Grace’s eyes widened in surprise at the enthusiastic greeting from a complete stranger. She peered at the young woman and tried to judge her age. Twenty-two? Maybe twenty-three?
“So how long have you two known each other?” Courtney asked.
“A year and a half,” Kyle said.
“A year and a half?” Courtney repeated incredulously. “Oh, my gosh that’s such a long time!”
Teenager, Grace thought. Definitely a teenager. “How old—I mean, how long have you known your husband?”
“Three months. We met on the Sapphire of the Seas and fell in love.” She sighed dreamily. “That’s why we’ve decided to have our honeymoon here.” She tilted her head to the side and smiled at Grace. “I’m so glad to find another honeymooner on board. You know, I was so afraid I was going to be bored and not have anyone to talk to.”
“Well, what about your new husband?” Grace asked.
Courtney’s brow furrowed. “He’s a guy. Why would I want to talk to him?”
Grace’s eyebrows shot up.
“So, where do you go to college?” Courtney asked.
“I graduated several years ago. I’m a toy designer at the Straker Toy Company.”
“Wow, you don’t look old at all.”
Grace’s lips curled up in amusement. “Thank you. Are you in college?”
“Mmmhmm. University of Mississippi. I’m getting a degree in art history.”
“That sounds like fun.”
She made a face. “It was my daddy’s idea,” she confessed. “That’s the degree my mama was getting before she married Daddy. I wanted to become a doctor or something like that so I could help people, but he didn’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Oh? Why not?”
She shrugged. “I guess he didn’t think I’d be much good at it,” she said softly before quickly changing the subject. “So, where are you from?”
“Colorado. You?”
“Mississippi born and raised. Live right down the road from where Elvis Presley was born. Never lived anywhere else. Have you ever been to Mississippi before?”
“Once. Just driving through.”
“I’ve never been to Colorado. I hear it’s pretty though.”
“Oh, it is,” Grace said.
The conversation ebbed for a moment as they made room for more passengers.
“So, what excursions have you signed up for?” Courtney asked, as Grace turned her attention back to the pier.
“None yet,” Grace answered.
Courtney’s breath caught in her throat. “Oh, you should have booked the excursions before you got on board. I can’t wait to do the scuba diving excursion. I hear it’s absolutely amazing. I wanted to go last time, but my husband; well, he wasn’t my husband back then. To be honest, I barely knew him—he didn’t want to go. Have you ever been scuba diving?”
“Once, sort of, in a pool. I got my certification but by the time I made it to Hawaii, I had changed my mind.”
“Oh why?”
“I watched Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. So, what other kind of excursions are there?”
“Um, kayaking, snorkeling, river tours. You might be able to sign up for the island tours if you hurry, but the really fun stuff goes fast. Didn’t your travel agent warn you about that?”
“It was sort of a surprise,” Kyle said, “and I didn’t want to book anything without talking to her first.”
A handsome young man with dark wavy hair, large brown eyes and a friendly face reached out and touched Courtney’s shoulder. “Hey there, Sailor.”
Courtney’s face darkened in annoyance. “Would you please stop calling me Sailor?”
“You’re the one dressed like Popeye, sweetheart,” he said mildly, taking a sip of his coconut drink.
Courtney gave an expressive shake of her head as she moved to the young man’s side. Taking his arm, she tilted her chin up and proudly announced, “This is my husband, Tucker. He’s an author.”
Tucker’s face reddened. “Court—”
“You should read some of his books,” his wife said cutting him off. “I brought them all with me. I’ll let you borrow them if you like.”
“Perhaps we have already read them,” Grace said. “What have you written?”
Tucker ducked his head. “Th-they haven’t been published yet.”
Courtney tilted her chin. “They will.”
“Maybe someday,” Tucker added. “So is this your first time on a cruise?”
Courtney shook her head slightly as if suddenly realizing something she had forgotten. “Where’s my manners? I’m such a ninny sometimes. I didn’t finish the introductions. Tucker, this is Kyle and Grace Dragovich. They’re on their honeymoon too.”
