by Ivy Dawson
“Come on,” Alexa said, walking up to Carey and Shae. “Let’s go celebrate! This went very well.”
“No,” Carey said with a frown, “it didn’t.”
“I agree,” Shae said as they walked out, taking one last look at the distraught couple. “Something isn’t right about all of this. We need to find out what really happened.”
“No, you need to leave this alone. Captain Tim said that it’s over. We have to let this one go,” Alexa insisted. “You could get fired if you don’t do as he says. He’s not very patient. Or forgiving. You don’t want to do this.”
“What about Helen?” Shae asked. “She died tonight. I’m sure she wouldn’t want us to just give up because it’s convenient. She deserves justice.”
“She’s dead,” Alexa hissed. “It’s over now. We’ve got witnesses, Shae. What more do you want? I know this isn’t what you had in mind, but it’s what happened.”
“This isn’t about any of us,” Shae snapped. “Someone might be getting away with murder!”
“Stop it,” Alexa said. “That guy murdered Helen. Accept it.”
With that, she stormed off to meet with Ivan and the rest of the security guards. Shae stared after her in shock.
“What are you thinking?” Carey asked curiously.
“I’m thinking that if Malcolm didn’t kill her, then the murderer is going to get off at the next port and disappear forever.”
Chapter 4
“Where do we start?” Carey asked curiously as they walked out onto the deck.
It was late at night, but there were still a lot of people milling around. There seemed to be a nervous energy around the ship, and no one wanted to go sleep. Shae took a deep breath and went to go stand by the railing. She looked out at the night sky, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to do next.
“I think we need to look around in Helen’s room,” Shae decided, starting off toward the reception desk. “There might be a clue in all her stuff.”
Carey nodded seriously and followed Shae. It didn’t take them long to get to the front desk, and Shae was able to find out which cabin Helen was staying in.
“There you are,” a familiar voice exclaimed, hurrying up to them. Shae turned to see Jax, the maintenance manager walking up toward her. She’d met him on her first day on the ship. They’d hit it off immediately, and he had helped her when she was working on her first murder case.
Ever since then, they’d maintained an easy friendship. He was someone that she enjoyed being around. She appreciated his friendship. It also helped that he knew the ship like the back of his hand.
“Jax,” she said, genuinely glad to see him. “Have you heard what’s happened?” Carey scowled slightly, narrowing her eyes at Jax as he smiled at Shae. She sighed loudly and tapped her foot in annoyance.
“Are you kidding?” he asked incredulously. “It would be impossible not to. Someone got shot in the middle of a club! That’s insane! How does that happen?”
“I don’t know,” Shae said with a sigh, “but it did.”
Carey cleared her throat discreetly, and Shae quickly introduced the two of them. Carey smiled kindly, but there was a flash of annoyance in her eyes.
“So, are you relieved that they caught the guy who did it?” Jax asked curiously. “I can’t believe they managed to do it so quickly.”
“Yeah,” Shae said darkly, “I can’t either.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, looking confused.
She quickly told him what was happening, and by the end of it all, his eyebrows were raised in concern and he looked around anxiously.
“It sounds like the captain wants this whole thing to be over,” Jax said thoughtfully, “and he doesn’t care what the truth is, as long as it’s out of his hands. I guess I can understand where he’s coming from. It’s not a great situation to be stuck in.”
“I get that,” Shae said in frustration, “but we can’t just let this go because it’s easier that way. It sucks that it happened, but we still need to find the truth.”
“Yeah,” Carey said firmly, “we need to find out what happened to Helen. It’s only right. Can you imagine what would happen if Malcolm wasn’t the killer?”
“Let’s walk and talk,” Shae suggested when a guest walked past and gave them a curious glance.
They quickly made their way over to the right cabin, and it wasn’t long before they were standing in one of the most luxurious cabins onboard. It was massive, with its own living room and balcony. There was even a private hot tub out on the balcony.
