Madison Johns - Agnes Barton 07 - High Seas Honeymoon

by Madison Johns

  Leah’s face lit up. “That would be great. Let’s meet in the Hawaiian Lounge. I’ve been wanting to try it out. Ricky will be busy tomorrow morning on business.”

  “Oh, I thought you were on vacation?”

  “I mix my business with my pleasure. Isn’t that right, baby,” Ricky said to Leah.

  She shifted uncomfortably under his suggestive stare. “Yes, and a girl needs to spend a little alone time every once in a while, Ricky. Agnes has been so kind to me. She reminds me of my own grandmother.”

  Ricky rolled his eyes. “Fine, but you had better be back by dinner.”

  Leah pushed herself off her bed and walked with Ricky and the other man from the infirmary. I didn’t like the looks of either of them and something told me that they were both up to no good. I couldn’t wait until I could see Eleanor, so I could discuss my thoughts with her.

  Chapter Six

  I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes, a smiling Andrew was sitting in a chair near my bed. “What time is it?” I asked him.

  “Time to leave. You didn’t even wake up when the nurse took out your IV. We thought we’d let you get some rest instead of waking you up.”

  Andrew really was a kind man and I thanked him. “You’re so good to me, but I’d really like to get out of here. Where’s Eleanor?”

  “Having dinner.”

  “It’s that late already?”

  “Yes, you must have been tired.”

  “I didn’t think so, but I suppose you’re right.” I rubbed my stomach now. “I could use something to eat, just not a big meal.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. You really need your strength because we’re going dancing tonight.”

  “Dancing?”

  “Sure, I wouldn’t miss the chance to have you in my arms. I think I recall that you loved to dance.”

  “Yes, when I was forty.” But it sure did sound like a great idea. Hopefully, it would give me the chance to find out if anyone else was missing.

  Andrew hooked his arm through mine as we left the infirmary. When we made it to the deck, the sun had sunk lower to the west and it felt quite nice without having it glaring in my eyes. He led me into a smaller dining room and Eleanor waved us over.

  “How are you, old girl?” Eleanor asked, with concern mirrored on her face.

  “Fine,” I said, as I sat down. I lifted the menu and ordered a fruit bowl and iced tea. Andrew raised a brow, but remained silent.

  “I met the nicest woman in the infirmary,” I said. “Leah. She’s having lunch with us tomorrow, Eleanor, in the Hawaiian Lounge.”

  “Sounds good,” Andrew said.

  “Oh, no, you don’t. It’s only for us girls. I was hoping to get a facial at the spa tomorrow afterwards.”

  Andrew laughed. “Fine by me. I was planning to play golf. They let you knock the balls off the deck.”

  “What about you, Wilson. What are your plans?”

  “I’ll hang out with Andrew. I can’t wait to see that clown try to hit a ball off the ship.”

  “I’ll have you know that I used to play golf, about twenty years ago,” Andrew admitted.

  We all had a good laugh about that one. I enjoyed both the iced tea and the fruit, which tasted freshly cut. That’s the problem of living back in Michigan, there’s hardly any access to fresh fruit, other than when it was in season. Nothing beat a Michigan watermelon.

  After dinner, we made our way over to the deck and Andrew took me into his arms as we watched the sun sink lower and lower. When I head the sounds of lively music, Andrew whisked me up to our room to change into dancing clothes. I opened my suitcase and inside was a map of the ship and a golden key. I sank onto my bed in shock. Where were my clothes, and why was there a map of the ship and a key?

  Andrew turned and asked, “Aren’t you getting dressed?”

  “No. I mean, this isn’t my suitcase. Our luggage must have gotten mixed up with someone else’s.”

  “But you brought your suitcase on the ship with you.”

  “It must have gotten mixed up at the airport. My name tag wasn’t on it, remember?”

  “No. You must have forgotten to mention it.” He then stared at the suitcase. “It sure doesn’t seem that anyone would have a suitcase like yours.”

