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

by Christina Freeburn

  “How can you? You don’t know me,” she snapped.

  “I’d like to.” I rested a hand on her thin shoulder.

  She pulled away. “I don’t. My dad is getting back with my mom, and you’re too stupid to figure that out.”

  I took in a few calming breaths, reining in my temper. Part of me wanted to have a “come to Jesus” talk with Claire, but another part of me screamed it wasn’t my place. Let Ted handle it. The last thing I wanted was to make things worse, though I wasn’t sure how I could possibly do that.

  “I want to go back to my room.” Claire held out a keycard in a folder, the room number visible to anyone walking by.

  “You shouldn’t let people see the number.”

  “I guess that’s not safe.” There was a sly smile on her face. “Can we go? Our room is big. Maybe we can even do one of those stupid craft kits you brought.”

  I hated not to trust Ted’s child, but I didn’t. The girl had something devious in mind. It was one ill-conceived scheme I refused to take part in. “No. We can stay at this dance party or go back to my room.”

  The crew members jumped down. “It’s conga time. Come and join the fun. Even you loungers around the pool. You’re on vacation, so let’s get the party energy flowing.”

  Adults and children scrambled to join the conga line. A few women good-naturedly fought over who got to put their hands on the waist of the hotter of the two male crew members.

  “Want to join?” I asked. “I’ll stand here and watch you.”

  “This is better than your room.” Claire made her way to the end of the line. After a few step-step-kicks, a smile blossomed on her face and she got into the conga, swinging her hips in time with the music and laughing. I tugged out my phone and captured a few shots. Ted would love them.

  From the corner of my eye, I spotted a little girl wearing a sparkling crown running to the end of the conga line. A familiar-looking crown. Claire’s tiara. My mind flickered to all the discarded craft kits I had bought for Claire. Maybe the little girl, who looked about four, would like them in exchange for the tiara. I wished there was a way I could get them from my cabin without Claire noticing I was gone. I knew the kid would take off the second I left and tattle to her dad and grandmother. I’d make the offer now and schedule to meet at the ice cream parlor, adding in a sundae to make the barter even sweeter.

  “Now we’re going to see how low we can go,” the cruise director announced. “Let’s bring this conga under the limbo stick.”

  A few of the older members of the line scattered back to their deck chairs, while others in the line stretched and did some quick calisthenics. Claire glanced over her shoulder, her gaze settling on me for a second. Her face reddened. Unfortunately for her, I was right where she left me.

  Claire left the line and zoomed over to the tiara-wearing little girl, who was returning to her mother’s side. “That’s mine.” Claire snatched the tiara off the preschooler’s head.

  The little girl wailed.

  I froze. I usually reacted in some manner during a crisis, but never before had I been responsible for the bad behavior of another. I ordered myself to move and hurried over.

  “How dare you!” Shaking with anger, the mom cuddled the little girl to her with one arm and snatched the tiara back. “That belongs to my daughter.”

  “It’s mine,” Claire screeched, going again for the tiara. I inserted myself between the girls, bumping Claire with my hip.

  “That girl almost hurt my daughter.” Fisting a hand, the mother glared at me.

  “I’m so sorry.” I didn’t blame her one bit for wanting to throttle someone. I squatted down to smile at the little girl. “Thank you so much for finding Claire’s crown, sweetie. We’ve been looking for that tiara everywhere.”

  “It’s mine,” the little girl said, hiding the tiara between her and her mom’s bodies.

  “It was made special for Claire. Her—”

  “Stop talking to her.” Claire smacked me in the back. “Take it back.”

  I glared at Ted’s badly behaving daughter. “You made her cry. She deserves an apology and a reward for finding your bridesmaid’s crown.” I added in the last bit hoping it swayed the mom.

  “It belongs to me. She stole it. Don’t give her anything.”

  “My daughter is not a thief.” The mother picked up her toddler, cuddling the crying child to her bosom.

  One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. I wasn’t sure there were enough numbers to count for my temper to cool. “I know she didn’t steal it. Claire is a little high-strung this morning because she dropped the tiara over the railing and didn’t think we’d ever find it.” I fudged the truth a little bit.

