Destination Murder

by K. J. Emrick

  The bathroom doors didn’t exactly slam but Madison did her best to make it happen anyway. Cookie sat there for a moment, feeling completely useless. Her daughter needed someone to make it all right and instead, she felt like she’d made things worse. Not only that, she hadn’t even gotten a single one of her questions asked.

  “Grandma?” Clarissa said.

  When Cookie looked at her granddaughter, the angry teenager from a moment ago had disappeared. Instead, Clarissa held her hands in her lap as she stared at the bathroom door her mother had just stormed through, looking lost and fragile. Cookie reminded herself that in spite of the rocky start to Joseph becoming her step-father, Clarissa had come to appreciate having him around. The two of them had been growing close. Well, closer, anyway. Madison wasn’t the only one who was hurting because of Joseph’s murder.

  Switching seats from the one bed, Cookie came over to sit next to Clarissa. “I meant what I said to your mom, dear. We’ll get through this.”

  Clarissa nodded without much conviction. "I remember how you went after the person who murdered your customer right in your store at Widow's Rest. I know you did that because it was hurting your business and you had to clear your name and this doesn’t have anything to do with that, but—”Cookie put her hand on Clarissa’s shoulder. “Honey, I’m going to do everything I can to find who did this. Jerry can’t stop me. Nothing will. I’ve got questions to ask your mom, but I think maybe I’ll have to wait until later. When she’s not so upset.”

  “What kind of questions?” Clarissa asked, visibly steeling herself.

  “Are you sure you want to hear them?”

  “I want this to be over,” she told Cookie, chewing at the inside of her cheek. “I want Mom to stop crying. I want us to go back a week and never come on this cruise.”

  Her mismatched button-up PJ top slid down one shoulder, and for a moment she looked like nothing so much as a frightened little girl. Cookie’s heart went out to her.

  With a deep breath, Clarissa said the rest of what she was thinking all in one rush. “What I want most is for whoever did this to my stepfather to pay. Can you promise me that, Grandma?”

  Revenge was never a dish that had set well with Cookie. She believed in justice, to be sure, and she hoped whoever had done this to Joseph spent the rest of his days rotting in a jail cell. If that was what her granddaughter wanted, then they were certainly on the same page. If not, well. Cookie supposed she would have to catch the killer first before they could decide on punishments.

  “I’ll do what I can,” Cookie told her. “If you help me. Can you do that?”

  Shifting on the mattress, Clarissa kept her eyes down on the floor, and nodded.

  “Good.” Cookie tried to sound like that was the best news she’d had in a long time. Considering the events of the last two days, she supposed it just might be. “Now. You and your mother knew Joseph far better than I did. Tell me. Was there anything in his past that would put him in harm’s way?”

  Clarissa went back to chewing on her lower lip. It was obvious that the question had struck a nerve.

  “What is it, Clarissa? You can tell me.”

  “I don’t think Mom would like it if I—”

  From the doorway to the bathroom, Madison cleared her throat. “Go ahead, Clarissa. You can tell your grandma.”

  Cookie had been focused on Clarissa and hadn’t heard Madison come back. How long had she been standing there? “Tell me what? Madison, if you know something that can help, please tell me.”

  Her daughter’s eyes flashed darkly. “Why? So you can go run and tell Jerry?”

  “If it’s the truth, what does it matter?” Cookie lifted her hands and let them drop helplessly. “If it helps uncover what happened, then that’s every reason not to keep it a secret anymore, right?”

  Anger leeched away from her and left her shoulders slumped and her hands fisted into her robe. “It was a long time ago, Mom. Joseph had changed before he met me. His past was done and over with. He promised me, and he always kept his promises.”

  So. Cookie had been right. There was something more to Joseph’s past than what she knew. Something bad enough that Madison and Clarissa had kept it to themselves. It was a cold sort of comfort to know that Joseph had a sordid past to fit into the puzzle of this mystery.

  “When he was younger,” Madison started. Then she had to stop, and take a breath, and start over again. “When Joseph was in his twenties he got himself into trouble. He got caught stealing money from his company. His father needed surgery and he was heavy in debt already and… there’s no real excuse for it, I guess, but the point is he got caught and arrested. They gave him the chance to pay everything back but there was just no way. He even went to some loan sharks, I think, but that was no way to get out of money troubles. When he couldn’t pay back what he stole, the judge ordered him to spend three years in jail.”

  She took a shaky breath and stopped, like it was all she could do to get that much out.

  Clarissa took up the story from there. “It was one of the reasons I didn’t want anything to do with him when him and Mom started dating. I mean, he was a crook, right? But he got out early for good behavior, and Mom’s right. He changed. Once I gave him a chance he turned out to be a really good guy. I… I’m going to miss him.”

  As she started to cry, Madison came over and knelt in front of her, and held her tightly. “I miss him, too, baby.”

  Cookie smiled a sad smile. The scene she was watching, sad though it was, made her heart lighter. They would need each other’s support now more than ever. And to think that just two years ago Madison had sent Clarissa off with Cookie to give them some space. Clarissa had grown up so much in that little bit of time, from the angry, sullen teenager to a young woman who was learning hard lessons about life and responsibility. Now with Joseph’s death, she would have to grow up even more.

