Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries 12 - Calmer Cruises

by A. R. Winters

  “Oh my goodness,” Helen raised her hand to her mouth. “Is that…”

  I nodded before she could finish. Even if I hadn’t spent the previous day tracking her every move, I would have recognized that hair, that makeup, those fake eyelashes, and that smug, self-assured smile anywhere.

  “That’s Babs Holliday.”

  Grieving widow of the man who—up until a few days ago—used to finance Petal’s main competition. Now, with a simple smile and a wave, she was clearly making her allegiance known.

  What a coup, indeed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  M aybe it was my slow start to the morning. Maybe it was all of the excitement that had happened since then. Maybe it was the feeling that I was being watched by Petal, Tomek, and Babs Holliday for the entire session.

  Maybe it was all of those things, or maybe I was just out of shape.

  Whatever it was, I left Petal’s yoga class feeling more exhausted than ever. Helen and the gang invited me to have breakfast with them at the Croissant Club, but I had to politely decline once I’d caught my breath enough to actually speak in complete sentences.

  And to think that Breathe Light was supposed to be the easier program!

  All I really wanted to do when I walked out of that yoga studio with every muscle in my body on fire was to sit down somewhere cool and dark where I could drink some water and mourn the loss of any flexibility I might have once had.

  Seriously, it was a tough workout.

  I don’t know if Petal and Tomek were just trying to show off for the new arrivals or if I had somehow stepped through the looking glass to some sort of alternate reality where they had traded in their flowery, happy, peace-and-love personas to become intense yoga taskmasters. Whatever the case, I could tell I was going to be feeling the pain from that workout for some time.

  Feeling at least twice my age, I moved carefully through the ship’s corridors and then out onto the pool deck where I shielded my eyes from the bright morning sunlight and walked toward the relative shade of the Grand Atrium that was within sight directly across.

  Nobody could get in my way. Nothing could stop me.

  “Addi!”

  I pretended not to hear my name the first time it was called. I kept walking, getting closer and closer to my air conditioned destination with each step.

  “Hey, Addi! Over here!”

  My shoulders slumped as I stopped walking and turned to squint into the sunlight. I could hear Cece’s voice, of course, but I still couldn’t see her.

  “By the pool!”

  Oh.

  Of course.

  By the pool and in the sun. Perfect.

  “Hi, Cece.” I did my best to smile as I finally spotted her. “I was just, um—”

  “Come sit with me,” she insisted, cutting me off as she beckoned me over. “We haven’t had a chance to catch up in a while. I feel like I haven’t even seen you at all during this trip!”

  I sighed. While I really didn’t want to sit out in the sun after the exhausting workout I’d just finished, she was right that we hadn’t hung out as much as usual lately. Of course, that couldn’t really be helped—she’d been busy working, and I’d been busy tracking down a killer.

  “I take it you’re off work today?” I asked as I gingerly sat down on the lounge chair next to her.

  “Off the clock and loving every minute of it,” she grinned. “You should go change into your bathing suit and join me out here for a while if you aren’t doing anything.”

  “Tempting,” I smiled. “But I’ll have to take a rain check. I just finished a yoga session and it was intense.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She nodded. “I know what you mean. That Roar Power group is almost too advanced for me. I can hardly keep up with them, either.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, except this wasn’t the Roar Power group. This was Petal’s group.”

  Now it was her turn to laugh. “Seriously? What, did you pull a muscle while you were channeling your inner light?”

  I snorted. Okay, that was kind of funny. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but today was different than any of the other Breathe Light sessions I’ve attended.”

  I was tempted to tell her about the defectors and about the surprise appearance of Babs Holliday, I decided to keep that information to myself for now. Not because I didn’t trust Cece—she was a good friend, and I was pretty sure she could keep a secret if she had to—but I just didn’t have the time, the patience, or the strength at that moment to explain the significance of the morning’s events.

  Nothing personal. I just wanted a nap.

  She adjusted her sunglasses and looked like she might have something else to say about my lack of stamina. Fortunately, she moved on. “So, what else is new? How are you and Ethan?”

  “Great.” I shrugged. “Same as always. Just busy and trying to find time where we can. You know how it goes.”

  “Oh, believe me, I know. Dr. Ryan and I just had a date night for the first time in forever. Like, literally forever. He’s been so busy lately, and you know housekeeping just never really lets up unless all the passengers are off the ship. I can already tell I’m going to need a few days to rest once this trip is finished.”

  “Same here,” I nodded. “And speaking of getting some rest…”

  “Okay, fine,” she heaved an exaggerated sigh and made a dismissive gesture. “Go ahead and go. I won’t keep you.” She looked up and grinned as I stood up. “But you should seriously think about coming back out here after you’ve had some rest or whatever. The sun feels so good, and it will probably be another hour or so before the pool gets too busy.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind,” I lied. I definitely wasn’t going to be lounging by the pool, no matter how nice she made it sound. Not today, anyway. “I’ll talk to you later. I hope you’re wearing sunscreen!”

