Millie started to lift her head.
“And we pray the investigators are able to determine what or who killed Delilah so that my mom’s name is cleared,” Beth added.
“Amen,” they said in unison.
Millie reached for her sandwich. “Have you heard anything new?”
Beth rolled her eyes and reached for a potato chip. “Dad is fit to be tied. He’s threatening to sue the cruise line.”
“Sue them?” Millie hadn’t considered that angle, but it made sense.
“There was a minor incident last night when Delilah, Dad, all of us had gone down to listen to some live music near the center bar. We were munching on some appetizers from the Appeteasers Snack Bar and Delilah almost ate something with a trace of peanuts in it.”
“Really?” Millie bit into her sandwich. “What kind of appetizer?”
“Sushi.”
Millie wrinkled her nose. “Yuck.”
“I agree but apparently Delilah loves…er, loved sushi. She noticed a faint odor and nibbled the edge of one of the pieces. All of the sudden she developed a rash on her upper lip.”
“Wow! I had no idea. So now he thinks the cruise line was reckless and plans to sue?”
“Yep.” Beth nodded. “I hate to do this to you, but David and I decided we’re going to get off in San Juan and fly home with Dad and the others.”
“I understand, Beth. It’s the right thing to do. Your father needs you with him, even if it’s just for moral support,” Millie said.
Beth picked a piece of sliced turkey from her sandwich and popped it into her mouth. “Linda, Delilah’s daughter and Dixie, Delilah’s sister, are both taking it hard. Their spouses don’t seem to be fazed by her passing.” She shrugged. “Maybe they’re trying to stay strong for their wives.”
“What about the other couple, the Boskos?”
“Now there’s a couple of odd ducks,” Beth said. “They plan to finish the rest of the cruise. They told Dad there’s nothing they can do to help Delilah and they’re unwilling to pay extra to change their airline tickets.”
Millie picked up a potato chip. “What about your father?”
“I think he’s bouncing back and forth between shock and rage. One minute he’s going on about suing and the next, he’s talking as if Delilah is still alive.”
“Is he still blaming me?” Millie asked.
“Sometimes. It’s a toss-up between you, incompetent crew delivering food, incompetent kitchen staff and careless cruise line. You name it. Everyone is at fault but him.”
“I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of this,” Millie apologized.
“For the record, I was against Dad and Delilah marrying aboard this ship in the first place. Reading between the lines, it had been Delilah’s idea. Today was to be their wedding day.” Beth glanced at her half-eaten sandwich, pushed the plate aside and glanced at her watch. “I better go. I’m meeting David and the kids over by the water slides.”
The women dropped their dirty dishes in the bin near the door and Millie hugged her daughter. “Thanks for the insider info.”
“I’ll keep my ears and eyes open, and will let you know if I hear anything else,” Beth promised before heading down to the other side of the ship and the pool area.
Millie started up the steps to check on the VIP area when her radio began squawking. “Millie, do you copy?” It was Andy.
Millie plucked her radio from her belt, turned the volume up and pressed the side button. “I’m here Andy.”
“We have a 911 emergency in the Sky Chapel and I need you to meet me there.”
Chapter 7
Millie hustled to the Sky Chapel where Andy, Dave Patterson, Oscar, Patterson’s right-hand man and Pastor Pete Evans were hovering inside the door, talking in low voices.
The conversation abruptly stopped as Millie approached. All eyes turned to her and her stomach churned. Judging from the looks on their faces, they were about to share something unpleasant.
“Millie.” Andy looked at Patterson helplessly.
Pastor Evans put an arm around Millie and led her inside the sanctuary. Her first thought was that something had happened to one of her friends. Her second thought was something had happened to Captain Armati. “I-is what happened now?” she stuttered.
“Let’s go to my office.” Pastor Evan’s small office was in the back, near the entrance to the chapel.
Millie followed him in. Andy, Patterson and Oscar trailed behind and Andy closed the door behind them.
“I called Mr. Patterson and Andy after I found this note tucked inside my office door.” Pastor Evans handed a folded piece of paper to Millie.
Millie unfolded the paper and her eyes squinted as she attempted to read the sloppy handwriting.
“Dear Pastor Evans,
Thank you for meeting with me to finalize my upcoming wedding plans. Your attention to detail is greatly appreciated and I’m sure our ceremony will be an unforgettable event for both Roger and me.”
“I would like to address a concern that is weighing heavy on my mind, which is my husband’s ex-wife, Mildred Sanders, Siren of the Seas’ Assistant Cruise Director. The woman has been stalking me since I boarded the ship. She has also threatened me with bodily harm and I would ask you provide not only Roger and me with security before, during and after the event to ensure our safety, but also our guests.”
The note was signed, Delilah Osborne.
Millie read the note twice in an attempt to let the words sink in. Her hand trembled as she dropped the sheet of paper on the desk. “I did not stalk Delilah,” she insisted.
“Did you threaten her with bodily harm?” Patterson asked.
Millie wracked her brain as she tried to remember exactly what she’d said to Delilah the previous day when the woman had confronted her outside her cabin. “She showed up on my doorstep and we had words but I don’t specifically recall threatening her.” But Millie couldn’t guarantee 100% she hadn’t. She’d been so ticked off at Delilah, anything could’ve come out of her mouth.
