by Diane Rapp
“Loud and clear, sir. You want me to keep recording? Over.”
“You can turn it off after our Yank friend finishes reading the suspect his rights, over and out.”
Henry said, “You have the right to remain silent. If you should give up that right, everything you say…”
Steven stepped out of the room with Jason as Remington finished reciting the Miranda warning. Kayla flew into Steven’s arms and planted a warm kiss on his lips. “I’m so proud of you, Mr. Young!”
“I’m equally proud of you, Mrs. Young. What do you say we finish this mutual admiration in our suite? We never got to properly finish our honeymoon.”
“Not too fast, partner. We’ve got reports to finish and a suspect to secure,” Jason interrupted. “Emily is waiting to hear how everything transpired.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “Sorry, Luv. Duty calls.”
“Well, we’re all a team. Wherever you go, I go,” Kayla said. “Let’s tell Emily that her insurance won’t be cancelled.”
Chapter 17
Anchorage
Carson Allbright used a jeweler’s glass to study several blue diamonds, barely visible under the paint. He sighed and shook his head. “Insurance appraisers really should consult a registered gemologist before raising the hopes of their customers.” He turned to Timothy Sinclair. “Could I see that X-ray of the painting?”
Timothy handed the jeweler a large piece of black film that he discovered among his uncle’s papers. The entire glacier and sky were outlined in various shades of grey while the underlying gems produced dark black dots across the surface of the image. Carson carefully measured several black dots and nodded. “There are diamonds here, but your ancestor basically ruined the value when he cut the bottoms flat. They serve the purpose he intended, but if you destroy the artwork to retrieve these gems, you won’t recoup your loss. I suggest you keep them in place. Sorry.”
Jason said, “I thought that blue diamonds were higher value than clear ones.”
Carson nodded. “Fancy-colored diamonds are among the most valuable gems in the world. The deep-blue Hope Diamond is the most famous of its type, but a 7-carat blue diamond sold for millions at auction in 2009. I’m sure that’s why your insurance appraiser got his estimate so wrong.
“A blue diamond gets its vivid color from high boron content.” He took the diamond out of its plastic bag and pointed at the bottom of the gem. “This diamond was cut flat across the bottom so it could be easily glued onto the canvas. Your ancestor hoped the diamonds would luminesce under black light, but he ruined valuable diamonds for use in jewelry. If I were to recut a diamond of this size to mount it into a ring or necklace, I’d lose most of its mass. There are a few large diamonds on the canvas, but most are not sizable enough to make destroying a valuable painting worthwhile.”
He headed for the door. “I must be off. Our golf group is scheduled to leave soon to catch our plane to Denali. The weather will be perfect for playing a round of midnight golf.”
Steven said, “Send us pictures. We’re all interested in midnight golf since we watched you practice.”
“The wives will be happy when we finish our game. They’re anxious to take a bus tour to see all the wild animals in Denali National Park.” He smiled apologetically at Timothy. “I wish your uncle had consulted a professional before he hatched his crazy scheme.”
“My uncle is ever so stubborn. When he forms an opinion, even the Queen couldn’t dissuade him from his course of action.” Timothy squeezed Gina’s shoulder. “He’d never accept my marrying an American.”
“Good luck, son.” Carson waved and left the suite.
Timothy gave Gina a wan smile. “I guess you won’t be marrying a rich lord, my dear.”
“Do you still plan to donate the painting to that museum,” Kayla asked.
“Sure. Sir Cedric signed over all rights to the estate, knowing he won’t be around much longer. It’s the first sensible move he’s made in a long while. This morning I rang his accountants, and after we pay taxes on the sale of the estate, there won’t be much left. It actually helps our tax position to receive a credit for the donation. The museum plans to install the painting in its own room, complete with black lights to make the painting luminesce like my ancestor intended.”
“What will you do for work?” Kayla’s concerned expression made Timothy grin.
