Masked to Death (A Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery Book 5)

by Christina Freeburn

  The line stopped by moving. Hosts greeted each group of diners, escorting them to their tables. We’d have a little bit of a wait.

  “Ruth Ballard.” Her blue eyes twinkled. “So that was what William was off doing this afternoon. He was taking some time away from his duties to chat up a pretty girl who caught his eye.”

  I demurely looked down. Now was the perfect time to get a little information from Ruth about William, and drop a hint that the guy was a little shady. Though, I wasn’t quite sure how. I might hold off on that mission for a few days. Today was day one of our seven-day cruise. I had time. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know William worked on the ship. Was he at the muster drill as our leader for our lifeboat station.”

  Ruth let out a tinkling laugh. “William isn’t a crew member. He’s my health care aide. As you notice, I need help getting around. My doctor hasn’t wanted me to travel alone the last two years. This is likely my last cruise.” She tapped her chest. “My heart is wearing down and won’t be able to keep this body going much longer. My doctor told me to take one last trip, so I booked this cruise and am planning on having the time of my life.”

  The poor woman. Anger surged through me. How dare William take advantage of her?

  She patted my arm. “I can see you’re riled up. Don’t think poorly of my William. I love knowing he’s spending some time with younger people rather than just with old folks. I want him to have a lovely trip also. William didn’t grow up with a lot of luxuries and it makes me feel good knowing I’m able to show him places he might not ever see. It makes me happy. He’s so appreciative of it.”

  Our turn was next. My eyes widened at the extravagance before me.

  Crystals dripped from the curved ends of gold chandeliers placed twenty feet apart. The main dining room was huge and filled with a mix of round and square tables covered with purple and black tablecloths trimmed with gold sequins.

  Ruth smiled at me. “It is quite a sight.”

  “This is a dream come true for me,” I said.

  “Table number, please?” The host smiled and held out his arm.

  “We’re at different tables.” Ruth held out a small card that had her table number on it.

  “Right this way.” A host led her away.

  I blushed. I hadn’t taken time to look through any of the brochures in my room. I smiled apologetically at the host waiting on me. “I’m not sure if it’s changed, but we were supposed to be in the private dining area. Odessa Roget party. I didn’t think to bring down my ticket.”

  The host took my hand and placed it on his arm. “No worries. As Odessa works on the ship, we all know her and were made aware of her party and changes to tonight’s plan.” He guided me to a table.

  “You’ll be dining at the regular table tonight. The special dinner will be rescheduled for later this week. The wait staff will be with you in a few minutes.” He led me to a round table in the middle of the room, pulling out a chair before rushing back to greet other guests.

  A moment later, a waiter arrived and handed me a menu. The assistant waiter filled my water glass. “We are pleased to have you join us. Tonight is our welcome menu. We’re showcasing food from the Caribbean. Would you like to order now?”

  “The rest of my party should be arriving soon,” I said.

  “We’ll be right back with you.” He walked over to the table.

  The assistant waiter tipped a basket toward me, displaying fragrant choices of artisan bread. “Would you care for a roll while you wait? Cheese and onion is my personal favorite. Pairs nicely with the herb butter.”

  “Perfect.”

  She placed one on a small plate and joined the waiter at a table filled with a large happy family.

  I nibbled at my roll, hoping someone else showed up soon. I was smack dab in the middle of the room. Alone. Some of the diners were receiving their appetizers, and I hadn’t even ordered. My stomach grumbled. Where was everyone? Or at least Ted. He should’ve come to tell me what was going on. I felt a gaze on me. I turned. The woman behind me dipped her head and leaned toward her companion. Great. I bet she was wondering what I had done to become the outcast in my own group on the first day of the cruise.

  “Alone?” William knelt beside me, resting a hand on my leg. I shoved it off.

  “Everyone is running a little a late.”

  “If you’d like, you can join me and my companion for dinner.” William nodded toward a private table near the windows. Ruth, the elderly woman from earlier, waved at me, a bright smile on her face. “A beautiful young woman shouldn’t dine alone.”

