Murder for Glacier Blue (High Seas Mystery Series Book 3)

by Diane Rapp

  Ding.

  The elevator doors opened, and Kayla stepped inside. Before she could press the button, she felt a body slam her into the wall and something sharp jabbed her rib cage.

  “Press the button for the Emerald Level, princess,” a raspy female voice said, and Kayla inhaled a cloying perfume. “I’ve been waiting a long time to get back at you.”

  The elevator doors slid shut, and Kayla saw a reflection in the brass paneled door surface, a face she never thought she’d see again. “Cynthia! What are you doing back on the ship?” She started to turn, but the tip of Cynthia’s knife pressed into her side again.

  Cynthia was dressed in trim slacks, a fuzzy pink sweater, and red spiked heels. She snarled, “I’m here for unfinished business, couldn’t let you steal Steven from me, could I?” Cynthia’s breath reeked of gin. She jabbed the button that started the elevator moving, but the motion caused her to sway unsteadily.

  Kayla said, “We’re married, so it’s too late to stop the wedding.” What does she plan to do? Why didn’t I wake Steven and go to breakfast together?

  “Stevie married me first. After he grieves for his missing bride, I can offer him my special kind of comfort. Don’t you think he deserves a loving wife?” Cynthia cackled.

  Kayla shuddered at the venom in Cynthia’s voice. The door opened at the Emerald level, and Cynthia shoved her out. Kayla stumbled as her sneaker caught in the luxurious green carpeting. Cynthia chuckled and jerked Kayla toward the mahogany doors at the end of the corridor. Kayla walked calmly forward, trying to keep ahead of the knife.

  “How’d you get away from the police?” Kayla asked. “I thought you demanded protection?”

  “It was dead easy to seduce that dolt they assigned to my case. Them state coppers thought they could stuff me into a cheap motel in Anchorage, and I’d stay put. After a couple of nights in my bed, the officer guarding me said you arrested Sir Cedric for the murder. Since I was not needed as a material witness, I could fly back home. I still had me ship’s boarding pass and a cozy cabin waiting, so I convinced him to drive me to the dock. I boarded that afternoon with passengers returning from tours.”

  Kayla felt nauseous as Cynthia shoved her into the empty Sea Breeze Lounge. Gone was any sign of Kayla’s wedding, no cheerful decorations or charming scenery outside. Kayla’s heart pounded as Cynthia’s heels clicked across the shiny parquet flooring. The rain-spattered picture windows displayed a vast expanse of grey-green water and cloud-covered shoreline in the distance.

  Cynthia’s voice turned cheerful. “I’ve decided to give Stevie another chance. He was such an enthusiastic lover, keen on pleasing his little bride, but I got ever so bored. He left me alone too often and suffered the consequences. Now that he’s working on fancy cruise ships, I can travel in style and enjoy luxury—no house to clean or food to cook—plus he must make oodles of money. Too bad you dug your claws into him before we got back together.”

  They skirted around the empty bar and headed toward the exit to the observation deck. “You won’t get away with this, Cynthia!” Kayla cried. “Steven has no reason to take you back after the way you treated him,”

  Cynthia rounded on her with the fist holding the knife handle, punching Kayla’s jaw so hard she crumpled onto the floor. “I can get any man I fancy, you bloody cow!” Cynthia hissed, “If I want Steven in my bed, he’ll come running like a lovesick puppy. You’ll see.” She started laughing. “No, I guess you won’t be here to see it, since you’ll be floating in them icy waters. Get up!”

  Kayla knelt on the floor, rubbing her bruised chin and saw Seannie enter through a service door, toting a plastic bucket full of liquor bottles. He paused and Kayla loudly said, “If you kill me, Steven will hunt you down. He’d never forgive you.”

  Cynthia shrugged. “How would he find out? I cheated on him with Jeff for over a year, but he never tumbled to the truth. I’m ever so good at deceit, my dear. You might say, it’s my specialty. Now get up or I’ll slash your throat right here and drag your dead body outside.”

  Kayla saw Seannie set the bucket on the floor and sneak out. Good! If I delay her long enough, Seannie will bring help. Rubbing her head, Kayla whined, “I’m too dizzy to stand. Help get me to my feet, but don’t hurt me again! Please, I don’t want to die.”

