Terror at Sea: Three mysteries aboard a cruise ship

by Debby Mayne

  I decided to take Betty’s advice and order something to be brought up. I picked up the limited room service menu and chose a few things that sounded good and would tide me over until I could get out and visit one of the buffets everyone raved about.

  Once I knew what I wanted, I picked up the phone and punched in the number at the bottom of the menu. It rang a dozen times, and no one picked up. So I put the receiver back in the cradle, walked over to the door, and cracked it open.

  There stood Betty, shaking her finger at me. “Get back inside, girlie. I told you to have something delivered.”

  “But—”

  Commotion at the other end of the hall caught both of our attention. She shuffled in that direction as she muttered something about how people doing stupid things could get them killed. I backed into my room, shut the door, and locked it.

  I went to the phone and tried again to place an order, this time letting it ring more than twenty times … still no answer. And no answering machine. I sighed. And then my stomach let out a loud gurgling sound, reminding me it was past time to put something in it.

  I waited a few more minutes before getting my cross-body bag and heading out the door in spite of Betty’s warnings. I figured if I was going to die, it would be much better on a full stomach.

  Fortunately, Betty wasn’t anywhere in sight this time. And I realized the commotion wasn’t coming from an attempted murderer. It was a family traveling with four rambunctious, pre-adolescent boys who didn’t seem to care that they were disturbing other passengers.

  The mother appeared worn down as she gave me an apologetic look. My heart went out to her. I was able to take a couple of months away from the kids I taught, while she had at least eighteen years with no break—unless she had a job outside the home. Some people didn’t realize that going to work was often less trouble than staying home with the kids. And going on a cruise with them? I wondered what on earth that mom was thinking.

  When I got to the deck where the buffet was, I noticed that there was food out, but no one was getting anything. In fact, there were only a few people on the deck, and they were all resting on lounge chairs. That was odd. It looked like a nice spread.

  I walked around a little bit, until I ran into someone who clearly worked for the cruise line. “When does the breakfast buffet start?”

  “It already started.” She gave me a brief glance and then scurried away.

  My stomach growled again, only much louder this time, so I figured I might as well go ahead and fill up a plate with food. Once I had fruit, cheese, a couple of muffins, and a variety of other delicious looking foods piled high on my plate, I walked over to a table topped by a humongous rainbow-striped umbrella. I never minded eating alone, but it would have been nice to have someone to talk to this morning.

  The fruit was deliciously cold and sweet. The muffins were okay, but I made a mental note to choose something else next time.

  “Hi, Autumn. Are you sure you want to eat that?”

  I glanced over my shoulder as the voice drew closer. “Hi, Judith. I was starving.”

  “Harvey and I were too, but we didn’t want to risk getting poisoned.”

  “Poisoned?” My throat constricted.

  “Yes, poisoned.” She pulled out a chair across the table and plopped down. “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard about Aileen getting poisoned.”

  I looked down at my plate that was now half empty, and a completely different feeling washed over me. “Um … I did hear that someone tried to murder her, but I didn’t realize she’d been poisoned.”

  “Yeppers. She ate something last night that they’re pretty sure contained cyanide, and somehow she managed to call Doc Healey before it was too late. He took care of her right away.” She made a face. “I think he induced vom—”

  Harvey interrupted her. “I think she gets the picture, Judith. You don’t have to go into graphic detail.”

  “How did he know it was cyanide?”

  Judith contorted her mouth as she shrugged. “He’s a doctor. I guess they just know those things.”

  My cheeks puffed as I blew out a breath. I looked back at my plate and then at Judith. “Well, I’ve already consumed a little bit of everything the buffet had to offer, and so far so good.”

  “That’s nice.” Judith gave me a beatific smile. “Maybe I’ll get something. That bagel we had delivered to the room was stale.”

  “I tried to have something delivered, but they didn’t answer when I called.”

  “Same here,” Harvey said. “That’s why I went to the desk and told them what we wanted.”

  I wasn’t able to take another bite of my food, now that I knew about the cyanide poisoning, so I just sat there and stared at the deck as I waited for Judith to return. She had a banana and a couple of boiled eggs on the plate and a couple of bottles of water in the crook of her elbow.

  She grinned at me. “Trying to watch my figure. I totally blew it last night.”

  Judith had a nice figure for a woman her age, so I made a mental note to be more careful with my own diet in the future. “What else do you know about the attempted murder?”

  She shrugged, almost as though we were talking about something as innocuous as the weather. “Basically just what I told you. It was a matter of time before someone went after Aileen. That bag is horrible. No one can stand her.” She peeled back the skin on the top part of her banana and shoved it into her mouth. “Mmm, this is so delicious. I wish I could find fruit this good back home.”

  “Where is back home?”

  “North Carolina. My husband and I moved there from Ohio where the winters are brutal. We bought a small bungalow where we retired. It’s a quick plane ride to the cruise ships. Sometimes we leave out of Miami, but occasionally we go on cruises out of Tampa. We’re thinking we might go on an Alaskan cruise next time, but we’d have to fly to Seattle.” She paused and put down her fork. “Harvey wanted to do that this time, but I talked him out of it because I wasn’t in the mood to fly that far. I wish I’d given in …” She smiled at me. “But that wouldn’t have been as exciting, now, would it?”

