Killer Knots

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “So why doesn’t he leave? With his experience as an office manager, he could get a job anywhere.”

  “Nah, he won’t budge. Bob complains a lot, but when push comes to shove, he’s too timid to rattle the cage.” Sandy lowered her voice. “I mean, even after that awful day, he wouldn’t quit.” She noted Marla’s puzzled look. “You know, the day Alden Tusk fell off the museum balcony to his death.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Our dinner companions are an interesting bunch, but I hope we get switched to your parents’ table,” Marla told Vail the next morning after breakfast. They were taking a brisk stroll around the outdoor sundeck after stuffing themselves with omelets from the buffet. Brianna had run off to join the teen program, while Vail’s folks had headed to the shore excursion presentation.

  “They’re all kind of weird, if you ask me,” Vail said, giving her a bemused glance. “What did you tell me about that artist dying at their museum?”

  “Sandy said Alden Tusk fell off the balcony. I didn’t hear how it happened, because her husband came by, and she shut up.”

  “So? We’re on vacation. You don’t need to know the details.”

  “I’d like to learn more about Alden’s life. He impressed me as the starving artist type when I worked for him. All I remember are his piercing eyes, his scruffy beard, and his passion for painting. He lived in a small house with weeds overgrowing the lawn.”

  “And?”

  “And maybe those portraits he did of me are worth something now.”

  “I’d think the odds are rare of finding one on the ship. Man, it’s hot out here.”

  Marla raced to keep up with Vail’s fast pace. The rising sun heated her back while a stiff breeze lashed her hair about her face. A couple streaked past, the guy wearing a white T-shirt and tan slacks, the woman in jeans and sandals. A jogger in bright red shorts sped past them all.

  Marla glanced over the rail at the white-capped swells. She’d never seen water that deep royal blue before. It reflected the sky overhead, dotted with cotton-candy clouds. Salt air laced her lips. She licked them, thinking she’d better apply a lipstick with sunscreen.

  Ding dong, ding dong. “Good morning, this is the captain, from the bridge,” Captain Larsen said, while Marla wondered where else he might make his announcements from if not the bridge. “We have a light wind this morning with moderate seas. It should be perfect weather for you to enjoy yourselves. Our heading takes us on a southeasterly course, and I will keep you updated periodically on our progress. Have a nice day.”

  “Oh look,” Marla said, “there’s Cliff Peters. We met him last night at the art preview. He’s the security guard at the museum and has a seat at your mother’s table. Doesn’t he look like a bigger version of Tom Cruise?” His thick black hair curled at his nape. “I wonder if he came on the trip alone. Betsy is looking to hook up with a guy, but I guess she isn’t interested in him.”

  “All right, Miss Matchmaker,” Vail teased. “What’s that Yiddish word? A yenta?”

  “That means busybody. And I’m glad to see you’re learning the language,” she added, grinning at him.

  Ding dong, ding dong. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen. This is David, your cruise director. We have a fun-filled day planned for you with our shore excursion and port-shopping talks, diamond and gem seminar, jackpot bingo, and slots tournament. You’ll find great deals in the spa and will want to sign up early for their signature treatments. Our shops are open, so check out the jewelry and perfume sales. Hope to see you soon!”

  “Are we going to have to listen to that all day?” Vail groused, stopping to wipe the sweat from his brow.

  “Probably.” Drained by the heat, Marla felt her energy ebb. “I’m ready to get a spot by the pool. What about you?”

  “I could eat again.”

  “Are you kidding? After you had an omelette with bacon, toast, potatoes, fruit, and a cinnamon roll?”

  He spread his arms. “How can I pass up the opportunity to try the pancakes with strawberry sauce and whipped cream?”

  “Fine, you go pig out. I’m changing into my swimsuit and reserving us some lounge chairs.”

  “Okay, but I might check out the gym before I return, if I can figure out how to get to the fitness center.”

  “It’s forward past the solarium, on the same deck as the pool. I think the spa is there, too.”

