Murder on a Ghost Ship (High Seas Mystery Series Book 2)

by Diane Rapp

  A blur of white uniforms arrived including the doctor. He pushed past crew members and bent over the women. Abruptly firm hands gripped Kayla’s elbows and moved her out of the elevator. Sitting on a bench, she craned her neck hoping to see signs of life.

  The old lady recovered first and whimpered about a crazy murderess. She pointed at Kayla and sobbed. As crew members lifted Paula on a stretcher, Kayla stood to follow but a young officer blocked her path.

  “We need you to answer some questions, ma’am.” Kayla cringed under his critical scrutiny. “Can you tell us what happened? Did you argue with the victim?” He fired questions in a brusque manner.

  “What? No! I didn’t do this. I found her in the elevator and called for help!” Kayla protested. “Paula said some woman attacked her before she passed out.”

  “So, you know the victim?” the officer asked in an accusatory tone, jotting notes on his pad.

  “Yes. Her name is Paula Bollard. I looked for her on the pool deck, but she wasn’t there, I went to the elevator.” Kayla lifted a hand to wipe her tears but stared at the blood on her fingers. The officer frowned and wrote more notes.

  “I got blood on my hands when I tried to help Paula,” she sobbed. “I need to wash the blood off! Please! Let me wash my hands.”

  “In a moment. We need to ask a few more questions.”

  She recognized the voice as the insipid man on the phone and felt furious. “No! I won’t answer more stupid questions. In fact I won’t stay here another minute!” She pushed him aside, heading toward the restroom.

  “Stay right where you are!” The officer grabbed her arm and shouted, “Security! Secure this woman.”

  When white uniforms circled around Kayla, thunder vibrated the walls and the officer holding Kayla’s arm was hurled against the wall. An icy wind whipped through the corridor, tossing uniformed crew like a puppets on invisible strings, while the elevator doors dinged open and closed.

  Cold fingers caressed Kayla’s hair and the smell of lavender surrounded her. “Thanks, Celeste.” Kayla enjoyed watching Celeste’s tantrum as she rubbed her bruised arm. “Don’t manhandle the friend of a ghost.”

  Calmly walking away, Kayla ignored shouts telling her to stop and pushed open the glass doors to the poolside deck. Cold wind blasted through the doors across the sunny deck. Deckchairs tumbled end-over-end. People chased flying hats and beach towels whipped bare legs like tongues licking delectable morsels of sun-cooked flesh. Wide-eyed passengers clutched their possessions like frightened children.

  Kayla observed the chaos with a listless expression.

  Steven rushed to Kayla’s side. “What’s wrong?” he asked, peering into her face.

  Kayla turned to gaze into Steven’s eyes and the scene snapped into focus. She shook herself, like she was waking from sleep, and the wind died. “How’d I get out here? The last thing I remember was being questioned about the attack on Paula.”

  “Someone attacked Paula?”

  Kayla nodded. “I found her in the elevator and tried to help.” She looked at her bloody hands. “When I touched Paula, I got blood on my hands but the officer accused me of hurting her.”

  Steven checked Kayla for injuries. “You’re fine. Let’s go find out how Paula’s faring.” He firmly gripped Kayla’s elbow and steered her toward the ladies room. After she washed her hand they went to the infirmary, a redheaded security officer blocked the door.

  “Who are you?”

  Kayla groaned, “I’m Paula’s friend, the one who found her in the elevator. We need to talk with her and find out who attacked her.”

  The officer frowned. “Sure and we’d all like to know that bit of information but the doctor gave the lass a strong sedative. We’ll all be waiting to hear her story. Meantime, Captain Swenson issued orders to bring you straight to Mrs. Schultz’s suite.”

  He motioned them to precede him down the hall and marched behind like Kayla was under arrest. They took the crew corridors, uncarpeted interior hallways, and found Emily’s door ajar. Kayla and Steven entered and the redheaded security officer stepped inside, closed the door, and stood with his arms crossed over his chest blocking their retreat.

  Emily waved them inside. Grateful to see a friendly face, Kayla and Steven sat on the sofa. Kayla asked, “Does Captain Swenson think I’m dangerous?”

