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

by Hope Callaghan

  Captain Armati was standing at the wall of windows, a pair of binoculars pressed to his face. He lowered the binoculars when he saw Andy and Millie. “Is there a problem?”

  Andy nodded. “We have one DND.”

  Captain set the binoculars on the stand and tucked his arms behind his back. “Security is searching the ship?”

  “As we speak.”

  “Good, please keep me up-to-date.”

  Andy lifted his hand in salute. “Yes, sir.”

  Andy turned to go. The captain winked at Millie, and her face turned fire engine red.

  Millie followed Andy as they made their way across the bridge when a thought occurred to her. She spun back around. “Can Scout come with us? He has a good sniffer. Maybe he can help.”

  Armati nodded. “Yes, of course.” Andy and Millie waited while Captain Armati retrieved Scout. When he returned with pup in hand, he set Scout on the floor and handed Millie his leash. “Good luck.”

  The three of them exited the bridge and headed up the side stairs. This was turning out to be quite an exciting day! Millie had never searched for a missing passenger!

  Chapter 12

  By the time Andy and Millie made it to the top deck, the search party had already assembled off to the side of the Sky Bar.

  Patterson strolled back and forth, his heavy footsteps echoed on the deck boards. “We need to search every nook and cranny of this ship. Leave no stone unturned. No toilet stall unchecked.”

  As he barked the orders, the loudspeakers began to call the passenger’s name. Repeatedly. “William Kent, please contact guest services immediately.”

  The search party dispersed. Several headed to the chapel, others to the VIP area while still others made a beeline for the bathrooms near the bar.

  Andy had his own plan. “We’ll follow behind in a final sweep,” he told Millie. “That way, if the passenger is trying to be sneaky and thinks the search crew has already gone through, he’ll come out of hiding.”

  Millie admired the strategy.

  The two of them waited until the search party descended to the next level before they started their own search.

  The chapel was empty, the VIP area clean, behind the bar – no one. They did a final sweep of the sky deck, and then moved on. The crew had moved on, too, and were nowhere in sight.

  Andy, Millie and Scout conducted a thorough search of every nook and cranny of the sun deck, including the spa and sauna.

  By the time they got to Deck 7, they still hadn’t seen a single trace of the missing passenger.

  They started the search in the women’s restroom, across from the second floor theater seating. One of the cleaning crew was inside and told them she hadn’t seen anyone.

  Millie started to have doubts. They were running out of common areas where the man could be hiding. “You don’t suppose he went overboard last night?”

  The muscles in Andy’s jaw tightened. “Good heavens! I hope not!”

  They stepped out of the restroom and crossed the hall to the men’s restroom.

  Andy opened the door and stepped inside. He held the door for Millie and Scout.

  The stalls were empty – the cabinets locked. They turned to go when Scout stopped in the middle of the room and refused to budge.

  “C’mon Scout,” Millie coaxed.

  Scout let out a low growl. His ears flattened.

  Millie bent down. “What is it?”

  Scout lowered his head to the ground and sniffed the tile floor. He tugged on his leash as he led Millie inside the handicapped stall and over to a large, square side panel in the corner. The panel was unhinged and tilted at an odd angle.

  Millie and Scout slowly backed away from the stall.

  Andy put a finger to his lips and tiptoed over to the panel. He bent down, stuck his finger on the corner and in one sharp movement, yanked the panel from the wall.

  Out flopped a tennis shoe, then another.

  “Come on out of there,” Andy commanded in a stern voice.

  Slowly, a young man, who looked to be in his mid-20’s, wearing khaki shorts and a pale yellow striped shirt, emerged. A thin layer of dust clung to his hair and his clothes. “Achoo!”

  “Bless you,” Millie automatically replied.

  Andy gave her a dark look.

  Millie shrugged.

  Andy grabbed the young man’s arm. “I assume you are William Kent.”

  William Kent a/k/a dust bunny nodded.

  Millie held the door as Andy and the errant traveler stepped out into the hall.

