Southampton Strangler

by Hope Callaghan

  “Believe me, I will.” Millie thanked him again, slipped her keycard in the slot, and eased the door open.

  Late evenings on the bridge were her favorite. While daytime was a beehive of activity, at night the bridge was the complete opposite. The lights were dimmed and the only sound was the hum of the equipment.

  Nic was alone on the outboard wing. She cast First Officer Craig McMasters a small smile as she slipped outside and joined her husband.

  He spun around when he heard the door click shut. “Millie. You’re off work early.”

  “Actually, I’m right on time.” She bounced onto the tips of her toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I had an exciting end of the day.”

  “Isn’t every day exciting?” Nic teased as he reached for his wife’s hand.

  “I accidentally tased Andy—just now, on my way home.”

  Nic made a choking sound. “Tased Andy?”

  Millie told him how she thought she heard someone following her. “Every time I stopped, the noises stopped, so I hid behind the spa’s easel board. I figured I could see who was following me. When nothing happened, I kept going.”

  “It was Andy?”

  Millie nodded. “He said he saw someone follow me into the stairwell and was concerned.” She told him whoever it was got off on another deck. “By the time Andy caught up, they were gone.”

  Nic’s brows knitted. “That’s cause for concern.”

  “Possibly,” Millie said. “Or perhaps it was nothing but our overactive imaginations.”

  “I would avoid the stairwells late at night as a precaution.”

  “Andy and I agreed the same.” Millie leaned her elbows on the railing, staring out at the starry night. “Is there any recent news on Clarissa Sinclair’s death?”

  “No. Patterson sent Andy’s fingerprints over this morning. We haven’t heard a peep.”

  “Far be it from me to butt in…”

  Nic chuckled, and Millie shot him an annoyed look.

  “Go on,” Nic grinned widely.

  “As I was saying, far be it from me to butt in, but why doesn’t Patterson search the cabins of the people who were traveling with Sinclair?”

  “Hmm.” Nic made a non-committal sound.

  “He already has.”

  “The Southampton authorities searched their belongings before they boarded the ship.”

  “If the strangler is one of them, he could’ve easily ditched any evidence, including the souvenirs he or she has been collecting,” Millie pointed out.

  “I don’t know, Millie.” Nic placed a light finger under his wife’s chin and then softly kissed her. “It’s getting late. We should head home. Tomorrow is a big day.”

  “A big day?” Millie started to ask him what he meant, but was cut off when the staff captain appeared, informing him there was a call coming in from the engineering department.

  While Nic took the call, Millie headed home. She let Scout out for a quick break and then they made their way upstairs to the bedroom. She and the pup were already snuggled up in bed by the time he joined her. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes. There were some issues with the WTDs.” Nic hung his jacket on the hook by the closet door and began unbuttoning his shirt.

  “WTDs?”

  “The watertight doors that seal in the event the ship takes on water.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “They’re working now, but the engineering supervisor wanted to give me a heads up.” A low groan escaped Nic’s lips as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Speaking of safety, I forgot to tell you that your exciting adventure with Sharky and the PRV was recorded. It’s already been forwarded to corporate for analysis.”

  “Great.” Millie blew air through thinned lips. “I can’t wait to see how stupid I looked.”

  “You didn’t look stupid, more like very brave. I’ve always wondered what it felt like to be out in the middle of the ocean and away from the ship.”

  “It’s a completely different perspective. I never realized how hard it must be for rescuers to find someone who’s gone overboard. I felt like a tiny bobber in a big ocean.”

  Nic squeezed his wife’s hand before standing. “Thank you for being a good sport. You looked cute in the oversized rubber suit.”

  “I looked ridiculous. Like a big, bloated rubber ducky.” Millie placed her hand behind her head and chuckled.

  “Perhaps one day Donovan will show the video to you.” Nic leaned in and kissed his wife’s head, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “You were barely recognizable. Besides, if it helps save a passenger's or crewmember’s life, wasn’t it worth it?”

  He slipped inside the bathroom, and by the time he returned, Millie was already dozing off. She took her husband’s hand as they said their nightly prayers, adding a prayer for the strangler’s victims and for the safety of the ship’s crew and passengers.

  *****

  Millie was off and running by the time the sun peeked over the horizon. With day three under her belt, she flew through her morning events.

  During a brief break, she fixed a bowl of oatmeal, grabbed a piece of fruit and headed to a quiet corner of the ship, an area few passengers either didn’t know about or didn’t care to use.

  She took a seat facing out, giving her an unobstructed view of the ship’s massive wake. After finishing, she checked her cell phone and discovered she’d missed a call from Halbert.

  Calculating the time difference since the ship and crew had shifted to East Coast time, she knew it was already the middle of the afternoon.

  “Millie?”

  “Hello, Halbert. How are you?”

  “Good, Millie. Well…maybe not so good.”

  “Oh no. What’s wrong? Don’t tell me the strangler struck again.” Although it would be horrible news, it would also mean the strangler was not on board Siren of the Seas.

  “No. The police stopped by here first thing this morning.” Halbert told her that one of the prints from the crime scene matched his.

