by Ann Mullen
Of the three of Loukas and Bella’s girls, Jena seemed to be the most out-going and friendly one, and her husband, Steven, the same. I believed Nell to be a battered wife, and her husband, Utah was not only a wife-beater, but he was also a dangerous ratfink. It was hard to size up Ruby and Jeff. They said very little, just like their body language. Maybe they were that way because Jeff was such a computer geek, and computer geeks have their minds on their work all the time. Ruby, being the wife of a computer geek, most likely wanted nothing to do with computers, leaving very little for them to talk about. Or… she could be a computer fanatic, too. Who knows? I could’ve been way off base, but I didn’t think so. My first instincts are usually right. But—not always.
Jena looked at her husband in bewilderment, and then scanned the faces at the table. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He’s only had one glass of champagne.” She thought a minute. “Oh, he did have a very small amount of the champagne in our room. About an hour after he drank it, he said he felt nauseated. Then he started feeling better.”
“You know how men are,” Bertie said, adding her apparent expert knowledge. “I’ve been married five times, and I can tell you a thing or two about them.”
“I’m having a good time!” Steven yelled, sloshing his glass around, and then spilling some in his lap. “I feel much better now. My stomach’s fine.” His outburst silenced Bertie. I almost laughed out loud at her, until Steven went to wipe the champagne from his lap with his hand, and then jerked back, clutching his chest. He tried to speak. “I… can’t… breathe,” he managed to get out before he slumped over, fell out of his chair, and then landed on the floor face down. He didn’t move.
Everyone jumped up out of their chairs, prompting an immediate reaction by the captain. He waved at someone, and within ten seconds, a response team had arrived.
When Steven fell out of his chair, he attracted the attention of the others passengers, who one by one, wanted to see what was happening. They started to crowd in as chaos was reigning free at our table until a security team arrived. They cleared the way for the response team and moved the crowd back away from us. I don’t know where the response team came from, or if they had been at-the-ready the whole time, but they were there so fast, I was totally astounded at their speed. Not only did they arrive more quickly than any team I’d ever seen, but they did a first-rate job attending to Steven. They had him stabilized, on a gurney, and heading for the exit in what I was sure to be record time.
Loukas put his arm around his daughter’s shoulder as she cried uncontrollably. He turned to us and said, “You’ll have to excuse us. I’m taking my daughter to be with her husband.” He looked at Bella, and she, in return, gave him a nod.
Captain O’Riley turned, motioned for Loukas and Jena to follow, and then led the two of them out.
“Everyone, sit down,” Bella commanded. “Please. Let’s try to enjoy our meal.”
Frightened, speechless, and concerned for Steven, we obeyed. We quietly sat down and waited for Bella to speak again. She had remained standing, so it was obvious to us that she had something else to say.
The crowd of people went back to their tables and continued their meals in hushed tones.
“I’m sure Steven is going to be all right,” Bella said. “I suggest we have dinner, but if anyone doesn’t want to, it’s understandable. Please feel free to leave.” Bella sat down and waited.
Nobody moved.
Bella smiled and waved to a server, who then turned to his staff and started giving orders. The soup arrived first, followed by plates piled high with a variety of seafood. Baskets of bread lined the table, and when champagne was brought around again, no one at the table seemed interested.
“I think I’d like a soda with my dinner,” Bertie told the server. “I don’t want to fall out like Steven did. I don’t know what you put in that stuff, but I think it’s toxic.”
A little chuckle passed everyone’s lips. Even Mabel snickered at what her sister had said. “You’re loony,” she said, brushing off her sister’s statement. “There’s nothing wrong with the champagne. I’ll have another glass, please.” Mabel looked at the server, and held out her glass.
“I agree with Bertie,” Dorothy said. “The champagne could be tainted.”