  The look she cast in my direction made me shiver. Exciting? I would have given up an exciting attempt at murder on a Caribbean cruise any day for a chance to go on a peaceful Alaskan cruise.

  Now that she’d mentioned her husband, I looked around and saw that he was nowhere in sight. “Speaking of Harvey, where is he?”

  Chapter 5

  There was a split second of hesitation before she responded. “He had an appointment for a massage.”

  A massage sounded good to me, so I made a mental note to try to book one. “It must be nice to be able to go on so many cruises.”

  She glanced away momentarily before looking at me and gave a half nod. “Most of the time, it is, but I have to admit I sometimes get cabin fever. Harvey tells me I need to get off the ship more when we stop at ports, but I don’t like walking all over creation, just to have all those people trying to sell me stuff I don’t need.”

  “What people are trying to sell you stuff?”

  “You know …” She stopped herself and gave me a condescending smile. “Oh, that’s right. This is your first cruise, so you don’t know. When we get to the various ports, there are hundreds of people waiting for the suckers on the ship to get off so we’ll spend perfectly good money for the junk they have.” She leaned forward and whispered as though there was anyone around to hear her. “They say they made it themselves, but sometimes they forget to peel off the made in China tags.

  “I was hoping to take one of the tours, but maybe that’s not such a good idea.”

  She shrugged. “Suit yourself. If you enjoy walking around and getting all sweaty in tourist traps, you might like it. At any rate, I like to have some time to myself, so when Harvey goes off on his merry way, I stick around the cabin and read.” She pulled a Kindle out of her bag. “This is the best invention known to mankind. I have more than a hundred books in here, all waiti
ng for me to immerse myself in their make-believe worlds of love and romance while my husband does his thing.”

  “So you like romance novels?”

  “I do.” She laced her fingers together. “How about you? Do you like to read?”

  I nodded. “I like romance novels, but right now I’m into mysteries. It’s fun to try to solve them.”

  Her expression instantly changed. “Don’t tell me you’re an amateur sleuth.”

  “Oh, not in real life … just when I read the books.”

  “Are you any good at it?” The lines on her forehead deepened as she gave me a concerned look. “I mean, do you always solve the mystery?”

  “Most of the time I figure out who committed the crime if the clues are strong enough, but occasionally I get it wrong.”

  Judith’s jaw tightened as she shoved away from the table. “I’d better go see about Harvey. He should be back in the cabin by now.”

  Before I had a chance to say another word, she was gone. And I was alone again.

  Her reaction startled me, but I noticed from the very beginning that she was an odd bird. I hadn’t touched my food since she’d first joined me, and when I glanced back at it, I wasn’t nearly as hungry as I was when I first sat down.

  The sun was shining, but the wind kept the deck cool. Back home, I would have had to stay inside in the air conditioning to be this comfortable. There was something special about an ocean breeze.

  A few people had returned and strolled by—some of them acknowledging me with a smile and others acting as though I was invisible. But I didn’t care. They could do whatever they wanted to do. All I wanted was to relax.

  I noticed that as people started to come out, the lounge chairs began filling up quickly. So I got up and found one that was somewhat hidden in a little alcove so I could have some privacy for my own thoughts—and maybe a nap.

  Before I had a chance to settle back, someone else approached, and this time it was the captain. “You left early last night. I hope you are enjoying your time on the ship.” He leaned against the rail. “You are, aren’t you?”

  I smiled. “I haven’t exactly had a chance to yet.” Since he didn’t bring up what seemed to be on everyone else’s mind, I decided to. “How is the lady who was poisoned?”

  A frown quickly replaced his smile. “Who told you someone was poisoned?”

  No point in getting anyone in trouble, and based on his expression, I thought that might be the case. “Just people talking. Is she …” I grimaced. “Is she conscious?”

  He nodded. “She might have eaten some rotten food …” His lips tightened momentarily. “Before she boarded the ship, of course.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  The captain pulled away from the railing. “I’m sure she’ll be just fine. Doc Healey is taking excellent care of her until her health improves or we can get her to a hospital at the first port of call.”

  “But I thought—” I stopped myself before divulging that I’d already spoken to Betty about what happened and how the authorities were supposed to arrive by helicopter. “I hope she gets better quickly.”

  The captain glanced down at something on his belt, and I saw that it was some sort of communication device. “I need to get back to the machine room. If there’s anything you need, let Andrea Zeller know.” He forced a smile, but his eyes didn’t crinkle as I’d seen last night when he appeared truly happy. “She’s the cruise director, and it’s her job to make sure everyone enjoys their time on the ship. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a say in hiring her.” His jaw tightened momentarily. “If she gives you any trouble, let me know. I’d like to replace her and that lousy purser as soon as possible. I don’t know what the company thought they were doing when they brought in two inexperienced crewmembers.” He shook his head as he walked away mumbling something I couldn’t understand.

