Portside Peril (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 2)

by Callaghan, Hope

  Annette cracked an egg in a second bowl. “Now what?”

  Millie finished greasing the pans. She slid them over to Annette. “We need to take a peek at the manifest. You know, find out who boarded with whom.”

  Cat wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure Dave Patterson has already done that.”

  Millie frowned. True. He probably had. Maybe she should visit him in the morning. Honestly, she was surprised he hadn’t tracked her down and interrogated her. Of course, with the list of suspects growing, he probably hadn’t made it that far down the list.

  The girls finished mixing the bread and Annette popped the pans into the oven.

  Annette turned to the cabinet behind her, bent down and opened the door. She pulled out a tray of tempting treats and set them on the counter.

  Millie leaned in. Her mouth began to water. “What are those?”

  “Coconut key lime bites,” Annette told her. “Here…try one.” She lifted the plastic cover and pulled two out. She handed one to Cat and the other to Millie.

  Millie nibbled the corner. It was tart, coconut, sweet, and it melted in Millie’s mouth. She rolled her eyes. “These are heavenly. You should call them ‘A Taste of Heaven Coconut Bites.’”

  Cat bit into hers. The tart lime made her mouth pucker. Then the sweet took over and rolled over her tongue like a layer of sugarcoated coconut.

  Annette plucked one out and popped it in her mouth. “You like them? These are just an experiment. No recipe or anything.”

  Millie reached for another one. “I hope you remember how to make them. I need this recipe.” Not that Millie had anywhere to make them, but she could save it for someday when she went back home.

  Annette handed one more to Cat and then tucked the plastic covering over the goodies. She slid the tray back into the cabinet and closed the door. “That’s my private stash.”

  When the bread had finished baking, Annette pulled the dozen loaves from the oven and left them on the counter nearby to cool. She sliced one of the loaves into thirds and wrapped them in tinfoil. She handed one to Cat and the other to Millie.

  Millie’s eyes burned as she looked down at the banana bread. It reminded her of home. She blinked back the tears. Why would something so small, so simple affect her like that? She must be exhausted, she decided.

  Annette waited until Cat and Millie were out of the kitchen before she turned off the light. Millie glanced in the mirror on the wall on her way out of the dining room. She barely recognized her own reflection. She looked tired. Of course, it had been a long couple of days with little sleep.

  Tomorrow was a sea day and Millie didn’t have to report to Andy’s office until after she picked up Scout. She could barely keep her eyes open as she slipped out of her work uniform and into her pajamas.

  Millie opened the Bible she kept tucked in the corner of her bed. She flicked on the small light near her head and opened to where she had left off. She smiled as she read Matthew 6:34:

  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

  Millie closed the Bible and shut her eyes. Wasn’t that the truth!

  Chapter 14

  Millie was up early the next morning. Either she had somehow managed to get enough sleep for a change or she was excited to start her day with Scout. Plus, it was a sea day. Unlike tomorrow when she had to be up early and on the first shuttle boat to Majestic Cruise line’s private island, South Seas Cay.

  Sarah was already gone. Millie had heard her creep out of bed and head to the bathroom hours ago. Sarah had tried to be quiet but their cabin was so small, so compact, you could hear every noise whether your were crawling out of bed or taking a shower.

  Millie was getting used to it and had actually fallen back asleep while Sarah was in the bath. Although Sarah was younger than Millie’s own daughter, Beth, she was the perfect roommate.

  Millie slipped into the shower and wet her hair. She squeezed a glob of shampoo in the palm of her hand and then lathered her hair. Her mind drifted to the events of the day before and her first day with Scout.

  She thought about the young couple that had stopped by while Millie was eating her lunch. The ones with the little girl. Her eyes narrowed. What was her name? Melody? Mandy? No. Maisie! The little girl’s name was Maisie.

  They knew Courtney and Kyle. But how?

  After Millie dressed, she headed down the I-95 corridor and ran smack dab into Dave Patterson, head of security. “Ah. Just the person I’m looking for.”

