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

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “I’ve got guys reviewing all the footage collected over the past week anywhere on Deck 6. They’re searching for any sightings of our dead man, Jake Nugent, or our woman on the run, Tina Marston. They have a sketch of the third man involved in that brawl this morning, so if they spot anyone that looks like him in that area, they’ll let me know. Adam is running down information from Sales Associates in the shops where Nugent made purchases, and I’m going to have him do the same for Tina Marston. I’ll make sure that he asks about a blond with shoulder length hair in case she was with Marston while she was shopping. Max Marley doesn’t skimp on the staff-to-guest ratio on board, but we are maxed out.”

  “I don’t mind dropping by and asking a few questions at the spa if you’re all right with that. Jack and I do need to clean up and change for dinner. What do you think, Jack?”

  “You’re unstoppable, Georgie,” Jack said. “Can you email us a copy of that photo of Tina Marston, Bill? We’ll visit the spa on our way to dinner even if it means we’ll be a little late. We’ve promised to drop by that Olly-Olly Free, Free, Free Desserts of the Deep extravaganza, first, though.”

  “Jack’s a devotee of that ‘eat-dessert-first’ edict, Bill. We don’t dare miss it. Not that a chocoholic like me would let that happen. It might mean we’ll be a little late for our dinner reservation at The Captain’s Table.”

  “Don’t worry about that. The Captain won’t be offended. He’s not going to appear at tonight’s seating. The bridge is busy staying in communication with everyone involved in the search for our man overboard. They intend to use every minute they have left before we have to get underway in the morning.”

  “We’ll give you a call later, after we’ve made our visit to the spa—if we learn anything useful,” Jack said as we left the infirmary.

  “Sure thing,” Bill said. As we were leaving, a man with a goatee entered with a sketch pad tucked under one arm.

  Good casting, I thought. Was that his idea or another of Max’s hiring criteria? I could see Max sitting behind his desk with the fingers on both hands touching, creating the little pyramid mastermind gesture he often adopted while brainstorming. I could hear his pronouncement: “Goatee required to play the role of shipboard sketch artist.” I only wished he were sitting behind that desk, now, instead of flying to meet us in Tahiti.

  “Let’s get a move on,” I said picking up my pace.

  “That ol’ devil Max on your heels,” Jack asked.

  “How did you know?”

  “You straightened your shoulders and put your chin up the way you do when you head off to work. Besides, Ari’i nui as Bill calls him—is on my mind, too. Come on, I’ll race you.” Jack took off with a burst of speed.

  “And you call me unstoppable! Give me a break, please? I’m a victim of one of Max’s deranged surrogates. I can’t run! Don’t leave me alone like this!” He stopped, dashed back my way, and swept me into his arms.

  “How could I ever leave a classy dame like you alone? You’ve got your hooks into me—deep, Sweetheart.” he said playing the role of fake film noir detective again. There was nothing fake about the kiss that followed, however. That put a little oomph in my step as we returned to our suite.

  When Jack and I returned to our suite to shower and dress for dinner, it was clear my clothes had taken a beating in the wrestling match with Perroquet. At some point in the melee, I had torn my knit shirt and had lost a button on my black pants. My Espadrilles were more than a little scuffed. Jack’s one-week-husband anniversary clothes weren’t in great shape either.

  “Maybe I should assume crime-fighting is just what we do to bond as a couple, Jack, and pack appropriately from now on. Where’d you get those police tactical pants? Do they take a credit card? How about red—do they come in red, my one-week-husband?”

  Jack, who was in our bathroom taking his second shower of the day, didn’t reply. “I don’t think he can hear me,” I said to the cats. They had greeted us warmly at the door, but both were now on alert. I had tossed my clothes into a corner when I slipped into my robe. I was now adding Jack’s trashed aloha shirt and torn shorts to that heap. The cats jumped as I tossed each item on that pile, and then went back to warily inspecting the damaged goods.

  “You two know when Mom and Dad have been up to no good don’t you?” Miles bellowed in reply. “I wonder where my husband’s snazzy new Panama hat has gone.” I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d seen it on Jack’s head.

