by Cindy Bell
“Please help,” she said quickly with a glaze of tears in her eyes. “Someone's attacked her.”
“What happened?” one of the guards asked quickly as he took the woman's pulse to make sure there was nothing he could do.
“I don't know,” Bekki stammered. “She was like this when I walked in and, and,” she gasped for air as she shook her head. “That poor woman!”
The security guards assessed the scene and one pulled out a handheld radio which crackled as he spoke into it.
“Could you step out into the hall?” the security guard demanded and positioned his body so that the body of the woman was blocked.
“Yes, yes of course,” Bekki muttered, still in a daze from what she had seen.
The other security guard barked into his radio for more security as Bekki stepped out into the hallway. Her feet trudged through the coffee grounds creating a soft crunching sound that made her stomach flip. She leaned against the opposite wall of the hallway to get her bearings. She had not expected to find a body inside the storage room. She tried to take a deep breath but before she could several medical personnel and more security guards came running down the hallway and rushed right past her. In the middle of all of the commotion Bekki decided to continue on to the salon. She didn't want to let anyone down by not being there, and she didn't want to get in the middle of whatever had happened in the storage room.
Bekki’s excitement for the trip had faded and her heart was aching for the poor woman she had discovered. Her mind immediately went to Bobby, who had threatened to strangle the croupier only hours before. Had he made good on that threat? By the time she reached the salon and stepped inside her mind was spinning with all of the possibilities. She knew she had promised not to get involved in any investigations on the cruise, but this was one she didn't think she was going to be able to ignore.
Chapter Five
The salon on the ship was small and a little cramped. But it had all the tools of the trade Bekki could possibly need and was decorated with shimmering gold fixtures. As Bekki had expected the salon was fairly quiet first thing in the morning. She didn't get her first customer for about an hour after she had arrived. When the woman who looked to be in her seventies walked in with a mink scarf wrapped around her neck, Bekki knew she would need to be on her toes. The woman was impeccably dressed without a hair out of place.
“Welcome,” Bekki smiled at her and led her to an empty chair. “What can I do for you today?”
“I'd just like a trim and a style,” the woman said in a clipped tone. “Do not cut too much off,” she warned her.
“Yes, ma'am,” Bekki smiled and ran her fingers lightly through the woman's hair. It was a mixture of silver and brown that blended together very well. She picked up a fine toothed comb and as she began combing through the woman's hair, Bekki could tell that it had been very well cared for.
“Are you enjoying your cruise so far?” she asked gently. She knew that ninety percent of the salon experience was about relaxing and unwinding away from all of the noise and chaos of a normal day. So, she always did her best to offer a positive and soothing attitude.
“I was,” the woman replied with a bit of a shudder in her voice. “Until I heard about what happened this morning,” the woman added in a hushed voice.
“Oh, what happened?” Bekki asked as if she hadn't the slightest clue as she ran a comb through the woman's glossy locks.
“There was a murder on the ship,” she said with a light gasp. “Never could I imagine that something like that would happen on my vacation.”
Bekki cringed a little as she knew that as soon as the rumor got around the boat the staff would be faced with a lot of questions and nervous passengers.
“No, I didn't hear about that,” Bekki replied, hoping to steer their conversation to another subject. “Are you sure it isn't just a rumor?”
“Oh, I'm sure,” the woman said confidently. “After all I saw the body bag,” she added in a dramatic whisper.
“You did?” Bekki asked with surprise and then realized that the woman must have walked past the storage room on the way to the salon. “That must have been frightening,” she frowned as she began to trim her hair.
“Oh no, it doesn't bother me,” the regal woman replied with a sparkle in her eyes. “I read true crime, and I love all those cop shows. It's a little exciting, really,” she giggled and gasped quietly. “I know it's horrid of me to think it's exciting, but I do love a good mystery. Don't you?”
Bekki arched an eyebrow over the top of the woman's head and had to hold back a smile of her own. It wasn't too hard to subdue her humor when she thought of the croupier.
“It is intriguing,” Bekki admitted. “I just hope whoever has done such a horrible thing sees some true justice.”
“I wonder if they know who did it?” the woman gushed on as Bekki combed and checked the length of the hair she had trimmed. She picked up a spray bottle to dampen it a little in preparation for styling. As she sprayed a little water, she wondered the same thing. So far no one had arrived to ask her any questions, but when they did she would have a lot to say. Mostly about Bobby, and the fact that he was not detained after threatening the croupier. If he had been then maybe none of this would have ever happened. She was very irritated that something hadn't been done to protect the croupier after she was clearly threatened.
“Well, I'm sure they'll figure it out,” Bekki said calmly as she parted the woman's hair and evened out the ends, before picking up the curling iron to give it a little bit of body.
“I hope so,” the customer replied with a grim frown. “There's something very eerie about being on a ship with not just a dead body but a murderer as well. I overheard one of the ship's staff members saying that we're too far away from land to turn back. We're just going to continue on to the next stop. Can you imagine? With all these people on the boat, what if there's a murderer on the loose?”
Bekki frowned and finished the last touches on the woman's hair.
