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

by Callaghan, Hope

  Millie leaned in. The look on Cat’s face meant she had something juicy. After she told Millie what she had overheard, she told her how the machine had looked lucky. Millie knew the exact machine she was talking about and the woman on the front – Elmira – looked a lot like Cat!

  “So let me get this straight. Let’s start with Zack. Zack dated Courtney.”

  Cat: “Check.”

  Millie held up a second finger: “Kyle Zondervan was engaged to Courtney but had previously dated Courtney’s sister, Chloe, who was so in love with Kyle she had his name tattooed on her arm.”

  Cat: “Yep!”

  Millie: “Now, on top of all that Kim Bain – Maisie’s mother – was after Kyle.”

  Cat: “Bingo. Sounds like he was a real stud,” Cat added.

  Millie gave her a dark look.

  Cat shrugged. “It’s true.”

  “The only woman apparently not in love with Kyle was Melissa West.”

  Cat interrupted. “Or was she? I mean, maybe he rebuffed her advances. After all, their room was connected to Kyle and Courtney’s.”

  “True.” Cat had a good point. “But what about the husbands? If they found out their wives were hot for Kyle, wouldn’t that be reason to want to get rid of him?”

  Millie went on. “How does Courtney fit into all of this?” There were too many suspects! This guy had more reasons to have men hate him than Don Juan!

  Earlier, Millie had seen a picture of Kyle and Courtney when she wandered up to the photo gallery to study the other couples. They all looked happy. None of them struck Millie as killer material. Kyle didn’t look like he would have women swooning. Of course, Millie wasn’t the best judge of that.

  Cat glanced at her watch. “I need to go grab a bite to eat before it’s too late.”

  The girls parted ways in the I-95 corridor with Millie heading to her room and Cat to the crew mess hall.

  Millie stuck her key card in the slot and pushed the door open. There was a note on the floor. Millie had a moment of déjà vu. It reminded her of the time someone had slipped a threatening note under the door when she was investigating the Olivia LaShay murder.

  Millie unfolded the note and slipped her reading glasses on. It was from Annette:

  “Meet me in the kitchen. Stat! I have a plan.”

  Millie couldn’t wait to find out what that might be. She made a pit stop in the bathroom before heading to the kitchen.

  Annette was facing the revolving door when Millie popped in. She stopped what she was doing and met her on the other side of the gleaming stainless steel counters. “I talked to Cat. My theory is it was the couple next to Courtney’s room. They had access and motive.”

  Millie cut her off. “What motive?”

  Annette stuck her hand on her hip. “Why, that woman was messing around with Kyle.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Every good detective has hunches,” Annette huffed.

  Millie stiffened her back. The girls were hijacking her investigation! It wouldn’t be long before Cat and Annette cut her out of the action!

  Annette could see that from the look on Millie’s face she was upset. “No, I mean. You’ve taught me so much already, I feel like a pro,” she soothed.

  Millie softened her stance. True. She was a good teacher.

  “Anyways,” Annette went on. “I baked a batch of special brownies.” She winked. “You know – the ones that make you a little loopy. Loose lips sink ships and all that.”

  Millie frowned. “Great idea but how do we execute the plan?”

  “How do they get to the room?” Annette tapped the side of her forehead. “Thinkin’ girl. Always gotta be thinkin’.”

  “Anyhoo, I’m having Amit deliver a batch to their cabin, a special delivery, compliments of the captain.”

  “What if it backfires and they call the captain to thank him for the brownies?”

  Annette frowned. “I never thought about that.” She quickly dismissed it as a minor roadblock.

  “Check this out.” Annette stepped over to the counter and grabbed a plate. The plate was one that the kitchen used for room service. She flipped the plate over. There, in the center, on the bottom was a small black square. “It’s a microphone.”

  Annette looked around before she reached over the back of the counter and grabbed a set of headphones. “We get the brownies into the room. After they eat some, they start blabbing. We have our killers’ confessions.”