  The bed in our room looked incredibly comfortable. I was tempted to drop back into it. Who knows what remnants of a day at sea wrestling desperados had left on my body? I flashed on Jake Nugent, lying in that pool of his own blood.

  “Eew,” I thought, “a shower it is.”

  “Your turn, Doll,” Jack said, slipping up behind me. I jumped at the sound of his voice. When I did that, both cats sprang about a foot off the floor and took off. Jack and I laughed at the sight.

  “Guilty conscience, Jezebel?” he asked looking every bit the man on a luxury cruise in his MMW Fantasy of the Sea robe.

  “You left the shower running, and I didn’t hear you coming. Sneaking up on me is not a bit funny after the day I’ve had. I’m now adding stealth to my one-week-husband’s list of hidden talents, a dubious distinction I might add.”

  “In my defense, I wasn’t trying to be stealthy. Forgive me, please? Cross that hidden talent off my list and put poet on it, instead. Remember that verse I penned for you this morning in celebration of our one week anniversary?" When I didn’t answer immediately, he pulled me into his arms. His hair, still damp from that shower, smelled clean with a hint of sandalwood and coconut in the mix. I let him kiss me about twenty times before I relented.

  “Okay, okay, I forgive you. I’m going to shower and hope the hot water soothes my aches and pains.”

  “I’ve got a better suggestion than that. The water is running in there for you, and I dropped one of those fizzy bath bomb things you like into the tub. I have material to review, this report to put together, and I need to touch base with Adam and Bill about a couple of things. I’m getting dressed. You have a soak in the tub and pretend you’re on your honeymoon.”

  “Are you sure? That does sound heavenly—even all by myself.” I smiled coyly.

  “You may not be Jezebel but you are a temptress, my love. Duty calls, though. The sooner this mess is over, the sooner we can get back to what really matters. Ari’i nui is on his way, after all.”

  “You’d better try to get those cats to forgive you before you get dressed. They’re not pushovers like me. They’re going to want to hear a full-fledged apology complete with treats.” When I said that magic word, the duo reappeared in the doorway to our room. Miles tilted his head back and bellowed. Ella chattered, backing him up.

  “Treats!” Jack said, loudly, this time. “You aren’t mad at me, are you?” I heard him ask his two companions as they led him out of our bedroom. Their tails stood straight up.

  “Speaks cat fluently,” I said aloud as I stepped into the tub, adding to my one-week-husband’s lists of talents. “Likes to buy me shiny things, too,” I added as I caught site of the gorgeous floral sheath I planned to wear to dinner. The neckline would be perfect for my one-week anniversary gift.

  9 Spas and Gossips

  On our way to the Olly-Olly dessert extravaganza, Jack and I did as we had promised and dropped by that spa. The moment we walked into Penelope’s Spa & Fitness Retreat I felt myself relax. Great care had been taken to create a peaceful ambiance. Soft music played with a slow rhythmic beat—not too different from that of a pulsing heart at rest.

  Clever, I thought as I felt my breathing slow to match that beat. It worked its magic on Jack, too, even though he’s no fan of places that sell expensive “gunk and goop,” as he calls it. I could feel the tension flee from him as he breathed in the aromatic balm of lavender spiked with hints of Tahitian vanilla. Just like the scent in that luxurious bath I had taken in our suite. That had been
so relaxing, in fact, I had dozed off. I felt ready to go another round or two.

  The information desk sat in an alcove surrounded by a moving picture wall like the one in our suite. This one contained breathtaking video images of a flowing waterfall surrounded by gorgeous tropical flowers in full bloom.

  “Can I help you?” a young woman asked. Kayla, as her name tag read, was dressed in a Sarong and wore an orchid tucked behind one ear. Her smile was as pleasant as the surroundings in which we stood.

  “We hope so,” I responded in a quiet voice. “There’s been some trouble on board today, as you know. I work for Marvelous Marley World management,” I said as I slid my I.D. card across the counter. “We’re trying to locate two women we hope might have information about the passenger who went overboard this morning.”

