Vanishing Vacationers (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 5)

by Hope Callaghan

  Of course, there was the time Annette, Cat and Millie had snuck into Purser Sweeney’s office… “Okay. So maybe I have but not this time,” she insisted.

  Patterson pressed on the small of Millie’s back and forced her into the small copy room. He closed the door behind him. “Promise me you’ll stay out of this one, Millie. We have professionals working the case and I don’t want you, or the other girls, getting in the way.”

  Millie dug in her heels. “Well, when I’m off duty and on the island, I’m a free agent.”

  It was true. The ship had no authority over her when she was off the clock and wasn’t on the ship. She could do as she darn well pleased. No one was going to tell Millie Sanders what to do!

  Her detective radar shifted into high gear…there was more to the story. She suspected something else, some bombshell of information that hadn’t been made public.

  She quickly dismissed the thought of breaking into Patterson’s office and rifling through his files. It would be just her luck; he would catch her in the act and toss her off the ship. No mystery was worth losing her job over!

  Patterson followed her as far as the atrium. “You need to leave this one to the experts,” he warned.

  Millie set her mouth in a straight line, unwilling to agree to keep her nose out of it. She didn’t like to make promises she couldn’t keep.

  Millie dropped Andy’s folder off at his cabin, thanked him for sharing the information and admitted Patterson had caught her in the copy room. If Andy was bothered by the news, he didn’t show it but instead shrugged his shoulders.

  “Don’t do anything foolish, Millie,” Andy said as she handed him the folder.

  Millie wasn’t sure what she would do with the information. She was intrigued, to say the least.

  “I’ll try to stay out of trouble,” she replied. It was the best she could do.

  Andy walked Millie to the door and held it open, waiting for her to step out into the hall. She couldn’t wait to get back to the cabin to study the information.

  Tomorrow was a sea day. Millie would have some free time to log onto the ship’s computers and do a little research in the case, maybe find out more about the Roush family. Someone somewhere knew something about the family’s disappearance.

  Millie slid her key card in the door of the cabin, waited for it to beep and then pushed the door open.

  Her heart sank when she stepped inside. Danielle was lounging on the lower bunk…Millie’s bunk. She held the TV remote in her hand and flipped through the channels. “There is nothing but crap on TV,” she complained.

  Millie had to agree. When the ship was out to sea, the station selection was limited. There were only so many times a sane person could watch Andy tell guests about all of the fabulous deals waiting for them at the island shops.

  Millie nodded. She attempted to fold the sheets of paper in half and nonchalantly stick them behind her back.

  Danielle hopped off the lower bunk and headed to the chair. “What cha got?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Danielle pointed to Millie’s hand, tucked behind her back. “The papers. What are those?”

  Millie pulled the papers forward. “Oh…nothing much. Just something I got from Andy.”

  “Something to do with the schedule tomorrow?” Danielle probed. The more evasive Millie’s answers, the more suspicious Danielle became.

  “How did it go with the Kingman family?” Millie changed the subject.

  Danielle flounced back in the chair and rolled her eyes. “Good grief! Those kids are smarter than a whip. I feel like a dummy every time I open my mouth.”

  Millie smiled. Danielle was a kind of “shoot from the hip” talker. Whatever popped into her head came out of her mouth.

  “Did you know they won this trip in a chess match? A chess match! Why, I don’t even know how to play chess!”

  Millie didn’t either. The closest she came was playing checkers. When she was younger, as in childhood. She remembered someone telling her Danielle was going to take the family to meet the orchestra.

  “Did you stop by to see Ronnie?” Ronnie Zicklaburg was the orchestra conductor and somewhat pompous, at least in Millie’s opinion. She figured it went with the territory. The conductor would have to keep a stiff upper lip to keep the rest of the orchestra in line.

  Danielle raised her hands above her head and stretched her back. “Yeah. Courtney, the girl, plays the flute. She is good. Even Ronnie said so.”