  “Did you point out to them you lived in the warehouse, mere steps from where Sinclair’s body was found?”

  “I did, but they were asking a lot of questions.” Millie detected a quaver in Halbert’s voice as he continued. “What if they arrest me for her murder?”

  Millie pondered the question. It would be a tidy way to wrap up the case and one the authorities could use to ease the concerns of the locals, particularly if they believed the killer was on his way to Miami and the residents, at least for now, were safe.

  “Where exactly did they find the fingerprint?”

  “On a drink container.”

  “Halbert, you told me last time we talked Clarissa scratched her killer.”

  “Yep. That’s what I heard.”

  “Which means they more than likely have a DNA sample of the killer’s skin beneath her nails.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Then, your DNA won’t match. They have nothing concrete.”

  Halbert grew quiet, and she knew he was contemplating her logic. “I guess that’s true.” There was a muffled sound. “I’m going to write it down and tell them what you said next time they come by here.”

  Millie changed the subject. “How was dinner with your niece?”

  “It was simply lovely, Millie. Eloise is a lot like you. She’s very kind. She’s going to help me get into council housing.”

  “That’s wonderful. You might have a real roof over your head.”

  “I’m not so sure. Me ‘n Gus are comfortable right where we are.”

  “But it’s not safe,” Millie argued. “I would feel much better knowing you were somewhere with a door and a lock.” And windows and electricity.

  “We’ll see what she finds.”

  “And you’ll think about it.”

  “Yes, I’ll think about it.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes before Halbert told her he had to go. After hanging up, Millie said a small prayer for her friend’s safety.<
br />
  Halbert was a good man and sometimes good people needed – deserved—a break. Perhaps his niece was the break he needed.

  With Halbert weighing heavily on Millie’s mind, she placed her dirty dishes in the bin near the exit and took the side stairs up to the Sky Chapel.

  Pastor Evans’ office door was ajar, and she could see the lights were on as she gave the door a tentative knock.

  The pastor, who was seated at his desk, lifted his head. “Good morning, Millie.”

  “Good morning, Pastor Evans.” She made a move to step inside and then noticed his desk was covered with papers. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

  “No bother.” He swept a pile off to the side. “Have a seat.”

  “Thanks.” Millie eased into a chair.

  “You look troubled.”

  “I am. A little. I’m sure you’ve heard about the Southampton Strangler and his latest victim, a news reporter who was supposed to board our ship.”

  “I have.” The pastor solemnly nodded. “Such a sad ending to our summer abroad.”

  “The UK authorities believe there’s a chance the killer is on board.”

  The pastor blinked rapidly. “On board Siren of the Seas?”

  Millie nodded. “Patterson has upped security, and a note was delivered to all the passengers’ cabins as well as to the ship’s crew issuing a vague safety precaution.”

  “I got a copy of the bulletin but thought it was because we might run into some rough weather.”

  “That could be true too.”

  “There’s something else,” the pastor guessed.

  “A passenger, a man I admire and respect, strikes me as suspicious.”

  “As in strangler suspicious.”

  “Yeah.” Millie shifted uncomfortably. “He doesn’t fit the serial killer profile, but there are a lot of clues pointing to him. Even suspecting him makes me feel guilty.”

  “Guilty but not so guilty that you aren’t contemplating doing some digging around.”

  “Right.” Millie told him about her scare the previous night and how she tased Andy, thinking he was the one who was following her in the stairwell.

  The pastor pressed the tips of his fingers together. “If the killer is on board and catches wind that you’re doing some digging around, you could be putting a target on your back.”

  “I know.” Millie slowly stood. “It could already be too late.”

  “Does the passenger in question know your history, about your penchant for snooping?”

  “He does.” Millie’s radio went off. “I need to get back to work.”

  “Be careful out there, Millie. The Southampton Strangler is clever enough to have eluded the authorities for many years.”

  “And he—or she—isn’t about to be taken down by an assistant cruise director.” Millie thanked the pastor for the chat and stepped out of the chapel. Pushing the troubling thoughts aside, she kicked into entertainer mode.

  She swung by the apartment to pick up Scout after remembering he had refused to leave Millie’s side that morning as she got ready for work.

  She barely had enough time to unfold his stroller before he was begging to get in. She packed some snacks and water and then they headed to her first event, a round of trivia.

  She recognized several attendees. Hilda was one of them. She was alone and joined another group for the competition.

  When the trivia ended, Millie congratulated the winners and was cleaning up when Hilda, who had stayed behind, joined them. “Hello, Scout.” She patted the pup’s head. “He’s an adorable little dog. Why, I could just pop him into my purse and walk off with him.”

  “It’s already happened.” Millie tucked the supplies in the closet and locked the door.

  Hilda’s jaw dropped. “Someone took your dog?”

  “They did, which is why I no longer let him out of my sight.”

  “How horrible.”

  “It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever gone through.” Millie slid the stroller’s cover all the way open and began pushing it toward the exit.

  Hilda trailed behind. “I’m beginning to wonder how safe cruise ships really are. How many injuries are reported during a typical voyage?”

