Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 9)

by Hope Callaghan

  “Ah. Brody shows up at the red light district and other crew from the ship spots him.”

  “Right. I mean think about it. Brody is a big guy. He wouldn’t blend in,” Millie said. “Suppose he’s trying to protect his friend so he refuses to tell what happened and instead lets people believe he’s you-know.”

  “After Brody is jumped, Nevlin panics, thinking Brody is going to rat him out so he decides to get rid of him,” Annette said. “No one knows Brody’s schedule better than Nevlin.”

  “That’s one theory, but what if it wasn’t Nevlin?” Millie asked. “I think it’s something and someone else.”

  “What about Reef?” Annette asked.

  “I thought it was Reef in the beginning, but why would he tear his own office apart and try to break into a locked filing cabinet he more than likely had access to? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Unless Reef was trying to make it look like someone else,” Cat pointed out.

  “True, although I’m not sure Reef would think of that.” Millie tapped the side of her forehead with her index finger. “Cat, can you track when employees exit and re-enter the employee gangways?”

  “Yes.” Cat nodded.

  “Can I look at Hugh Mufti’s log one more time?”

  “Sure.” Cat turned her attention to the computer screen. “His on board employee charge account balance is huge and thirty days overdue.” Cat shifted to the side. “Here’s his information.”

  Millie slipped her reading glasses on, leaned forward and ran her finger along the screen. “This does make it easy to see when employees leave and return.”

  “Aha! There it is. The proverbial needle in the haystack,” Millie said triumphantly. “Patterson told me it’s not uncommon for crewmembers to up and quit without giving notice. He also said there were two employees who left the ship when we docked in Miami the other day and they never returned.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Cat, can you tell who those two employees are?”

  “Yeah. This program is powerful. I’m sure the two that never returned have been fired.”

  She squinted her eyes. “Ramos Cruz and Francisco Garcia.”

  Millie’s pulse began to race. “Can you tell me what departments they work in?”

  “Ramos worked in housekeeping and Francisco…” Cat’s voice trailed off. “Francisco Garcia worked in maintenance.”

  “I think I’m onto something.” Millie lifted her radio. “Danielle, do you copy?”

  “Go ahead Millie.”

  “Can you meet me in Ocean Treasures as soon as possible?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Millie began to pace as she put the pieces in place.

  When Danielle arrived, Millie hurried to the door and motioned her inside. “I think I’m onto something. I need you to look at an employee profile and tell me if you’ve ever seen this man before.”

  Millie led Danielle to the computer. “Cat, can you pull up the picture of Francisco Garcia, the man who worked in maintenance?”

  “Sure.” Cat typed in the computer. “Here’s his profile.” She stepped to the side and Millie waved Danielle forward. “Do you recognize this man?”

  Danielle studied Francisco’s image. “Yeah. I haven’t seen him in a while but he likes to play poker with some of the other guys down in the lounge.”

  “With Isaac Risang and Hugh Mufti?”

  Danielle’s eyes widened. “Yes. There were a few others but those two were regulars.” She pointed at the image on the screen. “He was, too. They played with poker chips but I’m pretty sure money exchanged hands, too.”

  “What if Hugh owed Francisco money? Hugh decided to kill him and dump his body overboard right before we docked. Brody, who was patrolling the corridor, heard the muffled thumps of Francisco’s attack.”

  She continued. “Hugh heard Brody coming so he hid nearby. Brody found Francisco lying on the floor and when he leaned over to check on him, Hugh attacked Brody from behind.”

  Annette picked up. “After knocking Brody out, Hugh dumped Francisco’s body over the side of the ship before we reached port.”

  “But before he threw him over, Hugh took Francisco’s keycard. When the ship docked, he dinged Francisco’s keycard to make it look like he left the ship and never returned.”

  “The security guards who man the exits don’t check identification going off the ship, only coming back on,” Annette said.

