by Sharon Dunn
“We’re so sorry to have bothered you. I know about late night shifts,” David said. “Hope you are able to go back to sleep. If you see Joel or hear about where he is, you need to get in touch with me right away.”
“Wow, that sounds serious. What’s going on?”
“We need to question him about some incidents that have taken place on the ship,” Maya explained.
The roommate’s eyes grew a little wider. “Yeah, I saw that bulletin about women needing to be careful about being alone. Seriously, Joel might be the guy who’s going after women?”
“We can’t say anything at this point,” David said. “It’s just very important that he get in touch with us. If he does return to the room or you see him, please let us know.”
Wayne tugged on the collar of his baggy worn T-shirt. “For sure. I’ll do that.”
“Thanks again,” Maya said.
The roommate moved to close the door.
“Hang on.” David caught the door. “Does he have any favorite places he likes to go on the ship. Entertainment venues? Sports things?”
“Honestly, we don’t talk that much. The one thing I do know is that him and his lady love used to meet on that upper deck at night cause it usually is not very crowded.”
Now the attacks on the upper deck made even more sense.
“Sure. I’ll let you know right away if he comes around.” Wayne said. “Anything else?”
Maya spoke up. “Is there something of Joel’s that we might borrow that would have his scent on it. A T-shirt he wore recently or something like that?”
Maya was one step ahead of him, David thought admiringly. The next thing to do in locating Joel was combing the whole ship to find him. Using Sarge to sniff him out would make that search much easier.
The roommate turned sideways staring at the clutter in the cabin. “Give me a second... I’ll find something.” He stepped away from the door. They could hear him rummaging around.
The guy returned with a shirt which he handed to Maya.
David piped up. “Can we ask that you not touch, put away or dispose of any of Joel’s belongings?”
“Sure not a problem.”
“One more thing. Is there anyone else who Joel was close to who might be able to shed some light on where he might be on the ship?”
Wayne shrugged. “He kind of kept to himself. Maybe someone in the kitchen he worked out of would know. To be honest with you, I always thought he was a little out there and then after his breakup, he kind of scared me. I don’t blame the lady for breaking up with him.”
“We’ll be back in touch.”
The roommate closed the door.
“I’m going to get all of the ship’s security team on duty for the search. If we can’t track Joel down, the next step is to put out a bulletin to the public. Something that says, ‘Have you seen this man? He’s wanted for questioning in some crimes on the ship.’ We have to be careful not to imply any guilt or the case could be thrown out once it goes to court.”
Maya held the T-shirt they’d been given. “Sarge is trained to track weapons, but a dog’s nose is a hundred times better than anything we could do.”
“Let me make the calls to Hans and Noah and then we’ll get started.”
“That sounds good,” said Maya. “I need to call my boss and let her know that we have a suspect and are searching for him. Once we have in in custody, the K-9 Unit will make arrangements to transport him when we get into port.”
Both of them made their respective phone calls. Within minutes, they were ready to begin a shipwide search.
As promised, David got the rest of the security team on board with what needed to happen. Hans would help with the search and Noah would go down to the kitchen that Joel had worked out of to question his coworkers to find any leads on where he might be hiding. Maya placed the T-shirt by Sarge’s nose. The dog stood at attention and licked his chops.
Maya gave the command and they were off and running. The search took them through the ship but dead-ended by the wave pool.
“The scent of the chlorine might be messing with Sarge’s ability to track,” she said. “Let’s pull him out of this area and see if we can get him back on track. He needs to find a fresh scent.”
Maya steered her partner into a corridor and then placed the T-shirt under the dog’s nose again. Sarge whimpered.
“He’s confused,” Maya said. “I’m not sure what’s happening.” She rubbed the Malinois’s ears. “I wonder if the scent is bringing back how he was treated by Joel. Being abducted is just as traumatic for a dog as it is for a person.” Maya put her face close to Sarge’s and rubbed his ears.
“Poor guy,” David said.
She looked up at him. “What if we just keep walking and searching? Maybe he’ll pick up on something.”
After several hours, both David and Maya admitted to feeling discouraged. They stopped to grab hot dogs to eat and got a container of water for Sarge.
David’s radio made a static noise. He pressed the talk button. “What is it?”
Noah’s voice came across the line. “Been asking a lot of questions of Joel’s coworkers. Not coming up with much, but several of them did mention that he liked to go to movies when he wasn’t working.”
“Okay, we’ll head over to the movie theater. Thanks, Noah.”
“All the kitchen crew knows we’re looking for him. They are the ones most likely to recognize him anyway,” Noah added.
“I agree. Putting something out to the public might cause unnecessary fear. Stay in touch.” David clicked off his radio and looked at Maya. “We’re headed to the theater.”
* * *
“I have no idea where the theater is.”
Maya’s heartbeat clicked up a notch when David said they were going to search the theater. Maybe they were getting closer. There were a thousand places someone could hide on this ship. If Joel didn’t return to his cabin though, where would he sleep? On a deck chair?
