by Linda Wiken
Connor rushed out the door and looked over the railing. “It’s Miranda,” he said with a loud sob. J.J. had followed, but he prevented her from getting a look. “Don’t. You won’t want to have that image in your head.”
“I’ve alerted the police,” Smith, who’d followed, said. “They’ll meet us at the dock. I’ve sent some crew members to contain the area and hopefully prevent anyone from seeing it. We’ll head immediately back to shore.”
The rest of the trip was a blur to J.J. She managed to find Megan Spicer and Sue Fischer to let them know what had happened. She asked the DJ to explain to everyone that there would be a delay in disembarking once they docked, asking for everyone’s patience. Then she went to wait at the gangway. It felt like hours before they finally docked, but she knew that it had probably been about twenty minutes.
Two uniformed police officers were the first to board. One remained at the gangway while the other went to see the body. Within minutes more officers had arrived. J.J. knew something had to be said to the attendees but wasn’t quite sure what. Fortunately, one of the officers asked her to explain there’d been an incident, and everyone was asked to stay on board for the time being.
J.J. took a deep breath and made her way to the DJ, asking him to turn down the volume. J.J. did as she was told by the officer, and added that a full explanation would be made soon. She hoped that was so. She asked the DJ to please continue playing music, hoping that would be a distraction.
After making the announcement, she wanted to escape back to the greenroom without having to answer any questions, and had almost made it to the passageway when someone grabbed her arm from behind. She swung around, ready with a No comment, until she saw who’d stopped her. Words wouldn’t come.
“What’s going on, J.J.?”
“Devine. What are you doing here?” J.J. felt totally stupid asking that but couldn’t think of anything else to say. He was the last person she’d expected to run into tonight. What was a private investigator doing on board?
Ty Devine smiled, a lopsided grin. “I’m a guest, obviously. Even managed to make a bit at the blackjack table.”
A tall, svelte redhead appeared beside him and looped her arm through his. Something nudged J.J.’s memory. The woman from the funeral. It just came back to her. This was the woman Ty Devine had been speaking to at the reception following the funeral several months ago. A cougar, for sure.
J.J. turned her attention back to Ty. “Well, thank you for helping to support such a good cause. Now, if you’ll excuse me …”
He grabbed her arm again. “You haven’t answered my question. I saw all the cop cars. It must be something major. What’s up?”
She leaned a bit closer to him, keeping her voice low. “Look, I’ve been told what to say in a statement to the guests, and nothing else. Maybe you’ll have to use your cop connections to get more information.” She shook her arm free and made her escape.
Back in the greenroom, she stopped and took a deep breath. Connor was pouring wine for those inside, namely Megan, Sue, and two of the board members. J.J. gratefully accepted a glass and took a long drink. She’d never expected to run into Devine tonight. Especially when he had a date with him. Not that it mattered. She jumped at the touch of a hand on her shoulder.
“Sorry,” Connor said in a low voice. “I guess we’re all jumpy. Why don’t you come and sit down?”
She looked around at the others, sitting in comfortable chairs, staring into space, and shook her head. “No, I think I’ll try to see if I can get any information or at least help facilitate something.”
Connor nodded and went back to the table to pour himself another drink. She wondered just how many he’d already had. He didn’t look too steady on his feet. She’d have to make sure he had a ride home.
J.J. dreaded the thought of seeing the body, but she couldn’t just stand around. She threaded her way around numerous chairs that had been pulled back along the side of the cabins. These must be a hazard of some sort. What if you needed to exit quickly? She stopped behind a tall police officer standing with his broad back to her. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over his shoulder when he turned around and stared at her.
“No one is allowed here, ma’am. You’d better go back and wait until the detectives come to talk to you.”
She had a thought. “Is Detective Hastings here?”
The officer shrugged. “Don’t know who’s working it. Now, please.” He waved behind her and she took the hint. As she was about to step back into the greenroom, she spotted Devine, talking to a man in blue with a badge.
