Fatal Flirtation: A Cruise Ship Mystery (Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 13)

by Hope Callaghan

  When she reached the railing, she eased forward and glanced into the roiling waters. Her stomach flipped at the sight of the enormous waves. Millie closed her eyes, praying that God would protect the Siren of the Seas from the storm and that they would reach the safety of calmer waters.

  Millie walked to the other end of the ship and then headed downstairs until she reached Nadia and Regan’s suite.

  She could hear muffled sounds coming from the other side of the door and gave the door a quick rap. It opened a fraction of an inch and then swung open as a pale Nadia appeared.

  “Oh dear. I thought I would stop by to see how you’re feeling.” Millie fumbled in her jacket pocket and pulled out the ginger pill. “I have a ginger pill if you would like to try it. It helped me earlier.”

  Nadia attempted a smile and took the pill. “Thanks. I feel terrible.”

  “I’m sorry, Nadia. Where is Regan?”

  “He’s lying down watching television. The hurricane is heading right toward St. Martin.”

  “Oh no. Nic told me that the storm shifted.”

  “It looks like our home is going to take a direct hit. We called the resort to talk to the staff. They’re as prepared as possible. Being out here and not knowing what is going on makes it even worse.” Nadia changed the subject. “Have you found out anything else about the poor crewmember who died?”

  “Sort of.” Millie briefly explained how she’d spoken to Elyse Bivens. “I heard the ship’s crewmember also had some issues. Perhaps he set one of the other crew or a passenger off. It would help to know how he died.”

  “Maybe you need to buddy up to the ship’s doctor. I’m sure he has some idea what happened.”

  Nadia’s joke gave Millie an idea. “Nadia. That’s perfect. You gave me a great idea.”

  The ship shifted again and Nadia clamped a hand across her mouth. “I better go lie down.”

  “Take the ginger pill first.”

  Millie prayed again that the ship would quickly reach calmer waters as she cautiously made her way to Ocean Treasures. She peered through the large picture window before stepping inside.

  She waited while Cat helped one of the shoppers purchase a packet of motion sickness tablets. The man left and Millie wandered toward the cash register. As she got closer, she noticed Doctor Joe Gundervan standing nearby.

  Millie slipped in behind a display of postcards and then peeked around the side when she heard Cat make a choking noise. Cat’s expression was serious while Doctor Gundervan shook his head. He leaned in to say something when a customer approached to pay for her purchases.

  Without saying another word, Gundervan turned on his heel and made his way to the exit, a somber expression on his face.

  Millie waited until the customer finished paying before approaching the counter. “I bet the motion sickness pills are flying off the shelves.”

  “Whew.” Cat rolled her eyes. “It’s a good thing we purchased extra before the ship left Miami. After I heard there was a storm churning, I stocked up. Do you need some?”

  “No. I took a ginger pill earlier and it seems to have worked. I helped Pierre with the wine tasting demonstration and met a couple of the Turner family members. One of them told me the passenger, Jennifer Quillen, was flirting with Vic Turner before the fight with her brother.”

  Cat tugged on a stray strand of hair. “Do you think this is somehow linked to Micah Reyes’ death?”

  “Micah was one of several security guards in charge of making sure Vic Turner and Aaron Quillen stayed in their cabins. I also suspect Aaron Quillen was giving Micah a hard time about leaving his cabin.”

  “So you think Aaron Quillen or Vic Turner may have been responsible for Micah’s death?”

  “I’m leaning in that direction,” Millie said. “Think about it. We already know the two were fighting. What if one of them got into a physical altercation with Micah and he was injured?”

  “Well, that would make sense.” Cat tapped her fingernails on the glass counter. “Joe mentioned Micah was struck in the back of the head with a blunt object.”

  “Patterson wouldn’t tell me what happened to him.”

  “Uh-oh.” Cat’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Millie, you can’t tell anyone what I told you. Joe would be furious with me.”

