by Ann Mullen
“May we come in?” Bertie asked as she walked passed us into the room. Dorothy and Mabel followed. Mabel stood off to the side and remained silent while her other two sisters talked. Occasionally, she would shake her head. She obviously wasn’t the instigator of this visit. Her eyes begged for forgiveness.
Stunned, Billy and I stood there with the door still opened. Finally, Billy closed the door, turned to Bertie and said, “I’m sorry, but we’re going to dinner, so we can only give you a couple of minutes. We don’t want to be late.”
“Are you dining at the captain’s table?” Dorothy asked.
“That’s none of your business!” Bertie scolded her.
“I was just asking. You don’t have to be so snotty to me. I can’t believe you’d be so hateful in front of them.” She glanced over at us, and then continued, “You do this all the time. You have to have the final say about everything.”
Disgusted, but not showing it, Billy said, “Ladies, please.” He looked at his watch. “We really have to leave. Please say what you came here to say.”
“The man you’re looking for is in room 527, right across the hall from that poor girl,” Bertie said. “Don’t ask us how we know about him, or how we found out his room number. You have what you need, now you can act on it. As I told you at the dress shop, there’s not much that gets by me. I can be a big help to you.”
Ah, so that was it! Bertie fancied herself a sleuth, and was willing to dig until she got her answer. Maybe she could be of service to us.
Having left us with a tidbit of information, the three sisters from Georgia walked out of the room as quickly as they had entered.
Chapter 6
We didn’t know whether there was any truth to what Bertie said, but we would surely check it out later. For now, work was going to have to wait. We were headed to the main dining room to dine at the captain’s table, and all I could think about was how exciting the evening was going to be. I felt like a princess being escorted by my prince. I was full of joy. When we entered the dining room, we were immediately approached by the maitre d’.
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Blackhawk,” he said. “Please follow me to the captain’s table.” He led us past the other diners and then seated us across from Bella and Loukas at the end of the table next to Captain O’Riley.
Captain O’Riley introduced us to the other folks already seated. He gestured as he said their names, starting at the end of the table on our side. “This is Utah and Nell Hawks, and across the table are Jeff and Ruby Reed, and Steven and Jena Nelson. Of course, Bella and Loukas Constance need no introduction. There will be others joining us who should be here very soon.”
There were two empty chairs beside Bella, and three next to me. I wondered who else would be joining us, but didn’t ask. I looked over at Jena and realized that she was the salesgirl at Bella’s Boutique. “I know you,” I said as I sat down next to Billy, he and I being the only two people seated on our side of the long table. “I didn’t realize you worked at the boutique.” I was a little surprised that one of Loukas and Bella’s daughters would be working as a salesgirl considering all the money they have. Or did they? Just because the parents have money, it doesn’t mean the kids do.
“Yes, I do,” Jena replied. “I love the work. I own my own shop, Jen’s Boutique. It’s a spin-off from Mom’s. Once I saw the one on the ship, I knew what I wanted to do with myself, so I opened my own boutique where we live in Georgia.” When she said Georgia, Billy and I looked at each other and smiled. “What?” Jena asked. “What’s that smile about?”
“It’s just that when you said Georgia, we both thought of the three sisters from Georgia we met shortly after we came on board.”
“You must mean Bertie, Dorothy, and Mabel?” Bella said with a chuckle. “They’re a trip, aren’t they?”
“To say the least. They’re such nice ladies.” I let my opinion stop there.
Billy started laughing, and then Jena joined in, and before long, everyone at the table was going at it. Everyone except… Utah. I noticed him out of the corner of my eye, and couldn’t help but remember the fight he had with Nell. He wasn’t laughing, and he wasn’t even trying to cover up his distain for our behavior.
“Those women are a nuisance,” Utah muttered. “They’re busybodies. They’re always sticking their noses in everybody’s business. I’m surprised they’re allowed on the ship. They bother the passengers.”
