Quinn wasn’t sure he did either. “There’s a dead woman on the deck. She was just discovered by the overnight crew. I need to get up there.”
“But ... how could someone die?” Rowan was thrown for a loop. “I didn’t see an omen in anybody’s photograph. I swear it. I looked close.”
“Maybe our dead woman didn’t get her photograph taken,” Quinn noted. “Twenty-five percent of the guests opt to avoid the initial photograph. She could’ve been the type who didn’t want a cheesy photo in front of a cardboard backdrop.”
Rowan narrowed her eyes to dangerous slits. “I never take cheesy photographs.”
He couldn’t stop himself from snorting at her adamant expression. “Of course not. Every photo you take is an artistic dream.” He shifted his legs to climb out of bed. “We’ll have to talk about this later. For now, I have to get up there. I need to shower fast so I’ll be doing it alone. You can follow when you’re ready.”
Rowan nodded absently. “I wonder what happened.”
That’s the direction Quinn’s mind was floating, too. “I don’t know. This is the last thing we need given everything that’s going on, though.”
Rowan didn’t say it out loud, but she was thinking the exact same thing.
QUINN HAD BEEN HARD AT WORK for forty-five minutes by the time Rowan joined him on the deck. No matter how she tried to hurry, there were certain tasks that simply took a long time ... like blow drying her hair.
Quinn was surrounded by his security personnel when she joined the group amassing on the front deck. The guests were clearly interested in what was happening before the barrier Quinn’s men had set up to keep them from trampling over a potential crime scene. She made a coughing noise to get his attention. When he didn’t look in her direction, she called out his name.
Quinn shifted in her direction and motioned for her to cross the line. The gathered guests whispered amongst themselves as she closed the distance and she could hear a few of the excited exhalations. People were buzzing about a body being found. There would be no keeping this discovery secret.
“I need you to take photos of her before I can haul her to the medical wing,” Quinn explained. “We need to record the scene and then get her out of here before more guests start showing up.”
Rowan quickly grabbed her camera and started shooting without further prompting. Before becoming a cruise ship photographer, she worked for a local newspaper in Michigan. She’d covered her fair share of crime stories and had long since gotten over being squeamish when it came to photographing bodies.
“Do we know who she is?” Rowan asked as she circled to a different angle so she could catch the woman’s face. She was face down, her eyes open and sightless as they looked to the east. Two fingernails looked to be missing, probably broken off in a fight, and her auburn hair was a mass of tangles. “Oh, so weird,” she muttered, making a tsking sound with her tongue.
“What’s weird?” Quinn queried absently. His mind was going a mile a minute as he organized his thoughts and to-do list.
“From behind, her hair looks like mine.”
He stilled, something occurring to him. “Oh, geez.” He moved to stand next to Rowan, his eyes going wide when he realized she was right. “I talked to this woman last night. She thought I was hitting on her.”
Rowan made a face as she lowered the camera and slid her gaze to him. “When did you have time to hit on someone?”
Quinn scowled. “I didn’t hit on anyone,” he promised. “I was in the tiki bar getting beers. When I turned, I saw her from behind. I thought she was you. I didn’t pay any attention to the outfit she was wearing. I asked what you were doing because I said I would be right back and when she turned, it was obvious she wasn’t you. Then she tried to flirt with me.”
Rowan screwed her face up in a look of annoyance. “What is it with you and women? They just fall to their feet whenever they see you.”
“I don’t know. Why did you fall to your feet when you saw me?”
“Hey. I waited like two days before falling at your feet. I was strong.”
Her reaction made his lips curve. Then he remembered himself ... and the fact that they were standing over a dead body. “I didn’t talk to her for more than a few minutes,” he supplied. “I thought she was you. When I realized she wasn’t, I said my goodbyes and returned to you on the deck. She invited me to stay, but I’m nothing if not faithful.”
Rowan rolled her eyes. She recognized he was trying to lighten the mood but now wasn’t the time. “How did she die?”
Quinn sobered. “I’m pretty sure she was strangled.” He hunkered down and pointed so she would know where he wanted photographs taken. “Make sure you get every angle of her neck. Do you see the bruising pattern there? It’s clear someone wrapped a set of hands around her neck and squeezed.”
Rowan made a face at the imagery but dutifully snapped away. “When do you think it happened?”
“We’re going to need the medical examiner to decide that. It had to be after dinner.” He turned to Lance Buttons, the security guard who had found her as he was finishing up his shift. “When was the last time you guys crossed through this section before discovering her?”
Lance pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked. “It looks like we were here around one in the morning, a little before. After that we walked every corridor and then swung back around to the deck. Everything was quiet last night so we weren’t too worried.”
“So she definitely wasn’t here before one,” Quinn mused, pity washing over him as he studied the woman. Up close, she didn’t resemble Rowan at all. He remembered thinking the hair belonged to her the previous night, though, and a nasty suspicion took hold in his gut. “We need to get her downstairs. Ro, have you finished your photos?”