  “I promise I won’t say anything.” Millie began to pace. “So if we go back to the beginning, Jennifer started following him, as in Vic Turner. Meanwhile, her brother was following her. The two men had some sort of confrontation. One of the men struck the other and they began to fight.”

  “Don’t forget the Turner family is causing other trouble on board the ship,” Cat pointed out.

  “Right. After the fight, Patterson placed them both under cabin arrest and Micah was in a rotation as one of the guards responsible for watching at least one of the men at some point in time. There was an argument and one of them struck Micah. He was hurt and headed to medical to have it checked out, but collapsed before he could get there.”

  “What about video surveillance?” Cat asked.

  “I already thought of that. The only surveillance cameras are the ones at the ends of the halls, near the stairs and elevators on each deck.”

  “Don’t forget about the employee keycards. If you can figure out where and when Micah used his keycard, you could place him in one or the other of the locations.”

  Millie shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out a coupon for the coffee shop. She turned it over, an idea forming in her head. “Cat, where’s your rubber stamp with the time stamps? I want to borrow it.”

  Cat reached into the drawer, pulled out a rubber stamp and handed it to Millie. “What are you going to do with that?”

  “According to Elyse Bivens, a relative of Vic Turner’s, Jennifer Quillen was the one flirting with her cousin. Somehow, she ties into all of this, the argument between Vic Turner and her brother, Aaron. What if this woman is making her rounds, flirting with male passengers and causing trouble?”

  “What if she flirted with Micah Reyes, her brother or fiancé found out and they argued?” Cat asked.

  “I was thinking the same thing, and I think I know who might be able to help me out.” Millie did a mental rundown of the rest of her day and then rolled the numbers on the dial. “I’ll give Jennifer an hour to use it. Now all I have to do is track her down to give it to her.”

  “Slip it under her cabin door,” Cat suggested.

  “That’s a great idea, except I don’t know what cabin she’s staying in.”

  “No problem.” Cat clapped her hands. “Never fear…Cat is here!”

  Chapter 11

  “Have you already forgotten I can use my computer system to tell you what cabin she’s in?” Cat turned her attention to the computer screen and began tapping the keys. “She’s in A4315.”

  “The Atlantic deck,” Millie murmured as she handed the stamper back to Cat. “Thanks, Cat. You’ve been a huge help.”

  “You’re welcome. Please keep all of this between the two of us. If Joe finds out I mentioned Micah’s injuries, he’ll be furious. We’re kind of going through a rough patch right now.”

  “I saw him leave here a few minutes ago. I wasn’t going to bring it up, but could tell by the look on his face you were having a serious discussion.”

  A customer motioned Cat to the jewelry display. “I’ll be right back.”

  Cat dashed to the other side of the store where she unlocked the jewelry case and pulled out a tray of jewelry. The woman was in no hurry and finally left after not purchasing anything, leaving Cat and Millie alone in the store again.

  Millie waited until Cat locked the case and returned to the cash register. “She wanted me to give her a discount on one of our new custom pendants. When I told her I couldn’t, she got mad and left.”

  “I don’t think I would be good at selling retail,” Millie changed the subject. “If you don’t want to tell me what’s going on with Joe…Doctor Gundervan, you don�
�t have to.”

  “It’s a mess.” Tears filled Cat’s eyes.

  Millie reached across the counter and squeezed her friend’s hand. “I’m sorry, Cat.”

  “Me too.” Cat sucked in a breath. “Things were going great. I mean, Joe and I have been spending most of our free time together, until about two weeks ago when we made plans to hike up Mount Liamuiga during our port day in St. Kitts. He cancelled at the last minute, saying he had some stuff to take care of and couldn’t leave the ship.”

  “Maybe he did. It happens to Nic all of the time. We make plans and then at the last minute something comes up and we can’t go.”

  “Right, except that every time I stop by to see him, he’s busy with nurse busybody.”

  Millie grinned at Cat’s description of the ship’s nurse, Rachel Quaid, who was a bit of a gossip. “Doctor Gundervan couldn’t possibly be interested in Rachel Quaid.”

