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

by Hope Callaghan

  Millie’s heart skipped a beat. “Are you sure? When I saw her the other day, she had marks on her neck.”

  “Nope,” Danielle shook her head. “I didn’t leave the marks. I wonder who did.”

  “Good question. She probably got into it with someone else.” Millie started to close the Quillen file when a small slip of paper fluttered onto the desk. “What’s this?”

  Millie narrowed her eyes. “It looks like a copy of an arrest record for Aaron Quillen.” She grew quiet as she read the report. “What is elder law?”

  “It’s a law relating to the elderly, typically the exploitation and/or abuse of an elderly person. Let me see.”

  Millie handed the paper to Danielle. “Sure as sugar. Aaron Quillen was charged with the financial exploitation of an elderly person. It appears that the person either died or dropped the charges.”

  The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. The room steward’s comment that something funny was going on between Jennifer Quillen and her brother, Aaron. What if Aaron wasn’t Jennifer’s brother? She thought about the room charges, how Todd Ebenstein was footing the bill for the entire cruise.

  Millie also thought about Nadia’s comment that Jennifer Quillen was a gold digger and interested in Vic Turner after discovering he was a doctor.

  “I heard that Vic Turner is starting his residency in Chicago soon. What if Micah caught Jennifer and Vic together, or Aaron Quillen, who really isn’t her brother? He threatened to expose their secret to Todd Ebenstein, and Jennifer and Aaron attacked Micah.” Millie thought of Sharky’s comment when Micah said, “Don’t let ‘em get away with it.”

  She shoved the file folder inside the cabinet and slammed the door. “I…think I might be onto something. We need to get down to Sharky’s office ASAP.”

  “Let’s go.” Danielle quickly locked the cabinet before the women hustled out of Andy’s office. They took the stairs two at a time, until they reached deck zero.

  When they reached Sharky’s office, the lights were off and the door was locked.

  Danielle pounded the door in frustration. “Great, he’s not here.”

  “I’ll try him on the radio.” Millie unhooked her radio from her belt and pressed the call button. “Sharky, do you copy?”

  There was no answer, so she tried again. “Sharky Kiveski.”

  “Hold your horses. I’m here. Go ahead, Millie.”

  “Do you have a minute to meet me in front of your office?”

  There was a brief moment of silence.

  “Are you alone?”

  Millie released the call button. “Oh brother.” She pressed it in. “No, I am not alone.”

  “I’ll be there in a sec.”

  Millie clipped the radio to her belt and grinned at Danielle. “He thinks you’re Annette.”

  The sound of squealing tires echoed in the hall right before Sharky and his scooter careened around the corner. The smile on his face vanished when he spotted Danielle. “Where’s Annette?”

  “Working.”

  “I thought Annette was with you.”

  “You asked me if I was alone. You didn’t ask me who I was with. I want to take another look at the picture of Micah you took the other day.”

  Sharky reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He held it out. Before Millie could take it from him, he snatched it back. “Wait a minute! What’s in it for me?”

  “Give me the phone,” Millie gritted through clenched teeth. “You’ve already got a date with Annette. What more do you want?”

  “Annette is going on a date with Sharky?” Danielle gasped.

  “It’s a non-date,” Millie said. “I should’ve clarified.”

  “It’s a date,” Sharky insisted.

  “Phone?” Millie held out her hand and glared at Sharky. “If you don’t give me your phone, I’ll talk Annette into cancelling your non-date.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  Millie lifted a brow.

  “All right.” Sharky dropped the phone in Millie’s hand.

  Millie switched the phone on. “What’s your password?”

  “You asked for the phone, not the password,” Sharky snickered.

  Millie took a menacing step forward.

  “You have no sense of humor. Give it back and I’ll unlock it.”

  Millie handed the phone back. Sharky tapped the screen and handed it to her again. “I even pulled up the picture.”

  “I don’t see anything.” She passed the phone to Danielle. “Do you see anything?”

  “What are you looking for?” Sharky asked.

