Murder at Sea of Passenger X Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #5 (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series)

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “This marriage has turned out to be one of my brightest ideas ever, don’t you agree?” I ran my hand along the side of his face. Jack clutched it in his, placing a light kiss on my palm.

  “Your idea? As I recall, I’m the one who proposed. I would have done it that first night at dinner or the next day except I was afraid it would spook you. Not to mention you were still on the list of suspects in a murder investigation. It’s hardly proper police procedure to propose marriage to a suspect.”

  “I’m free and clear now, copper. What are you going to do about it?” Miles interrupted that inquiry with a plaintive cry. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

  “What on earth, Miles?”

  That’s when the screams began. Followed by a splash.

  2 Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!

  The screaming came in bursts followed by shouts of “man overboard,” just like in a movie. Jack and I ran for the veranda as soon as we heard that splash. An eerie silence hovered in the wake of those screams.

  “I don’t see anything, do you, Jack?” Our cabin was aft, with our large veranda affording us an excellent view of the ocean on this side of the ship. Of course, we were moving through the water at a steady clip, so it was hard to say where we ought to be looking for anyone who had fallen overboard.

  “Not a thing. Maybe it’s a false alarm,” Jack said. Before I could respond, a call went out over the loudspeaker.

  OSCAR! OSCAR! OSCAR!

  “No false alarm, Georgie—that’s the call to muster the crew.”

  Jack and I both scanned the ocean for any sign of a person floundering in the water that rippled as our ship passed through it. It was a long way down from our location on one of the upper decks. Above us was the pool deck. At this end of the ship, that area was devoted to adults only. Next to that was a fitness facility with a running track open to views of the surrounding ocean. I was pleasantly surprised that we weren’t disturbed by noise from the busy areas above us.

  “I can’t imagine how someone fell overboard, can you? The rails are high, and there are warnings not to climb or sit on them even here in the adult section of the ship."

  "It does happen, despite all the warnings. A little early in the morning for a mishap by someone who's had too much to drink."

  "Unless the party started last night and it's still going. Is the ship slowing?" I asked.

  “Yes. We’ve probably already moved a mile or more past the point where we were when we heard that first scream. The search has begun already. See?” Jack nodded in the direction of a small launch that had swept into view.

  OSCAR! OSCAR! OSCAR! I shuddered as that call went out again.

  “Why run alongside the ship, Jack, since we’ve moved past the point where the incident occurred?”

  “I presume they have launches heading away from the ship, too. No doubt, toward some marker or buoy, dropped at the location where the person went overboard. Maybe they’re trying to get a better understanding of where or how someone fell into the water based on the report they got from the witness. Jumped, more likely. As you pointed out, these ships are built to avoid accidents.”

  “Suicide? How awful!” I exclaimed.

  “I suppose it’s also possible they’re checking to make sure the jumper didn’t get snagged on something jutting out at the water line. Don’t ask me what that could be. I think it’s more likely that the force of the water around the ship would push away a man overboard.”

  “Hitting the water from even a couple of stories up has to be dangerous if not deadly. I wonder what deck that passenger was on when he fell.”

  “It’s like hitting concrete if you fall from fifty feet up, Georgie.”

  “Oh, no. That's horrible.”

  “At least the water’s not cold. If the man overboard survived the fall, there’s a better chance for rescue. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds to drown, though, if he was unconscious when he hit the water. Not much longer than that to disappear underwater after drowning. The ship is stopping, so I guess that means they intend to drop anchor here or circle back around.” A knock on our door gave me a jolt as I considered what Jack was saying about a ship this size changing course.

  “Who is it?” Jack hollered as he dashed to the door.

  “Bill Tate, Jack. I need to speak to you. It’s urgent.”

  “That’s the head of security, Georgie. I introduced you to him, remember?” I nodded, smoothing my hair down as Jack opened the door. I was still wearing my silk robe and slippers. After standing on my head in the closet searching for my missing anniversary gift, I wouldn’t be a bit shocked if my hair was a fright. In all the excitement, I hadn’t given a moment’s notice to my appearance.