  “Later that day, Hugh used his own identification to come back on board.” Millie tapped her finger on the screen. “Right there. It shows Hugh Mufti returning to the ship but if you look back at his log, you can see that he never left the ship.”

  “Which means he got off using someone else’s keycard,” Millie said. “There’s one other person who might be able to offer a clue.”

  “Who?” Cat asked.

  “Sharky.” Millie turned to Annette. “I need something to bribe him.”

  “I might have just the ticket. Amit is in the kitchen, working on a deep dish lasagna for dinner.”

  “That’ll work.” Millie nodded.

  Chapter 21

  “You’re back again?” Sharky dropped the clipboard on his desk and eyed the dish in Millie’s hand. “You must’ve read my mind. I was just getting ready to run out and grab some grub.”

  “I need a little favor,” Millie said as she lifted the cover on the dish. “I brought a fresh-from-the-oven dish of lasagna and some garlic bread.”

  Sharky smacked his lips as he eyed the food. “I love lasagna.”

  “Great. It’s all yours just as soon as you answer my question,” Millie said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ll ask it as soon as Dave Patterson arrives.”

  “Why-” A knock on the door interrupted Sharky’s question.

  “I’m sure that’s him.” Millie walked to the door and pulled it open. “Thanks for coming down here.” She stepped to the side and Patterson made his way into the office.

  “This better be good.”

  “It will be, at least I hope it will be.” Millie pointed at Sharky’s cabinet and the bent drawer. “You mentioned earlier that you keep the ‘good stuff’ inside the filing cabinet and I’m sure that includes employee files and disciplinary reports.”

  “Yep.” Sharky nodded.

  “Have you or the night shift supervisor, Reef Savage, ever written up Francisco Garcia and Hugh Mufti?”

  Sharky’s jaw dropped. He glanced at Patterson, who gave a slight nod. “A couple weeks ago, Reef caught the two of ‘em playing cards in here when they shoulda been working. He wrote them up. I guess Francisco got ticked because he walked off the job when we docked in Miami the other day.”

  “Or maybe he didn’t walk off,” Millie murmured. She slid the dish of food across the desk. “Thanks Sharky. You’ve been most helpful.”

  Patterson and Millie exited Sharky’s office. “What was that all about?”

  Two maintenance crewmembers passed them in the hall.

  “I’ll tell you in a minute, but first I’d like to go back to the scene of the crime, I mean one of the crime scenes,” Millie said. “Can you show me where Brody was found unconscious the other night?”

  “Sure.” Patterson led the way and Millie followed him through a maze of corridors and finally into a narrow side corridor. “This is the spot.”

  Millie studied the floor and then the doors that lined the corridor. “Hugh Mufti, Isaac Risang and Francisco Garcia played poker quite often in the employee lounge. Word has it that money changed hands. I also know Hugh racked up a substantial balance on his employee on board account.”

  “So?” Patterson prompted.

  “I think Hugh owed both Isaac and Francisco money from the poker games. Hugh and Francisco got into it the other night. One thing led to another and Hugh killed Francisco. Brody happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and interrupted Hugh during the crime.”

  She went on to explain her theory that when
Brody arrived to investigate some odd noises, he found Francisco lying on the corridor floor. Brody leaned over to check on Francisco and Hugh, who was hiding in one of the storage closets, hit Brody on the back of the head, knocking him out. While Brody was out, Hugh disposed of Francisco’s body off the side of the ship but not before taking his employee keycard.

  “You told me yourself that two employees left the ship. Francisco Garcia was one of them.”

  The expression on Patterson’s face told her she was on the right track. “If you check the employee log, you’ll see that Hugh Mufti returned to the ship the day we docked in Miami but there’s no record of him leaving.”

  Patterson rocked back on his heels. “Because he used another employee’s keycard to get off.”

  “Bingo.” Millie nodded. “Francisco Garcia’s card.”

  “You seem to know a great deal about the employee tracking log,” Patterson said. “How does Isaac Risang’s death tie into all this?”