CHAPTER 4
J.J. could barely turn the key in the lock of her apartment door, she was so tired. Those in the greenroom had been the last to be questioned by the police. When Detective Ozzie Hastings walked into the room, she wasn’t sure whether to breathe a sigh of relief or to quiver. Earlier in the year, when she’d gotten involved in a murder investigation, he’d been more than a little annoyed with her by the time an arrest had been made. But she had assurances from Alison, who was a cop herself and should know, that he was one of the good guys. And nice, also. At that point in the evening, or rather morning, she didn’t really care.
His questions had been brief, but he had answered one of her own, and it appeared that Miranda had been murdered. J.J. had been asked to appear at the police station later in the morning to give a formal statement. She knew the drill. Fine. But what she needed now was sleep. She was too tired to even take a shower. She stripped off her clothes, shrugged into a shorty nightgown, and fell into bed. A moment later she felt a thump on her back as Indie landed on her. He sniffed her hair and rubbed his head against hers before settling down, flat out against her right side.
When she awoke five hours later, Indie had at some point moved onto her back again. She turned over as gently as she could, murmuring to keep him from digging in his claws. Mission accomplished, she lay staring at the ceiling while Indie relocated to her stomach. Her mind played over all that had happened the night before. She still couldn’t believe that Miranda was dead, murdered.
Up to then, she supposed the event had been a success, although she felt slightly guilty for even thinking about that. What she couldn’t wrap her head around was who would want to kill the TV host, and, equally worrisome, was that person a guest? She wondered if Hastings had any leads, but it was probably too early unless he’d found someone, weapon in hand, on board. She wondered what that weapon could be. No one last night had mentioned the method of murder.
With a groan, she eased out of bed and walked zombielike straight into the shower. Hot and long was what she needed. After drying her hair, she felt halfway human and was totally shocked when she looked at the clock in her kitchen. Noon. How had that happened? She thought she’d set the alarm for nine. Oh well. First things first. She fed Indie, then fixed herself an espresso and grabbed the phone to call Skye, who answered on the second ring.
“I’ve been waiting for you to call,” she said, almost shrieking. “I didn’t want to wake you if you were sleeping, and I was sure that was the only reason you hadn’t called. Of course, you might have been in prison, but then you probably would have called for me to come and bail you out.”
“How can you even think that? I’m not even a suspect this time. I hope.” J.J. felt that knot in her stomach tighten. “I guess you’ve heard.”
“Very little, so shoot. Oops, I hope she wasn’t shot.”
“I don’t know how she died. The police have been very tight-lipped. All I know is that one of the crewmen found her body just as we had made the turn to head back to the dock. And I have to go down to the police station to make a formal statement this morning. Better make that at some point today. Maybe Detective Hastings will fill me in.”
“Him again. Let’s hope so. How are you feeling?”
“Besides tired, groggy, and totally out of it? Fine, I suppose. It’s a shock, and I guess I’m still feeling it. I can’t believe this happened at suc
h a wonderful event.”
“Is it tacky of me to ask how that part went?”
“I won’t tell anyone. I’d say it was a big success. But wow, what a finale.” J.J. finished her espresso and leaned back on the couch. “I guess I should call Megan Spicer, the board chair, and see how she’s doing. She was the one who suggested I ask Miranda to be a co-emcee in the first place.”
“What about Connor? How did he take it?”
“He also looked totally shocked. In fact, he and Megan left together practically supporting each other in standing upright. Of course, they’d had quite a bit to drink by that point. They both took it hard.”
“Hm. Is there anything I can or should do? Do you want me to come over? Go to the cop shop with you? Lend you my Xanax?”
J.J. chuckled. “As if you’d take that. No, I’ll be all right. Thanks anyway. I will keep you posted. Is it a ‘move some more of Nick’s stuff into the new condo’ day?”
“Yes, in fact I made him start without me. As well he should, since it is his condo. Take care now and let me know if you need me. I’ll have my iPhone in my pocket. Ciao.”