  “We’re trying to figure out if Micah had any scratches indicating self-defense wounds.”

  Sharky shifted in his seat. “Nope. Not that I can recall.”

  “There’s one more thing,” Millie said.

  “Geez,” Sharky rolled his eyes. “You’re wearing me out here.”

  Millie ignored the comment. “The pendant I found on your office floor the other day…the one that dropped off your desk, where did you get it?”

  Sharky scratched his upper lip. “What is this? Twenty questions?”

  “Where did you get the pendant?” Millie repeated the question.

  “I found it.”

  “Where did you find it?”

  “In the hall. What does it matter where I found it? It’s mine now. Finders keepers and all that.”

  “You found it at the same time you found Micah, didn’t you?”

  Sharky averted his gaze, but kept quiet.

  “Sharky, this is important. Did you find the pendant at the same time you found Micah in the hall?”

  “Yes, but I can guarantee the pendant wasn’t Micah’s. It’s a chick piece of jewelry.”

  “Precisely. I need to borrow the pendant.”

  “No.” Sharky stubbornly shook his head.

  “Let me borrow the pendant or I’ll go upstairs to the galley and tell Annette that you’re going to give her a stolen piece of jewelry.”

  “You will not,” Sharky gasped.

  Millie held out her hand. “Go get the pendant.”

  “All right!” Sharky climbed off his scooter and marched to his office door. He stepped inside and slammed the door behind him, rattling the glass on the fire extinguisher nearby.

  He returned moments later and dropped the pendant in Millie’s hand. “You better give it back.”

  “I will, unless Patterson needs to hang onto it as evidence.”

  “I still don’t see what the big deal is,” he grumbled.

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” Millie turned to Danielle. “We need to tell Patterson, but first we have a stop to make.”

  Millie thanked Sharky and hurried down the hall.

  Danielle jogged to catch up and then fell into step. “Everything we have is circumstantial. You think the pendant belongs to Micah’s killer?”

  “Yep, and I’m guessing somewhere upstairs in the photo gallery there’s a picture of Jennifer Quillen wearing a necklace with this exact pendant.”

  “We can only hope,” Danielle said. “Wouldn’t that be something?”

  “Yes, it would.” Millie’s mind whirled as the women ascended the steps to deck three. The photo gallery was closed and the door locked. “Rats!”

  “What about Cat? I’m sure she has a key to the photo gallery,” Danielle said.

  “You’re right.” The women headed back to the stairs and made their way to the Ocean Treasures gift shop. Cat was inside, helping a customer.

  Danielle and Millie waited off to the side until the customer left.

  “Let’s go.” Millie took a tentative step toward her friend, but another shopper beat her to the cash register.

  Millie began to pace, her fist tightly clenched around what she believed was a pendant that belonged to Micah’s killer.

  Finally, the shopper left and the women hurried to Cat and the cash register.

  “You look like you’re ready to explode,” Cat joked.

&n
bsp; “Close. I think I might have a piece of evidence that belongs to Micah’s killer.” Millie held out the pendant. “I need to take a look in the photo gallery to see if I can link this pendant to Jennifer Quillen. I’m hoping there’s a photo somewhere of her wearing this necklace.”

  Cat slowly began to shake her head. “That won’t be necessary.” She carefully took the pendant from Millie, turned it over and studied the back. “I sold this pendant and necklace the other day. It’s a one of a kind designer piece, something we just started carrying in the store. I can tell you exactly who bought it.”

  “Who?” Millie asked.

  “First, let me confirm the buyer.” Cat stepped behind the computer, reached for her mouse and began clicking on the screen. “I found it. Would you like a copy of the signed receipt of purchase?”

  “You have a copy with a signature?” Danielle whooped. “This is perfect.”

  “Yep.” Cat’s head bobbed up and down. “Like I said, this is a designer piece, a one of a kind by a new custom jeweler. I only purchased a few pieces to see if they would sell. Since it’s a custom piece, they’re non-refundable and require the purchaser to sign off at the time of purchase, stating they’re aware that it can’t be returned.”