  Millie nonchalantly made her way over to her bunk bed and slid the papers under the mattress. “I would have liked to hear her play.” Flute was one of Millie’s favorite instruments and the sound lyrical. The melodies were haunting at times.

  Danielle dropped her arms. “Courtney ‘auditioned’ for Ronnie and he invited her to play tomorrow night during the main show.”

  The show scheduled for the following evening was a new production Millie hadn’t seen yet. She knew the dancers had been practicing almost non-stop to perfect their performance. The name of the new show was “Gem of the Sea” and Millie was anxious to see it.

  Siren of the Seas had rolled out the red carpet for the Kingman family. An invitation to be a part of Siren of the Seas’ orchestra was about as VIP as you could get!

  Danielle yawned and headed to the bathroom. “What time are we supposed to meet Andy in the morning?”

  Millie glanced at her watch. It was already half past ten. “Seven a.m. on the dot.”

  Danielle snapped her head and whipped around. “What lunatic reports to work at such a ridiculous hour?”

  Millie thumbed her chest. “This lunatic. You too.”

  Danielle yanked the bathroom door open, stomped inside and slammed the door shut.

  Millie stared at the door. The girl was either going to sink or swim. Danielle had two choices: fall in line or bail.

  Millie would give anything to have her roommate, Sarah, back. Although she had to admit, Danielle did add some excitement. She was a character.

  Millie grabbed the remote and waited for Danielle to emerge from the bathroom. Millie waited for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she tapped on the bathroom door, convinced Danielle had fallen asleep on the toilet.

  The door opened. Danielle’s head popped out, her entire face covered in a thick layer of goop…a mud mask.

  “What on earth?”

  “It’s a mask,” Danielle explained through pursed lips. “It’s almost dry. I’ll be out in a sec.” She didn’t wait for Millie to reply and the door closed in Millie’s face.

  Millie groaned and made a mental note to get ready for bed before Danielle from now on. Yep, the new cabin mate was a learning curve for Millie. Sarah, she realized, had spoiled her.

  She wondered how Sarah and Nikki were getting along. Probably a whole lot better than Millie and Danielle.

  Millie curled up on her bunk and closed her eyes. She had just drifted off to sleep when Danielle emerged from the bathroom. “It’s all yours.”

  For half a second, Millie thought about crawling under the covers and forgetting about brushing her teeth and washing her face until the morning, but common sense won out. She slowly slid off the bunk and shuffled to the bathroom.

  It took Millie less than ten minutes to brush her teeth, wash her face and change into her pajamas.

  She rolled her dirty work uniform into a ball and stepped out into the main cabin.

  She eyed Danielle, sprawled out on her bunk, her elbows resting on the mattress, a small stack of papers…Millie’s papers…in front of her. She looked up when Millie emerged. “Why didn’t you tell me you had all this information on the missing people?”

  ***

  Millie snatched the papers from Danielle’s hands. “Where did you get this?”

  “Under your mattress. It was right where you put it.”

  “This doesn’t concern you,” Millie said. The mystery didn’t concern her, either. At least, not technically.

  “I’m getting off in
Kiriban and I’m going to search for those people,” Danielle announced. “I wonder if they’re offering a reward. They sound rich.” The wheels in Danielle’s head were spinning wildly.

  Millie frowned. She hadn’t thought about a reward, but it was true. It could be an added bonus, if she decided to search for the people…if she found them. It appeared searchers had already combed the island of Kiriban and there was no sign of them.

  “What if Andy makes you work all day?” Millie asked.

  Danielle tugged on a stray strand of hair. “Hmm.” She stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. “That could present a problem.”

  Millie hoped it would be a problem and vowed to talk to Andy the next morning to make sure Danielle did not have time to leave the ship.

  Millie dumped her dirty clothes in the closet, slid the papers under her mattress…again, and climbed into bed.

  She shut off the light, ready for the day to end.

  Snap. “I have the perfect plan,” Danielle announced in the darkness.

  Millie tucked her hands behind her head. “What plan?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Danielle replied.

