by Diane Rapp
Natalia handed a small package to Kayla. “Now you have three blue things to wear. Of course, Steven will enjoy taking this off to throw it to the men.”
Kayla found a blue silk garter inside the gift and blushed. “I’m all set. Now I just need to get into my dress.” She glanced at the clock and her eyes grew round with alarm. “I’ve only got an hour.”
Shannon chuckled. “It won’t take that long to get dressed. Eat another sandwich and finish your drink. I’ve got everyone working upstairs to make the room perfect.”
Julia picked up another sandwich and added a plump strawberry to her plate. “I want to let you know what happened at the auction.” She sat down. “That rich Texan bought another painting. He’s going home with nearly all the fakes. The only one he doesn’t own is the glacier painting that got stolen.”
Patricia nodded. “I really liked the painting today. It was a picture of Muir glacier with a ship that looked small compared to the massive wall of ice.”
Kayla asked, “Did anyone try to outbid the Texan? There might be someone angry about losing out.”
Julia thought about the question. “Yes. That old man who owns the stolen painting seemed quite anxious to buy Muir Glacier…his face turned scarlet when the Texan jumped the bid too high. I thought he’d explode with rage, but his nephew calmed him down.”
Shannon stood up and pointed at her watch. “You’d better put on your dress, and I’ve got to go check on the room and crowd control. As we arrive at Margerie Glacier, many passengers try to get out of the cold and view the glacier from inside. We’ve got to keep them out of the Sea Breeze Lounge.” She bent and gave Kayla a warm hug. “I’m so excited for you and Steven. Thanks for asking me to be your maid of honor.”
“You’ve been like a sister, Shannon. Thanks for all your hard work.” Kayla glanced at Natalia and got a smile from her other bridesmaid. “I feel privileged to have such wonderful friends and family on my special day.”
Chapter 14
Wedding on Glacier Bay
As the Aurora sailed across the icy expanse of Glacier Bay, crowds gathered on the observation deck at the bow of the ship. Waiters passed out hot chocolate and bowls of clam chowder while passengers filmed the approach to Margerie Glacier. The naturalist explained the details about the glacier, “When Captain Vancouver arrived in 1794, the entrance to Glacier Bay was blocked by a wall of ice two miles wide and four thousand feet thick.
“Ice retreated by 1879 when the explorer John Muir discovered Glacier Bay. Margerie Glacier was named after Emmanuel de Margerie, a French geographer and geologist, who visited the glacier in 1913. Margerie is the most photographed tidewater glacier in Alaska and the favorite for visitors to the national park. The glacier’s face is over a mile wide and 350 feet high, although 100 feet is under water. It extends 21 miles up the canyon to the foothills of Mt. Root at the Alaska-Canadian border. If you hear a loud sound, like a gunshot, it’s the ice cracking. Watch for fractures and large hunks and arches that will soon drop off. We call this calving. That ice floats out toward the sea as icebergs, small and large.
“Our ship will maintain a safe distance from the glacier for two hours, so you’ll have plenty of time to take pictures. Enjoy hot refreshments while you watch Mother Nature carve out a new canyon with glacial ice.”
The glacier rose from a debris field of floating icebergs. The jagged wall was filled with cracks, dark layers of rock, and arched holes, that ate away at the crumbling ice. The glacier spread between two dark gray mounds of granite. As ice crunched the rock between the two mountains, a residue of black sediment peppered the crisp white edges of the creeping giant.
Crack! Boom!
A shower of ice crystals gushed from a hole behind a teetering arch as a whole section of ice crumbled into the water. Exploding like a geyser, a wave of ice and water rolled toward the ship. Passengers squealed as the large ship bobbed on the surface while stalwart photographers clambered against the handrails with their cameras whirring.
“You just experienced your first example of calving. Now you understand why we keep the ship at a safe distance from the glacier’s face.”
Another small sheet of ice collapsed into the water, followed by a cascade of smaller pieces like an icy waterfall. Seals slipped through the icy chunks floating away from the glacier, bobbing to the surface for a breath of air as water churned around their sleek bodies.
