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

by Hope Callaghan

“I’ve read reports that up to 30% of food on board the ship is uneaten,” Annette said.

  “What a waste,” Cat said.

  “So you’re saying every morsel of food is pureed and then dropped into the ocean as fish food?” Millie whispered.

  “Not all. What can’t be consumed by marine life is incinerated,” Annette said.

  A muffled voice echoed in the hall.

  “Shh.”

  The trio stood silently inside the cramped, stinky space. Millie, who was trying to breathe as little as possible since her stomach was still churning, began to feel lightheaded.

  The outer hall grew quiet. “I think they’re gone.” Desperate for fresh air, Millie flung the door open and sprinted into the hall.

  Cat followed her out and Annette brought up the rear, quietly closing the door behind them.

  “Millie,” Cat said. “Your face is as green as the Go Green sign.”

  “I wouldn’t doubt it.” The lingering odor of rotting food clung to her clothes. “Ugh.” She shrugged her backpack off and unzipped the front before reaching inside and pulling out the maintenance uniform. “Hopefully the smell didn’t get inside the bag.”

  Millie lifted the clothes for a quick sniff test and turned to Annette. “Did you bring your uniform?”

  “Yep. I put it on under my chef’s uniform.”

  “Great. Why didn’t I think of that? Now I’ll have to find somewhere to change.”

  “You could change inside the Go Green room,” Cat teased.

  “Over my dead body.” Millie shook her head. “I’d rather strip and change right here in the hall.”

  “Let’s track down this Reef fellow. I’m sure there’s a restroom or locker room where you can change,” Annette said. “Give Cat your radio so we can contact each other.”

  Millie unclipped her radio and handed it to her friend.

  “What if Andy tries to reach you?” Cat took the radio.

  “Don’t answer. I typically turn it off after ten,” Millie said. “Besides, Andy never tries to radio me this late at night unless it’s an emergency.” She gave Cat brief instructions on how to operate the radio while Annette did a quick recon of the corridor.

  Annette waited until Millie had finished her instructions. “Are you afraid of heights?”

  “No.” Cat shook her head. “Why?”

  Annette pointed at a ladder, hooked to the hall wall and gazed up. At the top of the ladder was a small metal grate, just large enough for a petite person to perch atop. “You’ll have a bird’s eye view from that vantage point and no one will see you.”

  “I dunno…”

  “You could hide in the Go Green room and leave the door open a crack,” Millie said.

  “The grate it is. Hold this.” Cat dropped the radio in Millie’s hand and scampered to the top.

  Millie handed Cat the radio. “You’ll need this too.” She fished inside her pocket, pulled out a set of earbuds and tossed them to her friend. “The plug is in the bottom.”

  “I need a set of those,” Annette said.

  “We sell them in the store,” Cat said as she plugged them in and then hooked the radio’s clip to the collar of her shirt. “Ready for action.”

  Millie circled her thumb and forefinger. “Awesome.” She glanced at her watch. “We have five minutes to find Reef and report to work.”

  With one last glance at Cat, Annette and Millie hurried down the hall in the direction of Sharky’s office.

  A ray of light beamed from under the door.

  Millie paused. “You go first.”

  Annette tapped lightly before grasping the handle and turning the knob.

  At first, it appeared there was no one inside until she noticed a curtained room tucked in the far corner.

  “Hello?” Annette said.

  The curtain fluttered, shifted to the side and an enormous, hulking man emerged. “Yeah?”

  Whatever Millie had envisioned Reef Savage to look like was not what she found, or maybe it was. Her first thought was the man could sit on her and squash her flat.

  She watched as he turned sideways, eased out of the small room and lumbered across the floor.

  Millie’s eyes were drawn to his face and one feature in particular - a patch that covered his eye.

  She leaned forward for a closer look and realized it wasn’t an actual eye patch, but a tattoo of a patch.

  “What’re you starin’ at?”

  “I. Your eye,” she said bluntly. “I’ve never seen anyone with a tattoo patch on their eye.”