So far, from what Noah had indicated Joel didn’t have friends who might let him hide in their cabin. That meant he probably had to stay in the public places. Though, a crew member might know of some tucked-away places no one would think to search.
They hurried past a corridor of shops and turned down a side corridor where the signs indicated the direction of the theater. There was even a marquee out front that advertised two movie choices: a classic Western and a kids’ movie. When they checked the movie times, it looked like the Western had started twenty minutes ago.
They entered the back of the dark theater. Sarge heeled beside Maya. The movie flickered on the screen. Though it was hard to see, it looked like the theater was maybe half-full. If Joel Morris was in here, how were they going to find him and keep him from fleeing? Maybe they could wait until the film was over and watch the people come out. The movie had started only twenty minutes ago though, and there were two exits at the front of the theater by the screen through which someone could escape unnoticed if they wanted to.
David pointed, indicating that she and Sarge would take one aisle and he would take the other. “No flashlights,” he whispered. “We don’t want to give him a chance to get away.”
Maya wasn’t sure if not using flashlights would make a difference. Even in the dark, David’s uniform was easy to spot and Sarge as well would cause a panic to Joel Morris if he barked. As she worked her way down the aisle, row by row, no one seemed alarmed. Though some people glanced in her direction most kept their attention on the film.
A gunfight scene erupted on the screen which made it impossible to hear anything else. When she was nearly to the first row, Sarge tugged on his leash indicating the back of the theater by the main exit they had come through. Though her eyes were still not completely adjusted to the lack of light, she thought she saw a figure—she could not tell if it was a man or woman—get u
p and slip out.
She hurried back up the aisle. A woman holding the hand of a small child had gotten up and blocked her way.
The woman whispered, “Do you know where the bathroom is?”
“Nice doggie,” the little boy said.
“I don’t know where the bathroom is. Scuse me,” Maya moved to arc around the woman and child so she could reach the exit where the person had gone. She stepped out into the bright lights. Plenty of people were walking around the shops and places to eat. She scanned back and forth. None of the men seemed in a hurry and no one looked like Joel.
A man walking casually with a hat pulled down low over his face caught her attention. She and Sarge ran toward the man but when he looked in her direction, she saw that it wasn’t Joel.
Maya led Sarge back into the theater. She didn’t see David anywhere.
The man sitting at the end of the row she was standing by tugged on her sleeve. “He went that way in a hurry.”
The man pointed to one of the two exits at the front of the theater. With Sarge heeling beside her, Maya hurried toward the exit. David must have seen something. She pulled the curtain aside that blocked the exit and stepped into what appeared to be a dark hallway.
Sarge pulled on the leash and yipped. The level of excitement he exhibited suggested that his powerful K-9 nose had picked up on something.
“Wait.” Maya fumbled for her phone to turn on the flashlight app.
Sarge got even more excited. She shone the light all around. They were in a wide hallway that looked like it was used for storage. There were lots of boxes, totes and movie posters. Now that she had some light, she could see the door at the other end of it that led back outside.
Sarge yanked on the leash. At first, she thought he was headed toward the door, but then he lunged at a stack of totes. The totes started to wobble.
A man jumped out at her from behind them and lunged at her. She dropped her phone as she twisted to get away. Sarge barked. The dog had grabbed hold of the man’s pant leg and was tugging.
Though she could not see, it was clear this had to be Joel. Maya struggled to get away when the man grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. He pushed her arm up so far it hurt. He leaned close enough that she felt his hot breath on the back of her neck. “I’ve had about enough of you.”
A door slammed somewhere. The attacker pushed her hard from behind. The impact of hitting the floor knocked the wind out of her. Was she hearing David’s voice or just imagining it?
* * *
David returned through the theater exit door when he realized after a quick search that Joel had not gone out the door but had probably hidden behind the boxes. When he shone his light, he saw Maya falling to the floor and Joel kicking Sarge to get away from him. The dog yipped in pain.
The perp took off back toward the theater. Someone must have heard the ruckus because the lights were on and people had gotten out of their seats. The movie continued to flicker on the screen. Joel got around the people by jumping over seats.
“Stop, security!” David yelled.
Joel pushed the people attempting to stop him out out of the way and disappeared into the main corridor. David hurried up the aisle as folks stepped aside so he could get to the main exit.
Heart pounding, David stepped out into the busy thoroughfare. A lot of passengers were strolling around. He could see quite far up and down the corridor. Of course, Joel would stop running and blend in. There had been nothing distinct in what Joel had been wearing. All neutral colors meant that he would blend into background pretty easily. David studied the shoppers and clusters of people for at least a minute before giving up hope of finding Joel. He radioed the other two officers letting them know the last place Joel had been spotted. David spoke into his radio. “He had on a beige shirt and gray pants. He was wearing a black baseball hat but it fell off in the fight he had with Maya and Sarge. Medium height, medium build, brown hair.”
Noah came on the line. “He might try to grab another hat somewhere to hide his face, right?”
