Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series: Box Set: Books 1-3

by Hope Callaghan

  Millie grabbed a nearby microphone and approached the couple. “That was an exciting contest. How do you feel?”

  The man rubbed his stomach. “Hungry. When does the buffet open?” he joked.

  The woman lifted an index finger, wiped a glob of creaminess from around her eyes and popped it into her mouth. “Good to the last bite.”

  Kevin stepped forward. He held a small, plastic trophy out to each of them. “Way to go!”

  Millie held out her hand. “Congratulations…err?”

  The woman spoke up. “Kelly.” She pointed to the man standing next to her. “This is my husband, Mike.”

  Millie gazed from one to the other. “You two are married?”

  Mike squeezed Kelly’s hand. “Yes, ma’am, we are.”

  Millie snorted. “You two must have a heck of a grocery bill.”

  After the crowd dispersed, Millie helped Kevin clear the mess, along with other members of the kitchen staff.

  “Thanks for the help, Millie.” He glanced down at Scout, who sat off near the edge of the action and watched. “And your little furry friend.”

  The crew loaded the tables onto a cart and rolled them away.

  Millie lifted Scout, afraid that someone might not see him and roll the cart over the top of him.

  Kevin dropped to his knees and leaned forward. His hand got as far as hovering over Scout’s head when Scout’s ears flattened and he let out a low warning growl.

  Kevin jerked his hand back. “I guess he doesn’t like me.”

  Millie had never seen Scout act like that. He loved everyone who stopped by to pet him or talk to him. “I’m sorry, Kevin. I don’t know what has gotten into Scout. Maybe it’s the heat.”

  Kevin nodded. “No problem.” He shrugged. “I’ll see you around. Thanks again.”

  Kevin rose to his feet, turned on his heel, and strolled across the deck, whistling a catchy tune until he disappeared from sight.

  Millie lifted Scout eye level. “What’s up with that, mister? He was only trying to pet you,” she scolded.

  Scout opened his mouth and his little pink tongue dropped out. Maybe he was hangry – hungry and angry, and it was making him cranky.

  Millie slipped Scout into his carrier and adjusted the strap on her shoulder before they headed into Waves, the buffet area.

  She grabbed a tray from the end of the line. Today’s themed menu included foods from the featured island, Grand Cayman.

  Millie selected several tempting dishes that she thought both she and Scout would enjoy – not that she gave Scout more than just a taste since he had such a tiny tummy.

  She grabbed a set of tongs and scooped a piece of fish onto her plate. She also scooped a few conch fritters, a large spoonful of rice and a slice of beef – for Scout. She didn’t dare give him anything too spicy – just in case.

  Millie balanced her tray, stopping at the beverage station for a tall glass of ice water before they headed outside and up one flight of stairs.

  She had recently stumbled upon a small eating area that was perfect. It was close to the mini golf course and away from the crowds. She chose this spot – just in case Scout needed to take a plastic palm tree break.

  Millie climbed to the top of the stairs and started around the side when she caught a glimpse of Frank Bauer, the head of maintenance. It looked as if he was working on something off in the corner.

  The sun was high in the sky but there was still a bit of shade as Millie and Scout settled in at the small bistro table. She unzipped the bag and waited while Scout wandered out of the carrier and onto the rattan armchair.

  Next, Millie pulled Scout’s water dish from a pocket in the side of the carrier and filled it with cold water. She set it on the chair, right next to Scout, who promptly drank the water.

  Millie sliced off tiny slivers of beef and set them on a paper napkin. She set the napkin on the other side of the water dish.

  Scout licked her hand and began to nibble on his goodies.

  Millie placed her napkin in her lap and bowed her head to pray over her food.

  The two of them watched the guests stroll by as they enjoyed their lunch. Several of the passengers stopped to talk to Scout and pat his head. Not once did he growl at any of them. She wondered what it was about Kevin that Scout didn’t like – or sensed.