  “You like it?” The man smiled and rubbed his eye. “Cost me a pretty penny, that one.” He changed the subject. “Sharky warned me a couple gals would be comin’ round this evening to work the night shift. Which one of you is Millie?”

  Millie raised her hand. “You must be Reef.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Reef nodded. “Where’s my grub?”

  “Grub?”

  “Food. Sharky said you’d be bringing me some gourmet grub in exchange for babysittin’ you two for the night.”

  “We paid Sharky with food,” Annette explained. “We had no idea we’d have to bring more food.”

  “No food, no workee.”

  It was too late to run upstairs and prepare a meal for Reef without losing precious time. “Tell you what, you let us work tonight and right before the shift ends, I’ll bring you back the biggest plate of fish and chips you’ve ever seen,” Annette bargained.

  Reef rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

  “What have you got to lose?” Millie asked.

  “True. You’re right about that. Okay,” Reef relented. “I guess I’ll have to trust you to keep your end of the bargain.”

  He eyed Millie’s jeans and cotton blouse. “You look like you’re goin’ to a Sunday picnic, not workin’ the graveyard shift in the pit.”

  “My clothes are in my backpack,” Millie said. “I haven’t changed yet.”

  “You can change in there.” Reef pointed to the small room he’d just come out of.

  Millie frowned as she eyed the room nervously.

  “It’s either change in there or I can show you where the men’s toilet is located.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Millie darted into the corner room and pulled the curtain shut. She checked for gaps before slipping out of her street clothes and throwing the uniform on. Since Sharky hadn’t offered her work shoes, she’d worn her sneakers in case she had to make a run for it.

  She shoved her clothes into the backpack and zipped it shut before rejoining Reef and Annette.

  Reef sank into the office chair and it groaned loudly in protest.

  Millie cringed as she waited for it to collapse under Reef’s expansive girth. “We’ll have to do somethin’ about your girlie hair.”

  He opened one of the desk drawers, fumbled around inside and pulled out two black stocking caps and hard hats. “This’ll have to do.”

  “Thanks.” Millie tucked her hair under the cap before easing the hard hat on top and securing the chinstrap.

  Reef reached for a clipboard, hanging on the wall. “Sharky mentioned something about working near the nightshift security guards.”

  “Yes. Specifically near the security supervisor,” Annette said.

  “That would be…” Reef’s voice trailed off as he studied the clipboard. “Brody Rourke.” He lifted a brow. “You sure you wanna work over there? I heard there’s trouble brewing tonight. Some kind of rumble between maintenance and security. Things might get out of hand.”

  “We’re sure,” Millie said firmly.

  “He’s working in zones four, five and six. We’re using zone seven for storage. There’s a lot of stuff over there so I would avoid the area unless you have a flashlight.” Reef stood. “I’m still disappointed about no food.”

  Annette cut him off. “I can assure you, we’ll make good on our end of the deal.”

  “I guess I have no choice. Follow me.” Reef reluctantly motioned them out of the room and i
nto the corridor.

  Millie caught a glimpse of Cat, perched on the metal grate and winked as they passed by. They walked the entire length of the ship until they reached the crew exit where a large number “6” was spray painted on the dock.

  “This is it,” Reef announced as he abruptly stopped. “Are you sticking around for the whole shift?”

  Annette and Millie glanced at each other. “We’re not sure,” Millie said.

  “Well, don’t forget about our deal. You’ll need to return the uniforms when you’re done. Make sure they’re clean.” Reef abruptly walked away, the bottom of his work boots creating a dull thud on the corridor floor.

  “He was about as charming as a cranky crab,” Annette said.

  “Right?” Millie stepped off the ship and onto the dock. The evening air was damp and cool. She shivered and sucked in a breath of fresh air as she remembered the putrid smell of the Go Green room. “Let’s start in zone four and then work our way back here to zone six.”

  Zone four was near the front of the ship. One of the ship’s massive anchors moved up and down as a group of workers stood watching.

