She felt Susan clasp her hand, and took a deep breath. Her sister loved her and, as she had from a child, wanted to look after her.
'Sorry,' she whispered. 'I'll stop moaning, promise.'
Susan had probably been right, she admitted at last. She did need some distraction. The house had been unbearable, she had rattled round in its emptiness, with every single room and every item of furniture and all the things they had chosen together reminding her of Andrew. Ought she to move to somewhere smaller? Would leaving the house where they had been so happy ease the constant pain of memories? She really would decide after this holiday was over. Her sister had known she needed to get away.
*
Three hours later Julie stood on the quayside looking up at the elegant ship. Already her spirits had lifted. She'd actually enjoyed walking round the small village where the coach had deposited them, exploring the old part, wandering through the narrow streets, often connected with flights of steps. The houses were decorated with elaborate iron balconies, flowers bloomed everywhere, and in every tiny open square there were pavement cafés. The weather helped too. It was much warmer than in damp, cold England, with a gentle westerly breeze bringing wafts of aromatic scents down from the hillsides. Now, in the harbour, the smells were of fish and oil, less pleasant than flowers and the open sea, but she suddenly felt excitement building up inside her.
The crew were carrying on the luggage, and the passengers were being checked off by the tour rep before boarding, queueing at the desk for keys, and being directed to their cabins.
'I'm allowed to share with you,' Susan told her. 'Normally I'd share with either Cathy or Debbie, the other shop assistants, but as you have a double cabin and the ship's not full, I managed to arrange it. I thought you'd prefer not being on your own.'
'Of course,' Julia agreed.
What did it matter? Susan would be busy working much of the time, there would be plenty of time for her to hide away in solitude if she wished. Then she shook her head slightly, reminding herself she'd made a resolution to change her life. She ought to start right now.
Susan took charge, and their keys were handed over to a tall man wearing a track suit emblazoned with the ship's name.
Julie looked at him properly and gasped. It was the good-looking man from the plane.
'You were on the plane,' she exclaimed before she could stop herself, then blushed as she realised she had given away the fact she had paid attention to him.
'Yes. I remember you. Mrs Carstairs, Miss Phillips, welcome aboard.'
Julie felt herself flushing.
'You caught that bag, and saved me a nasty bump. I didn't say thank you properly, I was taken by surprise. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I thought it was your bag.'
'Understandable in the circumstances. Don't worry, I was glad to be of help. Please come this way,' he directed, taking their hand luggage and turning into a wide passageway. His voice was pleasant, deep and resonant. He could probably sing.
She was at it again, imagining things about him. This had to stop, before she did something silly.
'Is he crew or what? That must be why he came straight to the ship,' Julie whispered as they followed him. His shoulders were broad, and he looked in great physical shape. Did they have fitness instructors on board? She could imagine him as one of them.
Susan shrugged. 'Could be anyone. I haven't seen him before, but then, people move around all the time, go on different ships. I'm only here permanently because the shop is a concession and I'm employed by Cathy, not the cruise line. They rope in all the waiters and stewards and chefs and whatever to help with the luggage on changeover days.'
Then he turned and indicated their cabin, smiling down at them. Julie was able to take a closer look at him. He had an interesting face, as handsome as her previous quick glances had determined, with strong bone structure and deep laughter creases round the eyes. He was tanned, so had probably been aboard a ship for months. If, as seemed likely from what Susan said, he worked for the cruise line, he'd spend his life sailing in sunny climes.
What was his job? Susan said the whole crew were roped in to move the luggage. Was he a waiter? Somehow she didn't think so. Nor did he look like a chef. They, surely, spent most of their time inside, but his tan indicated an outdoor life. Maybe he was one of the officers. The clothes he'd been wearing on the plane had been expensive, definitely not a ready-to-wear suit. He had to earn more than a chef or a waiter to afford that. Then she frowned. What did it matter?
*
Chapter 2
Robert, having helped with the luggage, made his way to the Captain's office near the bridge. He wondered about Mrs Carstairs. She hadn't been wearing a wedding ring, and he had felt a jolt of unexpected dismay to hear her married name. Why was she on her own? Was she divorced? Widowed? Then he told himself to stop thinking about her. He had a job to do. Besides, if he wished, he had two weeks to get to know her. And somehow he knew he did want to get to know her, find out what caused the melancholy look in her eyes.
'I've read the reports,' he said, sinking down into a chair beside the Captain's desk. 'Is there anything more you can tell me?'
'I don't think so.' The Captain nodded towards the file Robert had placed on his desk. 'You have it all there.'
'Then to recap, these thefts, of money and jewellery, things easily hidden, have only taken place from the penthouse suites. Where the pickings could be better than elsewhere.'
The Captain nodded. 'Where our wealthiest passengers are. But if news of this gets out, if the police are involved, we'll lose a lot of bookings.'
'The engineers, the chefs, and most of the cabin stewards don't have access there, so can be disregarded. How sure are you of that?'
'They would be noticed. We always have at least one security guard stationed up there. But the suites have to be cleaned, and waiters and bar staff may be called on, though we have checked all these people after a theft has been reported. We've moved them elsewhere, even to other ships, so they don't have access to the suites. But the thefts continue. I think we can discount them.'