  Chapter 6

  Millie woke to the sound of humming. For a minute, she wondered why Sarah was still in the cabin. Sarah typically worked the early shift.

  It dawned on Millie that it wasn’t Sarah humming…it was Danielle.

  The door flew open and Danielle darted out of the bathroom.

  Bright light flooded the room.

  Millie clamped her hand over her eyes.

  “Good morning sleepy head,” Danielle said breezily.

  Millie groaned, uncovered her eyes, threw the covers back and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. “It is too early to be cheerful. I need a cup of coffee first.”

  “I’ll go get you one!” Danielle grabbed her key card and darted out the door.

  Millie stared at the door in shock. She shook her head. Danielle was an apparition and Millie had been dreaming the last 24 hours.

  She grabbed a clean uniform and headed to the bath. Millie showered, dressed and pulled her hair back in a messy bun. It was time for another haircut but the ship’s hairdresser was too expensive. Millie would never pay $120 for a simple haircut!

  Millie stepped out of the foggy bath and into the cabin. Danielle was pacing back and forth. “There’s your coffee.”

  True to her word, Danielle had managed to get not only a cup of coffee, she had brought back an entire carafe, along with a container full of goodies…sugar, creamer, sweeteners.

  “Thank you, Danielle. How sweet of you.” Millie lifted the carafe and filled the empty cup with piping hot coffee. She lifted the cup to her lips. “You don’t want any?”

  “Nah. I’m more of a Diet Coke-for-breakfast kind of girl,” she admitted. “Especially when I have to get up early.”

  Danielle rubbed her hands together. “So! When can we start on the investigation?” She seemed so excited; Millie didn’t have the heart to tell her there would be no investigation.

  She tried to let her down gently. “What if you have to work?”

  Danielle shook her blonde head. “Nope. Not gonna happen. I have a foolproof plan.”

  Millie sipped her coffee and stared at Danielle over the rim. “What’s that?”

  Danielle smiled. “You’ll see.”

  Millie had enough time to down two cups of coffee before it was time to check in with Andy.

  Danielle hummed as they strolled down I-95, the nickname Siren of the Seas crew had given the employee corridor that ran from one end of the ship to the other.

  Millie stopped in front of the exit door and held it for Danielle. “This is where we head up.”

  Danielle scrunched her nose. “Thanks. I’m still trying to find my way around.”

  A wave of guilt washed over Millie. She hadn’t been the kindest to Danielle. It wasn’t Danielle’s fault they were rooming together and if she were being completely honest, Danielle reminded her of someone else, namely herself.

  Millie headed to the stairs.

  Danielle glanced at the bank of elevators nearby. “I forgot you don’t like elevators.” She shrugged. “No biggie. I don’t mind stairs. It’s good exercise.”

  Danielle followed Millie into the theater, down the center aisle and then up the side steps.

  The velvet stage curtains were closed. Millie pulled the edge of the curtain to the side and stepped backstage. The familiar light of Andy’s office beamed out…lighting the way.

  He looked up when he heard the girls approach. His eyes met Millie’s and then he turned to Danielle. “I see you survived your first day.”

  “It was great,” Danielle gushed. She pulled out a chair and settled in. “The crew is wonderful. Millie is the perfect cabin mate.”

  Andy gave Millie a sideways glance and she shrugged.

  “Coffee?” he offered.

  Millie shook her head. “Danielle ran down to the crew mess and brought a whole pot to our cabin while I was getting ready,” she confessed.

  Andy raised a brow. “That was nice of you Danielle.”

  Danielle blushed and lowered her gaze. “I didn’t mind. After all, Millie has been helpful in showing me the ropes.”

  Helpful was not a word Millie would have chosen but she appreciated it anyway and vowed to be more helpful going forward. A wave of guilt washed over Millie.

  Andy handed Millie her schedule and then handed Danielle hers. It looked as if Danielle would be accompanying her to check in with the yoga class.

  After that, the girls would part ways with Millie having a new list of duties and Danielle meeting up with the Kingman family to make sure they were having a memorable vacation.