  A few feet away another group of workers were cleaning and polishing a row of luggage carts. “They’ve got these guys working round the clock,” Annette said.

  The women slowly circled zones four and five several times, as they searched for Brody.

  When they drew close to the entrance checkpoint, Millie motioned Annette off to the side. “I don’t see Brody.”

  “Me either. Maybe he’s still inside.”

  Millie shifted her gaze. A few yards away, a crowd had gathered. She couldn’t see what they were staring at but her heart sank when she realized they were standing in front of what would be the ship’s rock-climbing wall. “Something’s going on over there.”

  When the women reached the edge of the crowd, Millie bounced on her heels as she tried to catch a glimpse of what they were looking at. She finally gave up and squeezed past several of the onlookers.

  When she reached the front, Millie gazed in horror at the body of a lifeless man, dangling from the end of a long rope.

  Chapter 16

  Brody was to the left of her. He yelled at the workers to cut the man down but Millie’s gut told her it was too late.

  Annette, who had followed Millie to the front, pulled her radio from her belt. “Medic needed at zone seven.” Before the words were out of her mouth, the medical crew arrived on scene.

  “Move aside.” Brody waved his hands. “Give them room.”

  “There’s Patterson. Let’s get out of here.” Annette slipped into the crowd.

  Millie began to back up, praying that Patterson hadn’t seen them. She took several steps back and accidentally stepped on someone’s foot.

  “Sorry.” Millie glanced over her shoulder. “Danielle?”

  “Millie?” Danielle’s eyes narrowed. “I almost didn’t recognize you. What in the world?” Her voice trailed off. “I should’ve guessed. You’re out here spying on Brody.”

  “I’m trying to keep him safe,” Millie said.

  Danielle tugged on Millie’s arm and they stepped away from the crowd.

  Annette wandered over to join them.

  “You were in on it too?” Danielle asked. “Did you see what happened?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing,” Millie said. “We were over near the gate when we noticed a crowd gathering in zone seven.”

  “I was inside working on the new pool games when I heard something on the radio. I looked for you earlier and when I couldn’t find you, I figured somehow you were involved,” Danielle said. “Did you recognize the person?”

  “Nope.” Millie shook her head. “When Patterson arrived, we got outta there.”

  Woop. Woop.

  Flashing lights and the sound of sirens filled the air. An ambulance arrived on scene and came to a screeching halt near the gate.

  The ambulance doors flew open and two EMTs raced to the rock-climbing wall. A short time later, one of them made his way to the back of the ambulance. When he returned, he was carrying a stretcher.

  Millie made her way to the fence where she had a clear view of the ambulance. A short time later, she watched as the crowd parted for the EMTs. They carried the covered stretcher through the gate to the back of the ambulance.

  After sliding the stretcher in the back, they returned to the front of the ambulance and climbed inside. They shut their lights off before backing up and slowly driving off.

  “DOA,” Danielle said.

  “Hey.” She stopped two of the crewmembers who were walking away. “Any idea who bit the big one?”

  “Isaac Ris- something.”

  “No way,” Danielle turned to Millie and Annette. “Where’s Brody?”

  “My guess is talking to the port authorities,” Annette said. “He was already here when we got here.”

  “I hope you have an alibi for him,” Danielle said. “Because the guy dangling from the wall was the big mouth in the crew bar the other night who was telling everyone Brody was going to be off the ship in 24 hours or less.”

  “And quite possibly the one who punched Brody last night.” Millie watched as the crowd began to disperse. “We better get out of here,” she muttered under her breath.

  The women casually strolled toward the crew entrance when Reef’s voice rang out. “…and I sent these two ladies out here. They were disguised in night shift uniforms and looking for your head of night security.”

  Millie stopped in her tracks. “Uh-oh.”

  “What two women?” Patterson asked in a hard voice.

  It was too late. They were in Patterson’s unobstructed line of vision.

  Millie could feel the heat of Patterson’s stare creep up her neck. She slowly turned to face the man she’d hoped to avoid.

