Claire Gulliver #04 - Cruisin' for a Bruisin'

by Gayle Wigglesworth

  When the first huge bird blotted out the view by diving into the water right outside one of the windows the passengers drew back frightened. They didn’t know what was happening and the birds were way too big and ferocious to be seagulls. It was incredible. Suddenly, they were in the midst of a flock of eagles, diving into the water all around them. There must have been over a hundred. It was fantastic and frightening.

  “See them sitting on the roof? They have learned how easy it is to get a meal when the cannery is operating. What you’re not seeing is the offal of the fish, which the cannery is pumping out through a long pipe, and dumps right about where we are.”

  More birds dived while some settled back on the roof of the cannery waiting for another turn. “The eagles know when the cannery is operating. They’re intelligent enough to know this is an easier way to get a meal then their usual hunting. You won’t see any seagulls around when the eagles are here. I suppose the eagles wouldn’t mind eating the seagulls if they were stupid enough to try to compete for the fish entrails.”

  “Did you get any of those on film?” Lucy asked.

  “Don’t know. It’s kind of hard with all the swooping and diving. I tried to get the ones on the roof, but I’m afraid they’ll only look like little dots from this distance. I don’t think anyone will believe it when we tell them.”

  Their driver guided the DUCK out of the harbor and there was the same grinding and shaking as before. Then they were off down the streets, dripping sea water, heading back to the cruise line dock.

  “Well, that was fun,” Lucy admitted when they were safely on the ground again. “But now I’m starved. Let’s have lunch at that restaurant we saw down the way. It looked good.”

  Claire agreed. Their ride on the waves had apparently activated her appetite too. But after a pleasant lunch, Lucy was ready to go back on board. She wanted a massage.

  Claire wasn’t quite ready. “I’m going down to check out the Discovery Center we passed on our tour. It looked interesting.”

  And it was. The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center was crammed with interesting displays including an entire rain forest ecosystem. She spent over an hour there before she happened on the book store tucked in the back corner of the center. Here was an entire shop dedicated to books about Alaska. Here was everything anyone thought or experienced about Alaska. They carried no fiction on these shelves. Nevertheless, they had plenty of adventure stories. Claire took off her jacket as the cheery fireplace kept the store too warm to last long in her outerwear. She made a list of titles and publishers she thought would be appropriate to add to her own stock for customers planning a visit to Alaska, and she couldn’t help purchasing a couple books to read on the voyage. One was The Sinking of the Princess Sophia by Coates and Morrison, and another, I Married the Klondike, by Laura Beatrice Berton. She intended to share the first with Mrs. Bernbaum and her mother. Knowing that Nate’s mother and sister died on the ill-fated vessel made the book even more intriguing.

  * * *

  Claire found an empty table with several chairs along the front window on the non-smoking side of the Starlight Lounge. All during the voyage this seemed to be the place they all congregated, so she was certain her friends would be showing up before the ship cast off. It was still early, but it was a pleasant place to read while she waited for the others to arrive. She turned her chair toward the window, laid her binoculars and camera on the little table, having learned her lesson to keep them ready at all times, and settled down with her book.

  “Look who has her nose in a book. Why am I not surprised?” Ruth, with Ian in tow, found her first.

  Claire smiled. “Must be cocktail time.”

  “You bet. And we’re just in time to help the captain navigate.”

  “What’s the drink of the day, today?” Millie, right behind Ruth and Ian looked pretty tonight, perhaps the cold weather was making her cheeks pink and her eyes sparkle.

  “Do we need more chairs?” Sean, trailing slightly behind, wrestled a chair from a table behind them that wasn’t yet occupied. “How many?”

  “Better get a couple more,” Ruth instructed. “There’s one.” She pointed at a table not far away and the occupants graciously admitted they didn’t need the chair.

  “Where’s Lucy?” Millie asked.

  “Don’t know, but she’ll show up shortly,” Claire assured her, then said to the waiter, “I think I’ll try the drink of the day, the Mango Daiquiri, please.”