  I didn’t catch her answer, but I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes behind those big, dark sunglasses. Sitting down with her for a few minutes had at least given me enough energy to walk back across the deck without feeling like I was going to die, though, so that was a plus.

  Before I made it to the door, I heard one more familiar voice. And as tempting as it was to continue on through the Grand Atrium and pretend like I hadn’t heard it, there was no mistaking Guru Shakti’s deep baritone.

  I turned my head to look and could see him standing over by the railing about fifteen feet away. He was partially shielded by a couple of gigantic potted plants, but it was definitely him. And judging from the sound of his voice, he was all worked up about something.

  Even though I really wanted to go back inside, my curiosity got the best of me. I just needed to take a few steps in his direction so I could at least see who he was talking to. No harm in that, right?

  Plus, I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying from this distance, and even though I didn’t want to eavesdrop… Okay, so maybe I really did want to eavesdrop. But just to see what he was so excited about.

  I slowly walked closer until I could see the top of Tara’s head between all the greenery. Ah, so Shakti and his top student were having a private conversation. A lover’s quarrel, perhaps?

  No doubt Helen would have been proud to see me sneaking around like this trying to get information about the other group.

  I wished I’d had my camera on me, since that would have at least provided a flimsy excuse to be standing near them, but I’d left it back in my room in my rush to make it to the yoga session that morning.

  Instead, I just sat down in a nearby chair and closed my eyes while I listened to their conversation. Pretending to nap out on the pool deck in my workout clothes wasn’t the best-case scenario for going unnoticed and blending in with the other passengers, but it was all I had at the moment.

  “This is our chance, though,” Tara said. She sounded tired and maybe a little irritated. “Don’t you see? We’re not confined to anyone else’s vision anymore. This is—”

  “I do see that,” Shakti interr
upted. “And that’s why I think there’s so much potential here. Would it really be such a bad thing to incorporate some of Rock’s ideas, though? Not everything—I certainly didn’t agree with everything he wanted to do—but he was right about some things. He was right that we have the potential to be big. Really big. Don’t you want to be a part of something like that?”

  “You know I do.” She sighed. “I’m the one who has been by your side through all of this. You shouldn’t even have to question whether I’m on board with your plans. I just think… never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

  Pretending to sleep and trying to keep my face from making any expressions as I listened to their conversation was a lot more difficult than I’d imagined. They didn’t seem to be having an argument, but they didn’t seem to be in perfect harmony with each other, either.

  And even though I probably should have felt a little bit guilty for deliberately listening in on someone’s private conversation, I just chalked it up as a necessary evil that would help the investigation. It had to be done.

  Not to mention the fact that their lives were more compelling than any soap opera I’d ever seen.

  “Of course it matters,” Shakti said, lowering his voice. “You know I care a great deal about what you think. I always listen to you first, even when it ends up costing me more than I’d bargained for.”

  “What does that mean?” she shot back. “What have I cost you? You can’t seriously blame me for those people who left your class. That had nothing to do with me. They just couldn’t see your vision. We’ll all be better off without them, and I think you know that.”

  “Are we going to be better off without Babs Holliday’s money?” he asked. “Because if we really are going to recognize our own potential, it’s going to take some big decisions. Big changes that will catch the attention of new investors. You have to trust me on this, Tara. I need you on my team now more than ever.”

  They were both silent for several seconds. I didn’t dare open my eyes to see what was happening even though I was more curious than ever. When Tara finally spoke again, her voice was quiet and difficult to hear.

  “We’ll talk more about this later. I have some work to do back in my room.”

  “Okay,” he replied. “Try not to carry this weight in your heart. Don’t let this stressful energy ruin your whole day.”

  After a few more seconds, I turned my head in their direction and opened one eye just enough to peek through my eyelashes.

  They were both gone.

  I exhaled a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding and stretched after staying so perfectly still for the past few minutes.

  “Adrienne?” Guru Shakti’s voice nearly made me jump out of my chair. “What were you—”

  “Oh! Guru!” I didn’t have to feign my surprise as I scrambled to my feet. “I didn’t see you there. I hope you’re having a good morning. I was just relaxing out here in the sunlight. I think it’s going to be a beautiful day, don’t you?”

  “Every day has the potential to be a beautiful day,” he replied, his voice laced with sorrow. “Especially out here on the ocean. Being so close to nature is a good reminder of how small we are in this world and how fragile our lives can be.”

  He sounded so melancholy after his talk with Tara that I almost felt sorry for him. “I’m sure your life isn’t going to be small and insignificant. I have a feeling you’re going to take Roar Power to new heights very soon.”

  My encouragement seemed to cheer him up a little. “I think so, too. I know the potential is there, at least. And even if we’ve lost our financial backing—which it seems like we have at the moment—I think we’ll be able to attract new investors who will share my vision for the program.” He shook his head. “What happened to Rock was a horrible tragedy, so it feels a little bit wrong to be talking about business so soon after he passed, but I think he would have understood. I know he would have, in fact. He was a businessman through and through, and I always respected that about him.”