“Wow,” Jax said, looking impressed, “she liked to live in style.”
“I’ve seen better,” Carey said nonchalantly. “Where do you want us to start?”
“I think we should split up and see if we can find anything out of the ordinary.”
“Okay, Captain,” Carey said happily, walking off toward the bedroom.
“So,” Jax said, joining Shae as she looked around. “Who’s Carey?”
“She’s my friend,” Shae said in amusement.
“You said so,” he said, looking through a chest of drawers. “I just wasn’t sure what you meant.”
“I mean that she’s my friend,” Shae said in confusion. “I don’t understand what you’re asking. You’re being weird. Is everything okay?”
“I just didn’t think she’d be someone you liked,” Jax admitted, grimacing as he said the words.
“Okay,” Shae stopped searching and turned to look at him. “What do you mean? Carey is here to visit me because we’re friends and I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“I mean that you two are very different. I didn’t think that you’d be friends with someone like her.”
“What’s wrong with the two of us being friends?” Shae asked, trying not to let her annoyance show, but it was coming through in her voice. He shook his head and turned to look at her.
“She’s not very nice.”
“She’s been perfectly civil to you!” Shae pointed out. “I don’t understand why you’re being so judgmental. She and I have been friends ever since we were teenagers.”
“She looks like the type of person who’d smile while insulting you. Look, I’m sorry, but I just don’t like her.”
“You don’t have to,” she told him. “She’s my friend. And that’s all that matters.”
“Fine,” he said, shrugging, turning his back to her as he went toward the bathroom.
“I can’t believe you just said that,” Shae admitted, shaking her head and checking to make sure that Carey didn’t overhear their conversation. She couldn’t understand what was going on with her friends. Alexa was acting strangely, and now Jax was imitating her example.
She frowned slightly as she went over the sequence of events that led to all this, but she couldn’t figure out what was going on.
“It’s just my opinion,” he called out, his voice echoing slightly in the bathroom. “You should come check out this bathtub! It’s huge.”
“What are you guys doing here?” Emmie asked angrily, walking into the cabin and slamming the door behind her.
“I’m sorry,” Shae said. Carey and Jax both wandered out of the rooms to come and see what was happening. Jax looked concerned, while Carey looked bored by what was happening. “We’re just looking to see if we can find anything.”
“What? Looking for more stuff to frame Malcolm with?” Emmie accused, glaring at them. Her eyes were red, and Shae felt a pang of sympathy for the woman. This wasn’t a good ending to what was supposed to be a weekend of fun.
“No,” Shae said quickly, “we’re trying to find out why someone would want to kill Helen. I mean, Malcolm said she was such a good friend.”
“You’re not going to find anything here,” Emmie said firmly, sitting down on the couch and looking ahead of her. “Although, if you find her credit card, let me know. She owes me money.”
“I thought she was funding this whole vacation?” Carey asked in confusion. “Why wou
ld she owe you money?”
“There’s been a mix-up with her card,” Emmie explained. “She’s supposed to pay for everything, but it’s not working. She said she’d go to the bank as soon as we get back to find out what’s happening. Maybe if I take her card to the bank, then they can sort it out for us. It’s not like she needs it anymore.”
“That’s horrible,” Shae said, shaking her head. “Imagine going on vacation, but your card doesn’t work. It’s nice of you to cover the cost.”
“It’s not like it’s a big deal,” Emmie scoffed. “I’m going to get that money back in no time. Her family is loaded.”
“What a nice way to live,” Jax sighed, sliding down onto the couch and letting out a relaxed sigh. “Do you know what her family does?”
“I think they’re in oil, or weapons, or something,” Emmie shrugged. “I mean, my family is comfortable, but hers is filthy rich. Makes me look poor. I can’t imagine what her family is going to do when they find out what happened.”
“If someone says their family is comfortable, then it means that they’re super rich,” Carey commented, sitting down on one of the plush chairs. “So if a rich person says that someone is rich, then you have to believe that it’s a new level of wealth.”
