Calmer Cruises

by WINTERS, A. R.

  “Don’t worry!” I called out, trying to sound brave as I stepped forward again.

  I could see the edge of the pool a few yards ahead of me, and the rest of the deck had been cleared of everything but a few scattered lounge chairs. “I’m coming! Where are you? Which way?”

  I listened again but it was hard to hear anything over the sound of the wind which had suddenly picked up. “Hello?” I repeated.

  “Here,” the voice replied, more faint this time. “Please…”

  I looked in the direction of the voice, but I couldn’t see anything. So I squinted and crouched down a little, trying to get a better look.

  I held perfectly still for a moment, holding my breath until the only thing I could hear over the wind and waves was the sound of blood throbbing in my ears.

  But I couldn’t see any sign of the person.

  I turned back toward the moonlight and saw a flurry of movement from the corner of my eye. “Wha—ah.”

  The entire area from my ear to the back of my neck erupted in an explosion of pain.

  My head snapped to the side. I heard myself crying out as I lost my balance and fell, the air leaving my lungs in a loud whoosh as I hit the deck.

  I could see two shoes a few feet away from my head, directly in my line of sight.

  The whole world seemed to flicker for a moment.

  And then everything went dark.

  The first thing I felt was pain.

  Before anything else—before I even thought about opening my eyes—the pain was there, and it was overwhelming.

  But pain meant I was still alive, at least.

  Yes, I had to be alive. Death couldn’t possibly hurt so much after the fact.

  And since I was most likely alive and almost certainly not dead, I really needed to open my eyes and start moving. If only it didn’t feel like a thousand construction workers were using sledgehammers on my brain.

  Slowly, carefully, I cracked one eye open and immediately closed it again.

  Okay, so I was definitely alive and still on the ship. Still next to the pool, from what I could gather. That would explain why I could still hear water sloshing around nearby and why my skin felt salty and clammy as I tried to stretch out on the… lounge chair?

  Even after I finally eased my eyes fully open, it took my brain a few more seconds to register everything that had happened.

  I was lying on my side in one of the lounge chairs as if I’d just curled up and fallen asleep. It was still dark outside, but my muscles were cramped and sore as if I’d been in the same position for hours.

  My memories of what had happened were still fuzzy, but I knew there was no way I had somehow climbed into this lounge chair on the opposite side of the deck from where I’d been knocked out all by myself.

  Someone had placed me here on purpose. The person who attacked me could have easily killed me—thrown me overboard or finished me off while I’d been unconscious—but instead they had chosen to carry me across the deck and leave me to wake up on my own.

  But why?

  I winced as I tried to sit up. Ugh, I was going to have to pay Dr. Ryan a visit to check out my head injury. It hurt so bad, I felt like I was going to be sick. It was only after I had propped myself up and was struggling to get my feet flat on the deck that I noticed the piece of paper that I had been laying on top of.

  “What is…” I started to say out loud as I waited for my eyes to focus on the scribbled note. I shivered even though the night wasn’t that cold.

  I carefully folded the note and put it in my pocket. I needed to get inside, off this deck where I was still way too vulnerable in the dark. I needed to get to the ship’s medical ward and get cleared by Dr. Ryan.

  But first, I needed to find Ethan. He needed to see this note before anything else happened.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “This is all my fault.” Ethan huffed out a short breath and scrubbed a hand down his face in a rare show of emotion. “I shouldn’t have left you alone last night. This wouldn’t have happened if I’d been there with you, Addi. I’m so sorry I—”

  “No,” I interrupted, walking over to him for a hug even though it still felt like a herd of elephants had been stampeding through my head. “You can’t blame yourself—or anyone else, for that matter. If it hadn’t happened last night, it would have been this morning. Or tonight. Or tomorrow.”

  He held me tight for a few more seconds before gingerly helping me back over to lie down in his bed. He’d called Dr. Ryan to come up and give me a quick exam the minute I’d turned up outside his cabin door and then had insisted that I lie down in his bed while he paced around the room once I’d been given the all-clear from the doctor.

  I was still due for x-rays just to make sure nothing was fractured or broken, but I was content for the moment to stay with Ethan while we tried to figure out what had happened and why. Well… we actually knew why. It was the what and the who that still had us stumped.

  “You can’t be sure of that.” Ethan shook his head. “And when I think about what could have happened—about how bad it could have been…” He exhaled a long breath as he looked up at the ceiling before turning his gaze back to me. “Whoever did this is getting bold. And that means they’re getting worried.”

  “I agree.” I nodded, easing back against Ethan’s pillow as I tried to focus my thoughts. While the doctor had mostly ruled out any swelling on my brain, he said I had almost certainly suffered some mild panic and excessive adrenaline after the attack. And even though I felt like I could probably function like normal—well, mostly normal—the fog that was still clouding my brain several hours later seemed to suggest otherwise. “But if they had wanted me out of the picture, they could have easily made that happen. I’m still alive right now because the person who hurt me wanted me to stay alive and talk about their warning.” I pointed to the crumpled note that was sitting on the bedside table. “They wanted people to see that. They wanted everyone to get the message.”