“Maybe. If you could keep searching, I’ll send Hans into the security room to see if he can spot anything on the cameras in this area. I’ll be back to help as soon as I make sure Maya isn’t hurt.”
After signing off, David turned and raced back into the theater toward the exit by the screen. He could hear Sarge barking even before he pulled back the curtain to see if Maya was okay.
One of the moviegoers standing close to the exit curtain said, “We tried to get in there to help that woman, but that dog won’t let anyone close.”
When Sarge saw David, he stopped barking and wagged his tail. David dove down to the floor and gathered Maya in his arms. Sarge licked David’s face and whined.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Was she in pain. Had she broken something?
He drew her closer. David addressed the three people who had pulled back the curtain and were peering in. “Can someone call for a medic?”
“Sure,” said an older man.
“I’m okay.” Her voice was shaky.
“Hey.” Joy surged through him when she looked at him. “You’re back.”
“Did you get Joel?”
David shook his head. “Hans and Noah are still searching.”
“I’m sure they need our help.” Maya tried to sit up but fell back down into his arms. She was weak from the fight she’d been in.
“First, we need to get you checked out and make sure it’s nothing serious.”
“That is precious time that we’ll lose.”
“True. But I don’t want you passing out because you have some sort of serious injury going on. If you need to rest a few hours, so be it. Sarge and I will continue the search.”
She smiled. “Yes, Sarge seems to have taken a liking to you.” She reached out to pet the dog. Sarge responded by licking her cheek.
The EMTs popped their heads in, a man and woman who looked like they could have been twins, both blond and slender. David knew the woman’s name was Vicky, but her male partner must be a new hire. “We got a stretcher for her.”
“She was pushed hard,” David said, looking back toward her.
“Did you hit your head or anything?” Vicky dove in with a tiny penlight which she shone on Maya’s eyes. “Pupils aren’t dilated.”
“Is it even worth it to take me back to the infirmary?” Maya touched her arm and winced.
Vicky sat back on her toes. “It’s always good to have the doc check you out. What’s going on with your arm?”
“He twisted it really severely and then when I fell forward it took most of the impact.”
“Might be fractured.” The male EMT stepped closer. “Why don’t we get her on the stretcher?”
The medics both rose to their feet and pushed the stretcher into the storage/hallway area.
As Vicky and her partner lifted Maya, she grasped David’s sleeve. “Take care of Sarge for me.”
“Will do. I’m sure he will be a help. I’ll check with you in a bit or you can text me when you are given the okay to be released. Don’t leave the infirmary alone.”
As she was laid on the stretcher, she lifted a hand to indicate she agreed. He assumed that with medical personal around the infirmary and all of the crew on the lookout for Joel that Maya would be okay. He prayed he wasn’t wrong.
FIFTEEN
Maya heard her phone beep that she had a text while the doctor, a woman with a grandmotherly disposition, checked her out. It was clear that the shipboard medical facilities had limited equipment. After doing an X-ray which showed no break, most of the doctor’s examination involved asking a host of questions and turning Maya’s arm and inquiring if it hurt.
Maya wondered if the text was from David. Maybe they had tracked down Joel.
The doctor held a penlight vertical in her hand. “Ma
ya, I’m going to move this light across your field of vision. Please follow it with your gaze.”
Maya complied with the doctor’s wishes. “I didn’t hit my head.”
“I don’t want to take any chances,” the doctor said.
Maya shuddered at the memory of the attack as pain shot through her arm again.
“I think we are looking at a sprain for the arm. Ice it and try to limit use that would cause further damage.” The doctor stepped over to a computer that was in the room and typed on a keyboard.
“Okay. Can I go now?”
“Your body and mind have been through a lot with this altercation. Why don’t you rest for a little bit and then I will feel comfortable releasing you?”
Maya nodded. Once the doctor left the room, she reached for her phone which was on the rolling table by her bed. The text was not from David as she had hoped. It was from Poppy Walsh, another K-9 officer that Maya worked with.
Have an update on Katie’s case with her aunt’s reindeer ranch. Call me when you can.
Since the text had come in only a few minutes ago, she could probably catch Poppy. Maya pressed in the number. When she had gotten the temporary phone from the security office, she’d given the new number to Lorenza to forward to the rest of the team.
Poppy picked up right away. “Maya, good to see your name and number pop up on my phone.”
The other woman’s chipper voice reminded Maya that she longed to be back on shore with the rest of the team. “You did just text me a few minutes ago.”
“So I did. Lorenza has made it super clear in the briefings that we need to make sure you are updated on our cases. She wants to ensure you hit the ground running when you get back on dry land. You are coming back, right? You haven’t fallen in love with a handsome sailor or something?”
Maya’s mind immediately went to David. “No, no handsome sailors on board.”
“It’s like I hear a smile in your voice. You have met someone?”
“Someone I like a great deal, but it’s an impossible situation. I assure you as soon as this investigation is wrapped up, I will come ashore and be ready to dive back into my regular work.”