  She paused dramatically. “Voila! Case solved.”

  Millie took the headphones from Annette. “Where in heavens name did you get such a thing?”

  The muscle in Annette’s jaw twitched. “Let’s just say, these came in useful in my previous life.”

  The look on her face made Millie hold back from asking the million questions that were now bouncing around in her brain. “Cool. But how do we – you know – listen in.”

  The twinkle was back in Annette’s eyes. “That’s the beauty of it. We sneak into Courtney and Kyle’s cabin. We’ll get great reception in there since it’s right next door!”

  Millie frowned at her friend. “That sounds a lot like breaking and entering.” Although, technically, the room did belong to the cruise line, and they were employees. On top of that, Millie had done the exact same thing when she let Chloe snoop around inside.

  Still, no matter how Millie tried to spin it, she was certain they could get in trouble. Not to mention the fact that Andy had already warned her to back off.

  But if she told Annette she was out, then Annette and Cat would get to have all the fun. Millie crossed her arms defiantly. It wasn’t fair! She nodded her head firmly. “Let me know when you’re ready to go!”

  Annette smiled brightly. “Good! I knew I could count on you.” She looked around, then slid the headset into the cabinet and pushed it all the way to the back. “Amit will deliver the goods at 1950 hours.”

  “Which is?”

  “7:50.”

  That would give Millie enough time to make her rounds, check in with Andy and assure him she’d be back to help with the Heart and Homes show that started at 9:30. She hoped this wouldn’t be a complete waste of time.

  She didn’t relish the thought of putting her job on the line based on Annette’s “hunch.” Maybe she could take Scout with her. She quickly dismissed the idea. What if he barked and blew their cover? On second thought, she decided she better leave him behind.

  Maybe on their next investigation she could bring him along. Surely, a dog could be useful in the crime-solving business.

  Chapter 20

  The time seemed to drag by, although Millie stayed busy. She reported to Andy there were no complaints with guests. In fact, they seemed to love Scout. She told him the scavenger hunt had been a hit with the guests and that everything for the evening was on track for the couples show.

  Andy interrupted her. “How’s the investigation going?” Millie lowered her eyes. She wasn’t good at lying. Not even half-truths. Instead, she kept silent.

  She jumped when Andy slammed his fist on the table. “I knew it!” He leaned in. “Millie! I can see it in your eyes. What are you up to?”

  “A little eavesdropping,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “Say it again, but louder,” he commanded.

  Millie sucked in a breath. “We’re going to plant a small microphone in the room next to Courtney and Kyle’s old room and eavesdrop,” she blurted out.

  Andy raised his eyebrows. “This was your idea.”

  “Nope.” She shook her head. “It’s Annette’s idea. She’s the one that baked the special brownies.”

  Andy let out a harsh breath. “Special brownies?”

  Millie shrugged. “Well, she called them truth serum brownies.”

  “And what exactly are in the ‘truth serum’ brownies?”

  “Uh. I didn’t ask. Honestly, I don’t think I want to know.”

  Andy jumped to his feet so fast his chair tumbled backward and hi
t the floor with a loud thud. “She can’t do that! She can’t drug passengers!”

  “She didn’t say it was a ‘drug,’” Millie argued, “I mean, she didn’t use those words.”

  Millie held up her hands. “Look, Annette is not going to hurt anyone. Personally, I think she’s just saying that. After all, where on earth would she get her hands on - you know – illegal stuff?”

  Of course, maybe it was legal stuff. Legal in Jamaica. Also legal in some other foreign country that the ship just happened to visit...

  It took Millie several more minutes but she finally calmed Andy enough to where he sat back down in his chair and didn’t storm off to hunt Annette down. “You could go with us,” she suggested.

  Andy’s eyes narrowed. Millie knew she had him! “Keep an eye on us. See how we operate.”

  “Make sure things don’t get out of hand,” she added.

  Andy crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. “I suppose I could.”

  Millie hopped up. “Great! We’ll meet you out in front of cabin 4204 down on main.”

