This time Leslie couldn’t hold back her laugh when Marion scowled at him. “Not quite,” she said, wiping the corners of her eyes as she fought to control her laughter. “Her books were a big fad about three years ago. She’s still riding the wave of it.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Um ... .” Leslie shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable.
“Just tell me,” Quinn prodded. “It could be important.”
“It was bondage stuff,” Leslie replied finally, averting her gaze. “You know ... he was a rich guy who tied her up and did things to her.”
“Oh.” Now Quinn was the one uncomfortable. “So ... like BDSM.”
Leslie bobbed her head. “Exactly. It was huge with female readers, which didn’t go over well with the prudes who thought it was perverted crap. There were a bunch of other people — you know, those family values people who like to complain about stuff, like the group visiting the ship in a few weeks — who didn’t like the message the books sent.”
Quinn hated having to ask the question, but he didn’t know when he would have a better opportunity. “What kind of stuff happens in her books?”
“You mean ... are people strangled?” Leslie understood exactly what he was digging for and was keen to keep the conversation from continuing overly long. “Yeah. Breath play was a thing. Do you think that’s what happened here? Breath play gone wonky.”
Quinn had his doubts, but it was always a possibility. “I’m not sure. It’s something we’ll definitely be looking into.” He focused on the dead woman. “Someone has to be missing her. We need to find out which publishing group she’s with and look at her intake papers. She might’ve brought a husband or something.”
“That’s a plan.” Michael forced a tight-lipped smile. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Just for the record, I’m going to say that we should return to port,” Quinn called out. “I know you don’t agree with me, but I think it’s a mistake to keep going.”
“That’s not your decision.”
“I know.”
“We have to keep going.” Michael refused to back down. “No one wants to deal with the bad press we would get for turning around.”
“More bad press than having a dead body?”
“Actually, yes.”
“That’s a little sad.”
“It’s a lot sad. It is what it is, though. Let me know what you find out. I want to be kept updated on the situation.”
“Yes, sir.”
4
Four
Quinn’s first stop was the front desk, his eyes automatically drifting to the spot where Rowan was taking her photos earlier in the day. It was empty.
“Hey, Kelly.” He greeted the woman who appeared when he rang the bell with a friendly smile. “I need some information on Julia West.”
“The author?” Her eyes went wide. “I read her series and it totally changed my life. Is she here?” She looked excited at the prospect.
Quinn regarded her for a moment, internally debating how he wanted to respond. The last thing he needed was for news to break that Julia was dead before he informed her next of kin. “I believe she checked in. I need to confirm that.”
“Under her own name?”
Quinn was confused. “Why wouldn’t she be under her own name?”
“Because a lot of people write under pen names.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t even considered that. “It should be under Julia West, I believe.” Her identification was under that name, so he had to think her reservation was as well.
“Yes, here she is.” Kelly’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I can’t believe she’s here. I want to talk to her about how she changed my life. I mean ... she’s amazing.”
Quinn pressed the tip of his tongue to the back of his teeth. He knew very little about the woman — other than she apparently wrote bondage romance — and he didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “I’m sure anyone would be happy to hear they’ve changed a life.” He remained focused on Kelly, whose fingers were a blur as she worked the computer.
“She’s in room 715.”
“Okay. Did she check in alone?”
“Like ... does she have a husband?”
“Yeah.”
“I can look, but I already know the answer. She doesn’t have a husband. That was one of the reasons she was attacked after writing the books. People said she was tapping into abuse fantasy and if she was married she would understand that wasn’t a good thing.”
Quinn felt caught and he rolled his neck until it cracked. “You’ve read all the books, correct?”
“I have. They changed my life.”
He knew she didn’t mean to be irritating, but Quinn thought there was a legitimate chance he might scream if she didn’t stop repeating the statement. “That’s great. I’m mildly curious what the theme in the books is.”
Kelly’s face was blank as she blinked. “I don’t understand.”
He bit back a sigh. “The theme. I mean ... what’s the overall tone of the story?”
“Oh, right.” She smiled knowingly, clearly enjoying herself. “The book is about Tatiana. She’s an illegal immigrant who works as a maid and she goes to work in James Monroe’s house. He’s this rich business tycoon who wears five-thousand-dollar suits and became a titan of industry when he was only nineteen years old.”
Quinn wanted to point out how preposterous that was, but he managed to eat the words before they escaped. “That sounds ... fascinating.”
“It is.” Kelly warmed to her story. “James discovered Tatiana making his bed after one of his many sexual conquests and she’s got the blindfold he used in her hand. He sees her with it, becomes obsessed, and then they embark on a journey of sexual discovery until, eventually, he marries Tatiana and she becomes both legal and rich.”
Quinn was officially dumbfounded. “So, you’re basically saying it’s like a Cinderella fantasy with an illegal immigration twist.”
Rather than give him props for his mad book club skills, Kelly made a face. “No. She’s not Cinderella.”
“Right.” Quinn wasn’t in the mood to get in a fight. “She’s with a certain publishing arm, correct? Can you tell me the name?”
“Red Bedroom Bondage.”
“That’s the name of the publishing company?” Quinn had his doubts.
