Bekki the Beautician 10 - Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer

by Cindy Bell

  “Actually, do you mind if I play the slots?” Sammy asked sheepishly. “I have a bit of a weakness for them.”

  “Sure, that's fine,” Bekki nodded with a light wink. “I'll be over here if you run out of cash.”

  “What? No confidence in me?” Sammy giggled and Bekki was relieved to see her friend smile.

  “We'll see who's richest at the end of the night,” Bekki suggested as she walked over to the table with the gambler who was quite obviously still losing money. She quietly sat down at the table just after a few people stood up to leave. She heard their annoyed comments.

  “Really, it's supposed to be fun,” the woman said as she looped her arm through her companions.

  “Some people just don't know how to gamble responsibly,” he muttered to her as they walked past Bekki. Bekki frowned as she glanced over at the man three seats away from her.

  He was dressed nicely enough with a button-down, blue shirt and black trousers, but his hair was ruffled on the top of his head. The tension in his shoulders seemed to continue right up into his cheeks which were beet red. Bekki could tell that he was not enjoying himself in the least.

  “All right, all right,” he puffed out as he rocked back on his chair, and then leaned forward again. “Let's try doubling.”

  “Are you sure?” the croupier asked. She was looking a little concerned. She was young and hadn't yet been hardened by years of working at the tables.

  “I said, double,” the man said sharply, his annoyance growing.

  “I'd like to place a bet,” Bekki said quietly and added her bet to the table. The croupier swiftly dealt the cards. It was only moments later that Bekki heard the man groan.

  “I can't believe this, this has to be rigged,” the man said as he tossed his cards down on the table.

  Bekki could tell that the man was getting more and more agitated. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and smiled at him.

  “Sometimes lady luck isn't kind,” she offered in a lighthearted tone hoping to defuse the situation before the man lost his temper. He glowered in her direction. He had thick, nearly straight eyebrows that shadowed his dark brown gaze making it seem even darker. Bekki couldn't help but think of how much fun it would be to go after him with some tweezers.

  “I know that this is some kind of scam,” he barked roughly at her. “You've taken almost every dime from me. Now, you need to spot some of that back so I can win some money back.”

  “Uh, sir, that's not possible,” the croupier replied firmly.

  “You better find a way to make it possible,” the man said and slammed his hand hard against the edge of the table causing some of the chips piled up to fall over.

  “Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down,” the croupier said with a sigh. Bekki was just about to stand up to leave the table, as she had seen enough to know that she was not going to be of any help to the situation, when the man suddenly bolted up out of his chair nearly knocking it over.

  “This is a con!” he shouted so loud that it drew the attention of every person in the casino. He aimed his fury at the croupier who was standing nervously. She looked around for help as she was caught in the fury of the man towering before her.

  “You give me back my money right now!” he shouted into her face.

  Bekki couldn't bring herself to keep her mouth closed as she didn't want the croupier to get hurt.

  “Sir, really, we've all had a bad day, maybe we could find a manager for you to talk to,” Bekki suggested hopefully. She could tell from his breath that he'd had quite a bit of alcohol, which probably contributed to him spending much more than he should have.

  “No!” the man stomped one foot hard against the floor and lunged towards the croupier. “Give me back my money now!” he growled. The croupier had backed up against the wall behind the table. Bekki presumed that someone must be calling security due to the obvious scene, she could not believe how long it was taking for someone to come help. She felt as if she couldn't leave the situation because she didn't want the croupier to be alone with the aggressive and obviously drunken man.

  “Please sir, I'm just trying to do my job,” she said shyly and Bekki could tell that she had begun to tremble.

  “If you don't give me back my money I'm going to wring your neck,” he hissed and began to step forward again. Bekki raised her hand to stop him but before she could touch him, a security guard barreled in from the other side and knocked him right into the side of the table. The man struggled with him furiously.

  “Let me go!” he shouted. “I'll kill her! I'll kill her! Let me go!” he was still screaming as the security guard cuffed him and led him out of the casino area. The croupier was gasping for breath her eyes wide with terror. Bekki could understand why. When the man had begun lunging towards her his bulky form and grimacing face had made him look like a monster.