  “I have no idea. My job is to entertain passengers.” Millie forced a smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have another event to host.” She turned to go, and Hilda stopped her. “Wait. I have something I want to show you.” She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, tapped the screen, and then handed it to Millie. “Remember how I told you someone was following me? I’m not going bonkers. Look at this.”

  Millie squinted her eyes as she studied the screen. It was nighttime. The ship’s security lights flooded the deck and the area she recognized as the Teen Scene activity center, an area that was not currently being used since there were very few children or youths on board.

  The entrance to the center was directly behind Hilda. The lights were off and the room was dark. “What am I looking at?”

  “Over there, behind my right shoulder.” Hilda tapped the screen to enlarge the picture. Someone was hovering nearby in the shadowy recesses. “That’s my stalker.”

  Chapter 13

  The image on Hilda’s cell phone was grainy and not clear enough to make out the person’s facial features. What was clear was that someone was definitely peeking around the corner, watching her. “I kept getting the feeling I was being followed, so I kept my cell phone handy. That’s when I got this.”

  “When was this taken?”

  Hilda’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought about it. “It was after eleven last night. I had just gone to the buffet to grab a slice of pizza before heading to the cabin.”

  “And your husband…”

  “Bruce. He had already gone down to the casino.”

  “You were alone.”

  “I was.”

  Millie did a quick calculation. The Teen Scene was in the same quadrant as the stairwell she had taken the previous evening. Was the person who was following Millie also following Hilda?

  She started to put her phone away, and Millie stopped her. “Would you mind forwarding me a copy?”

  “Sure. What’s your cell phone number?”

  Millie rattled it off. Seconds later, her phone chimed. She tapped the screen. “Got it. Thank you. Have you shown this to security?”

  “You’re welcome. I have. I showed it to the security guy I tracked down right after it happened. He checked the area, but there was no one around.”

  “I’m sorry to hear there was another incident.” Millie attempted to downplay it, but her radar was engaged. Someone may have been following her…and also following Hilda Ellis.

  “I’m probably not as good as you at digging into these sorts of things, but I’m becoming convinced Clarissa’s killer is Thomas Windsor. As I mentioned, Clarissa was quite smitten with him. He strikes me as a bit of a gadabout, with women always following him around. Of course, not that I’m aware of his activities since he seems to make a point of avoiding me.”

  Millie had a sneaking suspicion Hilda had perhaps rubbed Thomas the wrong way. Not one to beat around the bush, the woman may have unintentionally insulted him.

  “If you ask me, Thomas Windsor fits the strangler profile.”

  He didn’t fit Millie’s profile but, then again, she didn’t know him very well, other than he was charming, polite, soft-spoken, and mysterious.

  She thanked Hilda again for sending her the photo and then headed upstairs for the towel animal demonstration. Amit, who was now in charge of the event, had been practicing creating new animals in his free time.

  She took her place at an adjacent table and watched as he created a purple seahorse followed by a green turtle. He finished to a round of applause.

  The demonstration ended, and passengers gathered around him, asking questions and begging him to make one more.

  Finally, the guests drifted off, and she helped him clean up. She had just finished when Cat
radioed, asking Millie to stop by the gift shop when she had time.

  Since it was down the hall, she headed there next.

  Cat was near the front, helping a customer. Millie waited for her to finish before making her way over.

  “That was fast.”

  “Amit and I were in the dining room making towel animals.”

  “Andy cancelled our dinner date.”

  “He did?”

  “I think he’s losing interest. The last few times I’ve called him, he cuts me off, telling me he’ll call me back and then he never does.”

  “Maybe he’s having a delayed reaction to me tasing him last night,” Millie said.

  Cat’s eyes grew round as saucers. “You tased Andy?”

  “It was an accident. I was on the stairwell heading home and I thought someone was following me.” Millie told her she hid behind a sign. “No one showed up, so I kept going. He came up behind me and startled me. By the time I realized it was Andy, it was too late. I got him good.”

  “I hadn’t heard that, but like I said, he’s avoiding me. This whole strangler thing is bothering him. Do you think there’s a chance Andy’s behind the deaths?”

  “No, but there’s someone who is on my radar.” Millie glanced around and lowered her voice. “Thomas Windsor.”

  “Thomas Windsor? He doesn’t strike me as the killer type.”

  “Suspect the least suspect.” Millie patted her friend’s shoulder. “As far as Andy goes, it will all work out.”

  “I’m not so sure.” Cat picked up a pen and tossed it into the holder. “I give up. I give up on men, on happiness.”

  “No, you don’t. Andy’s just in a funk.”

  “Well, I hope he snaps out of it.”

  “I’ve been thinking, maybe it’s time to take a quick look around Windsor’s cabin. I’ll need to plan it so that I don’t get caught.”

  “It will be tricky. It’s not like you can wait until we’re in port and sneak in there while he’s gone. I can tell you where his cabin is located.” With a couple clicks of the button, Cat had the information. She jotted it on a slip of paper and handed it to Millie.

  “Sneaking into his cabin will be my last resort. In the meantime, keep your chin up.”