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

by Christina Freeburn

  Garrison draped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed me into his side. “I have to do this, Faith. Ronnie died because she was trying to protect William. I have to know if he was guilty, and if not, who was. If you don’t want to be a part of this, I understand.”

  The sun was rising and more cruisers ventured out to the deck to look down into the water.

  “I’m in. If Odessa is innocent, we have to stop John from setting her up,” I whispered. “I’ll compare the tiaras. That’ll let us know how involved Odessa is. There’s no way she’d allow a matching tiara be made for her granddaughter for one she’s involved in the jewel swapping.” One problem with my brilliant plan was I gave Claire’s back to her. There was no way the girl would let me borrow it, and asking Ted for it was out of the question. Or was it? I rubbed my temples. It felt like a vise was trying to squeeze my brain out of my ears.

  “What’s wrong?” Garrison’s brows drew down.

  “Claire has the tiara. How will I get it back?”

  “We’ll work it out later,” Garrison said. “You go get some rest. I’m going to talk to the captain about conducting a memorial for Ronnie. I’m sure he’ll let me. We can listen to what her coworkers are saying.”

  “Ted and Bob are going to know we’re up to something.”

  “Any weirdness Bob sees from me he’ll attribute to Ronnie’s death. I can’t give you any advice on handling Ted.”

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t come up with an idea either.

  SIXTEEN

  I flipped through the channels, settling on the ship’s information channel. My eyes were blurry from a lack of sleep, yet the anxiety churning through me made it impossible for my brain to settle down, not to mention the throbbing in my hand. The bruise on my hand was darker and the swelling increased. Whenever I closed my eyes, the image of the scarf blowing in the wind, Ronnie’s last words written on the mirror, and her disheveled appearance rotated through my mind. At least I had the foresight to put the room service door holder on last night, and fresh brewed coffee and a basket of pastries would be delivered soon. I wasn’t quite ready to join the rest of the cruisers. I felt the ship moving and wasn’t ready to accept the fact we were continuing on the journey—without Ronnie.

  I picked up my travel journal and wrote down the painful memories. I hoped putting them on paper would make it all fall into place. It wasn’t working.

  The cruise director and captain popped onto the screen. I sat up and turned up the volume.

  “Good morning, cruisers.” The director waved to everyone as the captain gave a small nod. “Going on right now is our Walk Around the Deck, perfect for working off any additional calories and enjoying the lovely ocean breeze. Please note we are going at a pretty good clip to make up for some lost time due to an emergency, so you might find your balance is a little off this morning.”

  Once again, the captain nodded.

  “Plenty of activities are scheduled for today and we plan on docking on time tomorrow. Don’t worry about missing any of your planned excursions.” The director smiled, nothing in his demeanor suggesting something horrible happened to a passenger last night. Maybe that was for the best, to not cause a panic. Though I was sure it would be around the ship by noon. It would be hard to keep someone going overboard a secret.

  There was a knock on the door. “Room service.”

  I pushed myself up, causing my wrist to throb. Fortunately, I was dressed appropriately and didn’t need to make a hasty dash for something to wear.

  “Stay tuned for some videos that our guests have taken and shared with us.”

  Videos. Videotaping events and posting them on YouTube was a hobby for many people. Maybe there was one that showed exactly what happened last night. I hated using some of my vacation fund to buy an internet package, but sometimes your priorities changed.

  I yanked the door open.

  The waiter drew back, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

  “Thanks, just put it on the desk.” If my hand had felt better, I’d have taken the tray from her. I really wanted to check out my theory before I lost my train of thought.

  She placed the tray down, giving me a curious glance as she scurried out of the room. She left so fast, there wasn’t enough time for me to hand her a tip. I must have looked a little crazed.

  I poured some coffee and nibbled on a croissant before picking up my cell from the bedside table. I logged on and bought the cheapest plan available and checked a popular cruise message board. In the background, the cruise director, using an overly cheerful voice, read through the daily activity schedule. There was another diamond shopping seminar; a giveaway of a pair of diamond earrings was the incentive to show up. I’d show up and see who William directed to the winning chair this time.

  I clicked on the link for the board dedicated to the Serenade. The first post was about the man—woman—overboard situation. With my hand shaking, I scrolled through the comments and checked the time stamps. People sure were quick to report rumors about the situation. Within two minutes of the incident, it appeared on the board.

  I blew on the coffee, then took a sip. Blech. I hated bitter coffee. I dumped in two packs of sugar and added a large splash of cream, hoping it cut down on the strong flavor. I continued reading. Most of the comments on the thread were gossipy-type posts. People at home asking what happened. There were speculations ranging from a drunken brawl to a rogue wave sweeping a passenger off the ship.

  I’m on the ship. It was a performer. Tragic circumstances, someone with the screen handle of LoveTheWater posted. Suicide.

  Condolences for the family followed the announcement along with horror stories of how cruise ship staff members are overworked and underpaid. How did the poster know Ronnie was a performer? Was it because she saw Ronnie’s performance when my tiara was knocked onto the lifeboat or did this mysterious cruiser know her personally?

  The next message had my breath stuck in my throat.