“Just a few more.” Rowan stood and quickly started snapping again. She worked tirelessly for five minutes and then indicated the security guards could pack up the body and take it below deck. She moved closer to Quinn when she finished and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. “Do you think she was killed because she looks like me?”
Quinn almost fell over. “No. Why would you say that?” His response was shriller than he intended.
“Because her hair was similar enough that you mistook her for me from behind,” Rowan replied calmly. She refused to engage in another fight. One a morning was her limit. “If you were fooled, think how easy it would’ve been for a member of the Phoenix Society to be confused.”
Quinn didn’t like where her head was. “I don’t want you blaming yourself. You didn’t do this. You’re not responsible.”
Rowan was unnaturally calm as she fixed him with a pointed look. “If she was killed because she looked like me, who else should I blame?”
“Now, you listen here—”
She fervently shook her head to cut him off. “You can’t wiggle your fingers and make this one go away,” she pointed out. “If she was killed because someone mistook her for me, then it’s my fault.”
“No. It’s not.” Quinn was adamant. “You didn’t cause this. You’re not to blame.”
“Then who is to blame?”
“Whoever did this.” Quinn gestured toward the body as it was lifted on a gurney and immediately covered to keep the guests from snapping photographs. “You need motive for blame. You didn’t have motive, so you’re not to blame.”
“I don’t think that will hold up in a court of law.”
“I don’t really care.” Stubborn until the end, Quinn folded his arms over his chest. “If you keep blaming yourself for this, we’re going to have issues.”
Oddly enough, his cranky response made Rowan feel better. “I won’t blame myself if you don’t do the same. I know you’re going to wonder if there’s something you could’ve done to save her. Just for the record, I already know there wasn’t. It is what it is.”
“Yeah.” Quinn forced a smile. “I need to start digging on this. We don’t even know what went down. We
could be jumping to conclusions.”
“We could,” Rowan agreed. She was doubtful that was the case, but she kept her opinion to herself. Why add to an already tense morning?
Quinn was secretly happy when she didn’t expand on the statement. He was already thinking the same thing. Nothing would convince him the woman didn’t die because she looked like Rowan. It was way too much of a coincidence considering what was going on.
That meant Rowan was a potential victim moving forward, and he would fight to the death to make sure nobody got close enough to end her like someone had this poor woman. He would protect her with his last breath ... and then love her for the eternity beyond.
6
Six
Her name was Deborah Little. She was on the cruise with a group of friends following a divorce. It was a supposed to be a “sisters before misters” outing. That’s what the friends told Quinn anyway.
All of them were devastated.
“I don’t understand how this happened,” Abby Cross said, swiping at a tear on her cheek. “I just ... don’t understand.”
Unfortunately for her, Quinn didn’t have acceptable answers. “We’re not sure yet. We’re obviously looking into it.”
“Will you turn around now? Are we heading back to port?”
It was a reasonable question. Of course, Quinn didn’t have a satisfactory answer. “No. We have to stick to our schedule. Arrangements will be made for you and the others at our first port. The body has to stay on the ship until we can transport it back to Florida.”
Abby’s shocked expression reflected abject horror. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’re going to make us go on vacation?”
“There is protocol in these situations.”
“You have protocol for dead bodies found on your ships? I wish I would’ve known that before I booked.”
Quinn didn’t take the outrage personally. In fact, he couldn’t blame her for being upset. If he were in her shoes, he would be causing a scene. “I’m sorry.” It was a lame response, but it was all he had. “I know this isn’t ideal. The cruise line will pay for you and your friends to fly back to the states. Once we return to port, we need to transport the body to the proper authorities. It can’t leave our care in case they need to conduct their own investigation. There are chain of custody issues at play.”
“Because she was murdered?”
“Because her death is suspicious.”
“But she was murdered, right?”
“Yes.” Quinn had no intention of lying, or fudging the facts. That’s simply not the way he operated. “She was strangled, although I’m still waiting for the specifics and the time of death. I need you to walk through your evening with me. I need all of that on the record.”
Abby was clearly frustrated as she clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “I don’t know what to tell you. We were all hanging out at that tiki bar for a long time, having drinks and kind of being rowdy. It’s the first vacation a lot of us have had away from the kids and husbands for a long time.”
“My understanding is that Deborah was recently divorced. What can you tell me about her husband?”
“Ken?” Abby was incredulous. “There’s not much to tell. He was a jerk. He cheated on her with everything in a skirt. He’s a lawyer in Georgia. He let his clients pay in sexual favors sometimes. He actually told Abby when she confronted him with evidence that he didn’t see why she was so upset because he was actually doing her a favor since she wasn’t keen on doing her wifely duties.”
Quinn made a face. “Her wifely duties?”
“Yeah. Blowjobs. He said he needed a blowjob every day or he wouldn’t be able to do his job. He was a disgusting piece of filth.”
Quinn had little doubt about that. “Did they have children?”
“Thankfully, no. They tried for a few years but it never happened. Then, when Deb started getting suspicious, she went back on the pill because she didn’t trust him enough to have kids with him.”
