She heaved out a sigh when the familiar symbol – the thing she’d come to think of us a death omen – hovered over Leighann Porter’s head in a close-up shot Rowan snapped on a whim a few hours before. Rowan was still staring at the photo twenty minutes later when Quinn let himself into her room.
“I’m ready for you to regale me with adoration and wonder,” he announced. “Tell me how sexy you find it when I’m right.”
Rowan didn’t immediately answer and Quinn recognized the set of her jaw, sobering in an instant.
“What’s wrong, Ro?”
Rowan gestured toward her computer screen. Once she pointed out the mark to him, Quinn could always see it. He never once questioned her ability even though Rowan constantly did. “Leighann Porter.”
Quinn gritted his teeth together as he leaned over to stare at the screen. “She’s going to die.”
“Unless we do something about it.”
Quinn was blasé, refusing to get worked up. “Then I guess we’ll have to do something about it.”
6
Six
Quinn positioned guards close to Leighann’s room, making sure he received notification that she’d returned before turning in. Thankfully Leighann didn’t seem to be the party animal type and she headed to her room early. Since they couldn’t do anything but watch – and Leighann was apparently safe until morning – Quinn and Rowan opted for sleep. Their slumber was hardly restful, though.
They rose early and headed straight toward the dining room. Quinn briefly conversed with the guards placed on Leighann’s door, leaving Rowan to work her way through the buffet line. Only a few of The Bounding Storm’s workers were allowed to eat with the guests. At first the distinction made Rowan uncomfortable, but she was used to it now and, since the special treatment allowed her to keep an eye on Leighann, she was thankful for the privilege this morning.
Rowan was halfway through the line before she realized she was standing next to Claire Austin. The regal woman had a smile on her face as she conversed with the girls in front of her, but Rowan sensed an air of aloofness. The feeling only lasted until Claire’s eyes landed on Rowan and the older woman opted to engage the ship’s photographer in some friendly conversation.
“I saw you yesterday.”
“What?” Rowan lifted her head, confused. “Are you talking to me?”
Claire nodded as she slipped a strand of lustrous brown hair behind her ear. “I saw you taking photographs in the practice area and asked about you. I wanted to make sure you weren’t just some random mother getting in the way and acting a fool.”
Rowan wasn’t sure if the comment was supposed to be a dig. “I did my best not to get in anyone’s way.”
“Oh, I’m sure you did.” Claire waved off the statement with an imperious hand. Much like Leighann, she wore an expensive suit that wasn’t really conducive to being comfortable on a cruise ship. Rowan couldn’t help but wonder if Claire wore it so she would be seen as Leighann’s equal. Since she had no way of testing the theory she kept her observation to herself. “That’s not what I meant. I simply want to make sure that my girls are taken care of.”
“I heard what you did for your girls.” Rowan spared a glance for the curious girl in front of Claire. She was tall – almost three inches taller than Rowan – and she had a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she overtly eavesdropped. Rowan couldn’t help but like her on sight. “I like your style.”
Claire spared a glance for the girl, her lips curving as she shook her head. “Gabby, I don’t believe this conversation has anything to do with you, does it?”
Instead of being abashed, Gabby merely shrugged. “I’m a busybody. You’ve told me that a hundred times. I can’t help myself.”
“You could try to help yourself.”
“What fun is that?” Gabby grinned at Rowan. “I saw you yesterday, too. You were with the really hot guy, the one who is with security. He was holding your hand.”
Rowan fought the blush climbing her cheeks. “Where did you see me?”
“You guys were in the tiki bar and he was smiling at you.” Gabby took on a whimsical expression. “He didn’t stop looking at you the entire time you were together. Everyone was talking about it.”
“Who is everyone?” Claire asked.
Gabby shrugged. “Just everyone. We were there watching Kasey Witherspoon and her gaggle of clucking ducks, but we ended up watching you instead.”