  “Your table is set for two.” A war waged within me. I didn’t want to eat with William. His presence kicked my warning-vibe into high gear, but I wanted a chance to warn the woman that William was a suspected predator.

  “We can ask for another chair.” William stood and held his hand out to me.

  “We’re ready to order.” Ronnie raised her hand in the air, knocking William out of the way.

  The waiter scurried over.

  “I’ll take the cold watermelon soup with the sea salt rim and the halibut.” Ronnie pulled back a chair and tossed the ends of a pastel-hued scarf over her shoulders. “Don’t worry about bringing over the bread basket. I’ll skip it tonight.” She patted her hips, then smoothed the sides of her beige silk pants before dropping down into the chair. “Can’t have too many carbs if I’m going to be spinning in the air next month.”

  William returned to his table.

  I tapped the block on the menu listing the chef’s recommendations for the evening. “I’ll go with those.”

  “Wonderful,” he said, throwing a look of disdain at Ronnie before heading toward the kitchen. Ronnie wasn’t a favorite on the ship. Were rumors circulating about her sanity over the deck incident today, or something else, like stolen gems? She had been aggrieved over not creating the tiaras.

  “Odessa isn’t feeling well, so she’s having her family’s meal delivered to the Presidential suite.” Ronnie fiddled with her long scarf, adjusting it until it cascaded against her chest in soft folds rather than one lump of material.

  The room dipped, and I grabbed hold of the table. “Ted could’ve come and told me.”

  “Claire was having a meltdown.” Ronnie continued as if the ship wasn’t moving.

  “If someone had time to tell you, they could’ve told me.” I wasn’t ready to let Ted off the hook.

  “I found out because Garrison made me apologize for my minor outburst. I’d rather not, but I’d do anything for him, including grovel to Odessa.”

  “You don’t like her much.”

  “Let’s just say our opinions clash quite frequently.”

  The waiter arrived with our food, trying hard to keep his balance as the boat shifted again. One of our appetizer plates slid from his hand. Nonchalantly, Ronnie held out her hand and the plate transferred over to her, and she placed it on the table. The waiter left without even a small smile of thanks. Whatever issue he had with Ronnie, he should’ve appreciated the fact she saved him from dumping food on a guest. Then again, maybe I didn’t rate very high since I was her dining companion.

  “How long have you worked on the ship?”

  “Six years.”

  “Does the crew change over a lot or does everyone usually stay on?”

  “Entertainers stay on for many contracts. There’s not much of a job market for me on the outside. Besides cruise ships and theme parks, no one is hiring an aerialist.”

  Those skills would come in handy for a thief. The boat began doing a little cha-cha, sending our water glasses skittering across the table.

  “That’s the seas for you.” Ronnie stopped a goblet from sliding off the table. “It’s never constant. It’ll be smooth as ice then the next moment a roller coaster. You have to love change to live on a cruise ship.”

  “It seems like it would be same old, same old,” I said. “Every week is a repeat. Mealtimes. Shows. Same ports.”

  “But dif
ferent people. It’s the personalities of the cruisers that shape how your week will go. You can have rough weather all week and it can be one of your best weeks at work, or you can have the nicest weather you’ve ever seen and you’re praying for it to end.”

  “True. Bob and Garrison were going to be husband and husband tonight. Now they’re still unmarried.”

  “They’ll be mister and mister soon.” Ronnie scooted closer to me. “Odessa is already working on rescheduling the ceremony, and this time John won’t be able to ruin it.”

  I refrained from mentioning that John hadn’t actually done anything. “I hope my dress is cleaned by then.”

  “Let’s finish dinner, then head to your room. If your room host hasn’t sent it to the laundry service, I’ll take it there myself.” Ronnie batted her lashes and fluffed her hair. “There’s a certain supervisor who’s sweet on me. I’m sure I can talk her into making sure your dress is given priority.”

  “Do you know anyone who can repair it? The strap has a slight tear.”

