by Ivy Dawson
He held up a finger, gesturing for her to wait then quickly typed something in on his computer. He put his chin in his hand as he scrolled, and Shae could still hear Andrew chattering on in the other room. She winced, feeling sorry for Jax. She owed him one.
“Ah yes,” Dr Zooberg said, nodding knowingly. “that’s where I knew it from. This poison was used by spies in World War Two,” he told her. “They used to call it the Pink Slip. Spies used to use it to kill each other. I read somewhere that they used it if they thought that a spy was a traitor or something. It’s a perfect poison to use. It mimics the effects of a heart attack. Shae, I think we just found our murder weapon.”
“I wonder where an international jewel thief would get a poison like that,” Shae wondered out loud.
She and the doctor talked for a few more minutes before she politely excused herself. The doctor yawned so loudly, that she was sure everyone on board could hear it.
She closed the door behind her, knowing that he would probably curl up on the examination bed and take a quick nap.
As she walked out, Jax looked up at her in relief and she smiled at him. A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she just managed to catch a glimpse of a man with curly hair get up and walk out of the office.
“Hey!” she cried out, chasing after him. “Wait!”
Chapter 4
“Hey!” Shae called again, trying to catch up to the man with the curly hair.
He heard her calling and, without looking back, quickly sped up to try and get away. He weaved in between crowds of people and ducked around a corner. Shae started to run and turned the corner a few seconds after he did.
To her surprise, she crashed into him and he held out his hands to catch her. As if he’d been expecting her.
“What?” she asked in surprise, pushing herself away from him. “What are you doing?”
“I could ask the same question,” he told her, his voice surprisingly deep. “Why are you chasing me?”
“You know why,” she told him with a huff, causing his mouth to quirk up in amusement. “why were you running away from me?”
“You’d also run if a stranger was chasing you,” he pointed out reasonably.
“Obviously I’m not a stranger if you keep following me,” she said, crossing her arms as she glared at him. She didn’t appreciate his games and knew that Jax was probably concerned about her. All he’d seen was her chasing after some random man. She cringed when she thought about how embarrassing the situation was.
“I’m not following you,” he lied, still smiling at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what sort of game he was playing and why. “my name is Oliver, what’s yours?”
“I’m Shae,” she said reluctantly, refusing the hand that extended for her to shake. He shrugged at her, and stood there, not saying anything. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she sighed. “you’re following me. Why?”
“I’m not following you,” he said again, and she felt herself going red. What if she’d been imagining this whole thing and chased down a random stranger?
“Do you know Daniella Carrera?” she asked quickly, switching tactics.
“I have no idea who that is,” he said, with a small shrug. “but if I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time with Andrew. He’s all talk. And he’s a moron.”
“If you aren’t following me, and you don’t know who Daniella is, then why are you telling me this?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head at her. Then he looked around seriously and leaned in close. She instinctively leaned in to hear what he wanted to say.
“Take my advice,” he whispered, then turned around and walked away. She started after him in confusion then turned to leave.
She was surprised to find Jax and Andrew waiting for her. Jax looked intrigued while Andrew babbled on, oblivious to what happened.
“I’m sorry about that,” she said, feeling embarrassed. “I thought that guy was following us or something.”
Shae knew that it was always better to be honest. Especially when someone caught you in an awkward moment. Trying to lie your way out of it just made things more awkward and it usually didn’t end well. She would know. She'd had her fair share of awkward moments over the years.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jax told her sincerely. “you’ve got to keep an open mind when you’re doing something like this. What did he say?”
“Nothing exciting,” she admitted, looking curiously at Andrew. “have you ever met him before?”
“Me?” Andrew asked in surprise. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”
“No reason,” she said quickly. Jax looked at her suspiciously, and she nodded at him. It amazed her that he seemed to know when something was going on. It was almost as if he had a sixth sense when it came to her emotions. “so, you were telling us about Daniella?”
“Oh,” Andrew said, frowning at her. “yeah, I guess I was. She’s my aunt. My mom sent me to talk to her about investing in my business.”
“You’ve got a business?” Shae said, not really listening to him. Her mind was racing. Who was that man? And why did he tell her to stay away from Andrew? She looked at Andrew from the corner of her eye and had to admit that the stranger had a point. Andrew didn’t look like he’d be able to find his way out of a paper bag without help.
“Yeah, I sell a skincare range,” Andre said excitedly. “you can get on board if you want. It’s not like a normal business. You see, there’s a seller at the top, then they recruit more people. Then, when they sell a product, some of the money goes to the guy at the top. And if you get people to help you sell, then part of their profit goes to you.”
“Okay,” Shae said slowly, frowning at him. Jax caught her gaze and shook his head. “and you want your aunt to invest in that?”
“I do, but her stupid boyfriend keeps getting in the way. He says she shouldn’t spend her hard-earned money on stupid schemes.”
“That’s not great,” Shae said dully, wondering how she could get herself out of the conversation.
