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

by Hope Callaghan

  Two uniformed officers flanked the ramp and lifted a hand in salute as they exited.

  Just outside the gates, a car waited. The driver stood on the side of the curb. The captain motioned her to the back seat. Millie climbed in and Captain Armati slid in beside her.

  The driver shut the door behind them and made his way to the driver’s side.

  Although Millie was nervous, the captain put her at ease with stories of his last climb up the falls with his daughter, Fiona, who had visited a few months earlier.

  She was surprised at how much Nic, as he insisted she call him now that they were off the ship, knew about the island. She could tell by the way he talked that he enjoyed the diverse culture and the lush, tropical island.

  The driver pulled up in front of what looked like a park and they climbed out of the back.

  “What time shall I return?” the driver inquired.

  “Two hours should be plenty,” Nic answered.

  They watched as the driver sped off and then wandered down the sidewalk.

  Millie heard the falls before she saw them. The closer they got, the louder the roar of the water grew. Still, even with the thunderous sound, she wasn’t prepared for the view when they stepped around the corner.

  She gasped at the sight of the towering falls. Water cascaded over huge boulders. Millie shaded her eyes and gazed up. She couldn’t see the top.

  Nic unzipped his backpack and pulled out a small camera. Just then, a couple walked by and Nic asked the man if he would take their picture.

  Nic and Millie shuffled over to the railing and angled their bodies so that the falls were directly behind them. Nic eased in next to Millie, casually dropped an arm across her shoulder and smiled for the camera.

  Millie thought she was going to have a heart attack. A wave of heat, starting at the top of her head and racing to her toes, rushed over her.

  She hadn’t been this close to a man, not counting her son, since Roger had left her.

  After the young couple snapped the picture, Nic lifted his arm from around Millie, grabbed the camera and shoved it back in his bag.

  He took the look of panic on her face to be her worrying about his camera. “Don’t worry, the camera is waterproof.”

  Little did he know…

  A large group of climbers ahead of them started to ascend. Nic and Millie waited until the group had reached a higher tier before they started their climb.

  He reached back to grab her hand and the two of them waded into the water and sloshed over to the first large boulder.

  It was tricky and Millie was glad Nic had told her to bring water shoes. The rocks, covered in thick, green moss, were slippery in spots and a couple times Millie started to lose her balance. Nick was there to keep her steady and before she knew it, they had reached the top.

  The views from the top were magnificent and the two of them wandered around for several long moments.

  Millie gazed down at the base of the falls. She wondered if they would have to go down the same way they came up.

  Nic seemed to have read her mind. “We take the stairs down.”

  As much as Millie had enjoyed the climb, she was relieved they were taking the easy way down.

  They descended the steps, which ended in a flat, grassy area. Lined along the sidewalks were rows of vendors, hawking their wares. They meandered along the tables as they checked out the trinkets and handcrafted souvenirs.

  Soon, it was time to leave. From where they were standing, Millie could see the now-familiar car and driver waiting at the curb.

  Nic casually reached for Millie’s hand and they strolled over to the car. He waited for Millie to climb in the back seat before he slid in next to her.

  “Where to?” The driver peered at them through the rearview mirror.

  “Scotchie’s please.”

  The car pulled away from the curb and turned left at the stop sign as they drove deep into the jungle.

  The paved road turned to a rutted, narrow path. Millie stared out the window at the dense forest as the car jostled along.

  Finally, the car pulled up in front of a building that reminded Millie of a shack.

  Peeking out behind a thick row of bushes was a covered pavilion with a shiny, tin roof. A small sign hung from the metal overhang. Scotchies.

  The driver promised to come back later and the two of them wandered through the entrance to the back.

  The obscure pavilion masked what lie ahead: a bustling, edge-of-the-jungle, open air restaurant.

  On the far side of the room was a long bamboo railing that overlooked a tranquil lagoon. Tiki torches stood sentinel along the rail and Millie decided the place would look either super cool – or super creepy - after dark.

