The reporters crowded around her and shouted out in Dutch …
“Is it true you caught the museum restorer’s murderer?”
“What can you tell us about the case?”
“How many other murder cases have you solved?”
London was about to shout over the group, telling them that she really didn’t know much more about the outcome of the case than she did. But suddenly she heard a gruff voice yelling in English.
“Get back from her! Leave her alone!”
Another voice called out sharply, “You heard what he said! Back off!”
The Dutch reporters stared stupefied as Bob Turner and Stanley Tedrow pushed them away from London and her companions.
“What’s the matter with you guys?” Mr. Tedrow snarled. “Don’t you understand English?”
London couldn’t help but laugh. No, the reporters didn’t understand English, and Bob and Mr. Tedrow didn’t know any Dutch. In fact, Mr. Tedrow seemed barely to understand what country he was in. Even so, the two men successfully kept the reporters at bay while London, Bryce, and Sir Reggie climbed the gangway to get away from it all.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
Later that evening, the Nachtmusik surged up and down as it set out across the IJsselmeer, the large bay east of Amsterdam, on its way to the North Sea.
London was sitting alone at a table in the Amadeus Lounge, hoping that Sir Reggie wasn’t troubled by the movement. When she had dried off and changed her clothes after returning from her adventure, her dog had curled up on her bed and gone to sleep.
She sighed with pleasure as she sipped her favorite drink, a Manhattan made from Elsie’s special recipe. She knew that Bryce must be back working in the kitchen now, making sure that the late diners were being served excellent meals.
She remembered his words.
“Us … you and me … we’re not another mystery that has to be solved. Are we?”
It felt good not to have to solve any kind of puzzle right now. She had decided to let go of the question about where Mom had gone and focus on her present.
And perhaps on my future, when I’m ready to think about that.
Gazing out through the wide windows, she realized that land was no longer in sight. This was the first time the Nachtmusik had sailed across open water since the beginning of its voyage back in Budapest. Until now it had been traveling along rivers and large canals.
She had forgotten how much she enjoyed voyaging over seas and oceans. In earlier years she had worked on huge cruise ships in the Caribbean area. But she noticed that some of the other customers in the lounge looked distinctly queasy.
One such passenger was Audrey Bolton, who clung fast to Cyrus Bannister as they came into the lounge and approached London’s table.
Cyrus grinned at London as the two sat down with her.
“Audrey is feeling a bit under the weather,” he said.
“It’s all this movement,” Audrey complained, swaying in her chair. “I can’t get used to it.”
London produced a package of organic ginger gummies that she kept on hand for just such situations.
“Try some of these,” she said to Audrey. “They sometimes help with seasickness.”
Audrey obediently popped one of the candies into her mouth.
“I didn’t expect this,” she said. “And I don’t understand it. What are we doing on the open sea, anyway?”
“We’re on our way to Copenhagen,” Cyrus said.
“But isn’t this boat built only for river travel?” Audrey asked.
Before London could begin to explain the boat’s special design, Cyrus started holding forth on the topic in his usual pedantic manner.
“Normally, a boat this size couldn’t sail on such waters. But the Nachtmusik is equipped with a state-of-the-art, adaptable engine and ballast system, so it can handle both rivers and open waters.”
London nodded and added, “We won’t be sailing very far out to sea. I wouldn’t want to cross the Pacific in a boat like this, but the Nachtmusik will definitely get us to Copenhagen.”
And that’s said to be an amazing city, London thought. She couldn’t remember ever being there, even as a child. She was looking forward to visiting an exciting country that didn’t remind her of Mom.
Audrey was still clinging to Cyrus’s arm as if she were afraid that she might fall out of her chair.
Cyrus’s expression clouded a little.
“Meanwhile,” he said to London, “maybe you could tell us more about the murder case. I must admit I’m still trying to understand exactly what happened.”
“So am I,” London said, “but I think I’m starting to figure it out. Axel Meyer was in the stolen art business, and he paid Pier Dekker to create forgeries that wouldn’t be detected. Recently Helga van den Heuvel caught on to what they were doing. Then she started blackmailing Dekker for a cut of the profits.”