“I know! He’s such a hypocrite. He bleeds her dry, but then won’t let her help her family out. What’s up with that? He’s the real criminal.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Starting a business without financial help is such a tough thing to do. I’ve been there, and I can only imagine what it’s like for you.”
“It’s okay,” Andrew shrugged. “I don’t need her. I’ve got a bunch of investors already.”
“That’s good news,” Shae said, thinking about what their next move would be. She had to go tell Frankie what they found. A part of her was excited to show him that she could also contribute to an investigation.
He only remembered her as a child. If he saw that she was capable of making decent headway in such a massive case, then he’d probably take her more seriously. Being around him made her feel something she hadn’t felt in years. The need to make someone proud. She wanted him to approve of her. If he did, then it meant that her father probably would’ve approved of her too.
She knew it was a childish thing to think, but the thought made her walk faster. When she was a child, she was always just a nuisance. She held her father back in so many ways. She always wished that she’d been able to help him more. In some strange way, it felt like she’d finally been given the chance to work with her father again.
“Some of your friends?” Jax asked politely, noticing that Shae’s mind was far away.
“No, I don’t know who they are,” Andrew shrugged. “It’s great. They just started paying money into my account.”
“Really,” Shae said, snapping out of her thoughts. She and Jax shared an interested glance. “when did this happen?”
“A couple of weeks ago,” Andrew said, puffing his chest out proudly. He was a thin, little man with birdlike features. He sensed that he’d caught their attention and strutted proudly as they walked. Shae had an overwhelming urge to smack him.
She controlled the urge, kn
owing that it would be easier to get information out of him if he was bragging.
“Did you meet them at Marie’s party?” Shae asked, tilting her head slightly.
“No,” Andrew looked at her as thought she were a moron. “I got a message a few days after her party. They said they heard about my business and wanted to invest in it. Some people are smart enough to recognize good ideas.”
“Have you ever wondered who they are?” Jax asked.
“No, they want it to be private. I get it, it’s risky investing in a new business. I’m sure they’ll want to be more involved when they see how well I’m doing,” he shrugged, pretending to be modest about it.
Instead of wanting to smack him, Shae found herself hiding a giggle. The man was so ridiculous that she couldn’t believe he was real. How could anyone be so self-absorbed and naive?
“Did you see anything at the party?” Shae asked, looking at him curiously as a thought struck her. “You said you were there. I’m sure it must’ve been a terrible thing.”
“You’ve got no idea,’ Andrew rolled his eyes. “we were all having a great time, then all of a sudden, Marie just started screaming. She gave us all such a fright. Poor Christine, she was pale all evening.”
“Christine?” Shae asked, “Do you think she got a fright because of the scream?”
“Well, what else would it be?” Andrew asked. “I just remember hearing that scream. It was terrible. You’d think she saw someone die.”
“Where was Christine when Marie started screaming?”
“How would I know?” Andrew asked sullenly, annoyed that the conversation was moving away from his favorite topic. Himself. “All I know is that the next time I saw Christine, she looked like she saw a ghost. The poor thing wouldn’t leave me alone all night. She kept saying something about the window.”
“Which window?” Shae asked, her heart beating fast.
“I don’t know,” Andrew said, waving his hand in annoyance. “she was old and crazy. She could’ve meant anything. She was such a weird bat. You would’ve known if you met her.”
“I wonder if she saw anything,” Shae said thoughtfully.
“It would explain her behavior,” Jax agreed. “Andrew, was she always jumpy?”
“Christine?” Andrew scoffed, suddenly taking more of an interest in the conversation. “No way, she had nerves of steel. That woman was tough. She was a nurse. That’s why my aunt hired her.”
“I thought they were friends?” Shae asked curiously.
“She was my aunt’s nurse,” Andrew said firmly. “my aunt doesn’t want people to know that she needs a nurse. She thinks it makes her sound weak. Do you really think Christine saw something that night?”
“We can’t be sure,” Shae admitted, “but it’s possible.”
She shivered slightly in the cold evening air. The sun was starting to set, and the lights were coming on around the ship. People all around them were starting to go to dinner, and Shae found herself caught between groups of people.
“It makes sense,” Andrew said, speaking loudly and holding onto her arm. “but even if she didn’t see anything, it was still smart to kill her.”
“What?” Shae asked, turning to look at him in shock.
“Think about it,” Andrew told her seriously. “without Christine, my aunt is mostly alone. Jeremy barely spends time with her. Now that Christine’s gone, my aunt is a weak target. It’s just her standing between the Cat and those jewels.”
Andrew didn’t seem to be disturbed by the fact and spoke about it easily. Shae didn’t share his sentiments. Her heart froze, and she turned around, frantically looking for Jax. She found him standing near the railing, talking to a young woman.
“Jax!” Shae called, grabbing Andrew’s arm and marching over to Jax.
“What’s going on?” Jax asked in surprise. The young woman’s mouth turned in annoyance, and she walked off in a huff.
“We need to get to Daniella,” she said urgently, scanning the deck to see which route would be quicker and less crowded.
“Why?” he asked, looking concerned.