  “Come on in, Bill.” Jack said, inviting him in and shutting the door behind him as soon as he had stepped in out of the corridor.

  “Hello, Georgie.”

  “Nice to see you again, Bill,” I said. I didn’t exactly mean that, but he had such a worried expression on his face, I felt like I ought to be polite. I was curious about his visit at such an odd moment. I wasn’t the only one. Our two Siamese cats were on point, sniffing his shoes, then working their way up to the cuffs of his pants. I was about to shoo them away when Bill reached down and patted Miles. Ella, more skittish, backed away until Bill stood up again.

  “We’ve got a situation on our hands, Jack.”

  “Yes, we’ve figured that out. A passenger overboard.”

  “Not just that, but a murder.”

  I gasped before I could stop myself. “Murder?”

  “I’m afraid so. The woman who let out those alarming screams is a passenger and a witness. Wendy Cutler claims three men were fighting or wrestling over something a few decks below her. Then one went overboard, another dropped to the ground, and a third took off. When we got to the location, we found a man dead, stabbed more than once—his throat cut. The only good news about all this is that we got to the scene quickly before anyone could disturb it. It’s plenty disturbing already.”

  “Can you keep passengers away from there?”

  “Yes. We’ve ‘tented’ it like we do when there's unsightly damage to a spot on board before we can dock for repairs. It’s in an out of the way section of Deck 6 where there’s not much foot traffic. I have a security associate posted in case someone gets curious. Passengers have started to gather on the top deck with questions about the shouts and the alert that went out after that.”

  “That passenger was on the ball.”

  “Our MOB—an automated Man Overboard Detection System would have kicked in even without a witness. It’s state of the art with motion sensors and thermal detection designed to alert the ship’s bridge, stop the ship, and initiate search and rescue protocols in a situation like this one. You’re right about her being on the ball, though. She called for a nearby crew member even before that guy went over the rails when she saw those men fighting, then hollered about the man overboard. Our staff person, David Engels, arrived just as he was falling and saw the passenger enter the water. He was able to corroborate the ship’s data with his own. We’re no longer getting a thermal reading, though—that’s not good.”

  “Okay, so what can we do for you, Bill?”

  “The Captain called headquarters to report the incident. Ari’i nui, as they say around here, is on his way. The Big Chief himself got in on it. He’s on his way as we speak.”

  “Big Chief? You don’t mean Max Marley, do you?” I felt another wave of shock wash over me as I asked that question. I’m not sure why I should have felt that way. Max takes every major setback in his company personally. The fact that Jack and I were on the ship probably made that an even bigger issue for him. Max had not only insisted on paying for our honeymoon but had stepped in for my deceased father and escorted me down the aisle at my wedding.

  "Yes. Max Marley is on his way," Bill replied.

  "You can’t mean that literally, given his schedule. Besides, the Fantasy of the Sea won’t be back in Tah
iti until the day after tomorrow—mid-morning at the earliest, right?” Jack asked.

  “That’s our plan—to conduct a search and rescue operation, but keep to our scheduled arrival time back in Papeete. From what Captain Andrews tells me, the company's founder is planning to leave as soon as he can and intends to be in Tahiti for our return. And, Max Marley expects a full accounting of what’s gone on here.”

  “That sounds like Max,” I muttered. “He can’t possibly believe all this can be wrapped up by then, can he?”

  “I don’t know him personally, but I have heard stories about his expectations as well as what happens when his employees don't meet them. That brings me to the reason I’m here, Jack. He suggested that I get in touch with you, right away. As you can imagine, we don’t have much of a track record when it comes to dealing with a homicide. We also don’t have much time before all of this might get much more complicated. Technically, we’re in international waters and outside the territorial limit for the authorities in French Polynesia to get involved. Not that there’s a reason to engage them yet. Captain Andrews is officially overseeing the search and rescue operation. He says we’re staying put the rest of the day. Overnight, too, if necessary. Tomorrow morning, though, we’ll have to make a brief stop in Bora Bora. Then we’ll head back to Papeete so you and other passengers can catch your return flights as planned on Day 10 of our cruise.”

