“The good news is that if someone does try to steal it they can’t run to a different state to hide it or anything,” Sally said.
“That’s true, but it’s still a big responsibility. It’s almost easier when we’re dealing with jewelry because I’m used to planning security strategies for that. A camera is different.”
“And the people hanging around the ship during jewelry giveaways aren’t wearing tons of makeup, cloaks, and masks,” Rowan said, realization setting in. “You really are going to have a busy few days, aren’t you?”
Quinn flashed a smile, one that was flirty and promised oodles of potential for later. “Don’t worry. I’ll still have plenty of time for you.”
Rowan pressed her lips together, forming a tight line as her cheeks burned with pleasure. “I wasn’t worried.”
“Oh, look, they’re being cute again,” Sally drawled.
“One would think that you guys would get tired of it,” Demarcus said.
“Oh, I’m never going to get tired of it,” Quinn teased, squeezing Rowan’s hand. “What about you, my little horror movie aficionado, do they have some big set-up for you to take photos?”
Rowan nodded, her mind drifting toward the garish backdrops placed in the ship lobby the previous day. “They’re kind of cool. One is a cemetery. They have a haunted house, too. They also have this really weird bloody backdrop that suggests someone has been dismembering bodies in a laboratory. That one gives me the creeps.”
“I’m just glad something gives you the creeps,” Quinn said, poking her side. “Even though you’re excited, I think you’re going to find this week is a nightmare for you, too. By the way, that pun was intended.”
“It was a magical pun,” Demarcus deadpanned. “Your mind works so fast that surely you must be a wizard.”
Quinn ignored the sarcasm as Rowan frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Rowan answered automatically, shaking her head. “It’s just … why do you think I’m going to have a hard time? I thought I would have a good time. I was really looking forward to it.”
“I never would’ve been able to tell,” Quinn teased, his eyes lighting up. “As for why you’re not going to have fun – well, I don’t want to bring you down – but I think this cruise is going to be a lot more difficult than you understand.”
“But … why?”
Quinn leaned forward so he could slip a strand of Rowan’s hair behind her ear. He didn’t want to ruin things for her. In fact, that was the last thing he wanted. Still, he didn’t think she was seeing the bigger picture correctly. She hadn’t been on the ship long enough to realize exactly what was in store for all of them.
“You know what? I’m going to let you decide this one for yourself. I don’t want to influence you. That doesn’t seem fair.”
“But I want to know.” Rowan hated how whiny she sounded. “You have to tell me.”
“I’m going to let you figure it out yourself,” Quinn repeated. “If you need me when you do figure it out, though, I promise to be right by your side.”
“That sounds ominous.” Rowan flicked her eyes to Sally and Demarcus. “I think you guys are overreacting. This is going to be great.”
Quinn forced a smile for her benefit before planting a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. “I hope things work out exactly how you expect them to.”
“But you don’t think they will, do you?”
Quinn felt caught. “I want you to get what you want. That’s the best I can do.”
It wasn’t much, but it was something.
3
Three
“I think we need better lighting.”
Elvira Storm – Rowan was convinced that was one of the fake names Quinn was so worried about – planted her hands on her narrow hips as she twirled around the lobby shortly before checkin started. She wore black leather pants, a matching corset that pushed up a set of the biggest fake breasts Rowan had ever seen in real life, and her boots had glittery skulls on them.
She was larger than life … and full of herself. It was a distracting combination.
“What did you have in mind?” Rowan asked, forcing herself to remain calm and keep from snarking at the woman. Seriously, who wears leather on a cruise ship? “I don’t think we have time to change out hundreds of light bulbs.”
“Well, you should’ve thought about that before we got here, shouldn’t you?” Elvira looked as if she stepped right off the big screen … or more likely the small screen, one of those movies everyone watches on Chiller just so they can make fun of it. She was all business as she faced off with Rowan in front of the photo backdrops. “The lighting is far too harsh.”
The lighting looked fine to Rowan, but on second inspection she realized Elvira was probably at least ten years older than she initially envisioned upon first introduction. Under the lights – although she would deny until the day she died that they were as harsh as Elvira insinuated – Rowan could make out a series of fine lines and wrinkles that Elvira managed to hide from most others under makeup. She was definitely pushing forty rather than thirty.
“I can use a soft lens,” Rowan offered, although she had no idea why she bothered. “You won’t be able to tell the lights are harsh at all.”
“Really?” Elvira brightened considerably. “Is that really a thing?”
It was and it wasn’t, but Rowan knew she could use her photo programs to easily tweak photographs for Elvira specifically without losing too much time. “It is and it will be fine.”
“Oh, well, I like the sound of that.” Elvira smiled in a way that made Rowan think of a bad sitcom extra rather than a horror movie star. “Great. The backdrops look amazing. You did a good job on those.”
“I can’t take credit for those. The cruise line has an art director who makes up these backdrops and sends them our way.”
“Figures.” Elvira was back to being snarky, her fingers combing through her long black hair. She beamed when a man strolled into the lobby, her eyes flashing with something akin to excitement. If Rowan wasn’t mistaken, she thought there was possibly a bit of lust and adoration whipping through the woman’s brown eyes, too. “Phil! There you are, you silly boy.”