  Millie was on pins and needles as she waited to head down to the surveillance. Finally, it was time to go. Thankfully, no one was in the hall near Courtney’s cabin.

  Millie gave the door a gentle push. It slowly swung open. When she stepped through the door, she realized she was the last to arrive. Cat, Andy and Annette were already inside.

  Annette gave her an odd look as if to say, “How did Andy find out?” but she didn’t say anything.

  Millie joined the group huddled around the small coffee table. A mini speaker was in the center. Headphones were lying beside it.

  “Aren’t you…”

  “The speaker is hooked to the headphones so we can all listen in,” Annette explained.

  Millie nodded. She sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned forward.

  “Amit dropped the special brownies off a few minutes ago. We haven’t heard anything yet.”

  Just then, they heard a door slam. Cat whacked Millie’s arm. “They’re back,” she hissed.

  “Shush.” Andy shushed them.

  Cat gave him the evil eye.

  There was giggling. “Don’t do that.” It was a female voice.

  “Hmm and why not?”

  “I wish I had some popcorn or snacks. Better yet, one of those brownies,” Cat whispered.

  There was more giggling.

  Andy rolled his eyes. “I hope this doesn’t become R-rated.”

  “Oh! What are these? It looks like room service dropped this off. There’s a note ‘Happy Anniversary.’ It’s from Andy Walker, Cruise Director. Now isn’t that nice. Too bad it’s not our anniversary.”

  Andy’s head jerked around, his eyes widened and he glared at Annette. “You put my name on the brownies?”

  Annette shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t know what else to do!”

  “Shhh!” Cat whacked Annette in the arm. “They’re talking again.”

  “Mmm. These are delicious. Here, hand me another one.” It was Adam talking this time.

  “Too bad Courtney isn’t here.” A woman sniffled. “She loves brownies. I mean loved.”

  “Now don’t start crying again, Melissa. You know how unstable she was.”

  “I know. That doesn’t mean she killed herself.”

  There was a long pause. Millie shifted impatiently.

  “Did you tell the detective the door between our rooms was open the night Courtney died?” Adam asked his wife.

  “Why would I tell them that? Then they’d think we had something to do with Courtney’s death.”

  “True,” Adam admitted. “Last brownie. You want it?”

  “No. It’s yours,” Melissa replied. “It sure is hot in here. We should turn down the air.”

  They heard a muffled thud.

  “Whoa! Watch out, Adam. You almost fell on the coffee table.”

  Millie looked at Annette. “They’re going to be okay, aren’t they?”

  “Yes. Yes.” Annette assured them. “They’ll be fine.”

  Andy wiped a nervous brow. “Yeah! My name is all over the stupid things. Thanks to Annette!”

  “Stop arguing!” Millie spoke up. “We’re missing it!”

  “…why they don’t question their own employee. You know, Zack was lurking around Courtney’s cabin the other night.”

  “You don’t think he killed Courtney.” Melissa replied.

  “I wish we had more of those brownies,” she added.

  Andy’s mouth dropped open. “They were talking about Zack!”

  The group waited a few more minutes. Soon they heard snores. The brownies must have knocked them out!

  Andy abruptly stood. “Party’s over.”

  He turned to Annette. “If anything happens to those two.” He pointed next door. “I’m coming for you, Annette,” he warned.

  She gulped hard as she grabbed the headphones and small speaker. “Don’t worry Nervous Nellie. They’ll be just fine. They can sleep it off.”

  Millie wasn’t worried about the Wests. She was worried about Zack!

  “I guess it’s time to have another chat with Zack,” Andy told them.

  Millie was sure Zack would be able to explain himself. The fact that he hadn’t admitted being in the vicinity the night of Courtney’s death was a bit of a worry.

  Millie said a quick prayer for Zack, and Courtney and Kyle’s families. She trudged behind Andy as she followed him back to his small office. The couples show would be starting soon.