'You'll keep it so that only new people have access?'
'We've done that for the past three cruises, but the thefts have continued,' the Captain said with a sigh.
'Who else goes to these suites?'
'There are private parties when some of the others of the crew, the entertainers, for instance, or the sports instructors, are invited. Some of these passengers rarely stir from the suites. They eat there, have their own balconies, and just occasionally come out for the shows or to play bridge or go into the casino.'
'Yet some have parties? They are not all segregating themselves?'
'Some are more gregarious, yes, but in general they prefer small, exclusive affairs. Occasionally we have one who expects the pianist or other musicians to give them a private concert. And they scour the passenger lists to invite, say, anyone with a title or a military rank. And they ask the senior officers. Some of the passengers have got rich and want to mix with the upper classes, boast about the celebrities they've met when they get home. We've had a couple of lottery winners like that. Pure snobbishness.'
Robert nodded. 'It has to be someone who has been on board for the past three months, from the time the first theft was reported. Can you trust all the officers?'
The Captain looked offended.
'Yes, of course. I know all of them well, they've worked with me for years.'
'But none of them have been transferred to other ships?'
'Well, no. I can trust them.'
'Can I have a list of all the crew members?'
The Captain passed across a sheaf of papers stapled together.
'Rather a lot, I'm afraid. We have a high ratio of crew to passengers, as you know.'
Robert left it at that. He would have to investigate the officers. It wasn't unknown for someone high up in the ranking order to be a crook.
'You've cleared the stewards, for instance? They have the mos
t opportunity, of course.'
'We've moved them around, none have worked there for more than a month at a time, and after a theft they have been moved, and we have discreetly searched their belongings, so I think we can disregard them.'
'Probably. But these searches could mean the rest of the crew are aware of the thefts.'
'Unfortunately, so though we try to do it without their knowledge, they can know what we are doing, so will be extra careful. And we can eliminate anyone who has joined us after the first theft. I have a separate list of them and the dates they joined, so I think we can forget them.'
He handed over more papers.
'Unless there are two or more working together,' Robert said. 'Who joined roughly three months ago?'
Yet another list was handed over.
'I see how these people are the obvious suspects, but of course, whoever it is might not have been stealing before then, or a theft may not have been reported, so we can't discount people on board beforehand,' the Captain said.
'And it's possible, if only small amounts of cash were stolen, sometimes people may not have noticed, or been too embarrassed to report they'd been careless. Maybe the thief got bolder if the first thefts were unnoticed.'
The Captain groaned.
'That simply makes it more complicated. But we don't want to call in the police if we can avoid it. Think of the international complications, them investigating in several jurisdictions, whatever the law of the sea says. That's why you're here.'
'Our last chance before we have to make it official.'
'Then I wish you luck. We've tried to make a list of all the people we know who have been up to the penthouse suites to parties, but it's far from complete. Here it is.'
Robert looked at the several sheets of paper he had acquired.
'Are these lists on a computer? It would make checking them against one another simpler.'
'They are on my machine. Use it whenever you like.'
He handed over another list.
'And of course,' he said, 'when most of these people go there, the passengers will be present, so it needs some sleight of hand as well as a careless passenger leaving things on view, for them to help themselves.'
Robert glanced at the latest list. It was headed with the names of the regular entertainers, the dancers and musicians, then people like fitness trainers, masseurs, hairdressers, shop girls – most of them people who usually worked on ships for several months. Alongside the names were dates when they had been known to visit one of the suites, but as the Captain, said, this was far from a complete record.
They discussed the thefts for another quarter of an hour, then Robert went to his own cabin. He had not told the Captain of the special measures he had put in place for himself. The less anyone knew of those the more chance there was of trapping the thief.
*
Julie's mood had improved. She was here, she might as well try to enjoy the luxury. She was delighted with the cabin, and when their big cases arrived she unpacked swiftly and stowed their belongings in the drawers and wardrobe, while Susan lay on the bunk reading a letter which had been left for her. Julie exclaimed at the clever use of small spaces, then pushed her suitcase into the bottom of the wardrobe.
'Let's go and explore,' she said, picking up the leaflet which she'd found on the dressing table. 'I can't follow these deck diagrams. I need to see them.'
Susan shook her head.
'You go. I have to start work. This is from Cathy, and she needs me as soon as possible to help her deal with new goods in the shop, and see what she has bought. We try to stock a few different goods each cruise, and we'll have to find space for them before we open later this evening.'
'Why so late?'
'We're not allowed to open in port. Which is great for me, I can go on the excursions if I want to.'
'How does it work? The shop, I mean? Are you employed by the ship or the cruise line?'
'No, it's like a franchise. Cathy owns it, Debbie and I just work for her, and she pays us. We get the accommodation and food free, so our wages aren't high. Occasionally one of the girls who works in the casino helps out, so that there are always two of us there. There needs to be. You'd be surprised how often we catch someone shoplifting, or trying to. Not all cruise passengers are either wealthy or honest.'