“No worries on that score. I’ve often received offers to work as a personal assistant from rich people who knew my uncle. No one could believe I handled my uncle’s irascible nature with such patience and professionalism. It’s a good job they couldn’t hear my thoughts every time the old man growled.”
“Why didn’t you take any of the jobs before?” Steven asked.
Timothy shrugged. “Sir Cedric was family and needed me to take care of him. My father told me long ago that I wouldn’t get rich but made me promise to watch out for his brother.” He glanced at his watch and headed toward the door. “We’d better go. They’re due to take Sir Cedric off the ship soon, and I need to be there for him.”
Kayla sighed and shook her head. “That old man doesn’t deserve such a loyal nephew. So, are we finished investigating now?”
Steven laughed and gave her a hug. “You sound like you’ll miss the excitement of the case. Don’t you want to finally take time for our honeymoon?”
“You think we can get a few days of peace and quiet before the next disaster?” Kayla glanced toward Emily. “I know it wasn’t your fault, but please don’t schedule another auction with that group.”
Emily said, “No valuable paintings will ever sail on our ships again. Genuine Fakes is short two artists and Millie claims she’s quitting. I doubt they’ll be doing more auctions for some time.”
Jason rocked back on his heels and grinned. “We interrupted an art theft ring, unmasked a diamond thief, and got a murder solved. Not bad for one cruise.”
Natalia slipped her arm around his waist. “We all make a good team.” She turned to Kayla and asked, “Don’t you two need to pick up your parents?”
“Yes, they’re landing in an hour,” Kayla said and headed for the door. “Hurry, Steven. We need to flag down a taxi to take us to the airport.”
*****
As Kayla and Steven rushed down the gangway, they noticed a crowd standing by a bus waiting to load golf bags and suit cases. The men were dressed in crazy plaid pants and matching green shirts, taking pictures of each other in front of the bus that contained a full-sized picture of two moose kissing. Kayla chuckled and pointed. “Never thought we’d see a sight like that.”
Steven shrugged. “Golfers always look a bit out of the ordinary, Luv. You must give them leeway. I see their wives refuse to stand too close.” He retained a straight face as they walked past the bus and waved down a taxi-van. Kayla noticed another set of tourists taking pictures with a “character” dressed like a bald eagle.
Climbing into the taxi Steven told the driver, “We need to pick up four passengers at Alaskan Transports. Do you know where to find them?”
The cab driver said, “Sure, all the float planes land at our local airport.” He headed away from the pier, dodging sightseeing buses and other taxis. “Where you folks from?” he asked.
Kayla said, “I hail from Colorado, but my husband grew up in London.” Pride swelled in her chest, as she called Steven her husband for the first time.
The driver grinned into their reflection in his mirror. “Thought you were an Aussie based on your tan. Most Brits look mighty pale.”
“I worked in tropical settings on the cruise lines. How do you manage living here during the winter when the sun barely rises?”
Shrugging the driver said, “Locals soak up enough rays to last through the winter.” He turned onto a road that skirted the ocean. “I personally head south in the winter and drive a cab around Phoenix. There’s not much traffic up here and snowbirds need to make a living.”
Kayla said, “You should drive a taxi in the Caribb
ean. They line up outside the cruise ship terminal and wait for tourists, just like this.”
He nodded. “I tried that one year but got lost constantly. There aren’t enough street signs on island roads, because the locals all know where they’re going. I’ll stick with Arizona.” He glanced into the rearview mirror as Kayla rested her head on Steven’s shoulder. “You both work for the cruise ships?”
Steven grinned and nodded. “I have a magic act and Kayla is my beautiful assistant. I regularly cut her in half or make her disappear with a puff of smoke.”
“I see a ring on her finger. Are you two married?”
They both nodded and Kayla said, “We took the plunge in Glacier Bay, so to speak.”
“Good luck. My wife and I just celebrated forty-four years of marriage. If you marry your best friend, it lasts forever,” he said.
Steven kissed Kayla and mumbled, “It’s a good job we’re best friends, Luv. I want this marriage to last forever.”