  The printer behind Cat whirred. It spit out a single sheet of paper. She plucked it from the tray and handed it to Millie. “Here’s the purchaser’s name and signature.”

  Millie took the sheet. Her eyes grew wide as she read the purchaser’s name.

  “Who is it?” Danielle leaned over her shoulder. “Well, will you look at that?”

  “We need to take this to Patterson,” Millie said. “With this kind of evidence, I think we can get a full confession.”

  Chapter 22

  Patterson clenched his jaw, his stance rigid as he eyed Millie. “You know how I feel about this. Now that we can tie the pendant to Alice Turner and the flashlight will be expedited to a Miami lab for prints, it’s only a matter of time before Turner is arrested for Micah’s death.”

  “I know, but wouldn’t it be even better if you could detain Alice Turner before she leaves the ship?” Millie argued. “What if she leaves the country? Give me five minutes to question Alice Turner and then I’ll let you take over. Besides, you and your men will be right around the corner if she attacks me.”

  “Fine, but if she doesn’t answer, you agree to let me and the authorities handle getting a confession,” Patterson bargained.

  “Deal.” Millie pulled the pendant from her pocket and hurried down the hall before Patterson changed his mind. She stopped in front of Alice Turner’s cabin and knocked. There was no answer, so she tried again.

  She was almost ready to give up, when she heard a muffled thump coming from inside. She knocked again, this time harder and the door finally opened.

  A sour-faced Alice Turner opened the cabin door. “Yes?”

  “Yes. Ms. Turner, I apologize for bothering you.”

  “Make it quick.”

  Millie pointed at the red marks still on Alice’s neck. “Have you had the ship’s doctor take a look at those red marks?”

  “Yes, and I plan to sue Majestic Cruise Lines and Danielle Kneldon for attacking me the other day,” the woman snarled.

  “You’re sure Danielle left those marks?”

  “Of course she did.” Alice Turner started to close the door in Millie’s face and she quickly wedged her shoe in the opening.

  “I think you picked a fight with Danielle after being injured, to make it look like she was the one who left the marks. I believe you were injured during an altercation with the Siren of the Seas’ security guard, Micah Reyes.”

  “That’s absurd,” Turner sputtered. “Are you accusing me of murdering a security guard?”

  Instead of answering Alice’s question, Millie held her hand out, revealing the unique pendant. “This beautiful piece of jewelry, a unique one of a kind piece at that, was found next to Micah’s body.”

  The color drained from Alice Turner’s face and her mouth fell open. “I…so why are you telling me?”

  Millie ran a light finger over the top of the pendant. “Like I said, this pendant is a one of a kind, sold to a passenger the other day in the gift shop by the store manager.”

  “Instead of bothering me, maybe you should track down the owner,” Alice whispered.

  “I have. That’s why I’m here. The person who purchased this pendant was you.” Millie paused to let her words sink in. “If you recall, you signed a receipt when you purchased this piece. The necklace was non-refundable, and you agreed that you understood the piece could not be returned.”

  Alice Turner caught Millie off guard as she lunged forward, trying desperately to snatch the pendant from her hand. “I was mistaken. The pendant is mine. I want it back.”

  Millie stumbled backwards. “You killed Micah.”

  “No, it was an accident.” Alice Turner’s eyes glittered as she shoved Millie to the floor and tried to wrestle the pendant from her. “Give it to me!”

  Alice pinned Millie to the floor and clawed at her hand in a desperate attempt to grab the pendant.

  Thankfully, Dave Patterson and another security guard sprang onto the scene where they quickly dragged Alice Turner away from Millie. It took two of them to hold her. “You’re under ship arrest for the murder of Micah Reyes.”

  “It was an accident,” Alice gasped. “I only meant to knock him out. Vic had nothing to do with this. It was all Micah’s fault. Vic would never get to start his residency. My son deserves to be a doctor.”

  Alice began to cry. “Please, you must believe me. Vic is innocent.”

  A third security guard arrived and quickly placed handcuffs on Alice Turner while Dave Patterson helped Millie to her feet.