  Millie snatched her radio from her belt and lifted it to her lips. “Patterson, do you copy?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “We’re on Deck 3 with the DND.”

  Millie could hear the relief in his voice. “10-4. I’ll be right there.”

  Patterson must have been lurking in the vicinity, as he appeared just seconds later, looking more than a little ticked off.

  Andy handed the passenger over. He and Millie watched as Patterson and Mr. Kent disappeared around the corner.

  “Way to go, Scout!” Andy reached down and patted his head.

  “Just for that, you get a special treat today,” Millie promised.

  “Woof!”

  The three of them headed up to Deck 5. With all passengers accounted for, the ship could begin the boarding process.

  Millie was certain the new wave of guests would be chomping at the bit. She was 100% correct. Moments later, Andy and she watched as hordes of passengers dashed up the glass enclosure, anxious to begin their vacation.

  Millie studied the faces as they passed by and entered the atrium. None of them seemed too irate that they had been kept waiting. “They’re all taking it quite well,” she observed.

  Andy nodded. “The guests were informed of the reason for the delay,” he told her out of the corner of his mouth. “Maybe we should have turned Mr. Kent over to the passengers waiting to board,” he joked.

  They spent the next several hours greeting guests, answering questions and directing them to lunch on the lido deck. Millie’s back ached and her feet started to throb. Finally, security pulled the entrance door closed and the ship was on its way.

  Millie and Scout headed to the top deck to check on the sail away party while Andy headed to the bridge to give the captain a full report on the stowaway incident and to tell him what a great job Scout had done.

  The party was well under way and guests were having a grand time. School had started for most of the youngsters so there weren’t as many pint size passengers onboard.

  Millie made a note to talk to Andy about helping out in the children’s area. She missed her grandkids and spending time with the youngsters might help with her homesickness. Plus, Scout would be a hit with the children onboard.

  Millie grabbed a slice of pizza from the pizza station and wandered to a quiet table in the rear. Cat was there and must have had the exact same thought. She motioned Millie over.

  “Whew! That was a close call this morning,” she said as Millie slid into a bench seat. Scout settled onto her lap and she fed him small bits of pizza while she ate.

  “No kidding.” Millie shuddered.

  “You met with Donovan?” Cat picked up her burger and took a bite.

  Millie nodded and flicked the lanyard that hung around her neck with the tip of her fingers. “Probation.”

  Cat arched a brow. “Oh no. They took your access card?”

  “Yep.” Millie popped a pepperoni in her mouth. “Thirty days limited access. If I behave myself I’ll get my card back next month.”

  Cat lifted her straw and used the tip to stab the ice cubes in her glass. “What about the investigation?”

  Millie swallowed a bite of pizza. “They didn’t say anything about that.”

  She went on. “I found out that Doctor Gundervan was in the dining room with Captain Vitale when the lobster bisque arrived.” Millie poured some water in her cupped hand and held it for Scout to drink.

&n
bsp; “Oh,” Cat’s expression brightened, “that’s helpful.”

  Millie nodded. “So someone needs to talk to him but not me. He doesn’t like me.”

  Cat lifted her glass and sipped her tea. “Why not?”

  “The Olivia LaShay investigation.”

  Cat snorted. “So you stepped on Gundervan’s toes, too?”

  “You could say that.” Millie finished her pizza and picked up her napkin to wipe her lips. “So that leaves you to talk to him since he doesn’t like me and Annette is too close to the investigation.”

  “Great. I’ve never gone solo. What should I say? What excuse do I use?”

  Millie stared out the window at the water, the wheels in her head spinning as she thought of some excuse. Her eyes turned to focus on Cat. “Well, you could tell him you think you have food poisoning.”

  “Uh-uh.” Cat stiffened her back and shook her head. “No way. If he thinks I have food poisoning or even worse, the Norovirus, he’ll put me in quarantine.”

  True. Millie hadn’t thought about that. “What about an allergic reaction? Then you can steer the conversation towards the bisque. You know, kind of bring it up while you’re talking.”

