by Ivy Dawson
“We have a situation,” he explained. “There’s a deceased woman in Saintly’s VIP room. It’s number one. Call Zooberg.”
“Did you see what happened?” Shae asked immediately, stepping forward and scrutinizing the crime scene. She quickly glanced over at the body, taking note of everything she needed to know. Then she looked away.
It was a terrible sight. And it made her angry. There was never an excuse to take someone’s life. She noted from the injury that this wasn’t an accident. Someone meant to shoot her.
The woman’s eyes quickly flickered over to the man. He was pale, almost luminous under the lights in the club. He quickly looked down and shoved his hands into his pockets. Shae noticed that they were shaking.
She also noticed that he had an unfortunate sense of fashion. His velvet jacket had a bedazzled tiger on the back, and his pants were too tight to be comfortable.
“No,” the woman said quickly, looking back at Shae. “Can we leave? This is terrible. I can’t be here anymore.”
Shae stepped aside to let her pass, but Ivan raised a meaty hand, stopping the woman in her tracks.
“No,” he said gruffly. “We need to talk to you.” His device beeped on his belt, and he nodded at Shae. “Captain wants to talk to you. We’ll take it from here.”
Shae nodded and left the room, taking one last look at the scene.
“Why would the captain want to talk to you?” Carey asked in confusion, jogging to catch up with Shae’s quick pace.
“This isn’t the first time it’s happened,” Alexa explained proudly. “She’s the onboard sleuth.”
“That’s not true,” Shae said with a frown. “I just helped out with one case. It wasn’t a big deal. All I did was poke around until someone confessed.”
“That’s so cool,” Carey said, her eyes bright. “What happened? Tell me everything.”
“We can do that later,” Shae decided. “Alexa, could you please go back and help Ivan? I think people will be happy to talk to an official employee. Maybe you could ask some of the people who were in the VIP section?”
“I want to go with,” Carey decided, but then she stopped thoughtfully. “No, wait. I want to know what the captain’s going to say.”
“He’s going to ask her to get involved, then she’s going to say no. Then he’s going to order her to, and she’s going to have the time of her life,” Alexa said with an amused smile.
“That’s not true,” Shae said again, feeling like a broken record player, “but I think you’ll have more fun with Alexa. I’m sure a lot of people saw what happened.”
“I guess you’re right,” Carey said reluctantly.
“Come on,” Alexa said warmly. “I’ll show you some cool things along the way. Besides, you never know who you might meet. All sorts of people come onboard.”
“No,” Carey said slowly. “I came here to spend time with Shae. It doesn’t feel right leaving you.”
Alexa frowned, but shrugged and walked off. The other two quickly made their way over to the captain’s office. Shae felt a familiar nervous pit open up in her stomach. Visiting the captain’s office always felt like being called to the principal’s office at school.
She knocked lightly and he barked at her to come in. Shae opened the door slowly, and grimaced when she spotted First Officer Mark Rodriguez. He scowled in response.
The two of them had met on Shae’s first day, and it hadn’t gone well. He’d immediately labeled her as a troublemaker. It also didn’t help that the captain ignored Mark’s opinion and immediately asked Shae to step in when a guest was murdered.
Ever since then, the two had been enemies. Mark tried to fire her on numerous occasions, and Shae tried to avoid him at all costs.
“How does this keep happening?” the captain asked, swinging himself around to face Shae. He was in his pajamas and looked like someone had just woken him up. He sat in his comfortable leather swivel chair and glared at a spot above Shae’s head.
“Society is falling apart as a whole?” Shae suggested, knowing his view of the world.
“Yes, that’s true,” Captain Tim said, nodding vigorously. “You know, something like this would never have happened in my day. Who shoots someone in a club? This isn’t the prohibition. People are going crazy.”
“There’s no way we’re going to be able to hide this from the guests,” Mark said, shaking his head. “We need to come up with some answers and quickly.”