“Then why aren’t we all sick?” Mabel asked, trying to get her sisters to shut up and calm down. They were working themselves into a frenzy. “My sisters have a way of stirring up trouble.” Mabel looked back and forth at the rest of us. “They say the most ridiculous things.”
Regardless of Bertie’s assumption that something was wrong with the champagne, some at the table ordered more, and some didn’t.
“I’ll pass,” I said. “I’d like a glass of sweetened iced tea.”
“Jesse,” Bella said. “I can assure you the champagne is safe to drink.”
“I was only going to have one glass, anyway,” I said. “Those drinks I had at your place earlier, and then this glass of champagne are enough for me. I told you I’m not much of a drinker.”
“That’s right,” she replied. “You did.”
Billy looked at Bella and said, “Jesse would talk you all senseless if she consumed much more alcohol. She would tell you all her secrets, and that’s not good for a private investigator to do. I’d have to cut her off.”
Small talk.
Twenty minutes later, the captain returned and said to Bella, “Steven is going to be all right. The team got to him in time. Doc thinks he had a minor heart attack. He’s at our Med Center, and you’ll be able to see him soon.”
“That seems to be happening quite a bit here lately, captain,” Bertie said. “Must be something in the air.”
I wasn’t paying attention to Bertie. I had my eyes trained on Captain O’Riley. Words spoken by a man with the kind of worried look he had on his face, told me something was up. He was holding something back.
“Please continue with your meal,” he said. “I’m afraid I have matters that need my attention. Please, excuse me.” He turned and walked away.
“See,” Bella said. “I told you Steven was going to be fine.”
Although everyone tried to enjoy dinner, it didn’t take us long to realize that our appetites weren’t sufficient to consume all the food placed in front of us. No amount of small talk could ease our worry. Steven had a minor heart attack, the captain had said, but what does that mean? A heart attack is a heart attack—minor or major—it’s still bad news. Mom had a minor heart attack a while back, and it freaked me out. She was healthy, so I couldn’t figure out why it happened to her. Luckily, she rebounded as good as ever. Maybe Steven would do the same. I sure hoped so. One more death on our first day out would spell the end for me. I’d want to get off this ship faster than a bird could fly.
I looked at Billy, and he looked back at me. We both knew there was more going on here than we were being told, but we never imagined things were going to get much, much worse.
Chapter 7
The evening came to a close for all of us when Bella said, “I can’t eat anymore. I’m worried, and my heart just isn’t in it. I want to go check on Steven.”
“Jesse and I will go with you,” Billy said. “You will need a little moral support, and we want to be there for you.”
“We’ll go, too,” Savannah said, looking at Bella, and then at McCoy. McCoy shook his head in agreement.
“Why don’t we all go?” Bertie asked.
“We can’t go with them,” Dorothy said. “This is a family matter, and we’re not family.”
“Then why do they get to go?” Bertie pointed in our direction.
“Stop it!” Mabel commanded, and then looked at Bella. “You will let us know how he’s doing, won’t you?”
I couldn’t help but think about how petty and ridiculous that question was. Petty because Bertie was jealous that Billy and I were in Bella’s inner circle, and she wasn’t. Ridiculous because Bertie would find a way to get the information she wanted. The
re was no doubt in my mind that she perceived herself as an amateur sleuth, but unfortunately, I didn’t think she had any idea what dangerous territory she was stepping into. She might consider what she does as fun, and even exhilarating, but snooping is not a job for someone who has the habit of blabbing everything she finds out—whether it’s true or not. One day, her mouth was going to get her in trouble.
“You all can come,” Bella said. “However, the doctor will only let a certain number of people in the Med Center. The rest of you are welcome to wait outside.”
Bella’s announcement delighted Bertie. “You’re such a thoughtful person. I can see why everyone adores you.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Nell muttered under her breath.
“If you have something to say, Nell, speak up,” Bella demanded. “I’m getting a little hard of hearing.”
I had my doubts about that remark. I’m sure it was her way of saying she heard every word.
