“Millie,” the captain said in a soft voice. “I was just getting ready to call you to invite you to dinner later this evening.”
“I’ll have to run it by Andy but since we no longer have passengers on board, I don’t see it being a problem.”
“Excellent. I’ve been in the kitchen picking up a few tips from Amit and have a special dinner in mind.”
“You’re making dinner?”
“Are you surprised?” he asked.
“No. I mean, yes,” she admitted.
“Don’t worry. We can always order room service if it doesn’t turn out,” he teased.
Scout flew back down the hall and skidded to a halt between them.
“Would you like to come in for a moment?” He opened the door wider and waited for Millie to step inside.
“I hope I’m not bothering you,” Millie said. “I should’ve called first.”
“No bother.” Nic moved close and snaked his arm around her waist.
Millie wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes as he leaned forward to kiss her.
She began to feel lightheaded and when the kiss ended, Millie let out a shallow breath as she pressed the palms of her hands against her flushed cheeks. “Many more kisses like that and we’ll have to ask Pastor Evans to marry us.”
“I can see if he’s free now.”
“Very funny.” Millie decided to switch to a safer subject lest she throw caution to the wind and take him up on the suggestion. “Andy told me about his leave to return home.”
“Yes, I heard. You’ll do a fine job, Millie.”
They chatted for several moments as Millie expressed her concerns, all of which Nic dismissed in an attempt to convince her she would breeze through the two weeks.
A light tap on the door ended the conversation.
“I better get back to work,” Millie said.
“Sorry to bother you Captain,” McMasters apologized. “They’re calling for you from the engine room.”
“I’ll be right there.” Nic accompanied her out of the apartment and to the bridge door. “So I’ll see you at six for dinner?”
“Of course.” Millie smiled. “I can’t wait.” She waved good-bye to Officer McMasters and headed to the karaoke stage to start sorting through the songs.
Zack Smythe, one of the dancers, was perched on a barstool, a playlist in hand.
“You’re here to work on the list, too?” Millie asked.
“Yep.” Zack nodded. “I say we create an ‘oldies but goodies’ folder and put anything that hasn’t been requested in the last six months in the book.”
“Good idea.” Millie hurried over to the guest services desk to borrow a blank sheet of paper and ink pen. When she returned, she pulled up a stool and hopped on top. “We can also start a list of recent passenger requests we don’t have on hand.”
The two of them began working on moving, modifying and adding to the playlist. Millie was surprised by how many newer songs guests never selected and how many classics they seemed to love.
Dave Patterson wandered into the atrium and Millie did a double take. Concern over Brody’s attack lingered in the back of her mind. She’d been praying for her young friend off and on since hearing about the incident.
“I’ll be right back.” Millie slid off the stool and hurried to the other side of the room. “How’s Brody?”
“Brody is resting in his cabin.” Patterson’s shoulders sagged. “He swears up and down he saw someone sprawled out on a lower corridor floor, right before someone attacked him from behind.”
“Maybe the person had some sort of seizure and came to, got scared when they saw Brody on the ground unconscious and took off,” Millie said.
“Or Brody’s mind is playing tricks on him,” Patterson said. “I made him take the rest of the day off.”
Patterson stared blankly at Millie. “There was one thing I noticed at the scene that doesn’t make sense.”
“What’s that?”
“It was a…” Patterson stopped abruptly. “It was nothing. Forget I ever said anything.”
“You have to tell me now,” Millie insisted. “That’s not fair.”
Patterson sucked in a breath. “There was a small puddle of blood next to Brody and Brody wasn’t bleeding.”
“So it’s possible Brody did see someone lying on the floor. What about surveillance cameras?”
“We have cameras in the main corridors but the incident took place in a smaller, side corridor,” Patterson said. “I’m on my way to talk to Doctor Gundervan, to see if any crewmembers visited the medical center around the time of Brody’s attack.”
Millie returned to the karaoke area to finish her project while Dave Patterson strode to the bank of elevators.
Zack waited until Millie settled onto her seat. “Word around the ship is the ‘Bro-meister’ was attacked last night.”
Millie frowned.
“Brody,” Zack clarified.
“Yeah. It’s terrible. He never saw his attacker.”
Zack shook his head. “I don’t know why the maintenance guys keep messin’ with Brody. The dude could knock them out with the swipe of his hand.”
Chapter 5
“Are you saying Brody has been attacked before?” Millie was surprised. It was the first she’d heard of anyone not liking Brody. In fact, he was one of her favorites. He reminded her of her son, Blake.
“He got that big promo as head of night security and since then, I’ve heard a couple times he’s gotten into it with the crew.”
Millie frowned. “Do you think he’s on a power trip, maybe rubbing some of the crew the wrong way and they’re attacking him?” she asked.
Zack shrugged. “I dunno. He never struck me as that kind of person but then you know him better than I do.”
The two of them finished going through the playlist but all the while Millie mulled over what Zack had said. Maybe Brody’s promotion had gone to his head and he was bullying other crew.