  Cynthia cocked her head and took a step backwards. “You think I’m daft? If I reach down to help, you’ll grab me knife. As a kid, I learnt to scrap with neighborhood hooligans, so you won’t get the better of me! Crawl if you must, but we’re goin’ outta that door right now. Move!”

  Kayla thought, Crawling will be slower than walking. She crept across the floor on her hands and knees but was rewarded with a kick to her ribs. She moaned and fell back onto the floor, giving herself extra seconds.

  Hearing Cynthia’s cackling laugh vexed Kayla’s tomboy temperament—but a plan was a plan. She counted the seconds inside her brain, praying Seannie learned to move fast on his game leg.

  *****

  Seannie hobbled up one flight to the bridge and stood panting a precious few seconds. “We’ve got an emergency down in the Sea Breeze Lounge. Contact Steven Young and come help.”

  “What’s wrong?” Captain Rogers barked as he strutted forward.

  The bartender’s face turned red. In the old days he’d turn sarcastic when confronted by authority, but Seannie saluted and answered the Captain in a respectful tone, “Steven’s crazy ex-wife is threating to kill Kayla Sanders…um…I mean Kayla Young. She’s got a knife and plans to throw Kayla overboard.”

  “Get Steven Young on his walkie-talkie,” the Captain ordered the First Mate. “Jones, follow this fine seaman with two more armed men and detain that irrational woman. Good job, lad. Now get moving before it’s too late.”

  Seannie saluted and started back downstairs, followed by three armed officers. He heard the First Mate’s urgency while he spoke into the radio. “Your wife’s in danger, Steven. A mad woman has her at knifepoint in the Sea Breeze. It’s your ex-wife.”

  “Bloody Hell!” Steven’s epithet crackled over the wireless. “I’m on my way.”

  Arriving at the lounge entrance, Seannie held his finger to his lips and opened the service door quietly. To his dismay, Kayla and Cynthia disappeared through the outside door. “They’re already on the observation deck,” he gasped. “Exercise caution or that cow will push Kayla overboard!”

  Two officers headed to the port exit while the third stayed with Seannie to open the starboard door.

  *****

  Stumbling across the slick surface, Kayla felt cold salt spray hit her face and gasped. Cynthia inhaled sharply and wobbled on her heels toward the railing.

  Maybe I can upset her balance and get away.

  Kayla clenched her fist and prepared to strike, but a loud clang alerted Cynthia. She whirled to face the sound, but Kayla used the distraction to dash across the deck, her running shoes squeaking on the polished wood.

  Cynthia screamed, kicked off her heels, and followed with the knife raised above her head.

  Kayla turned to face an insane woman, intent on murder. Wild bleached hair stood in spikes surrounding a snarling face. Cynthia’s wide green eyes flashed with hatred as mascara dribbled down her gaunt cheeks, and Kayla’s mind automatically cast her as the crazy killer from the movie Psycho. Kayla raised her hands in front of her face, imagining she heard the jarring music that accompanied that frenzied stabbing scene in the shower.

  The sound came from four pairs of deck shoes squeaking across the wet surface. Seannie shouted, “No! You can’t kill my friend!” He flung his wiry body into Cynthia and the pair rolled across the slippery deck toward the railing. Blood covered the two figures as they struggled for the knife, arms and legs tangled. Officers reached the writhing mass, cautiously trying to avoid the deadly blade, but determined to halt the momentum toward the freezing water.

  Desperate to keep Seannie from going overboard, Kayla scrambled forward and grabbed a man’s leg. The thrashin
g knife flashed as they inched closer to the edge.

  “Kayla!” Steven shouted into the wind.

  Relieved to hear his voice, she held fast onto Seannie’s leg. Cynthia kicked her in the chest, but Kayla saw Steven shove past the officers and grab Cynthia’s hair. Frantic, the woman screamed and kicked as another officer got hold of her torso.

  Finally the knife skittered across the deck into the ocean, and Seannie rolled away from Cynthia. Kayla pressed her hand over a deep cut in his chest as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Help him!” she shouted. “He’s bleeding.”