  “This is a U.S.-owned ship and one of the few cruise lines that fly the U.S. flag. That means U.S. authorities have jurisdiction, right?” I asked.

  “Yes, but that will most likely mean the FBI, Georgie,” Jack offered. “Of course, it could be more complicated than that if the murder victim or his murderer aren't U.S. citizens.”

  “The dead man had a U.S. driver’s license on him with a Texas address. The name on it is the same as the one on his shipboard guest I.D.—Jake Nugent. A check of his credit cards, and a review of his personal profile on record with the Marvelous Marley World Cruise line, also verify he's a U.S. citizen. I've already notified the FBI.”

  “What about the passenger overboard?”

  “That’s a bit odd. No one has reported a missing person. Staff members are checking with all passengers who have gathered on the upper deck. They’re also making the rounds, going cabin by cabin to account for the whereabouts of everyone on the passenger manifest. We’re doing the same for staff members and the crew. That way we hope to identify the passenger that’s gone overboard even if he was traveling alone. If we don’t spot him in the water, that is. Drowning victims sink fast, though.” Bill Tate was clearly distressed and gave me an anxious glance as he spoke those last few words.

  "That's what Jack told me, Bill. I know this must be upsetting for you. I'm sorry."

  "Thanks," he said. "I should prepare myself for this to get worse before it gets better with one man dead and another missing. Our eyewitness claims that the two men fighting with him pushed the man who went overboard up and over the rails. If the man has drowned, that’s two murders."

  “Won’t the body resurface more quickly in this warm water?”

  “Yes, Jack. Captain Andrews will keep patrols up nonstop, even after dark, hoping to recover the body if we're not able to rescue the passenger. By morning, we should have support from Papeete to continue the search so we can move on."

  "I hope you can identify the passenger who's gone overboard. That might help us figure out who the third guy is who’s still roaming around on the ship somewhere,” Jack said.

  “That’s an awful thought, Jack, given he may have killed two men already. Aren’t there cameras nearby that can help identify him?” I asked.

  “Unfortunately, that’s more bad news. I had someone scan the footage collected in that area at the time the dispute took place, and the passenger went overboard. We got a great look at the dead man, but no clear view of the other two men. I don’t know if they knew where the camera was placed and avoided it on purpose or if they just lucked out. Mostly, it’s a blur of bad guys in dark clothes.”

  Gone was my easy-going guy who had swept into the suite less than an hour before those blood-curdling screams. “Are you concerned that this could be an act of terrorism?” Jack asked.

  My heart skipped a beat. It had crossed my mind when all the screaming began, but once that “man overboard” cry went out I’d let go of that fear. Now it was back.

  “That’s always an immediate concern these days when there’s trouble on board. Terrorism is the biggest nightmare for security in the industry. We’ve notified Homeland Security and have run the scenarios we’ve been trained to use to sort problems. This incident looks more like a falling out among thieves, Jack.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “A piece of jewelry was found at the scene.”

  “Well, that’s important. I’d like to review whatever information you’ve gathered about the thefts. As soon as you can, make a copy of Jake Nugent's photo on his passenger I.D. or driver's license. Maybe the eyewitness or one of the passengers who reported the stolen jewelry can tell us something about him.”

  “That’s a terrific idea, Jack,” I said. “If he was hanging out with the other two men, maybe someone saw them together and can help I.D. the other men.”

  “I can email those files to you right away. I have a laptop you can use if you don't have one, or I can send them to your cell phone. You’re also welcome to review the video footage from that fight on Deck 6. Maybe you’ll spot something we missed.” Bill bit his bottom lip. “This is an unbelievable mess. I’ve been in the business for almost twenty-five years. I’ve had to deal with shipboard crime lots of times but never anything like this. I want to get to the bottom of this quickly but without scaring the heck out of people. What do you suggest, Jack?”