He’d always seemed even-tempered to Millie, except for the time Andy tased him during a demonstration and Brody grabbed the Taser from Andy and turned it back on him. Millie grinned as she remembered the incident.
It still didn’t explain Brody’s insistence he’d stumbled upon an unconscious man right before his attack and Patterson’s comment about the puddle of blood.
After Millie and Zack finished their karaoke project, Millie wandered to the theater to check on Danielle, who had said she was going to get the bingo ball project out of the way first.
Muffled voices echoed from behind the stage curtain as Millie made her way up the steps. She caught a glimpse of Danielle inside the dancer’s dressing room.
“How’s the bingo ball project progressing?”
Danielle spun around, the B15 ball in her hand. “Just fabulous.” She reached inside the bingo ball cage and pulled one out, holding it up. “Do you see a difference?”
Millie caught a hint of sarcasm in Danielle’s voice. “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. The B15 looks brand new. Let’s talk swap. Do you want to inventory and repair costumes and I’ll inventory the books and board games in the library?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Danielle said. “Speaking of asking have you heard anything on Brody’s condition?”
Millie relayed what Patterson had told her. “How well do you know Brody?”
Danielle dropped the clean ball into the cage and picked up another one. “We’ve talked a few times. I had that minor incident up in the casino the time I tried to sneak behind the cashier’s counter and he got onto me. I see him in the employee lounge once in a while if things get a little out of hand. Why?”
“Because Zack said since Brody was promoted to head of night security, he’s had a few run-ins with some of the night crew.”
“I haven’t heard that,” Danielle said. “He seems pretty laid back. Maybe he’s on a power trip since his promotion.”
Millie had a hard time believing it. Brody didn’t se
em the type, but then again, maybe he acted differently around her.
Even if that was the case, she hoped he was going to be all right. Millie wondered if Patterson had heard the rumors. She quickly decided to stay out of it…for once. Brody was an adult. If he wanted to go after his attacker or attackers, it was his decision.
She headed to the library to start her cataloguing assignment and as Millie walked from one end of the ship to the other, she was again struck by how odd it was for the ship to be passenger-free.
Millie used her master key to unlock the library door. She stepped inside the cozy room and closed the door behind her.
The library was small and intimate, and although there were a wide variety of books ranging from traditional mystery, to romance and even boasted a few biographies, the selection was limited.
Millie closed her eyes and savored the quiet, breathing in the lingering smell of well-worn books. With her busy schedule, she rarely had the luxury of borrowing one of the library books, settling into a comfy chair and losing herself in a good story.
While Danielle hated the library and thought it boring, Millie loved it. Books could transport one to such wonderful places and had many times taken her on some amazing adventures.
She turned the lights and computer on, and headed to the first cabinet to begin working on the inventory.
The time flew by as Millie immersed herself in the task and she even found several books she longed to read. Maybe someday…maybe on her honeymoon, she would have time to read.
Nic and Millie had discussed traveling to his hometown of Bertoli, a quaint village on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, for their honeymoon.
She’d never traveled abroad, except on board the cruise ship, and was excited at the prospect, but first Captain Armati and she had to overcome one large obstacle, which was Majestic Cruise Line’s policy.
Danielle had suggested starting a petition to collect crew and staff signatures, asking the cruise line to grant a special allowance for the couple.
Several people had told Millie there was no way the cruise line would allow for their marriage but she refused to accept that, not until she had it in writing. She’d prayed about it every morning when she woke. God would not have brought Nic into her life just to break her heart.
Millie pushed the thought aside as she finished inventorying the first bookcase. The pages were starting to blur, her signal it was time to give her eyes a rest so she shut the computer off and exited the library.
Millie slowed as she passed by Ocean Treasures, the ship’s gift shop. Cat was inside, surrounded by a wall of boxes and empty shelves.
Cat caught Millie’s eye and motioned to her as she hurried to the door to unlock it.
“You’re up to your eyeballs in rum cake.” Millie tapped her finger on top of a gold-colored box labeled Tortuga Caribbean Chocolate Rum Cake.
“I thought revamping the store would be fun but I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.” Cat pushed a stray strand of jet black hair from her eyes. “What are you up to?”
“Library inventory,” Millie said.
Cat wrinkled her nose. “Yuck. That would be like torture.”
“You sound like Danielle. I swapped her library inventory task for my costume inventory.”
“Now that would be much more interesting.” Cat shifted one of the shelves to the side. “I’ve decided to venture off the ship while we’re here.”
“Good for you Cat. So you’re going to accompany Annette and me while I shop for a wedding dress?”
“Yeah. One day this week Joe and I are going to do a little sightseeing and shopping near the port and maybe stop by South Beach.”
Millie had never visited South Beach, although she’d heard some things about it from several other crewmembers who had been there. It wasn’t exactly Millie’s ‘cup of tea.’