  Ronnie pushed away from the table. “Quinn. But you’ll have to ask him. I’ll sneak you down to the crew’s cabins and bring you back up.”

  “Won’t I get in trouble?”

  “Not if you’re with me.”

  I doubted that. Ronnie seemed like a woman who found trouble and hugged it. “I don’t think he’ll do me any favors. We got off to a bad start.”

  “Admit he’s right. You were terribly wrong about not needing his sewing skills. Nothing he loves more than being the only one capable of doing something. If that doesn’t work, say Odessa sent you. Since she became his boss, he’s all about being her simpering minion.”

  After we ate, we retrieved the dress and went down to the first floor. Ronnie held the dress high above her head like she was waving a war flag. Every crew member we passed averted their eyes without us saying a word about a guest invading their space.

  “His room is at the end of the hall.”

  Of course it was. It would be way too easy if it was the first one, giving us—or at least me—a good excuse for not knowing this was the crew members’ floor. Would security believe I had drank too much to read the “Crew Members Only. Guests Not Permitted” sign?

  Ronnie knocked on the door, then pushed me in front of her, using the dress as if it held invisibility cloak powers.

  “Well, who do we have here?” Quinn swayed back and forth, planting his hands on either side of the door frame. “Miss My Dress is Perfect with her new best friend. Beware the diva’s other half.”

  Ronnie lowered the dress and elbowed me out of the way. “Shut up, Quinn. You won. I’m on sabbatical. No need to say any more.”

  He grinned wickedly. “You mean fired.”

  “We need a little favor.” Ronnie redirected the conversation. “Her dress got ripped.”

  “You need the matching thread? No problem.” Quinn stumbled back into the cabin, returning a few moments later to throw a spool of thread at Ronnie’s head. “Have fun sewing, Miss I’m-a-Designer-Give-Me-Quinn’s-Job.”

  This wasn’t the reception Ronnie predicted. I picked up the thread. A needle was poked in the top of the spool. At least he gave us all the necessary tools.

  Ronnie glared at him. “Why are you acting like—”

  “I’m not the one who has another side.” Quinn swayed. He braced himself against the door frame, still mimicking the movements of the boat. Watching him weave back and forth made me nauseous. “Go to hell.” He spit out the garbled words.

  “Drop dead!” Ronnie screeched at him.

  His complexion grayed right before he keeled over at her feet.

  I dropped to my knees, shaking his shoulder. “Quinn?”

  A foam like substance bubbled from his mouth. His chest was still.

  Ronnie banged on the door across the hall. “Francis. We need you.”

  The door flung open and a half-dressed man adjusted his shorts. “What are you doing down here, Ronnie?”

  “Call the ship’s doctor. Quinn is down for the count.”

  “I think he’s dead.” I sat back on my heels.

  “What?” Francis came over. He peeled back one of Quinn’s eyelids. The spirited designer’s gaze was vacant. Empty. “You’re right. He’s dead.”

  Ronnie swooned, crumbling to the floor.

  “She never was one to rely on in an emergency.” Francis stepped over her. “I’ll grab a sheet from my room and call security.”

  I had investigated enough murders to know this wasn’t a natural death. I hurried into his room. Scattered around his room was a mix of fabric samples, ribbon, and a basket containing plastic sandwich bags filled with a mix of gems. Using my cell phone, I snapped pictures of the baskets, zooming in on a few. I had a more important task right now, but I would need the photos to study later.

  There was a bottle of champagne and a prescription bottle on the floor near his bed. The champagne had the personal label Odessa created for the wedding. Garrison and Bob’s name stacked on top of the other, the longer one on top and both welded together. A simple, elegant heart framed the names and underneath was today’s date. The prescription bottle had numerous warning labels slapped on it. Some crisscrossed others. The cure might have been worse than whatever had ailed him.

  One of the labels read, “When taking this medication do not drink alcoholic beverages.” Quinn had drunk a whole bottle.

