“You’re the cruise director?” Eleanor asked.
“I sure am.” The woman smiled.
“I wouldn’t expect you to man this station.”
“Jess is on break and I’m always on hand to help out wherever I’m needed. As a cruise director, I’d never ask anyone to do anything that I wouldn’t.”
“Sounds great. We’re here to play pool volleyball at two, Agnes Barton and party.”
Tasha ran a finger along the list and said, “Oh, I see you need a walker.” She motioned over a man and told him to bring the walker and he raced away, returning with it not five minutes later. He then stripped off his uniform, much to the delight of the women nearby as their eyes widened, and smiles appeared from even the ones who hardly looked capable of smiling.
He put the walker in the pool and helped Mr. Wilson off his scooter and into the water. Wilson wore Bermuda shorts for the occasion and a t-shirt, with a baseball cap placed prominently on his head. Eleanor rustled in her bag, coming back with sunscreen that she rubbed on Wilson.
“Stop it, woman. I don’t need any of that blasted stuff.”
“But you’ll burn, dear.”
My only thought was that at least then he’d have some color besides gray, which is what his skin usually looked. “She’s right, you know,” I said.
“Perhaps you should stay out of this one,” Andrew whispered.
I nodded and frowned, as I saw the Tawas group heading into the pool opposite Wilson and Eleanor. I loved that group, but Ruby and Pearl certainly were no fans of mine, but thankfully Lenore and Violet were there, too, and they were at least nice ladies. Andrew helped me into the pool and he pulled off his shirt, tossing it onto a nearby chair. Ruby and Pearl ogled my Andrew, but they weren’t the only ones. I didn’t let it bother me, though. He was mine now, and I must admit he had a shape worth looking at.
“Go ahead and serve first, Ruby,” Eleanor said. “Hopefully you can play volleyball better than you can bowl,” she taunted.
“Do you really hope she can?” I whispered to Eleanor.
“She can’t hit the broad side of a—”
“Whoosh.” The ball flew, winging Eleanor on the side of the face. She fell sideways and went down under the water, coming back up sputtering. “You old crow. Are you trying to kill me?”
I helped Eleanor back to her feet. “Hey, this is supposed to be a friendly game, not a blood bath.”
“She’s right,” Violet said. “That wasn’t very nice. You could have really hurt Eleanor with that fast ball of yours.”
“Fastball, as in, she’s known for it?”
“Her son has an in-ground pool and she’s been practicing. Teach us to tease her for being a lousy player.”
“Nobody says that anymore.” Ruby nodded. “That’s a point for us.”
Luckily, Pearl served next and didn’t get it over the net, and then it was Eleanor’s turn. She tossed up the volleyball and slammed her fist into it. As it sailed over the net, it was hit by Violet, but when the ball was back on our side, Andrew spiked it to the other side. “Looks like that’s a point for us this time.”
Andrew served next and it sailed right over the net, too, but it was hit by Ruby, then Pearl, and then Lenore, before it made it back to our side. I hit it, but instead of it going over the net, the ball flopped to the pool with a splash.
“Good try,” Andrew encouraged me.
It was now that I was reminded just how much I hated this game, which I doubly remembered when it was my turn to serve and I bruised my hand trying to get the ball to go over the net. Of course that never happened. I rubbed my sore hand and was about to call it quits when Mr. Wilson served, and the ball was dropped between Ruby and Pearl. The game went on for another five minutes before we were all exhausted enough to call it quits. The last thing any of us needed was to have a heart attack, since we were all over the age of seventy.
Once we were all out of the pool, we shook hands with our competitors and were given a free drink coupon by the activity director. Andrew and I walked arm and arm and sat on a bench near the handrail, and then Eleanor and Mr. Wilson joined us. Luckily we were quite alone, so I told Andrew how wrong we had been about the woman we had thought was dead, and how the men that came to that floor were only there to change a light bulb.