  Millie’s eye wandered to the ceiling. A thick thatched roof covered the entire restaurant, opening to an outdoor seating area that faced the water. Large, leafy paddle fans hung from the ceiling and helped move the dense, tropical air.

  A wooden bar in the center of the restaurant took up a good deal of space while tables fashioned from local driftwood dotted the perimeter.

  Carved tiki heads adorned the exterior of the bar and the eyes seemed to focus on Millie. She shivered despite the warm, humid air.

  Nic led Millie to a table off in the corner. The menu, already on the table, was simple: pork, chicken and fish. Nic pointed at the menu. “The fish is excellent.”

  “Sounds good,” she declared.

  A waiter suddenly appeared. “Good afternoon, man. Are you ready to order?”

  “We’ll take two virgin zombies.” Nic turned to Millie. “Minus the alcohol but I think you’ll like it.”

  The waiter left and Nic changed the subject. “What did you think of the falls?”

  “That I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” she answered truthfully. “You said you brought your daughter here?”

  The server returned with the drinks. Millie plucked the turquoise umbrella from the top and sipped the tangerine-colored beverage. It was delicious: a combination of pineapple, orange and something Millie could not quite place.

  Nic nodded. “Yes, it was a fun day. Just like today.”

  Millie set her drink on the table. “Thank you for inviting me. I wouldn’t have done this on my own.”

  The conversation flowed as they talked about children, grandchildren, even the recent storm.

  Before Millie knew it, the waiter returned with their meal. Nic was spot on with his suggestion. The fish was delicious and arrived wrapped in a thin layer of tinfoil. The flavor was smoky, the fish moist. It came with a side of rice. Millie had had her fill of rice on the ship but didn’t want to hurt Nic’s feelings so she ate part of it and left the rest.

  They finished their leisurely lunch and Nic glanced down at his watch. “We better head back. The driver is probably waiting.”

  Millie was sad that the day had gone by so quickly, but he was right and the driver was waiting at the curb when they stepped out of the pavilion.

  The drive back to the ship, down the side of the mountain was harrowing with its hairpin turns and blind corners. Several times, Millie was certain they would sideswipe the vehicles headed in the opposite direction and she squeezed her eyes shut.

  Halfway down the narrow road, Nic abruptly asked the driver to stop. “Pull over here.”

  The driver careened off the road and onto a bumpy, dirt drive. Behind a clump of trees was a church: the exterior old and weathered. What had once been a white façade, was now faded from decades of direct sun. Several sections of the brick and stone had turned black.

  A large, two-story steeple caught Millie’s eye. Near the peak of the steeple was a round clock, tucked into the bricks. The entrance, a cathedral arch and solid wooden door with stained glass in the peak, welcomed visitors.

  Nic grabbed the door handle. “I hope you don’t mind the detour,” he said.

  Millie thought the old church was beautiful. She hoped they would be able to venture inside.
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br />   “We’ll be right back,” he told the driver.

  Nic climbed out of the car and reached back inside for Millie’s hand.

  Captain Armati seemed to know where he was going as he made his way along the broken concrete sidewalk. Unkempt weeds had grown between bits of jagged concrete. Wild flowers crept up the side of the stone walls and seemed to peer inside the glass windows.

  Nic opened the front door and stepped inside. The interior was cool and dark. They walked silently across the uneven tile floor as they made their way into the sanctuary.

  Long rows of worn, wooden pews lined both sides of the aisle. A cross-hung front and center in the sanctuary and a glass podium sat on the stage. The modern podium looked out of place in the beautiful, old church.

  When they reached the front, Millie paused. She could feel God’s presence. Millie bowed her head. “Thank you, Lord, for bringing me here to this beautiful place of worship.” She prayed for several long moments as she soaked in the peacefulness and His presence.

  Nic wandered off to the side and waited for Millie to join him.