  “Are you okay?” Bekki asked kindly.

  “I think so,” the woman stammered and shuddered. Another security guard arrived to escort the croupier out of the casino. A manager of the casino arrived and then turned to Bekki.

  “Would you be willing to describe what you witnessed here?” he asked with urgency in his tone.

  “Oh sure, of course,” Bekki nodded. She was married to a detective so she understood the need for a thorough investigation, although she had hoped to avoid it on her vacation.

  “We may not need it,” the manager explained. “It will be up to the senior casino manager if he is detained for the rest of the cruise or not.”

  Bekki nodded a little as she wondered how that worked. She had never thought about the need for a jail cell of some sort on a cruise.

  “Please, get a complimentary drink from the bar to make up for the disturbance,” the manager said and handed her a coupon to give to the bartender.

  “Thank you,” Bekki replied. She decided to find Sammy and tell her what had happened before heading to the bar. As she walked away from the table she could hear the sounds of the casino going right back to normal as if nothing had ever happened. It made her wonder just how secure the casino was. If that man had wanted to attack the poor croupier he could have had his hands around her neck before she even had the chance to scream. It was a little disturbing.

  “How are you doing?” Bekki asked as she stepped up beside Sammy. Sammy had a large plastic cup that was filled with coins.

  “I think I'm on a lucky streak,” she giggled and handed Bekki a coin. “Want to try your luck?”

  “I think after what I just saw some bad luck might have rubbed off on me,” Bekki laughed and dropped the coin into the slot machine beside Sammy's anyway. “This man must have lost a lot of money and he also lost his temper.”

  “I suppose that can happen in places like this,” Sammy said thoughtfully, then her eyes grew wide as the machine that Bekki had dropped the coin into began to ding and whistle.

  “Bekki! You hit the jackpot!” she cried out happily as coins began pouring out of the mouth of the machine.

  “What?” Bekki looked at the machine in surprise. She couldn't even remember the last time she had played the slots and on the first attempt she had done quite well. She grabbed an empty plastic cup to gather the coins that were beginning to overflow.

  “Looks like I was lucky after all,” Bekki laughed happily.

  “I'd say so,” Sammy agreed with a grin as she helped Bekki shovel the coins into the empty cup. “Now this is a reason to celebrate! Why don't we check out the dance floor?”

  “Oh, I don't know,” Bekki hesitated with a slight frown. She wasn't sure how Nick would feel about her dancing with other men, even if it was just for a little platonic fun.

  “Please,” Sammy begged as she looked up at her. “I need some real fun, Bekki. Not all of us have your luck!”

  Bekki hid a grimace at Sammy's words. She knew that her friend meant her words in a joking way, but it still struck her hard. Sammy was suffering and possibly breaking up with her boyfriend, Morris, and Bekki had a
happy, loving marriage that did make her feel like the luckiest woman on earth. She didn't expect to feel guilty for it.

  “All right, maybe just one dance,” Bekki finally smiled. More than anything she wanted Sammy to realize just how beautiful and desirable she was. Sammy had always struggled with her self-confidence. This was one of the reasons that they used to enjoy giving each other makeovers while they were growing up. It was fun for Bekki, but Sammy had never been satisfied with how she looked.

  Chapter Four

  Bekki and Sammy left the casino after turning in Bekki's winnings and headed for the dance floor. The lighting was even dimmer on the dance floor and it was packed with people having a wonderful time moving to the very lively music. Bekki felt a little uneasy with the amount of people but Sammy grabbed her hand and pulled her right in. As soon as Bekki was out on the dance floor in the middle of the throbbing music and the dancing people, she was brought right back to her time in New York City. When she had lived there she had partied pretty often with friends in the fashion industry and one of her favorite things to do was dance. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed just letting go on the dance floor.

