Always on Duty

by DB McNicol

  Cass thought for a minute and replied, “Some fruit would be good. Fit well with our drinks.”

  “Okay, be back in a jiff.” Waving to the waiter as he returned with the drinks, she walked to the buffet. Grabbing two large plates, she filled them up with various fruit slices and then added a couple slices of different cheeses. On her way back to the pool deck, a large man bumped into her, almost spilling the plates. She glared at him as he continued on his way without saying anything. “Excuse me,” she shouted to his retreating back.

  He stopped and turned, giving her a dirty look. “You got a problem?” he growled.

  His demeanor reminded her of her ex and she quickly demurred. “Um, no, nothing. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bump into you.” She turned and rushed back to Cass, sitting down with a huff..

  Alerted, Cass asked, “Something wrong?”

  “No. Yes. I mean, some big jerk bumped into me and refused to apologize. I almost spilled our food.” She handed over one of the plates.

  Cass took a bite of pineapple. “Thanks, this is perfect. So tell me more. What did he say?”

  “He was just angry. He was so big and he reminded me of my ex.” She shuddered.

  “Big? Like in tall or fat?”

  “Big like a wrestler.” She sighed. “Let’s just forget it. Maybe I bumped into him. Eat and then we’ll try out the hot tub.”

  “Um. No hot tub for you. Sunburn? Remember?”

  “Oops, okay. We’ll just hang out and forget about the angry, rude man.

  “If you say so.” Cass wasn’t convinced but let the subject drop.

  THERE was a message waiting for Caryl-Anne when they got back to the cabin and she was bubbling over with excitement. “I can’t believe he’s asking me to dinner. He’s so nice and polite and worldly...”

  Cass laughed. “And he’s not bad looking either.”

  “You sure you don’t mind my ducking out on you for dinner?”

  “Nah, I think I may splurge with some room service and veg in the cabin tonight. I’m getting a little peopled out.

  “Okay but can you help me pick out something to wear tonight?

  Cass laughed, “Sure. Is he taking you to one of the specialty restaurants?”

  “Yup! The steakhouse.”

  “Nice, that’s supposed to be really luxurious. Mom told me to allow at least two hours to really enjoy it. Delicious steaks, good wine, desserts to die for, and the service is always amazing. You should really enjoy it. Now, let’s see what we can find for you to wear.”

  Three hours later Cass decided to head to the buffet for dinner after reviewing the limited room service menu. As she expected, it wasn’t crowded. She filled up one plate with salad and another with her dinner selections. She turned and took a couple steps towards an empty table by the window when a man almost knocked her down. She recognized him as the tall man she’d seen in the buffet the night before. He glared at her and walked on. “That was rude,” she muttered as she sat down. “I wonder if that’s the same jerk who bumped into Caryl-Anne this afternoon.” He sat at a table close to the entrance to the pool area and stared out the window into the dark. She found a table where she could continue to observe his actions. She paused her eating when he started to talk to himself.

  She snorted as she thought, “Silly, he’s probably on his phone to another passenger.” Finishing her meal, she savored the last couple of sips of her coffee, still keeping her eye on him as he jumped up, shoving his chair hard enough to knock it to the ground. He stomped in her direction, then turned around and went back towards the pool. “Hmmm, that was interesting.” Determined to follow him, she grabbed her bag and headed out the same door.

  He shoved through anyone in his way, just as rude as he had been earlier. “Rudeness isn’t a crime”, she muttered, but her hackles had been raised and she had long ago learned to trust her instincts. She paused when he stopped to talk to one of the crew members, not close enough to overhear but his facial expression grew angrier.

  “I need to know. Now!” he bellowed.

  The crew member shrugged, pulled out his walkie-talkie and spoke to someone on the other end. “Sorry, sir. I have no additional information for you.”

  With that response, the man stormed off, shouting threats over his shoulder.

  Cassidy approached the crew member. “Who was that man?”

  “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to give out that information.”