  From somewhere behind them, a male voice, thick with accent echoed. “Captain Armati!”

  Millie caught a glimpse of a man dressed in a long, black robe and white sash.

  Nic spun around. He met the man halfway, hand extended in greeting. The man of the cloth grabbed Nic’s hand and pulled him close.

  He released his grip and turned to Millie. “You brought a friend.”

  Nick held out his hand. “This is Millie. She works on the ship.”

  The man enveloped her small hand between his two large ones. “I’m so pleased to meet you. Welcome to Tabernacle Church.”

  “Reverend Miller is an old friend of mine,” Nic explained.

  The reverend nodded. “Ah, yes. Captain Armati and I go back a long ways. He is a good man,” he added.

  Nic motioned to the front door. “We can’t stay. The car is waiting.” Nic reached inside his backpack and pulled out a Zip-loc bag. Inside the bag was an envelope. He handed it to Revered Miller. “This is for you.”

  The reverend took the envelope then turned it over in his hand. “The Lord will continue to bless you. Thank you for your generosity to our church and congregation.”

  The two talked for a couple more minutes before Nic and Millie made their way out. Millie waited as Nic quietly closed the door behind them. “Thank you for sharing that with me. It was lovely.”

  Millie followed Nic out. She focused her attention on the broken sidewalk in front of her, careful not to trip over the corners that jutted up.

  Suddenly, Nic grabbed her hand. “We have to go! Now!”

  Nic yanked her forward so abruptly Millie lost her footing. She quickly regained her balance and her eyes scanned the street in front of them.

  Not far from the church was a small band of men. They were running towards the car – and them!

  Millie had a feeling it wasn’t the welcome wagon.

  Nic and Millie raced toward the car, its engine running.

  The driver began to honk the car horn and wave frantically.

  Nic flung the back door open and shoved Millie inside. He dove in right after her and then reached back to pull the door shut.

  In one swift movement, he unzipped the front pocket of his backpack and pulled out a silver handgun.

  The men had reached the side of the car. They began to pound on the passenger window with jagged rocks. Bam! Bam!

  Nic lifted the gun and pointed it at the window.

  The men caught a glimpse of the gun in Nic’s hand and took a step back.

  Seeing their chance to escape, the driver rammed the shifter into reverse and peeled out of the church parking lot.

  The men chased after the car. One of them managed to fling himself onto the trunk of the car. His face contorted in a fit of rage.

  Millie couldn’t hear what he was saying but judging by the look on his face, she was glad that he was on the other side of the glass!

  The driver’s eyes darted to the rearview mirror. “It’s time to lose him.”

  He jerked the steering wheel to the right, sending the car careening sideways.

  The unwanted hitchhiker slid to the side, his fingers clawing at the small lip that separated the trunk from the car frame. Still, he hung on.

  The driver jerked the wheel the other way.

  Finally, the man shot across the smooth surface and fell to the gravel road below.

  Apparently unharmed by the fall, he jumped to his feet, lifted both of his hands and shook his middle finger at them.

  Millie turned to face Nic, who calmly placed his weapon into the front pocket of his backpack. “Y-you…” She didn’t know where to start.

  Nic finished her sentence. “Can never be too cautious.” He reached forward and patted the driver’s shoulder. “Way to go, Navaro.”

  Navaro wiped his hand across his forehead. “Close call, that time, boss.”

  Back at the port, Millie stood on the edge of the curb and waited while Nic paid Navaro, then followed him through security and up the gangplank.

  Millie realized she had just enough time to shower and change before she had to meet Andy back at the entrance to greet guests as they boarded.

  Before she left, she thanked Nic, Captain Armati now that they were back on the ship, for a lovely day.

  “I’m sorry about what just happened,” he apologized.

  Millie held up her hand. “No need to apologize. You saved our lives.”