  Sammy seemed to be enjoying herself, too and they were soon encircled by a few potential dance partners. Bekki declined the offers as she was having fun just dancing by herself, but Sammy was taking turns with each of the men that came up to her. She kept tossing Bekki laughs and winks. Bekki was thrilled to see her friend having such a good time. She only wished Morris could see what he was missing. They lost track of time as they were dancing. They must have been dancing for a couple of hours when Bekki realized how parched she was and decided she needed to get a drink.

  “Sammy,” she gasped out as her friend was spun by her latest dance partner. “I need a break!”

  “Me, too,” Sammy breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe I really am getting old!”

  “If you are then so am I!” Bekki laughed as they walked off the dance floor.

  Bekki remembered the coupon she had been given and decided to see if she could use it at the bar. As they walked up to the bar it was crowded with people. Bekki noticed out of the corner of her eye a burly figure with bushy, brown eyebrows. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was. It was the man from the casino! He wasn't handcuffed, so she assumed he'd been released. She frowned as she watched him down a beer in a few gulps. He had already been so intoxicated when she saw him in the casino that it surprised her that he was still being served. When the bartender made his way over to her she decided not to bite her tongue.

  “That gentleman was involved in an altercation with casino staff just a few hours ago,” Bekki said with a frown when she got the bartender's attention. “He was drunk then, maybe you should cut him off.”

  “Oh, Bobby?” the bartender shook his head. “He's got the special treatment, I've been told not to cut him off.”

  “What? Why?” Bekki asked with growing concern. “He was nearly violent earlier, there's no telling what he could do if he keeps drinking.”

  “Sorry, I just do what I'm told,” the bartender said. “Do you want to order a drink or not?”

  Bekki nodded and handed him the coupon.

  “Oh, I see you get a complimentary drink,” the bartender said with a wide smile.

  “Yes, I'd like a glass of wine,” Bekki said with a smile.

  “Oh, sorry the complimentary drinks are a specific kind,” he explained and turned his back to her. Sammy and Bekki exchanged glances of confusion as the bartender prepared a drink that Bekki didn't even order. When he turned back he had a large goblet wine glass that was filled with some kind of drink that was electric green with a pink straw and two large slices of lime floating around in it.

  “What is this?” Bekki asked and furrowed a brow.

  “It's called a lucky streak,” the bartender explained as he slid the drink closer to her. “Just try it, I'm sure you're going to like it.”

  Bekki hesitated. She hadn't done any real heavy drinking since she was living in New York City.

  “It looks good,” Sammy giggled. “I'll have one, too!”

  “Great,” the bartender grinned and made one for Sammy as well.

  “Well, I guess it couldn't hurt,” Bekki smiled and clinked glasses with Sammy.

  They both sipped the drink at the same time.

  “Oh, ugh!” Bekki gasped out as the sour taste struck her taste buds. Sammy's face had puckered in reaction to the taste as well.

  “It's like sour apple and sweet candy at the same time,” Sammy groaned and wrinkled her nose. Bekki's eyes widened when she tasted the alcohol beneath the sour sweetness.

  “And this drink is absolutely loaded,” she laughed and looked for the bartender. He was busy with other customers.

  “I'm not drinking this,” Bekki said firmly and left the drink on the bar.

  Sammy took another sip. “It's not too bad once you get used to it,” she said. She took another sip. Bekki looked back out over the dance floor. She was mesmerized by the flashing lights and the music. A few minutes later she looked back at Sammy to find that she had drained the entire goblet.

  “Uh oh,” Bekki laughed as she watched Sammy try to stand up. “I think it's time we call it a night.”

  “A night?” Sammy slurred as she tapped Bekki's watch. “Check again.”

  Bekki was stunned when she looked at her watch and saw that it was nearly five in the morning.

  “Wow, I had no idea it was so late,” she said with a grimace. “We have to be in the salon by eight in the morning.”

  “Ugh,” Sammy groaned and leaned heavily on Bekki. “Does it feel like this club is moving?”