  “I’m buying today,” Sean insisted handing his card to the waiter. “Please let me as it’s so much cheaper than buying champagne for the table as others have done.”

  They laughed at Sean’s attempt to portray himself as a cheapskate. They already knew from the past few days what a generous person he was.

  “Well, how was your day?” Claire’s questions started a deluge as they all tried to describe their day at the same time. What she got from their onslaught was it was a very successful venture and it was too bad they hadn’t thought to do it earlier, as it was a very satisfactory way to see a port.

  Lucy, as Claire predicted, arrived when the waiter brought their drinks. After she ordered she offered with a guilty smile, “I had a wonderful massage and then went back to the cabin and fell asleep. What a great afternoon.”

  “Well, as long as you didn’t miss cocktails...” Ruth said.

  “Not a chance, I have an internal clock that lets me know the proper time. I can be in my office, immersed in my writing and when cocktail time arrives it’s like an alarm goes off in my head. I have to wrap it up for the day. I’m very disciplined that way.”

  Just then the horn blasted and the ship eased back from the dock. Claire looked at her watch. The ship was leaving right on time.

  “Oh, look at that view of Ketchikan. What a pretty little town it is, even on a gloomy day.” Millie pointed. “Claire did you get a picture of it from here?”

  Claire nodded, pointing to her camera sitting on the table. “First thing I did when I sat down. I’m afraid I snapped several. You know how it is, if one is good, ten are better.”

  The lounge had filled with others who liked to have their pre-dinner cocktails in the front of the ship. The band was playing and some brave couples were on the dance floor, apparently not concerned about the ship movement landing them on the floor in front of everyone.

  “Look, there’s Maude and John.” Millie nodded toward the dancers, who were doing an intricate tango with some panache. Today they were wearing cream and pink, and Maude’s cream colored crocheted hat was covered with large pink sequins which sparkled with her every move.

  “Kind of hard for a man to wear pink,” Ian observed. “But I have to say they look good.”

  “Oh, they look like they’re having so much fun. I talked to Maude and she told me they cruise everywhere. She says she likes Call of the Seas cruises because they have the best music and the most dancing. She was a dancer on the New York stage for many years, and I have to say she looks like she’s been.”

  Trust Millie to have talked to the couple and learned their entire life’s story, Claire thought.

  “There’s Miss Smiley.” Lucy nodded at another couple. The woman was a well-stacked blond and with a huge smile which previously Lucy had said unkindly, was to show off her newly whitened teeth. She was with her partner, a very large, prosperous looking older man who may or may not have been her husband. They too, loved to dance.

  They watched an elderly couple, both very tall, walk carefully, with creaky, uncertain steps to the edge of the dance floor and then, while the watchers all held their breath, they saw them glide out on the floor as smoothly as if they were young again.

  “Well, I guess I can do that too. Millie, would you care to dance?” Sean held out his hand gallantly and Millie followed him to the dance floor.

  One of the dance hosts approached the table and asked Lucy to dance, so she left. Ian eyed Ruth and Claire. “Do either of you feel inclined?”

  Claire s
hook her head. “It’s more fun to watch.”

  “I agree, unless you feel the need, Ian. Otherwise, let’s just sit and critique.”

  So they enjoyed their drinks, the music, and watching the dancers as the ship moved steadily out into deep water.

  * * *

  “Oh, where’s your aunt tonight, Richard?” Millie asked, concern ringing in her voice.

  “She decided to have soup in her cabin and watch a movie. She said she was resting up for the formal night tomorrow,” Richard said, sitting down in one of the two remaining available chairs. “I think yesterday’s events were a little much for her. She needs some quiet time. But she’s fine, really.”

  “I noticed she didn’t act her usual self last night,” Millie agreed.

  “And she looked very tired. I was worried about her, too,” Claire added. “Is there anything we can do?”