Millie’s mouth went dry as she stared at the paper. “Now what?”
“I showed the note to Roger Sanders. He said the handwriting is Delilah’s and the note is legit,” Patterson said.
“That puts another nail in my coffin.” Millie placed her head in her hands and closed her eyes. “You might as well put the handcuffs on me now.”
“The only reason we called you here was to give you a heads up but try not to panic. Mr. Sanders hasn’t been cleared yet, either, nor have any of the other people on board the ship who knew Ms. Osborne,” Patterson said.
Millie lifted her head and glanced at Pastor Evans. “I thought Captain Armati was supposed to marry Roger and Delilah, captain of the ship and all.”
Pastor Evans slowly shook his head. “When Captain Armati found out who it was, he bowed out and asked me to officiate the ceremony instead.”
Sudden tears burned the back of Millie’s eyes. Somehow, she’d managed to drag the people she cared most about, right into the middle of her crisis. Her children, Captain Armati. She glanced around the room. Her friends. Millie’s bottom lip started to tremble. “I’m so sorry everyone.”
Andy put his arm around Millie’s shoulder. The pent up emotions inside her let loose and she began sobbing uncontrollably as she wondered how things could possibly get worse.
Patterson leaned close. “I know you’re devastated, Millie, but I also know you’re a fighter. Don’t let this get you down. We believe you. We know you didn’t kill Delilah Osborne, but we still have to figure out who did, if, in fact, it wasn’t an accident.”
Millie lifted her head and swiped at her wet cheeks. “I love a good mystery, but I guess I don’t love it as much when I’m the one under the gun.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Patterson said. “I’m still in the process of interviewing Delilah’s family and the crew who had contact with the contaminated food.”
Pastor Evans leaned across his d
esk and plucked some tissues from the tissue box before handing them to Millie. “The only reason we told you is we thought you needed to know.”
“I’m sure Roger is gunning for my arrest, in fact he told me so,” Millie said bitterly. “He was closest to Delilah. I would think he would be a prime suspect.”
“He is,” Patterson said. “Which is another reason I think he’s gung-ho to pin her death on you. It clears his name.”
“He does seem distraught,” Oscar, who had so far remained silent, added.
“As well he should be.” Millie twisted the tissue around her finger. “Now what?”
“Stay as far away from Roger and Delilah’s family as possible,” Patterson advised. “We don’t need to give them any more ammunition to use against you.”
“Thank you for letting me know what’s going on,” Millie said. “I’ll do my best to steer clear of all of them, except my daughter and her family, of course.”
Andy walked Millie to the office door. “Take another half an hour off or so to clear your head,” he said kindly. He waited for Millie to exit the chapel before closing the door behind him.
Millie stared at the closed door, wishing she could be a fly on the wall and hear the conversation now. She wondered if they were just being nice but suspected her of tainting Delilah’s food.
She could have…could have slipped into the kitchen and swiped a layer of peanut butter on Delilah’s food. After all, she was a familiar face in the galley since Annette and she were close friends.
She also could have snuck into Delilah and Roger’s suite. Millie had a master keycard and was able to access every single passenger cabin on board the ship, but she hadn’t. Whoever had done Delilah in knew what they were doing. They knew about Delilah’s severe allergies, knew she’d ordered room service and even knew when it was being delivered. All of the clues pointed to Roger.
Perhaps a member of Delilah’s family had noticed something odd between them. She’d already asked Beth to try to glean more information on the others. Millie hoped she could do it without casting suspicion on herself. The last thing she wanted was for Beth or her family to be dragged into the middle of the mess any more than they already were.
Millie forced the entire situation out of her mind and focused on work. The rest of the day passed uneventfully as she finished another round of trivia, co-hosted the hot dog eating contest on the lido deck and then headed backstage to help with last minute preparations for the evening’s show, Heart and Homes.
The practice run was hilarious as several couples vied for one of the four open spots. Andy made the final decision and chose a newly-wed couple from New York, a couple who’d been married for little less than a decade from Iowa, a third couple, empty nesters from Millie’s home state of Michigan and the final couple, Millie’s favorite, an elderly couple who were on board, celebrating their golden anniversary. The couple lived in South Florida.
After the stage had been set and the passengers given the information on returning for the big event, Millie headed upstairs to the galley to see if Annette, whose army of informants were the eyes and ears of the ship, had heard anything.
Annette and her sidekick, Amit, were up to their elbows in flour and despite Millie’s recent bad news, she burst out laughing when she stepped inside. Not only was the flour up to their elbows, it was on their faces and in their hair. “It looks like a canister of flour exploded.”
Annette shot Amit a dark look. “Ahem. Amit here decided we could finish our pastry project even faster if we skipped the tried and true commercial grade mixers and used some high-powered turbo hand mixers instead.”
Amit lowered his head but not before Millie caught a glimpse of a grin. “You should’ve seen it Miss Millie. It look like it snowing in here.”
Millie swiped her hand across the counter and picked up a thin layer of flour. “Looks like you’ll have some cleaning up to do.”