  By the time she made her way to the pool, many of the seats already had towels thrown across them or bodies percolating under the tropical sun. She didn’t know if Brianna or Vail’s parents would join them but decided to save an extra place just in case. Searching for three vacant lounge chairs, she spied Heidi Stark’s familiar face down one row. As she picked her way along, she felt the deck lift underfoot, tilting first to port, then to starboard, making her remember she was on a ship. By now, the rolling motion had become soothing and no longer bothered her. Same for the engine vibration that rumbled underfoot.

  “Are these chairs free?” she asked Heidi. The scent of suntan lotion mingled with salt spray from water sloshing in the pool. Without waiting for a reply, she laid out her towel and reserved the next couple of chairs with her beach bag and a mystery novel that Nicole had loaned her. The other stylist was always trying to get Marla to read books, but all she had time for were Modern Salon and other professional magazines. Maybe now she’d actually be able to concentrate on a story.

  “Hey, Marla,” Heidi said in her child like voice, glancing at her from behind dark sunglasses. “You’re out early.”

  Marla sat and squirted sunscreen into her palm. The lotion had become very liquefied from the heat, so she rubbed it diligently on her arms and legs. “I gather it’s going to get crowded later and all the chairs will be taken. I’m not interested in learning how to cross-stitch or in watching a fruit-carving demonstration. Besides, Dalton’s parents went to the shore excursion talk this morning. They can tell us what we need to know, although we’ve already filled out our tour order form. Have you been to any of these ports before?”

  “All of them.” Heidi giggled. She looked like a Barbie doll with her blond hair tied into a ponytail, her taut bikini, and her leggy figure. “I’m not sure if we’ll get off the ship at Roatan.” Her nose wrinkled. “Like, it’s so third world, you know?”

  Marla glanced at the heated whirlpool, where two young women, a bald man, and a gawky youth soaked in the mist. “We’re going on the Tabyana Beach tour. Dalton didn’t want to do the jungle canopy adventure, and we’ll go snorkeling on one of the other islands. So we’ll do the beach and barbecue thing at Roatan. I hope it’s worth fifty-five dollars each.”

  “The beaches are nice. Don’t expect to go shopping, though. It’s a total bore.” Heidi waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. The large diamond on her left finger winked in the sunlight. Marla glanced at the woman’s diamond-stud earrings and tennis bracelet with rocks sizable enough to have paid for her entire group’s cruise.

  Is that why Heidi had married a man twice her age, so he could shower her with jewels? She scanned the faces of passersby, wondering what was taking Dalton so long. People chatted and laughed, some of them sitting at square tables and eating food from the outdoor cafe, while glasses clinked at a bar nearby. Oh well. Maybe he’d decided to try the treadmill.

  Stuffing her lotion bottle back in her bag, she kicked off her sandals and leaned back to relax. Her eyelids shut, and she let her limbs sag. Ah, now this was what she called a vacation!

  “I can’t believe the triptych is on board,” Heidi blurted, after an interval in which Marla felt her cares slip away.

  “Huh?” Her mind took a moment to reorient.

  “Alden Tusk’s work. Thurston was so upset about it.”

  Marla didn’t move a muscle to open her eyes. “Where is your husband?”

  “He’s in the Internet Cafe. Dearest Thurston owns a number of car dealerships, and he’s so conscientious. He just has to keep in touch with his key people even when he’s away.
He’s totally a bull when it comes to business,” Heidi said proudly.

  “So why was he upset to see the artist’s name come up at the auction?”

  “Alden’s triptych was one of the pieces that would have been auctioned at our museum’s fund-raiser to establish a new children’s art program.”

  “I see.”

  “No, you don’t get it,” Heidi said, clearly eager to gossip from the enthusiasm lacing her voice. “The afternoon before the gala event, when the museum was closed to the public, Alden fell to his death from the third-floor balcony. His triptych was a series of three paintings, and only the two outer pictures were found afterward. The middle picture had vanished.”

  “Really?” Snapping her eyelids open behind her sunglasses, Marla glanced at Heidi. “What happened to those two pieces?”

  “They became part of his estate. I can’t understand how Eric Rand fits in. It blew my mind to see him on board.”

  “Why?” she asked, unable to deny her curiosity. Betsy had seemed fixated on him, too.

  Heidi turned her face to catch the sun’s rays. “Eric was the museum curator at the time. He was fired over the scandal, and yet here he is, along with all three panels of the dead artist’s set.”

