by Cindy Sample
“I saw your cousin,” Mizuki said. “She came into Chopsticks looking for Sanjay. But I do not think she would kill him.”
“I don’t think she would either. That’s why I’m asking these questions.” We sat in silence while I contemplated what else I could ask her.
“Sanjay was very good to me at first,” she said quietly. “Very sweet. But then he started gambling at the casinos when the ship would dock.” Mizuki’s straight shiny black hair swung back and forth as she shook her head. “I think he owed bad people money. Maybe that is why he turned to blackmail.”
“Can you think of anyone else? Not just crew, but possibly passengers?”
“No. I am sorry. I was most upset from talking with Sanjay. I was not paying much attention that afternoon.”
“Of course. Nothing worse than getting…” I tried to think of a better word than dumped. “It must have been terrible for you.”
Her eyes glittered with tears. “I ran out of there. To the ladies room to cry.”
The poor dear. My heart went out to her. She’d gone through so much, and here I was dredging up that terrible day all over again.
“I’m so sorry to have bothered you. Thank you for speaking with me.” I reached into my tote and scribbled our room number on a coupon I’d stuffed in my bag. “Please call my room if you think of anything helpful.”
She stood, picked up the tray of dishes and went behind the serving bar. I drummed my fingers on the table while I tried to visualize that fateful moment. The killer must have met with Sanjay shortly after Mizuki ran out of the area, possibly while she was crying her eyes out inside the ladies room.
I glanced at my watch. Time to get ready for dinner. As I neared the exit doors, Mizuki placed a hand on my arm to stop me.
“I remembered something. When I was coming out of the ladies room, I bumped into someone.”
“A man or a woman?” I asked, suddenly excited. Maybe I’d have a lead after all.
“I’m not sure. The person wore one of those sweatshirts with the hood?” She looked at me for confirmation. “Like the Facebook man wears.”
“Right, a hoodie. They are very popular. What color was it?”
“It was gray. And the person wore sunglasses. I remember thinking how odd to wear sunglasses inside, but perhaps they were going to the sunbathing area.”
“Was this person short like me, or tall?” I lifted my hand a foot above my head for a reference.
She pursed her lips. “I think tall. Or maybe medium size. This is not so helpful, is it?”
Not so far. But maybe we could narrow it down to gender. “Did you see the restroom the person went into?”
She tapped her finger against her chin. “Yes, into the men’s room. Is this helpful?”
Yes. It certainly was.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
My knee hurt from my kayak expedition, so I decided to wait for the elevator. It gave me time to process the information Mizuki had shared. If the person in the gray hoodie was the killer, we now knew they were tall or medium, as she put it. That meant anywhere from five foot seven to six foot two.
My cousin was five foot nine. Although I couldn’t quite picture Sierra in that outfit, and I was certain my mother would agree.
The hoodie and sunglasses made for a gender neutral disguise. Whomever arranged to meet Sanjay had planned ahead. Was it a crime of passion or not?
The elevator pinged and I stepped inside and pressed the button for our floor. As I headed for our stateroom I kept hoping a burst of brilliance would erupt before I crossed the threshold.
When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Sierra and Tom with their heads together. They looked up when the door slammed shut.
“Did you learn anything from Mizuki?” Tom asked.
“Maybe,” I replied then turned to Sierra. “Do you own a gray hoodie?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Good grief, no. It would completely wash me out.”
“ I have one possible lead. But what are you two up to?”
“I needed Tom’s advice,” Sierra said. “We couldn’t find Nicole’s costume anywhere so I figured she’d left it in her room. The cabin attendant said he hadn’t been in the room since she put the DO NOT DISTURB sign out the first night. No one told him she’d left the cruise. When Zac saw her email, he assumed she’d flown home just like her message said. So nobody checked to see when she’d left the ship. And where we were docked at the time.”
“Sierra asked the attendant to let her in the room,” Tom explained. “She discovered Nicole’s clothing plus her makeup in the bathroom, and her suitcases stuffed under the bed.”
“So everything was still in her room?” I asked.
“Everything but Nicole,” Sierra replied.
“It seems odd she would leave that much stuff behind.”
“I couldn’t tell if any of her purses were missing,” Sierra said. “But there was no sign of a cell phone anywhere.”
“We’re waiting for someone in security to bring a passkey so we can open her safe and see if her wallet and passport are in there.”