  Millie swallowed hard. It looked like Patterson had finally made his way down the list.

  “You have a minute?” He didn’t wait for her to reply as he motioned her along. “We can talk in my office.” His office wasn’t far. It was one deck above the crew quarters but at the other end.

  He talked as he walked. “I’m sure you were expecting me.”

  Millie nodded. “How is your investigation into Kyle Zondervan and Courtney Earhart’s untimely deaths going?”

  Patterson slipped his key card in the door marked “Security” and pushed it open. He waited for Millie to step inside before following her in. “As you know, it’s tentatively being called a murder / suicide.”

  He nodded to the small metal chair in front of the desk and slipped into the larger, padded chair on the other side. He leaned back in the chair, his fingertips resting on his chin as he studied Millie.

  Millie sat nervously on the edge of her seat. Patterson had a way of making her feel as if she were some sort of fascinating bug he was studying under a microscope. Or a nosy woman who couldn’t mind her own business, which was probably closer to what he thought, she decided.

  “How did you manage to end up in Courtney Earhart’s room the night of her death?”

  Millie picked an imaginary piece of lint from her sleeve. “I-I uh, ran into her up on deck. She was drunk and didn’t seem capable of navigating the steps back to her room so I offered to walk her back to her cabin.”

  “Then what happened?” he prompted.

  “When we finally got to her room,” Millie squeezed her hands into small fists, “she-uh. She passed out on her bed. I was worried she was going to choke. You know, she’d thrown up and I figured if she threw up again she might suffocate so I tipped her to the side and propped pillows around her.”

  Patterson leaned forward. “Then what?”

  Millie shook her head. “She was out like a light. That’s why I have a hard time believing she was capable of not only writing a suicide note but also swallowing all those pills. She must’ve thrown up 2 – 3 times before I took her to her cabin.”

  Patterson nodded thoughtfully. He pulled a manila folder from his top desk drawer and opened the clasp. He pulled out several 5x7 photos. The photos were of Courtney’s room, Courtney lying on the bed, and the bottle of pills. He turned the photos around. “Is this what the room looked like when you left?”

  Millie slipped her reading glasses on. She studied the first photo. The one of Courtney. “Not quite,” she admitted.

  “The outfit.” Patterson tapped an index finger on top of the photo of Courtney.

  Millie finished his sentence. “Was not the outfit Courtney was wearing when I left her cabin. The dress she had been wearing was blue – not pink - and there were stains on the front from her – uh, heaving. And probably spilling a few drinks.”

  He slid the second photo forward. The one of the bottle of pills. “Do you recall seeing this in her cabin that night? Sitting on the dresser perhaps?”

  Millie studied the photo. She closed her eyes, trying to remember that night. “No. I don’t recall seeing the pill bottle. Of course, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. It could have been,” she admitted.

  She opened her eyes to find a set of brilliant blue ones studying her intently. She wriggled in her chair uncomfortably. Dave Patterson had beautiful blue eyes. They were like the ocean and they crinkled kindly.

  Millie blushe
d, hoping he couldn’t read her mind. She wasn’t convinced that he couldn’t. It was as if his eyes were staring into her soul.

  He broke the gaze as he reached for the third and final photo. The one of the cabin. “What about the cabin? Is this what it looked like when you left?”

  Millie slid her glasses up and grabbed the photo. It was then that she noticed something she hadn’t noticed before. “I never realized there was an adjoining door.” The door connected Courtney and Kyle’s room to the West’s room!

  “Do you think they’re suspects?” Dave Patterson already had the answer to that. He had already talked to Chloe Earhart and knew that Chloe’s sister, Courtney, felt as if her life was in danger. Chloe had also alluded to the fact that the Wests had had a falling out with Courtney and Kyle on the flight to Miami.

  Millie nodded. “I wouldn’t rule anyone out.” Which made her remember the other couple. Maisie’s parents. “There’s another couple with them on the cruise. I’m not sure of their names, though,” she admitted.