  I have a video. The blue link tempted me to click. Would it be a blessing or a curse? Either way, I had to find know. I clicked on it.

  The mist and darkness made it hard to make out anything. Jazz played in the background.

  “Up there.”

  “A woman.”

  Screams overpowered the music.

  The lens jerked up. A person in a white dress tumbled through the air, melding into the mist. The camera was redirected at the water. The music stopped. A vague shape hit the water.

  “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” blared from the loudspeaker.

  “Right there,” a young woman’s voice said, the cell trained on a balcony two decks above. “That’s where the woman fell from, almost hit the lifeboat,” the camera shifted, “and splashed in the water.”

  A chill ran through me. No scream from the woman falling. I copied the link to the video, hoping it wasn’t deleted before I was able to show it to John. Who wouldn’t scream if they were plummeting toward the ocean? The only answer my foggy brain came up with was if they were already dead. After downing the remainder of the cooled coffee in one gulp, I gathered up needed items (cell for music, headphones, travel planner, and a book) for my new mission: waiting.

  I changed into a swimsuit and cover-up. I wasn’t sure how to find John, but he always knew how to find me. I’d camp out on the eighth deck and wait for him.

  I stumbled my way over to a vacant chair. The increased speed of the ship made it hard for me to keep my balance. Using other empty chairs as railing, I completed my journey. I already had one minor injury and didn’t want to add a broken leg to the list. My stomach roiled. Great. Seasick. I hoped the cool breeze would settle my stomach.

  I sank into a chair, keeping my ears open to the conversations going on around me. There were a couple questions about the Serenade arriving in port on time, otherwise nothing about Ronnie going overboard. Either word wasn’t spreading or vacationers preferred to keep their thoughts happy and not focus on the reason for the delay.

  The sun beat
down on me. I shifted the position of the deck chair and took off my cover-up. I hoped John found me soon, because I couldn’t camp out here for long since I had forgotten sunscreen. I’d hang out for a while, then try and get some sleep. On this deck, the motion was having a lulling effect on my body.

  Would Ronnie ever be found?

  I closed my eyes, tears spilling down my cheeks, and sent out silent prayers for her. I hoped she was found, giving closure for Garrison. It was bad enough to lose your loved one in such a horrible way, but to not place them to rest was beyond anything I wanted to comprehend.

  Squeezing my eyes even tighter, I drew in small breaths, hoping to stop the panic welling up in me. I tried conjuring up more pleasant images. Nothing came into my head. All my thoughts were about Ronnie and the pain that drove her—or her killer—to that decision.

  The wedding. Think about the wedding. Unfortunately, even that brought me back to Ronnie.

  “Would you like a drink of the day?”

  I peeked up at a worried-looking waiter. He held a tray with frozen drinks.

  “You all right, miss? Can I get you anything?” He glanced over his shoulder, weaving his head back and forth like he was trying to catch someone’s attention.

  My throat felt parched. “I’d love one.”

  “Over here!” A man stood and waved. “Who do I have to kill to get some service?”

  I cringed and rooted around in my bag for my keycard, which doubled as currency on the ship.

  The waiter handed me a drink.

  “Thanks.” I took a long draw of the lemon-and-raspberry-flavored drink. The coolness coated my throat. My gaze shifted to the railing behind me. There was Plexiglas from the bottom of the floor to the top of the railing to prevent young children from climbing through and falling overboard. There was a large enough space between the railing and the top of the panel for a large knot to fit. Was the spacing the same on the stateroom balconies?

  I set the drink down, realizing I’d guzzled half of it, dug out my planner, and flipped to the last page that held all my other notes about Ronnie’s death. Tears welled in my eyes. I quickly scribbled down my ponderings and questions then dropped the book back into my tote.

  My tote tipped over, knocking over my drink. Even though it was waterproof, I still snagged up my bag and placed it on the chair. Darn it all. Waste of a good drink. I pulled the towel from underneath me and dabbed at the spilled liquid.

  A waiter rushed over, bringing me another drink. “Now, don’t you worry about that, miss. We’re here to take care of all of that for you. You just relax and enjoy your vacation.”

  “I hate leaving a mess for others to clean.” I held out my card.

  “Put that away.” The young waiter smiled at me, dimples deepening in his unlined cheeks and his deep brown, almost black, eyes sparkled. “One free spill replacement each morning.”

  “Thanks.”

  Another crew member arrived with a mop and bucket, and in a few moments the deck around me was swabbed back to pristine condition.

  I resettled back onto the deck chair. The movement of the boat and the sun in my eyes got to me. I closed my eyes and pulled the image of the balcony into my mind, trying to picture the spacing between the railing and the safety glass. Maybe if I concentrated enough, I’d remember.

  Something brushed against my left arm. I jerked up. William was draping a towel over me.

  He took a step back. “I was hoping not to wake you.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I was afraid you’d get burned,” he said. “You’ve been sleeping for thirty minutes and your skin was getting red. I didn’t think it would be appropriate to put suntan lotion on you, so I covered you up.”