  “Don’t be so sure.” Cat’s lower lip started to quiver. “All I know is it seems like he’s avoiding me and dropping hints he wants to end our relationship.”

  “But he was just in here,” Millie pointed out.

  “He came here to pick up my last few boxes of Dramamine. The medical center has been slammed with people suffering from motion sickness.” Cat’s shoulders sagged. “It is what it is. Maybe I’m not meant to find happiness and am destined to be alone.”

  “I don’t think so. Even if Doctor Gundervan isn’t the person for you, the perfect person is out there.”

  “But nearly impossible to find on board a cruise ship.”

  “Look at me,” Millie said. “Five years ago, I never would’ve dreamed Roger would leave me for a client or I would take a job on board a cruise ship and end up marrying the captain of the ship.”

  “Not all of us are that lucky,” Cat whispered.

  “I love you Cat.” Millie hugged her friend. “Don’t let this get you down. It may not be anything and Joe is busy right now. If he is trying to break it off, then you deserve someone better.”

  A customer entered the store and made his way to the back.

  “I better get going. Keep your chin up and I’ll be praying for you.” Millie made a zipping motion across her lips. “As for the other…don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”

  Millie zigzagged past the display cases and stepped out of the store. Poor Cat. Millie hoped it wasn’t true. She hoped Doctor Gundervan wasn’t trying to end their relationship.

  Cat seemed so happy. She was working hard to put her past behind her and it looked as if she’d finally found a decent man, a good person to love and who loved her in return. Sometimes life didn’t seem fair.

  She forced Cat’s confession from her mind as she made her way to Atlantic deck and cabin A4315.

  “Here goes nothing.” Millie folded the coupon in half and then dropped it into the message bin next to the cabin door. Whether Jennifer Quillen would find the coupon in time was another story.

  It was time to check in with Andy. Andy’s office was ground zero as the ship’s entertainment staff buzzed in and out, scrambling to cover the revised schedule. She picked up a few additional events, and barely had time to dwell on her own queasy stomach as she rushed from one to the next.

  Later that evening, she stayed long enough to watch the headliner show before heading to the piano bar, followed by the comedy show. Her last official event was co-hosting Killer Karaoke. The crowd was light and she and her co-host decided to wrap it up a few minutes early when the last few passengers drifted away.

  On her way home, Millie swung by the Tahitian Nights Dance Club, which was surprisingly busy.

  After making sure that the club’s late night host was all set, she wearily trudged to the bridge and made her way inside.

  The soft glow of the ship’s control panel beckoned Millie inside. She paused for a moment as she attempted to see who was working.

  A new ship’s officer and Nic were standing near the bridge.

  Millie wiggled her aching feet out of her work shoes and tiptoed across the room.

  Nic must’ve been waiting for her as he motioned to his wife and made his way to her side. “Captain Vitale should be here any minute to relieve me.”

  “Good. I’m whupped.” Millie greeted the new employee with a yawn and quickly covered her mouth. “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to do that.”

  “It has been a long day.” The officer smiled kindly. “Tomorrow will be a better day.”

  “I hope so.” She slipped into the apartment and gently closed the door behind her. Scout was waiting for Millie near the door.

  She scooped him up and then stepped in a puddle that soaked her sock.

  “Uh-oh. I guess you decided not to use the spare potty pad. I can’t say as I blame you.”

  Millie took off her socks and then carried the small pooch to the sliders before cautiously peering out. It was still windy, but the seas were calmer, so she stepped onto the deck and made her way to the other end.

  She gently set the small pup on the potty pad and waited while he took care of his business before they retraced their steps. Millie secured the door once they were safely inside.

  Scout had barely touched his food, so she gave him some fresh food and water. “You really should try to eat a little.”

  Scout sniffed the dish before nibbling on his food. Millie slumped into the chair and watched him eat, her mind mulling over all that had happened that day.