  I shuddered as I thought back to the moment I’d found the note. From where I was sitting, I could still see the hastily scrawled message.

  “Forget about Rock Holliday or you’re next!”

  Just seven words, but it was still enough to send a chill down my spine.

  “Message received.” Ethan grimaced. “They got that across loud and clear. They didn’t have to hurt you, though. They could have slipped that note under your door. Or mine. Or whatever. I just hate that this happened to you.”

  I hated it, too. I hated the pain for myself and the worry it had caused Ethan. I hated that it made me feel unsafe aboard this ship that I otherwise loved. But most of all, I hated that there was still the possibility that someone else might get hurt or killed as long as the murderer was still on the loose.

  “I’m okay now, though,” I said. “And I hope that whoever is behind this will leave me alone now that they’ve made their point.”

  “We just need to figure out who the murderer is,” Ethan grumbled. He walked over to pick up the note and scanned it for what was probably the hundredth time since I’d shown up at his door. “Tell me again where you found this. Tell me everything you can remember.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded as I closed my eyes to mentally retrace my steps from earlier in the night. “I was walking along the promenade deck near the main pool. The night sky was so clear and full of stars that I couldn’t help but stop and take a look out over the water.” I paused, remembering those quiet, calm moments before everything went crazy.

  “And is that when you heard the noise?”

  “Yeah, the voice,” I frowned. “But I didn’t realize it was a voice at first. I thought it was an animal or something. A baby animal. Maybe a kitten.”

  I opened my eyes to see Ethan mirroring my frown. “Is there anyone we can think of who has a voice like that?” he asked. “I’m guessing it must have been awfully high-pitched to make you think it was a kitten.”

  “Right, definitely high-p
itched,” I continued. “And once I figured out it was actually a person’s voice, I assumed it must have been a girl or a woman… but now, looking back, I’m not so sure.”

  Ethan’s eyebrows raised until they disappeared beneath his disheveled hair. “You think it was a guy?”

  I took my time before answering. I knew he was counting on me to give him as many accurate details as I could and that one wrong assumption—especially something as fundamental as this one—would only set the investigation back when we could least afford it.

  “I’m… I’m not sure. I didn’t really think about it at the time. When I look back, though, it seems obvious that the person was disguising their voice. So I guess I’m just saying we can’t rule out the possibility that it might have been a guy. It could even have been a kitten recording on their phone.”

  “And you didn’t see their face at all? Or their clothes? Anything we could possibly use to narrow down the list of suspects?” He paused then gave me a sympathetic smile. “Don’t worry about it if you can’t remember. The most important thing is that you’re okay. You can take all the time you need to rest and recover. You might remember something once you’ve had time to really sit back and process everything that’s happened.”

  “Thanks,” I replied. “The thing is, I’m not that tired. And even though my head hurts, I’m more angry than scared. Angry and… and I just feel foolish.”

  “Foolish?” Ethan frowned again. “I can’t tell you how you should or shouldn’t feel, but… why foolish?”

  “Because I fell for it. If I had just thought it through for a few more seconds, I probably would have seen some red flags—like the disguised voice or the fact that I really couldn’t see anyone even though they said they needed help—and then I probably wouldn’t have been attacked.”

  He gave me a wry smile. “We’re all perfect with the benefit of hindsight. You didn’t do anything wrong, Addi. And you didn’t do anything foolish. You were brave. You thought you were helping someone in distress. You did what any good, selfless person would have done. So try not to beat yourself up too much for what you could have done differently, okay? The only reason we’re even thinking back to what happened at all is to try and catch the person responsible—not to second guess anything you did in that moment.”

  I was always grateful for Ethan, but times like this made me especially grateful. He was always so level-headed and practical. He was a good man with a good heart, and even though he didn’t usually give in to outbursts of emotions, I had no doubt in my mind that he cared about me just as much as I cared about him.

  “So what do we do now?” I asked.

  “We aren’t going to do anything right now. You are going to rest. Dr. Ryan left a wheelchair for us to use whenever you’re ready to go back to your cabin, but there’s no rush. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you’d like.”

  “A wheelchair? Why? My legs are working fine.”

  Okay, so maybe they were a little wobbly the last time I tried to stand up, but they were still mostly fine. Probably.

  “Because he wants you to rest, Addi. And that doesn’t mean walking all over the ship. It means actual rest—and then resting a little more just to be sure.” He grinned. “Besides, how often do you get the opportunity to be chauffeured around the ship by the First Officer?”

  “That’s a good point.” I tossed him a wink. “Can we make a stop for a bagel and some coffee on the way back? It has to be almost time for breakfast by now.”

  He laughed. “We can stop for whatever you want.”

  I still hated that I’d fallen for the attacker’s trap, but I had to admit I didn’t mind getting pampered a little—even if the pampering might be a little unconventional. But hey, who was I to turn down a bagel and a free ride back to my room?

  At least I’d be safe with Ethan. And then, once I’d met my doctor-approved resting quota, we could start to narrow down our list of suspects.

  I was ready to catch a murderer.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Shore days are my favorite,” Cece said with a smile as we walked into the international business lounge. “Have I told you how much I enjoy a nice excursion day?”