  Putting on her official face she pushed. “I’m an officer of the law. I’m concerned about his behavior.”

  “We have security keeping an eye on him. Thank you for your concern but you have no authority on the ship.”

  Cassidy persisted as he turned to leave. “Can you tell me what he was so angry about?”

  “Again, no. But for your own safety, please stay clear of him.” He walked off, leaving a perplexed Cassidy behind.

  Not bothered by the warning, she headed off in the direction of Mr. Big and Rude, as she was now calling him. Most people were at the casino, at shows or dinner so he was easy to spot ahead of her. Staying a safe distance back, she continued. She stopped when he did. As he looked around to see who might be watching, she slipped behind the corner, hoping she was out of sight. She waited a few seconds, then peered out and saw him stashing a backpack behind a divider. He looked around again and then left.

  Cass was torn. She wanted to check out the backpack but she also wanted to know more about the man. Should she follow and with luck get his cabin number or should she get the backpack? Finding out his room number won out but she promised herself she’d come back and check out the bag later.

  THE cabin door slammed as Caryl-Anne bounced into the room. “I had the-” She looked at Cass, already in bed. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

  “No, I had just turned off the light.” She sat upright and smiled. “I take it you had a good time?”

  Caryl-Anne twirled. “The best time ever! He’s so nice and sweet and lovable...”

  “I get it.” Cass chuckled. “You like him. Guess I can’t blame you. I mean, that accent.”

  Caryl-Anne sat on the edge of the bed. “I know! Isn’t that just the best? But he is so much more than that,” she said with a soft sigh.

  “So what was the highlight of your evening? Dancing? Kissing?” Cass winked.

  “Well, I found out his first name.”

  “And...?”

  “It’s Daniel. But everyone here just calls him Doc. And there was this other thing.”

  “Oh?”

  She leaned in closer, “He told me about a missing passenger.”

  “Missing? Like as in dead?”

  “They’re not sure. She just never came back to her cabin after a night out with friends. That’s why they’re not sure. The last time she was seen was on the top deck, looking out over the water.” She stretched as she changed into her night clothes.

  “Interesting. You hear about things like that, but you never think you’ll be around when it happens. Did he say anything else?”

  “Not really. Well, except they are looking at one person in particular.”

  “Did he say who?”

  Caryl-Anne slipped out of her dress and into her night clothes. “No, he changed the subject when I asked. Something about privacy issues and patient confidentiality. You know, that kind of legal stuff they toss at you. So how was your dinner?”

  “You know, same old buffet stuff. I had a salad and dessert, the important food groups. I did run into your Mr. Rude man though. At least I think I did. In fact, this is the second time I’ve seen him. Kind of oversized, stands out in a crowd, and, oh yeah, did I say RUDE?”

  “That’s him. He run into you, too?”

  “Yup and then he got nasty with one of the crew.”

  “About what?” Caryl-Anne stretched out on her bed and yawned.

  “I’m not sure. I tried to find out who he was and what he was so angry about but the crew member wouldn’t tell me.”

 
“What did you do?”

  Cassidy laughed. “I followed him. You know me, always on duty.”

  “Did you find out anything interesting?”

  “Sort of. I followed him to his stateroom so now we know his cabin number. And...”

  “And what? Don’t tease me!”

  “I saw him stash a backpack in a corner when he thought no one was watching.”

  Caryl-Anne sat up. “Did you get it?”

  “Not yet, I was kind of waiting to see if you wanted to go with me and check it out.”

  “Now?”

  Cass crawled out from under the covers, fully dressed. “I’m ready. You?”

  “All I need is my shoes.” She shoved her feet in her flip-flops, ready to go.

  Cass pointed and laughed. “Oops! I think you might want to put on something less bedtime looking.”

  Caryl-Anne blushed. “I’ll be ready in ten seconds.”

  And she almost made it. Five minutes later the duo left their room making sure the door didn’t slam behind them. They didn’t see too many people out and about, but they could hear the music from the night clubs where the late-night crowd was still partying. As they approached the spot where Cassidy had seen Mr. Rude hide the backpack, she whispered, “You keep an eye out for anyone approaching. I’ll see what’s inside.”

