She continued. “The first five participants will receive…drum roll please, Sir Felix.”
Felix rolled his eyes and then rolled his tongue as he mimicked a drum roll.
“Will receive a free drink coupon, which can be used at any bar on the ship as well as the specialty coffee shop located on deck seven.”
Felix turned to face the instrument panel. He flipped the switch for a brief second and a few bars of a popular pop song blared through the loudspeakers.
“Happy!” A girl in the crowd shrieked.
Millie smiled. “You are correct.” The girl ran onto the stage and Millie shifted the microphone toward her. “What’s your name dear?”
“Piper.”
“Well, Piper. You have a sharp ear. Now it’s your turn to sing.”
The girl nodded excitedly as Millie handed her the microphone. She pointed to the small screen at the front of the stage that displayed the words to the song before stepping off the stage.
The music began to play and the girl began to sing her heart out, almost completely on key. Throngs of passengers joined in and the happy voices echoed to the rafters.
When she finished the song, the crowd gave her a standing ovation, perhaps because they were standing.
Millie presented her with the gift certificate. The girl clutched her gift certificate and skipped off the stage.
The rest of the evening flew by and crowd participation was higher than Millie had ever seen it.
Andy swung by halfway through, grinning from ear to ear at the successful launch of the new and improved karaoke event.
After the last song ended and Felix and she put everything away, Millie headed to the buffet area. It was closed for the evening, but the 24-hour pizza station in the back was busy, as well as the deli station.
Millie ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza, stopped by the drink station for a watered down glass of lemonade and then made her way to a table in the corner.
Andy must’ve had the same idea as he wandered into the area moments later. He gave a small wave before stopping by the pizza station.
“So this is where you’re hiding out. Mind if I join you?” he asked as he slid his plate of pizza and stack of breadsticks onto the table.
“Of course not,” Millie said between bites. She watched as he walked over to the drink station, returning with the same watered down lemonade she’d gotten.
“It’s not very good.” She pointed to the glass of lemonade.
“Thanks for the warning.” Andy eased into the seat across from Millie. “Karaoke was a huge success,” he said as he reached for a breadstick.
“The passengers loved it,” Millie agreed. They discussed their new endeavor and then the conversation drifted to Luigi Falco’s death.
Millie plucked a pepperoni from the top of her pizza and popped it into her mouth. “Did you know Luigi had a girlfriend on board?”
She told Andy what Dario had told her. “I think she is a suspect, as well as some of Luigi’s co-workers and other crew.”
“Not to mention someone even higher up on the totem pole, even higher than me,” Andy said quietly.
“Who’s that?” Millie asked.
“Captain Armati.”
Chapter 7
Millie’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.” Andy dipped the end of his breadstick in marinara sauce and then took a big bite. “I know for a fact the captain recently demoted Luigi Falco and placed him on probation. Luigi got ticked and lodged a formal complaint.”
The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. “Is that why Captain Armati is transferring to another ship?”
“I hope not, but I don’t know for sure,” Andy shrugged.
Millie bit the end of her pizza slice and chewed thoughtfully. “I’m sure other crewmembers have lodged complaints in the past. Do you think Captain Armati is trying to hide something?”
“I don’t know all the details. There may be more to Captain Armati’s request to move to another ship,” Andy confessed. “All I know is Captain Armati’s transfer request was approved and he’s leaving soon, unless, of course, higher ups decide to put the transfer on hold, while Mr. Falco’s death is being investigated.”
Either way, it didn’t look promising for Millie and Captain Armati.
Millie stared at the half-eaten pizza on her plate. Her appetite vanished and she pushed the plate away.
Apparently, Andy’s brief lock up hadn’t affected his appetite and he bit into his pizza with gusto.
He went on. “Look, Millie. I can see the wheels turning in your head, that you think if you figure out who murdered Falco, the captain will withdraw his request. I will be off the hook and we’ll all live happily ever after aboard the Siren of the Seas.”
“So?” Millie asked. “What’s wrong with that? You’re like family, which means I’ll do whatever I can to help track down the killer and clear your name.”
Andy was already shaking his head. “I appreciate your loyalty and wanting to help, but the only thing you’re going to do is end up getting into hot water. For once, perhaps you should leave it to the investigators.”
Millie didn’t reply. She was already mapping out a plan to uncover the killer.
***
Annette twirled the knife around the edge of the layered black forest cake and eyed Millie. “I heard the rumor Captain Armati was jumping ship, but had no idea why. I don’t blame you for wanting to get to the bottom of this. I’m sure the last thing you want is for him to leave.”
“I don’t want him to leave and I definitely don’t want him or Andy to be charged with Falco’s murder.” Millie rested her chin on her fisted hand and gazed absentmindedly at the cake.
Annette paused and pointed the tip of her knife at Millie. “I’d check to see if there are cameras outside the theater and if so, if they caught any suspicious activity around the time of Falco’s death.”
“Done,” Millie said. “I swung by there on my way here. There are cameras but they’re pointed down the hall, not at the breaker box just inside the door. Plus, the area is roped off. I’m sure Dave Patterson has already viewed the video footage and would have found something if it had recorded.”