  After they finished eating, Millie stacked the dirty dishes on top of the tray and carried it to the trash container. She dumped the trash inside and stacked the dishes in the dirty dish bin.

  She hooked Scout’s bright blue leash to his collar, then slung his bag over her shoulder. They walked all the way around the mini golf course and over to Frank Bauer, who was still off to the side.

  Captain Armati was there, too. They were peering behind a set of white plastic partition walls.

  Although Millie often saw Captain Armati wandering around the ship, he typically stuck close to where passengers congregated.

  Scout strained to pull Millie along when he spotted the captain. “Yip!”

  Frank and Captain Armati swung around when they heard Scout’s greeting. “Hello Millie.”

  Scout promptly hopped on Armati’s shiny black shoe. The captain lifted his beloved dog and Scout licked his chin.

  Frank reached out to pat the top of Scout’s head.

  Millie frowned. Frank was a complete stranger to Scout, yet Scout didn’t seem to mind in the least when he got close.

  Captain set Scout on the ground and turned to Millie. “You’re just in time. You must have read my mind.”

  Millie raised a brow. “Oh really? Why?”

  He clasped his hands together. “We have a surprise for you,” he answered.

  He waved Millie through the wide opening in the plastic panels.

  Millie peeked around the white wall and gasped when she caught sight of the interior.

  To the right was a padded lounge chair and small blue table.

  To the left was what Millie could only describe as a mini, miniature golf course – Scout-size. The green space was dotted with small, plastic palm trees, surrounded by sand traps. Smack dab in the center of the green was a sunken swimming pool!

  The three of them and Scout stepped inside the enclosed space.

  Millie unhooked Scout’s leash and he darted over to his oasis where he promptly watered the nearest palm tree, then pawed at a section of sand.

  After that, he patrolled the perimeter, starting at the edge of the green. He made his way to the other end where he squeezed in between the wall and the padded deck chair before he turned around and headed back.

  Millie watched as Scout sprinted across the fake grass and made a beeline for the pool. Scout jumped into the swimming pool and frolicked in the water. Millie could almost see the smile on his face.

  “He loves it!” She turned and smiled brightly at the captain. “You did this for Scout?”

  Captain Armati nodded his head, pleased that he could make Scout – and Millie happy. “It’s for both of you.”

  “We have been working on this project for several days now,” Frank told her.

  Captain slapped a hand on Frank’s shoulder. “I couldn’t have done it alone. Thanks to Frank’s creativity since we have limited building supplies on board.”

  Frank’s face beamed. He stepped over to the opening in the door. Millie hadn’t noticed in all the excitement, but there was a plastic gate attached to one of the partitions.

  Frank unlatched a hook and pulled the small gray gate across the opening. It was a custom-made doggie gate! “You can close this so that Scout doesn’t sneak out when you’re not looking,” he explained.

  Millie bent down and tested the gate as she pulled it back and forth across the opening.

  Captain Armati pointed to the pool and Scout, who was having a grand old time, splashing around. “There’s a plug in the bottom. You can drain the water when you’re done using it.”

  On the wall, next to the green, was a small hand faucet. He pointed to the fauce
t. “The next time you want to use it, all you have to do is fill it back up with clean tap water.”

  Millie shook her head in amazement. They had thought of everything! At least she thought they had until Frank stepped behind the lounge chair and bent down to open a small box attached to the floor. “We even brought a few balls out so you can play catch.”

  Millie set Scout’s carrier next to the lounge chair. She wasn’t sure who was more excited. It had to be Scout, who hopped out of the pool and began batting one of the balls across the floor.

  “Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me.” She pointed at Scout. “To us.”

  “Of course, other passengers may take advantage of it,” the captain warned.

  Millie didn’t mind. It wasn’t really hers anyway, and she was more than willing to share!

  The captain and Frank left Scout and Millie inside their little oasis as they headed back down the steps.