“That’s why you’re here,” Captain Tim turned to Shae, “but I only asked for you. Who’s the short one?”
“I’m Carey,” the petite blonde introduced herself with a pretty smile. Captain Tim smiled back, but Mark just glared at her until she stopped smiling and took a step back.
“That’s your problem,” Captain Tim barked at Mark. “You can’t appreciate anything in life. What’s wrong with you, Rodriguez?”
“My problem is that this going to be in the media by dawn. We’re going to lose business, Captain. People could lose their jobs over this.”
“He’s right,” Captain Tim remarked, chewing his lip. “We need to find out who did this, and we need to find them now. If we can find them before people get upset, then we can turn this thing around. Do you think we can do it?”
Shae looked over at Mark, who raised an eyebrow at her. She then realized that the captain had been talking to her, and quickly responded.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “It was a crowded club. I’m sure someone saw something. I know Ivan and his team are asking everyone who was there tonight. Alexa’s also over there right now.”
“She should be working,” Mark commented, shaking his head and looking out the window. Shae scowled at him. The staff worked hard. They deserved whatever time off they got.
“Good,” Captain Tim said, nodding. “Here’s what I need you to do. Go talk to that quack, Dr. Zooberg. See if he can tell you anything.”
“Why don’t we just check the security cameras?” Shae asked.
“It’s an exclusive club,” Mark snapped, “we don’t have cameras.”
“You’re kidding,” Shae said incredulously. “How does this keep happening?”
“People who can afford it want all the privacy they can get,” Mark told her haughtily. “They’re not going to relax if they think we can sell footage of them.”
“He’s right,” Carey said hesitantly, wrinkling her nose at the first officer. “Rich people don’t like cameras when they’re partying. You wouldn’t believe how private these people can be.”
“It doesn’t help talking about what won’t work,” Captain Tim snapped, and Shae blinked in surprise. She hadn’t known the captain for very long, but he didn’t seem like the type of person who got annoyed easily. “This could turn into a panic at any moment. We need to work together on this.”
“I agree,” Mark said, nodding seriously. “We need to give the security team more support. We can’t have this amateur running around causing chaos.”
“Didn’t she solve a murder before?” Carey pointed out. “You’re probably just jealous.”
Shae’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she quickly took it out. A message from Alexa popped up and she clicked it as Carey and Mark insulted each other. She also noticed that the captain’s face was turning red. He was going to lose his temper at any second.
“They’ve arrested someone,” she said, rereading Alexa’s message in surprise.
Chapter 3
“Everyone we spoke to said that a man in a tiger jacket shot the woman,” Ivan explained, leading the captain and the others down to the jail.
When people say there’s a jail cell on a luxury cruise ship, others don’t usually believe them. After their first day on the ship, it becomes apparent why the ship needs a jail cell. People leave their inhibitions at home when they come on vacation. This leads to many interesting, and often illegal, situations.
The jail was a simple space, with three separate rooms for rowdy guests. Unfortunately, the jail on the Aramin
ta sometimes contained murderers. As they walked into the jail, Shae realized that the place wasn’t designed for more than a few people.
Now, the place was filled with three security guards, the captain, Alexa, Carey, Mark, and Shae. While in one cell, the pale man from earlier was sitting on the bench that turned into a bed. His face was buried in his hands, and it looked like he was crying.
“I was there,” Alexa agreed, “at least three people saw him shoot the woman.”
“How did they see past the curtain?” Shae asked curiously.
“They kept the curtain open,” Ivan told her. “No one ever really closes it. They want people to see how rich they are.”
“And yet there aren’t any cameras up there,” Shae grumbled. Mark overheard her and gave her a dirty look, which she returned. The lack of cameras onboard wasn’t a new problem. She wondered when they’d eventually install cameras on every available surface. It would make life a lot easier for everyone.
