were on the other side of the buffet area.

  Strains of music from the steel drums wafted through the air. Millie loved the tropical island tunes and even after all of these months of working onboard the ship, she hadn’t grown tired of hearing them.

  The party was in full swing with Zack leading the passengers in a rousing rendition of the Macarena.

  Millie caught a glimpse of Gloria and Liz, right in the thick of the action and she grinned. She could see the other girls, Gloria and Liz’s friends, dancing as well.

  Millie caught Gloria’s eye and her cousin slipped out of the crowd and made her way over.

  “Looks like fun.” Millie said. “Zack is one of my favorite dancers. He’s a hoot!”

  A breathless, bright-eyed Gloria nodded. “Yeah. I can’t believe how much fun we’re having,” she gushed.

  “I have to make my rounds right now, but Andy suggested I give you and the girls a tour of the ship, if you’re interested,” Millie said.

  Gloria wiped the perspiration from her brow and nodded. “Sounds great. What time?”

  “Give me an hour and I’ll meet you over there.” Millie pointed to the tiki bar in the corner of the lido deck, right next to the towel station.

  “Gotcha.”

  Millie watched as Gloria rejoined her friends before making her way to the railing. She paused to pick up a dirty plate and empty cocktail glass before heading down the side steps.

  Her first stop was “The Shed,” the activity center for the nine to eleven year old passengers. One of the other crew, a young man Millie had seen before but for the life of her couldn’t remember his name, was talking to a group of passengers. Millie gave a small wave and continued her rounds.

  The Teen Scene, the group Danielle was in charge of, was next door and she could hear hip-hop music blaring through the closed door. Millie opened the door and peeked inside.

  Danielle and a large group of teens had gathered in a semi-circle. Millie’s cabin mate and co-worker was showing them how to play a large, interactive video game. She stood off to the side and listened.

  Satisfied that Danielle was not getting into trouble, at least for the moment, Millie slipped out the door and headed to Ocean Treasures, one of the ship’s gift shops, which was located on deck seven, to check in on her friend, Cat Wellington.

  Millie gazed in the large picture window and caught a glimpse of Cat’s beehive hairdo, piled high atop her head. Ocean Treasures was closed and wouldn’t open until the ship was in international waters. She tapped on the double glass door in the front.

  Cat held up a finger and then darted to the door, unlocking it to let Millie slip inside. “Well? Did your family make it onboard?”

  Millie nodded. “Yep. They’re upstairs on lido at the sail away party. I’m going to give them a tour of the ship.” She leaned her hip against the door and studied her friend’s pale face. “Have you been sleeping any better lately?”

  Cat shook her head. “No,” she confessed. “Not really.”

  Millie patted her arm, a concerned expression etched on her own face. “I know you’re still struggling with Jay’s prison escape and I want you to know I’m here if you want to talk.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” Cat unlocked the entrance door to let Millie out and Millie turned back. “Are you getting off in San Juan?”

  “I-I have the day off but no, I’m not.” Cat lowered her gaze and shifted her stance. “I…don’t need anything onshore so I’ve decided to stay on the ship.”

  Millie frowned. Ever since Cat’s husband, Jay, had kidnapped and attacked her, her friend had refused to leave the safety and security of the ship.

  At first, Millie thought all she needed was a little time to put the incident behind her. She had even offered to accompany her friend off the ship but Cat had dug in her heels and refused even to consider it.

  Millie started to say something and then changed her mind, instead deciding to discuss it with their friend, Annette.

  “I’ll see you later,” Millie said as she stepped into the hall and headed toward the galley.

  Annette’s kitchen area was not far from the gift shop and on the same deck.

  Millie peeked through the round galley window and then gently pushed on the door to let herself in. She gazed around the large, open kitchen and prep area.

  Amit, Annette’s right hand man, was near the dessert station and he waved a spatula in her direction. “Miss Annette is in the storage room.”

  “Thanks Amit.” Millie strolled between two large stainless steel prep stations and made her way to the expansive storage area in the back. “Knock-knock.”

  Annette Delacroix spun around, clipboard in hand. “Hey there. I was wondering how you were doing. How’s the fam?”

  “Great. I’m giving them the grand tour shortly,” Millie said. “I’ll bring them by to meet you.”

  Annette smiled and set the clipboard on top of a row of canned stewed tomatoes. “I can hardly wait.”

  “Seems we’re going to have a few extra security guards onboard for this cruise,” Millie told her friend.

  “Oh really. Why?”

  Millie repeated her story of the men in suits, Nikki taking them to meet the captain and Andy’s statement about the extra security.

  Annette stuck her hand on her hip. “That’s odd. I wonder what is going on.”