“We can’t refuse someone passage because they’re different,” Captain O’Riley said. “If that were the case, half the people on board would still be sitting on the dock.”
Utah stood up, his eyes bulged, and his face turned beet red. “It’s your place to screen the passengers before they board.” He shook his finger at the captain. “I would think even you could come up with a way to keep them off our ship.”
“Excuse me,” Loukas butted in. “This is not our ship. This ship belongs to Bella and me, so if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut. You have nothing to say about how this ship is run, so sit over there and shut up!”
Tempers were starting to flair, and dinner was off to a bad start.
“Listen, old man…” Utah said, but was stopped by Nell when she elbowed him in the side. “Never mind.”
Servers carrying bottles of champagne descended upon us in the nick of time. They poured the bubbly into our glasses, and I was sure this was going to be the cooling off point of the conversation… but no… that didn’t stop the animosity from flowing along with the liquid.
“You know,” Loukas stood up and said, looking down the table at Utah. “You can leave this ship any time you want to, Utah. Nobody made you come on this cruise. I, in particular, would’ve been glad if you hadn’t.”
“That’s enough!” Nell said. She stared her father down, and then did the same thing to her husband.
Loukas stood his ground, waiting for Utah to show him the respect he deserved, by sitting down first. Utah didn’t comply until Nell whispered under her breath, “Sit down, Utah!” Utah grunted something inaudible, and then sat down in his chair.
A minute later, the maitre d’ escorted the three sisters from Georgia to our table, and then the fur really started to fly. Utah jumped up and said loudly, “There’s no way I’m going to eat at the same table with those hens!” Everyone gasped at his rudeness The look on the faces of the three sisters was pitiful. They were hurt by his words, and their embarrassment showed. Mabel was on the verge of tears.
His behavior set me off. “I’d be honored to have these ladies sit with us, and as far as I’m concerned, you can leave!”
Billy was stunned that I took up for three women that he knew got on my nerves, but he was the first to start clapping. Others at the table joined in. I stood rigid. This was another show of defiance.
“You tell him!” Ruby said. “Someone needs to knock him down off his high horse.”
“Ruby, stay out of it,” Jeff whispered. “It’s none of your business.”
“It’s everyone’s business when someone is deliberately being cruel,” she shot back. She looked at Utah, and then raised her voice. “I’m with Jesse. I think you should shut up, or leave.”
“Suit yourselves,” Utah said as he looked around. “Come on, Nell. We’re leaving.”
“I don’t think so,” she replied. “Your behavior is inexcusable. I’m so embarrassed, and I’m ashamed of you. If you want to leave, go ahead, but I’m staying here.”
Utah kicked his chair out from behind, knocking it over, and then stormed off. After he had left the room, there was harmony once again. How long it was going to last was anybody’s guess. This evening hadn’t gone the way I had expected so far.
“Please sit down and join us,” Nell said to the sisters. “You must excuse my husband’s behavior. He’s under a lot of stress.”
“Aren’t we all,” Steven said. “That’s no reason for him to lose it.”
“I agree,” Nell replied. “All I c
an say is that I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize for him,” Bella said. “We know he’s got a mean streak in him a mile wide. He doesn’t care about other people’s feelings.” She looked at the sisters and added, “Please do join us, and forgive our son-in-law. He’s a jerk.”
The maitre d’ seated the three sisters side by side… next to me. I looked at Billy and smiled. Words were not needed. Billy says I have a soft spot for the underdog, and that I get it from my mom and my aunt Edie. I guess he’s right. As much as those three women were driving me crazy, I was not going to stand by and watch them being humiliated. It just wasn’t right. I looked at Bertie as she sat down beside me and said, “I’m so glad you could join us.” And in a way, I meant it.
“We would’ve been here on time,” Dorothy said. “But Bertie had other plans.” She leaned across Bertie and smiled at Billy and me. “If you know what I mean.” She winked at us.