  Two officers lifted Seannie, while Steven and another officer dragged Cynthia through the door.

  Kayla wiped bloody hands onto soggy sweatpants and stood on wobbly legs. She picked up Cynthia’s expensive high heels and tossed them overboard, feeling justified. That does it! If I can’t wrestle a skinny witch to the ground without feeling exhausted, I’m out of shape. Maybe a women’s self-defense class would do the trick. A picture of throwing Cynthia to the floor flashed in her mind, and she stepped inside smiling.

  “Luv! I was ever so worried about you,” Steven gushed, wrapping his arms around her shivering body as she joined him inside. She saw the other officers carry Cynthia out, still thrashing and screaming.

  Kayla buried her face into Steven’s chest and sobbed, “I planned to bring you breakfast in bed, like a new wife, but I got ambushed by that…bloody…ex-wife of yours.”

  “You just used a British curse word. I’m so proud.” He laughed. “Luv, from this time forward, ask the steward to place an order and come back to bed. I’d rather snuggle with you and wait for the kitchen than wake without you in my bed.”

  “Good idea! But I’ll wake you up and ask you to find the steward. I’ll stay warm in bed.” She trembled uncontrollably. “I haven’t felt this cold since I nearly drowned in Dominica.”

  One of the officers handed Steven a blanket, and he wrapped it around her shoulders. “Let’s go back to bed, Luv. I’ll place an order for coffee and biscuits.”

  “Be sure to ask for lots of marmalade. Maybe ask for a few sweet rolls and an order of bacon.” She tilted her head and gazed up into his eyes. “I think I’ll stay in the cabin all day and sleep.”

  “Really? I feel keen to give my new wife a massage. I hear she really enjoys the feel of my hands on her…”

  “Okay! Give me a long massage before we take a nap, together. I feel so sleepy.” She stepped back and examined Steven’s T-shirt. “Is this blood? Are you injured?”

  “It’s not mine. I believe the blood is my ex-wife’s.” He shrugged. “It couldn’t be helped, Luv.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “It’s got to go! Burn it, or shred it, better yet drown the thing in the coldest, darkest water you can find.” She stomped toward the elevators with her arms crossed over her chest. “I don’t want to see one speck of evidence to remind me of that bloody woman.”

  Steven laughed and pointed at her outfit. “Then I guess we must destroy your clothes as well.”

  “What?” She stared at herself and groaned. “All right, after our nap, we’ll burn everything and go shopping. We both need to get new stuff that’s not bloody, and that’s not a swear word.” She gasped and covered her mouth. “I almost forgot. Is Seannie okay?” she asked.

  “He claimed he had minor wounds, but I’ll be forever grateful to the lad.” He shrugged. “It pains me to be indebted to an Irishman, you know.”

  Kayla nodded. “You just repaid him. When you decided not to turn him in for being a known bomber, he said he owed you big time.”

  “I couldn’t send the lad to jail for getting fooled by his mates, but I’m ever so grateful he came to your rescue. I owe him a bigger debt.” He kissed her until the elevator chimed. “Let’s get back into bed before anyone comes visiting.”

  “I’ll hang the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door,” Kayla offered and yawned as they approached the honeymoon suite.

  Inside the cabin, Steven wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin atop her head. “Do you think we’ll ever get through a cruise without getting into trouble?”

  “If we did, we’d get bored.” She remembered Cynthia’s comment about being bored but didn’t want to tell Steven. “We’ll both do our jobs and make sure we’re available to rescue each other, promise?” Kayla asked.

  “As long as we both shall live, my love.”

  Chapter 19

  London 1907

  Reggie finished breakfast with his wife and two daughters—there would be no sons to carry on the family name—and walked through the ballroom filled with Impressionist masterpieces. He fingered the package from the diamond guild and contemplated the planning of Glacier Blue. Memories of nights spent watching the sky in Alaska were as vivid to him now as they were twenty years before. He hoped this package held the secret to creating his vision, a world of fire and ice.