  Patterson gathered the photos and dropped them back inside the envelope. “How do you know?”

  “Because I saw them leave the theater last night with the Wests. The way they were acting. They know each other.”

  Patterson massaged the back of his neck. “Chloe never mentioned another couple.”

  Millie picked up. “Which is odd. I mean, wouldn’t they all be suspects?”

  He let go of his neck and began to drum his fingers on the desktop. “I could bring Chloe in for questioning again but maybe we shouldn’t tip our hand yet.”

  “I know how you can find out who they are,” Millie told him. “The mysterious couple have a daughter. Her name is Maisie.”

  Patterson grinned, showing off a brilliant set of pearly-whites. Millie had never seen him smile, or if she had, she was certain she had never seen him smile like that! Her mouth turned into the Sahara Desert in the noonday sun.

  “Is there any other tidbit of information you’d like to share?” he prompted.

  She slowly shook her head. There was something niggling in the back of her mind but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it was. Not when he was smiling at her like that!

  He abruptly got to his feet. “Thanks for your help, Millie.” He stepped over to the door and opened it. “You’ll let me know if you stumble upon anything else?”

  Millie nodded. The desert sand was blowing hard. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. Millie stepped out of the room and gave a small wave, still not trusting herself to speak.

  Dave Patterson watched her for a few seconds and slowly closed the door. He shook his head. Millie Sanders was a bit of an enigma. Like fire and ice. One minute a chatterbox and the next she clammed up. He had to wonder how she ended up right in the thick of things.

  Chapter 15

  Millie was late. She had five minutes to make it up to the bridge and pick up Scout. She didn’t want the captain to think she was irresponsible and shirking her doggie duties. Fortunately, Millie was getting fast at navigating the ship. She was in front of the door to the bridge in four minutes flat with a whole minute to spare.

  Captain Armati was off in the corner, talking to Staff Captain Vitale. The two men nodded as Millie made her way across the bridge. Captain Armati met her in the hallway, near the entrance to his private quarters.

  He smiled at Millie. “Ready for another day with Scout?” He didn’t wait for a reply as he punched in the code that unlocked the door.

  Millie caught a whiff of cologne. The smell lingered in the air as she followed behind him. It smelled nice, and expensive, she decided. Her eyes wandered to the back of his gray head. A man in uniform. Captain Armati was an attractive man. She wondered if he was married.

  Millie gave a mental shake. What was wrong with her? First, she was getting butterflies in Dave Patterson’s office and now she was admiring the back of Captain Armati’s head, trying to figure out if he was married!

  Was she finally, after all this time, coming back to life again? Millie figured that was all done and over with. That she would never be interested in men again. That she could wrap herself up in so many other projects there wouldn’t be room for someone else.

  “…and Scout was sound asleep.” Captain Armati was talking. Millie wasn’t listening. She was still having that internal conversation about joining the living again and showing an interest in the opposite sex.

  Millie’s mind had wandered and she missed what the captain had said. She blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. “Scout sleeps in your bed?” She had never let Daisy do that. Of course, that was Roger’s decision. Millie might have, but Roger had always been adamant there would be no dogs in the bedroom.

  She followed Captain Armati into the living room. Scout was a bowl of wiggles and jiggles when he spotted Millie. He pranced in a circle, which made Millie dizzy just watching him.

  The captain picked Scout up and held him close before handing him over to Millie. “No. I am afraid I would roll over and crush him in my sleep,” he admitted.

  Which would be Millie’s fear, too. Scout was so small, yet he was wiry. He was definitely a bundle of energy as he pawed at her cheek, licked her chin and tried to climb up her neck all at once.

  Armati crossed his arms and watched the happy reunion. “How is the investigation going?”

  Millie peeled her gaze from the dog and glanced at the captain. Of course, he would know all about it. He had probably already talked to Dave Patterson and knew that Millie had been in Courtney’s room the night of her death. “The list of suspects is growing.”