  Caryl-Anne nodded and turned her back to her friend who was pulling on disposable gloves. Over her shoulder she commented, “Always travel with latex gloves?”

  Cass snickered. “Actually, they’re nitrile gloves and yes, I always have them handy. You never know...”

  “When you might need them. Yeah, I know, always on duty. Oops! Hold on. There’s someone coming this way.”

  They waited until the tipsy couple passed, then Cass squatted down and pulled the backpack out of its hiding spot. It wasn’t what she expected. Definitely not a man’s backpack. It was smaller than her own and covered in a pink flowery print. It appeared to have belonged to a young girl or a smaller woman. She undid the main zipper and reached inside to pull out the contents. A sweatshirt. As she spread it out she noticed some stains on it. Stains that could have been blood. Reaching back inside, she found a small notebook along with a couple of pens. Wishing she had time to read it, she quickly scanned the contents.

  “Cass, hurry up! There’s more people coming!”

  Stuffing the contents back inside she vacillated between leaving the bag there for Mr. Big and Rude or whoever he left it for, or taking it back to her room. Her honor won out – this time – and she shoved it back into the corner before standing and pulling off her gloves.

  “I need to know more about this missing passenger. Do you think Doc will talk to me?”

  Caryl-Anne shrugged. “Not sure but you can come to breakfast with us and ask.”

  “That works for me. Let’s get back to the room before we draw too much attention. I have to make some notes.”

  “Did you find anything important?”

  “Maybe. I’m just not sure.”

  Chapter 6

  “I wish Doc could have made it to breakfast with us.” Caryl-Anne sipped her Mimosa and looked out over the water with a sigh.

  Cassidy laughed. “Me, too, but for a different reason than you. I really wanted to ask him more about the missing passenger. I guess I’ll just have to do some investigating on my own.”

  “I’m glad we have a day at sea. I plan to drink and read and that’s it.”

  “Just stay out of the sun today unless you slather on the sunscreen.”

  “Don’t worry. I learned my lesson. Alcohol and lots of tropical sun aren’t a good combination for me. I’m off to stake out a shady spot to read, preferably close to a pool bar.” She picked up her hat and bag, waved to Cass, and wound her way through the breakfast crowd.

  Cassidy wasn’t ready to leave, hoping to catch a sight of Mr. Big and Rude. There was something about him, about his actions, that irritated her. No, intrigued her. Was he as rude as he appeared or just preoccupied? Why did he hide the backpack? Who did the backpack belong to? Was he related to or involved with the missing passenger? Maybe Mr. Flashy, he had been flirting with Ms. Curious. But was Ms. Curious actually in a relationship with Mr. Big and Rude?

  So many questions, so few answers. I’m not going to solve this sitting here. Best get moving. Cass started to rise but stopped when she recognized Mr. Flashy entering the dining room with one of the couples from the other night. She signaled her waiter for a coffee refill and sat back to observe.

  After an hour of nothing much to note other than Mr. Flashy flirting with every woman within speaking distance, Cass decided to see if she could spot Mr. Big and Rude.

  Two hours later and still no sign of him. She wiped her forehead, feeling the heat of the day settling in for the afternoon. She didn’t know anything more than she did when she woke other than the backpack was still stashed in place. She glanced at her phone and realized it was time for lunch. She left a message for Caryl-Anne and headed to the Lido deck. As she passed through the pool area, she heard loud voices. Loud, unhappy voices.

  As she got closer, she saw a crowd around two men, one of them was Mr. Big and Rude. Then she recognized Mr. Flashy. People were trying to restrain both the men and she wondered when the security team would arrive. She had no jurisdiction but her training drove her in between the two men. Holding out her hands, she attempted to calm them down. But it seemed as though nothing was going to stop the shouting match. As she focused in on the words, it became clear that Mr. Big and Rude was accusing Mr. Flashy of killing his wife.

