“The cruise director? Why would he want to kill Bruce?”
“Self-defense. Bruce socked him in the mouth last night right before dinner. He told Alex that he knew and that he was a dead man.” She made a disgusted sound. “Completely unprofessional.”
“Knew what?”
“How should I know? It was none of my business. For your information, I’m no gossip and if that’s all you’re here for, you can get lost.”
“His cabin number, please?” Kyle asked with a weary note in his voice.
She looked at him thoughtfully. “He’s on the Citrine Deck, cabin 230.” She tapped his arm as he started to turn away. “If it turns out it’s not Penny or Alex and we have a crazed killer on board, I want to be the first to know about it.”
“A crazed killer,” an elderly man repeated in a loud voice.
They turned to find the other passengers huddled in a group several feet away.
The oldest member of the group fiddled with his hearing aid. “That’s what they said. There’s a crazed killer on board.”
Kyle lifted his hands as he approached the group. “No, no, no,” he said in a reassuring voice, “everything’s fine. There’s no—”
Meredith tugged on the back of his light blue shirt and pulled him away. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this. You just go figure out who killed Bruce.”
Kyle looked doubtful as she insisted that she’d be able to calm the other passengers down. Oh well, he thought as he reluctantly turned away and made his way to the elevators, what’s the worst that could happen? Meredith was a professional. He was almost positive she could keep everyone calm.
He was still contemplating that thought when he knocked on Bruce’s door a few minutes later. He wasn’t surprised when no one came running to the door in response to his knock.
He tried once more before reaching into the pocket of his grey cargo shorts. Key cards presented a new challenge but a lock was a lock and his father had taught him well. It only took a few seconds to enter the cabin and take a look around.
While not nearly as opulent as Kyle’s suite, Bruce’s cabin was not that bad as far as cruise rooms went. He had a view of the ocean through the porthole and room enough for a bed and as well as a small seating area. Underneath the porthole was a small writing desk, which to Kyle’s surprise was locked. It took less than a second to break the lock. It took a bit longer to go through the stack of papers that practically burst from the desk drawer once open.
Most of it was junk. Bills from debt collectors. Advertisements from magic shops. Past due notices from credit cards. An address book filled with names, numbers, and passwords. A St. Lucia bank book. He set them to the side and picked up a notebook filled with ideas and diagrams for illusions. He was just about to set that aside with the others when he noticed a page with a list of names.
He started to sit down but the sound of footsteps approaching caught his attention. He shoved the address book into his pocket, ripped the piece of paper off the notepad, and hastily shoved the desk drawer shut before rushing into the bathroom. He made it just as the cabin door opened and Penny walked in.
He peeked through the opening between the doorjamb and the door and watched as she strode across the little room to the desk where she preceded to do the exact same thing that Kyle had done only moments before. The only difference was that she tossed most of it into the trash as she went through each item. She rose with a disgusted sigh before tackling the bureau then the closet, tossing clothes this way and that until she came across a Japanese puzzle box hidden on the top shelf underneath a ratty looking blanket and a faded out sweatshirt.
It only took her a few seconds to open the box. Once open, she peered inside a secret drawer on its side.
Kyle angled his head trying to get a better view of what was inside the box that had so captivated her.
Suddenly, a rat-a-tat knock sounded against the door.
Penny reached into the box and pulled out a gun, which she trained on the door. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed deeply, her knuckles whitening as they gripped the gun in her hand.
There was another knock and then nothing. After a minute had passed, Penny’s shoulders started to relax. Keeping the weapon in front of her, she crept closer to the door, and then cautiously opened it a crack before slipping through the opening.
Kyle crept out of his hiding place and towards the box. He quickly inspected the box, concluding that the only thing it held had been the gun and nothing more.
He looked up as the rat-a-tat knock sounded against the door again followed by a piece of paper sliding underneath the door.
Kyle picked up the piece of paper. He frowned at the typed message.
Time to pay the Pied Piper, Penny!
He swung open the door hoping to catch Penny’s pen pal, but unfortunately, he was too late. Whoever had left the note was gone.
Shoving the note into his pocket, he closed the door and made his way to the pool where Grace would be waiting for him.
He smiled in anticipation, eager to get back to her side and share what he had discovered. He knew she’d be just as curious as he was about the two notes he found as well as Penny’s trip to Bruce’s cabin. If he planned it right, they could do a little swimming before lunch.
He heard running footsteps coming up behind him as he hurried down the corridor, and glanced over his shoulder.
Alex Wright slid to a stop next to him. He bent over trying to catch his breath. “I’m glad I caught you. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“Is there something wrong?”
“No,” he quickly assured him. “Well, unless you count the fact that one of our entertainers quit on me. But,” he smiled brightly, “I hear that you’re a magician.”
Kyle looked taken aback. “Where did you hear that?”
“Penny told me last night while we were looking for Bruce. Can you help us out? I just need you to do one little show. That’s it.”
Kyle almost laughed but settled for a polite. “No.” Normally, he would have jumped at the chance, but considering he was investigating a murder while on his honeymoon, his plate was rather full at the moment. Still…a voice whispered, think of how much fun it would be.