*****
Wedding guests filtered into the Sea Breeze Lounge as a pianist softly played a medley of music composed by George Winston. They enjoyed an unobstructed view of the glacier through floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the lounge. As the guests, dressed in various shades of blue, filled white chairs radiating from the dais, the crowd resembled a lake rippling under a magnificent wall of blue ice.
A platinum blond woman, dressed in bright red under a dark fur coat, sauntered in and claimed a seat on the aisle. Ignoring the frowns of nearby guests, she slipped out of the fur and draped it over the back of her chair. Stray wisps of hair escaped the upswept hairstyle and stuck out at odd angles. She twisted her thin neck to look back down the aisle and more hair popped out in a garish pattern. A nearby guest tittered at the sight, but Cynthia studiously ignored the woman.
Shannon surveyed the room to make sure everything seemed right. She spotted Cynthia and frowned. Darting out of the room, she found Jason and exclaimed, “Steven’s ex-wife just sat herself down on the aisle. I’m sure she plans to make trouble.”
“We can’t do anything now. I’ll keep an eye on her and drag her out if necessary.” Jason peered into the room and made note of Cynthia’s location. “I’ll warn Steven, so he won’t act too surprised.”
Soon the pianist played the wedding march and Natalia and Shannon slowly walked down the aisle carrying sprays of blue roses. They stood at the front opposite Steven, Jason, and Phillip.
Kayla, escorted by her proud father, Clint, was a vision in shimmering white satin covered by delicate lace. The elegant ivory V-neck gown hugged her slender body until it flared into an A-line skirt that barely kissed the parquet floor. A golden halo of loose curls framed her radiant face, curling down over sleeves of translucent lace that draped loosely over her shoulders and upper arms. A sheer veil, edged with loops of eyelash lace, attached to her crown of pearls, floated down her bare back until it spread out to form a short train at the floor.
She carried a bouquet of sapphire blue roses nestled among lacy white orchids. The topaz pendant rested on her neck, reflecting the blue of her eyes, while dainty blue shoes peeked from under her hemline as she kept pace with the wedding march.
Steven had insisted on playing Rondeau by Mouret, although Kayla thought most Americans identified it as the theme for Masterpiece Theater. He explained that the music was played during Patricia’s wedding to Jonathan. Seeing the sparkle in Patricia’s and Jonathan’s eyes, Kayla felt grateful that Steven included their music in this ceremony.
Unable to focus on particular faces, she greeted the mass of grins over a sea of blue with her own dazzling smile. She deliberately ignored one woman, who was dressed in red with a scowl on her face, and squeezed her father’s arm. He delivered her to the dais where Captain Rogers and Steven waited.
Captain Rogers spoke about the joys of performing a wedding in such a glorious setting, blessed by God. “As captain of this ship it is my honor to officiate at the ceremony of one of our favorite couples. They’ve become dear members of the crew, and we welcome their friends and family here today.
“The couple has prepared their own vows,” he said, “so I will simply ask Steven Young, do you take Kayla Sanders…”
“No!” shouted Cynthia as she leaped from her chair. “You’re supposed to ask if anyone has a reason that they can’t get married. I have a reason! Steven promised to love me ‘until death do us part’ when we got married.” She waved her hands frantically as she shouted, “You can’t marry Kayla when you still love me!”
“Wait just a
minute!” Kayla shoved her bouquet into Shannon’s hands and marched back down the aisle toward Cynthia. “You have no right to throw your failed marriage at Steven. You left him without a word of warning and filed for divorce. Your infidelity, selfishness, and greed ruined your marriage. When you ran off with another man, Steven was left to suffer alone.”
Cynthia sneered. “He still loves me. I can see it in his eyes.”
Kayla glanced at Steven, recognizing pain and suffering in his eyes. “Steven is a kind and loving man, who cares about people. He pities you, Cynthia, but there’s no love left in his heart.”
Cynthia backed up and her lips tightened into a thin, angry red line. “I need protection,” she whined, opening her handbag to wave a crumpled note. “I have proof that I’m in danger. They’re going to kill me, so Steven’s got to protect...” She choked as her plea met cold stares.
