Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 9)

by Hope Callaghan

  “Have you talked to the crewmember who found Brody unconscious?” Millie asked. She thought about the person Brody claimed he saw lying on the floor.

  “I have,” Donovan said. “He knows as much as we do. That Brody was unconscious and there was no one else around.”

  “The easiest solution is to move Brody back to days but it will be a demotion and so far, he’s shrugging everything off, like it’s no big deal,” Patterson added. “I don’t get it.”

  “You may have to demote him for his own good.” Oscar, who had so far remained silent, spoke. “I like Brody. He seems like a good guy and a hard worker. I don’t understand.”

  “Maybe he thinks the problem was solved last night,” Millie added.

  After Millie left Patterson’s office, she headed upstairs to grab a bite to eat. The lunch crowd had already cleared out and there were only a few stragglers wandering around. Millie settled on a bowl of soup and carried her tray to a table overlooking the bay.

  After praying over her food and adding a special prayer for Brody, she crumbled her crackers, sprinkled them into her soup and reached for her spoon.

  “There you are.” Annette appeared, carrying a tray laden with baked chicken, chicken wings, fried chicken and a roll.

  “Chicken?” Millie grinned as she pointed the tip of her soupspoon at Annette’s plate.

  “Yeah. I’m experimenting with some new chicken recipes but needed a refresher on what the current recipes taste like.” Annette transferred the plate from the tray to the table and set the empty tray on the seat next to her before she plopped down and pulled a notepad and pen from her pocket.

  “You weren’t kidding,” Millie said.

  “Food is serious business on a cruise ship,” Annette said as she reached for a chicken wing. “I’m thinking of adding a honey barbecue chicken to the menu.”

  “I love chicken wings,” Millie said.

  Annette bit into a drumette and then waved it at Millie’s soup. “Dieting for the dress?”

  “No. I’m worried about Brody,” Millie confessed.

  “Brody?”

  “Brody Rourke. He’s head of night security. You may remember him from the tasing demonstration awhile back.”

  Annette snorted. “Oh yeah. Him. Is he the guy who got jumped? Amit said he heard some security guy was attacked and they took him to the hospital.”

  “Yeah, that was him.” Millie went on to explain how Brody had gotten into a few minor scuffles with night crew. “Brody claims he was making his rounds and stumbled upon a maintenance worker in one of the hallways, lying on the floor. He leaned over to check on him and the next thing he knew, Doctor Gundervan was hovering over him. Someone had attacked him from behind and knocked him out.”

  “What happened to the other guy?” Annette asked.

  “That’s the odd part. When one of the crewmembers found Brody unconscious on the floor, it was only Brody lying there. There was no one else.”

  “Bodies don’t just vanish,” Annette said. “Maybe the guy passed out and when he came to he saw Brody, panicked and ran off.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.” Millie lowered her voice. “Patterson said there was a small pool of blood next to Brody and it wasn’t his.”

  Annette arched a brow. “Interesting. So maybe there was someone there, just like Brody said.”

  Millie nodded and then told Annette about the note she found tucked in Brody’s cabin door.

  “Sounds like he’s in for another round,” Annette said. “Patterson knows about it?”

  “Yeah. So does Donovan. They’ll have to do something.” Millie sipped her soup and then set the spoon on the table. “I’ve got it. Remember the electrical fire that killed Luigi Falco, the electrician?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I got to know Marcus, one of the other electricians when he helped me set up Killer Karaoke in the atrium. He works around maintenance. I wonder if he knows what’s going on.”

  On the one hand, Millie wondered if she should just mind her own business. Brody hadn’t asked for her help. Patterson wouldn’t appreciate her sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong. She doubted the crew would be forthcoming when questioned by the ship’s officers. She, on the other hand, was more on their level.

  Plus, Marcus owed her one, in a roundabout way.

  “Try this wingette and tell me what’s missing.” Annette dropped a small chicken wing on Millie’s plate.