  The Heart and Homes show was hilarious. The place was packed and the show went off without a hitch. It was so much fun, Millie almost forgot about Zack.

  She watched as Andy cornered him in the dressing room and then led him to his office. Millie closed her eyes. “Please, God. Don’t let Zack be the murderer.”

  Millie wandered into the crew cafeteria. Her plan was to eat something quick and then head to bed. She would have to be up and ready early tomorrow to catch that first shuttle to the island.

  Millie filled her tray with a scoop of rice and covered it with some sort of beef stew. She grabbed a slice of banana nut bread that looked suspiciously familiar.

  She filled her glass with iced tea and headed to the tables. Sarah, Millie’s roommate, and Sarah’s friend, Nikki, were off in the corner. They waved Millie over. She hadn’t seen the two of them together in what seemed like weeks but was really only days.

  Millie slid her tray onto the table and pulled out a chair. She eyed the cheeseburger on Sarah’s plate. Her mouth watered. It looked good and greasy. Just the way she liked them!

  Sarah saw the look. She held out the burger. “Here. Try it.”

  Millie picked up the sandwich and nibbled the edge. It was delicious. “That’s so good.”

  “So how’s the investigation going?” Nikki asked.

  “It has taken a turn for the worse,” Millie admitted. She didn’t go into details. Just told them there were too many suspects and not enough clues yet. Tomorrow was a new day.

  Looking at the girls gave Millie an idea. As she sat there and made small talk, she hatched a plan. One to flush out the killer – or killers. It might be a bit of a stretch to pull off, but Millie was getting desperate - and they were running out of time.

  Chapter 21

  Millie was looking forward to her day on the island. She got to dress in clothes that were a bit more comfortable: Bermuda shorts and lightweight short sleeve shirt. Plus, it was fun watching the passengers when they caught their first glimpse of the island. It was almost like their own private island retreat. Away from the crowded, tourist filled islands with islanders hawking their wares.

  Millie woke early. She was on a mission. She just prayed that all of the suspects got off. Otherwise, her plan might not work!

  Millie stepped off the shuttle boat and headed to the nearest palm tree. Although it was still early morning, the sun was blazing hot. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, turned it on and switched it to th
e pictures. The ones she had taken of Courtney’s cabin the morning of her murder. There was one picture in particular she wanted to see.

  She slipped her reading glasses on and tapped the small screen, making the picture as large as she possibly could. She studied the photo for several long moments. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize the photo. Ingrain it in the back of her mind. She did this several times, until she was certain she had it down pat.

  She slipped the camera back in her pocket and made a beeline for Dario, the bartender who normally worked the casino. Since the casino closed while the ship stopped at the island, Millie knew he’d been assigned to the island, making his rounds, and serving the guests.

  She pulled him to the side. “I need your help.”

  Dario tipped his empty beverage tray and slid it under his arm. “Yes, Ms. Millie. What do you need?”

  “Receipts. I need to look at your drink receipts. Do you have a piece of scrap paper?”

  Dario reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notepad and pen. He handed it to Millie. She scribbled the names of her suspects, minus Zack, on the sheet of paper and handed it back. “I need to see the signatures on these receipts.”

  He glanced at the list. “But what if they don’t wanna order drinks, Ms. Millie?”

  Millie grasped Dario’s shoulder and stared into his eyes. “Now, Dario. Your job is to sell drinks, right?”

  “Yes, Miss Millie.”

  “And I know that you are good at what you do.” Millie laid it on thick. “You are one of the best bartenders on board the ship.”

  Dario smiled wide. “Yes.” He puffed up his chest. “I sell them drinks, Miss Millie. Don’t you worry.”

  Millie watched as Dario headed to the bar area. She could see Adam and Melissa West. They had just hopped up on two empty barstools at the island bar.

  Dario walked over to the couple, leaned an elbow on the counter and started talking to them. Their backs were to Millie. She gave Dario the thumbs up and turned her attention to her job. It was time to make sure the steel drum band had the right playlist.