  My hands went to my hips. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Just that you don’t see many paisley patterned suitcases.”

  “I’ve had this suitcase since the sixties.”

  “It looks like it.”

  “Well, I’m obviously not the only one to have one.”

  “Is there any identification inside?”

  “Nope, but it’s filled with men’s clothing.”

  “Now that is odd. Perhaps we should turn in the bag to the main desk just in case someone might have lost it. You might even get yours returned.”

  “I don’t think so. What makes you think that whoever owns this bag is on the same cruise as us?”

  “Most of the passengers on that plane were headed to cruises,” Andrew said. “That’s what the stewardess told me when you were in the bathroom.”

  “I think we’ll just hang onto this bag and turn it over to the airport if we don’t find the owner. We could just leave a note at the main desk.”

  Andrew frowned. “Fine, but I guess dancing is off for tonight. We’ll have to go shopping to get you more clothes. I can’t very well drag you everywhere wearing one of those complimentary robes.”

  While Andrew was in the bathroom, I removed the map and key from the suitcase and hid it under the mattress. I didn’t want to tell him about the items. It certainly was quite a coincidence that the suitcase contained a map of this very ship. I penned a note about the found suitcase to give to the front desk, including only my cell phone number and not my name. I felt I needed to be somewhat cautious since I didn’t know who really owned this suitcase.

  * * *

  We passed Eleanor and Wilson’s room silently. I had a million things to discuss with her, but we needed to do that privately.

  The first store we went into downstairs was too fancy for my tastes and the prices were out of sight. “Let’s try another store.” I stared through a glass case that had Tiffany brand jewelry. Everything was sparkly and devoid of price tags. Just like my mother always said, ‘if it doesn’t have a price tag, it means you can’t afford it.’

  “This store has only name brand clothing.”

  “A little too fancy for you?” Andrew asked with raised brow.

  “Yes.”

  As Andrew escorted me from the store, he said, “You do know I’m not broke and I can afford name brand clothing.”

  “Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean I have to have it. I’m into more casual clothing and possibly something a little fancier for dinner and dancing.”

  Two more stores later, I found what I was looking for, Capri pants and tunic shirts that were loose and flowy, perfect for covering up those extra pounds. Andrew bought me three sets and a white, one-piece bathing suit that there was no way I’d ever be caught out in public. I just don’t think anyone wants someone my age flaunting around in swimwear, unless it’s at night. I laughed to myself. I couldn’t help it, but I was a little self-conscious about how my body looked. Oh, sure, I’d never let anyone know I felt that way. It was one of those things I didn’t need to tell anyone.

  Andrew also bought me a pair of sandals with seashells sewn into the straps along the front of the shoe. They were peach and aqua and I loved them. I also found a loose, yet form-fitting dressy shirt with sequins and matching black slacks for a fancier dinner.

  With bags in hand, Andrew and I made our way toward the elevator and I spotted Leah and Ricky arguing. I couldn’t exactly hear what was being said. I just hoped everything was okay.

  Once the elevator doors closed, Andrew asked. “Do you know them?”

  “That couple? Yes. Leah was in the infirmary at the same time as me. We’re having lunch together tomorrow. Do you think I should have
asked her if she was okay?”

  Andrew’s brow arched. “Do you really think you need to get in the middle of another couple’s argument? I’m sure it’s fine. It didn’t look like he was swinging at her.”

  “I guess you’re right. It’s just that she mentioned that she was with Ricky just for the travel opportunities. I hope he didn’t find out that’s all she’s hanging around for.”

  “True, some men would be angry about that.”

  When we were back on our floor, Andrew grabbed my bottom and I giggled as we made our way inside. This was our honeymoon, after all.

  * * *

  Bright and early the next morning, we were having breakfast in the Nook Room and admiring a beautiful view of the ocean. I had sunglasses on the table next to my silverware since my eyes were so sensitive to the sun, not too unlike Leah’s sun allergy.