  Millie tore off a piece of meat and popped it in her mouth. “It’s missing the zip. The buffalo sauce is a little bland.”

  “My sentiments exactly.” Annette shook her head. “I keep telling the cooks to skip the curry powder and add more cayenne pepper and hot sauce but they won’t do it.”

  “Yeah, now that you mention it, I can taste the curry.” Millie finished the wing and her soup and glanced at her watch. “Are you free Friday to do some dress shopping and lunch? My treat.”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ve already invited Cat and plan to invite Danielle.”

  “It will be nice to get off the ship,” Annette said.

  Millie waited until Annette finished her food and then stood. “I’ll see if I can track down Marcus before I head back to the library to work on the inventory.”

  Andy had given Danielle and Millie flexible schedules. As long as they finished the tasks on their lists before Saturday, he told them they could work at their own pace.

  “I need to check on the clean-up crew working on the walk-in coolers.” Annette gave a small wave and climbed the side stairs.

  Millie headed down the steps and the direction she hoped was the electrical department. She’d toured the area once, months ago, and vaguely remembered it was close to the engineering and mechanical departments.

  The engineering and mechanical departments were off limits to everyone except the crew who worked in those departments but with Millie’s clearance level, she was able to access the restricted areas.

  As she descended below water level and the stairwell narrowed, her claustrophobia kicked in, causing her to pause halfway. “You can do this,” she whispered under her breath and forced herself to continue her descent.

  When she reached the narrow hall, she turned left, in the direction she hoped was the electrical department. Several curved metal doors lined the corridor and when she passed the one marked Engineering she knew she was getting close. She passed the engine room and on the other side, she finally found what she was looking for.

  While the other doors were solid metal, the door leading to the electrical department sported a small, square window with a thick layer of glass. Thin strips of wire crisscrossed the glass.

  The window was slightly higher than eye level. Millie bounced on the tips of her toes in an attempt to see inside. The room was tiny and crammed full of equipment.

  Her claustrophobia level inched toward a full-scale, heart pounding red alert and she began to feel lightheaded.

  Determined to find out what Marcus might know, she shoved her rising panic aside and rapped sharply on the outer door.

  A man’s face appeared in the window, a face Millie didn’t recognize. The door opened just far enough for him to peer out. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m looking for Marcus,” Millie said.

  “Marcus not here,” the man answered in a thick Spanish accent. “He up in the theater working on stage equipment.”

  “Thank goodness.” Millie pressed a hand to her chest; more than a little relieved she wouldn’t have to enter the miniscule space. “Thank you.”

  The man mumbled something and the door closed. She heard a “click” as he locked the door behind him.

  “You don’t have to worry about me trying to break into your cave.” Millie spun on her heel and retraced her steps. She hurried up the stairs and by the time she reached deck three, the first floor of the theater, she had to stop to catch her breath.

  The doors to the theater were closed, and Millie could hear th
e low rumble of music coming from within.

  Millie stepped inside and climbed the side stairs to the second level where the sound booth and stage lighting was located. Crammed inside the confined booth were several crewmembers.

  There was a blinding flash of bright light and Millie caught a glimpse of Marcus, right in the thick of things. She shielded her eyes and pressed her forehead against the clear Plexiglas as she tried to catch his eye.

  The workers either didn’t notice her or were ignoring her so Millie began waving her arms wildly.

  Finally, one of the men opened the door.

  “I need to speak with Marcus.”

  “Sure.” The man tapped Marcus’ shoulder and pointed toward Millie.

  Marcus pulled a headset off his head and wove his way past several workers. “Miss Millie.”

  “Hi Marcus. I’m sorry to bother you, but wondered if you had a minute to talk.”

  “Yes, of course.” Marcus glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be back.” He stepped out of the booth and closed the door behind him. “Don’t tell me you found more hot wires.”

  “No, thank goodness,” Millie said. “I try to avoid electrical components whenever possible.”