  “Hmm.” He picked up Scout’s bag and held the door for Millie to follow him out. “We never had – uh – a death on board until the day you arrived and now we’ve had three right in a short amount of time.”

  Millie had to admit it did seem kind of like too much of a coincidence. First Olivia LaShay and now the young couple. She shot him a glance. Hopefully he didn’t think she had anything to do with the murders.

  Of course, she had been in the vicinity of all three incidents or had been the last person to see them alive, which would cause anyone concern. “I-uh. Yeah, it does seem like more than a coincidence.” Millie shifted Scout and reached for his bag.

  One of the employees was heading their way. Captain Armati patted Scout’s head. “Behave yourself,” he told the pooch.

  Millie and Scout stepped into the hall. It was time to head down to the theater for the square dance class! Alison and Tara were already on stage, stomping around in their cowboy boots when Millie and Scout arrived.

  Scout peeked his head out of the half window to catch a glimpse of the commotion. When he saw all the activity, he began to head butt the front of his carrier. Millie slipped her hand between his head and the carrier. “Scout! You’re going to hurt yourself,” she scolded him.

  Alison stopped stomping. She strode over to Millie. “I heard a strange rumor about a pint size pup.”

  Alison twirled over in her western skirt. The skirt was cute. The material consisted of alternating strips of denim blue jean and red bandana. She dropped to her knees and put her hand inside to pet Scout. “Oh my gosh! He’s adorable!” she gushed.

  Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Millie. “Can we take him out?” Millie didn’t have the heart to say no. Plus, she wasn’t sure who was more excited: Scout or Alison! She nodded.

  Alison carefully unzipped the carrier and scooched back. She patted the stage floor. “C’mon out,” she coaxed.

  Scout hung back for a second, which surprised Millie. The dog was not shy! At least not around Millie. Finally, she was able to persuade Scout to leave his carrier. He wandered over to Alison and began to wag his tail, which shook his whole body.

  Tara dropped down beside Alison. “This has to be the cutest Yorkie I’ve ever seen.”

  “Miniature Yorkie,” Millie told them. “He belongs to Captain Armati.”

  Alison lifted her head and rai
sed an eyebrow. “This is Captain Armati’s dog? But how…” her voice trailed off.

  “Ohhhh.” Tara slowly nodded. “Captain Armati likes Millie,” she teased.

  Millie’s face turned bright red. About the shade of the red in the bandanas on the girls’ skirts. “My, my. I’ve never known him to take a liking to any of the staff.” Alison waved her hands. “Millie’s cast a spell over Captain.”

  “No!” Millie protested, “He just asked me to entertain his dog.” It sounded lame. Even to Millie. Captain could have asked a hundred other people to do the exact same thing. People he knew better than Millie.

  Tara picked Scout up and nuzzled him. “I heard Captain’s wife died a few years back. His daughter has been hounding him to retire.”

  If Millie’s face was red before, it was fire engine red now. Captain Armati was single. Just like Millie. Maybe he felt some sort of bond because they had both lost a spouse, in a roundabout way.

  “Yeah. Not that some of the other women on board haven’t tried to get Captain’s attention. He never seemed interested.” Alison’s sharp blue eyes honed in on Millie again, which made Millie squirm.

  Alison had heard bits and pieces of Millie’s past. That her husband had left her unexpectedly and she applied for the job on a whim, not really expecting the company to hire her. Andy had told her that much.

  She seemed like a nice enough woman. A bit on the grandmotherly side but it was a refreshing change from the competitiveness of some of the younger staff. Plus, adventure and mystery seemed to follow her around. Maybe the captain was attracted to that. Millie seemed - what was the word? Spunky!

  She could see she was making Millie uncomfortable so she quickly changed the subject. “We have a skirt in the back I think you could fit into.” She eyed Millie critically, which made Millie blush for the third time in a row. “You’ve got a little curve to you but that’s a good thing.”