  Since I found what I believed was the cause of Quinn’s death, I walked over to the baskets and looked at the jewels, being careful not to touch them. The bags were sorted into color and type. Faux emeralds. Faux rubies. Swarovski crystals. I bumped the table with my hip, hoping it jostled the baggies so I could see the labels on the ones underneath. So far, nothing was a precious gem. Though, he might keep those in a room safe. If the rooms in the crew quarters had one.

  “Care to explain what you are doing in here?” An angry voice demanded.

  Slowly, I turned. The captain of the ship glared at me. Beside him, a security guard crossed his arms and scowled.

  While the doctor attended to Quinn’s body, the captain dealt with us.

  “I shall ask one more time. What are you ladies doing here?” Captain Henderson made us sit against the wall outside Quinn’s room and glared down at us.

  “Faith’s dress needed mending, so we brought it down.” Holding a wet washrag to her forehead, Ronnie pointed at the garment stretched across my lap.

  I was glad I took the risk of rescuing it, even though it meant a sharp look from the captain and a threat of being thrown in the brig. A lot more people had joined our meeting and it would’ve likely been stepped on. If that happened, there was no way I’d get out of explaining this to Ted. I rather hoped it was kept quiet. The captain’s hard gaze zeroed in on me.

  “What she said,” I said.

  “Can you not read?” His dark brown eyes looked fathomless and angry. Very angry.

  “I can.” I wished the wall or floor would split open and transport me into another realm.

  “Then do you not understand?” He walked over to a sign and tapped it. “You are not a crew member. You are a guest. You do not belong here.”

  “Ronnie said it was okay.”

  She jabbed me in the side. I wasn’t fond of snitching, but she sure wasn’t helping me out. It was he r idea. She should own it.

  Captain Henderson now switched his ire to Francis. “Why did you not make these women leave?”

  “When I saw them, Quinn was on the floor. I called the doctor and security. Wasn’t it better to let them stay down here?”

  I wished he had chased us off, though that might have looked worse for us. What I really should’ve done was stay out of Quinn’s room.

  The doctor and a security guard lifted Quinn’s body onto a gurney.

  “I warned him he was going to kill himself doing that.” Francis shook his head. “Always laughed it off.”

  The doctor pushed the gurney down the hall and turned a sharp corner
. The wheels squeaked.

  “Please get dressed then escort these ladies to their rooms. They are quarantined for the night.” The captain glowered at us.

  “Why?” I jumped up. The wedding garment dropped to the floor. I had no other plans for the night, but I hated being locked up. Even if it was in a room with a balcony.

  Ronnie draped the dress over her shoulder and stood.

  “Must you ask?” The captain’s patience was wearing thin with me, and it hadn’t exactly been thick when the conversation began. “You also will not speak of this to anyone. Understood?”

  I nodded. Ronnie sighed and inspected her nails. I elbowed her.

  She shrugged. “Fine by me.”

  “What will happen to Quinn?” I asked.

  “He’ll be taken to the morgue.”

  “There’s a morgue on the ship?” I shuddered.

  “Yes.” The captain smiled, a sardonic twist of his lips. “Right next to the brig. My other choice for your accommodations for the night.”

  I’d behave. I avoided horror films. Halloween was my least favorite holiday. Okay, I hated it. I was never fond of scary, creepy things and Halloween was devoted to them. Being locked up next to a morgue—with a dead body in it—was a nightmare of epic portions. No way, no how was I ending up there. Even for an hour. This time, I’d mind my own business.

  SEVEN

  Yawning, I forced myself out of bed to take on the day ahead of me. I’d had trouble falling asleep last night. Quinn’s death had replayed in my mind, along with Captain Henderson’s warning about remaining silent. My anger had gotten the best of me a few times, and I’d plotted out the perfect scolding to heave at Ted for standing me up at dinner. It also didn’t help that I spent a few hours trying to inventory the different type of gems I had pictures of on my phone. Even zooming in, I couldn’t read many of the labels on the small screen. When I saw John today, I’d get his cell phone number and send them to him. I bet he had some kind of electronic device with him that would enable him to get a better look at the photos.