  “So, where were you two off to last night?” Eleanor asked, looking quite presentable in a pink tee and white slacks.

  “We went shopping. I picked up the wrong suitcase yesterday at the airport, apparently. We gave the desk a note in case someone reports their bag missing. Andrew insists whoever the bag belongs to is on this ship.”

  Andrew’s brow furrowed and he just shook his head. “I don’t think that’s exactly how it was said, but fine. I wish there was at least identification inside, but I didn’t see any when I looked in the bag and it had long-sleeved clothing inside.”

  “See, the person probably isn’t even on the ship,” I said.

  “If I say that you might be right, will you let this drop?”

  I bit into my orange slice instead of answering. We finished our breakfast of eggs and bacon and were back in search of Martha.

  “I thought you didn’t want to see Martha?” Andrew asked.

  “Oh, I know, but I wanted to see how she’s faring this morning. I bet she’s hungover. I’d hate to miss a chance to rub it in. Why don’t you and Wilson explore the ship?”

  Wilson whirled his scooter around. “Sounds like a plan.” As he zoomed off, Andrew raced after him, telling him to slow down.

  We found Martha easy enough as she sat next to Leotyne Williams, who was wearing her standard long-black dress. She, of course, was sitting in a chair with an umbrella over it so that she was in complete shade. If anyone was a vampire, it was she.

  Martha had her shades on and a glass of water with Lemon in it. The way she was massaging her forehead told me that she did indeed have a headache. “Out of my sun,” Martha said.

  I moved next to Leotyne and asked, “Did you find out if anyone was missing, like that matron of honor, Kacey?”

  “She’s not missing, as it turns out. She showed back up in the dance club last night,” Martha said.

  My shoulders slumped. “Are you sure?”

  “Yup, go ask her yourself. They’re hanging out in the pool area.”

  We excused ourselves and Eleanor whispered to me, “What’s going on here? So she’s not the one we found on the floor?” Eleanor paused. “Unless the woman you saw on the floor wasn’t really dead, after all.”

  “No,” I shook my head. “But I was certain.” Or I thought I was. “But what about the men who were in the hallway, searching for us?”

  “I’m not sure, but we might have blown it out of proportion.”

  “I’m going to speak with the captain later about this. Hopefully he can shed some light on the situation. If it’s not this Kacey, it could very well be someone else.”

  “We could question the girl, at least. Perhaps if we see her firsthand, we’ll be able to know if it was her or not.”

  I walked up the deck until we were in the pool area. The sound of laughter, coupled with the smell of coconut suntan lotion, was overpowering. I spotted the wedding party right away and we made our way over there. “Hello, so I hear Kacey showed back up and wasn’t missing after all?”

  Liz looked up. “That’s about it.”

  “And where is Kacey, now?”

  A brunette turned with a drink in hand. “I’m Kacey, what do you want?”

  I swallowed hard now. It was the young woman we had seen on our deck, the one I thought was dead. “I was just glad to hear you were found.”

  “I wasn’t lost. I met up with a man and went up to his room for a few drinks.”

  “Someone you just met?”

  Kacey began to tap her foot. “You sound just like my friends, and I’ll tell you the same thing, I can take care of myself.”

  “I heard there was a man following you yesterday.”

  “Which one, I’ve had quite a few men following us since we’ve been here. There’s sort of a singles’ atmosphere, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you. So, no creepy looking men watching you girls?”

  “That could describe a third of the men here,” Liz said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on Kacey here. I’m not about to delay the wedding on account of a missing matron of honor.”

  “I could take the job,” Allie said.

  “I won’t have you girls competing for the title of matron of honor. I’ve known Kacey since high school.”

  “Sorry to have bothered you,” I said. It was then that I noticed the frown on Kacey’s face, but with her friends all here, I didn’t see a way to speak with her privately. We were walking back to the elevator when Kacey caught up with us. “Are you doing down? I’m starving.”