  Mr. Big and Rude broke away from the four men trying to hold him back, reached over Cass’s shoulder and punched Mr. Flashy in the eye. She ducked instinctively, then pushed him back. Looking back at Mr. Flashy she could see the darkening bruises on his face. It was obvious who had the upper hand.

  “Stop it, both of you. I don’t know what’s going on but fighting isn’t going to resolve anything.” Out of the corner of her eye she could see two security guys approaching. Both were half the size of Mr. Big and Rude and seemed a bit reticent to get too close to him and his fists.

  “He killed her! I know he did. And he’s going to pay.”

  Cass sighed. “Killed who?”

  Mr. Big and Rude collapsed onto the deck with a sob. “My wife. Franny.”

  Mr. Flashy looked up. “Francesca was your wife? I had no idea.”

  “She’s dead. I’ll never hold her again, never hear her voice.” His voice softened.

  “Hey man, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Mr. Flashy looked nervous as he surveyed the growing crowd.

  Cass raised her voice as she motioned to the two security officers standing off to the side. “Security, a hand please?” To the two men she added, “This should be done in private.” She studied the body language of the two men as they were led away. Mr. Big and Rude appeared deflated while Mr. Flashy seemed to have puffed up. As she wandered towards the buffet, she realized she needed to do something about the backpack. It could obviously be evidence. And evidence that might incriminate Mr. Big and Rude for his wife’s death.

  She turned around and followed the four men to a lower deck level. One of the guards stopped her from entering further. She explained to him about the backpack and where it was. He assured her it would be gathered and sent her on her wa

  “I can’t believe it. I know he was pushy and rude, but kill his wife?” Caryl-Anne played with her salad as she considered the news. “And Mr. Flashy? Who is he?”

  Cass explained the first time she saw the victim as well as the two men. “Thanks to our multiple meetings he morphed from Mr. Big to Mr. Big and Rude. She was Ms. Curious and the other man was Mr. Flashy. I’ve seen him around a lot of other women, both much younger and much older.”

  Doc Oswald took that moment to arrive and asked, “Mr. Flashy?”

  Caryl-Anne laughed. “My roomie has nicknames for everyone. Here, sit. She really wants to talk to you about that-” she lo
wered her voice, “missing passenger you told me about.”

  “I think I may know who it is. Not by name. Let me guess.” Doc nodded and she continued. “It was a married woman, slight build, probably under one hundred pounds and barely five foot. I’d guess maybe in her mid-20s to early 30s?” Before Doc could reply she added, “And she was married to a giant of a man.”

  He frowned. “How do you know all this? No one but the crew and staff were told.”

  Cass explained their several encounters with the trio and went on to explain about finding the backpack. “I told the security crew about it and they said they’d get it. What will happen next?”

  Doc shrugged. “I have to admit to not having much knowledge about crime investigation on a ship. I do know about the woman though. They found her body yesterday during a lifeboat drill. It was under the tarp, hidden from sight. Can you give me a minute to grab a sandwich? I’ll be right back.”

  “Do you think he’s dangerous? I mean, whoever the killer is?” Caryl-Anne asked.

  “It’s most probably a crime of passion. I’m just not sure who did it. We only have one more day before we get back to the states. I wonder if they’ll just hold them?”

  “Hold who?” Doc returned with a plate piled high with French fries and an over-sized burger. “Don’t give me that look. I skipped breakfast and might not get any dinner.”

  Cass laughed. “I wasn’t going to say a thing but, I’m wondering how much time you have. Can you chat for a bit after you eat all that?”

  “Sure, I’ll answer what questions I can. Know that some things are privileged information.”

  “I’m wondering what will happen to the two men. To me, they are both suspects. Well, if there was foul play.”

  Doc took a bite of his burger and while chewing, talked around it. “I can say there was foul play.”

  “I suspected that. Now we have to figure out who did it.” Cass closed her eyes. “My first guess is-”