  The cruise director walked over to us. “Is there a problem over here?”

  “Yes. Her.” The mother jabbed a finger in Claire’s direction.

  I sure was doing a bang-up job of watching Claire. Odessa and Ted would be furious if the girl was carted off to the brig—or wherever they put unruly kids. I took a page from Ronnie’s playbook. “Claire lost her tiara yesterday when Bob and Garrison’s wedding was postponed. Odessa’s been looking for it.”

  The cruise director edged backwards. It worked.

  I continued on with my overdrawn explanation to diffuse the situation. “The tiara is very special to Claire. She’s a bridesmaid in her uncles’ wedding and the tiara was made for her to wear to it. Since you found it, I’d like to give you a reward. I have a Disney Princess coloring book, a fancy one, and special coloring pencils. There are seventy-two in the box.”

  The little girl lifted her head from her mother’s shoulder, wide eyes fixed on me. At her age, I’d have also been enthralled with that many different colors to use.

  “I’d also like to treat you to a sundae at the ice cream shop on the sixth deck.”

  “Take me to my dad.” Claire shoved me, nearly knocking me into the mother and child.

  I whirled around. “You almost hurt this little girl. Her mom is being very patient with you, considering you ripped the tiara off her daughter’s head. You need to apologize.”

  “It’s—”

  “Don’t say it again.” I made a cutting motion in the air with my hand. “It’s yours. We got it. But that doesn’t give you the right to just rip it off her head. You ask nicely.”

  “They aren’t giving it back.”

  “You haven’t given them the chance,” I snapped at her.

  “I hate you!” Claire screeched. “My dad will never, ever marry you. I won’t let him.”

  I was done with her poor behavior. I took a gentle, yet firm, hold of her arm. “We’re going back to my cabin.”

  “Stop hurting me!” Claire stiff-armed me, sending me tumbling to the deck. She ran.

  I scrambled to my feet.

  Sympathy flashed on the mother’s face.

  “She’s a brat,” the little girl muttered.

  Silently, I agreed.

  “I got this,” Bob called out, taking off after his niece.

  Bob, Ted, Odessa, and Garrison stood a few yards away. They had witnessed the end of the exchange. Worry crept into my brain. Odessa’s narrowed eyes told me her view. I refused to meet Ted’s gaze, fearing I’d see the same thing on his face. I couldn’t deal with that right now. I wanted to curl into a ball and cry. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had treated me so hatefully.

  “Here you go, honey.” The mom handed over the tiara. “Stepmoms have to stick together.”

  I nodded a thanks, words getting stuck in my throat. Stepmom. That was where a romance with Ted led, unless I was content with dating forever. And I wasn’t. I also wasn’t willing to become the object of scorn and hate for the rest of my life.

  I looked over at Ted. He was gone. No coming to check on me. No asking what happened. Just going to comfort his daughter.

  My gut screamed that I was watching my future play out before me. Was it what I really wanted?

  “Sorry about Claire’s behavior.”r />
  I whirled around. John was standing against the railing, a pair of binoculars trained toward the ocean. “How long have you been there?” I asked.

  “For pretty much the whole thing.” John settled the binoculars against his chest and readjusted the strap around his neck.

  “Thanks for helping.” I made sure my tone conveyed just how little I appreciated him watching.

  “If I said anything to Claire, I’d create a worse incident. In case you haven’t caught on, Odessa doesn’t want me here.” He pointed to the faux-glass structure that separated the family pool area from the adult area. “Let’s go into the atrium. I’ll get you a drink. We need to chat.”

  “I have some information for you.”

  John placed a hand on my back and encouraged me to walk in the direction he requested. The Rogets sure were bossy people.

  We sat down at a table in the far corner, away from the pool, bar, and sunlight. John ordered two frozen non-alcoholic drinks from an approaching waiter.

  I rested my elbows on the table, cupping my chin in my hands. “You’re wrong about Odessa.”

  “I’m certain she doesn’t want me here,” John said.

