Sharky pulled his legs off the desk and scooched in as he rubbed his hands together and eyed the dishes Annette and Millie were carrying. “I’ve been thinkin’ about my big juicy steak all day.”
Annette lifted the cover and waved it over the plate. The tantalizing aroma of grilled meat filled the air. “I picked one of the choicest pieces, just for you, Sharky. There’s also a loaded baked potato with extra bacon bits, scallion, melted cheese, butter and lots of sour cream.”
He studied the plate. “I don’t see my corn on the cob.”
“We don’t have any,” Annette said. “As in, not a single piece on the ship.”
“But it was part of the deal.” Sharky began to pout.
Annette replaced the lid, covering the steak. “We can take the food back to the kitchen and call off our deal.”
“No. No. Corn is corn, I guess.”
“That’s what I thought,” Annette said.
Millie held out the large piece of lemon meringue pie. “And I have dessert. I tasted it myself and it’s delicious.”
Sharky reached for the tray and Millie jerked back. “Not so fast. We have a deal.”
“I got so distracted by the food, I almost forgot. Listen, I don’t know much about the ins and outs but here’s what I do know.” Sharky motioned for them to have a seat.
Millie was convinced it was more that Sharky wanted to keep a close eye on the food than to be hospitable.
Millie set the pie on the desk but kept a firm grip on the plate.
Annette eased into the seat next to her. “We’re all ears.”
“Last week during our port stop in San Juan, a bunch of my night crew decided to head into the red light district for a little fun. Good thing they didn’t tell me ahead of time or I woulda knocked a few heads together.”
Millie interrupted. “Red light district?”
“It’s where the ‘ladies of the night’ hang out. There are usually bars and pubs of ill repute in these areas,” Annette said. “I’ve heard of it. San Juan’s red light area is on the edge of the historic district.”
“Right,” Sharky agreed. “I mean, I don’t know for certain, but that’s what I heard. Anyway, a few of my guys were biding their time in one of the…” Sharky raised his hands and made quotation marks with his fingers. “…clubs. They were on their way back when they recognized Brody. He was walkin’ into a bar across the street from the one they were leaving.”
“Brody was hooking up with a hooker?” Millie was surprised. Brody was a nice looking young man. She found it hard to believe he had to “buy” a woman’s time.
“Not quite.” Sharky shook his head. “He was goin’ into the Emerald Isle Club.”
It was beginning to dawn on Millie where Sharky was headed. Annette must have been on the same wavelength. “Let me guess. It’s a gay bar.”
“Bingo.”
Millie slouched in her chair, her mind swirling. “I had no idea.”
“A couple of my guys started complain’ sayin’ his type is infiltrating the night shift. When I questioned them about Brody’s attack, they swear they had nuttin’ to do with it and I believe them. End of story.”
Sharky lunged forward and snatched the plate of food from Annette’s grip. “Now can I eat?” He didn’t wait for her to answer as he removed the cover and reached for the dinner roll. Sharky took a big bite and chewed noisily. “I hope you brought some silverware.”
Annette reached inside her apron pocket and pulled out a set of wrapped silverware. “It’s not the end of the story because someone stuck a threatening note in Brody’s door.”
Sharky belched loudly. “They’re a tough bunch, the crew down here but like I said, they swore they had nothing to do with Brody’s attack.” He sawed off a large chunk of steak and shoved it in his mouth as he rolled his eyes. “I could die happy right now.”
“I take it you like the food,” Annette teased.
Sharky glanced at Annette. “This is so good. I’d ask you to marry me if I wasn’t already married.”
“Be still my beating heart.”
They watched as Sharky inhaled the rest of the food on his plate and reached for the piece of pie. “I shoulda asked for a couple pieces of fried chicken too.” He eyed Annette. “Anything else you need to know?”
“No.” Annette stood. “We appreciate the information.”
Sharky looked up from the dessert dish. “Anytime.”
“Annette.” Annette pointed to Millie. “She’s Millie.”
“Got it. Millie and Annette. Anytime I can trade a gourmet dinner for a little info. Count me in. I got more dirt on Siren of the Seas’ crew than the captain does.”
Millie snorted and Annette gave her a warning glance. The less their new best bud, Sharky, knew about them, the better.
“We’ll be sure to keep you in mind,” Annette assured him before they made their way out of Sharky’s office.
After Annette closed the door, she looked around to make sure they were alone. “I think we should keep this between the two of us.”
Millie nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. If Brody wants people to know the details of his personal life, I’m sure he’ll let us know.”
Keeping one’s personal life personal while working on board a cruise ship was a daunting task but Millie vowed to keep Brody’s secret. It was none of her business, or anyone else’s business for that matter.
“So now what?” Annette asked.
“Brody plans to work the night shift, guarding the ship’s security gate outside,” Millie said. “I think I’m gonna hang out on the promenade deck, at least for a little while, to keep an eye on him.”
“I’ll join you,” Annette said. “Two sets of eyes are better than one.”
Chapter 11
“They ought to add a little padding to these loungers,” Millie complained as she shifted for what seemed like the hundredth time and adjusted the pool towel she’d brought with her in an attempt to add a little cushion.