Figure 6 Anchorage Airport
The van rumbled through a community of float planes docked along grass-lined inlets of the rural airport. Parked along crystal blue water, the colorful planes resembled winged recreation vehicles, waiting to take a journey. The taxi stopped at a cross-road and waited until a banana-yellow plane floated from the sky and passed in front of them. The sign on the plane read: Alaskan Transports.
“That might be their plane,” Steven said and the bearded cab driver nodded.
“They’re almost on time,” the driver said and turned into the parking lot next to a corrugated metal building.
Kayla and Steven watched their parents climb out of the plane and rush to give them warm hugs. Julia said, “We had so much fun! You won’t believe the pictures we got, although we never saw a moose.”
Steven helped the pilot unload the bags, and they all piled into the taxi. Jonathan immediately asked, “Did you catch the killer yet?” The cab driver turned to hear the answer before starting the engine.
“Yes and you’d never guess who the culprit was in the end.”
“Sir Cedric,” Jonathan said emphatically.
“How’d you guess?” Steven asked. “If you knew it was him, why didn’t you give us a hint?”
“If I told you the answer, then you wouldn’t do the work needed to gather your evidence.” Jonathan beamed, and his eyes sparkled. “I knew he was shifty the minute I spotted him, but my feelings won’t count toward a conviction in court.”
Patricia patted Steven’s arm. “Don’t worry, dear. He perfected his skills over decades, so he’s got an advantage.”
Steven frowned when Kayla snickered. “Well, do you know the motive?”
Jonathan rubbed his fingers together. “Dosh. He was too surly to do it for love, and I bet Clint and Jeremy he was nearly broke. The gentry have no sense when it comes to managing money.”
Groaning Steven nodded. “You’ll be the death of me. It was greed, just as you said.”
Jonathan poked Clint in the ribs and said, “You owe me a fiver, and Jeremy owes me a tenner.”
“You all bet on the identity of the killer? I have half a mind to turn you in for illegal gambling,” Steven blustered.
Clint laughed. “We’d all be locked up. I thought that young man Timothy killed him, while Julia bet that it was Cynthia, due to a lover’s quarrel.”
Patricia said, “I thought it was that posh golfer, the one who purchased all those paintings. His wife wore very expensive jewelry, so I didn’t trust him.”
“You’re all scoundrels,” Kayla said. “The golfer, Carson Allbright is a respected jeweler who regularly works with Homeland Security to catch blood diamond dealers, and Timothy was the sweetest young man, just trying to help his uncle. He spent time in the casino to be near his cute fiancé.”
Jonathan pointed at a field next to the airport. “Stop! There’s your moose, Julia.”
The cab driver swerved over and stopped while Clint snapped pictures of a female moose feeding in the swampy tundra. “I’d never believe we’d find a moose at the airport,” Clint said.
“We see them out here all the time. I drove this route hoping you’d get a chance to see one,” the driver told them.
Julia said, “Thanks so much. I had my heart set on seeing a moose before we left Alaska.”
“Happy to help.” The driver pulled back onto the road as the moose disappeared into the trees.
Figure 7 Moose at Airport
They arrived at the ship and trudged up the gangway carrying their coats and overnight bags. Emily welcomed the weary adventurers and asked about their trip. “It was fantastic!” Clint said. “I took lots of video, and Julia clicked hundreds of still shots. Emily, you should work out a trip to see bears as part of your shore excursion packages. We really enjoyed the encounter and were willing to pay the extra expense.”
“That’s a good recommendation. I’ll speak with my staff about getting quotes from the Kodiak Bear Center. I prefer to add tours that passengers recommend,” Emily said.
Jonathan commented, “It was a short flight from town, and we spent a lovely afternoon watching bears in the wild. The outfitters provided a delicious picnic, and their cabins were quite cozy—larger than rooms on a ship and ever so comfortable.”
“One of my favorite moments was watching bear cubs play in the river while their mother caught their dinner,” Patricia said. “It reminded me of being a single mother with two small lads to feed. Those boys never offered to help.”