“That’s certainly a change for you. Looks like you’re out of a case.”
“It wasn’t a case, exactly, but I’m not done.”
“I knew I was getting off too easy, please continue.”
“Well, it seems that the surveillance tapes did record Kacey going down the stairwell by herself, but she told us the last thing she remembered was the ship leaving yesterday. How would that be possible?”
“She might have been given a drugged drink shortly after the ship left port.”
“I suppose. She told us she woke up in a room below decks and that somebody let her out. I was wondering how she might have gotten there since on the tape she was by herself. I had assumed that she was locked in the room, but she told us she was woken up by somebody.”
“So you’re not sure how her story lines up,” Andrew said.
“I believe her story,” Eleanor said. “I think somebody planned to kidnap her for some reason, like human trafficking, perhaps.”
“We’re too far from Mexico for that, and even if we were near there, how would they get her off the ship?” Andrew said. “There has to be another reason somebody would want to kidnap her and lock her up.”
“Some of the wedding party didn’t seem too happy that she was matron of honor,” Eleanor said.
“Are you suggesting that one of the bridesmaids would go to those lengths just to take their place as Matron of Honor if Kacey disappeared?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. Haven’t you ever watched that Bridesmaids movie? Being in a wedding can be quite competitive.”
“So that makes a few different scenarios, but I’m not sure we need to waste any time investigating any of them — if I don’t want to at least substantiate her story, that is.”
Andrew sighed. “Like how, exactly, question her friends?”
“Not at this point,” I said. “But since we’re invited to the captain’s table tonight, we could fish a little. I’d love a tour of the engine room. That way we could poke around and see if we can find the place that Kacey claimed to be, or identify the man who helped her out.”
I wanted to say so much more, but at this point, I just wasn’t all that sure that the map of the ship and gold key had anything to do with Kacey’s missing status yesterday. I should be relieved that she was safe now, but since we didn’t know for sure if anyone had tried to do anything untoward to her, I just wasn’t so willing to let this go.
“There’s another matter on this ship that disturbs me,” I began. “When I was in the infirmary yesterday, I met a nice young woman, Leah. Eleanor and I had lunch with her today and she had a bruise. I’m not sure what kind of business her boyfriend Ricky is into, but he certainly seems to allow his associates to abuse his girlfriend.”
Andrew leaned back against the bench. “Just how many cases do you plan on focusing on while we’re here?”
“I’m not on a case. I just hate to see any woman abused, was all I meant. I’ve seen her boyfriend and that man Leo. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were the type who would slip a woman a drug in her drink. What if they were the ones responsible for doing that to Kacey?”
“I thought we were here on our honeymoon?” Andrew said, with a grim look on his face.
“We are. I’m sorry. I should learn to keep my big mouth shut.”
Andrew took my hand in his. “I never asked you to. I just want the focus of this trip to be us spending some real quality time together. Tonight after dinner it’s dancing.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I’m in,” Eleanor added.
Mr. Wilson leaned on the handlebars of his scooter. “I can’t dance in this thing.”
“They h
ave dance hosts that can dance with me, if you don’t mind,” Eleanor said.
“Just as long as I’m the one taking you home, sweetie. I don’t want you missing out on the fun.”
Chapter Eight
I put on the dressy black shirt with sequins and slacks with black ballerina flats that Andrew had presented to me when I was getting dressed. He was such a sweetheart, and just when I thought he’d never be able to surprise me, he seemed to know exactly what would not only look good with this outfit, but would be comfortable, too. I wore flats quite a bit, when sneakers weren’t appropriate.
I admired Andrew, as he appeared out of the bathroom in a black suit, complete with jacket and red tie. This man I had married made my heart skip a beat every time he looked at me with those bedroom eyes of his. It wasn’t a look he shot my way often, but it was enough for me to know that it held a promise of an amazing night to come.