  “No, rest and quiet time is what she needs and she’s getting those. You’ll see tomorrow that she will be all right.” He then turned his attention to the menu Pedro had handed him.

  Claire decided on the grilled salmon and sat quietly while Pedro took the rest of the orders. Then Lucy launched into a description of their DUCK tour. She had the entire table spellbound listening to her telling about the eagles over the bay. That’s the writer in her, Claire thought. She definitely has a way with words. She could see everyone felt as if they were there, experiencing it themselves.

  “Oh, how thrilling. I must say we haven’t seen nearly enough wildlife on this cruise. I was hoping for a lot more.”

  “Well, Pearl, it’s because they’re wild, you know. They usually avoid humans. We have a reputation for killing them, on purpose or just out of ignorance,” Ian reminded her.

  “Did you see the naturalist’s presentation on otters the other day? He’s so funny; he makes you feel like he is one. He was lying on his back on the stage with his feet in swimming flippers and his head out of the water and I swear he looked like an otter.” Pearl bubbled with enthusiasm.

  “I didn’t see that one, but I saw the one he did on whales. Did you know he kayaked from Seattle to Juneau three separate times? He says it takes him three months each trip. Can you imagine doing that?” Millie was wide-eyed just thinking about it. “I’m sorry I missed his presentation on otters. I don’t know what I was doing then. Claire and I saw a couple of colonies of otters when we took that wildlife trip out of Sitka. They were so interesting.”

  “I think you can catch a video of his presentation on the ship’s channel. It’s twenty-three, I believe. I noticed they usually repeat videos of the lectures for people who miss them,” Harold offered.

  “I’ll look for it. We should have more time in the next couple of days.”

  “For sure. I’m looking forward to some days at sea. I think all this touring in ports and all these tempting excursions are too wearing. This is supposed to be a vacation, isn’t it?” Lucy complained.

  “Lucy, none of us are feeling sorry for you. I suspect you’re wearing yourself out with the hours you’re keeping. And you’re old enough to know better.” Ruth was smug. She was still being true to her new love in San Francisco. She wasn’t wearing herself out with a shipboard romance.

  “Ruth, don’t discourage her. We’re all enjoying the benefits of Lucy’s romance,” Ian protested.

  Lucy stuck her tongue out at Ruth and turned her attention to her appetizer while Millie, Ian and Sean explained to Pearl and Harold the advantages of doing their own tour.

  It wasn’t until desert was served that Sean mentioned the comedian who was appearing in the theatre later. “Who wants to join me? I think a few laughs will just cap a perfect day for me. Ruth? Millie? What about you, Claire?

  Millie and Lucy decided to join him. Ruth declined having agreed to meet some of her new friends for bridge after dinner. Claire was undecided, torn between joining them and heading back to her cabin for a quiet evening with her book. Pearl and Harold were going; they had seen the comedian earlier in the cruise and said he was very good. Ian and Richard were noncommittal; neither really said what their plans for the rest of the evening were.

  When they left the dining room and headed up to the theatre, Claire trailed along. She didn’t decide to leave until about fifteen minutes into the comedian’s routine. By then she found while everyone else was laughing uproariously she just wasn’t getting his brand of humor. She leaned over and whispered good night to her mother and quietly worked her way out of the room. It wasn’t until the doors closed on the elevator that she thought of Mrs. Bernbaum. She quickly jabbed the button marked eight, deciding to stop by and see how the old lady was feeling.

  The corridor on eight was very quiet. She turned around the bend where the corridor changed directions just in time to see Ian’s back disappearing into Mrs. Bernbaum’s cabin.

  How nice of him, she thought. He hadn’t said anything, but obviously he was concerned about her, too. She hurried, smiling, pleased to catch him doing a good deed.

  She was going to knock, but she noticed the door, while closed, was not latched. The safety chain had been laid between the door and the door jam preventing the door from closing tightly. So Claire pushed the door open, entered and said brightly, “Caught you...”