  Emily shrugged. “He was told that you attacked Paula and several officers. He thinks Celeste is focusing her energy through you—using you to do her dirty work.”

  Steven swung his arm over Kayla’s shoulder and leaned closer. “The captain might be right. At the pool you looked ghastly, your eyes were glassy and blood was all over your hands.”

  Kayla’s stomach felt queasy.

  Emily poured a hefty portion of Scotch into a tumbler and handed it to her. “Drink up and tell us what happened.”

  The potent liquid burned its way down Kayla’s throat. “I found Paula sprawled on the floor of the elevator. When I turned her over she said, ‘a woman attacked me,’ and passed out.” Captain Swenson and Natalia walked in the door. Natalia ran to Kayla and scooped up her hands. Suddenly she jerked away and shook her hands like she’d been stung.

  “You all right?” Emily asked.

  Natalia frowned. “When I touched Kayla’s hands, a surge of energy jolted me away. Celeste’s very angry.”

  Under Captain Swenson’s intense stare Kayla said, “I didn’t attack Paula! When an officer grabbed my arm, Celeste got mad and threw people around.”

  Swenson nodded. “That description squares with reports coming in from my officers. Was the ghost working through you?”

  Kayla rubbed her hands down her legs, leaving a trail of red speckles on her shorts and skin. “To be honest, I don’t really know. I felt Celeste inside my mind, like she needed to soak up my warmth, but she didn’t hurt me, just pushed my mind into the background and hurled power all around.”

  Swenson’s eyes narrowed. “We may need to lock you in the brig so she can’t use you any more.”

  “No!” Natalia’s dark eyes grew wide. “Think this through before you alarm the ghost. When your men detained Kayla, Celeste went berserk. What kind of damage would she cause if you lock her in the brig?”

  Swenson clenched his jaw but nodded. “What can we do? I can’t have a ghost running rampant through my ship.”

  Natalia chewed her lip. “We should conduct a séance.”

  “Celeste took control of my mind. How could we keep her from taking over completely during a séance?”

  “I don’t know,” Natalia admitted. “My grandmother often spoke to the dead but I never learned how to handle them.”

  Steven said, “It’s out of the question. You put Kayla in danger if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “Steven’s right.” Captain Swenson nodded. “Our best solution is to convince Paula to leave the ship.”

  “How?” Kayla asked.

  Swenson grinned. “As captain, I could put her off the ship for the safety of my vessel.”

  “Sure! Let Paula file a lawsuit against the cruise line and tell the court you were afraid of a ghost!” Emily huffed. “That’s not a solution. We must convince Paula to leave of her own accord. Talk with her, Kayla.”

  “Okay, I’ll try,” Kayla said.

  Natalia asked, “So you think Celeste attacked Paula?”

  Kayla said, “No. Celeste didn’t appear until after I found Paula.”

  “Then who did it?” Swenson asked.

  “Paula didn’t say a ghost attacked her, she said a woman attacked her and I smelled a flowery perfume in the elevator.” Kayla twined a stray lock of her hair. “Maybe it was Angela. You should’ve seen Angela’s face when Paula confronted her in the bathroom.”

  “Maybe it was Buster’s secretary, Sheila,” Steven suggested.

  Natalia shrugged. “We’re dealing with actors! With proper makeup the attacker might be a man in drag.”

  Captain Swenson headed out the door followed
by the officer on guard. “This is impossible! We’ll notify Kayla when Paula wakes up. We’re counting on you to convince that woman to leave the ship.” He stomped out and slammed the door.

  Emily sighed and poured herself another drink. “I hope you can convince Paula to leave.”

  “Me, too,” Kayla said. In the meantime, let’s talk to Angela and Sheila. They’re the most likely suspects.”

  Steven agreed. “Let’s go straight away, before anyone else interferes.”

  Chapter 12 ~ Paula’s Deception

  Kayla knocked at Angela Hearn’s door. Angela opened the door, dressed in a silk peach-colored robe, and pushed her fingers through rumpled hair.

  “What do you want?” Angela frowned at Kayla.

  Steven stepped forward. “We hate to disturb you, but we have an urgent matter to discuss. It can’t wait for a more respectable hour.”