“We interviewed everyone who was in the VIP area when it happened. They all say that everything was fine, but then the woman started screaming at the man in the black jacket with the sequined tiger on the back.”
Alexa finished explaining with a proud look on her face. No one expected the whole thing to be over so quickly. From their expressions, Shae could tell that Mark and the captain were relieved. No one wanted a scandal.
“And so we arrested this guy,” Ivan finished, crossing his arms over his chest, looking pleased with how things turned out.
“He was the only one in the club with that jacket on, and he came with the victim onboard the ship,” a different security guard said.
Shae walked up to the cell while the people were talking. She looked intently at the accused murderer.
“What was her name?” she asked quietly.
The man looked up, his face red and streaked with tears. He sniffed pathetically and looked at her, a suspicious glint in his eyes. He didn’t trust her. It was clear from the way he was looking at her that he was trying to figure her out. She nodded encouragingly and he wiped his face with his sleeve.
“Helen,” his voice was raspy, and the words sounded choked. “Helen Popov.”
“And yours?”
“My name is Malcolm.” He still looked suspicious of her, but his posture relaxed slightly. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t shoot her. I want to go home, and I want my lawyer.”
“One thing at a time,” she told him slowly. “What were you guys doing on the ship?”
“We came on vacation,” he told her with a frown. His statement was matter of fact and he looked at her like she was an idiot. “She was friends with my girlfriend, Emmie. She told us that she wanted to give us a present for being such good friends to her.”
“It doesn’t sound like you had a motive,” Shae said thoughtfully. “Tell me about her. What was Helen like?”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Malcolm shrugged. “She was loud, and very funny. I enjoyed being around her. She was generous. Like how she took us on vacation.”
“She sounds like a good person,” Shae said with a sad smile. She heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see Carey watching the exchange curiously.
“She was a good person,” Malcolm agreed wholeheartedly. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her. I swear I didn’t do this. Why would I do this to my friend?”
“Did you see someone else wearing the same jacket?” she asked. “Maybe we arrested the wrong person?”
“Obviously you did,” Malcolm said sulkily.
“I want to help you,” she told him seriously, “but you need to help me out here. Was someone else wearing the same jacket?”
Malcolm didn’t reply but shifted uncomfortably on his bench and leaned back. He stared at a spot above Shae’s head and clenched his jaw.
“I don’t think anyone else was wearing that jacket,” Carey interjected, staring carefully at Malcolm. “I didn’t recognize it at first, but that’s a one-of-a-kind design. It was on show at fashion week.”
“Wow,” Shae said, raising her eyebrows. “You must really love your clothes if you’re willing to pay for a one-of-a-kind jacket.”
“Especially one that looks like a glitter fairy threw up on it,” Carey commented.
“Well,” the captain clapped his hands and boomed merrily, “that’s that then. Well done, boys! I’ll be sure to pay you each a bonus.”
The security guards cheered, and Ivan picked Alexa up and spun her around like she was weightless. She giggled and blushed bright red from all the attention.
“When we get to port, that guy’s going to jail.”
“Please,” Malcolm said suddenly, throwing himself at the bars and grabbing Shae’s shirt. The security guards immediately jumped into action. Ivan grabbed Shae and pulled her out of Malcolm’s reach, while the other two went into the cell and restrained him.
“What a nutjob,” Carey muttered angrily, walking up to Shae and putting a comforting arm around her.
“Where’s the gun?” Shae asked suddenly. The room went quiet and everyone turned to look at her in confusion.
“What are you talking about?” Mark asked in annoyance.
“The gun,” she repeated. “The one that shot Helen. If he shot her, then where’s the gun?”
“Unless you haven’t noticed, we’re on a ship,” Mark snapped. “He could’ve thrown it overboard and been done with it. There’s no way we’re going to find it now.”
“I saw him right after,” Shae pointed out, “and he looked terrified. There’s no way he got out of the club, threw the gun away then got right back. There’s no way that would work.”