“Well, I think it's important to remember that this could have been an isolated incident. Maybe someone was angry, maybe a lover. We wouldn't want everyone on the boat to panic thinking that they're in danger,” she added with a knowing look as she spun the woman around to allow her to look in the large mirror.
“Oh yes, of course not,” the woman nodded as she surveyed her hair with approval. “They won't hear it from me, that's for sure. Good job,” she smiled.
Bekki walked her to the register to check her out, just as Sammy made her way through the door of the salon.
“How are you feeling?” Bekki asked as she finished with the customer.
“Still not so hot,” Sammy admitted and rubbed her forehead. “I've never been so hung over before, all from a couple of drinks?”
“Well, one was a very powerful one,” Bekki laughed a little, but the paleness of her friend's features made her more than a little concerned. “Why don't you just sit down and handle the register for a little bit?” Bekki suggested.
“I'll be fine,” Sammy promised with determination in her voice. “I didn't come here just for fun, I'm looking forward to taking care of some customers.”
“Good, well, I set up at the first station, so why don't you take the second?” Bekki suggested.
“Looks good,” Sammy nodded and headed over to check out her supplies. As Bekki tidied up her station another customer arrived. The short and stocky man stepped in hesitantly. He was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, and glancing in all different directions. Bekki noticed the way he was shuffling his feet instead of picking them up off the ground. It struck her as a little odd for someone who looked to be in his twenties.
“Hello there,” Bekki smiled at him. Sammy was still setting up her station so Bekki gestured to her chair. “What can I do for you today?”
“Just a haircut,” he mumbled, and at first Bekki thought he was trying to disguise his voice by talking so softly. It was possible that he was just shy.
/> “Okay, I can certainly do that for you,” Bekki said. When he sat down in the chair in front of her Bekki looked over his brown curls. They were silky and larger than she had seen on most men. “What kind of style were you thinking?” she asked.
“I want it short,” he said sharply.
“Are you sure?” Bekki asked with surprise. She noticed that his voice sounded a little familiar.
“Yes, as short as you can cut it,” he said quickly. Bekki frowned as she hated the idea of cutting such beautiful hair short. But she knew that the customer was always right.
“How about a wash first?” Bekki suggested with a smile as she knew with curls sometimes came wild cowlicks.
“No, I just want it cut,” he said quickly with a touch of impatience. “I don't have time for a wash.”
“Okay,” Bekki furrowed a brow as the man was acting very skittish. “Let's get you out of your coat and into a cape,” she suggested. She eased the suit jacket he was wearing back from his shoulders and pulled it away from his arms as he sat forward. When she lifted it up something fell out of his pocket. She reached down to pick it up but he snatched it before she could get her hands on it. She noticed it was a tissue, and that it looked like it was stained with blood. He tucked it quickly into his pants pocket.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “Nosebleeds.”
“Oh,” Bekki nodded a little but she did think it was strange that he would want to keep a soiled tissue. As she began cutting his hair she expected him to relax. Most people found the light tug of the scissors on hair to be very relaxing. But his shoulders remained just as tight and she could see the strain creasing his features when she began to cut the front.
“Just make sure it's as short as you can get it,” he reminded her with some urgency in his voice.
“Excuse me, are you Bekki?” a man asked Sammy who was at the register.
“No, I'm Sammy, that's Bekki,” she said and pointed towards Bekki. Bekki could tell from the man's stance and the dark uniform that he was wearing that he was connected with the cruise ship, and possibly some form of law enforcement.
“I'm Bekki,” she nodded as the man walked towards her.
“Are we finished?” the customer in her chair asked sharply. He was already pulling at the cape.
“Just a moment,” she assured him as she brushed some of the hair she had cut from his shoulders.
“I need to speak to you about the incident this morning,” the man who had just entered the salon said quietly.
“Sure,” Bekki nodded a little. “Just let me finish this cut, okay?” she asked with a smile.
“I'll wait,” the man nodded, though he didn't seem very pleased to have to. He stood by the door of the salon as she finished trimming a few stray hairs on the back of the man's neck. Bekki thought he looked fairly intimidating because of his height and broad shoulders. But mostly because of his stern expression and the way he kept his hands folded at his waist, as if he had been trained to stand in a certain position.
“Are you finished, yet?” the man in her chair asked impatiently. “I really need to get going.”
Bekki frowned as she didn't like to rush through a haircut, but she knew that her customer was in a rush and the investigator was waiting for her as well. She trimmed down the last of the man's hair and then turned his chair so he could look in the mirror to approve the cut.
“Is this okay?” she asked him as he briefly glanced in the mirror. He ran a hand over the length of his hair thoughtfully.
“It's fine,” he finally nodded. “I'll pay her,” he stood up and nearly walked out with the cape around his neck.
“Sir, wait a minute!” Bekki called out.
“What?” he spun around, his eyes wide.
“The cape,” Bekki said hesitantly.