  “Pushed overboard, you mean,” Kayla said as wariness washed that warm smile from her face. She picked up my I.D. card and glanced at it. Without saying a word, her eyes wandered to Jack. He had reacted ever so slightly to her reference to the passenger as having been pushed. I don’t think she noticed his reaction but wondered who he was. That’s how Jack read it, too.

  “I’m Detective Jack Wheeler, Kayla. Marvelous Marley World has asked me to help sort out what happened to the passenger this morning. Who told you that passenger was pushed overboard?” Jack flashed his badge. I hadn’t realized he’d brought that with him on this trip until I saw it lying on the bar next to our room key and his cell phone this morning. My boy scout is always prepared. I’ll give him credit for that.

  “It’s been part of the buzz in here all day. The main topic of discussion, in fact, until Perroquet went wild and mowed down a couple of older passengers a little while ago. They’re probably out of commission for the rest of the trip. What a jerk,” she added quickly. “You know about that already, don’t you?” Wariness turned to outright suspicion as she asked that question.

  “Yes, of course. The culprit's in custody. We’re also aware of rumors that someone pushed the missing passenger overboard,” I said. “Do you have any idea how those rumors got started?”

  “Sure,” Kayla responded, although she appeared more puzzled than sure about anything. “Some woman was screaming about it at the top of her lungs, that’s how. Our first client of the day came in for a massage, irate about the fact that the woman had nearly knocked her down as she ran past her on the upper deck. She was yelling that she saw two men shove a passenger over the rails and into the water.”

  “Did your client see her ask a staff member or anyone else for help?”

  “No. Part of the reason our guest was so ticked off is that she had tried to get her to do that. She asked the woman something like, ‘did you tell security?’ The woman cussed her out and screamed at her. ‘Are you crazy? I don't want to be next!' To which our client replied ‘Oh, I get it. That’s why you're so hush-hush about it.’ The woman shut up at that point and ran for it.”

  “Can you give us the name of that guest who encountered the distraught woman, please?” Jack asked. “Maybe she can help us identify the woman she spoke to this morning. Security has probably already tracked her down, but we want to be certain we’ve contacted everyone who has any information about what went on.”

  Kayla nodded, her fingers clicking away on the keyboard in front of her. She glanced at the computer screen and then wrote a name and cabin number on one of the appointment cards they give out to guests. Smiling, Kayla handed that card to Jack. “Hope this helps you find what you’re looking for,” she added with a smile.

  “Thanks,” I replied, getting her to let go of that card she had offered to Jack. “That brings me back to why we’re here. Have you seen this woman?” I showed her a photo of Tina Marston.

  “Oh yes, that’s Tina Marston,” she responded. “We call her ‘Monster Marston’ around here because of the monstrous workouts she does. She’s the one who gave us that nickname she earned during her military service.”

  “Can you check to see if she was in here for appointments on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday?” I asked.

  “I don’t have to check those dates. Tina scheduled a massage every day. Her routine was pretty much the same—a killer workout first thing in the morning, followed by taking the waters, and then a massage. She was here for a couple hours at least. Never missed a workout. Never late for an appointment. The perfect client,” Kayla added.

  “Taking the waters?” Jack asked.

  “It’s a series of baths, Jack—really quite rejuvenating,” I responded, with a bit too much enthusiasm for someone there on business. I’d indulged myself this week and my mind drifted back to that blissful bath I’d just taken. Soaking in warm, soothing scented balms seemed so much better than asking questions about women who might be involved in a theft ring and murder. I tried to switch back to a more professional tone. “You really should try them out for yourself, Detective. They have the same service for men.” Too late.

  “I knew I’d seen you before,” Kayla said. “You were leaving the spa yesterday just as I started my shift. I heard this was a honeymoon cruise for you.” Suspicion stole over her as she looked at me, glanced at Jack, and then fixed her gaze on me. I almost blushed, waiting for her to cry, “Jezebel” as Justin had done earlier.

  A sideways glance at Jack must have revealed some clue to the fact that my embarrassment was morphing into indignation. He fought to keep a smile on his lips from spreading across his face. Then, before I could say another word, he changed the subject speaking in a friendly, matter of fact tone.