“But why did the forgery wind up in Meyer’s gallery instead of the original?” Cyrus asked grumpily.
London said, “I’m pretty sure Dekker got worried about the part he was playing in the scheme, especially when Helga started blackmailing him. If she knew, who else was going to find out? So, he decided to double-cross both Meyer and Helga by switching the paintings again. He put the original back in its place in the museum and planted the fake in Meyer’s gallery. Dekker thought he was safe then, but when Meyer figured this out, he went into a rage. He sneaked up on Dekker last night when he was getting into his rowboat to make a trip to the Rosse Buurt. He strangled his accomplice and set the boat adrift. Then he decided it would be smart to chain it up in Dekker’s usual place in De Wallen.”
London shuddered as she remembered what Meyer had said about the act of murder.
“It feels good.”
Cyrus shook his head, looking genuinely uneasy.
“But that tulip petal!” he said. “It was such an obvious mistake!”
“Oh, I don’t think it was a mistake at all,” London said. “It was just an example of Dekker’s pride and arrogance overcoming his caution. He couldn’t resist putting some creative hint into his creative forgery—a sort of ‘signature,’ if you will. He wasn’t content to be mere restorer, or a mere forger either. He did consider himself to be an artist, after all.”
Audrey patted Cyrus’s hand.
“So you see, dear, you didn’t just imagine that thick paint being out of place.”
Cyrus smiled, looking reassured that his observations hadn’t been wrong.
“I would imagine,” he said, “now that their attention is alerted, the so-called museum experts might discover other oddities among works in their collection.”
“Maybe so,” London agreed. “But I’d guess that most of the paintings they copied were less famous and less expensive works, probably from smaller museums or galleries.”
Cyrus nodded and turned his attention to Audrey, who seemed to be feeling better now.
Meanwhile, London took notice of a couple of people she hadn’t talked to since she’d come back aboard.
Uh-oh, she thought as Emil Waldmüller got up from his place at the bar and turned to leave. He nearly collided with Amy Blassingame who was walking across the lounge.
But instead of exchanging cross words or turning and fleeing, Emil and Amy simply nodded politely and walked on past each other.
London breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, she had made the right call by shutting Amy and Emil up in the library and demanding that they stay there until they worked out their differences. And now it appeared that they were over whatever drama they’d had with each other and were ready to resume their professional lives.
But then London saw that Amy was holding something cupped in both hands. She held it carefully as she found a table and sat down, hunched over whatever she’d been carrying.
What is she up to? London wondered.
London got up and walked over to the table and said, “Hi, Amy.”
Amy turned her head and s
aw London and let out a gasp of alarm. She quickly grabbed whatever she’d been holding and hid it in her hands again.
“Hi, London,” Amy said, trying unsuccessfully to sound nonchalant.
London felt a tingle of apprehension.
“What have you got there, Amy?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Amy said, holding it close to her chest.
But London caught a glimpse of something white and furry through Amy’s fingers.
London stared with alarm.
“Amy, please don’t tell me you’ve still got that baby fennec fox. I thought the zoo people picked it up.”
“Oh, no, they did, it’s not that,” Amy babbled. “London It’s not that at all.”
“Then show me.”
Amy opened her hands and revealed a live white mouse. The little creature just sniffed the air and made no attempt to run away.”
“Isn’t he adorable, London?” Amy said. “I named him Dewdrop too. I bought him in a pet store in Amsterdam.”
London stifled a sigh.
“Amy, I don’t know about this,” she said. “I mean, I don’t know what kinds of laws might be involved—”
Amy interrupted, clutching the mouse closely again.
“Surely you’re not going to tell me I can’t keep him. We can’t very well sail back to Amsterdam just to return him, can we?”
“No, of course not, but—”
Amy looked alarmed, “But you can’t throw him overboard. I won’t let you.”
“No, of course not,” London repeated. “But—”
Before she could complete her thought or her objection, London’s cellphone rang. Her heart began to pound as she saw that the caller was none other than Jeremy Lapham, the CEO of Epoch World Cruise Lines.
The stowaway mouse would have to wait.
She stepped away from the table and took the call.