“It’s a good job that ‘mother bear’ didn’t box their ears for playing whilst on duty,” Jonathan said and kissed his wife on the cheek.
Julia added, “We rounded off our adventure by spotting a moose feeding near the Anchorage airport.” She turned on her digital camera and proudly showed Emily the moose photos.”
Emily said, “I can’t believe you saw a moose so close to civilization. Alaskans claim they share their beautiful state with animals, and this is proof positive.”
Clint said, “It was an adventure to remember, but we’re sorry we missed all the excitement on the ship.”
Emily smiled. “I’m glad it’s all over and the valuable painting is safe. My insurance company threatened to cancel our policy, until I explained how the appraiser they hired undervalued that glacier painting. The CCL Board scheduled a review of the incident but can’t vote me out now. We nabbed several crooks on the voyage. I’m pleased I hired such a good security team.”
Jonathan nodded. “You chose the best team on the high seas! Do they receive a bonus for each criminal arrested?” His eyes twinkled.
Emily shrugged. “I’m afraid that CCL doesn’t pay bonuses, but I hear insurance companies often offer a recovery fee. I’ll see that it goes into your retirement accounts.”
Clint asked, “If there are three Glacier Blue paintings now, where did they all go?”
Emily said, “Phillip bought one of the fakes, so he’s taking it back to London. He says the murder will make great advertising for his shop. The original will still go to the museum in Juneau, and Timothy Sinclair says the second fake will join his ‘hall of fakes’ in Sir Cedric’s estate. He’s the curator of the estate now.”
Julia said, “I liked Timothy and hope he can get hired by someone who appreciates him.”
“He claims that several offers have already come his way.” Emily turned to Kayla and Steven. “Speaking of jobs, we’re sorry we interrupted your honeymoon.”
“That’s okay.” Kayla leaned against Steven, and he kissed her forehead. “I’m relieved we got Cynthia out of our hair. We’ll enjoy a calm trip back to Seattle and let Jason and Natalia handle any problems.”
“That reminds me.” Steven asked Natalia, “If you can see the future, why didn’t you warn us about the trouble we’d have on this trip, Tally?”
“A Russian mystic never tells all she sees.” She pushed a strand of black hair over her ear and winked. “What good would it do to predict trouble? Sometimes I’m completely wrong, an
d we were already well-prepared to solve this crime.”
Steven shrugged. “It might help to get a warning once in a while.”
“Did all our wedding guests enjoy their cruise?” Kayla asked Emily.
“No one complained, except Steven’s ex-wife. We won’t count her, since she was part of the problem. Everyone left except for your parents and Steven’s friend, Phillip. They’ll stay with us until we reach Seattle. It should be a peaceful trip.”
“I plan to sleep in every morning,” Kayla said.
“We might get a lie in, but who says we’ll be sleeping?” Steven added and jumped when Kayla poked him in the ribs.
Chapter 18
Unfinished Business
The next morning Kayla woke early and watched her sleeping husband with pleasure. I can’t believe we finally made it happen. We’re married! She checked the time and decided to surprise Steven with breakfast in bed. At 7:00 a.m. the line at the buffet would be short, and she could grab his favorites. Since I can’t cook breakfast for him, I’ll at least take a short walk.
She quietly slipped out of bed and took her clothes into the other room. Dressed in sweatpants and T-shirt, Shannon gave her one labelled “Bride” at her bridal shower, Kayla tied her sneakers and wrote a note:
Gone to fetch breakfast. Climb back in bed, and we’ll have a picnic. Love you!
She grinned and imprinted a lipstick kiss on the note, giggling like a genuine newlywed. The halls were vacant. Half the passengers left the ship in Anchorage and only a few new guests boarded. It would take time for Emily’s advertising campaign to fill the ship in both directions.
Jogging down the corridor, Kayla savored feeling the rush of blood into her limbs. I’ve got to start running again, can’t let myself go to pot. While waiting for the elevator, she bent to stretch the muscles down the backs of her legs.