Rowan cringed at the name, taking a moment to study the man striding across the room before plastering a fake welcoming smile on her face. Phil was almost to Elvira when he veered to the left and focused on Rowan.
“I remember you.”
Rowan maintained a placid expression, but it was only through sheer force of will. “I remember you, too.”
Elvira, happy only seconds before, made a face as she glanced between Rowan and Phil. If she were a cat, Rowan swore she would be hissing and bristling right about now. “Do you guys know each other?”
“We met last night,” Phil replied, never moving his eyes from Rowan’s face. “I was on the beach with Brimstone hoping to film a funny promo, but instead I ended up with nothing.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Brimstone said, sauntering through the doorway and grinning when he caught sight of Rowan. “He ended up with a butt full of dirt thanks to this one’s boyfriend knocking him to the ground. I thought it was pretty funny.”
“No one is talking to you,” Phil muttered, shaking his head.
“I still don’t understand what you guys are talking about,” Elvira said, her pouty lower lip jutting out. “How did you meet?”
“It’s a long and boring story,” Phil replied, glancing at Rowan for confirmation. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Oh, well … .”
Brimstone snorted. “She doesn’t agree. We were out there trying to find some people to scare on camera for a ceremony promo, but instead some security guy actually knocked Phil on his ass. He didn’t look worried at all, more bored than anything else.”
“A security guy?” Elvira arched a dubious eyebrow. “And what about you?” She turned to Rowan. “How do you fit into the story?”
“She was holding hands with the secur
ity guy and they looked as if they were on their way to dinner … or bed,” Brimstone replied, earning a scalding look from Rowan. “What? Too much information? I never see the line until I cross it.”
“You should work on that … or maybe get glasses,” Rowan said primly, shaking her head.
“Where is the security guy now?” Phil wrinkled his nose as he worriedly glanced around. “Is he hiding in a closet so he can jump out when I’m least expecting it and sucker punch me again?”
Now it was Rowan’s turn to make a face. “He didn’t hide when you came at him last night. In fact, you were the one hiding in the bushes. He just stood there and held out his arm.”
“And you bounced off it and hit the ground.” Brimstone smiled at the memory. “It’s going to be great for the blooper reel.”
Phil scowled. “You said you destroyed that footage.”
“Yes, but I’m in showbiz,” Brimstone drawled. “I lie. That’s what we do.”
Phil looked as if he was going to kick up a fuss but ultimately shrugged. “I guess I can’t argue with that.” The smile he shot Rowan was flirty, the glance appraising as he looked her up and down. “So, where is your boyfriend? Did you think better of associating yourself with a guy who keeps his hair that short?”
Rowan saw Elvira react out of the corner of her eye … and the woman didn’t look happy. Rowan remained calm even though her world felt as if it was shrinking. “I happen to like his hair. It’s soft, pretty, and doesn’t look as if it occasionally falls into food.”
Phil ran a hand through his long hair, his expression thoughtful. “I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. When someone has longer hair – like you and me – you can give it a good tug when things are heating up.”
Rowan’s stomach twisted, Phil’s flirty energy setting her teeth on edge. “I’m good. Thanks, though.” She turned her full attention back to Elvira. “You know these guys, too?”
Elvira nodded. “Unfortunately.” The look she sent Phil was positively bloodcurdling. “Phil is my boyfriend, although it sounds as if you’re doing better than I am in that department.”
“Hey!” Phil was affronted. “He caught me off guard.”
“Phil dropped without so much as flexing a muscle,” Brimstone corrected. “It was glorious.”
“Whatever.” Phil rolled his neck until it cracked, his eyes focusing on the ceiling as he stared. “The lights are awfully harsh in here. That’s going to make the photos look rough.”
“That’s what I said,” Elvira exploded, casting an accusatory look in Rowan’s direction. “She said she had a soft focus lens that would make everything okay.”
“Yeah, I think we should focus on the lights,” Phil said, his expression turning grim. “I don’t know anyone who is going to like this lighting … and how do you think the Japanese crew is going to feel? They always paint their faces white. This will completely wash them out. We need something darker to enhance the ambiance.”
Rowan sensed she was about to lose an argument she didn’t even care about winning. Instead, she decided to be proactive. “Okay. I’ll call maintenance and see what they can do.”
“I think that would be best.” Elvira flashed a smile that didn’t make it all the way to her eyes before sliding closer to Phil. It was a proprietary move, a warning in case Rowan should be interested in trying to move in on her man. That was the last thing Rowan cared about, though.
Rowan kept her smile in place even though she was starting to believe Quinn had been right when he said this cruise wasn’t going to be nearly as much fun as she originally hoped. “I’ll make the call right now.”
DAVID MELDRUM, the president of the Indie Horror Awards, was a taskmaster and he didn’t spend a lot of time blathering about with Quinn before jumping into the big issues of the week.
“This is a very expensive camera.”
“I understand that,” Quinn said, leading the man into the ballroom that would be used for the awards ceremony and gesturing toward the protected display case at the center of the room. “This has pressure sensors, fingerprint locks, and if the alarm sounds the doors automatically lock.”
