Welcoming Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 1)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Am I too heavy for you?”

  She wasn’t a waif, but she was hardly heavy. “You’re fine,” Quinn said, his voice gentle. “I just need to know what we’re dealing with.”

  “I’m on it. Just … don’t drop me.”

  “You’re safe with me,” Quinn said. “I won’t drop you. I promise.”

  Surprisingly, he found he meant it. Crap. He was totally getting in over his head and he had no idea how he found himself in this situation. This was getting out of hand … and quickly.

  9

  Nine

  “So it’s definitely blood?” Rowan chewed her bottom lip an hour later as she nervously paced in front of Quinn’s desk.

  For his part, the security head was having trouble concentrating on the information scrolling across his computer screen because he couldn’t stop staring at Rowan’s busy legs. The woman couldn’t sit still. Ever. Like … never. It drove him crazy because every time she moved he caught a whiff of her perfume and that made his mind wander.

  He was having a terrible day, that was for sure. Strangely, though, he wouldn’t change any of it. Er, well, he might change the fact that a girl went missing. He wouldn’t change working (and fighting!) with Rowan, though. She helped the time pass pretty quickly, which was a miracle given the circumstance.

  “It’s definitely blood,” Quinn confirmed, leaning back in his chair as he stared at the ceiling tiles.

  “Is it female blood?”

  Quinn slowly lowered his chin so he was staring at Rowan. “How am I supposed to know that?”

  “I thought you knew everything.”

  Quinn bit the inside of his cheek. “All I have is blood right now,” he explained. “A lab might be able to get more information from our samples, but this isn’t a lab and I’m limited by what I can personally do with the equipment I have.”

  “I wasn’t casting aspersions on you,” Rowan said hurriedly. “That’s not what I was trying to do. I just … I’m kind of antsy.”

  “You’re very good at hiding it,” Quinn teased. “All of that pacing you’ve been doing for the past thirty minutes wasn’t even a hint that you were anything other than calm and collected.”

  Rowan made a face as she wrinkled her nose. “Are you messing with me?”

  “No.”

  “It doesn’t sound that way to me.”

  Quinn planted his hands on the top of his desk and pushed himself to a standing position, his eyes never moving from Rowan’s face. “If I feel the need to mess with you, you’ll definitely know it.”

  A small shudder moved down Rowan’s spine, Quinn’s intensity unnerving her, and she shifted from one foot to the other. Being in close proximity to Quinn made her mind wander toward really weird (and sometimes naked and sweaty) places. “This is so not the time for this,” she muttered, mostly talking to herself.

  Quinn cocked a curious eyebrow. “It’s not the time for what?”

  Rowan’s annoyance with herself grew in leaps and bounds when she realized she’d said the words out loud. “I was just saying … .” She shifted gears quickly. “What’s our next move?”

  “I’m not sure,” Quinn admitted, dragging his eyes from Rowan’s face and turning back to the computer screen. “We don’t know that it’s human blood. I mean … it could be from a bird or something. Birds smack into the side of the ship all day.”

  Rowan wasn’t convinced. “Do you really believe that?”

  “Not even remotely,” Quinn replied, shaking his head. “I don’t know what I believe, but it’s surely not that.”

  “So you think the blood belongs to Jessica,” Rowan mused, swallowing hard. “That means she went overboard. Should we … I don’t know … call for a search party or anything.”

  “Rowan … I mean, Miss Gray … if she went in the water she’s been gone almost since it happened,” Quinn said gently. He wasn’t sure how sensitive the pretty brunette was and he didn’t want to risk upsetting her if it was unnecessary. “She probably struck her head going down and died within seconds of hitting the water, if not instantly.”

  “Are you just saying that to make me feel better?” Rowan asked, her green eyes plaintive.

  “I … don’t know,” Quinn said, holding up his palms and shrugging. “I don’t like the idea of her suffering either. If she did end up in the water, though, she’s gone.”

  “What about her body?”