  She waited until Alice and the two accompanying officers were out of sight before handing the pendant to Patterson. “That was scary.”

  “Which is why you should leave confessions to men with weapons,” Patterson said.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Millie rubbed the sides of her arms. “I have to admit the woman almost got away with murder. If Danielle hadn’t told me she never scratched Alice Turner, I never would’ve known Micah was the one who left the deep, red scratches on Turner’s lower neck.”

  “You’ve got a sharp eye, Millie.”

  “I have to give Sharky credit for this one, too. If not for him admitting that he found the pendant, I never would’ve put two and two together.”

  She continued. “I was certain that Jennifer Quillen or her brother was responsible for Micah’s death, especially after finding out that Aaron was accused of elderly abuse.”

  “The family duo appears to be scam artists, but stealing people’s money doesn’t necessarily make them killers. Despite all of the drama, I think there was some good that came out of everything.”

  “What good?”

  “Ms. Quillen and her brother, along with Jennifer Quillen’s ex-fiancé, were down at guest services sorting out Mr. Ebenstein’s onboard charge account. It appears that the Quillen duo was having a field day charging stuff on Mr. Ebenstein’s account. He found out and pft.” Patterson made a slashing motion across his neck.

  “Ebenstein attacked the Quillens?” Millie gasped.

  “Close. In the end, he got them where it really hurt…their pocketbook. He refused to pay their charges, claiming he’d never given them permission to make charges to his account. Jennifer Quillen started throwing a fit, which is when guest services called me to diffuse the situation. After a stern warning, the Quillens paid their own tab, but it appears the wedding is off.”

  “Thank goodness.” Millie clasped her hands. “She didn’t deserve that nice man.”

  “I agree.” Patterson slung a light arm across Millie’s shoulders. “If you ever get tired of entertaining guests, I could use someone like you on my team.”

  Millie abruptly stopped. “Dave Patterson…are you offering me a job?”

  “Maybe. Like I said -
if you ever get tired of entertaining guests.”

  “I’ll need to run this by Andy, to see what he thinks,” she teased. “Speaking of Andy, he’s probably trying to track me down.”

  Chapter 23

  Nic grasped Regan’s hand and gave him a man hug before taking a step back. “I only wish we were seeing you off under more pleasant circumstances, my friend.”

  Regan hugged him back. “The important thing is our business and our home is safe. As soon as the power returns and the port is back in business, we’ll meet you and Millie for lunch.”

  “I’m only sorry you have to take a flight home from Miami,” Millie said.

  “At least the airport is open again,” Nadia said. “Despite the hurricane and all of the other drama of the week, we had a wonderful time. We loved the Harmony Cove port stop. We got some great ideas for our own resort. Regan and I enjoyed the private cabana you booked for us. I even managed to get a sunburn.” She pointed at her red nose. “The last couple of days have been perfect and exactly what we needed to recharge our batteries.”

  Captain Vitale quietly joined the foursome. “The port authorities are downstairs, asking for a full report on the arrest of Alice Turner.”

  “Perhaps I should send Millie down to file the report,” Nic teased. “Since she was the one who coerced a confession from the woman.”

  “I heard the passenger confessed to striking the security guard with his flashlight. I missed the part about why she attacked him,” Nadia said.

  “Her son, Vic Turner, had a previous arrest record for assault on a school officer years ago as a teen. He was given probation, but the charge was never purged from the file. Vic is starting his residency as a surgeon at a Chicago area hospital,” Millie explained. “Any new criminal record or even an investigation would have meant Mr. Turner would be banned from pursuing a career in the medical field.”

  Nic picked up. “After Vic Turner and Aaron Quillen were returned to the ship when the port authorities refused to hold them on the island, several of the Turner members were waiting outside Vic’s cabin. Micah radioed Patterson he thought there might be trouble, so he decided to have Vic Turner placed in the holding cell temporarily. The holding cell also happens to be near the medical center. He didn’t realize Alice Turner had followed him and was waiting for him outside the cell.”