Oh, Lord, did I ever! It was my guess that the three of them went snooping around room 527 to see what they could find out about the passenger staying there. I was concerned that the guy might actually be the man Teresa said he was, and if that were true, the sisters could be in danger.
“Bertie, perhaps you and your sisters should enjoy the cruise and leave the detective work to professionals. You could get hurt.”
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about us,” she whispered in her Georgia drawl. “We can handle ourselves.”
“I’m sure you can, but…”
Suddenly, voices in the room started getting louder, and then someone started clapping. The next thing I knew, the whole place went into an uproar. Folks around us started standing up, and they were still clapping. Everyone at our table turned to look… except Bella. I glanced at her just before turning my head to do the same, and saw that she was looking directly at me. She smiled that devious smile that I noticed she gets on her face when she knows what’s coming. I looked up to see Savannah Kelley and her husband, McCoy, walking toward our table. That’s when it dawned on me why there were two empty seats between Bella and Jena. They were being reserved for the star of the night. I marveled at how beautiful Savannah looked in her stunning silver evening gown as she stood next to her handsomely dressed husband. They were a gorgeous pair. I had no idea Savannah had such a large reader base. The room was filled with her adoring fans. They loved her. It was clear from their reactions when she entered.
“It’s Savannah Kelley!” Bertie screamed. “Savannah! Over here!” She waved both arms as if she were a cheerleader at a football game.
“Stop it,” Mabel said. “You’re embarrassing. You act like a teenager.”
“Oh, leave me alone,” she spat back and then looked at me. “I hope she’s dining with us.”
“I’m sure she is,” I replied and then looked at Bella. “You had this planned the whole time, didn’t you?”
“Actually,” she said, leaning inward toward me as she stood, “it just happened. Senator Ball and his wife had to cancel at the last minute, so I called Savannah and pleaded with her to join us, at our expense.”
“You’re so generous, Bella. I’m surprised you’re not broke.”
“It’s only money.”
“It’s only money when you have plenty of it.”
“Anyway, I told her she would be on my deck, right next door to you. They’re staying in room 612. I’m surprised the four of you haven’t run into each other before now. The Bella Constance is not that big of a ship.”
“You’re amazing, but oh, so devious!”
“I like you, too, Jesse.”
“I can tell,” I said. “Oh, I meant to thank you for the bottle of champagne in our room. Do you do that for every passenger, or just special ones like Billy and me?”
“What…” Bella never got to finish her sentence. Savannah walked up to her and gave her a big hug. The people in the room clapped harder. Savannah raised her hand and waved to the diners. The applause got even louder. Savannah hugged Loukas, and walked over, hugged me, and then hugged Billy. The crowd was in awe.
“I never realized you were such a celebrity,” I said. “They love you.”
“Maybe you should read some of my books, Miss Private Detective.” She smiled back at the crowd, and they in turn, waved to her again.
“I will as soon as I can get copies.”
“Funny you should say that. I brought you the first two. I figured that would keep you busy, and maybe out of trouble, if that’s possible.” She chuckled, and walked back over to join her husband, next to Bella.
The room fell silent as soon as the captain picked up his champagne glass and held it up. “I’d like to introduce all of you to McCoy Kelley, prominent Charlottesville lawyer, and his lovely wife, Savannah Kelly, world famous novelist.” He turned to the celebrity guests and said, “Welcome to my table.”
We toasted the couple, sat down, and the chatter began. Our table was abuzz. The rest of the dining patrons settled down almost to the point that it was eerily quiet. I thought maybe they might be trying to listen in on our conversations. Silly of me to think like that, I know.
“I’m so glad they came along on the cruise,” I whispered to Billy.
“I could tell from the look of joy on your face. You lit up like a Christmas tree.”
“I did not.”
“Yes, you did,” Savannah said, agreeing. “And I’m so glad that you’re glad we came. And by the way, you look marvelous in that gown. Vera Wang? And that clutch purse. Kenneth Cole? And I knew you’d love the Christian Louboutin heels. They’re a big hit. The red soles were a smash the minute the shoes went public.”