“That’s possibly very flattering.” Rowan kept her smile in place. “I take it you don’t like Kasey. That seems to be a common theme.”
“She’s a terrible person.” Gabby was clearly without gall. “She’s been nothing but rude since she found out we were coming.”
“I see.” Rowan glanced at Claire and licked her lips, unsure how to proceed. “I wouldn’t worry about Kasey,” she said finally. “Girls who have a sense of entitlement tend to learn harsh lessons later in life. I saw it when I was in high school. I’m sure Kasey will come to that realization at some point in time herself.”
“I hope so.” Gabby beamed and waved before taking off with her plate.
Claire made a tsking sound with her tongue as she watched the girl go. “She didn’t mean anything by what she said.”
Rowan added several sausage links to her plate. “Which part?”
Claire chuckled, although the sound was utterly humorous. “I guess that’s a fair question. I was talking about the part where she said she was watching you. I guarantee she wasn’t doing it in a creepy manner.”
“Oh, that.” Rowan chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. Quinn is extremely handsome. Women everywhere fall all over him.”
Claire gave Rowan an appraising look. “And what about you? Did you fall all over him?”
“I … um … would like to think we fell over each other.”
“But?” Claire prodded.
“But he’s hard not to fall over,” Rowan conceded. “More important than his looks, though, is the fact that he’s a good man. I’ll make sure to tell him that he’s stirring up the females. He’ll get a kick out of it.”
“Oh, don’t do that, dear.” Claire shook her head. “You’ll simply fire up his ego if you do.”
“Well, I’m okay with that.” Rowan moved to the fruit bowl and started doling out pineapple and watermelon to her plate. “What you did for the girls you brought with you is the talk of the ship. I can’t help being impressed.”
Claire didn’t seem embarrassed to have her philanthropy on display. “I didn’t do it for simply altruistic reasons, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Since Claire seemed the honest sort, Rowan opted not to lie. “I wasn’t thinking that. The reason you did it is part of the gossip.”
“Really?” Claire’s eyes lit with interest. “And what are people saying?”
“That you want to beat Leighann Porter.”
“And that’s it?”
Rowan nodded. “In a nutshell, yeah.”
“I guess that’s true on a simplistic level,” Claire conceded, grabbing a roll and adding it to her pile of food. “It’s deeper than that, though. Leighann has always thought herself above everyone else. It doesn’t matter what she’s doing, or with whom, but she’s always fancied herself the center of attention. We competed for a long time and I always thought beating her meant that I would eventually steal the spotlight.
“In truth, once I reached a certain age I realized how silly it was to compete with Leighann for attention,” she continued. “No one should need the amount of attention that Leighann appears to seek out. When I came to that simple realization, I decided to help others stand out. The fact that I managed to annoy Leighann in the process was merely an added bonus.”
“I see.” Rowan didn’t bother to hide her smile as she glanced at the table in the middle of the room where the second group of girls – the poorer group – seemed to be having a great time as they whooped it up. “You still did a great thing, whatever your reasons. Those girls will
never forget this trip.”
Claire followed her gaze. “No, I guess they won’t.” She smiled when she caught sight of Leighann glaring at the girls from across the dining room. “Leighann will never forget either.”
“What’s more important to you?” Rowan asked, legitimately curious. “Is giving the girls something they’ll never forget more important than showing Leighann who is boss?”
Claire shrugged, noncommittal. “Who says I can’t have both?” She flashed another smile, this one weary since it happened to coincide with her girls joining in a squealing contest as one of them said something to Gabby that made the girl practically scream with joy. “Of course, even winning on both levels isn’t without difficulty.”
Rowan snorted as she watched the woman square her shoulders and cross to the table. She was the regal sort – stiff spine and frozen smile – but it was clear she was going to do what was necessary to protect her girls. Rowan had to admire that.
QUINN JOINED ROWAN ten minutes later and widened his eyes when he realized she’d already inhaled half her food.