  I knew I had to choose my words carefully, but I didn’t want to pass up a chance to get Shakti’s opinion about the defectors and Babs Holliday’s apparent endorsement of Petal’s program over Roar Power.

  “Do you think you would have lost Rock as a financial backer if he was still alive?” I asked. “I mean, you said yourself that the two of you had some differences of opinion when it came to the direction of the company…”

  “Absolutely not.” He shook his head. “No way. Yes, we had our differences, I won’t deny that. But we shared some core beliefs about my program and the Roar Power brand. At the end of the day, he believed in me. He would never have betrayed me like… like what happened this morning. And so publicly.” He flashed a wry smile. “But hey, everyone is free to choose their own path in this life. Rock was a visionary. Even without his money, he would have been a force to be reckoned with. And I’d rather make my own way in this world than to beg and plead with someone who doesn’t understand my vision. Unlike some of my competitors, there’s no amount of money that will make me grovel and beg.”

  I nodded and excused myself to finally go inside, feeling more impressed with Shakti than I’d ever been. He’d always been an impressive speaker, and he could obviously motivate people with his combination of enthusiasm and sheer willpower, but I felt like I’d just gotten my first glimpse of the person underneath all the bluster and motivational jargon. There was no denying that Shakti’s feelings were raw after everything that had happened, and I believed him when he said he admired Rock.

  And even though he had been one of the people who’d potentially stood to gain the most from Rock’s death, things clearly hadn’t worked out that way. He didn’t seem too bitter about it, though. Not in the way I’d have expected from someone who had just committed murder to achieve their goals.

  No, he didn’t seem bitter in that way at all. Which made me think he was probably innocent.

  Probably.

  Maybe.

  But who else could it have been? Maybe instead of questioning Shakti’s motives, I needed to take a look at the people who had already started to benefit from Rock Holliday’s death.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  I leaned in at the little bistro table Ethan and I were sharing and whispered, “I can’t believe we’re both actually eating lunch at the same time in the middle of the day. It feels like we’re breaking some sort of rule for our schedules to be lined up like this.”

  He laughed. “It doesn’t happen often enough. I’m glad it happened today, though.” He grinned as I took a big bite of my club sandwich. “How are you feeling now? Have you recovered from this morning’s workout?”

  I finished my bite and nodded. “Much better, thanks. And all it took was a shower, a nap, a couple of hours under the air conditioner, and half a club sandwich. Now I’m almost good as new.”

  Ethan snorted. “Oh, is that all? Really, though, you shouldn’t push yourself so hard all the time. It is okay to actually relax on your day off every once in a while, you know?”

  I made a dismissive gesture. “Where’s the fun in that? Besides, I had to see for myself if the gossip I’d heard was true.”

  “Gossip? I hope it was worth all the effort.”

  My eyes went wide as I realized I hadn’t even told Ethan all the details I’d learned from Helen and the gang from the previous night—let alone everything that had happened earlier that morning during Petal’s yoga session.

  “I think it was worth it,” I nodded. “I was out by the pool taking some photos last night when some people who recognized me from the yoga classes called me over to join them. They basically told me that there would be some defectors from Shakti’s program who would be joining Petal’s group today and that I should pop in for the morning session to check it out.” I shrugged. “So I did.”

  “Oh, wow.” Ethan leaned in, clearly more interested now that he knew the nature of the gossip. “And you saw them this morning? These defectors? Did they sa
y anything?”

  “I saw them, but I think they were feeling a little awkward. Of course, it could have been because Petal and Tomek were making such a big deal about it. They were practically throwing these people a ticker tape parade.”

  He smiled. “I don’t doubt it. I’m sure Petal was pretty pleased with herself. That was quite a win over Shakti.”

  “Not as big a win as the moment Babs Holliday walked into the yoga studio with her best beauty pageant wave,” I added.

  It took a moment for my words to register. When they did, Ethan nearly choked on his sandwich. “Babs? She was part of Petal’s yoga class today? Is that what you’re saying?”

  I nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. She sure didn’t waste any time asserting her influence over Rock’s business affairs.”

  Ethan sat back in his chair and shook his head. “No, she certainly didn’t.”

  “I think she killed him.”

  It was the first time I’d said the words out loud.

  I hadn’t really meant to let it slip right there and then, but I couldn’t help it. After my conversation with Shakti earlier, I was more convinced than ever that Babs was behind the murder. If she didn’t do it herself, she was almost certainly the one who organized it.

  Ethan took a quick look around and then leaned in close. “That’s a big accusation to make, Addi. Are you sure you—”

  He choked back his words before he could finish. And even I was rendered speechless as Babs Holliday herself sauntered past our table holding hands with her new boyfriend.

  “Did you see that?” I hissed, even though we had obviously just witnessed the same thing. I was pretty sure everyone on the ship had seen Babs with her new fling by that point. “I said her name and then she popped up. It’s like she has some kind of sixth sense for getting attention.”

  “Okay, well let’s just calm down and think this through rationally… Addi?”

  I wanted to calm down. I wanted to think rationally. I wanted to sit back down in my chair when I felt Ethan’s hand on my arm.