So far, the stakeout of Brody’s security post watch was a yawner. He’d settled in at twenty-three hundred hours or eleven p.m. An overhead security light made the task of keeping an eye on Brody a little easier. It was beaming brightly on both him and the entrance gate.
“I give someone attacking Brody a 50/50 chance,” Annette said. “He’s sitting in a spotlight. No one in their right mind is gonna jump him there. Thugs want to do their business in the dark when no one is looking.”
Annette had a valid point. Not only that, Brody would be on guard tonight since it was his first night back to work.
Millie glanced at her watch. “Let’s hang out another half an hour and if nothing happens, I’m ready to pack it in.”
The time passed slowly and Millie decided they were wasting their time and precious hours, which could be better spent sleeping.
“I’m packing it in.” Annette wiggled off the edge of the chair and slowly stood, lifting both hands over her head in a long stretch.
“I guess I might as well, too.” Millie cast a final glance at Brody’s lone figure and picked up her pool towel.
She was glad nothing had happened to Brody but deep down, she knew her young friend wasn’t out of the woods yet. The fact he’d already been attacked once and then threatened again was cause for concern.
The women parted ways when they reached the crew hall but not before Millie thanked Annette for keeping her company and apologized for wasting their time.
“Ah. Don’t worry about it.” Annette waved dismissively. “You’re a good friend Millie. I’m sure you would’ve done the same for me.”
Millie’s steps dragged as she made her way to her cabin. She slipped her keycard in the slot and eased the door open, hoping that if Danielle were in the cabin, she wouldn’t wake her.
She needn’t have worried. Bright lights filled the room and Danielle was lying on her bunk watching television.
Danielle set the remote next to her. “Where have you been?”
Millie grinned at the ‘motherly’ tone in her voice. “Keeping an eye on Brody.”
“I was worried half to death. I tried calling you on the radio,” she added accusingly.
Millie absentmindedly reached for her radio, still hooked to her belt. “I turned it down since I’m off duty.”
Danielle sprung from the bunk, landing lightly on her feet. “Next time, leave me a note or let me know. I thought something happened to you.”
Millie wasn’t much of a late nighter. She was more of an early riser.
“So I take it Brody is okay?”
“Yeah.” Millie shrugged out of her sweater and hung it on the hook inside her closet. “I was so sure someone was going to attack Brody again.”
“I did a walk by earlier,” Danielle said. “Brody was sitting in a spotlight. Not only that, he’s probably on guard expecting someone to attack him again, which would be the perfect reason it won’t happen.”
“That’s what Annette said.”
“While you were wasting your time watching Brody, I was down in the crew lounge trying to see if I could figure out who slipped something in my drink the other night. I still don’t have a clue but I found out another interesting tidbit of information while I was there.”
Danielle continued. “A few of the regulars were playing poker and discussing Brody’s attack. I figured if I hung around long enough and after they’d had a few drinks they’d start talking. You know the saying; ‘loose lips sink ships’, or is it ‘loose lips sink mighty ships?’”
“What did you find out?” Millie was all ears.
“They claim Brody was attacked by one of the security guys. They want him off the ship. They called him a poof. A poof is slang for a gay guy.”
Millie remembered how Sharky had said some of the crew spotted Brody entering the Emerald Isle Club in San Juan.
It didn’t make any sense. Brody had made offhand comments to Millie about finding a girlfriend, but maybe it was a cover to hide his true feelings.
“I.” Millie slumped in the chair, her mind whirling. The revelation didn’t change Millie’s feelings toward Brody one iota. She was a firm believer in Judge not lest you be judged.
It wasn’t up to her to either condemn or condone her friend’s lifestyle. But others, she knew, would not be quite so neutral, especially a rough and rowdy bunch of maintenance or security workers.
The pieces were starting to fall into place. “It narrows down the list of attackers,” Millie said sarcastically. “His cabin mate, his co-workers, any male on board the ship who is prejudiced towards gay men.”
“Right,” Danielle agreed.
Millie wondered if Dave Patterson had heard the gossip. It was against Majestic Cruise Line’s company policy to discriminate against any employee or passenger based on race, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, etc., but that wouldn’t necessarily stop someone from trying to intimidate a co-worker they felt didn’t ‘fit in.’
Although the cruise ship was like a floating city, it was a lot “cozier” when you worked and lived on board.
“Now what?” Millie didn’t want to confront Brody about what she’d discovered. It was none of her business. It was also no longer a secret. Sharky had heard the story. The ship’s crew in the lounge was talking about it. News spread like wildfire among crew.
“That’s not all,” Danielle said. “The guys started to get a little wound up so Kell, the bartender on duty, called in security to settle them down and you’ll never guess who showed up.”
“Brody,” Millie whispered. “But I saw him working the gate.”
“Apparently not the first part of his shift because Brody and another of the night security came in to tell them to cool their jets.”
Danielle continued. “I thought Brody was gonna get into it with Isaac. He’s a big mouth and always stirring up trouble. It was him and another goon who sometimes hangs out at night playing cards. His name is Hugh. After Brody left, Isaac kept saying he was willing to bet some of his poker chips Brody would be off the ship permanently within 24 hours.”