“Have you two been friends for a while?” Shae asked, ignoring Carey’s comment. Jax looked between the two of them and raised his eyebrow slightly, as if he was highlighting his earlier point. Shae ignored him too.
“Not that long,” Emmie shrugged. “I met her in New York a few months ago. She’s busy trying to do the whole real estate thing. It’s actually how we met. My father owns a building that she wants to buy. This weekend is supposed to be like a long business meeting.”
“That’s interesting,” Shae said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Do you know if she made any enemies while she was in New York? Or maybe someone else wants the building and needed to get her out of the way?”
“I don’t know,” Emmie shrugged. “Being in any type of business means that you’re going to make a few enemies. A couple of people didn’t like the way she acted, but I guess it’s just because she always got what she wanted.”
“She sounds like an interesting woman,” Shae said. “I suppose you’ve got to be ruthless if you want to make it in that type of environment. What about in her personal life? Were there any ex-lovers who would want to get revenge?”
“Helen?” Emmie laughed. “No, she only had one thing on her mind. She was going to buy that building, turn it into a successful business and then take over the real estate market. She never had any time for romance. I mean, she’d flirt with a potential investor or two, but she was always working. It never turned into anything.”
“Do you think that someone took her too seriously, then got angry when she brushed them off? Or maybe there was someone onboard who didn’t like her. Do you know if she knew anyone onboard?”
“No,” Emmie shook her head. “She didn’t know anyone. It was just the three of us.”
“Well, none of this is good news for your boyfriend,” Carey commented. “No enemies, no one who knew her. He’s the only one who could’ve done it.”
“He didn’t,” Emmie snapped, her eyes welling up with tears.
“Emmie, please, tell us everything that you know. The smallest detail could help us, even if it seems silly. Was there something out of the ordinary? Some change in her behavior? Please believe me, I’m just trying to help out here.” Shae looked at her with wide eyes, silently begging the woman to remember anything useful.
She felt like she was chasing down a ghost. Everyone believed that Malcolm was guilty. If Captain Tim found out what she was doing, he’d be livid. She was racing against a ticking clock, and she didn’t have much to go on.
A part of her wanted to throw in the towel and be done with it. It would be easier that way.
“She was happy,” Emmie sniffed, trying to control her tears. “She was having fun, and just letting loose. She worked hard, so she deserved it. I swear it wasn’t Malcolm. It was that guy I saw.”
Carey groaned audibly and massaged her forehead in annoyance. Jax gave Carey an indignant look, before shaking his head at her. She seemed to sense the action and frowned at him.
“When did you notice the man following you?” Shae sighed, deciding to humor her.
“I saw him once at dinner,” Emmie admitted. “He was wearing dark clothes, but I didn’t catch a good look at him. I only remember because he kept walking past the restaurant. Then I saw him twice at the club. I caught him watching us, then he came up and asked Helen to dance.”
“I guess we could check the footage from outside the restaurant?” Shae suggested with a sigh. She was officially crazy. It was over. She had to step away before Captain Tim found out what was happening.
“Please,” Emmie said, grabbing Shae’s hand and looking her in the eyes. Shae was struck by the intensity in Emmie’s gaze. “Malcolm didn’t do this. Please, believe me. Someone was following us. They were planning to kill Helen. I know it.”
Chapter 5
“I don’t know what to believe,” Shae admitted, burying her face in her hands.
After they left Emmie, they decided to clear their heads and have a drink. By now, it was nearly morning and the ship was almost deserted. The bar was mostly empty, and Shae felt comfortable speaking about the case.
“Yeah,” Carey said unsympathetically, waving flirtatiously at a handsome man who was sitting quietly at the other end of the bar. “It’s a real brain teaser.”
Shae looked up, frowning at Carey’s noncommittal response. By now, the man had responded, and the flirting was intense.