  “You’ve been very helpful to our investigation, Kayla. Just one more question before we go.” He beamed a Jim Rockford smile at her that worked like a charm. Suspicion fled, along with any regard for my presence at all as far as I could tell.

  “Have you noticed a woman with shoulder-length, blond hair in here this week? Perhaps working out with Tina or in here around the same time?”

  “Oh sure. You’re talking about Abby Kinkaid. She’s in good shape, but no way could she keep up with Monster Marston. An odd friendship, but that’s one of the interesting outcomes of being on a cruise—you meet all sorts of new people. Abby was almost as disciplined about her fitness routine as Tina. Not today. Neither of them showed up—not even Tina—so even she's not the perfect client, is she?” She shrugged.

  “I guess everyone’s knocked off balance by the sad events this morning and the change in our itinerary,” I said. It occurred to me, though, that neither woman had an alibi for what went on this morning. If Abby had been with Jake Nugent before he became embroiled in a fight to the death on Deck 6, that would explain how he picked up those blond hairs.

  “Yeah, guests are upset about the idea of some guy floating around out there, lost or drowned. It’s been surprisingly good for business here, though. Until that dessert pig-out started a little while ago, passengers were lined up in here.” She lowered her voice as she spoke those last words as another Spa Attendant passed us with a client at her side. “It’s slowed down a lot, but we still have more bookings than we would have had if we’d made it to Bora Bora and guests had gone ashore today.”

  “How about a cabin number for Abby Kinkaid and then we’ll let you get back to work, all right?” Jack said with another of those dazzling smiles on his face. Kayla hopped to it and typed the Kinkaid woman’s name on the keyboard, a loopy grin on her face.

  I added a drooling redhead to the sultry brunette and cool blond on the list of women of interest to this investigation. Inwardly, I harrumphed, wondering if it would be fair to ask my one-week-husband to rely less on his masculine charm in his police work. I snapped back into snoop mode and asked one last question of my own.

  “Do Abby and Tina use the same lockers when they’re in here or do you assign them new ones each time?”

  “Since they’re regulars, they have the same lockers for the duration of the cruise.”

  “I’m afraid I just lied to you, Kayla,” Jack said. “We’re going to need to look
at those lockers before we leave.”

  “Jack, I don’t believe Kayla’s going to want you roaming around in the women’s locker room. Why don’t I call Maggie and ask her to join me as soon as she can get up here?” Jack nodded and then sighed.

  It was my turn to read his thoughts. “Eat dessert first,” was written on that sigh. I wanted to reach out with a reassuring touch, but that might earn me another of those ‘shameless hussy’ glances from the auburn-haired Spa Attendant. For the moment, Kayla had no interest in me at all. She was intent on answering an unrelated question Jack had asked her about “taking the waters.” A perfect distraction while I tracked down Maggie and spoke to her.

  “Maggie,” I said as soon as she answered my call. “It’s Georgie. Can you come up to the spa for a few minutes—bring your gloves and baggies and those tweezers you use to pick up hairs. If we’re lucky, we may have a few more for you.”

  Twenty minutes later Maggie and I had completed the task. Maggie bagged everything left in both women's lockers: a sweatband and an ointment for pain relief in Tina's locker along with a bathing suit and a small bag of toiletries. We found similar items in Abby's space, along with an extra change of clothes. Nothing struck me as unusual about anything we found. The effort had proved useful in another way, however. Not only had we located several more strands of blond hair from Abby's locker, but we discovered a dark brown hair, too. Monster Marston's cubbyhole had also yielded a couple of hairs—dark ones. The question I hoped Maggie could answer was would those blond hairs from Abby match those she had collected already? Had we discovered the identity of our cool blond?

  On our way to that dessert fest, Jack and I discussed what we had learned from our visit. As it turned out, Jack's casual conversation with Kayla had been very revealing. When Jack ventured onto the subject of spa treatments for men—like taking the waters—he mentioned Jake Nugent. Like Abby and Tina, Jake Nugent had also been a regular guest at the spa and fitness center. Several expensive watches and a signet ring on that list of missing jewelry had gone missing on dates Jake Nugent had visited the spa or fitness center.