  “True…” Cat appreciated the fact that Millie trusted her enough to go it alone in the investigation, but what if she bombed? What if Gundervan caught onto her?

  Millie read her mind. “Look, the worst thing that can happen is he calls your bluff. I mean, it’s not like he can fire you or anything.”

  “Okay.” Cat finished her tea and set the empty glass on her tray. “I’ll do it!”

  “Good girl,” Millie encouraged. “Now see what you can find out!”

  Chapter 13

  Cat glanced at her watch nervously. She had twenty minutes before it was time to open the gift shop. As she walked, she rehearsed what she would say to Doctor Gundervan.

  She tried to remember everything she knew about food allergy symptoms: hives, rash, itching…

  Cat stopped in front of the infirmary door and tapped on the frosted glass. No one answered. She tried again, this time a little louder. There was still no answer.

  She put her hand on the knob and turned. The door was unlocked!

  Cat slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. She could hear faint rustling coming from somewhere in the back.

  She cleared her throat. “Ahem.”

  The rustling continued.

  “Hello? Anyone here?”

  The rustling stopped. “Be right out,” a male voice answered.

  Cat tugged at the side of her skirt to wiggle it down. She stepped over to the wall and studied the plaque. It was Doctor Gundervan’s medical license. Joseph Gundervan.

  “Can I help you?”

  Cat whirled around, her face warmed. “I-I.”

  Doctor Gundervan was young. Younger than Cat had assumed he was. Not that she had ever met him. In fact, she had only seen him briefly here and there and never up close. He was handsome, with sandy brown hair and smokin’, gray eyes. Hottie.

  Cat sucked in a breath. “I ate some peanut butter this morning and now I feel all itchy.” She scratched the side of her stomach for emphasis.

  “Hmm.” A concerned look crossed Gundervan’s face. “Any other symptoms?”

  Cat’s hand flew to her throat. “Yeah, my throat feels kinda swollen and scratchy.”

  Gundervan pointed at her stomach. “Mind if I take a look?”

  The color drained from Cat’s face. Why on earth had she said her stomach itched?

  “Well-uh.”

  He smiled. “Just a quick peek...”

  Cat didn’t know how to say “no.” She lifted the edge of her shirt and squeezed her eyes shut. Please don’t mention the scar!

  Doctor Gundervan leaned in for a closer look. If he noticed the long, angry scar, which Cat was one thousand times certain he had…how could he miss it? He didn’t say anything.

  “I see a couple small bumps but otherwise, you’re clear as a bell,” he said.

  Doctor Gundervan reached inside his pocket and retrieved a small penlight. “Open your mouth, stick out your tongue and say ‘ah.’”

  “Ah.”

  He peered inside then clicked the penlight off. “That looks fine, too.”

  Gundervan opened the cabinet door next to him and pulled out a small packet of pills. He held them out. “Here are some allergy tablets. If your symptoms worsen or start to bother you, take one of these. They won’t hurt you.”

  Cat took the tablets and shoved them in her front pocket. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to keep them handy.”

  She turned to go and then turned back. “Say…I heard you were with Captain Vitale when he ate the lobster bisque.”

  Gundervan closed the cabinet drawer. “Yes. He grew ill almost immediately.” Gundervan cocked his head to the side. “That is a little odd. Typically, food poisoning takes a little longer to affect the body. His was almost instantaneous.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t food poisoning, after all,” Cat theorized.

  Gundervan nodded. “I have my suspicions. I asked for a copy of the lab’s findings and am waiting to hear back. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a fan of lobster.”

  Cat leaned in. “Do you know who it was that delivered the dish to your table?”

  Gundervan shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. I had gone into the restroom to wash my hands. When I returned, the dish was already on the table.”

  That meant that only Captain Vitale knew who dropped the food off!

  Cat smiled. She patted her pocket. “Thanks again for the tablets. I’m feeling much better now,” she added.

