Murder on a Ghost Ship (High Seas Mystery Series Book 2)

by Diane Rapp

  Jason nodded. “The company’s in trouble now, ready to file bankruptcy.”

  “They had no idea how we really made so much money. My organization plans to buy them out for pennies on the dollar. Serves them right! They cut me out and now they’ll pay.”

  Jason laughed. “It’s your own fault, Swenson. You murdered the rightful owner of the company without making sure you were sole heir to her fortune.”

  Swenson’s lips tightened into a thin angry line. “How’d you…I see…you’re just guessing. Well, you’ll be a bad witness at the bottom of the sea!”

  “Is that what you planned for Emily?” Natalia asked. “Marriage and then murder?”

  “They’re stalling, captain. Let’s go.” Jefferson interrupted before Swenson could answer. “We need to get out before the ship blows.”

  “Right.” Swenson nodded. “Too bad your ghost took off. After seeing what she did to that lifeboat I got worried she might interfere. That ghost will help cover our tracks. Any survivors will tell stories about a vengeful ghost wrecking the ship, a convenient cover story.”

  Swenson sauntered to the table next to the door, retrieved Emily’s keys and left the room. They heard a loud click as the door locked. Jason rushed to the door, rattled the handle and said, “The dead bolt only opens with a key!”

  Emily slumped. “Swenson claimed he was worried about me, said I needed extra security.”

  “All rooms, they have emergency window exits,” Jean-Claude said, dashing to the window. “What’s this? The window, it is welded shut! We can’t get out!”

  “Impossible! We’ll break the glass!” Steven picked up a chair and slammed it into the window. The chair bounced back without causing any harm.

  Emily rubbed her forehead. “We installed special security glass in the suites, seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  Steven hammered the door until the chair broke apart. Wiping sweat from his brow, he said, “Don’t tell me. You installed security doors.”

  Emily nodded, her eyes brimming with tears.

  “What now?” Kayla asked.

  Jason rubbed his fingers over the dead bolt lock. “I wish I had my lock pick set! These locks are tough but I might open it with the proper equipment.”

  “Wait just a minute!” Natalia darted into her room and returned carrying a small black case. “I bought this set, when I thought about performing an underwater escape routine. I gave it up because I hated holding my breath.” She handed the case to Jason.

  He grinned. “You’re a girl after my own heart. This is a top notch kit.”

  “I only buy the best.”

  “Give me a few minutes to work my own magic,” Jason said, starting to work.

  “How can Swenson scuttle the ship?” Steven asked. “Any ideas?”

  Jean-Claude rubbed his chin. “The engine room is most vulnerable. This ship, she is old and runs on turbine steam engines.”

  Emily agreed. “I suppose Swenson could jam a pressure valve and force an explosion.”

  “She sees my point exactly.” Jean-Claude nodded. “These men, they could plant bombs, destroy controls, almost anything.”

  Kayla asked, “Wouldn’t someone on the bridge notice? They’ve got new monitoring equipment.”

  Steven frowned. “What if Swenson involved several officers in the scheme, they could rig the bridge controls. We don’t know what they sabotaged!”

  “Swenson spoke to two officers about his plan,” Emily said. “That’s why I got Jean-Claude to help me rescue Steven. Jean-Claude worked on the Sea Mist before Swenson came aboard. I didn’t trust any of the new men.”

  “Are there any other trouble spots?” Kayla asked.

  Jean-Claude said, “The bridge! If Swenson programmed the software to ignore safety alarms, we could be in real trouble.”

  “Done!” Jason shouted as the door swung open. “Where do we go? They’ve got a head start.”

  “We split up,” Steven said calmly. “Jean-Claude, it sounds like you know a bit about those engines. Come with me to the engine room.”

  “I’ll fetch my satellite cell phone,” Jason said. “We need to inform Interpol straight away, and then I’ll meet you in the engine room.”

  “We’ll go to the bridge and sound the alarm.” Kayla touched Steven’s arm. “Be careful. If they hear the alarm, it will tip them off.”

  Steven’s eyes sparkled. Kayla nearly groaned as she realized that Steven enjoyed this kind of adventure. He said, “When this is over, we’re planning a proper wedding.” His lips brushed her forehead and he darted out the door with Jean-Claude.