“You couldn’t wait for me, huh?”
Rowan refused to be embarrassed. Her eating habits were often a topic of conversation and she’d long since given up trying to be a demure eater. “They have divine sausage links this morning. What can I say? I freaking love sausage.”
Quinn’s grin turned wicked. “I didn’t realize you were so open with the sex talk until this trip. It’s fascinating.”
Rowan’s eyes clouded. “That is not funny.” She waved a slice of buttered toast in his face. “You know I don’t like it when you say things like that.”
“I know. You’re kind of a prude.” Quinn dug into his breakfast and took a moment to scan the room. “I saw you talking to Claire Austin. Did anything come of that?”
Rowan repeated what she could remember about their conversation, wrapping up with her personal observances regarding the woman’s determination when she left to join her crew. “I don’t think she’s as bad as some people make her out to be. She’s definitely doing this at least partially for her own amusement, but she seems engaged with her girls. She admonished Gabby for staring at us but seemed resigned that the girl has a big personality. She didn’t give her too much grief over it.”
“While I still don’t understand why she feels the need to best Leighann Porter – the woman isn’t worth all the effort that’s being expended on her, if you ask me – I think she’s doing a good thing,” Quinn noted. “You’re right. Those girls are going to remember this trip forever.”
“And what about the other girls?” Rowan inclined her chin toward Kasey Witherspoon as the flawless teenager glared in Gabby’s direction. “Do you think they’ll remember this trip forever?”
“I don’t want to judge privileged kids because it somehow seems unfair.” Quinn shifted uncomfortably on his chair. “The thing is, I can’t help but root for the little guy – er, little girls, in this equation.”
“I think that’s human nature,” Rowan agreed. “Still, most of these girls will grow up to be good people. I’m talking about on all sides here. It’s only the random few who will be intolerable.”
“Like Kasey Witherspoon?”
“Probably.” Rowan was uneasy given the dislike surging through her chest as she stared at the blonde in question. “I don’t want to form judgments simply because of entitlement factors – I mean, Kasey probably doesn’t know any better and I’m not sure how much of that is her fault given what you’ve told me about her chaperone – but she bothers me.”
“Did she bother you before I told the story about her trying to trade sexual favors in exchange for letting her off the hook regarding the bar snafu?”
“Um … .” Rowan pressed her lips together. “Are you insinuating I’m jealous of a teenager?”
“No.” Quinn vehemently shook his head. “Not in the least. In fact, it’s the opposite. I think you’re more annoyed by the chaperone than anything else. Still, when you look at Kasey, I can’t help wondering if there’s not something else bothering you under the surface.”
The statement threw Rowan for a loop. “And what would that be?”
Quinn held his hands palms up and shrugged. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
“I don’t think there’s anything.” Rowan was adamant. “Besides, Kasey Witherspoon is not our biggest problem. Her mentor is our biggest problem.” Rowan focused her gaze on a distracted-looking Leighann Porter. “What are we going to do about the death omen?”
“That’s a very good question.” Quinn sobered. “She could be dying of natural causes, right? I only asked because she’s wrapped so tight I think it’s feasible she might die of a heart attack thanks to all the taunting Claire Austin is doing.”
Rowan’s gaze bounced between the two women, smirking when she realized they were both doing their best to appear as if they weren’t staring at the other even though it obviously wasn’t true. “It’s possible, but it rarely happens. Besides, I don’t care how tightly she’s wound, Leighann is a relatively young woman. I mean … look at her plate. It’s all fruit and lean protein. She doesn’t have bacon or sausage and she clearly looks to be in good shape.”
Quinn wrinkled his nose. “I would rather die five years early and eat as much sausage as I want than live without it.”
“Oh, now who’s talking dirty?” Rowan teased, grinning at his glower. “It’s not so funny when the shoe is on the other foot, is it?”