  Gundervan followed Cat to the outer office door. She almost made it out the door without the prodding, probing questions about her scar. Almost, but not quite. “That’s a nasty scar on your abdomen.”

  Cat shifted her feet and stared down at the floor. “Yes, it is.”

  “Sometimes old scars flare up and cause pain. If it ever starts to bother you, stop by and I’ll see what I can do,” he said kindly.

  Cat smiled. “Thank you. So far, so good, except when I try to stretch too far it starts to pull and I get sharp shooting pains.”

  He nodded. “That’s normal.”

  Cat stepped out of the office and started down the hall. She decided he was a nice man and wondered if maybe Millie had Doctor Gundervan pegged all wrong.

  Cat made it to the gift shop with a couple minutes to spare. Several guests were milling about, waiting for her to unlock the doors. The guests followed Cat into the shop and that was the last thought she had of the nice doctor.

  ***

  Annette was in the midst of conducting an investigation of her own. Well, perhaps it was more like an interrogation – of poor Amit.

  “I handed you the pot of lobster bisque and where did you take it from there?”

  “I told you, Miss Annette. I headed for the door to take it directly to the officer’s dining room. I ran into Suri who told me he was on his way to the same place and offered to take the bisque for me.”

  “Then what happened?” she asked.

  Amit shrugged. “Suri headed to the door with the bisque and another dish and I went back to the pastry station to help out.”

  “To help Noel?” Annette prompted.

  Amit hung his head. “Yes, to help Noel. She was falling behind in her pastry filling so I offered to help.”

  “Did you see Suri when he came back after he supposedly delivered the dish?”

  Amit shook his head. “No. I never saw him come back and it wasn’t until later, until after Captain Vitale became ill that I discovered Suri had left the pot in the warming bay and someone else picked it up.”

  Annette shoved a hand on her hip. “As of right now, we don’t know who delivered the bisque to the dining room.”

  Amit shook his head. “No, Miss Annette.” More than anything, Annette wanted to confront Amit about submitting his application but she didn’t dare. She wasn’t supposed to know
and she had promised Donovan she wouldn’t spill the beans. That was part of the deal the girls had agreed to, and it was how she and Cat had gotten off the hook, so to speak.

  Millie had stopped by a short time ago to tell her Cat was in Gundervan’s office fishing for information. Annette hoped she was having more luck than she herself was.

  Maybe she could take a quick break after the desserts left the kitchen, and sneak up to see what Cat was able to find out.

  Annette turned her attention to the trays of ravioli that were ready to plate. She joined the end of the long line of prep staff and picked up a spoon.

  Grace rushed into the prep area. “There’s a fire behind the stove!”

  Annette grabbed the fire extinguisher and bolted across the room. Was this day ever going to end?

  Chapter 14

  Annette quickly doused the small fire, caused by bacon grease that splattered a stack of paper towels nearby and then torched by a gas burner.

  The dinner service finally ended, all of the dishes washed and leftover food refrigerated. Annette reached behind her back and untied her apron. She felt every day of her 61 years.

  She had barely gotten a wink of sleep the night before. Dave Patterson had rudely awoken her when he started pounding on her cabin door before the sun was up. She and Cat ended up in Donovan’s office, certain this was the end.

  Surprisingly, Donovan was calm, cool and collected. He had not seemed angry. If anything, Annette sensed a deep disappointment, which was almost worse than anger.

  The girls promised to stop the shenanigans. They also promised not to breathe a word of who had applied for Annette’s job. What Donovan didn’t make her promise was to halt the investigation.

  Annette hung her apron on the hook by the door, turned off the light and stepped out of the kitchen. Her brain was fuzzy and for a moment, she couldn’t remember what she was going to do before heading to her cabin for some much-needed rest.

  Cat. She needed to talk to Cat. Annette glanced down at her watch: 10:05. The gift shop closed at 10:00. She hoped Cat was still there.

  When Annette got to the gift shop, she could see the lights were still on and the tip of Cat’s beehive hairdo bobbed up and down behind the counter.