In the moment that she met his eyes she suddenly recalled where she had heard his voice before. It was at the restaurant when she was having breakfast with Nick before she boarded the cruise ship. His voice sounded just like the voice of the man she had heard arguing in the alley about money. She frowned for a moment, wondering if she could be confused.
“Here let me get that for you,” she said and untied the cape. “Are you sure the haircut is okay?” she asked hoping to get him to speak again.
“It's great,” he replied with a dismissive nod and hurried to the register to pay. Bekki watched him for a long moment. His behavior and the way she had heard him speaking before the cruise had launched made her uneasy. Was it possible that she was mistaken about his voice? She had to admit that it was possible, but she didn't think so.
“Bekki?” the man waiting for her asked. “Can we talk now?” he asked insistently.
“Certainly,” Bekki agreed as she walked towards him. In the back of her mind she recalled the bloody tissue, but she was sure it had nothing to do with the case.
“My name is Todd Ferguson, and I'm investigating the crime on behalf of the cruise ship. Until we're able to get a formal police investigation started, I am all there is. From what I understand you found the body this morning,” the man said and Bekki nodded in agreement. “I'd like to take your statement regarding what you saw this morning and what you saw last night. From what I understand you were briefly at Rose’s, the croupier's, table last night, weren't you?” he asked.
“Yes, I was,” Bekki replied as she heard the woman's name for the first time. Something about knowing her name made the whole situation seem even more real to her. “I was there when that terrible man threatened her,” she recalled through gritted teeth.
He scribbled down a note on his notepad. “Did he actually place his hands on her?” he asked.
“No, he didn't, but he wanted to,” Bekki replied and then lowered her voice. “He had lost a lot of money. I don't understand why the security guards didn't detain him.”
“How do you know they didn't?” the investigator asked and looked up at her sharply.
“I saw him later on at the bar on the dance floor,” Bekki explained with a frown. “I can't help but think that if he had been arrested none of this would have happened.”
“So, you feel that he was involved in the murder?” the investigator asked, his eyes heavy as they settled on hers.
“Well, of course, he fought with her, he threatened her, I just assumed...” her voice trailed off after a moment as she realized that she hadn't even considered the idea that it might have been someone else who took Rose's life. “When do you think the murder took place?” Bekki suddenly asked.
“I'm not really at liberty to share that information,” Todd replied and glanced over his shoulder briefly before looking back at her. “Honestly, until we're able to access a coroner or medical examiner we won't be able to determine that. However, it is important that if you think of anything, anything at all, that might have struck you as strange last night, you let me know.”
Bekki was thoughtful for a moment. She had jumped to the assumption that Bobby had been the murderer, but the more she thought about it the more she wondered if she might have been too quick to conclude that.
“When I saw Bobby at the bar, he wasn't just a little drunk,” Bekki said as she met the investigator's eyes. “He was passed out cold on the bar. If she was murdered after that I don't see how he could be the killer.”
“Well, we all have different tolerance levels for alcohol,” the investigator pointed out grimly and glanced in the direction of Sammy who had just laid her hand on one of the counters to steady herself. She was still having waves of dizziness.
“She only had two drinks last night,” Bekki explained, though she wasn't sure why she felt the need to defend herself or Sammy as they certainly weren't suspects. “One glass of wine earlier with dinner, and another drink in the early hours of the morning which was incredibly strong.”
“Really?” the investigator raised an eyebrow slightly. “The bartenders are instructed to serve weaker drinks on the cruise in order to avoid accidents. How strong was the drink?”
/> “Sammy had a hard time walking back to our cabin, and she also had a hard time waking up this morning,” Bekki explained and cringed as Sammy glanced in her direction. She hoped that her friend wouldn't be angry at her for divulging too much personal information.
“You said this was at the bar on the dance floor?” the investigator asked as he made a note on his notepad.
“Yes, it was,” Bekki nodded. “After we left the casino we went there next.”
“Thanks,” the investigator frowned as if he was contemplating something, and then nodded as he turned to walk away. He paused and turned back. “If you think of anything, you can reach me here,” he handed her a business card.
“What's this?” Bekki asked with confusion as she looked at the set of numbers on the card.
“Oh, because the reception can be iffy on the boat, that's a number that you can call directly from your cell phone. It will connect to me like a walkie-talkie and you can use it to send me a message. Everyone on the ship uses it. So, don't hesitate to contact me, okay?”
“I won't,” Bekki promised as the investigator walked out. Sammy walked slowly over to her, using her hand to steady herself as she moved.
“What was that about?” she asked and rubbed lightly at her right temple.
“Remember the croupier from last night?” Bekki asked.
“Sure, the one that drunk was harassing,” Sammy nodded slowly.
“I found her dead in a storage room this morning,” Bekki admitted. She didn’t tell Sammy when she arrived because she didn’t want to make her feel worse. “She was murdered.”
“What?” Sammy gasped. “How terrible! Did they arrest that buffoon?”
“I'm not sure,” Bekki admitted. “In fact, I'm not sure he's the one who killed her.”
“Oh, Bekki,” Sammy sighed. “Be careful, okay? We don't have Nick and Morris here to back us up,” she blinked a little after saying that.