“He just needed a window,” the captain said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
“Yes,” Mark agreed, nodding vigorously.
“Go look at that club, there were no windows in their VIP booth.”
“We’ll find the gun,” Ivan announced, glaring angrily at Shae. “We’ll go search the club, and I’m sure we’ll find it.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Mark asked, sneering at her.
“It’s not like I want to make a scene,” she said, blushing as she realized that everyone was now looking at her with unveiled hostility. “I just don’t want to make a mistake here.”
“The mistake would be stirring up trouble when it’s all done,” Captain Tim warned her, crossing his arms and glaring at her.
“We’ve got three witnesses,” Mark reminded her. “There’s no way it’s not him.”
“Yeah, and that jacket is one-of-a-kind,” Carey said loudly. “There was no one else with the same jacket.”
“How do you afford a jacket like that?” Captain Tim asked curiously.
“It was a gift,” Malcolm mumbled. “I got it from Helen.”
“What a way to show your gratitude,” Captain Tim said angrily, kicking the bars to scare Malcolm.
“I was grateful,” Malcolm insisted. “I didn’t kill this woman!”
“Malcolm?”
Before anyone could stop her, the woman in the sheer dress came running into the room. She ran straight to the cell he was in and grabbed onto the bars. Malcolm tried to get up, but a security guard pushed him back down onto his seat.
“You can’t do this!” she cried, rounding on everyone in the room. “He’s innocent! He didn’t kill Helen!”
“Emmie,” Malcolm said in a soothing voice. It sounded strange coming from the man who’d been crying up until a few minutes ago. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be okay.”
“No,” she said angrily, “let him go. I will call my father! He will sort this whole mess out.”
“You can call whoever you want,” Ivan told her with a half-smirk. “There’s no way we’re letting him out. He killed a woman tonight.”
“I was with him the entire time!” Emmie insisted. “He didn’t kill her. There was this man, he was following us around. I think Helen was going to dance with him, but then he shot her and ran away!”
/> “Was he wearing the same kind of jacket?” Shae asked curiously.
“I didn’t see,” Emmie admitted, chewing nervously on her lip. “It was dark, and there was so much going on.”
“I saw you on the balcony,” Shae remembered, “right before Helen was shot. You had your back to him. Maybe they fought, and you didn’t see?”
“Whose side are you on?” Carey asked in confusion, wrinkling her nose slightly.
“I’m just trying to figure out what happened here,” Shae said defensively. “I’m not on anyone’s side. That’s not what this is about. We need to be on Helen’s side.”
“Oh,” Carey said, nodding knowingly.
“I would’ve heard an argument,” Emmie said, glaring at Shae. “I was right there. Helen went to dance with a stranger. She came back, and then someone shot her. I think it was the man she danced with. I didn’t see his face, but he was definitely following us.”
“What was he wearing?” Shae asked.
“I told you!” Emmie yelled. “I don’t know!”
“That’s enough,” Captain Tim said angrily, stepping between the two women. “This case is over. We’re going to assure the guests that the culprit has been caught, and we’re going to send him to jail at the next port. This is over.”
“And what if you don’t have the right man?” Emmie challenged. “Are you going to lie to your guests to avoid the scandal?”
“Look,” Captain Tim sighed, “it’s obvious that you two are romantically involved. You’d say anything to get him out of jail. I don’t know why he shot your friend. Ask him. But this case is over. There will be no more discussion about it.”
“He didn’t kill her!” Emmie said again, her face getting red.
“Emmie,” Malcolm said tiredly, “it’s okay. We’re going to fight this. Let’s just wait, and then we can get a lawyer. There’s no use arguing with this man.”
“That’s the best decision you’ve made all night,” Captain Tim said wryly. “Listen to your boyfriend. Fight the charges with your fancy lawyer when we get to port. Until then, I don’t want to hear anything else. Come on, let’s go tell our guests the happy news.”