  Jason and Steven headed down different staircases, avoiding elevators, while the three women climbed upstairs to the bridge. Officers, dressed in immaculate white uniforms, manned electronic controls that looked more like science fiction than nautical equipment. When the officer in charge spotted Emily, he turned his station over to a subordinate.

  “Mrs. Schultz! I’m sorry but Captain Swenson’s not on the bridge,” he said with a slight German accent.

  Emily said, “We know, Heinrich. We must speak with you in private.” She gestured and he followed them to the outside deck. “I don’t wish to alarm you but the captain is a criminal. He plans to scuttle the ship to cover his crimes.”

  Heinrich’s eyes popped open and he stuttered, “Surely this is a joke you are making.”

  Emily shook her head. “It’s true. We’ve got two Interpol agents onboard investigating a smuggling ring. Swenson locked us in my suite and said he’s going to sink the ship to eliminate witnesses.”

  Heinrich frowned. “The captain acted strange. It’s not like a commanding officer to speak quietly with only a few of his officers—most unusual. But I can’t believe any captain would sink his own ship, it’s unthinkable.”

  Kayla thought, It takes years for a captain to achieve his own command, years of self-denial, and a stronger commitment to his ship than his family. It is not folklore that a captain is willing to go down with his ship. How can Swenson jeopardize his ship, his crew, and the passengers who depend on him?

  Emily said, “Think real fast, Heinrich, or Swenson’s likely to succeed. He told us the ship would blow. Can you figure out what could be wrong from the bridge controls?”

  Taking off his white cap, Heinrich scratched his thinning hair. “The Captain left with the communications officer and the first mate. They were the most knowledgeable about the new equipment.” He stared through the glass door to the bridge and pursed his lips. “Our best man is Rupert. He’s young, so he trained on the electronic equipment. I’ll have him run a diagnostic test. How long do we have?”

  Emily shrugged. “Swenson sounded anxious to get away. Things might happen real fast.”

  Heinrich’s jaw bulged. “Captain Swenson is a devil! I promise you, Mrs. Schultz, we will stop this devil!” He saluted, whirled on his toes, and marched onto the bridge.

  Kayla asked, “Where’s communications?”

  The three women entered a small room nearby and discovered everything disabled—wires cut, the computer smashed, and their walkie-talkies broken.

  “What can we do now?” Natalia asked.

  Kayla twisted a strand of hair and chewed her lower lip. “We must sound the evacuation alarm and get everyone to lifeboat stations. Natalia and I will round up crew.”

  “Won’t that give us away?”

  Kayla nodded. “If Swenson’s already off the boat, it won’t matter. If he’s still onboard, we might make it more difficult for him to escape.”

  Emily sighed. “Then let’s sound the alarm.”

  They marched back to the bridge and Emily explained the problem to Heinrich. He said, “The passengers must be protected. We officers have discussed the situation and agree to stay on the bridge until there is no hope left.”

  Emily planted a kiss on Heinrich’s cheek and he blushed. “Sound the alarm,” she ordered.

  Heinrich pushed the red alarm button.

  Silence.


  He cursed in German and tried to use the intercom system. Again, silence. He growled, “I will personally track that monster down and punish him for his crimes!”

  “We must survive first,” Emily said. “Let’s physically spread the alarm. Lord knows how much time is left. Alternate floors, knocking on doors until everyone’s out. Spread the word and then get to the lifeboats.”

  Swamped by the enormity of the task, the women ran downstairs, stopping to inform anyone they met. Knocking on cabin doors, they met resistance, disbelief, and outrage. Kayla dashed into the ward room and found a small group off off-duty crew playing cards and listening to music. When Kayla described the emergency, their faces turned red with anger. Soon the entire group scrambled to muster help. Stewards joined the task, scurrying to spread the word. Evidently white uniforms demanded prompt attention because no one spurned the warning delivered by crew members.

  Kayla’s head throbbed and her knuckles ached but soon the corridors swarmed with people, dressed in nightgowns and pajamas, trying to get into neon orange life vests. Kayla marveled at the variety of attire as frightened passengers swarmed to their muster stations. Angry murmurs rippled through the crowd but the crew worked to keep people calm.