Millie’s heart sank. “Meaning something is going to happen to Brody, worse than the attack.” She grew silent as she went over her mental list of tasks for the next day, or technically that day since it was well past midnight.
There was no way Millie could sleep knowing Brody was in imminent danger. “I’m going down to the security office to talk to whoever is on duty. Someone needs to know what’s going on.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Millie glanced at Danielle’s fitted leggings and baggy sweatshirt.
“What?” Danielle tugged on the bottom of her Miami Hurricane’s sweatshirt. “I’m off duty and these clothes are comfy.”
“If you say so.”
The women stepped out into the hall and headed toward security, one deck up.
“Leggings are the new blue jeans.” Danielle picked up the pace to keep up with Millie. “They have super cute patterns and they’re inexpensive.”
Millie stopped abruptly at the bottom of the stairwell. “They look adorable on you, Danielle, but you have the shape to wear them. I would look like the top side of a bumpy camel’s back.”
“You have a very trim shape for a woman your age,” Danielle argued.
Millie frowned and started up the steps.
“I meant that as a compliment. I bet you’re in better shape than most of the women your age. I remember looking at Delilah and wondering what in the world your ex was thinking, leaving you for that woman…God rest her soul.” Danielle made a cross sign on her chest.
Millie grudgingly admitted she was in better shape than she’d been in years. With her aversion to elevators and the number of decks and length of the cruise ship, she’d lost a good twenty pounds since joining the cruise line.
She loved her job, her friends and was engaged to the most wonderful man in the world. God had blessed Millie in so many ways.
“I’m still not sold on leggings.” Millie paused when she reached the next level. “Sweatpants maybe, leggings nope. I’m too old.”
Danielle snorted. “Your birthday is coming up. Maybe the birthday genie will surprise you with a pair.”
Millie could see the glow of light beaming through the frosted glass pane of the security office’s door. “Good. Someone is in the office.”
When they reached the door, Millie tapped lightly on the glass before opening the door and peeking around the corner. Felippe, one of the security guards, sat behind the desk.
“Millie.” He waved her in. “What are you doing up this late?”
“I was wondering if Dave Patterson was around,” Millie said.
Danielle followed her into the office and closed the door behind them. “We have something important to discuss with him.”
“Ah. He’s in his cabin sleeping but he keeps his radio on.” Felippe reached for the walkie-talkie, sitting on the desk. “Would you like me to call him?”
“No.” Millie shook her head. “I don’t want to wake him. I guess it can wait until morning.”
“Are you sure?”
“We’re sure,” Millie said. “What time is he scheduled to start work?”
“Eight in the morning but we’re having an all-employee security meeting at 7:45 a.m. in the piano bar.”
She thanked Felippe for the information and the women stepped out into the hall. “Now what?”
“We’ll have to wait until morning,” Millie said. “I want to run upstairs to see if Brody is still working before I turn in for the night.”
“We can go together.”
The upper decks were eerily quiet. It was so different from what the passenger areas were like when they were full of vacationers.
Millie headed to the railing and peered over the side.
Brody was in the same spot and Millie let out a sigh of relief. At least he was okay.
Danielle and Millie stood silently watching him for several long moments. A man wearing a yellow safety vest
approached.
Brody began waving his hands back and forth.
“They’re arguing,” Danielle said. She had told Millie some time ago she’d studied body language.
“Too bad you don’t read lips.”
Danielle reached inside her back pocket, pulled out her cell phone, switched it on and snapped a picture of the two men. “I dabbled in speechreading years ago when I got into undercover work. They’re too far away for me to get a read on what they’re saying but based on their body language, it isn’t a ‘Hi, how are ya’ kinda’ conversation.”
They stood silently observing the exchange until finally Brody slid off the stool, towering over the man.
The man turned to go.
“Good. He’s leaving,” Millie whispered.
The man abruptly swung back around and punched Brody in the face.
Millie watched in horror as Brody staggered from the force of the blow before regaining his footing. The man turned on his heel and stomped off while Brody, who was rubbing his jaw, watched him leave.
“Did you see that?” Danielle gasped. “The guy landed a chin check.”
“Chin check?”
“Yeah. He punched him to see if he would fight back,” Danielle said.
Brody was still rubbing his jaw as he climbed back on the stool.
“He could’ve cleaned that guy’s clock,” Millie said. But he didn’t. He stood there, took the punch and then let the crewmember walk away.
“The guy was provoking him to fight,” Danielle said. “I think I recognized him.”
“Really? Who was it?” Millie asked.
“I don’t want to say for sure until I take a closer look at the picture I took.”
Brody’s lone silhouette cast a long shadow across the dock. Millie could’ve sworn she saw his shoulder’s slump. The unprovoked attacks had to be wearing on him.
After they got back to the cabin, Danielle and Millie studied the blurred picture Danielle had taken.
“This guy reminds me of Isaac, the jerk from the bar, but now I’m starting to doubt myself.” Danielle shut the phone off and set it on the counter. “Brody is the only person who can tell us for sure who punched him.”
Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 9) Page 7