  For a brief moment, their eyes met and Millie had the crazy thought that he might lean over and kiss her, but then she realized that would not happen. Too many eyes were watching.

  Instead, he smiled, bowed and then stepped onto the elevator while Millie crossed the lobby and opened the door that led to the crew quarters. They lived in two different worlds, the captain and Millie. She wondered if maybe those worlds were too big of a bridge to gap.

  Inside the cabin, Millie stripped off her clothes and turned the shower knobs to a lukewarm temperature. The water felt wonderful. Millie washed the sweat from her body and scrubbed her hair with her favorite jasmine scented shampoo.

  She towel-dried her hair and pulled it back in a tight bun before she slipped into her work uniform and stepped out of the small space.

  Sarah was sitting at the desk. The two rarely ran into each other in the cabin. They were like two ships passing in the night for the most part.

  Millie could tell Sarah had gone ashore too. Her young friend was wearing a pair of shorts and sleeveless blouse. She stood as Millie headed to her closet.

  “I saw you at the falls.” Sarah smiled.

  “And?”

  “You are the talk of the ship,” Sarah said. “Not in a bad way, though. Everyone thinks it’s cute.”

  Cute? She and Captain Armati were cute? Millie groaned. It could be worse. Maybe.

  Millie got more of the same when she met Andy at the gangway. “You look relaxed.”

  “It was fun,” Millie answered.

  “I’ve never been to the falls,” Andy said, “or Scotchies,” he added.

  Millie slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Is there anyone that doesn’t know what I did today?”

  Andy gazed up, as if seriously considering the question. He shook his head. “Maybe Captain Vitale.”

  He left her alone after that, as hordes of passengers descended on the ship. They spent the next several hours welcoming the guest back onboard. Several stopped by to tell Millie they had seen her at the falls. Great! Now even the passengers knew!

  Finally, the last guest wandered up the ramp and the crew pulled the door closed. Millie knew the drill. She had just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat, although she still wasn’t hungry after eating the fish and rice.

  Instead, she headed up to the lido deck for the sail away party. It was in full swing and the guests were having a ball.

  Billows of smoke poured out of the smokestack behind
Millie as the ship charged full steam ahead toward South Seas Cay. Millie stayed long enough to watch the island disappear from sight. She wondered if Captain Armati – Nic – was watching it, too.

  She turned to go, her mind already switching gears. The countdown had officially begun. Soon, Cat, Annette and Millie would put their plan in action!

  Chapter 25

  Annette and her kitchen staff had gathered in the galley. Next to Annette, in the center of the large prep table, was a rich, burgundy tablecloth.

  Annette clasped her hands together. Her eyes brightened as she addressed her captive audience. “I can’t wait to share with you my latest creations.”

  She reached out and with one dramatic swoop, yanked the cloth. Under the cloth were several sets of elegant platters.

  Annette bypassed the small platters as she reached for a large, oval platter loaded with the treats. She picked up the tray and passed it around, encouraging everyone to take one of the decadent desserts that filled the tray.

  Each crewmember took one of the treats and passed the dish to the next person. They all agreed they were delicious.

  “These special dishes right here are on their way to the officers,” she explained. “I need some volunteers to help deliver them.”

  Almost all of the kitchen staff raised their hands. This was a coveted assignment. Any time a crew had a chance to serve one of the officers was a good thing.

  Annette hand selected the deliverers, starting with Captain Armati and working her way down the line. When she got to Donovan Sweeney, she chose Veronica Chang. Noel Kalani would deliver Detective Patterson’s surprise.

  Everything was falling into place.

  She glanced at her watch. “Ten minutes from now, we will begin delivery,” she announced.

  Annette slipped on her sunglasses. That would give the culprit just enough time to do their dastardly deed and she would be watching!

  ***

  The plan was in place: Cat would follow Noel. Millie would tail Veronica.

  Annette had tipped off both Donovan and Patterson, warning them not to take even a single bite of the tempting goodies.