  “I agree with you about that. I mean she’s not involved in the bling thing,” I said, being as vague as possible and still making sense.

  “You’re allowed to have your own opinion on the matter.”

  “It isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact. Quinn had different types of gems in his room. Yesterday, William really wanted to get his hands on my tiara, and today I found out that Ruth, the woman William is the health aide for, has a tiara similar to mine. I bet William was trying to swap them out.”

  “Did you see the tiara for a comparison?”

  “No. Claire lost hers and I showed a picture to Lucinda. She told me it looked like one Ruth had worn.”

  John stared at me, rubbing his chin. “We need to find a way to get a look at Ruth’s tiara, and figure out how Odessa fits into it.”

  I heaved out a sigh. “She’s not involved. That’s why you have nothing on her. You realize, trying to prove she’s a criminal isn’t going to endear either of your sons to you.”

  He stretched out his legs. “If I was trying to prove a situation was true, I’d agree with you. I’m not out to create a truth, I’m showing the truth for what it is. Can’t blame me for that.”

  “Sometimes the truth isn’t what people want.”

  “True. But that doesn’t mean you turn away and allow someone else to take the fall, especially now with murder involved.”

  “Quinn,” I squeaked out his name. The waiter placed our drinks on the table. Before I pulled out my keycard, John paid with his own.

  “That’s how it appears.”

  “He didn’t drink himself to death? I saw the bottle of champagne and the empty prescription bottle in his room.”

  “I heard all about that. The captain wanted to bring you in for questioning, but I told him you worked for me.” John handed me a beverage. “The drinking did him in, but there was an added ingredient in the bottle.”

  Poisoned. I stared at mine suspiciously.

  “I’m sure your drink is fine. Someone isn’t randomly poisoning cruisers. Besides it wasn’t the champagne that was tampered with, it was his medication. And that’s why I’m certain it was my ex. William wouldn’t have access to his medication, and Ronnie has been on sabbatical for a few months.”

  I hoped not. I took a sip of my drink. It was a banana and coconut daiquiri. Watery and warm. There were a few of the specials pre-made and sitting on the counter for the waiters to grab. “But you think Odessa was able to get her hands on his meds?”

  “She’s been working with him on the wedding outfits. I’ve confirmed with multiple crew members that Odessa had been spending a lot of time in his room. Sometimes in there alone when he had to deal with a show’s costume emergency.”

  “Couldn’t William or Ronnie have sneaked into his room and tampered with his medication?”

  “William could’ve snuck down onto the crew’s deck, but not into Quinn’s room. Ronnie wouldn’t have gone near Quinn with Garrison being on board.”

  “One, she did. I know it because I was with her. Two, why would Garrison being on the cruise stop her from getting into it with Quinn? They had a heck of an argument before the wedding that didn’t take place.”

  “You sure do ask a lot of questions.” John scowled.

  “And you aren’t asking enough,” I fired back.

  He leaned back. The shock on his face was soon replaced by a large grin. “I like you.”

  I guessed that was a good thing and meant he wouldn’t try and frame me for something. Now, if I could just convince him to take the bull’s-eye off Odessa long enough to consider another suspect. “So, how does Garrison’s mere presence keep Ronnie in check?”

  “He’s always been a calming influence on her. They’ve been best friends since grade school and he just knows the right things to say to calm her down.”

  “She’s been a little reckless, rappelling down to get my tiara, otherwise seems pretty relaxed about everything to me.”

  “Seems is your key word, Faith. Ronnie is good at keeping her temper in check, but there have been times when she hasn’t.”

  Her earlier confession popped into my mind. “Do you think Quinn was killed because of the diamonds.”

  “Yes. I know for a fact Quinn was about to roll on someone.”

  “He came to you?”

  John nodded. “No name, but with enough details that I knew he was telling the truth, and also involved in the matter.”

  “Why wouldn’t he give you the name?”

  “Leverage. First he wanted complete forgiveness for his sins.”

  “Naturally, you’d think the name he was planning on giving you was Odessa.”

  “She was responsible for buying the jewels.”