“What about Andy? Did he hear or see anything suspicious right before Falco’s death?”
“Negative.” Millie shook her head. “Other than a flicker of the lights followed by a popping noise at the precise moment Falco got zapped. That’s how he found him.”
Annette set the knife on the countertop and reached for a jar of cherries. She unscrewed the lid and grabbed a spoon before scooping out a handful and then carefully arranging them along the top of the cake. “We need a list of suspects, other than Andy and Captain Armati.”
She scooped out another handful. “If this Falco guy had run-ins with Armati and Andy, surely he had run-ins with others, workers who were close to him.”
“I need someone on the inside that I can talk to,” Millie said. She remembered Marcus, the electrician who had helped her set the stage for the new activity, Killer Karaoke. “I have an idea.”
Millie hopped off the barstool and then pushed it under the counter. “I’m going to disconnect a couple wires from the karaoke set up and then ask Marcus, the electrician who helped set it up, to come down. While he’s there, I’ll pump him for information.”
With a plan in place, Millie exited the galley and made a beeline for deck five. There were a few late night stragglers hanging out at the atrium bar.
She hurried to the back of the stage, behind the curtain and studied the clusters of wires. “This looks as good as any.” Millie bent down, grabbed a wire that led to the microphone and pulled. The cable disconnected at the joint and Millie dropped it on the floor before glancing at her watch. It was too late to call Marcus, but Millie vowed to stop by first thing in the morning to “check” on the equipment and then give him a call.
It was time for Millie to make her final rounds. Her
first stop was to check in with Bobby, the bartender, who worked in the Tahitian Nights Dance Club.
Her next stop was Paradise Lounge, the comedy club. The late night, adults-only show was in full swing and the lounge packed. She stood near the door and listened for a moment before backing out of the room and making her way to the piano bar.
Millie heard the piano bar before she saw it, as guests and the host belted out a rousing rendition of Brown-eyed Girl. She peeked inside. The piano player, Joey, gave Millie a quick nod.
After she’d finished all of her rounds, Millie headed to the galley to chat with Annette but the lights were off and the door locked. There was nothing left to do except head back to her cabin. Tomorrow would be another busy day at sea and Millie was scheduled to participate in the Early Risers Sunrise Stretch at 7:30 in the gym.
Millie slipped her keycard into the door slot and waited for the beep before pushing the cabin door open and stepping inside.
“Hello? Danielle?” The cabin was dark. She flipped on the lights and then waited, giving her eyes a moment to adjust to the bright lights.
Danielle, her cabin mate, was nowhere in sight.
Millie hung her lanyard on the hook near the door, kicked her shoes off, nudging them under her bed and then lifted her hands over her head in a long stretch as she yawned loudly.
The door suddenly flew open and Danielle exploded into the room. “Good golly, Miss Molly! You’ll never guess what I just saw.”
Chapter 8
Millie dropped her hands and clutched her chest. “You scared me half to death. What if I had been asleep?”
“Sorry.” Danielle slowly closed the cabin door. “I wasn’t thinking.”
Millie slumped onto the edge of the bed and eyed her roommate cautiously. “What did you just see?”
“I was up in Waves, checking on the late night Chocolate Extravaganza,” Danielle said.
Millie interrupted as she pointed at the dinner napkin Danielle was holding. “And sampling the goodies?”
Danielle turned the napkin over in her hand. “Of course. Gotta make sure the food is up to snuff, especially the late night treats. Don’t want the kitchen crew cutting corners, thinking no one is paying attention.”
“How admirable of you,” Millie said wryly. “I trust you found the chocolate acceptable?”
“Yep.” Danielle unfolded the napkin and held it out. “I took a couple extra chocolate-covered caramel nut cookies. You want to try one?”
Millie shook her head. “No thanks. I’m still full from the pizza I ate a short time ago, not to mention a big dinner. So what happened?” she prompted.
“I finished circling the chocolate displays and was getting ready to head to the pool area when I spotted Dave Patterson talking to Lorenzo, the new guy I introduced you to.” Danielle moseyed over to the small desk, pulled out the chair and plopped down before nibbling the edge of one of the cookies. “Don’t you think that’s odd?”
“I’m sure Patterson is interviewing crew and staff since he’s investigating Luigi Falco’s death. Why he would be talking to a new housekeeping staff is anyone’s guess, unless Lorenzo thought he saw something.”
“True.” Danielle popped the rest of the cookie in her mouth, folded the napkin to cover the remaining cookie and then placed it on the desk. “So when are you starting the investigation?”
“What investigation?”
Danielle lifted an eyebrow. “You know what investigation. Falco’s murder and don’t tell me that you’re not.”
“I was told to stay out of it,” Millie said, which was the honest to goodness truth.
“But you’re not going to, not when it involves two people you care about, Captain Armati and Andy.” Danielle drummed her fingers on the desktop. “I heard the dead guy was a real jerk so we have plenty of motive, but opportunity, that’s the real zinger. The fact it happened right outside the theater, not long after the deceased argued with Andy, and Andy was the one to discover his body puts him in the hot seat.”