  Joseph had spent time in prison. Jayce had spent time in prison. Could it be that the two of them had known each other from that period in their lives? Jessica had already said that her step-brother had a temper. God alone knew what might have set him off. Seeing someone from his criminal days, for instance?

  Somehow, Cookie had the feeling that there was a lot more to it than just that. If Jayce had killed Joseph, there had to be a reason. Something she hadn’t guessed yet. Some missing ingredient that would make this recipe she was building complete.

  The first step, would be proving that Jayce really did know Joseph. “Madison,” she said, gently breaking into the mother-daughter moment Madison and Clarissa were sharing. “The prison where Joseph did his time. Did he ever tell you the name of it?”

  “Sure. It was Clinton Correctional Facility in northern New York. Why?”

  There it was. There was the connection. “I have a feeling that it might be time to bring Jerry in on what we’ve learned,” she said. Seeing the scowl on Madison’s face, she hastened to add, “I won’t tell him anything I don’t have to, dear, but you want to find Joseph’s killer as much as I do.”

  “Wrong,” her daughter said sharply. “I want to find him more than you do. Fine. Go tell Jerry everything. See what the high and mighty police officer can come up with.”

  Cookie left a few minutes later, after trying in vain to make Madison and Clarissa feel better about something that they would never get over. She promised to come back later and text them if she found out anything.

  She didn’t tell them about Jayce spending time in the same prison as Joseph. She didn’t see the need. Not yet. The last thing any of them needed was a potential confrontation between Madison and the prime suspect. If Cookie was wrong, no good would come of the victim’s widow accusing the step-brother of the new bride. That would only confuse the issue.

  And if she was right, then Cookie didn’t want to spook Jayce before they could tighten the noose around his neck. Fitting, considering Joseph had been strangled.

  So yes, it was time to let Jerry in on the secrets she had alr
eady ferreted out. She was actually looking forward to rubbing it in his face that she had discovered so much in such a little bit of time. Let him try to tell her she shouldn’t be investigating this mystery now!

  Of course, to tell him any of this, she would have to find him first.

  The captain probably knew where he was, she reasoned. Oh, and besides, this would give her the chance she needed to ask about the security cameras. If there was any, and what they might have seen.

  ***

  The stairs leading to the uppermost levels of the ship were carpeted in red and had brass railings for anyone who might be heading that way.

  They were also corded off with signs that warned only authorized personnel were allowed past that point.

  The uppermost section held the bridge and the captain’s stateroom. Unfortunately, they weren’t for regular passengers. Cookie supposed that made sense. No need for people to be wandering around on the bridge, where they were busy making certain not to steer them into things like tidal waves. Or icebergs, she supposed, like in that movie with Leonardo DiCaprio.

  Standing in the wide circle of space surrounded by shops and restaurants on her right, and the stairs and elevators on her left, Cookie watched the hustle and press of the passengers around her, carrying their paper bags of purchases or sipping at drinks, laughing and living their lives. Even in the middle of the morning like this they were ready to enjoy their day. Didn’t they know that a man had died? Didn’t they care?

  She saw several of her neighbors from Widow’s Rest in the crowd. The ones who noticed her smiled or waved and then went back to what they were doing. A few of them came up and passed on their condolences. None of them were in the same festive mood as the rest of the passengers. That made Cookie sad even while it made her feel better. None of them had known Joseph to speak to, but at least they cared.

  Well. She wasn’t getting anything done standing here people watching. Picking up her stride she headed for one of the crew in their red vests. She’d spotted the man on the far side of the deck, heading away from the shops.

  This level was three or four above the main deck. The walkway was like an elevated sidewalk around the shops and the movie theater and whatever else was up here. She saw the stairs further on, leading down at a gentle angle to where she could see people splashing in the pool and heading in to one of the several buffets set up for the guests. She had to remember to bring Cream the bacon she’d promised.

  Right now, she just wanted to catch up to the crewman.

  “Excuse me?” she called out to him. They were the only ones outside here. Apparently most of the passengers preferred the stairs inside, or the elevators, to move from deck to deck. Looking over the railing, at the water so far below, she couldn’t blame them. “Sir? Excuse me!”

  He turned at the sound of her voice, just at the top of the stairs, holding on to the waist-high railing. The wind ruffled through his short brown hair just like it pushed through Cookie’s gray strands.

  “Ma’am?” the crewman answered her. “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so,” she said. “Do you know where your captain is at the moment?”

  The man looked confused, like not only did he not know where the captain was but he had no idea why anyone would be asking for him, either. Of course, Cookie wasn’t sure what this crewman’s function was on the ship. There were dozens of them onboard in their red vests and black pants. Both men and women. Most of them just scurried around like over glorified gophers, gathering towels for guests or pointing out the shortest distance between the piano bar and the vegetarian buffet.

  “I’m not sure where the captain is, Ma’am,” he said to her after another moment. “If you like I can ask someone else?”