“I don’t think anything about the situation is funny,” Quinn clarified. “We have a real situation here. I don’t know if you’ve thought this through yet but, if Leighann dies, the ship and parent company would be all over the news because of it.”
Rowan forced herself to turn serious. “Because of the cheerleading group?”
Quinn nodded. “She’s a public figure, whether we like it or not. She’s been on the news complaining about Claire Austin infiltrating her organization. Sure, it was the local news because they both live in a gated community about forty miles away from the dock, but it still made the news. You probably aren’t aware of what was going on before this, but I had to watch the news coverage so I would be ready to provide security for both groups.
“She was all over the television and print media screaming about hostile takeovers until someone – and I’m going to guess that Claire Austin herself was that someone – pointed out that most of the kids Leighann was trying to keep out of her group were black,” he continued. “I personally think Leighann has an issue with them being poor rather than the color of their skin, but it didn’t play well on television and she had no choice but to back down and allow them to attend.”
“That’s interesting.” Rowan tipped her head to the side as she stared at the two women. “I can’t quite wrap my head around what either of them has planned for their end game. Their war is almost like a dance because they’re never going to come to blows or anything.”
“That’s just the problem,” Quinn noted. “What if they do come to blows? What if that’s how Leighann dies?”
Rowan hadn’t even considered the possibility. “There’s no way,” she said after a beat. “I think Claire is keen to beat Leighann, but I don’t think she’s willing to kill to do it. That would risk her going to jail for the rest of her life. I don’t think that’s something she would even consider … at least not over a cheerleading competition.”
“I would tend to agree with you. That doesn’t mean one of Claire’s girls isn’t open to the possibility of killing Leighann.”
Rowan realized where he was going with the suggestion. “Oh, geez.” She rubbed her index finger over the tender spot between her eyebrows. “Oh, man. I didn’t even think of that.”
Quinn bobbed his head when he was certain the true weight of the situation had settled on Rowan’s diminutive shoulders. “Yeah, we’re in a real pickle. If something does happen to Leighann and we’re not able to stop it, who do you think is going to be the first suspect?�
��
“Claire.”
“And then when Claire is ruled out because it makes no sense and that’s not how she rolls, who is going to be the second suspect?”
“Claire’s girls.” Rowan swallowed hard as she focused on Gabby’s smiling face. The girl had a certain light about her that was somehow magical. “And if one of those girls is truly guilty then Leighann will become a martyr.”
“And the stigma surrounding those girls in some people’s minds will only intensify,” Quinn added. “It’s a mess. I don’t ever want a murder to come to pass, but this one has the potential to blow sky high. We have to make sure that Leighann doesn’t die on our watch.”
“Then we’re going to need people to help us.” Rowan was resigned. “You and I can’t watch her every moment of every day for the rest of the trip.”
“No. I can put my men on it, but someone might question how I decided to disperse my personnel if the younger girls keep trying to illegally drink and their mothers refuse to tone down their legal drinking.”
“So we need help.” Rowan gnawed on a sausage link as she considered their options. “What about Sally and Demarcus?”
“Demarcus will be easy enough to draw in,” Quinn agreed. “He’s at the tiki bar most afternoons and doesn’t need an excuse to wander around the ship. I can explain that we’re simply trying to watch Leighann to make sure there are no fights and he’ll probably fall for it, even talk to his bartenders and ask them to watch, too.”
“Sally is another story, though.” Rowan was rueful. “She’ll know that we want her to keep an eye open for other reasons. I think she’s already mildly suspicious about me.”
Quinn made a sympathetic sound in the back of his throat as he gripped her hand. “Sally is trustworthy. If you want to go into detail about your abilities … well … I think she’ll understand. She might take some convincing because it’s a wild story, but I think she’ll eventually fall in line.”
“I’m not actually worried about that,” Rowan admitted. “I think she’ll fall in line, too. It’s the other part that terrifies me.”
Choppy Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 5) Page 6