“Who? What?” I asked. I had no idea who she was talking about. Good fashion sense is not me at my best.
“Your ensemble,” Savannah said with a devilish smile.
“I think what she’s trying to tell you is that your clothes were selected for you before you were even on board,” Jena explained.
I looked back at Savannah.
“I’m guilty!” Savannah admitted. “When I told Bella that I had convinced you and Billy to choose their cruise ship, she was delighted.” She glanced at Bella. “My friend has this thing about giving gifts. She enjoys lavishing her friends with the finer things in life, no matter what the cost is. She forced me to divulge, using my best guess, your sizes, and then she and Jen put together several outfits for you. Loukas chose the Armani tux Billy’s wearing, and had it sized according to my notes and the photo I emailed them. Didn’t you think it was a little odd that the pants didn’t need hemming?”
“That’s exactly what I told Billy. I’ve never heard of anyone buying a fine quality suit where the pants didn’t need hemming to fit the customer.”
“This little plot of theirs had quite an embarrassing moment for me,” McCoy said. “Remember when we had dinner at your house the night you were trying to make a decision about which cruise ship to choose? Well, Bella and Savannah were already plotting their exploits, and dragged me in on it. Savannah brought along her camera, explaining that she wanted photos of her new friends. She took all those pictures, and then she wanted me to stand next to Billy, so she could use me as a comparison for a suit size. I felt used… and dirty.” McCoy laughed. “Oh, yes. Women love to plot…and surprise.”
“Your credit card was not charged,” Bella stated emphatically. “And I don’t want to hear a word about it.”
“You’ll find a few more surprises when you get back to your room,” Jena added. “Gifts from Mom and Dad.”
I looked at Bella and said, “Bella, we can’t accept …”
“Yes, you can, and you will… or I’ll be unhappy.”
“And you don’t want to make Mom unhappy,” Nell said, pitching in her two cents worth into the ring. “She’ll nag you to death if you do.”
“Nell, stop it!” Loukas chided her.
Smartly, Savannah changed the subject quickly to avoid an awkward moment between Loukas, Bella and Nell. She looked
at me devilishly and said, “I can’t wait for you to read my next book, Killer in Greene County.”
“You’re kidding! Is it about what I think it’s about?”
“Could be. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“I’m such a big fan of yours, Ms. Kelley,” Bertie said, interjecting herself into the conversation as she gushed like a school girl. “I’ve read every one of your books… twice!”
“Thank you,” Savannah said, politely. “I’m so happy you enjoy them.”
Bertie went on to introduce herself and her sisters, and then their bickering began.
The servers came around again with champagne, but I had to say no. My first glass was coming back to haunt me. I was getting light-headed, my words didn’t sound right, and one more minute of Bertie and Dorothy going at it like two mad dogs was going to pluck my last nerve. Before I was pushed to the brink of implosion, their words were drowned out when others at the table started talking.
“Savannah and I would like to thank you and your husband for inviting us on this cruise,” McCoy said, looking at Bella and then Loukas. “We were planning to take some time off and go somewhere, but things just kept coming up. The time was never right… until now. When you called, Savannah and I said forget everything else, we’re doing this for us.”
“This is going to be a fine cruise,” Loukas said, loudly. “Billy and Jesse have agreed to sign on for the duration of the voyage as private investigators, working for Bella and me.”
The chatter at our table stopped.
“They’re going to find out whose behind this threat on my life and put a stop to it,” Loukas continued. “I can assure you that whoever is behind this will be brought down.”
Bella cleared her throat.
“I am very lucky to have Bella as my wife, and we’re both very glad to have our friends and family joining us on what is sure to be an adventurous journey. I can promise you that.”
“And you always keep your promises!” Steven said, holding up his glass. “I think I could use another drink.” He looked around, waved a server over, and asked for one. “Fill her up, please,” he said loudly again, this time belching as he spoke. His words were slurred and he didn’t act right for a man who had, up until now, acted properly in public.