“No matter… where … we are,” Nell replied, her speech slightly slurred, and her body language showing signs that she had consumed more champagne than she should have. “You always find a way… to put down… Utah. You’ve never… liked him.”
“I don’t think this is the time or place to discuss my feelings about your lousy husband.”
Zing!
Bella stood up, looked around at everyone and said, “I will be leaving now. Those of you who would like to go may do so.”
Everyone arose as if they were being commanded by a general, and then gathered at the head of the table beside Bella. Billy stood beside Bella, presented his arm and suggested that he be her lead. “May I escort you to your destination, Bella Constance?” he asked. “However, you might have to show me the way.”
She locked arms with him, and then insisted that I walk alongside her. “We can’t have your delightful wife tagging behind like a puppy.” She giggled, looking at Billy and then back to me. “I’m so glad the two of you came into our lives. I feel as if I’ve known you forever.”
“Me, too,” I replied.
As we walked toward the dining room exit with the rest of the group following in succession, Nell, who had been walking beside Dorothy at the end of the line, stumbled and fell to the floor. When she did, she took Dorothy with her.
The group stopped, and turned to see what had happened.
“Not again!” Bella whispered. “She has to quit drinking. That’s all there is to it.”
The sight of two women lying on the carpet tangled up like a bunch of weeds climbing a rose bush was a sight to see. Dorothy let out a screech and then cried out, “You made me twist my ankle! I knew you had too much to drink. What’s your problem?” She tried to sit up and then slid away from Nell as several crew members rushed over to help. Instead of rushing to their sister’s side, Bertie and Mabel stood back out of the way.
Nell brushed the hair out of her eyes, and slowly tried to get up. When she did manage to stand on her own, she looked at Dorothy and said, “I’m so sorry, Dottie. I guess I had too much to drink.”
“My name is Dorothy,” she remarked, scolding her as she did. “You have a problem, lady. You need to join Alcoholics Anonymous!”
“Yeah, she does have a problem and his name is Utah,” Ruby said as she walked over to her sister. “Let me help you, Nell.” She looked at the crew and added, “Attend to Dorothy, please. We’ll take care of my sister.” She took Nell by the arm and led her past Bella.
“We’ll take her to her room, and see that she gets into bed,” Jeff said to Bella as he followed his wife, Ruby. He stopped just long enough to say, “You know why Nell gets like this.”
“Yes, I do,” Bella replied. “Until she dumps that creep, she’ll never change. She’ll drink herself to death.”
“I sure hope not,” was the last thing he said before taking his leave of our company.
Bella looked around at the rest of the folks eating dinner. “They pretend they don’t see what a dysfunctional family I have, but they know.” She hesitated a second and then said, “Shall we go? I’ve had enough drama for one evening.”
Two crew members helped Dorothy up off the floor, while another summoned the response team, suggesting they bring a wheelchair.
“But shouldn’t my ankle be elevated?” Dorothy asked one of the men helping her. “And I probably should be lying down. I need a gurney.”
Bella let go of Billy’s arm and walked over to Dorothy. “These guys will take care of you, Dorothy,” she said to her. “And if you need anything, anything at all, you just let me know.” Bella winked at the crew members. “Take good care of my friend, gentlemen.”
They smiled back at Bella as they said in unison, “Yes, ma’am.” The crew members had known Bella Constance long enough to know how she operates. She’s a soother. She soothes everyone’s ego, especially when it comes to someone like the sisters from Georgia.
Dorothy likes attention, just like her sister, Bertie, but Bertie is the worse of the two. I could tell that the minute I met them. I believe they’re good people and have good hearts, but they need something in their lives they don’t have. Perhaps a man would be the ticket. I would mull that one over later. Mabel seems to be content just being herself.
“We’ll stay with our sister,” Mabel said to Bella. “You go see to your son-in-law. Thank you for allowing us to dine at your table. It was quite an interesting evening.”