  Millie plopped into the lounge chair and reached for one of the small balls. Scout was into the game as he chased the ball across the enclosed area and brought it back to her.

  They played catch for a few more minutes before Scout decided it was time for another swim. The mini pool was just big enough for him to pick up enough steam to paddle his little legs back and forth.

  They stayed in their special oasis for as long as Millie dared before it was time to report to the wine tasting on Deck 6.

  “C’mon, Scout!” Scout reluctantly hopped out of the pool and wandered over to Millie. He was soaking wet from the top of his head to the tip of his toenails. Scout did a doggie shake and a small spray of water droplets pelted Millie’s ankle.

  It would have been nice to have something to dry him. The thought had no more popped into her head when she noticed a small, metal rack hanging on the wall. Inside the rack was a tidy stack of hand towels – perfect for Scout.

  Millie grinned and shook her head. Captain Armati and Frank had thought of everything!

  Millie dried Scout as best she could – or as best as he would let her - before she snapped the leash on his collar and slid the special gate to the side so they could exit. She cast one last glance back at their new hangout. Captain Armati was full of surprises!

  Chapter 5

  Andy was in charge of the wine tasting class. Scout and Millie arrived just in time to catch the start. Millie had never attended one before and she assumed the reason Andy had asked her to make an appearance was that at some point in time, he was going to put her in charge!

  Millie collected the tickets from attendees while Andy arranged various vintage wine bottles on top of the u-shaped table.

  The sommelier, Pierre LeBlanc, took center stage as he hooked a small microphone to his lapel and started to explain the different wines to the passengers. He also made suggestions on what foods to pair the wine.

  Millie and Andy stood on either side of Pierre and poured small samples of wine in guests’ glasses as he made his way along the table.

  Millie caught Andy red-handed tasting Bordeaux, a red wine. His gaze met hers and he winked. Millie grinned. He lifted the glass as if to say, “You should try it,” but Millie shook her head.

  What other job allowed you to drink on the job, unless, of course, you were a sommelier!

  After the wine tasting ended, Millie helped Pierre and Andy clear the area.

  Millie headed up to Ocean Treasures to check in with Cat.

  Passengers squeezed into every single square inch of space in front of the shop. The final day of the cruise featured 50% off sales, which enticed guests to make a few impulse purchases.

  It was Cat’s least favorite day of the cruise. The place was a zoo!

  Millie wove her way through the thick crowd as she headed to the back of the store and the cash register where Cat was ringing up a steady stream of customers.

  She looked a bit frazzled and her perfectly coiffed beehive hairdo was a bit off kilter – a sure sign that Cat was stressing out.

  She caught Millie’s eye and held up a finger, motioning her off to the side. Millie waited until there was a lull in the crowd before Scout and she stepped to the register.

  “You need to stop by the kitchen to see Annette. She has a plan,” Cat muttered from the corner of her mouth.

  Millie nodded. “What…” She started to ask what plan, but by then there was another group of passengers waiting to check out. Cat plastered a smile on her face and picked up the customer’s purchases.

  Millie squeezed back through the chaotic scene. Her claustrophobia kicked into high gear and her heart began to race.

  Safely outside and away from the chaos, Millie breathed a sigh of relief. She set Scout on the floor and the two of them headed to the stairwell.

  Millie avoided elevators like the plague, having had a traumatic experience not long ago when one of the glass elevators in the atrium had malfunctioned and trapped her inside, in between floors.

  Scout didn’t seem to mind the stairs and he kept pace with Millie as they made their way down to the deck where the kitchen was located.

  They wandered to the back entrance and slipped in through the swinging side door. The door got little use since most of the kitchen staff – and wait staff – used the revolving doors that separated the galley from the main dining rooms.

  Millie could hear Annette before she could see her. “We must make 100% certain that the food that leaves this kitchen is safe. We don’t need a single passenger falling ill or…”

  Millie peeked around the corner. Annette paced back and forth in front of the kitchen staff. She reminded Millie of a drill sergeant.