  Marla swung her legs over the side of the lounge chair and stared at Heidi. “I don’t understand.”

  “Eric was in charge when Alden tumbled to his death. As curator, he got blamed for the accident. Thurston said if it weren’t for Eric’s negligence, the tragedy never would have happened.”

  Tucking a limp strand of hair behind her ear, Marla spied John Vail climbing down the stairs from the upper deck. Irene Smernoff, wearing a floral swimsuit, accompanied him. They were deeply engaged in conversation. Marla noticed Irene held a tall V-shaped glass containing a pinkish liquid. It looked like one of those tropical drink specials, but at ten o’clock in the morning?

  Ding dong, ding dong. “Ladies and gents, this is Kevin, your assistant cruise director, inviting you to play jackpot bingo just beginning in the Sailaway Lounge on deck five. We have lots of money to give away and free rum punches, so we’ll see you there. Don’t miss this fantastic game!”

  Distracted by the announcement, Marla forgot what Heidi was saying. Never mind that. What was John doing here without his wife? Hadn’t he and Kate gone to the ports-of-call presentation?

  “Save my seat,” she muttered, leaping up. Stumbling over beach towels and bags, she forged a path toward John. Catching sight of her, he widened his mouth in a welcoming smile.

  “Marla, I should have guessed I’d find you here.” He patted her on the back. “You know Irene, of course.”

  Irene gave a nod, her frozen facial muscles allowing little more than a smirk. “I’m on my way to the salsa class. Do you dance, Marla?”

  “Not ballroom dancing. I took ballet in my early years and even into my late teens.”

  Irene’s eyes sparked. “Me, too. I’ve never given up my love for it, either. We have season tickets at home. Attending the theater is something Olly and I both enjoy.”

  “What about you?” Marla asked her future father-in-law. “Are there cultural events where you live in Maine?”

  John tilted his head. “Sure, although you’ll get me to a sports game faster than you will to a show. Kate likes that stuff. She goes with her bridge group all the time.”

  Irene nudged him. “You’ll be going to plenty of shows soon, if I have anything to say about it.”

  “I hope you’re right,” he said, giving her a silly grin.

  Am I missing something here? These two seem to have something going on between them.

  “Where’s Kate?” Marla demanded.

  John’s brow folded in a frown. “She’s registering for the slots tournament. We stopped by the tour desk and bought an excursion to Tulum for us and Brie. I hope you don’t mind if Brie goes along. We figured she’d like to see the Mayan ruins.”

  “It’ll be fun for her. We had considered going, but Dalton doesn’t have the patience to ride a bus for half a day. I’d rather go shopping in Gozumel.”

  “Good choice,” Irene told her, then sipped her drink. “Oh, you’re sitting next to Heidi? Is that an extra chair I see?”

  “I was saving one for Kate and John, or Brie.”

  “I can’t sit in the sun,” John said. “Brie won’t surface until lunch, and Kate is occupied. So you go ahead, Irene.”

  “If you’re looking for Dalton, he may be in the sports complex,” Marla suggested.

  “What, are you trying to find things for me to do?” John scoffed. “Don’t worry, I can entertain myself. I’m quite used to it by now.”

  You don’t sound so happy about that, pal. Dalton had told her very little about his parents. Certainly, they weren’t as provincial as he’d let on. Could it be that he knew them less than he’d admit, or did he steer away from familial intimacy for a reason?

  Marla’s intuition made her skilled at sensing emotional nuances, and John’s responses told her that something wasn’t right at home base.

  “Marla, can I get you a cocktail? I need a refill,” Irene offered after he’d disappeared behind a glass partition designed as a windbreaker.

  “Thanks, but I’m still digesting my breakfast. I’ll go with you to get a cup of water, instead.”

  “I see you were talking to Heidi. She married for money, you know,” Irene said after they were served by the handsome Jamaican bartender. Other boozers were getting their morning start, Marla noted as she jockeyed for a stool. She wondered if Irene made a habit of drinking every morning.

  “Heidi seems fond of Thurston.” The cool water refreshed her after sitting in the heat. She downed most of the contents in a few gulps.