J.J. smiled as she hung up the phone. Skye always knew how to help. She’d relied on her a lot over the past few years and was always grateful that they’d sat beside each other in Marketing 101 many years back. She heard a knock on her door and hoped it was her next-door neighbor, Ness Harper. Although she wasn’t sure she was up to tasting any of his gourmet dishes today, she could sure use his perspective as a retired cop on what had happened.
She peered through the peephole and sucked in her breath. Connor. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, but she did want to find out all the details of what he’d seen last night. She opened the door and caught her breath for a second time. He looked dreadful, like he hadn’t been to bed yet. His usually stylishly cut dark hair needed a shampoo or at the very least, a combing. His day-long five-o’clock shadow looked to be an eleven P.M. one. Although he’d changed his clothes, she wondered if he’d just pulled the T-shirt out of the laundry basket, and much the same for the chinos. But more telling was the lack of the usual flirty smile and spark in his eye.
She grabbed his arm, pulled him inside, and hugged him. “Let me get you an espresso,” she said, and guided him to the chair at the bar separating her kitchen from the living room.
He still hadn’t said a word by the time she set the cup in front of him. She was beginning to get worried. This so wasn’t Connor Mac.
“I know it’s been a big shock for you, Connor. It has been for us all. Would it help to talk about it?”
He stared at her for a few moments, then down at his espresso, and finished it off before speaking. “It took a while to sink in, but it’s just so unbelievable. She can’t be dead. She was so … alive. So full of energy and fun. So beautiful,” he added almost reverently. “And to know she’d been murdered. I can’t bear the thought of that.”
He shuddered, and J.J. wondered if he’d cry. She reached out to him and squeezed his arm. “I guess being in the media, you two must have met several times before.”
“We’d been engaged.”
J.J.’s jaw dropped. No one had told her. Well, why would they? It had nothing to do with the fact that she’d asked the two of them to co-emcee the casino night. And she’d done that at the request of Megan Spicer. Had she known? What did it matter anyway?
“I had no idea. Was it very long ago?” At least six months, since that’s the amount of time they’d been dating. Friends dating.
“We broke it off three years ago, but lately we’ve been seeing each other off and on.”
While we were dating?
The doorbell prevented her asking the question, which she figured was a good thing. She shook her head to get back to reality and pulled the door open without checking first.
“Good afternoon, missy. I thought it would be a late night for you and you’d be overseeing cleanup in the morning, so here’s some lunch, if it’s not too late.” Her neighbor Ness Harper held out a plate covered in aluminum foil. “Osso buco. My new specialty.”
She couldn’t think of a thing to say, although the thought that she should have checked on what was happening at the boat floated through her mind.
“What’s the matter? J.J., is there anything wrong?”
She nodded. “You might say that.” She stepped back and opened the door fully. Ness spotted Connor and looked at J.J., eyebrows raised.
“It’s okay. Come in. We have a story to tell you.” She stood aside and then closed the door behind Ness.
She busied herself making Ness a cup of coffee in her Keurig, but she could feel him watching her. She was well aware neither guy had said a thing.
She set the mug in front of Ness and then leaned on her folded arms, across the counter from them. “There was a murder at the casino night.”
He shook his head. “Not again. You do have a certain knack.”
“I’m not a suspect this time. At least I don’t think I am, but I am responsible for the victim being there.” She glanced at Connor, who was staring at his cup. “Her name is, was, Miranda Myers.”
“From TV.”
That surprised J.J. “Yes. Did you watch her show?”
Ness shrugged. “The odd time I’d have it on while experimenting with a new recipe. She was what some these days would call hot. That’s too bad. How did it happen?” He looked at Connor and raised his eyebrows slightly.
J.J. shook her head slightly, then explained, “I don’t know. The police haven’t said anything yet. A crewman found her lying on the main deck just as we were heading back to shore. Connor confirmed it was her.”
“That’s pretty hard, finding a body,” Ness said softly.