“She has her own imprint under Lazy Day Publishing. They’re the bigger company. They’re also the ones who did that big zombie book by Emma Packer that sat at the top of the charts for three months. That was okay but nowhere near as good as The Ties That Bind and Tied to Forever.”
“Well ... I’ll have to take your word for it.” He chose his words carefully. “Do you happen to know who is representing Lazy Day Publishing on this cruise?”
“Um ... .” Kelly typed again, furrowing her brow as she read the screen. “Amber Potter. She’s vice-president of the company. She’s right down the hall from Julia, in room 755.”
“Thank you so much for your time.” Quinn offered up a half wave. “I need to talk to Ms. Potter, so I’ll be heading in that direction if anyone is looking for me.” He stilled before moving past the backdrop. “Do you happen to know when Rowan left the lobby?”
“Rowan?” Kelly appeared confused until her gaze landed on the backdrop. “Oh, your girlfriend. You’re talking about the ship’s photographer, right?”
“I am.”
“I don’t know. I came on shift an hour ago and she wasn’t here then.”
That wasn’t what Quinn wanted to hear. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to see if she’d texted her whereabouts and he’d somehow missed it, but he hadn’t inadvertently missed a ding. “Well, thanks again for your time. I hope you have fun meeting the authors this week.”
“Oh, I will.”
“I have no doubt.”
ROWAN TOOK A BREAK from the baking sun and ordered an iced tea in the tiki bar. Demarcus was holding court behind the counter and
everyone appeared to love his attitude because the authors were grouped around and trying to ask him questions. Some claimed it was under the guise of doing research, but Rowan knew that Demarcus was popular because he had an infectious smile and was so easygoing it was impossible to dislike him.
Even though he was the center of attention, Demarcus broke off from the crowd long enough to bring her a refill, sitting in the open spot across from her and smiling as she wiped her brow.
“You look tired.”
To Rowan, that was a loaded statement. She was unbelievably tired. She couldn’t admit that to Demarcus, though, because he would ask too many questions. And, while he wasn’t as loose-lipped as Sally, that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of blabbing a secret.
“It’s just been a long day,” Rowan explained. “Did you hear about the maid freaking out because she said she saw a dead body?” She was looking for an excuse to explain away her behavior and latched onto the easiest one available. “We didn’t find a body but that was weird and took time out of my day.”
Demarcus shifted on his seat, making sure nobody was eavesdropping, and then lowered his voice as he leaned forward. “Obviously you haven’t heard the update. Quinn found the body in the basement.”
Rowan’s mouth inadvertently dropped open. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Yeah. He didn’t find it until after we set sail but ... it’s one of the authors.”
“Do you know which one?”
“Someone named Julia West.”
Rowan furrowed her brow. “She wrote those really sexy books about bondage that took everyone by storm a few years ago.”
“Really?” Demarcus perked up, seemingly intrigued. “Well, that’s interesting, isn’t it?”
Rowan had to bite back a smile she was so amused at his reaction. “I don’t know if I’d call it interesting.”
“Oh, but it is.” He was firm. “I’ve always wanted a woman who likes the idea of tying me down and rubbing an ice cube all over me.”
“That was an overshare,” she complained. “I didn’t need to hear that … and if you haven’t read them, how do you know about the ice cube?”
Demarcus avoided the question. “I didn’t even tell you the part of my fantasy involving the feathers.”
“And ... I’m done.” Rowan slowly stood and downed the rest of her iced tea. “I would appreciate it if you kept your fantasies to yourself. They’re going to make me see things I don’t want to see whenever I look at you.”
Demarcus was dismissive. “You’re such a prude. I’m telling you, I have a few suggestions if you and Quinn are feeling adventurous.”
“I’m definitely done.” She fished ice out of her otherwise empty glass and grinned. “I might be a prude, but you’re an oversharer. I would rather be a prude.”
“I’ll make sure I tell Quinn that.” He winked. “Speaking of Quinn, do you want me to find out where he is?”
Rowan tilted her head to the side, considering. “No. He’s doing his job. I should do mine. I’m sure he’ll update me later.”
“I’m sure he will, too.”
AMBER POTTER DIDN’T LOOK happy to have the chief of security at her door. Her general unhappiness only grew when Quinn told her exactly why he was there.
She held up her hand to silence him before he could get the entire story out. “Wait ... Julia is dead?”
Quinn nodded. “We found her in one of the laundry bins. Someone tried to cover her up with table linens, but it was only a matter of time before someone found her.” He shifted on the chair she asked him to sit in upon entry. It was small, wooden, and completely uncomfortable. “The medical staff is trying to narrow down the time of death, but basically they believe she died right around an hour after the ship was opened up to guests for check-in.”
“I see.” Amber stroked her jaw as she paced the small area in front of her bed. “This is ... unfortunate.”
Quinn believed that to be the understatement of the year but kept the opinion to himself.
“What do you need from me?” Amber asked finally, smoothing her blond hair as she sat on the end of the bed and regarded him. “I’m guessing you’re not here simply to inform me because I’m head of the publishing team in charge of her books.”