“Look at this mess,” she told him struggling to be heard over the noise. “I think the Cat’s going to try and steal the jewels now.”
Jax’ eyes widened in alarm, and they quickly rushed off toward Daniella’s cabin. It was quieter in the halls, and it seemed like they were deserted. A shiver ran down Shae’s spine as she realized what a perfect opportunity it was for the Cat to strike.
They were a few cabins away from Daniella when they heard the first scream.
Chapter 5
Shae immediately took off running, dropping Andrew’s arm in the process. All that mattered was getting to Daniella’s cabin. Another sliver of panic went through her when she saw that the door was wide open.
She briefly considered looking to see if anyone was running away. The fleeting thought was overturned by her pressing concern for Daniella. She ran into the room and heard Jax and Andrew run in after her.
“Daniella?” Andrew asked, his voice timid. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m in here,” Daniella said in a small voice.
They quickly made their way to her bedroom. Daniella was clad in her silk pajamas and was sitting upright in the bed. Her appearance was perfect, despite the fact that she’d just been woken up.
“What happened?” Shae asked, looking around with a critical eye. She noticed that Daniella was holding her hand to her throat and kept looking toward the open window with wide eyes. She walked over to the window. There were a few black scuff marks on the windowsill.
She gestured for Jax to come over. It looked like someone had climbed through the window into the room. It was a big window that overlooked the ocean. The deck was a few stories down, which meant that someone had to climb the smooth surface and make their way into her room.
“I decided to turn in early,” Daniella said in a shaky voice. “I was just drifting off when I felt something bite my neck. I opened my eyes and a man was standing over me!”
She gasped at the horror of the situation, as if what had happened was just dawning on her. She let out a cry and turned to Andrew who hugged her head to his chest while she cried.
“We need to call Dr. Zooberg,” Shae said urgently, walking up to her and moving Daniella’s hair to check the mark. It was a tiny hole, similar to the one on Christine’s neck.
“I’m on it,” Jax said firmly, grabbing his walkie-talkie and quickly speaking into it. Shae spared him a grateful glance before looking back at Daniella.
“Listen, this is important, do you know if he injected anything into you?”
“No!” Daniella wailed, “I don’t know! Where’s Jeremy? I want Jeremy!”
Andrew rolled his eyes at her but smoothed her hair down comfortingly. Shae glared at him and quickly pulled out her phone. Her friend was working at reception and would be able to find out where Jeremy was.
While Andrew continued to comfort his aunt, Shae turned back to the room and looked around. Apart from the scuff marks, there were no other clues. The safe was still locked. She stared at the safe thoughtfully. The Cat was after the jewels, why didn’t he go to the safe first?
When he killed Christine, it was for a reason. She probably caught him trying to steal the jewels or saw him at Marie’s party. Daniella was sleeping. If he was as quiet as everyone said he was, then he should’ve been able to get the jewels without having to worry about Daniella waking up.
Was the Cat turning into a murderer just for fun? Or were they looking for the wrong person? Was it possible that the international jewel thief had nothing to do with this case?
She quickly made her way to the bathroom and grabbed a tissue. Then, she carefully wiped at the scuff marks. When she took the white tissue away, a black mark remained. She folded the tissue and put it in her pocket just as some people walked into the room.
Dr. Zooberg immediately rushed to Daniella’s side and gently asked if he could examine
her. She nodded fearfully and leaned away from Andrew. Before he could walk away, she grabbed his hand and held on tightly.
To Shae’s surprise, Mark also walked in. When he caught sight of her, he rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“There you are!” Daniella cried. “Where have you been?”
“Me?” Mark asked in surprise. Shae cringed at the interaction. This wasn’t going to end well.
“You promised to keep me safe!” Daniella shouted. “Look! Look at what’s happened! I can’t even be in my own room! I was attacked! While I was sleeping!”
“My sincerest apologies,” Mark said in a tone that Shae had never heard before. It was a mixture of fear and shame. “nothing like this has ever happened before.”
“It’s happened to me!” Daniella screeched, waving her arms around. Dr. Zooberg tried to smooth his expression, but it was difficult to perform the examination while she shouted. His gaze met Shae’s, and he shook his head hopelessly.
“We know, and…”
“No!” Daniella snapped, holding up her finger to stop him. “No!” She got out of bed and waved the doctor away. Andrew moved to help her, but she smacked him away. “I want to know what you’re going to do about it.”
Shae held her breath and watched the situation carefully. She knew that he would take this out on the staff. A part of her dreaded what was coming, but the rest of her looked at Daniella with pride. The woman was not going to let this slide. She was going to fight back.
“We’ll assign security guards to watch you,” Mark said immediately. “we’ve got an amazing team, who’ll watch your every move and protect you from harm.”
“Why don’t you just put me in a jail cell?” Daniella responded.
“Excuse me?” Mark asked, frowning in confusion.
“It would be easier!” Daniella shouted. “You’re turning me into a prisoner! I did nothing wrong, I’m not the one who should be punished. This man should be punished! Put your security team on him!”
“This is for your own safety,” Mark said, his tone pleading.