  Foremost in her mind was Cat. It was only a few short months ago Cat was meeting with a counselor to sort through the emotions after suffering years of abuse at the hands of her ex-husband.

  She made a mental note to talk to Annette, to fill her in and ask her to keep an eye on their friend.

  A light creaking noise echoed from the front hall and a weary Nic shuffled into the living room.

  “You look like I feel.” Millie forced herself from the chair and wrapped her arms around her husband.

  “It has been a long day. Thankfully, we’ve seen the worst of the storm. By the time I start my next shift, the Siren of the Seas will be many miles away from the eye and we should be looking at sunny skies by late tomorrow afternoon.”

  “That’s a relief. Can I fix you a sandwich or a cup of hot tea?”

  Nic sank into a dining room chair and nodded as he began untying his shoes. “Tea sounds perfect. We called down for a small bite to eat earlier. With the churning seas, it’s always a good idea to eat light.”

  “Duly noted.” Millie filled two cups with water and placed both of them in the microwave before turning it on. “What is your shift tomorrow?”

  “All day, from five until whenever. Our new Second Officer, Myron Greaves, was on the bridge for most of the day. He’s been a huge help.” Nic went on to tell his wife the ship was approaching south of the Dominican Republic. They planned to skirt the edge of Cuba before heading northeast to the Bahamas.

  “Myron Greaves,” Millie repeated the new officer’s name. “I couldn’t remember his name. Today has gone by in a blur.”

  The microwave beeped, and Millie returned to the kitchen where she dropped a fresh teabag into each of the cups and carried them to the dining room. She set one of them in front of her husband before lifting the other and taking a sip. “I’m getting up early, too. I’m meeting Annette in the kitchen at 5:30 to help whip up a batch of cinnamon rolls.”

  “And you don’t have enough to keep you busy?” Nic joked.

  “I do. They’re for Sharky. He’s doing me a favor.”

  “I see. Does this have anything to do with our rowdy reunion passengers or Micah Reyes?”

  Millie fiddled with the handle of her cup.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” Nic sipped his tea and eyed his wife over the rim. “Steer clear of the reunion group. They’re trouble. We still don’t know the cause of Micah’s death and until we can determine whether it was foul play or natural causes, we all need to be on our toes.”

  Millie opened her mouth to tell her
husband someone struck Micah on the back of the head and promptly clamped it shut, remembering her promise to Cat not to say anything. Instead, she changed the subject. “Now that we’re heading to calmer waters, do we have a plan on what to do with almost three thousand passengers?”

  Nic sipped his tea before answering. “I’m glad you asked. As a matter of fact, Andy is researching a small island not far from South Seas Cay.”

  “Why don’t we visit South Seas Cay?” South Seas Cay was Majestic Cruise Lines private island located in the Bahamas. It was one of Millie’s favorite port stops and a slice of paradise, with crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, water sports galore, not to mention picturesque paths that meandered through the flora and fauna.

  “There’s already a ship scheduled to visit the island and they can only handle one cruise ship per day. If Andy’s idea pans out, I think the passengers will be pleasantly surprised.”

  Scout wandered over. Nic picked up the small pup and patted his head. “I couldn’t coax Scout onto the deck earlier. The winds were too high, so he may have had an accident.”

  “Thanks for reminding me. He left a small puddle in the hall.” Millie set her cup of tea on the kitchen counter and tore off several paper towels before heading to the hall to wipe up the puddle.

  After cleaning the spot, she tossed the paper towels in the trash, downed the rest of her tea and rinsed her cup.

  Nic joined her in the kitchen. “I haven’t had a chance to check on Nadia and Regan.”

  “I did earlier.” Millie told him she’d stopped by their cabin to see how they were faring. “It appears St. Martin is going to take a direct hit from the hurricane.”

  “At a category five,” Nic said. “Nadia and Regan might be going home to a different island.”

  “How awful.” Millie dried the cups and set them in the cabinet. “What will we do if the islands we visit are devastated and the ports damaged? Majestic Cruise Lines will have to change cruise ports.”