Connor looked at him and nodded. “She was a good friend.”
Ness sighed. “Never helps. I suppose you’ve given your statement?” he asked J.J.
“Not yet. I could hardly drag myself out of bed, so I’m way behind on everything.” She stifled a yawn. “Funny, I thought I’d lie awake all night.”
No one said anything for a few minutes. Ness finished his coffee and stood. “I should be going. Look, if you need anything, just ask. I can run you down to the station if you want. Or, well, anything. I mean it.”
J.J. nodded and followed him to the door. “Thanks, Ness. I can’t even get my brain in gear to think of what I’d normally be doing the day after an event. But that’s certainly not the worst of what’s happened.”
He squeezed her arm and pulled the door shut behind himself. J.J. gave a few shoulder shrugs to release the tension before rejoining Connor. He’d moved over to the love seat in front of the window and sat at an angle, staring outside. J.J. had never seen him so down. So not Connor. She wasn’t sure what to say. Certainly none of the mindless platitudes. She’d just sit with him until he was ready to talk.
After about ten minutes, he seemed to come to some sort of decision, took a deep breath, and sat back. “We’d been arguing all night, you know.”
“Who had? You and Miranda? It sure didn’t look like it.”
“We were both careful of how we acted when others were around. In fact, I spent a lot of time walking along the deck just so we wouldn’t be alone together in the greenroom. That’s going to look bad if the cops find out, and I’m sure they will. Nothing’s ever kept totally from them.”
J.J. knew she was on touchy ground but felt she had to ask. “What did you argue about?”
He looked at her and seemed almost apologetic. “Oh, the past. Why we broke up. That was three years ago. I thought it was all pretty straightforward, but she accused me of not having understood her. Then or now.”
“It must have really hurt her if she brought it up after all this time.”
“That’s what’s so silly. We’ve been dating again, on and off, so you’d think she would have put it to rest by now. Besides, if anyone should have been hurt or holding a grudge, it was me. But I don’t, didn’t. Then, she asked if I wanted to
call it off again. I wasn’t quick enough with an answer, and that was the final straw for her. I just hadn’t expected her to bring this all up, especially not last night and at a public event. I don’t understand what set her off.” He spread out his hands, inviting J.J. to comment.
“I’m so sorry, Connor. I don’t know what to say.”
“Something else must have been bugging her, too. That’s all I can put it down to. Plus she’d had a bit more to drink than usual.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what to think at this point.”
He looked at her. “I’m sorry I never told you about her. I guess it just seemed like, I don’t know, another part of my life. We’re still friends, aren’t we?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” He stood abruptly. “I should go. Thanks for letting me ramble.”
At the door, he kissed her forehead and left.
J.J. leaned back against the door. She was surprised at what he’d revealed, but not upset. She’d never expected more from their friendship. And she’d be there for him, as a friend. But she certainly hoped he wasn’t going to be on the suspect list.
He was acting so oddly, though. What would the police think?
CHAPTER 5
After giving her statement at the police station, J.J. drove to the dock. The police had told her cleanup could get started, and she had already notified everyone concerned. The prow still remained off-limits, although the body had been removed much earlier, and none of the police technicians in their white outfits remained. To reinforce the point, one burly uniformed cop blocked the way forward.
She’d checked in with the cruise line, and they were quite anxious for the ship to be released back to them. Already the regular Sunday champagne brunch cruise had to be canceled. J.J. had assured them all decorations and traces of the casino night would be promptly removed, however, it was entirely up to the police as to when the cruise line could get back to business.
J.J. was pleased that the DJ had already arrived and was removing his equipment. The catering staff was doing the same. J.J. sent a text to the casino equipment rental guys, who responded that they were on their way. She began taking down the various signs that she and some volunteers from the board had posted, indicating the location of various tables. She’d phoned Megan Spicer and suggested the other board members be let off the hook for coming out and helping with the cleanup, as had been previously planned. She was quite prepared to do it all on her own. At least it would keep her busy.