“Tara, one of the dancers, told me South Beach is a hot spot for Miami’s rich and famous.” She changed the subject. “Friday would be a good day for dress shopping. I’ll try to track down a few shops close to the port. We can make a day of it and enjoy a lunch on the water, too. My treat for dragging you along.”
“Sounds good. I better get back to work if I want to get this joint put back together before Saturday.” Cat walked Millie to the door. “Did you hear about the poor security guard who was attacked?”
Cat was talking about Brody. “Yeah. Brody Rourke. He’s a good guy. I guess he’s had a couple run-ins with crew lately. He was recently promoted to head of night security. I’d like to stop by and tell him I’m glad he’s okay but I have no idea where his cabin is.”
“I can find out for you.” Cat retraced her steps as she hurried to the computer and cash register near the back of the store.
Millie followed behind and watched as Cat swiped her ID card along the side of the computer screen and then tapped the keys as she squinted at the screen. “It looks like he just switched cabins. He’s in C187.”
“That’s one deck up from my cabin.” Millie thanked Cat for the information and wandered out of the store.
She swung by the galley to chat with Annette. Millie stuck her head in the round galley window that reminded her of a porthole. She spotted her friend in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by the kitchen staff so she kept going.
Instead of heading back to the library, she headed below deck, to the crew computer area, which was empty.
Millie eased into a seat near the back before logging on. The internet moved at lightning speed, one of the upsides of being in port and not in the middle of the ocean.
She quickly checked her bank account before moving onto her email and finally researching local bridal shops and restaurants close to the port.
Millie jotted several names and addresses down before logging off. She stopped by her cabin to drop off the bridal shop and restaurant info, tucking them off to the side of the desk. Millie wondered if she should invite Danielle to tag along on the shopping trip. Danielle had made a few friends on board but none Millie would categorize as ‘close’ friends.
The young woman had been on the ship for almost a year now and Millie still knew very little about her past life or her family. Danielle had told Millie she’d once worked full time as an undercover agent and also as an archaeologist.
The careers struck Millie as polar opposites but that was Danielle. The young woman marched to the beat of her own drum.
There was also the mystery of Danielle’s brother, Casey, who had died. On more than one occasion, Danielle confessed to Millie she blamed herself for her brother’s death.
Millie quickly decided to include Danielle, if Andy would allow them both to be off the ship at the same time. She remembered how she had agreed to cover for Andy while he returned home to care for his mother. Andy owed her one so it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
She flipped off the cabin light and stepped into the hall, deciding to stop by Brody’s cabin to check on him before grabbing lunch and returning to the library.
C187 was one deck up and near the back or aft of the ship, directly above Dave Patterson’s office, if Millie’s guess was correct.
The upper crew deck was smaller than the crew area below and included just the back section of the ship. Passenger cabins filled the front or forward section.
She strode to the back and easily located the cabin. Millie lifted her hand to knock when she noticed a folded piece of paper tucked in the door. There was something scrawled on the outside and she tilted her head to read it. “Brody.”
Thinking someone had left a card for Brody, she plucked it out. The word “lucky” caught Millie’s eye. The temptation was too great so she unfolded the note:
Next time you won’t be so lucky.
Chapter 6
Millie quickly folded the note, unsure of whether she should show it to Brody. She knocked on his cabin door but no one answered so she tried again. There was still no answer.
She had two choices…to put the note back where she found it or ta
ke it to Patterson. Clearly, Brody was being targeted and Patterson needed to know.
Millie hurried down the corridor to the stairs and descended one level, to where Patterson’s office was located. She tapped lightly and heard a muffled reply. Hoping that meant come in, she turned the knob and stepped inside.
Dave Patterson was behind his desk. Sitting across from him was Oscar and Donovan Sweeney. Each wore a serious expression on their face.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she apologized.
Donovan stood. “I was just getting ready to leave.”
“Me too.” Oscar joined him.
“Wait.” Millie held up a hand. “I have something to show you. It’s about Brody.”
Oscar and Patterson exchanged an uneasy glance and Millie had a sneaking suspicion their meeting had been about Brody.
She handed the note to Patterson, who glanced at the front and then unfolded the paper. He read the brief note before handing it to Donovan.
Millie studied Donovan’s expression. “It sounds like a threat to me.”
Donovan folded the note and set it on Patterson’s desk. “Where did you find this?”
“I stopped by Brody’s cabin to check on him. He wasn’t there but I found this note tucked in his door. I didn’t mean to look at it but the paper is thin and I could read a couple of the words.”
“Curiosity killed the cat,” Donovan said. “Brody is at a safety meeting. They’re going over safety with the maintenance crew and temporary crew for the dry dock work being done. I’m going to assign Brody to guard the exit gate, to check ID’s coming into the docking area.”
“Someone is out to get Brody,” Millie said. “Rumor has it this isn’t the first incident. He’s gotten into a couple scuffles since moving to nightshift and heading night security.”
Patterson leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m aware of the other instances. Brody swears these were unprovoked attacks.”
Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 9) Page 3