  “We're on a cruise, Sammy, remember?” Bekki giggled and helped her friend out into the hallway. As she neared the doorway she lost her balance slightly from Sammy leaning on her. She nearly tripped on a foot that was sticking out from the bar. She looked up quickly with annoyance only to see Bobby hunched over the bar. She thought at first that he had stuck his foot out on purpose in order to get her back for being involved in the incident in the casino earlier.

  “Do you mind?” she snapped as she was afraid she was going to drop Sammy. The man ignored her. But when Bekki looked more closely at him she noticed he had no choice but to ignore her. He was snoring on the bar. From the drool trailing along his chin Bekki guessed he had been laying that way for quite some time.

  “Ugh,” Bekki scrunched up her nose and steered Sammy around him and out into the hallway.

  “I'm so sorry, Bekki,” Sammy slurred as she tried to keep her balance while they walked down the hallway.

  “Shh, it's okay,” Bekki promised her as they reached the door of the cabin. “We all need to let loose sometimes.”

  “I've never felt like this before,” Sammy groaned as Bekki helped her into her bed. She tugged Sammy's shoes off and made sure she was comfortable.

  “Just rest,” Bekki murmured and dimmed the lights in the room. As she sat down on the edge of her bed she glanced down at her phone hoping there might be a message from Nick. There wasn't one, and she knew it was too late to send him one. Sammy was already snoring in her bed. Bekki was sure that drink had been a little too much for Sammy and hoped that they would both be ready to work in a few hours.

  ***

  When Bekki’s alarm went off she was sure it had only been a few minutes. But she checked and double checked the time to find that it was indeed time to get up. She woke up Sammy who was not feeling well at all.

  “Oh, Bekki, I'm so sorry,” she muttered. “I never should have had that drink.”

  “Don't worry about it,” Bekki said quickly. “Just sleep for a few more hours. I will handle things at the salon.”

  “Are you sure?” Sammy asked nervously. “I don't want to make you look bad with your friend.”

  “No, it's fine,” Bekki insisted. “It's better than going in and accidentally dying someone's hair the same color that drink was,” she laughed.

  “Good p
oint,” Sammy groaned and buried her face in her pillow once more. As Bekki dressed she thought about Nick and what he might be doing. She didn't have to think long as a text came through on her phone a few minutes later.

  “Good morning beautiful. Remember we're still under the same sky,” the text read.

  Bekki grinned at that and sent him back a text that told him how much she was missing him and then she headed for the salon. As she was walking down the hallway she passed one of the many storage rooms that were scattered throughout the ship. She noticed that the door was slightly open and thought it was strange. Then she noticed that there was a bunch of what looked to be coffee grounds all over the floor. She glanced up and down the hallway to see if there was any staff available to tell but there was no one in sight. She decided to check and see what the problem was before she reported it.

  Bekki opened the door of the storage room and was surprised to find the metal shelves had been tipped over. At first she thought maybe the ship had hit some rough waters while she was sleeping. It would explain how the shelves had tipped. But then she noticed something very out of place. It was a black high heel sticking out from behind one of the tipped shelves. Bekki looked at the shoe for a long moment.

  “Hello?” Bekki called out, wondering if maybe an amorous couple had decided to use the storage room for a little tryst. “Is someone in there?” she called out again.

  No one answered. Bekki stepped a little further into the storage room. She spotted the other black high heel. But this one was on a foot, a foot that belonged to a body that was half-hidden by fallen boxes which seemed to be the source of the spilled coffee grounds.

  “Oh, no!” Bekki gasped and rushed forward. Maybe a staff member had been in the storage room when the shelves tipped. “Are you okay?” she asked as she pulled the boxes off the woman. She stared down into the half-open eyes of the croupier she had met the night before in the casino. Her neck and chest were covered with blood.

  “Help!” Bekki cried out as she realized that the woman was dead. “Help!” she screamed more loudly as she took in the scene. It was obvious that the woman's throat had been cut, this was no accident. The croupier had been murdered. Bekki's shrill screams must have been loud enough to be heard by others because a few moments later security came bursting into the storage room.