  “We’d never find it,” Quinn said, his voice dropping. “The ocean is too big. The tides are too strong. There are … predators out there.”

  Rowan was expecting the answer but that didn’t stop her from pressing her eyes shut. “So, she’s gone. That’s just it?”

  “That’s very far from it,” Quinn said, his heart sinking. For some reason he had the distinct impression that he’d disappointed her. He hated the feeling. “If she did go overboard, I doubt very much it was an accident. Those balcony railings are built high for a reason.”

  Rowan pressed her lips together and nodded. “So we’re talking about murder, right?”

  “I don’t see a lot of other options,” Quinn said. “I don’t see how it could be an accident so that leaves us with malicious intent.”

  “So we really need to find those guys,” Rowan said. “Although … hmm … .” She rubbed her cheek as her eyes bounced around Quinn’s office. Quinn had been wondering when she would come to the obvious conclusion. She had a keen mind but wasn’t overly malicious. She didn’t see what was right in front of her until fairly late in the game.

  “I’m guessing you just figured out our biggest problem,” Quinn prodded.

  “If Jessica died in her room, that means one of her friends did it,” Rowan said, her eyes flashing. “They said they all came back to the room together.”

  “They did,” Quinn confirmed. “We’ll definitely be looking at the friends. We’re not focusing on them to the detriment of everyone else, though.”

  “But … who else could it be?”

  “I don’t have the answer to that question,” Quinn replied. “For all we know Jessica came back to the room early and she wasn’t alone … or the other girls left and lied to us to cover up the fact that they might’ve left Jessica with a predator … or their time frames might be all screwed up thanks to the alcohol. We simply don’t know the answer.”

  “Oh.” Rowan let loose with a long sigh. “Is it wrong that I’m hopeful that they’re merely negligent instead of murderers?”

  Quinn worked overtime to hide his grin … and failed. “No, it’s not,” he said after a beat. “I’m right there with you. The girls are young and ignorant. They have a lot to learn about the real world. It would be nice if they weren’t evil, though.”

  “So, what do we do?” Rowan asked.

  “We go to the main dining room and get some dinner,” Quinn answered, not missing a beat.

  “We’re not supposed to eat in the main dining room,” Rowan said automatically. “We have to eat in the crew mess hall.”

  “Ah, but I don’t have to adhere to those rules,” Quinn said, smirking. “I can eat wherever I feel like it. I have special dispensation in case I need to watch someone in the dining room or something. It’s part of my contract.”

  “But I don’t have that same dispensation.”

  “Perhaps not,” Quinn acknowledged. “I get to bring a date with me whenever I hit the dining room, though. I figured you would fit the bill tonight.”

  Rowan’s lips quirked. “Date?”

  “In a strictly working capacity,” Quinn cautioned. He found her intriguing, but he had no intention of really dating her. Sparring with the feisty woman was a lot of fun, though.

  “Of course,” Rowan said, bobbing her head. “I would never think otherwise.”

  “Good.” Quinn was secretly relieved as he extended his arm for her to take. “Shall we get some dinner?”

  Rowan eyed him a moment, conflicted. She gave in and slipped her arm through his within a few seconds, though. “I’m
looking forward to it, Mr. Davenport.”

  “I’m glad, Miss Gray. I would hate to be anything other than entertaining … especially where you’re concerned.”

  “HEY, THERE, sweetheart.”

  Demarcus’ eyes sparkled as Sally made a big show of sighing and leaning against the bar in the main dining room.

  “Hey, there, cuddlekins,” Sally teased, giggling. She enjoyed the nickname game they played. She found it somehow relaxing.

  “That’s a good one,” Demarcus said, mixing a martini before handing it to one of the waitresses and focusing his full attention on Sally. “You look tired.”

  “It’s been a long day,” Sally conceded. “Between that missing girl and trying to spy on Rowan and Quinn … well … I’m exhausted.”

  Demarcus snorted before sobering. “Wait … why are you spying on Rowan and Quinn?”

  “Oh, haven’t you heard? They’re hot for each other.”