  I laughed. “But we’re still stuck on the ship all day. How is that any fun?”

  Truthfully, I could have probably hitched a ride on the small ferry that took the passengers to and from the nearby island, but it had barely been three days since the attack, and I was still under pretty strict rest orders from Dr. Ryan.

  I was allowed to be out of bed for most of the day, and he even reluctantly agreed that I could do some light work as long as I was sitting down for the majority of the time. Which was great. I wasn’t complaining. The thought of being confined to my cramped little cabin for a week or more was enough to drive me crazy, so I was particularly grateful for the chance to do some work.

  But that meant long strolls on sandy beaches in exotic locations were definitely not in the cards for me anytime soon.

  “Just look around,” Cece answered. “Listen.” We both paused for a moment before she continued. “Do you hear that?”

  I shook my head. “I can’t hear anything.”

  “Exactly,” she whispered even though we were the only ones around in the deserted business lounge. “Peace and quiet. Nobody asking for anything. No emergencies needing our attention. Just… perfect silence. The kind of silence you only get on an excursion day.”

  She had a point. I normally didn’t mind the hustle and bustle of daily life aboard the ship—in fact, the interactions with the passengers and all of the fun, loud, hectic new experiences were one of the features I loved most about my job—but I could appreciate some downtime every once in a while, too.

  “So, what’s our plan for all of this golden silence?” I asked, looking around as we sat down at one of the desks. “I’m guessing you’re not planning on lounging out by the pool this afternoon.”

  Cece looked thoughtful for a moment. “I wasn’t planning on it, but now that you mention it…” She grinned then shrugged. “Maybe later. Probably later. But first, I have to read through some stuff for this internet course I’m taking, and I thought it would be good to have you here just in case, uh… you know, for backup.”

  I cocked my head to the side and tried not to laugh. “For backup? Are you expecting to fight someone here in the business lounge? Because even though that would make this afternoon a lot more interesting, I’m not supposed to do anything too strenuous for another couple of weeks.”

  She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Not that kind of backup.” She paused and gave me a quick up-and-down look. “I bet you could probably hold your own in a fight if you had to, though. But anyway, no—I need you here for moral support. And in case there’s anything I need help with for the first couple of assignments.” She nibbled at her lip as she looked over at me. “I mean, if you don’t mind?” Before I could answer, she followed it up with, “I made an appointment for us in the spa after this! Seaweed facials! You can’t say no to that, Addi.”

  “You’re right.” I grinned. “I can’t say no to someone wrapping my face in seaweed.” I couldn’t help but laugh as she rolled her eyes again. “I’m just kidding. That sounds great! I haven’t had a spa day in… well, in way too long.”

  I just didn’t do a ton of pampering. Not that I didn’t deserve it or didn’t enjoy it, but who has the time? Especially when there are so many amazing sights, sounds, and meals on every cruise that need to be thoroughly documented and posted to social media.

  “Okay, perfect!” Cece beamed as she busied herself with firing up one of the publicly available computers and navigating her way to the online course she’d been talking about. “Now, this shouldn’t take too long. We’ll just start with the syllabus and go from there.”

  The syllabus.

  As in the very first thing to read in the entire course.

  I settled back in my chair and smiled to myself. We were going to be here for a while. />
  After a solid two hours in the business lounge and another hour and a half in the spa, I was all caught up on Cece’s online class, her co-workers’ latest shenanigans in housekeeping, and her relationship status with Dr. Ryan.

  Seeing the two of them together always reminded me that opposite personalities really could be attracted to each other. And in Cece’s case, they weren’t just attracted—they were thriving. She had a few insecurities about whether his family could ever be truly accepting of someone who hadn’t been born into their social class and didn’t move in the same rarefied circles, but that anxiety was completely normal as far as I was concerned.

  “See?” Cece nudged me as we walked out of the spa and onto the sunny deck. “Don’t you feel nice and refreshed now? I can see from here that your pores are tighter.”

  I frowned. Were my pores really that noticeable? Maybe it was better if I didn’t ask.

  “I do feel surprisingly refreshed,” I nodded. “Which is saying a lot, since I really try to avoid seaweed in all its forms unless I’m using it to wrap sushi.”

  “Well, the next time you hear Dr. Ryan compliment my soft skin,” she paused then tossed me a wink, “you’ll be the only one who knows what my secret is.”

  I took a moment to inhale the salty ocean air and closed my eyes as the warm sun beat down on our freshly scrubbed faces. “Don’t worry, Cece. Your seaweed secret is safe with me.” I was being a little sarcastic, but I had to admit that it really had been a relaxing, refreshing experience. And my skin did feel somehow cleaner and tighter, if I was being completely honest.

  There might not be a lot of time in my schedule for spa days, but maybe it was worth it to make a little more time to pamper myself. It certainly seemed to work for Cece. She really did have beautiful, glowing skin—the kind of fresh, dewy look that seemed to fade out somewhere around the age of twenty-five. And while I wasn’t normally a vain person, I could definitely get used to plastering my face with seaweed if it meant having some of that early-twenties glow back in my skin.