  “Me too. I’m on my way to see Captain Armati next,” Millie said.

  “Ah.” Annette lowered her eyelids and batted her eyes. “I’m sure he’s anxious to see you.”

  Millie’s face reddened. There had been sparks flying between Captain Armati and Millie, and they had even gone on a day date while in Jamaica, not long before he took his leave.

  She hadn’t heard from him since he left, which wasn’t unusual. Contact with the outside world was limited – and expensive – while onboard the ship. The crew was allotted a certain amount of internet time each week, which M
illie used up when she went through her emails and checked her bank account.

  On occasion, if Millie had some hours off while in port, she would leave the ship in search of free Wi-Fi on the islands. The younger crewmembers were not only familiar with the free hotspots but also a wealth of information when it came to island communication.

  Millie kept in touch with her children, especially her daughter, Beth, on a weekly basis, and her son, Blake, but on a more limited basis. Blake wasn’t much of a phone person and last time she’d talk to Beth, her daughter had mentioned Blake had just broken up with his girlfriend. The relationship had been short-lived and Millie hadn’t even met her.

  The holidays had passed and although Millie had been a little sad to be alone, she had Annette and Cat to keep her company. The three of them had celebrated together, along with Andy and Amit.

  Siren of the Seas had been decorated in festive Christmas decorations and holiday music played throughout the ship, but it was still a hard for Millie to see all the happy families spending time together for the holidays while she was without hers.

  It had been the first Thanksgiving and Christmas Millie had ever been away from home and family. It was a good thing she had stayed busy.

  Millie started to go and then remembered Cat. “Cat isn’t getting off in San Juan, although she has the day off.”

  Annette frowned. “Oh no. That no-good thug ex of hers is still controlling poor Cat, even from a prison cell thousands of miles away.”

  “We need to do something about it. I’m worried about her,” Millie said. “The longer she refuses to face her fears, the harder it will be for her to move past the incident and get on with her life.”

  Millie understood Cat’s fears were well founded. Jay, her ex, had escaped from prison and tracked Cat down while Siren of the Seas was docked at a remote island and then kidnapped her…with one goal in mind…to torture and kill his ex-wife.

  “Maybe we can talk to her later,” Millie suggested and then changed the subject. “I better get going if I want to stop by the bridge before meeting Gloria and Liz up on deck.”

  “I’ll be back with them for the grand tour,” Millie promised as she stepped out of the storage pantry and made her way through the kitchen and out into the hall.

  ***

  Meanwhile, back on the panorama deck…

  Gloria Kennedy knocked on the door that connected Andrea, Lucy and her suite to Margaret, Dot and Ruth’s.

  The door opened and Ruth peeked around the corner.

  “You want to leave these doors open?” Gloria asked.

  “Sure, why not.” Dot swung the door open. Gloria crossed the threshold and stepped into the room. She hadn’t been inside their suite yet and wondered if the layout was the same, which it was.

  Margaret was lying on a lounge chair out on the balcony sunbathing. She shaded her eyes and peered into the room. “C’mon in. Join the party.”

  Meanwhile, Ruth was standing on a sofa gazing up at a small vent in the ceiling. She glanced at Gloria and turned her attention back to the vent cover. “I wonder how hard it would be to set up surveillance inside there.”

  “You’re not considering bugging this place…” Gloria’s voice trailed off.

  “No, of course not.” Ruth stuck a hand on her hip. “That would be crazy.” She hopped off the sofa. “Did you happen to notice all the surveillance cameras onboard the ship? They’re everywhere!”

  Gloria hadn’t noticed. She doubted 99% of the passengers onboard had noticed, but most passengers weren’t her friend, Ruth, who had an extreme obsession with spy equipment, which had come in handy during several of Gloria’s investigations in and around their small town of Belhaven, Michigan.

  “I’m going to join Margaret on the balcony.” Andrea made her way into the suite wearing a baby blue tank top and matching blue shorts.

  The girls’ adjoining balcony was spacious and boasted several chaise lounge chairs. Next to the chairs were small tables.

  Lucy wandered into the suite. She flopped down on the small sofa, grabbed the cruise ships’ travel guide and flipped through the pages. “Wow! There are some cool islands. Look at the gorgeous, turquoise waters. Can we go kayaking?”

  Gloria grinned. This cruise had been Lucy’s brainchild. She was the instigator and had planned the entire cruise.

  The trip had been on Lucy’s bucket list for several years, and she had been so excited when she found out Gloria and Margaret had booked the cruise as a surprise for all of them. “I’ll try it, Lucy.”

  “Someone is knocking on your door.” Dot stuck her head into Gloria’s suite. She disappeared inside the room and returned with Liz and Frances in tow.