  Demarcus furrowed his brow, unconvinced. “That can’t be right,” he said. “Rowan has been on the ship for three days and I’m convinced Quinn is a robot. He never even looks twice at the women here – and let me tell you, my sweet petunia, that’s an impressive feat because we get some hotties on this ship.”

  “I was right there with you until today,” Sally said. “Michael is the one who brought it up. I didn’t believe him at first, but then I saw them in action.”

  “You saw who in action?”

  Sally made a “well, duh” face. “Who do you think? I saw Rowan and Quinn in action.”

  “And were they like kissing and stuff?” Demarcus couldn’t wrap his head around the gossipy tidbit.

  “No, they were doing a fine job of pretending that they’re not interested in each other,” Sally replied. “You can’t help but feel the sparks when they’re close, though. It feels as if a fire is about to start even though there’s no kindling.”

  “So … they’re dating?”

  Sally chuckled. “Not even close,” she answered. “They’re steadily pretending they’re not interested in each other right now.”

  “Oh, so they’re fighting it.” Demarcus looked intrigued. “We should do a pool to see when they get together.”

  “I’m already on it. I’m leaning toward a buy-in of fifty bucks so we can get a really huge pot. We haven’t had a good pool in eons, not since we betted on whether or not Randy Fisher was wearing a toupee and you finally had to end the pool by dumping a pitcher of drinks on his head. That was a fun day … until Randy quit and threatened to sue the cruise line.”

  “That sounds like a plan to me,” Demarcus said. “I’m still curious how this happened, though. Quinn is Mr. Stick-Up-His-Butt and Rowan is still getting used to the place.”

  “I think it’s one of those chemistry things,” Sally said. “They’re attracted to each other, but they don’t want to admit it.”

  “Do you think they’ll eventually admit it?”

  Sally didn’t hesitate before nodding. “They’ll definitely admit it. The interesting stuff will come after that. Neither one of them wants a relationship. This could be one of those things that happens fast and burns out just as fast. It could also be something more than that.”

  “Oh, you have a romantic heart,” Demarcus teased. “I can already tell which outcome you’re hoping for.”

  “I want the happy ending,” Sally admitted. “I mean … they’re so pretty. Can you imagine what their kids would look like?”

  Demarcus’ grin was sloppy as he shook his head. He turned his attention to the rail liquor for a moment before shifting his eyes to the dining room’s doorway. When he did, the sly grin spreading across his face was enough to snap Sally’s attention in that direction.

  “I want an early date in the pool,” Demarcus announced as he watched Quinn lead Rowan through the dining room and toward the buffet line, his hand at the small of her back and his eyes keen as he chatted away with her. “They’re clearly not going to be fighting it long.”

  Sally giggled at the sight. “Clearly,” she said. “They’re kind of cute, huh?”

  Demarcus liked Rowan, but he was far more interested in Quinn. He often worried the security guru was too caught up in his own head. For once, the man looked happy as he conversed with Rowan, his eyes never leaving her face.

  “They’re very cute,” Demarcus said after a beat. “We should do two pools. We should do one for how long it takes them to give in to the attraction and another for how long they’ll last.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Sally quirked an eyebrow. “Where do you land on that pool?”

  “I think they’re going to fall into bed quickly,” Demarcus answered. “I think they’re going to have a lot harder time pulling apart than either one of them would like, though. Either way, it’s going to be an entertaining few weeks.”

  “You’ve got that right, honey.”

  “DO YOU see them?”

  Rowan tried to keep her heart rate in check as Quinn led her across the dining room. His close proximity – including the warmth of his skin and the way his face lit up when he decided to laugh, which was rare – somehow managed to fluster her despite the fact that she thought she was too old for random crushes.

  “They’re over by the dance floor,” Quinn answered, handing Rowan a plate at the head of the buffet line and inclining his chin to a spot over her shoulder.