Annette took a step back and brushed her hands on the front of her apron. “Now that you’ve got this under control, I’m going to chat with Millie for a moment.”
She ushered her friend to the pantry, Annette’s unofficial office, and they stepped inside. “I heard through the grapevine Pastor Evans found a note from your ex’s bride-to-be asking for security for her wedding because you’d threatened her.”
“Good news travels fast.” Millie sighed. “I just heard myself. I was angry at Delilah but I don’t recall threatening her to the point she felt it necessary to request security at her wedding ceremony.”
“She sounds like a crackpot,” Annette said.
“She was…not a nice person.” Millie didn’t want to speak ill of the dead, but the woman was not a nice person, but then, neither was Roger.
“I heard Patterson is leaning toward closing the case, calling it an accident, that Delilah had ingested the peanuts by accident of her own accord.” Annette straightened a can of tomato paste on the shelf. “Did you know that if there’s even a trace of peanut oil or residue on a dish, someone who has severe allergies and eats from the dish could experience a reaction?”
“I had no idea.” Millie shook her head. “Perhaps it really was an accident. Unfortunately, I don’t think my ex is going to let this go. He’s talking about suing Majestic Cruise Lines.”
“Where did you say you met this gem of an ex?” Annette waved a hand. “Never mind. We all make mistakes. At least you ended up with two wonderful children from the marriage. Speaking of that, what do they think?”
Millie told Annette that Beth and her family believed she had nothing to do with Delilah’s demise. She even told her Beth was going to try to hang around Delilah’s friends and family to see if anything popped up on her radar.
“Did you tell her what to look for?” Annette ticked off her mental list. “Shifty eyes, changing the subject, lack of empathy for the victim. All the suspect signs of criminal involvement.”
“No.” Millie frowned. “Shifty eyes, huh?”
“Also known as avoiding eye contact.” Annette flipped the pantry light switch and they wandered out of the storage room and into the galley. “Lookin’ good Amit.”
The women passed by Amit and wandered to the galley door. “I’m experimenting with my Homestyle Collection and am trying a new recipe for chicken pot pie. Stop by later and you can taste test it for me.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be delicious,” Millie said. “I finish my shift at ten. Is ten too late?”
Annette made a circle with her thumb and index finger. “Perfect. We’ll see you later. Actually, make it 10:30ish. Tonight is our late night Mexican Fiesta Festival so I’ve gotta get some goodies up on deck and then clean up.”
“I’ll see you then.” Millie finished her rounds and with time to spare before meeting Annette in the galley, she headed to the bank of computers located on the other side of the library. She settled into a station near the back and pulled out the slip of paper she’d jotted Delilah’s friends and family names on.
After the computer warmed up, Millie typed in her password and clicked on the search bar. She came up empty-handed when she typed in Michael and Linda Foster, and got the same result with Dixie and Elroy Keebler.
Although Michael and Linda each had social profile pages, both had security settings and the only thing Millie could view was their names. The Keeblers weren’t on social media.
She typed in Ronald and Julie Bosko and finally, something popped up. She scrolled through the search results and her eyes widened when she found an old Grand Rapids Press newspaper article. Ronald Bosko’s name caught her eye. The article was dated July 2015.
“Local socialite Julie Tindler-Bosko and her husband Ronald Bosko, a local pharmacist and owner of South Street Drug Store located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan are currently under investigation for insurance and EBT card fraud.”
Chapter 8
After reading the brief article, Millie typed Julie Bosko’s name in several social media sites and discovered Delilah a
nd Julie had been friends for many years, since college.
There was a collage of photos, mostly of the woman and her pets. There were a couple of her standing next to a man who looked familiar but then Millie saw a lot of new faces every single day and she decided he probably looked like any number of male passengers.
She wondered what kind of insurance fraud investigation the Boskos were involved in. Since the news story was over a year old, she also wondered if the case was still open or if the investigators had closed it.
After typing in several other searches, all dead ends, Millie gave up trying to find anything else on the investigation and logged off the computer.
Somewhere between the delivery of the food and the time Delilah ate it, someone tainted the food. If it wasn’t the room service staff, who was it?
Millie thought about the layout of Roger’s suite and wondered if there was a connecting door. Many cabins as well as several suites had connecting doors. The connecting doors were popular with large parties of families cruising together; they would unlock the doors so they could access each other’s cabins without walking out into the hall.
When she reached the galley, Annette, Amit, Cat and Danielle were already there. “You’re right on time. Were your ears ringing? We were talking about you.” Annette leaned her elbows on the countertop.
Danielle pointed to a row of pastry dishes. “My timing is impeccable and now I get to sample the tasty dishes Annette and Amit have whipped up.”
The group spread out around the counter and Annette slid a chicken potpie dish in front of each of them while Amit passed out napkins and spoons. Millie’s mouth watered as she eased the tip of her spoon into the flaky top crust to let the heat escape. The smell of baked chicken wafted up.
She set the spoon on top of her napkin and folded her hands in front of her. “Someone else can take the lead on saying grace and if you could put in a good word for me, I would appreciate it.”
Suite Revenge (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8) Page 5