Kyle shook Tucker’s offered hand. “Actually, my last name is Drake. Kyle Drake.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Courtney said as she turned to Grace with an accusing stare in her eyes. “I could have sworn you said your last name was Dragovich. In fact, I’m certain of it. I’m very good with names.”
“No, you did,” Grace said. “I’m a Dragovich. He’s a Drake.”
Courtney’s mouth fell open. “Oh, I see. You kept your maiden name. I thought about it, but in the end decided to take Tucker’s last name. He was rather insistent on his wife sharing his name.”
Tucker made a face. “No, I wasn’t.” He grunted as his wife elbowed him in the gut.
“No, you don’t understand,” Kyle said with a grin, “Grace kept my maiden name.”
Courtney shared a confused glance with her husband as Grace speared Kyle with an amused glance before adding, “He’s just kidding.”
“No, I’m not,” Kyle insisted good-naturedly. “Dragovich was my maiden name.”
Befuddled confusion crossed Courtney’s face. “Oh, I see,” she said slowly as she glanced at her husband to see if he understood.
Tucker placed his hands on Courtney’s shoulders and brought her back against his chest. Over her head, he asked, “So, have you two ever sailed before?”
Kyle nodded. “Several times.”
“Never,” Grace said.
“Same here,” Tucker said, which just seemed to add to everyone’s confusion. He stepped forward and leaned out over the railing, looking down at the blue sea with a worried expression. “I have a bad feeling about this. You know there’s still time to change our mind.” He flung his hand toward the coast. “Land is right over there.”
Courtney frowned. “What are you talking about? We’ve been planning this for weeks.”
“Do you know how many people die on cruises each year?” Tucker asked. “They even have a morgue.”
Courtney rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t be silly.”
“I’m not. There’s actually a morgue on the ship. People die all the time on these things. Then there are the ones that just simply disappear and they are never heard from again. Happens all the time.”
Courtney tensed. She took a step closer to Grace and Kyle. “Where did you hear that?” she asked with an almost fearful note in her voice.
He held up his coconut. “At the bar. I overheard that comedian we saw last time tell Penny—”
Courtney’s blue eyes flashed as fear gave away to anger. “Penny?” she asked sharply. “You spoke to Penny?”
Tucker’s eyes widened in panic. He took a step back. “I, um, no.”
Courtney’s lips disappeared as she glared at her husband who slowly shrank away until he was standing behind Kyle. “Why would you speak to that . . .” Her face scrunched up as she tried to finished the rest of her sentence. “That . . . that . . . girl?”
Tucker peeked around Kyle’s arm. “She spoke to me, sweetie. I didn’t even realize she was there until she said hello. Was I not supposed to say hello? You knew she was going to be here,” Tucker said in accusing voice. “She’s part of the magic show. This is where she works. What was I supposed to do?”
Courtney answered by crossing her arms and staring at her husband
in stony silence.
As the uncomfortable silence grew between the two newlyweds, Grace turned to Kyle. “Did you hear that? There’s a magician on board. You want to go see?”
Before Kyle could answer, Courtney said, “I wouldn’t if I were you. He’s not very good.”
Tucker risked peeking around Kyle. “Honey, it’s not the same show. They have a new magician.”
“But the same magician’s assistant,” Courtney said in a strange tone. She turned her attention to Grace and Kyle. “Tucker loves magicians and magician assistants.” She tilted her head, trying to see around Kyle’s body. “Don’t you, sweetheart?”
Tucker folded his shoulders inward completely disappearing behind Kyle’s back.
Once he was finally out of her sight, Courtney said, “The last time we were here, Tucker got pulled up on stage. So did I.”
“I take it you didn’t enjoy it?” Grace guessed.
Courtney made a face. “Not really.”
Tucker stood on his tiptoes and looked at his wife from over Kyle’s shoulder. “Honey,” he said, “I promise you. It’s not the same show.”
“How is Pretty Penny?” Courtney demanded to know.
