“Four months ago I lost a dear friend. Her last wish was for me and each of our other four friends to go on an adventure. She told us that there was more to life than our careers. I promised to honor her last wish, so here I am.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, but why a cruise? If you don’t mind me saying, you seem rather torn. Part of you is confident and knowledgeable about the ship, but another part of you appears uncertain, almost afraid of your environment. If you are afraid of the water or boats, shouldn’t you have taken a different adventure?”
“First of all, I’m not afraid of ships or water. Secondly, I had no choice in my destination. Janelle insisted we pick our destination by pinning a map while blindfolded. We agreed to follow her instructions which included no redo’s.”
“If you aren’t afraid, then what bothers you about the ship?”
“It’s not the ship. I grew up on the water. My dad was a Navy brat and carried on the torch. For his favorite pastime he took me and my mother out on the sailboat he inherited from his dad. The last time we sailed together as a family, we got caught in a terrible storm out by the San Juan Islands. My dad always hounded me to wear my life jacket but as a ten-year-old, I often resisted. To this day I can’t recall all that happened, but certain nasty tidbits remain ingrained in my memory.
“The sailboat started to swing wildly from side to side and the rain was so heavy it sounded like stones hitting the hull. I was playing below deck came up to see what was going on, and forgot my jacket below. Without a single word or reprimand, Dad gave me his and went below to find my discarded one. At that moment the wind changed directions, and a monstrous wave slammed into the boat. Mom grabbed my hand and told me to jump. I can still feel the sailboat slip away from under my feet as I left the deck, and I saw the boat roll away from us. I came up spitting out a mouthful of sea water and saw the keel of the boat bobbing between the waves. My dad didn’t survive.”
They had stopped walking. Jax stepped in front of her and filled her field of vision, a tender expression on his face.
“And you think it your fault.” It was a statement, not a question.
“It was! Why didn’t I listen? He’d told me over and over to always keep my life vest on.” Ellie wrapped her arms around herself and tears tumbled down her cheeks.
“You were ten years old. No more than a baby.” Jax placed his hands on her upper arms, squatted down and looked directly into her eyes. “It wasn’t your fault, Ellie. The sea can be a dangerous and unpredictable place. You can’t carry this burden your entire life. Your dad wouldn’t want that for you.”
She raised her head as Jax straightened to full height. He leaned in to her and brushed the lightest of kisses on her forehead.
She hoped the puzzlement she felt hadn’t played across her face.
“Come on; let me show you the town.”
He held his hand out, palm up. Ellie looked at his offering and placed her hand in his. He smiled and started inland.
Chapter Six
Hours later they headed back in the direction of the docks.
“Your turn,” Ellie said.
“For what?” Jax asked.
“Are you also a workaholic? Does your whole life revolve around your ship? No girlfriend waiting at port?”
“My career is my love. I spent fifteen years in the Navy. I loved it, but decided I had another path I wanted to follow. My goal is to own a charter business— well, me and two of my buddies. We were all in the Navy together and made the decision to leave and get some experience in the world of cruising. We each work for different cruise lines and have all made it to the position of Staff Captain, second in command.”
“That sounds like a wonderful goal. Still, it sounds to me like you are a workaholic. No girlfriend,” Ellie said.
“I had a fiancée when I was twenty-three. Her name was Tamera. At the time I was stationed on a destroyer and deployed for six months. We decided that in order to save money, she should move into my house. Three months into the deployment, her e-mails to me got fewer and less detailed. Before I could return home our ship got redeployed for another six months. I called and wrote to try and figure out what was going on. Tamera kept reassuring me that things were fine.”
“But your gut feeling told you they weren’t,” Ellie guessed.
“I felt there was definitely something she wasn’t telling me. I just figured we could work through it when I returned home. Boy, was I wrong. She wasn’t there when my ship pulled in and I couldn’t reach her. I called my friend, Sam. Sam and I grew up together and joined the service together. He’d promised to keep an eye on Tamera and help her with any household problems. I couldn’t reach him either. I grabbed a taxi, and went home. The place was empty.”
“She wasn’t there?”
“Tamera was nowhere to be found. The house was completely empty—all my things were gone. The only thing she left me was my wardrobe. I had added her to my bank accounts prior to shipping out and she cleaned them out. She was kind enough to leave a note taped to the front of my kitchen cabinets. She and Sam had fallen in love, gotten married, and she was five months pregnant. She actually wrote that she hoped I would be happy for them. She told me not to try and find them, they had left the state. Needless to say, I haven’t seen or heard from either of them since.”
“I’m so sorry, Jax. What a terrible thing to do to someone you said you loved. Did you sue her at least?” Ellie asked.
“I filed a police report, but my lawyer told me it would cost me more money and trouble than it was worth, and I should be happy she left my house,” he said.
“Did that put you off women for good?”
“No time—I had to start over, save up money for my charter business. I have a plan, and I intend to stick to it.”
“Are you saying that the rest of your life is charted out and there’s no room for change?” she asked.
“Yes. The one time I drifted off course I was made a fool of and nearly lost everything in the process. How about you? Do you have a ‘Mr. Right’ waiting for you at home?”