When we went into the hall, Eleanor and Mr. Wilson were already there. Wilson was dressed in a suit and tie and fedora hat and it made me smile to see him so put together, when back home he wore the same green Dockers all the time. My heart actually swelled at seeing him this way. His cheeks had color in them until I raised a brow.
“It’s a little blush. I didn’t want anyone at the captain’s table to think my husband was a ghost. Why, they might even try to bury him at sea,” Eleanor said.
Eleanor positively glowed in a glittery blue shirt over white slacks, with flats on her feet. “You look beautiful, Eleanor,” I told her. “I can’t wait to sit at the captain’s table. I just hope that Ruby and Pearl won’t be there.”
As we made way for the elevator, Eleanor said, “They ate with the captain last night. He needs to spread the wealth, you know.”
“I know, which is why we need to make the most of tonight.”
We waited longer than I thought we’d have to, but it was the dinner hour, after all. I stopped at the desk and asked the man attending the counter where we should go to find the captain’s table. He picked up his phone and a man made his way toward us. “This way.”
We followed the man past the dining room where we ate at last night and entered a room labeled the gold room, which had a sign that read: jacket and tie required. I raised a brow and Andrew gave me that knowing smile of his, like he had something up his sleeve or knew something that I didn’t. At least he did his research, but the way I saw it, having dinner at the captain’s table was a pretty big deal.
We passed under a huge golden chandelier and I felt, as much as saw, the warm glow radiated by the illuminating light that cascaded throughout the room. All of the tables were round, with the much larger of them in the front of the room, where two men dressed in all white uniforms cradled wine bottles in their hands. This table, like all the others, was covered with a white tablecloth and had golden silverware for the place settings, along with wine glasses, linen napkins, and coffee cups and saucers, the ceramic etched in gold.
It was then that I read the place cards and found ours nearest to where the captain would be sitting. Andrew held my chair out for me and I took my seat, graciously thanking him. Once Andrew and Eleanor were seated, one of the attendants removed a chair so that Wilson could get his scooter in closer.
“I think this is the fanciest place I’ve ever eaten at,” Mr. Wilson said. “All that’s missing is the dancing girl.”
“That’s after dinner in the atrium,” one of the attendants said.
“Is that also where everyone can dance?” I asked.
“It sure is. We even have dance hosts, if your husbands aren’t able to dance.”
Mr. Wilson’s head snapped up now. “You mean crippled, don’t you?”
“I meant no offense. I just was passing information your way.”
“Don’t mind him. Post traumatic stress,” I whispered.
“Not a problem. My grandfather has that, too. He’s known to fly off the handle quite easily.”
Mr. Wilson notably frowned now. “I’d love to meet that grandfather. I almost wonder if you’re overblowing his situation.”
“Let’s have some peace and quiet now,” I quickly interjected. “I don’t want to be uninvited before we even have a chance to eat dinner with the captain.”
“Not to worry. We’ll fill your wine glasses,” one of the men said, as he began pouring the white wine. “It shouldn’t be too long before the captain makes his grand entrance, unless he’s gotten himself into trouble.”
That got my attention. “Oh, and what kind of trouble could the captain get into?”
The men glanced at each other. “He didn’t mean anything by it,” one of the men said.
“Oh, seems like he knew exactly what he meant.”
“Who did?” Captain Hamilton asked, as he stood in front of his name card.
“Nothing. I was just wondering if you were the type of captain who was always late or early for dinner.”
“Early, if I can help it. Seems like something always pops up that needs my attention.”
“I can imagine that you’ve been kept quite busy. I wanted to thank you for inviting us to your table.”
“It’s quite an honor,” Eleanor said. “I feel like I’m on an episode of the Love Boat, except that you’re much more handsome and younger than that captain.”
“So far I’m impressed with how well your staff attends to the passengers. Why, we even met the cruise director, who was helping out by covering for one of the staff so they could go on break,” I said.
“We played pool volleyball,” Eleanor added.