“Hello, London,” Jeremy said. “I’ve got some news.”
“What is it?” London asked.
“Well, I’ve consulted again with Alex, my astrologer, and he’s updated his chart. He’s taken another look at Eris, that dwarf planet that was discovered in 2005, and found that it has gone unexpectedly retrograde. Considering my own birth sign of Aries, I assume you know what that means.”
“I’m afraid I don’t,” London said.
But she felt desperately afraid that it meant Mr. Lapham was going to cancel the voyage after all.
Instead, Mr. Lapham said, “It means that I’ve been much too casual about all these disasters aboard the Nachtmusik. It’s time for me to take the ram—Aries, I mean—by the horns, so to speak. I’ll be joining you in Copenhagen.”
London felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her lungs.
“You’ll … you’ll … ?”
But she couldn’t gasp out a whole question.
“I’ll be seeing you soon,” Mr. Lapham said. “Ta-ta for now, and toodle-oo.”
He ended the call without another word, leaving London staring at her cellphone in disbelief. Feeling weak at the knees, London sat down in the nearest chair.
“He’ll be joining us in Copenhagen!” she murmured aloud.
What could that mean? she wondered. Was the CEO coming to cancel the tour or to revise their schedule or … ?
There were too many possibilities to guess, but she was sure that life aboard the Nachtmusik was about to become much more complicated.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
CALAMITY (AND A DANISH)
(A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 5)
“When you think that life cannot get better, Blake Pierce comes up with another masterpiece of thriller and mystery! This book is full of twists, and the end brings a surprising revelation. Strongly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who enjoys a very well-written thriller.”
--Books and Movie Reviews (re Almost Gone)
CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) is book #5 in a charming new cozy mystery series by #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose Once Gone has over 1,500 five-star reviews. The series begins with MURDER (AND BAKLAVA)—BOOK #1.
When London Rose, 33, is proposed to by her long-time boyfriend, she realizes she is facing a stable, predictable, pre-determined (and passionless) life. She freaks out and runs the other way—accepting instead a job across the Atlantic, as a tour-guide on a high-end European cruise line that travels through a country a day. London is searching for a more romantic, unscripted and exciting life that she feels sure exists out there somewhere.
London is elated: the European river towns are small, historic and charming. She gets to see a new port every night, gets to sample an endless array of new cuisine and meet a stream of interesting people. It is a traveler’s dream, and it is anything but predictable.
Book #5, CALAMITY (AND A DANISH), takes them to the stunning city of Copenhagen. London is thrilled to sail into the historic harbor of Nyhavn, with its colorful homes lining the harbor, and to visit a delicious pastry festival, where the country competes for the best Danish in Denmark. But when she has the bad fortune to discover a dead body, London’s dreams turn into a nightmare, leaving her little time to solve the crime herself—or else find herself imprisoned.
Laugh-out-loud funny, romantic, endearing, rife with new sights, culture and food, THE EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy series offers a fun and suspenseful trip through the heart of Europe, anchored in an intriguing mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last page.
Book #6 in the series—MAYHEM (AND HERRING)—is now also available!
CALAMITY (AND A DANISH)
(A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 5)
Did you know that I've written multiple novels in the mystery genre? If you haven't read all my series, click the image below to download a series starter!
Blake Pierce
Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising nineteen books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising thirteen books; of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising three books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books); of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).
ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), and MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES
CITY OF PREY (Book #1)
CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)
CITY OF BONES (Book #3)
A YEAR IN EUROPE
A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)
DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)
VENGEAN
CE IN VIENNA (Book #3)
ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)
GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)
GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)
GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)
GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)
GIRL ERASED (Book #6)
LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
ALREADY GONE (Book #1)
ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)
ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)
EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES
MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)
DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)
CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)
MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)
CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)
MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)
ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES
LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)
LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)
LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)
LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)
LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)
LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)
LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)
LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)
LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)
LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)
THE AU PAIR SERIES
ALMOST GONE (Book#1)
ALMOST LOST (Book #2)
ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)
ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES
FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)
FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)
FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)
FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)
FACE OF FURY (Book #5)
FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)
A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)
Misfortune (and Gouda) Page 24