  “Security was called down to the employee lounge the other night because Isaac Risang and a couple others, including Hugh Mufti, were getting rowdy. Brody was the one who showed up and he told them to settle down. After Brody left, I think Hugh egged Isaac into confronting Brody out near the guard gate. What if Hugh heard rumors of Brody’s claim he saw someone lying in the corridor, right before he was attacked? Maybe he was worried Brody might remember something and he was desperate to get rid of him. Again, my theory is Hugh owed Isaac money and saw an opportunity to get rid of Isaac and pin it on Brody.”

  Patterson nodded. “I’ll bring Hugh in for questioning, after I view the employee logs myself and question some of the bartenders about the regulars who play poker. If you’re right and Mufti clocked back in but never clocked out, we may have something.” He paused. “Francisco Garcia left all of his belongings behind when he exited the ship and never returned.”

  Millie and Patterson headed up the stairs and stopped on the employee crew deck. “Promise me you’ll let me know what happens.”

  “I will, Millie,” Patterson said. “I’d still like to know how you accessed the crewmembers’ logs.”

  “I refuse to answer on the grounds I would likely incriminate myself.” Millie thanked Patterson for taking her theories seriously before continuing up the stairs.

  She was wound tighter than a top and needed something to take her mind off Brody, Isaac and possibly a third victim, Francisco, and she knew exactly how to do that.

  Captain Armati and his men were standing outside on the viewing deck. Millie waited until they turned around and she caught the captain’s eye.

  He said something to Staff Captain Vitale and then made his way inside. “You must have read my mind. I was going to radio you.”

  Millie’s heart skipped a beat. Nic was a sight for sore eyes. It had been a long couple of days, and seemed like an eternity since he’d made her dinner the other night. “It appears you’re no worse for the wear since pulling an all-nighter down in maintenance.”

  The tips of Millie’s ears burned. “You heard?”

  “Did I ever.” The captain rocked back on his heels. “A very angry Sherman, aka Sharky Kiveski, was on my doorstep early this morning, spouting something about a staff member named Missy and another woman from the ship’s galley who ransacked his office and bribed him and his night supervisor to let them borrow work uniforms.”

  “And I was the first person who came to mind?” Millie asked innocently.

  “Without a doubt,” Nic said. “Andy plans to have a nice long chat with you as soon as he finds you.”

  “Great.” Millie slumped against the wall. “I was off duty.”

  “But posing as a crewmember.”

  “Did I break a rule?” Millie asked.

  Nic grinned, a twinkle in his eye. “Not that I’m aware of. I can’t recall ever having a staff member pose as a night maintenance crewmember. I should take you back to my apartment and punish you severely.”

  “Promise?” she teased. “If that’s the case, I’ll be looking for trouble around every corner.”

  Captain Vitale stepped back into the bridge and Millie glanced around the side of Nic. “Hello Captain Vitale.”

  “Millie.” He gave a small wave. “We heard that you’re tearing the ship apart.”

  Millie groaned and rolled her eyes. “Does everyone know?”

  “Not everyone. Mr. Kiveski was in here earlier, ranting and raving like a madman,” Vitale said. “You must’ve done a real number on his office.”

  “I did not touch his office,” Millie insisted. “Other than to clean it up so he wouldn’t report me, which he did anyways. Snake.”

  She changed the subject. “I can’t find Andy to get today’s schedule, but now that I know I’m in for a lecture I’m not sure I want to find him. Perhaps Scout would like to get some fresh air.”

  “I’m sure he would love it.” The captain led Millie to his apartment and held the door while she stepped inside.

  When they were alone, he cornered her in the small hall and pulled Millie into his arms. “Now for your punishment,” Nic said as he lowered his head and gently kissed her lips.

  Finally, he lifted his head and Millie ran her hand down the side of his face. “I deserved every bit of that.”

  “And more.” He managed to kiss her once more before Scout barreled down the hall and pounced on Millie’s shoe.