Captain Hamilton raised a brow. “I’ll have to speak to her about that. This is her first cruise as director and she’s supposed to delegate, not assume the positions of the staff unless we’re having a shortage of help.”
I frowned. “Oh, please don’t censure her. I’d feel so bad for telling you that. It wasn’t my intent to get her into trouble.”
“She’s not all that much in trouble. I was thinking a friendly reminded is called for, that’s all.”
I decided it best not to talk about this anymore, hoping that the captain would forget about speaking with Tasha about what we said. I gazed across the room then, as a loud and boisterous woman made quite an entrance, dressed in all lavender. It was Gloria Downey, the older lady who has spent the last six years on this ship. She pounded her cane on the floor until she had everyone’s attention and only then did she walk over to the captain’s table.
“Hello there, Captain Hamilton. I see you lost your stalker.”
Is that what the waiter had meant by trouble? “Stalker?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. Captain Hamilton picks one up every cruise. This one is a vivacious woman of forty. I believe her name is Martha something or other.”
Mr. Wilson about choked on his wine and Eleanor proceeded to rub him on the back. Surely it had to be another Martha. There had to be other people with that name besides my daughter.
“I hope she’s not the same one who was with Eleanor and me that day we visited the bridge, Captain,” I said.
“How did you know it’s her? Oh, you’re part of her group, aren’t you, from Tawas, Michigan?”
“No, I mean, I’m not part of the group she’s with. I’m on my honeymoon.” I quickly introduced Andrew and Mr. Wilson to the captain and to Gloria. “But I do know her.” I paused, thinking about how I should speak about my daughter, until I decided to just say it as it was. “She’s my daughter.”
Gloria laughed as she fell into a chair next to Mr. Wilson. “That’s rich. She’s quite a wild one.”
“She’s a free bird is all I can say. I’ll speak to her about bothering you, Captain.”
“It’s fine. She’s really not that much of a pest, but you know the imagination of some people.”
I took that to mean that Gloria was gossip prone and made more of situations.
“Actually, my daughter rather enjoys the company of much younger men.”
The captain leaned forward. “I guessed as
much, since she barely kept eye contact with me when young men strolled past.”
“Not even when she was speaking to you?” Eleanor asked with a laugh. “That Martha is something. Sometimes I think she was transported here from the sixties or seventies. She’s very much the hippy type.”
“Except that she’s a little too old for that look,” I reminded Eleanor. “But she’s happy with the simpler things in life like living in my camper back home for one.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Captain Hamilton said. “I think these days people are too hung up on how much money they can make and what possessions they own. I often wonder what it would be like to leave it all behind and lead a simpler life in the mountains, living off the land, even.”
“Until a bear eats you?” Gloria said with distaste. “I see a few friends I’d rather dine with tonight.”
I cocked a brow when she left so abruptly. “Wow, that was abrupt.”
“Consider yourself lucky. That woman really makes my job difficult. I can’t speak to anyone before she’s telling everyone who will listen that they’re stalking me, or that I’m acting inappropriately with a passenger. Even when she finally goes ashore in Florida, I think I’m finally rid of her, but sure enough she comes back.”
“I think she told us that first day that whenever she goes home, her family sends her on another cruise.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me.”
Denise Munson came over to the table and asked, “Are you okay, Eleanor? I heard that Ruby knocked you down with a volleyball?”
Eleanor rubbed the side of her face in remembrance, no doubt, and said, “She has a vicious serve, but it’s all part of the game.”
Denise began to tap her foot. “Nonsense. I won’t have anyone on my group acting like that. I don’t want to give you a bad impression of the Sunrise Side Lifelong Learning group. The members are all very nice, once you get to know them better. I’m afraid that it takes time for Ruby and Pearl to warm up to you, though. She’d like to apologize to you, if you’ll let her.”
Madison Johns - Agnes Barton 07 - High Seas Honeymoon Page 8