  “I'll take you up on the offer of the laptop. Send me all the background you have on your investigation into the jewelry thefts, along with any information about Jake Nugent. Keep the public focus on the search and rescue efforts you’re making to locate the missing passenger. At this point, that’s the issue that’s going to arouse curiosity and concern—especially when your guests realize how this will impact their itinerary. If I’m clear about what you’ve said, we’re going to put into Bora Bora a day late and won’t stay long enough for passengers to go ashore. Not everyone is going to be happy about that. From the standpoint of a homicide investigation, that’s a break though. If passengers and crew remain on board, there’s less chance for our murderous thief to become a fugitive.”

  “If I could do it, I’d head back without making that stop in Bora Bora. Captain Andrews tells me it’s needed to restock water and other provisions for the return trip to Papeete. He’ll keep the stop short and will send as few crew members ashore as possible. I’ll post watches around the clock so no one can sneak off.”

  “In the meantime, Bill, I’ll do what I can to preserve evidence from the crime scene and keep my inquiry into Jake Nugent's death as discrete as I can. No matter how reassuring you try to be, hearing about a murder on board is going to trigger concerns about terrorism. All we need is to start a panic.”

  I tried not to imagine what that might mean in a confined space like a cruise ship. Jennifer, my best friend who runs a travel agency, had once told me about problems on board a cruise ship when an engine failed. In that case, Jennifer said the fear that the ship was going to sink had led to an ugly situation. I hadn't seen it, but cell phone footage that passengers had shared on Facebook and other social media sites was dreadful from the way Jennifer described it.

  “I suppose it’s good this all happened so early when most passengers were still in their staterooms, rather than milling about on Deck 6 or elsewhere,” I offered struggling to find a bright spot in the dismal situation.

  “When that alarm sounded, it set off a rush of activity from passengers. Mostly a flurry of phone calls and questions for cabin stewards who were nearby. Captain Andrews acted quickly to post staff on the upper deck to answer qu
estions about the fact that a passenger had gone overboard. No one other than Wendy Cutler has come forward as a witness to that fight or the passenger going overboard.”

  “The first thing I need to do is have a look at the dead man, and I’d like to speak to the first responder. We want to take photos and collect evidence before it gets contaminated or deteriorates in the heat. Did you leave the jewelry where you found it?”

  “We haven’t touched a thing except to put up that tent around the area. A member of our security staff, Tom Reasoner, was the first to reach the scene since he happened to be on Deck 6 already. He was there in less than two minutes after David Engels called security about the fight on Deck 6 that coincided with the loss of that passenger. When Engels mentioned the possibility that an injured passenger might be in that location, I called for the ship’s doctor and ordered that tent then too. The ship’s doctor is there now taking photos. Dr. Maggie Hayward’s no coroner, but she did an internship or something like that during her medical training, so she understands how to collect and record necessary information. She checked the passenger for signs of life and pulled that I.D. card from his pocket so we could get a name and cabin number for him. She told me she wouldn’t move anything until you arrived.”

  “Excellent! Um, we’re going to need a morgue—someplace cool.”

  “No problem. Cruise ships are required to carry body bags and to have a morgue. Murders don’t often happen on board, but deaths do.” Jack and Bill chatted for another minute or two and agreed to meet in ten minutes at the scene of the crime with a couple of crew members who could help move the body.

  I could tell the wheels in Jack’s head were turning, trying to figure out how to make do without all the supports available to him in Orange County. Max had done the right thing to put Jack in charge, I thought as we said goodbye to Bill.

  “Get dressed, Georgie. You’re coming with me.”

  “I am? You want me to help out at the crime scene?” I was caught off guard by the suggestion. Part of me wanted to tag along and poke my nose into the murder and mayhem. On the other hand, I don't do well with dead bodies.