Meldrum followed Quinn’s finger as he pointed. “Have you lost anything big under your watch?”
“Theft is a real thing on a cruise ship, but this is a different scenario from what we’re usually grappling with,” Quinn explained. “Most of the time we’re dealing with jewelry and it’s taken while being passed around between guests. The people doing it aren’t very good thieves so it’s easy to recover.”
“This camera is worth fifty thousand dollars,” Meldrum reminded him.
“I’m well aware.” Quinn didn’t like being talked down to, but he understood Meldrum’s position so he did his best to remain calm. He was good at his job. This was a big deal for Meldrum and the awards. The last thing either of them wanted to do was let things fall apart. “We can ensure the camera’s safety. The ballroom is open for guests twenty-four hours a day, but this is a slightly different trip from what we usually schedule. You guys only have parties booked in the ballroom three times during the cruise.”
“That means a lot of people will be walking in and out of here.”
“It also means that the camera will be protected by electronic devices as well as human means,” Quinn said. “I’ll have two people watching the display for all three parties. We’ll lock the room down after six the other nights.”
“Do you think that’s enough?”
“I think that should be fine,” Quinn answered. “I can’t guarantee nothing will happen because that’s an impossible promise. I can, however, promise that I won’t rest until the camera goes home with the winner.”
Meldrum exhaled heavily through his nose and nodded, some of the strain sliding off his shoulders as he held his hands palms out. “I’m sorry. You probably think I’m a whiny idiot. This is my first year in charge of the awards and I’m just … .”
“Excited?” Quinn suggested.
“I was going to say nauseated,” Meldrum replied. “I love the position and take pride in what I do, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a lot of pressure. People take their horror movies very seriously. We’re going to get a lot of complaints when one movie wins over another, but if it the camera goes missing we’ll be the laughingstock of the industry.”
“I think everything is going to be fine,” Quinn said, patting the man’s shoulder. “I think your awards show is going to be great. I think the winner is going to be happy. I think it’s going to be a very … entertaining … couple of days.”
Meldrum looked almost happy. “Yeah? I’m hopeful. Do you have a favorite in the best picture race?”
“I’m pretty sure I’m not your target audience,” Quinn replied, choosing his words carefully. “I’m more of an action adventure kind of guy.”
“Like The Fast and the Furious?”
Quinn stilled. “Have you been talking to my girlfriend? I swear we had this discussion last night.”
Meldrum snorted, amused. “No. Why?”
“Nothing.” Quinn smiled at the memory of Rowan’s face over breakfast, when she still had the ability to be excited about the upcoming cruise. Nothing had been ruined for her yet. He was certain that would ultimately happen, but he hoped she had fun all the same. “My girlfriend is just really excited about these awards. In fact, we ran into two of your more enthusiastic participants on the beach last night.”
“Does your girlfriend work on the ship?”
Quinn nodded. “She’s the ship photographer. I believe she’s in the lobby handling checkins right now.”
“Oh, well … and she’s a fan?”
“Apparently.” Quinn recognized the quizzical look on Meldrum’s face and felt the need to explain. “We haven’t been together all that long yet. I was surprised to find she’s a horror movie fanatic. She’s very excited.”
“Well, I’m excited, too. I’m looking forward to meeting her. We need to discuss coverage.”
“I’m sure she is.” Meldrum turned back to the display case and smiled as he bobbed his head. “Yes, I think this will work very well.”
“I’m glad you approve.”
QUINN FOUND Rowan in her office downloading photographs right after The Bounding Storm left port. He looked for her in the lobby first, but the woman behind the desk – after giving him a wink and a suggestive lip purse – pointed him in the direction of Rowan’s office. His office was located down the same hallway so he was used to spending time with her in this part of the ship.
“There she is.” Quinn moved up behind Rowan, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his palms flat on Rowan’s abdomen as she bent over her computer. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“Sven?” Rowan teased, leaning her head back as Quinn kissed her neck.
“Ha, ha.” Quinn tickled her before releasing his grip. “You’re a funny girl.” He couldn’t help but notice the weary look on her face when she swiveled to face him and it caused him to realize that some of the excitement from earlier had already dissipated. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing.” Rowan forced a smile. “I’m just … it’s been a long afternoon.” She didn’t want to delve into a conversation about the people attending the awards ceremony because then she would have to admit that Quinn had been right and a lot of the actors and filmmakers were complete wackos.
“Uh-uh.” Despite her best efforts, Quinn wasn’t convinced. He softly ran his fingers over her cheek. “Sweetie, do you want to tell me what’s really going on?”
“Nothing is going on.” Rowan started to turn back to her computer, but Quinn stopped her.
“Did you see the omen?” Quinn’s stomach twisted at the thought. He was hopeful the worst thing she would have to put up with over this jaunt was obnoxious Hollywood types. Her magical ability – which allowed her to see death omens in the photos she took – had been quiet for more than two weeks now. He was hoping that trend would continue. “If you did, it’s not the end of the world. Tell me who and we’ll go from there.”
Stormy Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 3) Page 3