  Ian’s head swiveled toward her. His expression was one of shock. His face paled visibly in the dimmed lights of the cabin. His outstretched hand gleamed with the brilliant red of the Heart of Persia.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Claire froze. She didn’t know what to think. In fact, she could barely think. This was not at all what she expected. She whispered hoarsely, “Ian, what are you doing?”

  They both stood motionless. Then Ian brazenly challenged her with, “Not what you’re thinking, for sure! I just stopped down to see if I could do anything for Mrs. Bernbaum and found the door open. I tiptoed in to check on her, but saw this on the table. I just wanted a closer look.”

  Claire thought about his very plausible answer a moment before responding drolly. “And you just happen to be wearing latex gloves because why?”

  Ian didn’t have a ready answer for that. He looked at his hands as if surprised to find them attached to his body. His glove covered hand was still holding the blood red jewel. It was obvious he had been caught.

  “I can’t believe this! You were going to steal her jewel? What are you, some kind of cat burglar?” she hissed at him as her brain started functioning again. “How did you get in here anyway? I don’t believe for a minute the door was unlocked.” She glared at him, all her protective genes gathering force to protect Mrs. Bernbaum.

  He started to answer her and then shrugged, giving it up. “I have my ways. The locks aren’t very good you know. Any professional could get in without much effort. The cruise lines don’t consider it’s cost effective to spend a lot of money on a better door locking system.”

  “Professional? You’re a professional? I can’t believe it.” She leaned against the wall for additional support, afraid the trembling in her knees would cause her to collapse. “And your brother? Is he a thief too?” She thought with alarm about her mother, wondering if Millie was finally interested in someone, only to find he was a scoundrel.

  “No, he’s just a nice guy, retired, widower, just as he claims. Unfortunately for him, he’s related to me.”

  Claire just stood there, trying to absorb this shocking information.

  “Look Claire, why don’t I just put it back? No harm done. I promise to leave it alone, if you’ll just forget this whole thing happened.” His winsome smile infuriated her.

  “No harm done? Because I walked in and caught you, that’s the only reason no harm was done.” Claire’s voice was increasing in volume as she spoke. She found herself becoming more indignant with every word.

  “She’s an old lady, Ian. She is very attached to that piece of jewelry. To you it might mean money, to her it represents the love of two men. I don’t think we can just forget this.”

  “Shhh,” he cauti
oned her.

  They looked at each other, realizing at the same time how strange it was that Mrs. Bernbaum had not heard them. She might be old and decrepit, but she had demonstrated several times how keen her hearing still was.

  “Where is she?” Claire murmured.

  Ian shook his head. “I assumed she was sleeping. I didn’t look.”

  They stared at each other, each willing the other to look in the bedroom, but neither moved.

  “You check on her. I’m keeping my eyes on you so you can’t disappear with the jewel.”

  “Look, I’ve put it down. See, I put it right where I found it.” He lay it down on the table beside a watch and some earrings. “I’m not going to run away. We’re at sea, for God’s sake, where would I go?”

  She nodded. It was true. She could always find him or the security people could.

  “You check on her. What if she’s in bed? She’d be frightened if she woke up and found me in her bedroom,” Ian whispered pleadingly.

  “Oh, all right. But don’t you dare move an inch.” She crept into the bedroom, while her mind churned with terrible thoughts. What if Ian was worse than a thief? What if he was also a murderer? Her heart started beating at a furious rate and suddenly she was afraid of what she would find.

  She told herself to calm down. Commonsense told her if he was a murderer, surely she would already be dead after catching him red-handed. So Mrs. Bernbaum was probably just sleeping deeply. She was just tired like Richard had said.

  The bedroom was dark with only a little light from the living room reaching through the open doorway. Claire skirted the first bed. The one Anita had used, and moved toward the mound she assumed was Mrs. Bernbaum, in the second bed. “Mrs. Bernbaum,” she whispered. “Mrs. Bernbaum, wake up.”