  Marcus followed Millie out of the theater and into the hall. She decided to get right to the point. “Did you hear about Brody Rourke’s attack last night?”

  “Yes.” Marcus nodded. “Everyone knows.”

  “I figured. So what’s your take on what happened?”

  Marcus averted his gaze and shuffled his feet, a sure sign he knew something.

  “I…uh.”

  “You know something,” Millie said. “Please, tell me so I can help Brody.”

  “The night maintenance, they don’t like Brody,” Marcus finally said.

  “I know that,” Millie said. “What I don’t know is why. Is he bullying people?”

  “No.”

  “Does he have dirt on someone and they’re trying to get rid of him?”

  “I don’t think so.” Marcus shook his head.

  Millie almost told Marcus about the note but kept quiet. She wasn’t supposed to know about it. “I don’t think last night was the end of Brody’s harassment. I think it’s going to continue.”

  Marcus shifted his feet. “It would be best if he work days. Like I said, the night crew, they don’t like him.”

  “Why?” Millie pressed.

  “I don’t know for certain. I do know during our last cruise, right after the port stop in San Juan, the crew began to say they no want Brody on the ship.”

  “But you don’t know why?”

  “No Miss Millie,” Marcus said. “They like Brody and joke around with him but after the stop in San Juan, I hear rumors they going to get rid of him. I thought they were just talking until last night.”

  “Have you heard anything today, any new news about getting rid of Brody?” Millie asked.

  “No, but I’ve been up here working since early this morning. If anyone knows what is going on downstairs, it would be Sharky.”

  “Sharky?”

  “He runs the crew, you know the dock workers, forklift drivers. He’s the unofficial head honcho below the water line.”

  “So you think Sharky is the person I should talk to?” Millie asked.

  Marcus shook his head. “No. I’m not telling you to go to the water line. It’s a different world down there. I’m just saying if anyone knows what happened to Brody, it would be Sharky.”

  “Say I did want to talk to Sharky. Is it safe?”

  “I wouldn’t go down there alone,” Marcus said. “Sharky - he work the day shift but one of his men, he is in charge at night.”

  “What about Frank Bauer? I thought Frank was the head of maintenance?” Millie asked.

  “Yes, on paper, but Frank, he doesn’t have time to oversee every department so he turns a blind eye to Sharky’s pull.”

  Millie believed Marcus was telling her the truth. “That sheds a little light on the situation. So say I wanted to find Sharky. Where do I look?”

  “Storage area block ‘A’ or ‘B’. I’ve seen him in both. He also has an office down there. It has his name on the door.”

  “What does Sharky look like?”

  “You can’t miss him. He rides around on a black scooter,” Marcus said.

  Millie thanked Marcus for sharing what he knew and promised she wouldn’t tell anyone what she’d heard from him.

  “You’re welcome, Miss Millie. Be careful if you decide to track Sharky down.” Marcus reached for the door handle. “I like Brody. He’s a good guy but I think he should switch to the day shift.” He didn’t wait for a reply as he stepped back inside the theater and the door closed behind him.

  Chapter 7

  “So you’re saying Marcus heard something went down during our last port stop in San Juan and it triggered the violence toward Brody?” Annette asked.

  “Yep. Up until that night, the night crew had no problem with Brody.” Millie glanced around the galley and lowered her voice. “I hope Patterson was able to convince Brody to give up the night shift, even if only temporarily until they can figure out why he’s being targeted.”

  Cat tapped the tip of her nail on the stainless steel counter. “I haven’t seen Brody myself but Joe said he took a hard fall.” She shivered. “If someone on board this ship is still bent on hurting him, he could be in danger.”

  “Last I heard, he was fighting taking time off and plans to show up for his shift at the guard gate tonight,” Danielle said.

  Millie told the women about Sharky, the maintenance supervisor who worked the day shift.

  “I’ve never heard of the man,” Cat said.