  “There you are.” She scooped him up and held him close. “Are you ready to fly the coop?”

  Nic pulled Scout’s carrier from the hall closet and carried it out of the apartment and to the bridge door. When they reached the exit, Millie hooked his leash to his collar.

  “Be sure to keep her out of trouble,” Nic told his pooch before shifting his gaze.

  “Try to stay out of trouble today, eh?” He didn’t wait for a reply as he winked at Millie and slowly closed the bridge door.

  Chapter 22

  Millie and Scout walked the ship from top to bottom and stem to stern before wandering out onto the dock.

  A large crane was in the process of lifting one of the new hot tubs toward the top of the ship.

  Millie stood back and watched for several moments. She was awestruck by the size of the tub and offered a simple prayer for the crew’s safety.

  They wandered to the front of the ship and slowly made their way back. Near the guard gate, Millie spied a strip of green grass, a bench and a shade tree on the other side.

  “Shall we?” She placed Scout in his carrier before they slipped out of the gate.

  They cleared the dock area and Millie noticed a larger grassy area farther down, so they made their way to the green oasis and she set Scout on a patch of grass.

  Scout darted back and forth, as he sniffed the tree, the grass and a small bush. After taking care of business, he trotted over to Millie and settled at her feet. “I’m sorry it’s such a small area,” she said as she patted his head and gently tugged on the tuft of fur between his ears.

  Millie set him on the bench beside her and they watched as the stevedores unloaded the back of a semi-truck. The week had flown by and soon it would be time for Andy to leave the ship.

  A bolt of fear inched up her back. What if it wasn’t smooth sailing while Andy was on leave? What if she failed miserably and everyone realized she wasn’t capable of filling in for her boss and they decided to fire her?

  She pushed the thought aside and closed her eyes as a warm breeze tossed her hair. Scout let out a low whine and Millie glanced down. “I bet you’re thirsty. Shame on me for not bringing water with us.”

  Millie tucked Scout inside his carrier, shut the door and they began the short walk back to the ship.

  Yellow police tape surrounded the storage area and rock-climbing wall. Millie offered up a small prayer for Isaac and his loved ones.

  After stopping by the upper deck to hunt down a small snack and water, they headed to the Sky Chapel on deck fourteen.

  The Sky Chapel was one of Milli
e’s favorite spots on board the ship. It was a peaceful oasis in a crazy world, especially when the ship was packed with passengers.

  The chapel was cool and quiet and Millie made her way to a bench near the front.

  She let Scout out of his carrier to explore the chapel while her mind wandered. Millie gazed at the cross and thought of her upcoming wedding…if there would even be one.

  What would Nic and she do if the cruise line told them they could not remain on the same ship if they married? She made a mental note to do a little on line research to see if anyone else had run into the same thing. Surely, they had.

  “I thought I heard someone inside the chapel.” Pastor Pete Evans wandered to the pew and eased in next to Millie.

  Scout trotted over to greet him and the pastor bent down to pat his head. “Hello Sir Scout.” The pooch nudged the pastor’s hand in greeting and then scampered off. “So what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

  “Everything. The usual,” Millie said.

  “Would one of those be the young crewmember whose body was found near the gate?”

  “Yeah. I’m also worried about Brody Rourke. I hope he’s not going down for Isaac’s death. I’m convinced he’s innocent.”

  Pastor Evans nodded. “I’ve spoken with Brody at length. He visited me this morning after finishing his night shift. Brody is a loyal friend, perhaps too loyal.”

  “I agree.” Millie sighed heavily. “I’m also worried that Nic, I mean Captain Armati and I won’t be able to wed.” She glanced at her sparkling diamond engagement ring.

  “What if the cruise line refuses to let us marry?” Millie asked in a small voice.

  “We pray,” the pastor said. “Hard.”

  “I have been.”

  “What if we pray together?” Pastor Evans quoted Matthew 18:19. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Let’s pray.”

  Millie bowed her head and closed her eyes.