  I pressed against the back of the seat, tucking my feet under me. Every ounce of my being was in protective mode, wanting far away from William. Even though he was doing a nice deed, it creeped me out that he had watched me while I slept. Give the guy a break, I thought. His sister just died. “Thanks for looking out for me. I had trouble sleeping last night.”

  William sat beside me. “I haven’t gotten much either.”

  Shame rushed through me. Of course he hadn’t. Ronnie’s death affected him more than anyone, besides Garrison. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Were they able to…” I trailed off.

  “No sign of her. I don’t think anyone will find her.” William stared off into the horizon.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He took hold of my left hand. “What happened?”

  “It got stepped on.” I drew my hand away without acting like his touch burned my skin.

  “You might want to get it check out. It’s really swollen.”

  “A doctor took a look at it. It’s not broken.”

  “Such a shame you can’t wear your bracelet.”

  I shaded my eyes with my hand. “I’m not really comfortable with being the winner. I feel like you cheated.”

  Quickly, William transferred over to my deck chair, his body crowding into my personal space.

  I shrank back.

  “I did no such thing.” His gaze bore into mine. “Do you understand that?”

  “You told me—”

  The anger in his eyes silenced me. “I nodded hello at you. Why wouldn’t I? You were a friend of my sister. Lucinda taped the ticket to the chair. I had no idea where it was. The place you sat at was Ruth’s usual spot.”

  “So you wanted her to win.”

  “I already told you I didn’t know where the ticket was placed. It was a coincidence. If you’ll excuse me.” He headed for the atrium.

  I glanced at my phone. Today’s diamond seminar was starting in half an hour. I knew I’d see John there.

  I slipped on my cover-up and went back into the ship. The room was buzzing with excitement. I tuned out the voices and decided to skip the elevator and use the stairs to go down to the theater. I didn’t want to get stuck listening to people chatting about Ronnie’s death. I hated the fact that what happened to her was giving some people a “cruise to remember.”

  There must have been a demonstration in the atrium as cruisers filled the area. I weaved my way through the crowd. There was a long line at the excursions desk. A quick peek at a board told me that some of the excursions for tomorrow’s first port day were sold out, including the marine park outing Odessa wanted everyone to go on. I was looking forward to it.

  Off in the corner, I saw Ruth hunched over a pile of papers. Her gray curls drooped over her eyes. She bit her lip and ran a shaking finger over the paper. She looked so distraught. Alone. My heart broke at the thought of either of my grandmothers being in need and everyone being so caught up in themselves they never even noticed.

  “How are you doing?” I sat across from her.

  “I just don’t know what to do.” She looked up from the tour brochure, tears glittering in her eyes.

  I switched chairs, taking the one beside her, and placed my hand on hers. “Can I help you?”

  “I promised William I’d go on the ATV island tour with him. He’s always wanted to go and has never been able to on the other cruises he’s gone on. When he described it to me, it sounded fun. It’s for couples. Snacks provided. We’d be able to see all the best spots in St. Maarten. But now I’m not sure I should go.”

  “Why not? It sounds lovely.”

  “I kind of like the idea of being considered a couple with William.” A girlish giggle floated from her. “I’d love to be the subject of some juicy gossip. I sure wish my children and grandchildren, or at least one of them, would’ve come with me. They would’ve been in an uproar. Little old slow me traipsing around an island with a hot guy.”

  “You’re missing your family?” I understood that.

  “Not really. I asked them to come, but they only like the bigger ships with more adventurous activities like rock-climbing walls, ice skating, and a surf pool. This ship is boring to them.”

  “I’m finding plenty to do.” Of course, most of my c
hosen activities were related to finding a criminal.

  “That’s because you’re the type of person who’s willing to make the best of a situation,” she said. “Unfortunately, I spoiled my children when they were younger, turning them into adults who only find enjoyment in what they love to do. Finding pleasure in knowing your family and friends are having a wonderful time isn’t in them, which is how I got myself into this mess.” Ruth looked even more miserable than when I first stopped to chat with her. “I don’t want to hurt William’s feelings, especially considering what happened to…”

  “Maybe William will change his mind about going.”

  “No, it makes him want to go even more. One never knows when it’s their last day.” Ruth tapped the paper. “I saw a bit of an informational video and it looks more intense than I can handle. Sharp curves. I don’t know if I can hang on for so many hours.” She rubbed her hand over the knob of her cane.

  “I bet there’s another excursion, even one with ATVs, that will work better for your and William’s needs.”

  “There isn’t.” She sniffed. “I just don’t want him to cancel because of me. It was so important to him. He’s been talking about it for the last two days. It’s a must-do. He’s already distraught about the news I told him last night. He disappeared on me for an hour, and that’s not like him.”

  “What news? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “It’s fine. I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t want to speak about it.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I finally told William that this will be my last cruise. My heart is getting worse. My doctor advised me that cruise travel wasn’t safe for me anymore. At times, I’ll be too far away from a hospital if I have an incident.”

  That explained William’s interest in Ruth’s friends, Paul and Glenda.

  “I hate knowing William won’t be able to go on this excursion he’s always dreamed of.”

  I had a solution. I smiled at her. “William won’t have to go alone. I’ll go with him. When is it?”