  “Millie Sanders.” She could tell by the tone of Patterson’s voice he wasn’t pleased.

  “Busted,” Annette whispered under her breath. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “And Annette Delacroix,” Patterson added.

  Danielle shrank back but Patterson’s sharp eye didn’t miss a thing. “Where’s your disguise Danielle?”

  “I don’t have a disguise and I’m as shocked as you are,” Danielle said.

  “Traitor,” Millie hissed as the trio made their way over. Brody, who was standing nearby, turned.

  “Millie? Is that you?” Brody squinted his eyes and studied Millie from head to toe. “What are you doing out here?”

  “My guess is that they were trying to keep an eye on you,” Patterson said. “Not only did it backfire, but now I’ll have to bring all of you in for questioning.”

  “Not me,” Danielle protested. “I had nothing to do with this. Ask your informant there. He can tell you I wasn’t involved.”

  “Never seen her before in my life,” Reef agreed. “She’s a looker. I would’ve remembered her.”

  Danielle shot him a dirty look before facing Patterson. “So I’m free to go?”

  “No.” Patterson shook his head. “I think you’re somehow involved in Millie’s scheme.”

  “Scheme,” Millie sputtered. “It wasn’t a scheme.”

  “I would describe this one as more of a passive observational project,” Annette said.

  “Call it whatever you want,” Patterson said. “I want all three of you in my office in exactly one hour.”

  “Aye, aye.” Annette gave Patterson a mock salute. “We’ll be there.”

  “Great,” Danielle muttered as they walked toward the crew gangway. “Now look what you’ve gotten me into.”

  Millie ignored the comment as she led the way inside and down the long hall to the back of the ship. “We might as well ditch the uniforms.”

  “Psst.”

  Danielle grabbed Millie’s arm. “Did you hear that?”

  “Cat,” Annette and Millie said in unison.

  “I almost forgot about her,” Millie said as she darted to the si
de of the corridor and looked up.

  “What happened? You’re back already?”

  “Cat?” Danielle watched in disbelief as Cat slowly crawled from her crouched position and backed down the ladder.

  “What are you doing here?” Cat swiped at the seat of her pants.

  “What am I doing here? Wait a minute.” Danielle wagged her finger at Millie. “You. The three of you cooked up this undercover scheme but didn’t bother to include me, yet I’m the one getting called out on the carpet by Patterson for this dude’s death?”

  Cat’s hand flew to her mouth. “Brody is dead?”

  “No. Not Brody. It was another guy,” Annette said. “It’s a long story.”

  “But you’ve only been gone less than an hour,” Cat said.

  “I’m surprised myself,” Millie said. “Let’s go change.” The women finished their short walk to Sharky/Reef’s office. The door was unlocked so the women let themselves in.

  “Did you see someone die?” Cat asked. “I heard men in the corridor talking about medical being called to the storage area in zone seven. I kept praying it wasn’t Brody or one of you.”

  “It was a guy named Isaac.” Danielle slumped into one of the chairs.

  Millie removed the hard hat and cap. “What if Reef set us up?” She grabbed the backpack she’d left on one of the office chairs and slipped into the small corner room before pulling the curtain shut.

  Annette removed the crew shirt, pulled her chef’s jacket on and began buttoning the front. “That’s a strong possibility if you think about it. Maybe he was gunning for Brody’s job.”

  “He set Brody up to take the fall for Isaac’s death.” Millie slipped her shoes on and pulled the curtain to the side. “Think about it. Brody’s attack happened during the night shift.”

  “Maybe it had nothing at all to do with the red light district,” Cat chimed in. “All along, Reef plotted to get rid of Brody.”

  Danielle twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. “He thought he could scare him into quitting by having one of his guys jump Brody and when that didn’t work, Reef decided to set him up.”

  She went on. “Maybe Reef found out Isaac was shooting off his mouth the other night, bragging Brody would be gone in 24 hours or less. He decided to kill two birds with one stone…silence Isaac and make it look like Brody did it.”