“No,” Quinn agreed. “First off, we need to make notification to her next of kin.”
“That would be a sister,” Amber mused. “She cut ties with her parents after she hit it big because they wanted money from her on a regular basis. She got tired of being an ATM and cut them off, so they started selling stories about her and her childhood – painted her as something of a loose deviant – to the tabloids. Julia got the last laugh because she’s a millionaire several times over and they’re out in the cold now that her story isn’t at the top of the news cycles.”
“I am going to need the sister’s contact information,” Quinn said. “What about children? Significant others?”
Amber scratched the side of her nose as she absorbed the question. “I don’t believe she has anyone regular in her life right now. She dated Toby Keane several years ago, but I’m pretty sure that ended ugly.”
Quinn shifted on the chair. “Toby Keane? He’s a horror writer, correct?”
“He’s one of the biggest writers in the world,” she clarified. “He wrote The Shimmering Axe as his first book almost twenty years ago, climbed the charts, and never looked back.”
“I’ve read that book.” In truth, Quinn was a heavy reader. He enjoyed murder mysteries, thrillers, and the occasional space opera. He recognized Keane’s name, although he had no idea he’d formerly been dating the queen of the bondage story. “Do you think things with Keane were ugly enough upon their separation for him to kill her?”
The question caught Amber off guard. “Of course not.”
Quinn was firm. “I need an honest answer. Someone on this ship killed her, and strangulation is an intimate murder choice. I’m guessing Julia knew her attacker. It wasn’t some random act.”
“And you’re assuming that, because Toby writes horror books, he’s some weirdo in real life who wants to hurt women and chop them up with chainsaws.”
“I’m fairly certain we don’t have chainsaws on the ship. Although, I guess it’s possible down in the storage compartments, there might be a need for them in an emergency. I haven’t really given it a lot of thought.”
“Oh, see, you’re funny.” Amber’s eyes widened to comical proportions. “Have you thought about writing satire books?”
“I believe you have to be talented to write,” Quinn countered. “I’m talented in the security field but that’s probably it.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.” She gave him an appraising look as she ran her eyes over his body. “Still, Toby is the nicest guy in the world. Yes, he writes some weird and subversive stuff, but he’s never been in trouble and everyone who has ever met him loves him.”
“I don’t think anyone can say that, but I’ll take your word for it for now. Was Julia close with anyone in particular in the writing world? Would she have been with someone earlier when she checked into her room?”
“Right. You need to figure out what happened to her.” Amber tapped her bottom lip. “The only person who comes to mind is her assistant. A lot of authors prefer to do things on their own. Julia was the exact opposite. She wanted her assistant to do everything for her.”
“And the assistant is on the ship?”
“Julia insisted she needed her.”
“Great. Point me in her direction.”
LILA VALENTINE WAS A YOUNG woman, barely twenty-one, and she looked as if she was going to fall over when Quinn informed her of Julia’s death.
“No, that’s not possible.” She fervently shook her head, dark hair flying in a million different directions as she tried to calm herself. “That’s simply not possible. I saw her a few hours ago. She said she was going to get a drink at the tiki bar. Have you tried looking for her there? She loves a good cocktail.”
>
Quinn’s tone was gentle as he carefully placed a hand on her shoulder to prod the young woman to sit in the chair closest to the table. Unlike Amber, who had a suite, Lila was cramped into one of the worst rooms available on the ship. There was barely any space, the bed took up seventy-five percent of it, and the only other furniture offerings were the tiny table and a dresser.
“She’s dead, Lila,” Quinn informed her, grave. “I’m sorry. I understand you were quite close with her. We found her in one of the laundry bins, though. We’re positive she’s dead.”
“It has to be a mistake.” Lila refused to believe the words coming out of his mouth. “It’s probably someone else. You’ve made a mistake. Check again.”
“We found a purse with the body. That confirmed the identification.”
“Maybe ... .” She broke off and licked her lips. “Maybe someone stole her purse and accidentally fell into one of the bins because she had a heart attack while running. That would explain all the evidence.”
Quinn felt sorry for the woman. She seemed lost, almost as if her mother had died rather than her boss. Still, he knew better than feeding a delusion. “No. It’s her. We checked the body against the identification picture. On top of that, two of the women in the laundry room were big fans of Ms. West and they verified that it was her. They recognized her from interviews.”
“Oh.” Lila grew more distressed. “I don’t understand how this happened. She said she was going to the tiki bar, that I should drop her things off at her room and unpack them. I did that. I followed her orders. I ... she can’t be dead.”
Tugging on his limited patience, Quinn held back a sigh ... although just barely. “Lila, I know this is a shock for you. I’m so sorry. I’m guessing you were a friend as well as an employee. We need some information, though. It’s important.”
“Of course.” Her eyes glassy, Lila sucked in a breath. “Of course you need answers. I owe Ms. West that. I ... she was such a good woman, a legend really. She changed so many lives.”
Quinn was desperate to figure out how Julia managed to change so many lives by writing a sexy book, but he figured now wasn’t the best time to ask. He had other things to focus on. “We’ll start with her enemies, Lila. Did she have any enemies?”
Farewell Seas Page 4