  Danielle tapped the top of the sheet. “Oh! That reminds me. The Kingman family plans to get off the ship in Kiriban. I thought I might accompany them.”

  Andy looked up. “Did they ask you to?” It was the first he had heard of plans for Danielle to accompany the family off the ship.

  She shook her head. “No, but I’m sure they would appreciate a guide.”

  How could Danielle be a “guide” when she had never stepped foot on the island? It dawned on Millie what she was up to. She planned to get off the island, ditch the family and then head out on a search and rescue mission!

  Millie gave Danielle a dark look.

  Danielle smiled innocently.

  The trio reviewed the schedule and when they finished, the girls pushed back the chairs and stood. The two women walked silently across the stage and down the steps.

  Millie folded her schedule and placed it in her front pocket. “You’re going to ditch the family and search for the missing vacationers,” she hissed under her breath.

  Danielle’s eyes widened. Her hand splayed across her chest. “Moi?”

  “Yes! You!” Millie wanted to make it loud and clear she was onto Danielle’s little scheme. She remembered all the wild goose chases Danielle had sent her on, the memories still fresh in Millie’s mind.

  The girls had reached the outside of the theater and headed for the stairs. Their first task of the day was to check on the early riser’s yoga class in the ship’s gym.

  The girls slipped in the side door and Millie studied the group assembled near the floor-to-ceiling windows. The instructor winked when she caught Millie’s eye. “Care to join us?”

  Millie shook her head and took a step back.

  Danielle nodded her head and took a step forward. She hustled over to the small circle of guests and lowered onto one of the floor mats. The young woman was familiar with the moves and limber to boot.

  Millie paced the floor as she tried to figure out how she could squash Danielle’s plan to search the island. It would be foolish to wander off into the jungle of an unknown island alone.

  Millie was better suited for conducting a search. She would enlist the help of Cat and Annette to help and she vowed to get on it as soon as Danielle’s training was finished!

&
nbsp; Chapter 7

  Annette scrunched her eyes and stared at the photo of the Roush family. “You know I’m always up for an adventure, but this one might be too much.”

  Millie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. This didn’t sound like Annette at all. She reached her hand out and placed her palm on Annette’s forehead. “Do you have a fever?”

  Annette smiled and pushed Millie’s hand away. “Seriously. Haven’t you ever watched those shows on remote jungle tribes who collect wayward lost souls’ heads and then put them on top of poles?”

  Millie frowned. Did the island of Kiriban have remote jungle tribes or some sort of lost civilization? Until Andy had told her about the ship’s stop in the new port, she had never even heard of the place.

  “I need to do a little research on Kiriban,” Millie admitted. The last thing she wanted to do was to drag her friends into a dangerous situation…again.

  Annette nodded. “Keep me posted. Until I know more about Kiriban, I’m on the fence. Remember Tulum?” She reached under the cabinet and pulled out a metal mixing bowl.

  Annette didn’t wait for Millie to reply. “Did you try the chili? I managed to tone it down a bit.”

  Millie nodded. “Yeah. It was still a little too spicy for me but Andy loved it. He ate a huge bowl and then gobbled mine up.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was time for her to host “Top of the Morning Trivia” outside Lucky’s bar. “I gotta get going.”

  She headed to the side door, grabbed the handle and twisted the knob.

  “Let me know what you find out,” Annette called after her.

  Millie saluted. “Will do.” She opened the door and stepped into the hall. She picked up the pace and made it to the trivia area with a whole minute to spare.

  Guests filled the tables off to one side. Millie smiled at them as she made her way to the cabinet. She unlocked the portable utility cabinet, reached inside and pulled out the folder with the pads of paper, pencils and trivia questions.

  She set the pens and pads of paper on top, pulled out the trivia questions and slipped her reading glasses on. It was an interesting game titled, “Living on a Small Island.” Millie discovered the items residents of a small island believed you could never have enough of were bug spray and sunscreen.