  As Kayla reached Vincent Bollard’s suite, Angela Hearns greeted her knock. She was dressed in black slacks, yellow sweatshirt, and orange life vest. Bentley Jenson was sitting on the sofa, sharing a drink with Vincent.

  “You heard about the sabotage?” Kayla asked.

  Angela nodded. “We met Natalia on deck while we were taking a late evening stroll.” She fingered the tacky orange life vest. “I look like a fashion reject but I’m not a great swimmer.”

  “Is Vincent okay?”

  “Yes. He’s bruised but the doctor said he’ll be okay. Bentley and I came straight here to make sure he gets to the lifeboats.” She lowered her voice. “The doctor gave us a supply of heart pills and told us to keep him calm before he ran off to see another patient. I banished Buster from the cabin. He got all excited, says he wants to include this scene in his movie…you know…capitalize on Titanic fans. He ran to find his cameraman and film the real adventure.”

  “Please don’t say things like that!” Kayla groaned.

  “Don’t worry. A cameraman won’t jeopardize his own safety to catch a few exciting scenes. We’ll make Buster behave. We owe Vincent’s life to you, and if this movie gets off the ground your name will appear in the credits. Vincent can finally put Celeste’s death behind him and live his own life.” She smiled at Bentley as he raised a crystal glass in salute. “We understand about new beginnings.”

  Kayla stared at her feet. “Don’t give me too much credit. Celeste’s ghost pushed me to find her killer. Left on my own, I thought Vincent was guilty.”

  Angela laughed. “I warned you about Paula. She’s quite convincing when she puts her mind to it.”

  “Paula! Damn, I forgot about her. She’s locked in the infirmary!” Kayla rushed down the hall. The infirmary was located on the lowest deck, and Kayla felt like she was swimming upstream, trying to go downstairs while everyone else went up. She remembered the crew staircase.

  Heading down a side corridor, she darted into a door marked “crew only” and sprinted down a wide corridor filled with laundry carts and crates. She blessed Natalia for clearing out the crew quarters and ran down the crew staircase to the infirmary.

  Kayla stopped and listened to the silence. This was not good. She should hear the steady rumble of engines, the comforting background sounds of a living ship. Was the captain’s plan succeeding? She ached to wrap her arms around Steven but knew she must get Paula safely off the ship. Opening the door, Kayla found Paula lying on the bed asleep.

  She shook her. “Get up. We must get out before the ship blows apart.”

  “No!” Paula turned over and pulled up the blanket.

  Kayla whipped the blanket off and saw dark bruises down Paula’s arms and legs. “You deserve a trial.”

  “Like hell I do!” Paula scowled. “I’m nuts! The doctor said so when I told him about Celeste’s ghost attacking me. He said everything I did proves I’m insane. No jury will convict me of killing that bitch! I’ll stay here where I’ve got lots of nice medicine.” Her shrill voice roused the attendant, who stumbled out of a closed door.

  “What’s going on?” the nurse asked. “What’re you doing to my patient?”

  Kayla sighed. “The ship’s been sabotaged and may blow up any minute. We need to evacuate.”

  Wide-eyed, the nurse edged away from Kayla. “I didn’t hear an alarm.” She opened a drawer and fumbled with a syringe, obviously ready to medicate a new crazy woman.

  “Listen!” Kayla said, pointing to the floor. “The engines are stopped. You ever hear that in open seas? Doesn’t that prove something’s wrong?”

  “Well…I guess.”

  “If I’m right, you should be at your muster station wearing a life vest. You can return to bed if I’m wrong.”

  The nurse nodded. “I need help to get my patient upstairs.”

  “That’s why I’m here. Grab a wheelchair and I’ll get the vests.”

  “They’re under that bench.” The nurse shoved Paula’s arms into a robe and wrestled her into a wheelchair.

  “Tell her what the doctor said,” Paula mumbled. “Tell her I’m nuts.”

  “Yes, dear.” The nurse said. “The doctor and I both agree that you’ve had a mental breakdown. You’ve been under a great deal of stress.” Lifting the syringe, the nurse squirted liquid from its tip and smoothly inserted the needle into Paula’s arm.

  “What are you giving her?” Kayla asked.