“No. I had a boyfriend nine years ago when I first started my publishing house. Danny was an accountant. Since we didn’t get to spend much time together after I started my business, he convinced me to hire him as my accountant. A year later, he disappeared and took all the company’s money with him.”
“I guess we have something in common,” Jax said.
“Yeah, we’ve both been dumped and poor.”
Ellie and Jax looked at each other and broke out in laughter.
“At least we can laugh about it—now,” Jax said.
“I’ve learned over the past four months that life is too precious. I would rather move forward than worry about the past. Besides, my publishing house is my love,” she said.
“You own your own publishing company?” he asked.
“Yes, in Seattle. That’s another reason I haven’t taken any vacations in the past nine years. The publishing business is more than a full-time job and I needed to make up the money that Danny stole.”
“Ellie Matthews, you’re just full of surprises.”
Chapter Seven
“If you feel up to it, I’d like to update you on what I found out this afternoon,” Jax said, as they left the dining hall.
“Of course I’m interested. Where and when?” Ellie asked.
“Let’s meet in the library in an hour. It’s deserted that time of night.”
“What have you found out?” Ellie asked, as she took the chair beside Jax in the empty library.
Jax brought his laptop computer and a thick file labeled, ‘Thefts.’
“I had the opportunity to contact my two buddies, the guys I told you about who work for different cruise lines. Both of them have also experienced above average thefts.”
“Is it still happening on both their ships? Do they know who is behind it?”
“Yes, to the first question and no, to the second. That’s not all, there’s somet
hing even more interesting. Both have spoken to their captains about bringing this information to the media’s attention, but neither captain would allow that to happen,” Jax told her.
“Why?”
“I assume for the very same reason Captain St. James gave me today. The cruise industry already has enough bad press. The last thing they need is for people to have another reason to avoid cruise ships by telling the public there’s an increase in thefts. He wants me to put this case ‘to bed.’ Find the person or persons responsible, if possible. Keep you happy and keep the whole thing quiet.”
“Really. What if I decide to go to the press?”
“I will probably be fired for not doing my job,” Jax said.
“He can’t fire you for that.”
“Oh, he wouldn’t say it was directly related to you, but he would find a reason.”
“That’s just not right,” Ellie said.
“What’s right or wrong has nothing to do with it. I’ve brought all the information collected since the night of your theft; we need to get to the bottom of this.”
They worked for hours to find a clue. Line by line, they double-checked each crew member against the list of cruises with recorded thefts. Both of Jax’s buddies had sent him their lists of crew members and theft dates. They tediously checked and rechecked each entry. Ellie yawned and stretched her arms overhead.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m seeing double. I need to call it a night,” she said.
Jax looked at his wristwatch. “Yeah, we should quit for now. I have to be on duty in four hours. A power nap is in order.” He stuffed everything inside his briefcase. “I’ll walk you back to your room.”
“No you don’t, it’s out of your way. You need sleep even more than me.”
“Yes, I do. Nevertheless, I’ll sleep much more peacefully if I know you made it safely back.”
When they got to her door, Jax held his hand out for her key card. Ellie handed it to him and he opened her door to let her in. He checked the hall in both directions. Empty. Then he stepped inside her room and closed her door. She turned, and apparently didn’t realize he’d entered the room. Her eyes widened and a smile started at the corners of her lips. He held the key card out for her to take. As she did, he wrapped his hand around her wrist and he pulled her to him. He slid both arms around her waist and for a single heartbeat, he stared into her decadent chocolate eyes. Then, ever so slowly, he leaned in and claimed her mouth.
Jax kissed Ellie gently and savored the taste of her lips. He felt her tongue slide lightly over his lips, all the invitation he needed. His tongue danced along hers, all the while flashes of white light played beneath his closed eyelids. He didn’t want this perfect moment to ever end, but he finally pulled away. Ellie’s lips were reddened and her cheeks were flushed with color. For once she didn’t say a word. Jax released her and stepped back. As he did, she reached up and touched her slightly parted lips with her fingers. Her gesture made him want to kiss her again.
“I will see you in the morning, Ellie. Sweet dreams.”
Jax opened the door and peered into the hall. Still all clear; he made a quick departure.
****
Ellie stood where Jax left her. Her heartbeat raced and warmth radiated throughout her body. She hadn’t experienced a kiss like that in…forever.
“Geeze Louise! What just happened?” she asked herself.
Yesterday, when Jax kissed her on the forehead to try and comfort her, she thought it was the sweetest gesture. There was nothing sweet about his gesture tonight. It felt downright hot.
Chapter Eight
Ellie woke the next morning feeling like a giddy schoolgirl. The ship was due to call at its next port in two hours. She got out of bed and skipped to the shower. She wanted to be ready to explore the island when the ship docked. She figured it would be the perfect opportunity to pick up a few trinkets for her employees and maybe her girlfriends.
She walked out her door and ran into Mildred exiting her stateroom, followed by a young man in a Zephyr uniform.
“Good morning Mrs. Livingston. Is everything all right?” Ellie asked, as she looked from one to the other.