Tucker sucked in his breath. “It was your idea to come here,” he said angrily. “I didn’t want to come. I wanted to go to Vegas. You’re the one who insisted we come back to this ship.”
Courtney’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“I didn’t want to talk to her,” Tucker added in a gentler voice. “Look, baby, I was just being friendly.”
“How friendly?” Courtney asked.
Tucker shrank back down out of sight.
Kyle glanced over his shoulder. “Did you catch the new magician’s name?”
Tucker’s voice wafted out from behind Kyle. “Yeah, Brian Pritchard.” His head appeared above Kyle’s shoulder once again. “I hear he’s really good.”
Grace glanced at Kyle. “Do you know him?”
Tucker’s eyebrows rose as he stared at the back of Kyle’s head. “Do you know every magician out there?”
“His father’s a magician,” Grace said with a hint of pride in her voice. “The best alive.” Her face blushed as Kyle’s eyebrows rose. “Second best,” she added quickly before planting a kiss on his cheek.
Slightly mollified, Kyle smiled in amusement.
Tucker tilted his head to the side. “Dragovich.” He stepped around Kyle to face him. “You aren’t related to Ilya Dragovich, are you?”
“He’s my dad.”
Tucker’s face lit up in excitement. “Wow! He’s phenomenal. I remember seeing him in Copenhagen ten years ago. I couldn’t believe half of the stuff he did. Are you a magician, too?”
“No, I’m a private detective,” Kyle said.
“Cool. I always wanted to be a detective.” Tucker’s gaze dropped down to study Kyle’s t-shirt clad chest. “Where do you keep your gun?”
“Are you here undercover?” Courtney asked with a worried expression on her face.
“No, no,” he said, “I’m on my honeymoon.”
Courtney tugged on Tucker’s arm. “What were they saying at the bar about people disappearing?”
“The lady was citing all sorts of statistics. Freaked me out. You’d never believe how many people just disappear without a trace.” He shuddered dramatically. “Gave me the shivers.”
Courtney turned to Kyle. “Is that why you’re here? Are we in danger?”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Kyle rushed to reassure them. “People just don’t disappear.”
“Sure they do,” someone said from behind them. Grace turned to find a tall, rail thin man with a bushy beard, thinning black hair, mesmerizing hazel eyes, and a crooked smile staring back at them. “Anything can happen out on the ocean.”
Tucker looked a little green around the gills as his gaze flicked from the man towards his wife.
“I’m sorry,” the stranger said, “I couldn’t help but overhear and thought I might be able to help.”
Grace couldn’t help but wonder how confirming Tucker’s fears was helping but didn’t say anything.
“I’m afraid I’ve become something of an expert on the subject,” he continued with a cheerful smile. He stuck his hand out toward Grace. “Leonardo Rycroft. Leo for short.”
Grace took his hand then introduced herself and Kyle.
“Disappearing on a cruise is rather ghastly to think about,” Leo said pleasantly as he turned next to Courtney and Tucker, “but it does happen.”
Courtney crossed her arms, ignoring his outstretched hand. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Leo gave an embarrassed chuckle as he pulled his hand back. “Forgive me. I suffered a head injury recently and am at a loss.” He turned to the only friendly faces staring back at him. “Like I was saying, cruises aren’t as safe as everyone thinks. Sometimes people do disappear and nothing is ever done about it.”
“Odd that they didn’t mention that at the safety at sea briefing we all had to attend an hour ago,” Kyle said.
“It’s all swept under the rug,” Leo continued. “Bad for business.”
“They have to tell the authorities if they lose someone during the voyage,” Kyle said.
“Authorities,” Leo said in a scoffing tone. “What authorities? Out at sea, there are no authorities. Just the Captain and the crew. Every year, people go missing and only sometimes you hear about it. The others . . .” he said with a meaningful look, “they just go poof. Gone without a trace. They are forgotten. Lost.”
Tucker gave his head a small shake before turning and giving his wife a see I told you look.
“Well, that’s a comforting thought,” Courtney said dryly. “I’m sure we’ll all sleep better now.”