  In the studio, Reggie meticulously unwrapped plain brown paper with the excitement of a school boy and stared at the contents of the box on his work table. Blue facetted diamonds glittered under the incandescent light, but that was not good enough. He closed heavy draperies over the windows and turned on the special lamp mounted on his table. He’d witnessed the new invention, a Wood’s Lamp, at a party last year and immediately ordered diamonds to be processed for his painting. The light from this lamp would help him create his masterpiece. Blue light emitted by the bulky lamp sparked an internal flame within the gems, but the color nearly leaped out of the box when he switched off the incandescent lamp.

  Hands trembling with excitement, he carefully plucked diamonds with tweezers and placed the gems onto the charcoal drawing that lay flat on the work table. An hour later he sat back to view his own creation, visualizing the completed picture. Northern lights shimmered across the upper portion of the canvas as gems followed wavy charcoal lines into the sky. Other gems captured the deep blue inside the crackling ice flow, while another set rippled below the water line.

  “It’s going to work,” he announced to an empty room. “Glacier Blue will finally become luminous, just like that sky in Alaska.”

  He removed a small jar of diamond dust from the box, a byproduct of grinding the facets of the diamonds that would adorned the canvas, and unscrewed the lid. Squeezing a glob of cadmium white paint onto his palette, he touched the diamond dust with a fine sable brush and mixed it into the white paint. Under ultraviolet light the dab of paint gleamed with blue highlights. He painted a color sample on a piece of canvas. It took hours to create just the right mixtures for each new splotch of paint, but he meticulously wrote notes next to each swatch until he felt satisfied. Stretching the kinks from his back, Reggie closed the jar, opened the drapes, and turned off the Wood’s lamp.

  He carefully gathered the diamonds off the canvas and placed them back into the box, making sure he didn’t lose one precious gem. Smiling, he locked the box in his safe. Cutting the color swatches into squares, he placed them in various positions atop the charcoal sketch. Tomorrow he could begin painting in earnest. It didn’t matter that he squandered thousands of pounds worth of diamonds on his project, although his accountants would be apoplectic when they found out.

  After years of experimentation, he’d finally be able to craft the painting of his dreams. He’d given various friends the previous paintings, embedded with colored Swarovski crystals, because none had achieved the result he envisioned. He felt certain he’d hang this painting on his own wall, but he’d keep his method a secret. Glacier Blue would be his private masterpiece, fashioned from ice that never melted.

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  High Seas Mystery Series

  If you haven’t read the other books in the High Seas Mystery series, I encourage you to take a look. Each book tells a stand-alone story. Here are basic descriptions (click any hyperlink to go straight to that book’s Amazon page):

  The first book in the series, MURDER CARIBBEAN-STYLE introduces Kayla, Steven, and their friends as they investigate the murder of Kayla’s ex-lover, Patrick. When Kayla arrives onboard the Aurora, she savors VIP treatment afforded a published guidebook author—until Patrick falls dead at her feet. Plunging into a frenzied investigation to discover the killer before island police arrest her friends, Kayla bumps into Steven Young every time she uncovers a new clue. They soon join forces to unravel the mystery and spark a fledgling romance. Like a tightrope walker balancing between passion and peril, Kayla risks her life to unearth the truth behind Patrick’s death and free herself from his memory. Should she trust Steven and risk another broken heart—or worse?

  The second novel in the series is MURDER ON A GHOST SHIP. A ghost is haunting Constellation Cruise Lines’ newest ship the Sea Mist. Emily Schultz bought the ship at a bargain price and it’s too late to back out on the deal. If she doesn’t solve the mystery of the ghost’s death and prevent another murder, she could lose her shaky position as president of the cruise line. She asks Kayla and Natalia to come back to work and help her solve the problem. As they dive into ship’s records, the ghost becomes frantic to communicate, sending messages to Kayla through startling visions. Kayla doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she can’t ignore the ghost’s persistent touch. The team must thwart a gang of deadly smugglers, who target Steven, and they must calm the angry ghost before another murder disrupts the cruise. Romance, danger, international intrigue, and exotic ports spice up the action as the ship crosses the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Learn more about Kayla, Steven, and their friends while savoring descriptions of Bermuda and the Azores along the journey.