“Having fun?” Shae asked grumpily. She would’ve appreciated a little support. Or at least some of Carey’s attention. But it seemed that the handsome man had won all of Carey’s focus.
If she was being completely honest, Shae wasn’t surprised by Carey’s behavior. Carey was an incurable flirt. It didn’t seem like time had dulled that side of her yet.
“Yes,” Carey said firmly, turning her back on the man and looking at Shae. “Like you should be doing. Look at this massive ship. Look how awesome everything is. Just let go of this. I mean, seriously. You’re too tightly wound. One day you’re going to explode or something.”
“I’m not too tightly wound,” Shae protested. “I’m just trying to help out.”
“Why?” Carey challenged, narrowing her eyes. “You didn’t know Helen. Chances are, you probably wouldn’t even have liked her.”
“It’s not about that,” Shae said, but Carey rolled her eyes stubbornly.
“Look, I’m going to go ask that guy if he’d like to watch the sunrise with me. It’s going to be romantic, and fun. When I get home, it will be a wonderful memory. You can sit here and obsess about a stranger, or you can have some fun. Drink the bar dry or go get some sleep. Whatever you want.”
With that, Carey hopped off the stool and sashayed over to the handsome stranger. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, as if he couldn’t quite believe his luck. Carey flipped her hair over her shoulder and twirled a strand around her finger as she spoke.
The man nodded eagerly and got off his stool to follow her. Carey looked over her shoulder at Shae and winked before disappearing.
“Do you want another one?” a gruff voice asked. Shae looked up, startled, at the bartender who was now waiting expectantly for her answer. “Because it’s nearly the end of my shift, and you’re the last person here.”
“No,” Shae shook her head, “I’ll go.”
She slid off her stool and let the surly bartender close up as she took out her phone and considered what she could do next. It was nearly time for her shift to start, and there wouldn’t be enough time for her to get a decent amount of rest. Besides, she was too anxious to sleep.
A quick, unprompted memory of her father popped into her mind.
“Go away!”
The door slammed shut and sound echoed down the dingy, poorly li
t hallway. Little Shae, about ten or eleven, looked up at her dad in concern. She had a spiral notebook with a picture of a butterfly on it, and a pen with pink ink.
“What do we do now, dad?”
She stopped calling him ‘daddy’ about six months ago. Sometimes she still slipped up, but she wasn’t a kid anymore. She had to call him ‘dad’ like a grown-up.
“When the heat dies down, it’s time to hit the pavement,” he said in that raspy voice of his. Shae loved hearing her dad speak. It made her feel safe. He didn’t speak often, but when he did, it was worth listening to.
“Okay,” Shae said, pretending as though she understood him. She wanted him to think that she could keep up with him. Maybe, if he thought she could keep up with him, then he’d want her to help out more.
Unfortunately for little Shae, her father saw right through her.
“An investigation isn’t nonstop excitement, kid,” he explained, chuckling at her disappointed expression. “Sometimes clues and leads dry up. You could let the case die like that, or you can keep it alive by doing some boring work. Like talking to witnesses again or knocking on doors. You keep going back to square one until you find a new clue.”
“Back to square one, kid,” Shae muttered to herself. She quickly went to Alexa’s contact and sent a quick message, asking for the names of the four witnesses. There were still so many questions swirling in her mind.
She wanted to believe that Malcolm had killed Helen. It was clean, and it was easier than starting the whole investigation from scratch. Unfortunately, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
Her phone beeped a second later, but it wasn’t a message from Alexa. Alexa hadn’t even read the message yet. This message was from Mark, and Shae felt shivers run down her spine.
She was being summoned to the captain’s quarters. Shae put her phone back in her pocket, and dutifully went down to the captain’s office.
She wondered briefly if the journey would ever stop feeling like a trip to the principal’s office. It was a nasty, unpleasant feeling. It was probably why Mark delighted in doing it so often. He exercised his authority through fear and intimidation.