  When the door shut, Kacey’s eyes filled with tears. “I-I didn’t want to tell the girls, but I can’t exactly remember what happened yesterday and my neck is very sore, see?” She pulled down the collar of her shirt to show us a red mark on her neck.

  “Oh, my. We found you on the floor of our deck with a towel around your neck. We thought you were dead.”

  Kacey shuddered. “When I woke up, I was locked in a room below decks. Luckily somebody let me out.”

  “Do you know whereabouts below decks?”

  Her brow knitted and she shook her head, but then she said, “I remember hearing the roar of the engines. I must have been close to the engine room.”

  How would they have been able to hear her if she were near the engine room? “Did you pound on the door to be let out?”

  “No, it was just opened. A man shook me awake and asked me what I was doing in the supply closet.”

  “So, he works for the ship?”

  “Yes, he wore the blue pants and gray shirt that all the men who work in the engine room wear.”

  “How do you know what their uniform looks like?”

  Kacey’s face flushed. “Because he had a name tag that said engine room officer.”

  “Agnes is only trying to help,” Eleanor explained. “I know these questions seem prying, but we want to find out who did this to you.”

  “Eleanor is right. I want to make sure what happened to you doesn’t happen to anyone else.” When Kacey relaxed her shoulders, I asked, “Do you remember the man’s name who let you out of that room?”

  Kacey smiled slightly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t. I was still a little lightheaded. I couldn’t even tell you what was in that room since it was dark. The only light streamed in from the hallway when that man let me out.”

  “How awful,” Eleanor said.

  I continued with my questions, not wanting to keep her too long. “Besides your neck, do you have any other injuries?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  How would I ask her this delicately? “I mean, like if somebody slipped you a date rape drug.”

  She shook her head vehemently. “Oh, no. I think I’d feel sore if that happened.”

  “Do they remember seeing the man you left with?”

  “No, I just told them I went to have a drink with a man so they wouldn’t ask too many prying questions.”

  “So what do you remember exactly?”

  “I’m sorry, but the last thing I remember yesterday was the cruise ship leaving port.”

  My fac
e dropped at hearing that and before I was able to say anything more, Eleanor interjected with, “And what about a creepy man following you?”

  Kacey’s eyes widened. “Yes, there was a man doing that, but I thought I had lost him.”

  “Can you describe him?” I asked.

  “He was tall and thin with dark hair. He smelled oily, too, if that helps.”

  It didn’t really, but I said, “Thanks for sharing that with us and please be careful, Kacey.”

  “One more question though,” Eleanor began. “Is there any reason anyone would want to kidnap you?”

  “Does your family have money?” I asked next.

  Kacey laughed now. “Oh, no. My family definitely doesn’t have money. If it wasn’t for Liz, I wouldn’t even be here. She’s footing the bill for my dress and the trip.”

  “That’s kind of her.”

  “We’ve been friends since the sixth grade.”

  “It’s great to have a friend like that. Reminds me of Agnes here. She once helped spring me from a nursing home, legally, of course.”

  I nodded with a chuckle in remembrance. “You better get back to your friends before they wonder where you are.”

  “And be careful, since you don’t remember who might have led you astray. There are plenty of reasons young women need to worry these days,” Eleanor reminded her.

  We rode the elevator down and back up again and dropped off Kacey back on the deck where her friends were most likely anxiously awaiting her by now. Once Eleanor and I were alone again, she asked, “So, what do you make of that?”

  I pushed the button to the main deck and said, “Seems like somebody slipped her something.”

  “Then why was she in the hallway with a towel around her neck?”

  “I’m not sure, but if they hadn’t slipped her something, then why wouldn’t she remember? They might have slipped her something first and she tried to leave, so they choked her unconscious and she got away from them, finally collapsing on the floor where we found her.”

  “Until the men found her,” Eleanor added. “If we had hung around a little longer, we could have helped her.”

  “Yes, or wound up in big trouble when those men found us.”