Mildred cleared her throat and pulled at the neckline of her sundress.
“Um…why yes. This fine lad here came to repair my veranda door. It seems the lock somehow jammed,” Mildred said, in a rush of words. “Thank you,” she nodded to the boy.
He smiled at the two women and left.
“Are you spending the day on St. Thomas?” Ellie asked.
“Yes. I’m on my way to meet up with some friends. We are all looking forward to our day on the island.”
“Shall we walk down to the disembarking area together?”
“I’m sorry, dear. In my rush to leave, I seem to have left a few things behind. You go on without me, I don’t want to hold you up.” She turned to reenter her stateroom without so much as a backward glance.
Ellie loved St. Thomas. The buildings were all painted in bright colors: electric blue, powder puff pink, green, and rose. The island foliage was equally dramatic. She walked down the main street of town, amazed at the large number of jewelry shops and designer-made clothes, purses, and shoe shops on such a small island. She felt delighted with the gifts she found, at such cheap prices, too. She visited ‘The Rum Factory’ and stopped to grab a bit of lunch at one of the outdoor cafes.
The interaction with Mildred Livingston played through her mind like a continuous loop. Something didn’t sit right about the woman, but Ellie couldn’t put her finger on it. Mildred said that this was her first cruise without her husband. Her mind was probably preoccupied with thoughts of him.
She started back to the ship, when it hit her. “Repeat passengers,” she said to herself. Jax still hasn’t checked to see if there are repeat passengers on the cruises with thefts. She picked up her pace. She needed to find Jax.
Ellie nearly ran through the ship on her way to Jax’s office. The door was closed when she arrived. She knocked, waited and then knocked again. The office was the size of a match box. He was either busy and didn’t want to be disturbed, or not there. She turned and looked down the hall. Where’s a Zephyr uniform when you need one? she thought. A woman turned the corner and headed in Ellie’s direction.
“May I help you, ma’am?” the woman greeted her.
“Yes. Do you know where I might find Ja—Staff Captain Thorsen?” Ellie asked.
The woman pulled her walkie-talkie from her belt and made a call.
“Staff Captain Thorsen is currently overseeing the refueling.”
“Which direction do I go?”
“You don’t, ma’am. No passengers are allowed in the area. If you give me your name I can pass on a message.”
“Great. Please tell Captain Thorsen that Ellie Matthews has some news and I need to see him as soon as possible. I’ll wait for him at the Champagne Bar,” Ellie said.
“Ellie, are you okay?” Jax asked, as he approached the table.
“Yes, I’m fine. I thought of something today that might actually give us a lead,” Ellie said. “We’ve been looking at the current manifest.”
“Yes…”
“You’ve pulled all the past cruises and compared employees, but remember I mentioned the other night about repeat passengers? We need to find out how many of your current passengers are repeats.”
“You really think this has to do with a passenger and not a crew member? I’m beginning to suspect Gary more and more for this. I can’t find any record of where he was at the time of your robbery.”
“I think we need to look at the passengers.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What makes you think so?”
“Mildred Livingston,” Ellie said.
“Pardon?”
“I know for a fact that she’s been on other cruises. It makes me wonder which of your cruises, if she’s cruised on other lines, and how many other passengers aboard have cruised before.”
She told him what
happened that morning when she met with Mildred.
“Nothing unusual about that. Crew members are sent to guest quarters constantly to deal with issues,” Jax said. “That’s why I keep looking at the crew. Like I told you, many of them have access to the passenger’s rooms. There’s well over 100 crew just in the housekeeping department.”
“Maybe I’m on the wrong track. Still, I think it’s worth checking. My encounter with Mildred just felt funny.
“You think that pristine, little white-haired lady doubles as a cat burglar on the sly?”
“I’m not saying it’s her. I’m saying it could be a repeat passenger.”
Jax checked his watch.
“I have the next two hours free. Then I have to check on the dinner staff. I’ll go back to my office and run a few computer comparisons. I’ll let you know what I find.”
“That sure narrows it down,” Jax said, an hour later.
“Four passengers have been on all the cruises. Mildred and only three others,” Ellie said. “I have to say, I kinda hoped for more options.”
“Ms. Matthews, I think you are on to something. Tomorrow morning I’ll interview Mildred and the three others.”
“Can I be there?” she asked.
“I’m sorry. Passenger privacy. I’ll let you know if I find out information.”
Chapter Nine
Ellie answered her door to find Jax standing there. She had never seen him so sober—almost sad.
“Good morning, Ellie. Would you mind joining Mrs. Livingston and me next door?”
She stared at him, nodded, grabbed her key card, and walked into Mildred Livingston’s stateroom.
Mildred sat in one of the overstuffed chairs. Tears streamed down her face and she looked up as Ellie walked in. She wiped at the tears with a tissue, blew her nose, and tossed the tissue into a trash can. The trash can beside her chair was half full of tissues. The sight of the older woman tugged at Ellie’s heart and angered her in the same instant. She walked into the kitchenette, filled a glass with water and offered the glass to the older woman. Mildred gave her a grateful smile.
Uncharted Love (Places to See Book 4) Page 3