  Angela stepped back and motioned them inside. The roomy suite had a living room with a separate bedroom—the door to the bedroom clicked shut as Kayla and Steven entered. Was Vincent waiting in the bedroom? Kayla wondered.

  “So, do you want to hurl more accusations at me?” Angela settled onto the sofa, tucking bare feet under her robe as she leaned against a fluffy decorator pillow. “I’m sick of Paula and her jealous fits.”

  Kayla nodded. “We understand, but Paula was attacked about half an hour ago. She said that a woman attacked her before she blacked out. We need to know where you’ve been this morning.”

  Angela stiffened, and her eyes widened with surprise. “God! That’s awful, but you can’t think I did anything to hurt her! I don’t like Paula but I’d never…she said a woman attacked her?”

  Steven sat in an overstuffed chair and leaned forward with a serious expression. “Security will probably want to interview you after Paula wakes. We need to hear your story.”

  Kayla sat on the arm of Steven’s chair. “I found Paula in an elevator and smelled perfume like the scent you wore…you know…the night you and Paula argued in the restroom.”

  Angela sighed and shook her head. “You didn’t smell my perfume—I hardly ever wear scent and often get an allergic reaction to perfumes—but that night Sheila sprayed me with a sample from the gift shop. Almost any woman onboard this ship could be using it. In fact Sheila purchased a bottle and she’s quite fond of the smell. It’s some kind of Hawaiian flower, white ginger or something.”

  “We’ll speak with Sheila,” Steven said with a glance at Kayla, “but you argued with Paula. Have you seen each other since that night?”

  Angela tugged at the sash of her robe. “You don’t have to pussy-foot around the subject. You want to know if Paula has reason to accuse me…well…let’s get it out in the open…you want to know if I’m sleeping with Vincent.” She glanced toward the door to the bedroom and sighed. “I guess I’d better let you in on my little secret. After all it’s not going to be secret for long.” She held up her left hand to display a large diamond ring, stood and walked to open the bedroom door. “You should meet my fiancé.”

  A handsome man in his late fifties entered from the bedroom dressed in a navy blue silk robe. Kayla remembered him from the pool—he watched the photo shoot but stayed away from the movie crowd. He stood about six-foot tall with short gray hair and intelligent hazel eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses.

  “I’m Bentley Jenson.” He held out a well-manicured hand shook both Kayla’s hand and then Steven’s with a friendly grin. “I’m quite relieved to come out in the open. Angela can’t deny our relationship any longer. I had a hard time watching Vincent flirt with my fiancée.”

  He blushed and moved to Angela’s side. “I couldn’t help hearing your conversation. You should know that Angela didn’t hurt that dreadful woman. Even if Angela was capable of violence, she was tucked in bed with me this morning.”

  Angela leaned against Bentley and he wrapped a protective arm around her. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. “Bentley and I met at a weight loss clinic. He’d lost over a hundred pounds but convinced me to stop dieting, says I’m the perfect size. I literally owe my new career to his belief in me.

  Bentley grinned. “It wasn’t hard. Angela’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. I’m the lucky one in this relationship.”

  Angela kissed his cheek. “We snuck around this ship all week, meeting secretly, or hiding in our suite to keep our secret from the press…well you should know…I’ve had a horrible time with the press about my romances…this time I wanted a little bit of privacy.

  “Appearing with Vincent to promote the film is just business, but I won’t suffer through another scandal because Paula is jealous. Bentley and I discussed the problem and decided we’d make our relationship public. My agent is releasing a statement this morning in Los Angeles. If Paula waited one more day to pull this stunt, she’d find out she’s wrong about me.”

  “Stunt?” Kayla asked. “You think Paula did this to herself as a publicity stunt?”

  Angela’s eyes narrowed. “Paula’s capable of anything, including self-inflicted injuries. A reporter secretly told me that Paula contrived that entire fiasco during Roman Courtship to ruin Vincent’s relationship with Celeste. I was an easy target so she deliberately used me. She knew I was trying very hard to make my marriage work but that didn’t matter. Paula wanted Vincent and the rest is history.”

  Steven headed toward the door. “We won’t bother you two anymore. Thanks for your candid answers.”