That was probably for the best, Quinn internally mused. He hated to think of any children left behind with Ken, the wonder husband. Still, it felt grossly unfair that this woman had lost her life when she was so close to forging a new one. He thought about the way her eyes lit with interest when he called out to her. She’d looked excited, as if she couldn’t believe someone would actually pick her up. He regretted the interaction now. He’d brushed her off with nothing more than indifference when he realized she wasn’t Rowan. Still, he was bothered by the woman’s resemblance to his girlfriend. It made him distinctly uncomfortable.
“Tell me about the divorce,” he prodded after a beat. “Was it ugly?”
“It wasn’t pretty. Deb got half of everything. He fought that hard because he brought the bulk of the money into the marriage. They were married for ten years, though. They got married straight out of college. The judge didn’t listen to any of the crap Ken said and basically told him to suck it up and be a man. Deb had proof of infidelity and it was all trotted out in court.”
“That could be motive for murder,” Quinn noted. “Did he know she was going on a cruise?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Abby tapped her chin as she considered the question. “I don’t think so. I mean ... I guess he could’ve heard through the grapevine. They’ve had minimal contact since separating, though. Ken doesn’t want anything to do with her and Deb was just ... done.”
“Still, he could’ve found out. Do you think he’s capable of killing?”
“I would be lying if I said no. He’s got a temper. The thing is, he’s too controlled. I can’t see him risking what he has left. He’s a pretty boy. He wouldn’t do well in prison. Besides, I think we would’ve noticed if he was on the ship.”
“I’m not suggesting he’s on the ship. I’ve already checked the manifest. You have to show identification to check in. He’s not here. He could’ve hired someone, though.” Even as he said the words, he didn’t believe them. Strangulation was an intimate death. You had to get up close and personal with someone. A hitman would’ve been far more likely to snap Deborah’s neck or simply dump her over the side of the ship. He didn’t know a lot of for-hire professionals who carried out murder by strangulation.
“I can see him maybe hiring someone, but he would absolutely have to believe he could get away with it. He would have to trust the person he hired implicitly.”
“Still, it’s an angle. I’m going to do some digging. I’m sorry we can’t take you straight back to port. I’ll have a bereavement counselor contact you and facilitate whatever it is you want to do, though.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m very sorry for your loss.”
Tears filled Abby’s green eyes. “Thanks for that. I’m really sorry for my loss, too.”
ROWAN WORKED BECAUSE IT WAS all she could think to do. She took up residence on the deck, making sure she was in clear view of the tiki bar — something Quinn texted and insisted on because that’s where Nick, Paul, and the others were setting up residence for the afternoon — and started snapping away.
She’d gone through her photos from the previous day ten times. The dead woman wasn’t in them. That meant she bypassed the initial photo. Rowan didn’t really blame her — she wasn’t a fan of staged photos either — but she was bitterly disappointed. If the woman had taken the time to pose for a photo, Rowan might have been able to save her.
Even as the thought threatened to take over, she pushed it out of her mind. She’d learned a long time ago that dwelling on things like that wouldn’t benefit her in the least. If she took on too much guilt it would bury her and she wouldn’t be able to function. That would help no one.
Rowan was supposed to be playing it cool, lackadaisically moving throughout the day as if she didn’t have a care in the world other than performing her job tasks to the best of her ability. Since her father and Nick were watching from the tiki bar, she constantly found herself looking in that direction. They were a distraction of sorts, althoug
h she was thankful they were close so she didn’t have to constantly look over her shoulder.
“Oomph,” Rowan growled as she accidentally slammed into one of the guests. She’d been trying to avoid him, saw him coming out of the corner of her eye, but she hadn’t been quick enough.
“I’m so sorry.” The man’s hands shot out and he grabbed her before she could tumble onto one of the loungers littering the deck. “I didn’t see you there.”
Rowan smiled as she righted herself. “It’s okay. There’s a lot of visual stimulation on this ship. It’s easy to get distracted.”
The man ran his hand through his dark hair. It was shaved on the sides and floppy on top. He had deep brown eyes and a charming smile, which was partially obscured by a thick beard. He wore plaid shorts and a striped shirt, which made for a loud ensemble that Rowan wanted to laugh at. She knew better than poking fun at the guests.
“I’m still sorry,” the man offered, his expression reflecting legitimate worry. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“I’m absolutely fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” Rowan was growing more amused by the second. The man had wandering eyes, and right now they were taking a trip over her legs and chest. He wasn’t subtle in the least. “Thank you for making sure I’m okay, though. I appreciate it.”
“Well, it was the gentlemanly thing to do.” He grinned and she saw he had a dimple beneath the beard. His nose was long and hooked, the only drawback to a pleasing face. She was sure she’d never met him before, and yet there was something familiar about that smile. She couldn’t put her finger on it. “I like to think of myself as a gentleman.”
“It’s a good thing to be.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t make a move to leave her. “So ... you work on the ship?”
“I’m the ship photographer. I basically take photos all day and load them up to the online portal so people can purchase them if they’re interested.”
Farewell Seas Page 44