“You’re welcome, my dear,” Bella replied. “But it’s not my table. It’s the captain’s table.”
Mabel gave her a smile and a knowing look just like the diners had. She knew who had all the pull, and who the real lady of this ship was—it was Bella Constance. Bella might have a messed up family, but she was respected by everyone who met her, and she had power—much more than most could fathom. Soon, Billy and I would find out just how much power this one little lady had.
Bella tucked her arm back into Billy’s again and said, “Let’s get out of here before we lose another member of this party.”
Savannah chuckled as she said, “Bella, you just lay it out there, don’t you?”
“I just tell it like it is. Everyone knows our family. There’re not many things we can keep private. Our secrets are out there for everyone to see.”
“Except the secret of who is going after your husband,” I remarked.
The look on Bella’s face turned from a smile to a frown. She was more upset about the situation concerning Loukas than she had shown.
Billy looked at Bella and said, “Don’t you worry, Bella. Jesse and I will flush out whoever is plotting against your husband. We will find him and make him pay. He’ll go to jail for what he’s trying to do.”
“I hope you find him before it’s too late.”
“We will,” I said, reassuring her as I walked with her out of the dining room. “We’ll unravel this scheme before the culprit has time to do any harm.”
“I sure hope so,” Bella replied. “I don’t want to lose my husband.”
“You won’t,” Savannah said. “Jesse and Billy will put a stop to this madness.”
“They saved my wife,” McCoy added. “She was in an impossible situation, but they brought her home safe and sound. I guess you know all about what happened.”
The look that passed between Savannah and McCoy was proof that the mistake she had made by having a one-night-stand, and the danger that followed, was behind them. They were obviously in love, and were determined to make their marriage work. McCoy left their home in Fancy Gap, Virginia, and moved to be with her at their retreat in Dogwood Valley. He left a thriving legal practice and started a new one in Charlottesville just to be with her. Their separation, or whatever it was, was over. They were now together, and they were happy.
“Yes, I do,” Bella said, knowingly. “People make mistakes. You just have to pull yourself together and move on.”
“And we did,” McCoy replied as he reached over and took his wife’s hand. He looked up at Billy and me. “I
owe a lot to you and Jesse. Thanks for being there. I don’t know what I’d do if…”
“It’s over, McCoy,” Savannah said, reassuring him. “I’m fine, and so is our marriage. That’s all that matters.”
We walked down the large corridor heading toward a sign on the left that read, Med Center. On the way, I noticed that not only were there clothing shops, there also was a spa, a gym, a computer café, a bar, and even a small drug store. I pointed it out to Bella and asked, “Can you get prescriptions filled there?”
“No,” she replied. “They carry the basics—aspirin, band-aids, and the like. But we do have a fantastic Med Center.” She grinned. “Things have changed. It used to be that most ships were lucky to have a full-time doctor on board, but now, too much happens on a ship. People fall and get seriously injured, or someone has a heart attack. You have to have someone to take care of these people. We don’t offer routine medical care, but we do have a doctor and a small team to handle accidents or even deaths. Yes, things have changed.” Bella had a far away look on her face by the time we reached the Med Center. She was deep in thought.
“Are you all right?” Billy asked her. “You look a little pale.”
“Honey, I am pale,” she replied, chuckling. “I’m fair-skinned by nature.”
I looked at her and said, “I know what you mean. If I stay in the sun too long, I’ll burn up. A lobster would have nothing on me. See my shoulders? And I was wearing sunscreen.”
Bella giggled. “You are truly a down to earth girl, aren’t you, my dear?”
“Yes, I am, and I can get just as down and dirty as anyone. I can kick some serious butt if I have to. I might be small, but I’m tough. Why, I could shoot the wings off a gnat at a hundred yards!”
Everyone laughed.
“Delusions of grandeur,” Billy whispered to Bella. “And you offered her more champagne.”