  “No, no, that won’t be necessary. I’m sure he’ll turn up somewhere.” She’d had an image pop into her head of the two of them going from one crewmember to the next, asking where the captain was, until the entire ship was treating it like an emergency. She could picture sirens wailing and red lights flashing and… yeah. Best to leave it be. Besides, didn’t the crew have walkie talkies for this sort of thing? Well, the man wasn’t offering so she supposed that was that. “Maybe you could answer something else for me instead?”

  He checked his watch, like he was in a rush. “I’ll try, Ma’am.”

  Rude man, she thought, but she supposed there was a lot to do on board. By the digital display on his black metal watch, she could see it was already eight-thirty. The day was getting away from all of them. “Well, I was wondering if you could tell me if the ship has any kind of video surveillance cameras? In the hallways or shops, maybe?”

  His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why do you ask, Ma’am?”

  “Well, um, I’m sure that you heard about the murder onboard. That was my son-in-law. I was just curious to know if perhaps there was a surveillance system that caught anything at all that might help us.”

  The man was already shaking his head, with something like a smile on his lips. “I’m sorry. There actually is supposed to be a security system running at all times. It doesn’t catch everywhere on the ship but it gets most of the public hallways. Unfortunately, it stopped working shortly out of port. Can’t be repaired until we get back to shore.”

  Cookie’s heart sank in her chest. She’d been hoping for a clue from the recordings. They could have seen who was in the hallways when Joseph was killed.

  So much for that.

  “If there’s nothing else, Ma’am,” the crewman said to her, already down the first few steps. “I really should get back to work.”

  “Certainly,” Cookie said, not even noticing when he slipped away. She’d have to find the captain herself now, and Jerry. Oh. He’d have his cellphone on him. Why didn’t she think of that before?

  Hers was back in the cabin, which meant she had to head back down below decks which would take fifteen or twenty minutes. These ships were so huge! She had to get the bacon treat for Cream yet, too.

  Which meant going back inside, under the bright lights of the high domed ceiling around the shops that were probably meant to imitate natural sunlight but just looked fake to Cookie. There was a buffet room here, next to the shops, just like there seemed to be a buffet room on every level except for the passenger decks. The theme to this room was Hawaiian, with potted palm plants in the corner and wooden tiki masks on the walls and ukulele music playing softly through the speakers in the ceiling. A little gauche for her taste, but the food smelled wonderful.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that Cream wasn’t the only one that hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. Deciding to take just a few minutes for herself in a day that promised to be nothing but crazy, she took pancakes and fruit from metal serving trays lined up on a long table draped in white linen cloth. Servers in white aprons stood behind the food, wearing bright smiles, waiting for the many people in the room to empty one tray of something before taking it away to replace it with another full one. One thing was for sure, Cookie wasn’t going to be losing any weight on this cruise.

  She remembered to add half a dozen strips of bacon to share with Cream before turning to find a seat at one of the several round tables in the middle of the room.

  A man stood in her way. His dark, handsome face and rows of braided hair hanging down over his ears made him immediately recognizable even though she’d only sat beside him at the wedding reception for an hour at most.

  “Hello there,” Jayce said to her, making no move to get out of her way. “I hear you’ve been asking about me. Well. Here I am.”

  Chapter Four

  “Did I scare you?”

  Smiling, he crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to one side. Cookie had been startled, to be sure. Had this man been following her? No. Certainly not. He must have just seen her out in the area by the shops and decided to confront her in here. It wasn’t lost on her that this was the man who was the best suspect in the murder of her son-in-law. At least in her mind.

  So h
ad she been scared? Yes.

  Was she going to let him know it? No way.

  “You don’t know me, young man, but my friends here from Widow’s Rest do. I don’t back down from anyone.”

  He snorted and tossed his head of braided hair. “You got spunk, that it?”

  She tried to shuffle past him to a seat at an empty table not far away. She did not want a confrontation with him. Not yet. “Yes,” she said, “I’ve got so much spunk that I use it to flavor my bagels. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to eat this before it gets cold.”

  “How about we sit together,” he suggested, making it obvious that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He laughed at the glare she tried to send him. “What? You wanted to ask all about me, didn’t you? I mean, that’s what my wonderful stepsister told me. Well, here’s your chance. Ask me anything. Come on, don’t be shy now. No reason to hide behind closed doors when you’ve got my undivided attention!”

  His voice was rising, and even though he tried to hide it she could see the anger radiating in his eyes. She looked around the room, embarrassed and admittedly a little nervous, but no one seemed to notice them. There was so many conversations going on that she couldn’t even hear the canned Hawaiian music any longer.

  Taking her time, she cut into her stack of pancakes running with real maple syrup. She was hungry, and if she was staring at her food then she had an excuse not to look at him. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Jayce.”

  “Don’t give me that. Jessica already told me how you and her had this whole conversation about me. I don’t think she even knows what you were up to, but I do.”

  She munched on a piece of cantaloupe. “I’m not up to anything,” she lied.

  “Yes, you are. You think I killed Joe.”