  After he left, I leaned back again and closed my eyes, hoping to have a little quiet time. But I was awakened by a splash of water. I opened my eyes in time to see a little boy who appeared to be about seven or eight being chased by a boy who looked like he might be around twelve, the same age as the ones in my classes. They both had squirt guns, but the smaller child had a look of fear written all over his face.

  I popped right up. “Whoa. Slow down, guys.”

  The little boy did what I told him to, which made it easier for the older one to catch him. When I realized I’d just handicapped the younger one, I hopped up out of my chair and jumped between them.

  “Move, lady. We’re playing cops and robbers.” The older of the two children issued a defiant look, and I wasn’t about to let him get away with it.

  “You were playing cops and robbers until you squirted me. That’s when the game changed.” I planted a fist on my hip, teacher style. “Do your parents know where you are?”

  “We’re not supposed to talk to strangers.” He tried to dart around me, but I was too fast for him, which obviously surprised him.

  “Too bad. You should have thought about that before you doused this stranger with water.”

  He looked me in the eyes and scowled. “I told you to move.”

  “Would you like to rephrase that?”

  “Move.”

  “I don’t move unless I’m asked politely,” I said, holding his gaze.

  He rolled his eyes. “Move, please.”

  I glanced around, hoping there would be another adult nearby who might have witnessed this. But I didn’t see one, so I stepped aside.

  “Don’t let this happen again, or I’ll have to have a talk with your parents.”

  They both gave me one last quick glance before continuing their chase. Now I realized the little boy was just as scrappy as his older brother, but that still didn’t give them the right to squirt people trying to relax.

  I leaned back and closed my eyes again, but my nerves that were already on edge now felt raw and blistered. All it took was the sound of a woman’s shrill voice to send me over the edge. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman holding the two boys by the arms and screeching at them. I wanted to scream, but being the mannerly southern woman I’d been taught to be, I didn’t. Instead, I stood up, stretched, and headed for my cabin.

  Once I got to the hallway leading to my room, I spotted the ship’s purser leaving Betty’s cabin. I thought that was odd, but I also remembered the fact that this had been her home for a couple of years, so I figured they had some business to take care of.

  Chapter 6

  Betty stepped out into the hallway and looked directly at me. “I thought I heard someone coming. What are you doing out there all by yourself?”

  I hated having to explain anything, but again, I didn’t want to be rude. “I had to get out for a little while.”

  She scowled. “I hope you didn’t do too much talking.”

  “Too much talking?” I narrowed my eyes and gave her a curious look. “About what?”

  “About what you know.”

  “What I know about what?” I asked.

  “The murder … I mean the attempted murder. It’s supposed to be a secret.”

  “I really don’t think it’s much of a secret. You know, I know, and—” I caught myself before I mentioned Judith’s name. There wasn’t any point in bringing someone else into Betty’s world of drama.

  “And what?” Betty tilted her head and gave me an accusatory look. “Who did you tell?”

  I lifted both hands and shook my head as I stepped farther away from this woman who was appearing crazier by the minute. “I didn’t tell a soul.”

  “How do I know you didn’t talk?” Her voice cracked.

  I edged closer to my cabin as slowly as I could so I wouldn’t get her any more worked up than she already was. “I reckon you’ll just have to take my word for it.” As soon as I got to the door, I unlocked it and put one foot inside. “I’ll talk to you later, Betty. I need some rest.”

  Once inside my room, I shuddered—something I found myself doing quit
e a bit since I’d been on this ship. Having a cabin in the same vicinity as Betty wasn’t working out for me, and it seemed to upset her as well. So I picked up the phone and requested a different room, only to be told the ship was full, and there wasn’t anything else available. I knew the ship wasn’t full, and when I mentioned it, she became extremely defensive, letting me know that was none of my business. I could tell she wasn’t going to be any help at all.

  “Is there anything else we can help you with?” The woman’s instant change to her over-the-top perky voice reminded me of the noisy squirrels outside my old bedroom window at Mama and Daddy’s house. “Would you like to purchase one of the super fun excursions at St. Thomas?”

  “No, that’s okay.”

  “If you change your mind or decide to add more adventures to your agenda, don’t hesitate to call back. We want our passengers to have a wonderful trip and one you’ll always remember.”

  “It would be a much more wonderful trip if—”

  “As I told you …” She’d switched back to her cranky voice. “Like I said, the ship is full, and we don’t have a vacant room to put you in.”

  “Okay.” I sighed. “Thank you anyway.” I dropped the phone back into the cradle and pondered what she’d said. This was definitely not a wonderful trip so far, but it was one I’d always remember.

  A knock came at my door a few minutes later. “Who is it?”

  “Harvey Bailey. I’d like to talk to you.”

  I crossed the room and opened the door a couple of inches. I’d barely met this man, and it didn’t seem appropriate to have him come into my room. “Did you need something?”

  “Mind if I come in?” He stuck his foot in the door, so if I closed it, I knew it might hurt. But still …

  “Can we talk later?” I glanced over my shoulder and pretended to speak to someone. Before I had a chance to turn back to face him, he’d shoved the door open, pushing me off balance and farther into the room. Next thing I knew, he was in my room, with the door closed behind him.