  “Tranquilizer. I can’t subdue a maniac when the ship’s in trouble. She’s easier to control if she’s medicated.” The nurse strapped wheelchair restraints over Paula’s wrists and around her waist.

  “I see what you mean.” Kayla wheeled Paula out of the infirmary, while the nurse pressed the elevator button. “Are you crazy? We can’t use the elevator if the ship’s ready to blow. If we lose power we’re stuck.”

  The nurse bit her lip. “Damn! The ramp on this level’s under repair. We need to carry her up the stairs.”

  “What?” Kayla looked at Paula’s lolling head. Grinding her teeth she said, “That will take too long. There are zodiacs on this level. If we can get the hatch open, we can wheel her up to the boat and shove her inside.”

  The ship rocked violently, nearly knocking Kayla to her knees. Smoke poured through the corridor and the alarm bell jangled. The nurse blanched, turned on her heels, and ran up the stairs.

  Kayla shouted, “Stop! Don’t leave me alone with her!” She kicked the wheelchair and regretted the move as pain shot through her foot. “She’s your patient! I don’t even like her.”

  Paula giggled. “Crazy! Crazy! We’re all crazy. Where are the ghosts when you really need them?” Her words sounded like the sing song of a little girl.

  “Shut up or I’ll toss you overboard,” Kayla growled.

  In a sober sounding voice Paula said, “No. You won’t kill me. Celeste tried to throw me overboard but you stopped her.” Paula’s eyes rolled back and her head slumped against her chest.

  Was Paula faking, acting crazy to build a court case? “Paula. Wake up! If you can walk, please stop acting. We seriously need to get out of here!”

  There was no sign of consciousness.

  Cursing, Kayla pushed the wheelchair toward the rear of the ship, praying they had time. She reached the hatch but the door stood open and the zodiacs were gone. Waves splashed through the open grillwork of the empty space and smoke stung her eyes.

  Swiping her tears, Kayla wished she was with Steven and realized the engine room was just down the corridor. Glancing at Paula, she weighed her responsibility. If she took Paula they could both die in an explosion. If she left her here, unconscious and tied to a wheelchair, what were her chances of survival? Not good either way.

  “You’re coming with me
, crazy lady,” Kayla said. She unlocked the brake and pushed the wheelchair down the corridor.

  Reaching the open watertight door, she remembered her safety lessons. If the ship started sinking, the door would automatically close, trapping them all inside the engine room. Oh, well! She took a deep breath and maneuvered the chair over the grooves in the floor.

  They entered the engine room. “Steven!” Kayla shouted. “Where are you?”

  Smoke billowed from the far end of the cavernous chamber. A figure emerged from the haze and stared at her. Starting forward with an angry stride, Kayla knew it was Steven. He wore a gas mask but she recognized the way he held his shoulders when angry.

  “Steven!” Kayla parked the wheelchair and ran.

  Pulling off the gas mask, he said, “What are you doing down here? You should be in a lifeboat by now.”

  “I remembered Paula was locked in the infirmary. I couldn’t leave her there to die.”

  Steven’s anger evaporated. “I guess not.”

  Jean-Claude emerged from the smoke. “We fixed this one but I cannot know whether they rig other things to blow.” He nodded at Kayla, not surprised to find her there.

  “Where are the engineers who work down here?” Kayla asked.

  Jean-Claude shrugged. “The engine room, she was empty when we arrived. Perhaps the engineers, they worked for Captain Swenson and left the ship with him. All the things we know to do, they have been accomplished. It would be wise to leave soon.”

  “Good plan,” Steven said. “Let’s go.”

  They rushed from the engine room, Steven pushing Paula’s chair over the watertight door channel and down the corridor.

  “How can we get off the ship?” Kayla asked. “They launched the lifeboats as I came down and the zodiacs are all gone.”

  “There’s a boat waiting for us.” Jean-Claude pointed at a door marked storage, grabbed the ring dangling from his belt and searched for the correct key. “An emergency inflatable raft, she is kept in this room.” Opening the door, he cried, “Mon Dieu! The missing engineers, they are inside!”

  Three men dressed in greasy coveralls lay tied and gagged with duct tape. Their muffled cries sounded like the whimpers of puppies as they wiggled. Steven ripped the tape from the chief engineer’s mouth and opened his Swiss army knife to slice through the fetters.