Julie spent an hour wandering through the public rooms, testing the temperature of the water in the swimming pool, gazing at the activity in the harbour from each deck, waving to the people ashore, and then, as the boat finally moved away, returning to her cabin to shower and change for dinner.
'Informal the first evening,' Susan, who had returned to the cabin, instructed.
Julie selected a gored green skirt in a heavy cotton, matching her eyes, and a white lacy top. They were old favourites, in which she felt comfortable. The colours suited her dark auburn hair, and the elasticated waist didn't need pulling tight with a belt as some of her more fitted skirts did. She hadn't bought any new clothes since Andrew's death, until Susan insisted on her getting some for this trip, and she'd been horrified to realise how much weight she'd lost. Swept away by Susan's enthusiasm for spending her money, she'd even splashed out on a couple of what she later felt were far too revealing evening dresses, and even a bikini. She had a moment of thankfulness that she'd packed her old one-piece swimsuit too. As for her new dresses, she'd keep them for when she felt more confident. She added a small emerald pendant, Andrew's last present to her, hanging on a thin gold chain round her neck. It matched her ring and she wore both of them frequently. He'd told her the emerald was the sacred stone of the goddess of love, a symbol of hope and faithfulness.
Susan led the way down a wide, elegant curving staircase to the dining room and they were shown to a table for six. All the crew Susan referred to as auxiliaries, the entertainers, shop girls, musicians and so on, ate with the passengers, and were meant to mingle and act as hosts and hostesses. An elderly couple, both extremely handsome and elegantly dressed, the woman sporting a necklace of diamonds which must, if it were real, Julie thought, be worth thousands, were already there.
'Hello, we're James and Laura Tomkins,' the man said, standing up to shake their hands. 'Your first time?'
They introduced themselves, and made small talk until the waiter appeared with the menu. They had all ordered before the final two seats were claimed, and Julie felt a stab of surprise, and a delight she tried to suppress, when she realised that the newcomer slipping into the seat beside her, wearing a casual but clearly expensive jacket, was the man from the plane, who had carried their luggage to the cabin. Now she would be able to discover who he was, and what his function was on the ship.
'Hello again. Sorry I'm late,' he said easily. 'Don't wait for me, I'll miss the starter. I'm Robert Fellows.'
Before Julie had time to reply, she froze with shock. The final seat was being claimed by another man. He was in his late thirties, with sandy blond hair, and smooth, classical features. He smiled round the table.
'Hi, I'm Steven Wilkes,' he announced. 'I'm so sorry to be late. Let me get the wine tonight as an apology.'
The Tomkins and Robert introduced themselves. Susan, after a swift glance at Julie, mentioned their names. The newcomer smiled across at Julie, who was still rigid with horror. Of all the men in the world, how could this particular one be at their table?
He was speaking again, looking across at her with a self-satisfied smile. Julie felt a sudden urge to slap that handsome face and wipe off that obnoxious grin.
'And of course I know you well, don't I, Julie, my love? Hello there, Susan, good to see you again.'
Julie glared at Susan. Had she organised this? She must have done, it couldn't have been coincidence. How could she, when she knew how he had treated her in the past? A furious swell of anger against both her sister and the man opposite, a man she'd hoped never to see again, threatened to swamp Julie, and she felt sick. She stood abruptly, pushing back the chair. She had to get out of here. As Susan,
looking anxious, began to rise too Julie waved her back.
'No, Susan, I'll be OK,' she snapped. 'Don't come. Don't follow me. Sorry, but I must have some air,' she muttered to the others, then turned and almost ran from the dining room.
*
She ran straight up the wide staircase outside the dining room entrance, and pushed her way onto the deck. Without being fully aware of where she went she climbed up to the higher decks, until she could climb no higher. Then she stood grasping the rail so tightly her knuckles grew white, and she found it difficult to breathe. She needed to consider this disaster. And it was a disaster. She was stuck here on this ship for a couple of weeks, unless she demanded to fly home from the first port of call.
Then she stiffened. Why should the wretched man ruin this holiday, as he'd ruined her peace of mind two years ago? She had done nothing wrong, nothing to be ashamed of, and she would not permit him to influence her actions. She gulped in great swallows of air and fingered her pendant, as she often did for comfort. Emeralds were supposed to be calming. She would ask to move to a different table. That would be easy enough. The ship wasn't full, there had been several empty spaces in the dining room. Then all she had to do was make it clear to Steven she had no intention of speaking to him, and hope he would keep out of her way.
There was a sound of someone coming towards her, and she glanced round to find Robert Fellows looking at her, concern in his eyes.
*
Robert's first assumption, when Julie had departed so precipitously from the table, was that she was ill. She had looked so white, devastated, and had been shivering. He felt an overwhelming need to comfort her.
'Does she suffer from seasickness?' he asked Susan, pushing back his chair.
Susan was looking across at the newcomer, and both seemed embarrassed, but she shook her head and spoke quickly.
'She's never been on a ship before, but how could anyone feel ill? The sea's like a pond, the movement is barely noticeable.'
Lucky for Love Page 2