Alex looked surprised by his rejection. “Oh? Penny seemed to think you’d jump at the chance.”
“Penny has the wrong idea about me.” He stuck his hands into his pockets. “Why don’t you ask Bruce?”
“Can’t. He left this morning.”
“Are you sure? Did you see him leave?”
“Well, no.”
“Then how do you know he left?”
Alex’s brow furrowed. “Because there’s a record of him leaving the ship.”
“Right.” Kyle glanced at the bruise on the side of Alex’s mouth. “I bet you’re glad he’s gone.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I heard he attacked you yesterday.”
“Attacked?” He laughed. “Where did you hear that?”
“Just a rumor going around the ship.”
“I wasn’t attacked,” Alex said self-consciously touching a thumb to the side of his mouth. He chuckled again as he looked away. “Bruce was showing me a trick he was planning to do and accidentally struck me. He apologized immediately. Look,” he said quickly changing the subject, “we’ll comp your room if you help us out.”
“Don’t need it comped. What about Leo Rycroft? He worked on board before.”
“Not even if he crawled back on his hands and knees,” Alex said emphatically.
“What exactly did Rycroft do to get fired?”
Alex cocked his head to the side. “Are you interested in the job?”
“Let’s say intrigued.”
“Let’s say I’m very busy and don’t have time to waste.” He lifted his eyebrows. “What do you say?”
Kyle sighed. “I’m on my honeymoon, but…” he added quickly, “I’ll talk to my wife. If she doesn’t mind then maybe.”
Alex rubbed his hands together. “Excellent.”
“I do have some questions. Can we talk in your office?”
“Absolutely!” Alex led the way to his office chatting nonstop about the magic show. “Now, I just need one performance. One of our VIPs wants to throw a birthday party for her seven year old. The kid’s really into magic and princesses, so everyone’s dressing up in tuxes and gowns and throwing her a magic themed party, and I assured them we would definitely have a show on that night. I do not want to disappoint these people.”
“When is it?”
“Tomorrow night.”
Kyle burst out laughing. “Tomorrow night? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You’ll have complete access to Bruce’s things. He left all his junk here. Do whatever you want with it.”
“I don’t think you understand. I can’t just walk in and perform.”
Alex pushed open the door to his office, a small room with just enough room for a desk, credenza, file cabinet, and a couple of chairs. Glossy photos of the entertainers that had come and gone through the years filled the walls and the hutch behind Alex’s desk providing spots of color against the drab grey walls. “Look, you don’t have to do the whole Davy Jones thing. Do card tricks the whole time. I don’t care. As long as it's magic related, we’re all good. I just need someone to entertain the kid and her parents.”
Kyle sat down in the chair in front of Alex’s desk. “Yeah, but…”
A young woman in a white uniform poked her head in the door. “Knock, knock,” she said as she walked in. “I’m sorry for interrupting, Alex, but she’s at it again.”
Alex made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. “What is it now?”
“Murder.”
Kyle lifted his eyebrows while Alex froze.
“S-s-someone was murdered,” Alex said breathlessly, his eyes filling with panic.
“No, of course not,” the woman said. “Merry’s confiscated all of the shotguns and won’t let anyone use them for skeet shooting.”
Kyle winced.
“She’s ranting and raving about a psycho on board killing people and that she’s keeping the shotguns for her own protection. Chrissy is crying. You’ve got to do something, Alex.”
Alex wearily closed his eyes, taking slow deep breaths in and out. He gave Kyle a weary smile before pushing himself away from the desk. “It’s just going to be one of those cruises. I’ll be right back.”
Kyle nodded as Alex followed the young woman out the door. As soon as the door closed, he turned his attention to the wall of photographs. His gaze automatically picked out the magicians from among the singers, dancers and actors. He stood up and wandered around the room going from one photo to the other before stopping in front of the credenza where a framed picture of a gigantic black and white superyacht with an infinity pool and helipad sat.
“Ah, I see you’ve found my girl,” Alex said, closing the door. He crossed the room and took the framed photo from Kyle’s hands. His face lit up as he talked about the yacht. “Someday, I’m going to have my own crew and I’m going to sail around the world.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“Money. These things aren’t cheap.” Alex set the photo back down. “So have you thought about it?”
“Like I said, I’ll have to talk to Grace.” He returned to his seat. “What does Penny think about all this?”
Alex blew out his breath. “Penny is being a pain, but I’m sure she’ll come around.”
Kyle glanced back at a photo of Leo Rycroft. “You have a magician on board that’s actually worked for you before. I don’t understand why you don’t ask him?”
Alex made a hissing noise along with a full body shudder. When he was done, he said with an emphatic voice, “Absolutely not. Rycroft is out. He can’t be trusted and he’s too big of a liability for the ship.”
“You won’t make an exception? Not even for the birthday party?”