  “…or else,” she made a slicing motion across her neck, “…off with our heads!”

  She stopped in her tracks. “Got it?”

  The group nodded.

  Annette thumped her fist on the stainless steel prep table. “Now back to work,” she roared.

  Millie came up behind her. “That was quite a pep talk!”

  Annette whirled around. “Like that? I’m just rallying the troops.” She winked.

  Annette grabbed Millie’s arm and dragged her toward the walk-in freezer. “I have an idea on how we can get our hands on those applications,” she whispered.

  “How?”

  Annette answered the question with one of her own. “You have a master key card that unlocks almost every door on board the ship, right?”

  Millie nodded. “Yeah.” She wasn’t sure she liked where this was going…

  “Well, I found out that all of the applications are in Donovan Sweeney’s office,” Annette said.

  Donovan Sweeney was the ship’s purser. Donovan was like the bank. He controlled all the money, all the expenses, all the crew tips and pay and apparently, all the new hires!

  “How did you find that out?” Millie asked.

  Annette shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we get our hands on those applications!”

  “So your plan…”

  Annette cut Millie off. “We sneak into Donovan’s office and snap a few quick pictures of the applications – but only the ones that applied for my job. Voila! We have our list of suspects!”

  Visions of Dave Patterson, the ship’s head of security, throwing her – throwing them all – in the slammer, filled Millie’s head. She had done some dumb things in her life but never had she intentionally done something that could put her in jail.

  “You do know that Donovan’s office also houses the ship’s safe where all the money is kept?” Millie pointed out.

  Annette lifted her fingernail and picked at the edge. “True…but I don’t plan on getting caught.”

  “What does Cat think?” Millie asked.

  Cat had already experienced the inside of the ship’s jail because of Annette and Millie. Well, it wasn’t directly their fault. That particular incident had been a huge misunderstanding…

  Annette waved a dismissive hand. “Oh! She doesn’t know yet but I’m sure she’ll be fine with
it!”

  Millie wasn’t convinced. The three of them were going to sneak into Donovan’s office, rummage around in his desk and take pictures. She had a sudden thought.

  “What if there’s a camera inside his office?”

  “There is.” Annette nodded. “I’ve already got that covered! I know exactly where the applications are being kept and I know the exact position of the camera.”

  She grabbed a crisp, white tablecloth from a shelf under the counter and with the flick of her wrist, opened it. “The camera is right inside the door. I slip in the room first, toss the tablecloth on top of the camera and then when we’re done, I take it off on my way out.”

  One thing was certain: Annette had given the scheme some thought, but there were still unanswered questions.

  “Won’t security notice the blank camera screen and decide to investigate?”

  “True.” Annette admitted. “That’s why we have to be in and out of there fast. I timed it. We will have approximately 15 seconds before security arrives. That’s why all three of us need to go in. Divide and conquer.”

  Millie thrust her hand on her hip. “Why don’t you just ask Donovan for a list of the applicants instead of going through all this?”

  Annette’s shoulders sagged. “I already did and he said that it’s against company policy…something about employee privacy or some such nonsense.”

  Millie still wasn’t convinced. She could see the whole thing going horribly wrong. “Let me think about it.”

  Scout and she headed for the back door. “We’ll rendezvous here at 1:45 a.m. sharp,” Annette called after her. “That’s when security is busy closing down the bars and it gives us the best chance of a successful operation.”

  Millie grabbed the door handle. “I guess,” she caved.

  She pushed the door open and let Scout go ahead of her.

  Millie rolled her eyes and groaned. “What have I gotten myself into?”

  Scout, completely unconcerned with Millie’s dilemma, trotted off down the corridor. It was time for bingo.

  Millie’s friend, Zack, was working the bingo sessions and she was excited that they would be working together, something they were rarely able to do.