  Rowan followed his gaze and frowned when she caught sight of Kylie flirting with three guys at a nearby table. Kara and Hayley looked more subdued, but they mustered a few giggles for Kylie’s benefit when the young brunette demanded their attention – which was often.

  “They don’t exactly look prostrate with grief and worry, do they?” Rowan didn’t bother to hide her annoyance. “What are they even thinking?”

  “They’re thinking that they’re young and have no idea how to deal with death or the big questions in life,” Quinn replied. “I saw it a lot when I was in the Marines. People that age are caught between two worlds. They want to be adults, but they’re still so young and inexperienced they often revert to being kids.”

  “Wow,” Rowan intoned, widening her eyes. “That was almost profound.”

  “I watch a lot of Dr. Phil,” Quinn teased, pointing toward the mountain of seafood. “If you like crab legs, these are the best you’ll ever taste.”

  “I feel kind of guilty eating them.”

  “Don’t,” Quinn said. “You’re perfectly fine. We’re working through dinner. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Well, if you insist.” Rowan’s grin was charming as she piled a bunch of crab legs on her plate. As they made their way through the line, she cast the occasional glance in Kylie, Hayley, and Kara’s direction. Her face was unreadable, which Quinn found distracting.

  “What are you thinking?” Quinn asked finally. “Do you think the girls did something to Jessica and they’re trying to cover it up?”

  “I’m not sure what to think,” Rowan admitted. “If the girls are guilty, they’re idiots for acting the way they are. I mean … look at them. Kylie is practically falling all over that guy and the other girls are encouraging her. Going out partying and flirting with random strangers only draws attention to them.”

  “True,” Quinn said. “If they’re not guilty, though, that means we have someone dangerous on this ship.”

  “Yeah, that’s a worrisome thought, isn’t it?” Rowan stared at her plate a moment before shaking her head. “We need to figure this out. I won’t be able to sleep until we do.”

  “That’s not our biggest problem,” Quinn countered. “Our biggest problem is that we only have a few days until the cruise ends and then we have to hand over the information to the police.”

  “I didn’t even think of that,” Rowan said. “What happens in cases like that?”

  “I’ve never personally dealt with it, but my understanding is that almost nothing happens in all of those cases,” he said. “The police try to solve them but almost never do. Without a body … .” />
  “I get it,” Rowan said, blowing out a frustrated sigh. “You’re saying we have to solve this ourselves if we want answers.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  “Well, let’s eat our dinner and then start at it,” Rowan said. “I refuse to just let this go. It will bug me until the end of time if we don’t solve it.”

  Quinn couldn’t stop himself from smirking. “We have that in common.”

  Rowan returned the small smile. “At least we have something in common … besides my camera running into your face, that is.”

  “Indeed. Let’s get some dinner and then watch the girls. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a few leads before the night is out.”

  10

  Ten

  Quinn slept restlessly. It wasn’t just the prospect of Jessica going overboard. In truth, that plagued him more than he wanted to admit. If she had been alive and aware when hitting the water – no matter how unlikely that scenario was – she would’ve died a slow and torturous death. On top of that, she would’ve been alone in the dark with no way of seeing what was in the water with her, predators only a few feet away and virtually invisible. He couldn’t think of a worse way to go.

  As much as Jessica’s fate bothered him, though, Rowan was the problem that kept him up most of the night. His admiration for the woman – and that weird thing his hormones did when she was in the room – caused him to be shortsighted where she was concerned. He was looking for a suspect and he’d almost forgotten the inordinate amount of attention she’d given the girls upon their arrival.

  Quinn prided himself on being a diligent worker and not allowing a pretty face to cloud his judgment. In fact, he’d never before faced that problem. He was something of a cynic and unnaturally jaded given his age. He was often suspicious first and apologetic second. With Rowan, he seemed to have lost his head.

  She’d been following the girls that first day. He witnessed her doing it. He’d been suspicious at the time, but news of Jessica’s disappearance distracted him. He should’ve questioned Rowan right away, he realized. That would’ve been the most pragmatic way to go. She could be considered a suspect given her actions.