Circling around from behind, Jason plucked Cynthia’s fur coat off the chair and grabbed her elbow. “We’ll see that you’re safe. Let’s go and let the wedding continue.”
Cynthia cast a panicky glance at Steven and shrank under his stern gaze. She let Jason settle the fur over her slumped shoulders and stumbled down the aisle, desperate to escape those staring eyes. Jason firmly held her left elbow. When another hand grabbed her right elbow, she found that a frowning Phillip supported her weight.
“I’m so sorry, Phillip,” she mumbled but he kept his eyes averted.
The crowd murmured as Kayla slowly turned and walked back to the dais. She said, “I think we can get to the important part now, don’t you think?” When she met Steven’s loving expression, tears threatened to spill from her glistening eyes.
Shannon handed Kayla the bouquet and Captain Rogers resumed the ceremony. “Do you, Steven Young, take Kayla Sanders to be your lawful wife?”
“Yes, I do,” Steven said in a loud voice while he gazed at his bride. He continued, “My dearest Kayla, I promise to love and cherish you in sickness and in health, during good times and bad, and be your faithful partner from this day forward as long as we both shall live. I also promise to consider your crazy ideas, and keep you safe from poison dart frogs, deranged ghosts, and malicious criminals who might try to sink our ship.”
The crowd laughed and Kayla grinned.
“I promise to cheerfully accept your help and advice, even though I fear for your safety. I’ll encourage you during days of frustration with your writing and provide comfort during any times of sorrow. As the poet Robert Browning said, ‘Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be…’ Please accept my pledge and agree to become my wife, Kayla.”
Captain Rogers said, “Kayla Sanders, do you take Steven Young to be your lawful husband?”
A tear trickled down Kayla’s face. “Yes, I do. Steven, my love, I accept your love and promises with a joyful heart. I also pledge to love and cherish you in sickness and in health, during good times and bad, and be your faithful partner from this day forward as long as we both shall live.
“I will be your loyal companion and confidant. No one can ever diminish my faith and trust in you, so I promise to defend you against wacky ex-wives, promise to search if kidnappers snatch you, and I promise to wheedle information from suspects to uncover clues during difficult cases. Steven, I will gladly grow old with you, so accept my pledge to be your wife.”
“May we have the rings?” the Captain asked the attendants. Shannon handed the rings to the couple as she dabbed tears from her cheeks.
“Please repeat after me,” the Captain said. “I give you this ring as a pledge of my love and commitment.”
Steven and Kayla repeated the words together and slid the rings onto each other’s fingers.
“Since you’ve exchanged vows and rings, it is my pleasure as Captain of this vessel to pronounce you man and wife. May no man, or crazy woman, attempt to separate this couple from this day forward. You may kiss the bride, young man.”
The crowd stood and clapped as Steven wrapped his arms around Kayla and kissed her soundly.
“It is my pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs. Steven Young!” the Captain announced.
Steven’s grin spread across his face as he squeezed Kayla’s waist and let the photographer snap pictures. As the wedding party gathered for pictures with the Captain, Jason rushed to Steven’s side.
He whispered, “We got Cynthia stowed in Emily’s suite. Jeremy Greene and Phillip are standing guard duty.”
“Good,” Steven said and smiled as the photographer flashed the strobe. “Did she give you that note?”
“It looks genuine. She claims there’s a piece of evidence that will help us solve the whole crime, but she won’t tell us until she’s safely off the ship. I called Interpol, and they’ll arrange for protection.”
“Now let’s have everyone go outside for pictures in front of the glacier,” Shannon announced. “Our staff will pass out any jackets you brought along at the portside exit.”
Kayla turned to Steven and Jason. “You guys think you can discuss the case without me hearing? What kind of evidence does Cynthia have?”
“She says it’s a diary of some kind.” Jason grinned sheepishly. “That’s all I got out of her while she was weeping and wailing. She got smart and stopped talking until we made a few promises.”
Steven walked toward the door, thinking. “Miller stashed his diary someplace safe. He had access to the vault holding the paintings, so I’d bet it’s hidden inside. We’ve kept a guard on duty since the theft, so no one could safely retrieve it.”