Leo gave Courtney a contrite look. “I am sorry if I frightened you. I overheard your conversation and just thought I might be of some assistance.”
Tucker placed his arm around Courtney’s shoulders. “Well, thanks, Lou, being forewarned is being forearmed as I always say.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed as he pointed to his chest. “Leo,” he said correcting the young man.
Courtney lifted her gaze up towards the sky. “Oh Tucker,” she said with a pained expression on her face, “don’t pretend that you don’t know him.” She started to say something else but she was interrupted by Tucker who spun her around to face the ocean. He pressed his lips to her ear and spoke in reassuring tones. Grace could only make out the words, ‘he’s crazy and keep calm,’ before Courtney cut him off. “I thought you said there was a new magician on board,” she said sharply.
“There is,” Tucker whispered. “Let’s just ignore him and maybe he’ll go away.” He glanced over at his shoulder and gave Leo a pained smile before turning back to his wife.
Kyle and Grace exchanged uncomfortable looks as the silence grew.
His brow furrowing in confusion, Leo softly said, “I apologize for interrupting. I was just trying to help.”
“Not at all,” Grace said, embarrassed on Leo’s behalf.
“Well hopefully,” Leo said trying to interject a light note not his voice, “there won’t be any mishaps on this voyage.”
Keeping her eyes on the shore, Courtney tapped her fist against the railing. “Let’s hope,” she said tightly.
Leo shook his head in confusion for a moment before finally turning and walking away.
“He’s gone,” Tucker murmured as he wiped an arm across his sweating forehead.
Courtney turned towards her husband. “Why is he here? I thought you said he had been fired.”
“He had been,” Tucker said tugging at his ear.
“Well?”
“How should I know? I don’t own this ship. I’m just a passenger. An unwilling one at that. We should have gone to Vegas.” He flung his hand towards the shore. “Let’s just go home.”
Courtney’s mouth fell open. “Home? This is our honeymoon. Are you insane?”
Sighing, Grace turned bac
k to the railing as the younger couple continued to bicker.
Blue and red flashing lights caught her attention. She leaned over the railing and looked towards the bridge far out in the distance. “Kyle, look at that,” she said as she pointed to a man standing at the top of the bridge. A horrified thought entered her mind as she watched the man climb over the railing. “Oh no,” she said in horror as the man jumped.
It was only when his body suddenly changed directions in mid-air and he was propelled back up towards the bridge that she realized there was a bungee cord attached to his waist.
They all blew out the breath they had been holding as the man bounced back up, then down, and then up again.
“Scared me half to death,” Grace said, laughing.
“Look!” Courtney pointed towards the man. “He’s got something in his hands.”
They all watched in fascination as the man caught hold of a metal beam and hung there for a while before propelling himself to the side, holding onto one end of a large banner.
Grace frowned as Tucker came up beside her and leaned out, blocking her view of the banner. “Hey, Court,” Tucker said, “look at that.”
Grace leaned out further, trying to see around Tucker. “What’s it say?”
Craning his neck to the side, Kyle said, “Marry me . . .” He squinted his eyes before adding, “Merry.”
“Oh, how romantic,” Courtney gushed as she wrapped her arms around Tucker’s waist. “Remember when you asked me to marry you?”
Tucker nodded. “Yeah, on Port Lucia.”
Courtney scowled. “Turquoise Island.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right.” Tucker returned his attention back to the bridge. “Look, something’s wrong.”
Grace stood on her tiptoes and leaned over the edge again as far as she could.
Kyle wrapped his fingers around the back of her coral shirt tugging her back, but not before she saw the edge of the banner slip out of the man’s hands as he fell from the beam he had been balancing on. The man bounced once, then again, then jerked to a stop above the water and dangled there for a while, grasping at the cord above his head.
Tucker chuckled in amusement. “And there he goes.”
Screams and gasps issued from around her as everyone’s attention turned toward the bridge and the man hurtling towards the ocean.
The Body in Davy Jones' Locker Page 2