  “Heidi is more fond of Cliff Peters, darling. The security guard might have been more attentive to his job and prevented the accident if Heidi hadn’t been around that day.”

  Marla straightened her spine. “You mean the day Alden Tusk died?” Maybe now she’d find out what really happened to him.

  Irene nodded, fingering her gold hoop earring. She wore a heavy gold chain and a matching bracelet. “Heidi was supposed to be working with Brooklyn, our cafe manager, for the benefit that evening, but Olly ended up confirming the catering arrangements with him when Heidi disappeared.”

  “The fund-raiser was a dinner party?”

  “Right. We had the patio set up with tables and chairs, and a florist was due to arrive later with centerpieces. Ordering the decorations was my job,” Irene explained. “I was outdoors when I heard a man shriek in terror.”

  “And then what happened?”

  “Everyone rushed inside. Alden lay on the tile floor. Oh, God, it was awful.” Her hand shaking, she guzzled down a long drink.

  “So the benefit was canceled?”

  “Postponed. We had too many contributors to thank and art pieces that had been commissioned just for this event. The gala dinner took place on the following weekend.”

  “But without Alden Tusk’s triptych, I understand?”

  Irene’s eyes narrowed. “Someone stole the middle painting. Helen Bryce, the head docent, thought it would reappear, because sometimes when she took tours around, a picture would be missing on the wall. She’d learn afterward that Eric had been repairing the frame, or that Thurston had taken the picture to an appraiser in town who couldn’t make it into the museum.”

  “So the middle piece never turned up?”

  “Not until now. I can’t wait to see the completed set.”

  “You’re very devoted to the art world, aren’t you?”

  “Olly and I have that much in common. He works in the field, while I’m a real estate agent for luxury homes. I just volunteer at the musuem.” Irene hunched her shoulders, morosely regarding her cocktail. A soggy chunk of pineapple decorated the glass.

  Marla spotted Dalton snaking his way through the throng. “Excuse me, there’s my fiance,” she said, bouncing off her bar stool. “You’re welcome to use our e
xtra lounge chair until after lunch, if you want. Brie may join us then.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Her gaze lifted. “And darling, do me a favor? Don’t mention what we’ve been discussing to anyone at our dinner table.”

  “No problem,” Marla replied, although gossip tripped on her tongue when she went to meet Vail. “Where have you been?” she demanded. “Did you see your dad? John was wandering around while your mom headed for the casino.”

  The detective looked dashingly handsome with a towel draped around his neck, his chest bare, and swim trunks taut in tantalizing places. His affectionate smile had her wishing for more intimate quarters.

  “I was in the fitness center. They have some good equipment and a great view of the ocean. The spa and salon are next door, if you want to check them out.”

  “I’ll get there eventually. Did you happen to get tickets for the wine seminar this afternoon?”

  “Yep, on my way back to the room.”

  “Our chairs are next to Heidi. Oh look, Thurston finally got here.” Meandering over, she greeted the heavyset man, who wore a polo shirt and shorts. Beads of sweat covered his ruddy complexion and flattened his light brown hair.

  “Howdy, folks,” he boomed. “Relax, lie back, and let the ship’s staff take care of you. These days at sea are the best part of the cruise. For scenery, though, you’ll want to try the Mediterranean. When we did the Greek islands—”

  “Why, dearest,” Heidi interrupted, “you gave those Greek gods some competition, didn’t you? No one knows more about their mythology than you do. Tell them about the Acropolis.”

  Vail cleared his throat, and Marla caught his cue. Snatching her things, she flashed an apologetic grin.

  “Sorry, but we have to meet Dalton’s daughter. It’s almost lunchtime. Besides, if I get too much sun now, I won’t be able to lie out on the beach in Roatan. We’ll see you later at dinner.” Unless we change tables. I don’t know if I can stand another round of travelogues.

  By the time they collected Brianna for lunch, Marla had regained her appetite. They sat outside by the Outrigger Cafe, in a niche protected from the wind by glass windows. The square wood tables were bolted to the deck, which rolled gently from side to side with the ocean swells. Marla, accustomed to the motion, had even begun to block out the incessant loudspeaker announcements.