  “I have,” Danielle said. “I always wondered who he was. The bartenders in the employee lounge like to tease the rowdies that if they don’t straighten up, they’re going to send them downstairs to work for Sharky.”

  “I wouldn’t mind having a word with Sharky,” Millie said. “I mean, how bad can he be?”

  “I’ll go with you,” Danielle offered.

  “No.” Annette shook her head.

  “Why not?”

  “Danielle, look at you. You would stand out like a sore thumb,” Annette said. “If Millie goes down there, we need to keep it on the down low, or as down low as we can. I’ll go.”

  She turned to Millie. “I’ve heard of Sharky. Rumor has it he’s one tough cookie.”

  Wisps of smoke drifted from both corners of the nearby oven and caught Millie’s eye. “Something is burning.”

  “Chicken!” Annette grabbed a potholder and flung the oven door open.

  A large plume of smoke filled the air and Annette waved the potholder in a desperate attempt to clear the air. “Amit!”

  She pulled the tray from the oven rack and slid it onto the counter. “We got lucky. It’s just a little grease burning off.”

  Amit flew through the galley door. “I forgot about my chicken!”

  “You almost burned the place down,” Annette teased. “Where did you wander off to?”

  “I was up in the captain’s apartment. He working on a special dinner.”

  All eyes turned to Millie.

  “Let me guess, Captain Armati is making you dinner,” Cat said.

  Millie’s cheeks warmed. “Yeah. What are we having?” She turned to Amit.

  “Oh no Miss Millie.” Amit shook his head. “It a surprise. A good surprise. You be very happy.”

  “Oh I’m sure she will,” Danielle teased. “Must be nice having the captain of the ship make dinner for you.”

  “He offered,” Millie said lamely. “I couldn’t turn him down.”

  “Speaking of which, any news on Majestic Cruise Lines bending the rules and letting you two lovebirds tie the knot?” Annette asked.

  “No.” With Brody’s current dilemma, Millie had almost forgotten about her own. Almost.

  “I say we move full steam ahead and start a petition,” Danielle said.

  “Me too,
” Cat agreed.

  “I think we’re going to need all the help we can get.” Millie slid off her chair. “I better check in with Andy before I get ready for dinner.”

  “Have fun,” Danielle teased. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  ***

  Millie found Andy in the dressing room, rifling through the makeup bags. Propped up on the counter in front of him was a large clipboard. “How’s it going?”

  Andy, whose back was to the door, jumped. “You scared me half to death.”

  “Sorry,” Millie said. “You’re inventorying the stage makeup?”

  “Yeah.” Andy shook his head. “This stuff seems to grow legs and just walk away.”

  He changed the subject. “What have you been up to all day?”

  Millie gave him a rundown of what she’d accomplished, which wasn’t as much as she’d hoped, having been sidetracked by Brody’s situation. “I finished half the library book inventory and should have it finished by late tomorrow morning. Zack and I updated the playlist for karaoke and ordered some new music.”

  “It sounds like you accomplished a lot,” Andy said. “Do you still plan to shop in Miami?” She told him she did and that she wanted to invite Danielle to join her and the others.

  “I see no problem with both of you taking some time off,” Andy said. “It’s rare you women get an opportunity to go out and do girly stuff.”

  “Plus, you owe me one,” Millie reminded him.

  “That I do,” Andy agreed. “They’re opening the dining room to the crew for dinner tonight.”

  “Wow. They’re going all out for the crew while we’re in dry dock.”

  “A happy crew is a hardworking crew.”

  “True.” She glanced at her watch. “I won’t be there, which reminds me I have a dinner date at six so I’ll see you later.”

  ***

  Millie arrived at Nic’s apartment right on time. She thought about bringing him a gift, to thank him for making dinner. Flowers seemed a little silly and so did chocolate. It wasn’t as if she could run to the shopping center around the corner and pick something up.

  In the end, she decided she was the gift that kept on giving and showed up on his doorstep empty-handed.