“We both know it was a set up,” Millie said. “Andy is the fall guy and someone is hoping to get away with murder.” She slowly stood and headed to the closet where she pulled out her pajamas and then made her way to the bathroom door.
Danielle mumbled a reply.
Millie grabbed the door handle. “What did you say?”
“Nothing,” Danielle said. “Just thinking out loud.”
When Millie emerged from the bathroom a short time later, Danielle began waving a piece of paper in the air. “I jotted down a list of suspects.”
Millie opened the closet door and tossed her dirty uniform in her laundry basket before wandering over to Danielle. “I need my reading glasses.” She reached inside the top drawer, pulled out her glasses and slipped them on.
Danielle handed her the sheet of paper:
Andy, Captain Armati, everyone in the electrical department, the girlfriend.
Millie handed the sheet back to Danielle. “I would put the girlfriend, Paloma, at the top of the list, followed by the entire electrical department and then Andy and Captain Armati at the bottom.”
Millie placed her reading glasses inside the drawer before she crawled into bed, pulling the covers to her chin. “You should get ready for bed. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day and I have to be upstairs at the crack of dawn for the early risers.”
Danielle hopped out of the chair and headed to the bathroom. “I think I figured out why Patterson was talking to Lorenzo tonight.”
Millie switched her small nightlight on. “Why?”
“Lorenzo works in housekeeping.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, every new staff member has to start at the bottom, which means Lorenzo’s first assignment would include cleaning certain common areas before being promoted to passenger cabins.”
“So you think Lorenzo may have been working outside the theater?” Millie said.
“Maybe. I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Danielle said before slipping into the tiny bathroom and closing the door behind her.
Millie stared at the bathroom door before switching off her night light. Between the two of them, maybe they could stumble upon some sort of clue.
She closed her eyes and prayed the killer would be brought to justice, Andy and Captain Armati would be cleared and the captain would not transfer to another ship.
***
The next morning, Millie was awake before the alarm sounded. She wasn’t sure why or what had woken her, at least not until she heard humming coming from the bathroom.
Millie was always suspicious when Danielle, who was definitely not a morning person, was up and around before she was, especially when she didn’t have to be.
She flipped her small bedside light on and flung a hand over her eyes as she attempted to focus.
“Rise and shine sleepyhead,” Danielle chirped merrily as she emerged from the bathroom, dressed and ready to start her day.
“Let me guess. You spent the night in the bathroom,” Millie joked as she flung the covers back and swung her legs off the side of the bed.
“Nah. I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking about Captain Armati and Andy’s predicament. It’s such a shame.”
Millie slid out of her bunk. “Could it also have something to do with the fact you’re trying to get that job in the bridge and if Captain Armati transfers to another ship, your chances of moving into that position are sunk?”
Ingrid Kozlov, one of the crew who worked alongside Captain Armati and Staff Captain Antonio Vitale in the bridge, had recently been fired.
Ingrid had never cared for Millie and she always secretly believed Ingrid had a crush on the captain and was jealous of their relationship.
“Maybe,” Danielle hedged. “I mean, it’s the perfect position for me, other than possibly working in security. I was hoping to try my hand at a few different positions to figure out where I fit best.”
In the beginning, Danielle had annoyed Millie, but the young woman was
growing on her and she had to admit she’d grown fond of her.
Danielle’s history was a mystery. The only thing Millie knew was the young woman had previously worked as an undercover agent, held a black belt in karate and somehow managed to get into more trouble than Millie did.
On several occasions, Danielle had woken Millie in the dead of the night, after having had a nightmare. During the last episode, Millie had heard the name “Casey.” She hadn’t pressed Danielle, but whoever “Casey” was, was an important person to Danielle.
“I’m going to take a run through the crew quarters to see if I can track down Lorenzo.” Danielle slipped her lanyard over her head, and then flipped her blonde locks over her shoulder before inspecting her reflection in the mirror. “I’ll let you know if I find anything out.”
Millie waited until the cabin door closed behind Danielle before heading to the bathroom. She quickly showered, pulled her hair in a tight bun and then slipped into a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt.
She decided to grab a bite to eat after the early risers’ class and was one of the first to arrive in the gym. Alison Coulter, one of the dancers, was in charge of the class. She smiled when Millie wandered into the room and plopped down on an empty floor mat.
Millie eased onto her back and stared up at the ceiling before closing her eyes. “Have mercy on me this morning, Alison. I’m feeling a little creaky in my old age.”
Alison snorted. “Creaky my foot. You’re in better shape than half of the dancers.”
Millie lifted her head and peered at her young friend. “You think so?”
“Of course,” Alison smiled. “I’m surprised Andy doesn’t put you in charge of the class.”
“Oh no,” Millie groaned. “Don’t you dare plant that idea in his head.”
Passengers began wandering in, carrying Styrofoam cups of coffee and taking their places on the empty mats. The room filled and Millie was surprised at how many passengers, almost all women, were up early.
Killer Karaoke (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 7) Page 4