  Kayla said, “We’re sorry we intruded. Congratulations and we hope you have a wonderful life together.” She glanced at Steven. “It would be terrible to try to keep a romance secret from the press.”

  Outside Steven wrapped his arms around Kayla. “I’m glad we don’t have to endure the paparazzi as well as the INS. Let’s go talk with Sheila.”

  Kayla nodded. “Buster’s suite is just down the hall.” She led the way and knocked briskly on the door.

  The door popped open and Buster looked ready for a confrontation. “Oh! I was expecting…well…never mind. Please come in.” He glanced expectantly at Steven.

  Kayla said, “This is my fiancé Steven Young. We came to ask Sheila some questions.”

  Buster’s jaw bulged as he glared at them. “Sheila’s gone and you can’t track her down. Actually I expected the captain or his security detail…but I guess they sent you, to pump her for incriminating details! Well I’ve got her safely away from here and no one’s going to lock her up! That woman deserved what she got. Let her sue…leak it to the press and ruin the film…I don’t care! I’ll stand behind Sheila all the way.”

  “I think you’ve got the wrong idea here,” Steven said, edging himself and Kayla past Buster into the room. “We’re trying to keep things quiet so the police and press don’t get involved. Do you know what happened?”

  Buster slammed the door. He paced. Steven held a finger to his lips and they waited until Buster nodded. “It can’t hurt to explain. You see…Sheila’s protective…she heard Paula tell me how she wanted to avoid the press…then five minutes later Sheila heard that twit talking on a cell phone with her press agent…well Sheila blew her lid.

  “She followed Paula into the elevator and punched her without thinking. She’s the daughter of a boxer—and her dad taught her to throw a right good punch—so she hit Paula square in the nose. Paula fell down with her nose bleeding all over the floor, and Sheila ran sobbing to me, saying the police were going to lock her away. I shuttled her off the ship and hired a private plane to fly her out. They won’t find her…no they won’t…I’ll pay whatever it costs to clear this mess up but I won’t let them hurt my Sheila!”

  “Steady now, mate,” Steven said in a calming tone. “Paula didn’t say that Sheila was the woman who attacked her. If she doesn’t remember who did it, you’re in the clear. The captain wants to make sure that nothing else happens—since Sheila’s gone we can assure him everything’s taken care of.”

  Buster vigorously shook Steven’s han
d. “I guarantee Sheila won’t cause Paula any more grief. Tell the captain I’ll keep them apart. I’m not even sure Vincent wants to do this film.”

  “Why, what happened?” Kayla asked.

  Buster’s brows knit with worry. “He’s getting cold feet, something about his first wife. He claims she’s haunting his dreams, making him into a nervous wreck, and I’m not sure he can keep it together. Since Paula’s gone to the press, my investors are worried, and Vincent’s not a big box office draw. Angela might agree to do the film without him. I may find another old actor who looks the part.”

  Kayla said, “Give it a few more days. We’re going to convince Paula to leave the ship so your problems with Vincent might get resolved.”

  Buster shrugged and opened the door. “We’ll see. If you don’t mind, I need to get on the phone and arrange accommodations for Sheila. Can you let me know how it goes with Paula?”

  “Sure. The captain left orders to call us when she’s awake, so I should see her soon.”

  Buster shook Kayla’s hand. “Thanks for all your help. I’ll send you free tickets to the opening if you can get Paula off Vincent’s back.” He looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry I sound like I only think about the bloody picture. Vincent’s a friend and I do hope he can find a way to be happy.”

  Kayla and Steven walked down the corridor when an announcement asked Kayla to call the captain. After calling from a house phone Kayla said, “Paula’s awake and in her cabin. I think I’d better talk to her alone.”

  “I don’t mind, luv. It’s right easy to lounge about while my girl’s doing all the hard work.”

  When Kayla arrived at Paula’s cabin, a familiar guard opened the door to let Kayla inside. Paula was packing. “What’s going on?” Kayla asked.

  “I’m not stupid,” Paula said, jamming clothes into her suitcase. “I’d rather wake up alive tomorrow, so I’m leaving today.” She zipped the suitcase, shoved an overlarge pair of sunglasses over her bruised eyes and covered her hair with a black scarf. “You want to see me off?” she asked, handing the suitcase to her guard.