Alex sighed deeply. “Look, I’m going to be honest and up front with you. I need your help. I can’t afford to upset these people. My job is on the line. Literally. If I have to, I’ll go to Rycroft, but…” He bit his lip before shaking his head. “No, I can’t. I’m not hiring him again. It’s too risky. If he screws up on stage especially in front of these people, I can kiss my job goodbye. If worse comes to worst, I guess I’ll put on a cape and show them my three card monte.” He buried his head into his hands. “I’m so screwed.”
“What did Rycroft do?”
“The man’s an alcoholic. He spent most of the cruise drunk as a skunk in his cabin whining about Penny and accusing her of sleeping with half the crew.” He ran a hand over his forehead. “Turns out it was just Bruce she was sleeping with, but still, Leo just would not let it go. Then he threatened to sue us.” He shook his head again. “No, he’ll never work here again. Not as long as I’m the cruise director, which if I don’t find a replacement for Bruce, won’t be much longer. The way things are going they’ll probably give my job to Merry.” He blew out his breath. “God help us all. Just between you and me, I think she’s nuttier than a fruitcake. You should hear some of her conspiracy theories. I used to think it was all part of her act, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Why was Leo planning on suing?”
“He tripped over his own feet and almost fell down the stairs.”
Kyle’s eyes widened. “You don’t say?”
“Then he got sick during dinner and started screaming that he had been poisoned. Then there was that thing with Tucker.”
“What thing with Tucker?”
“You know Tucker? According to Penny, he works for them every so often. He’s around here somewhere. Maybe you can get him to help you out.”
“Yeah, I’ll think about it. What happened between Tucker and Leo?”
“Leo’s a jerk. He’s always been a jerk but Tucker had finally had enough and dressed him down in front of everyone the last night of our cruise.”
“Why?”
“Leo got drunk and started harassing one of our female passengers. Tucker found out about it and then confronted him just before the show began. The kid told him that he should have more respect and he ought to sober up and apologize. I thought Leo was going to kill the kid, but he didn’t,” he said sounding disappointed. “He just got drunker and acted like a fool. Dragged that poor girl on stage and made fun of her.”
“Courtney Bernard?”
Alex nodded. “Leo made her cry. Obviously, he was getting back at Tucker for yelling at him before the show.” He tapped his finger against the desk. “Tucker was in my office demanding that I fire Leo before the show was over. By the time I got to the theater, half the audience was gone. Bruce and Penny finally pulled the curtain on it and ended the show early. They came to me afterwards and told me that they would never work with Leo again.”
“I take it that was when you fired him.”
A strange expression crossed Alex’s face. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “No, actually he left the ship before I could get the chance to tell him to pack his bags.”
“After all that, I’m surprised he’s showing his face around here.”
“You’re surprised?” Alex asked with a chuckle. “You couldn’t be more surprised than Bruce and Penny.” He picked up a pen and began twirling it in his fingers. “Ah, I figure he’s angling to get his job back. He heard that Bruce quit and was here at my door this morning. I told him to get lost.”
“News travels fast around here.”
He tapped the pen against his cheek. “Penny must have told him.” He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “I still can’t believe Bruce quit on me like that.”
Kyle frowned. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t think Bruce quit and I don’t think he left the ship this morning.”
“Oh, did you hear that stupid rumor too?”
“What rumor?”
“I heard from security that a couple of our highly suggestible passenger
s got drunk and imagined the magic show last night was real.” He burst out laughing. “Can you believe it? They were convinced Bruce died in that stupid locker trick.” He tipped his head back as he cackled in merriment. “Oh, God, you can’t make this stuff up. I could tell you stories about some of the craziest things passengers say on a cruise ship. The funniest thing is that Bruce was never in the locker. He never goes in himself. He always makes Penny or someone like Tucker do it. Can you believe it?”
Kyle laughed along with Alex. “Oh, yeah, hilarious . . . but what if he’s really dead?”
Chapter Thirteen
Grace very carefully turned around on her float. Lying on her stomach, she dipped her hand into the cool water lazily moving it back and forth. A shadow in the water caught her attention. Suddenly, someone gently tugged on her toes. She smiled as fingers walked up her calves. “Where have you been?”
The water rippled around her as Kyle ducked underneath the float. He reached for her hand underneath the water, pulling her and her float along with him towards the opposite side of the pool where there were less people.
Once there, he came to the surface next to her headrest, which he pushed down to give her a quick kiss.
“I’ve missed you,” she said folding her arms on top of the headrest and lovingly gazing down at him.
Smiling, he pulled her float along to a secluded spot near a waterfall.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked resting her chin on her folded hands.
“Somewhere private.”
“Oh?” she asked her eyes twinkling. “Why?”
He pulled the float along towards a small overhang before stopping and resting his hands lightly on top of her arms. “I don’t want anyone to overhear us. I found out something really interesting about our murder investigation.”
Her oh was a bit more amused as she played with wet hair. “How romantic.”
“Bruce Pritchard left the ship this morning.”
She dropped her hand onto his. “Left? Who said?”
“Alex Wright, the cruise director.”
Her brow furrowed in concern. She would have sworn that Bruce was dead. “Could we have been wrong?”
The Body in Davy Jones' Locker Page 12