  Liz was carrying a plate of assorted vegetables and a container of vegetable dip.

  Frances was behind her, carrying a plate of cookies, which she set on the small coffee table, right in front of Lucy.

  “Where did you get those?” Lucy reached for a chocolate chip cookie.

  “Room service.” Liz slid the plate of veggies and dip next to the cookies. “Did you know we have twenty four hour room service?”

  They had eaten just a couple hours earlier, right before the mandatory safety drill. “We ate not two hours ago,” Gloria pointed out.

  Liz reached for a carrot stick. “So? I plan to get my money’s worth.”

  The girls chatted about the ship, the port stop in San Juan the following day, and what time they would meet for dinner as they munched on the treats.

  “What should we do now?” Liz looked at her watch.

  Margaret emerged from the balcony. “I’m ready for one of those tall, frosty frozen concoctions with a little umbrella sticking out of the top.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Ruth said.

  Andrea, who had followed Margaret inside, nodded. “I could use something to cool me off.”

  The girls closed the balcony doors, gathered their keycards and headed to the lido deck.

  ***

  Millie picked up the pace and headed toward the stairs as she made her way to the bridge. She reached deck ten, made a hard right and rounded the corner. The entrance to the bridge was at the end of a small hall.

  Millie slipped her lanyard from around her neck and swiped her access card through the slot. The light blinked green, and Millie turned the handle to let herself in.

  She had only visited the bridge a couple times while Captain Armati was on leave. She stepped inside and glanced around. Nothing had changed since her last visit.

  Her eyes were drawn to the front of the ship and the wall of windows. The expansive ocean view never ceased to amaze Millie. It was magnificent. The captain and crew had the best view onboard Siren of the Seas.

  She shifted her gaze to Captain Armati, who stood off in the corner, his back to her as he talked to Antonio Vitale, the staff captain.

  Millie cleared her throat and the captain spun around, a serious expression on his face. When he saw Millie, he lifted a brow and the frown vanished, replaced with a wide grin. “Ah, Millie! I was wondering if you would stop by.”

  Captain Vitale nodded at Millie, grabbed a pair of binoculars and turned his attention to the open waters.

  “Come.” Captain Armati waved her toward the small hall that connected the bridge and his private quarters. “Scout will be thrilled to see you!” He punched in his access code and when the door beeped, he pushed it open and stepped aside so Millie could enter.

  “Scout,” Millie called out. “Where are you?”

  A small brown ball of fur came barreling across the room and crashed into her ankle. The teacup Yorkie danced in a circle, let out a small whine and then began pawing at her leg.

  Millie bent down, picked him up and cuddled him close. “Look at you. Did you miss me?”

  She laughed as he licked her face and then placed his paw on her cheek.

  Captain Armati closed the door behind them and they stepped into his living room. “The first thing he did when we got here was search the
entire apartment. I believe he was looking for you.”

  Scout wiggled and squirmed until finally, Millie set him on the floor. He darted over to his pile of toys, pulled out a stuffed monkey, carried it over to her and dropped it on her foot.

  “For me?” She leaned over and picked it up as she patted his head before standing up.

  Captain Armati took a step closer, so close Millie’s pulse began to race. She caught of whiff of his cologne, a mixture of woodsy and masculine.

  “We both missed you.” His brooding dark eyes met hers and a rush of warmth flooded her body.

  “I missed you too,” she whispered. He was close now, so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. He reached up and placed the palm of his hand on the side of her face, leaned in and softly kissed her lips.

  Millie closed her eyes and held her breath, lost in the moment. Finally, he pulled back leaving her breathless and lightheaded.

  “Perhaps you would like to join me here for dinner tomorrow night?” he suggested.

  “Tomorrow night?” Millie drew a blank. The kiss had taken every ounce of sanity from her head. “Yes-yes. I would love that,” she stammered.

  “Good. It’s a date. Six o’clock here in my cabin.” He smiled and the solemn expression reappeared. “Andy said you have family onboard.”

  “Yes. Two of my cousins and their friends. In fact, I should get going. I promised to give them a tour of the ship.”

  Captain Armati led her to the door, reached for the handle and then paused. “It is good to be back.”

  “It’s good to have you back,” Millie softly replied.

  She nodded to Captain Vitale as she followed Captain Armati to the exit. Her face still felt flushed and she wondered if Captain Vitale had noticed.

  The captain held the door for Millie. “I shall see you tomorrow then.”

  She smiled and floated out the door, almost running smack dab into a brick wall…a formidable man with cropped hair and a frown on his face.

  “I’m sorry.” Millie shifted to the side. The stranger, who never bothered acknowledging her presence, strode into the bridge and slammed the door in her face.