Jason nodded and clicked his radio. “Jerry, we need to station an extra guard on the painting vault. Don’t let anyone inside until Steven and I get a chance to search that room again, over.”
“You hit a chord with that one, Jason. When Cynthia heard you, she started sobbing again, over and out.”
Jason grinned. “I thought we might find out if our hunch is right. I’ll go down to the vault while you guys finish getting your pictures taken.”
Steven rolled his eyes and slipped a blue parka over his tuxedo. “Make sure the room is secure and come back to join us. Shannon won’t forgive us if we ruin the photos.”
“Will do.” Jason waved as he ran out of the room.
Kayla let Steven help her adjust her veil after she put on a white fur jacket. “Do we look presentable?” she asked.
“You look like a winter princess, my dear, straight out of a fairytale.” She kissed him before they braved the cold.
*****
Jason combed through the vault, searching for Jeffrey Miller’s diary until Natalia arrived. “Take out the paintings in each section and look under the rack,” Natalia said. “I saw a flash of green under an empty rack in Cynthia’s mind.”
“You’re a treasure, my dear!” Jason carefully slid several paintings out of a rack and pointed his flashlight under the metal framework. “Nothing here. Let’s try another section.”
Natalia helped him replace the artwork and watched as he slid more paintings out. “Bingo! I see a green notebook, looks like the kind students use for class.” Jason wedged his body into the space. “I can’t reach it! Too many big breakfasts.”
“Let me try.” Natalia changed places with Jason and slid her slender body between the metal posts. “I feel like a contortionist!” she complained. “Got it! Darn!”
“Are you okay?” Jason sounded genuinely concerned.
“I broke a nail, so you owe me a new manicure!” she huffed, squeezed out of the tight space, and handed Jason a paint-splattered notebook.
He thumbed through the pages and whistled. “Looks like we hit the jackpot. He’s got details about transactions that go back several years.” He flipped to the back of the book and shook his head. “He uses code names for the clients but there’s something odd here. It looks like a combination of sorts to open a Chinese puzzle box, and he sketched a picture of the front. Slide panel A…push key into matching slot…pull panel B…lift left handle two inches…” Jason glanced around th
e vault. “I don’t see any boxes in here that would fit the bill. I wonder what it’s all about.”
“Steven’s experience with magic tricks might help him ferret out the clues.” Natalia helped Jason replace the valuable art and locked the room. “I’m not sure if he can focus on a puzzle on his wedding night.”
Jason nodded. “You get back to the wedding, and I’ll go have another chat with Cynthia. Maybe she’ll know who some of these code names represent.”
“Don’t take too long. You promised me a dance, remember?” Natalia stroked his lapel seductively. “We haven’t been alone for days.”
He kissed her longingly. “We’ll have plenty of time together, now that we’re not chaperones.”
Natalia snagged her broken nail on a thread and frowned. “Wonder if I can glue this back together until I get to the salon?”
Jason laughed. “Super glue to the rescue.” He squeezed her hand and scurried toward the bank of elevators.
Natalia headed down the corridor toward her room to find some glue.
*****
The wedding guests blew steam from Irish coffee and hot chocolate as they watched the bride and groom pose for pictures in front of Margerie Glacier. Ice popped, cracked, and roared as a large pinnacle collapsed into the bay.
“Got it!” the photographer shouted and the crowd clapped. Kayla and Steven had turned just as the ice crashed, their profiles silhouetted against the crumbling blue ice.
Kayla’s delicate veil whipped like a sinuous snake as she twirled and tried to grab it. Steven found himself wrapped in the gauzy material but didn’t object since his wife was trapped with him. Julia and Clint rescued the couple and stood with them for more photos. Their faces turned pink from the cold and from laughing.
Soon the whole wedding party gathered for one last picture, and Jason arrived just in time. He wrapped his arm around Natalia and asked the photographer to get one extra shot of them. Natalia’s eyes gleamed. “You look like the Cheshire Cat,” she said. “What did you find out from Cynthia?”