  “Maybe Quinn just told her what he needed, and that information he got from William. It is William’s hobby and…” I pulled out the velvet box containing the diamond bracelet from my tote bag and opened it. “I have William to thank for me winning this at the seminar.”

  John lifted it from the box. “It’s an unusual setting that makes it look like some stones are round and others square.”

  An image flashed in my brain: a similar bracelet around Ruth’s wrist. I took it out of the box, lifting the bracelet right up to my eyes. The setting around the stones were larger, making the diamonds appear bigger. “This looks like a bracelet Ruth was wearing.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I got a close look at it when it snagged on a chair.”

  John draped it over my wrist and fastened it. “Let’s see if Ruth has a reaction to your bracelet. We already know William won’t as he doesn’t want to give himself away. He probably doesn’t realize you saw Ruth’s lookalike bracelet. Also, drop a hint to Ruth that she should get her bracelet fixed when the Serenade stops in St. Johns. I’ll follow them and see if he suggests any other purchases to her.”

  The diamonds sparkled on my wrist. “I can find a way to walk by their table during dinner.”

  “Good plan. It should come across as a natural and not planned meeting.”

  I stood. “I’m heading to Dazzle to pick up the certificate.”

  “I’ll hang around in the area and get it from you for safe keeping.”

  I didn’t know how it would be less safe with me, but it might be better to split up the items in case someone else found a way to sweet-talk their way into my stateroom.

  ELEVEN

  What had I walked into? A mass of bodies filled the shopping district, a.k.a. the hallway that stretched from mid-point on Deck Five to the bow. Cruisers occupied every inch of the area near a kiosk in the middle of the area. Pieces of gray fabric covered the items on the shopping tables. The tall tables of the kiosk protected four clerks from the shoppers desperate to get to the goods underneath. Four other tables were lined up against the wall
s with crew members stopping shoppers from taking off the covers too early.

  Two women with heads bent toward each other marked out a battle plan on a hastily drawn map. Another woman gave her husband a list of items: leather bags, wallets, and makeup cases. She was going for the memory charm bracelets, necklaces, and watches. I had never seen so many overeager shoppers, even on Black Friday. Frantically, I scanned the growing crowd. Where was John? He’d excused himself for a moment and was now swallowed up in the masses.

  “Two more minutes, folks, before the unveiling.”

  I tried excusing my way through the crowd but was thwarted at every attempt to get closer to the jewelry shop Dazzles. “I have an appointment to pick something up at the jewelry store.”

  The group in front of me closed ranks. Not even a breath could squeeze between their bodies. Why had Lucinda picked this time? This was a pickpocket’s dream. I covered the bracelet on my left wrist with my right hand, holding it pressed to my stomach.

  Had John come to the same conclusions and decided to use me as the mark? I hated to think he’d put me in danger, but I didn’t know the man very well. Stop with the drama, I thought. I was in the midst of hundreds of people, and besides some squished toes and an elbow or two to my body, I was safe from harm. If I could only get across the sea of shoppers and to Dazzles, I’d be able to get this task done and head to my next one: giving Claire her tiara. Of the two, I was certain this one sent me into less of a minefield. But I was willing to risk life and limb to wiggle partway into Claire’s good graces.

  “I want to get to the store.” I pointed over their heads.

  “We’re not falling for that,” one of them snapped at me. “You just want to cut in front of us.”

  Cruisers pressed around me. The strap of my tote fell into the crook of my arm, gaping open. Claire’s tiara twinkled. Would someone try and snatch it? I lifted my arm up, cradling the tote to my chest, and placed my unadorned arm on top of the other.

  “The sale is on!”

  People rushed forward. I started toward Dazzles and my foot hooked around something. I pitched forward and into a woman in front of me. She veered away so quickly, I lost my balance. Another shopper jabbed their elbow into me and I fell backwards. I used my hands to brace myself from the fall. The items in my tote scattered to and fro. About an inch out of reach, in opposite directions, were the tiara and my e-reader. Which one did I save first? I snagged the tiara. It was easier to replace the reader than recreate Claire’s fairy crown.