I flopped down on the bed that our steward had made up for the evening. Marcel had already placed our nightly towel animal on the bedspread. I picked up the unrecognizable animal. Tyrannosaurus Rex?
“So if everything is still in the room except for Nicole then that means…” I clutched the Jurassic Park wannabe towel to my chest as Tom finished my sentence for me.
“That means we may have discovered your ‘missing’ missing person.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Sierra left to deliver the Grease costume to the wardrobe mistress and then to change into a cocktail dress. Prior to the show, she would be giving a brief speech thanking all of the passengers and providing them with last minute disembarkation instructions. I didn’t envy her job and almost felt she would be better off making a career change.
Whoever said cruising is great for your health had never cruised with me.
The assistant security officer called, and we arranged to meet him in Nicole’s stateroom. Since Sierra and the stateroom attendant had already tromped all over the room, Tom decided I might as well come along provided I didn’t touch anything. An extra set of eyes couldn’t hurt.
I had assumed performers were assigned staterooms on the lower decks, but Nicole’s room was on deck ten. Jared, the assistant security officer, waited for us in the hall.
The men went directly to the closet where the safe was located. Tom pushed aside some beautiful designer outfits while Jared opened the door of the safe with his master key. The door popped open to reveal a passport, wallet and small jewelry case.
“Nicole certainly couldn’t have gone far without her passport and wallet,” I remarked. “This doesn’t look good.”
Tom gazed around the room with the critical eye of a detective. Sierra and the cabin attendant had possibly compromised a potential crime scene without realizing it.
The bedspread covered the queen-size bed, yet it didn’t seem to be tucked in as neatly as we were used to experiencing in our own cabin. Tom grabbed a tissue and turned the spread over.
My stomach churned when I saw the two dark splotches staining the underside of the bedspread. Tom sniffed then set it back down.
“We’ll need to tread carefully from now on. This could be a crime scene.”
“Do you want to check the balcony?” I asked him. He nodded and I followed in his carefully placed footsteps. Jared decided to scrutinize the bathroom for anything suspicious while we examined the outside area.
Tom used the tissue to grab hold of the door handle. When he pulled on the handle, the heavy door flew open and banged against the glass. The gray clouds that had gathered earlier had turned into a full-fledged storm. Rain streamed past the balcony, tiny droplets bouncing on and off the mahogany railing.
Tom scrutinized the railing. “If there was any dried blood, it’s washed away by now.”
I stood close to him and peere
d over the railing. Our own balcony was directly below and three decks down, but it wasn’t visible from way up here.
The brown webbed chairs didn’t provide any additional information. The cushions that normally sat on the chairs had blown over to the side of the balcony. While Tom continued to look for clues, I picked up the soggy cushions. No sign of any blood on the first cushion nor the second one. But in the far corner something sparkled. Something that had remained hidden under the cushions.
I tapped Tom on his shoulder and pointed. His eyes lit up and he threw me a big smile. By now, his tissue had disintegrated from the moisture. He went back into the cabin and selected a clean hand towel then returned to the balcony. He bent down to pick up the item.
“That’s gorgeous,” I said, admiring the diamond tennis bracelet. “How do you think it landed way over there?”
He examined the catch. “It looks like it unlatched and fell off of whomever was wearing it. Nicole might have dropped it. Or…”
“Or the killer might have dropped it,” I replied, excited about this potential clue.
“Or whomever has been stealing jewels might have dropped it,” Tom said. “Which means…”
“That whomever threw Nicole over the balcony could also be the jewel thief.”
Which brought us back to square one.
Too many suspects and not enough time.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Tom and I debated our next move. The probable crime scene needed to be secured. We both had loads of questions about the missing occupant. Other than the fact Nicole was cute, blond, petite, and an excellent singer, we knew nothing.
“Either Zac or Sierra should have some type of resume and contact information for Nicole,” I said. “Do you want me to check with them while you,” I waved my hand around, “do more official stuff?”
Tom blew out a breath. “I suppose you can’t get into trouble talking to those two. Although, knowing you…”
“I might just crack this case, right? Isn’t that what you were going to say?”
“Yeah. But please be careful, especially around the entertainers. Any one of them could have thrown Nicole overboard. Assuming that’s what happened here.”
“It has to be a man, don’t you think?” I asked. “Someone strong enough to force her over the railing.”
“Most likely, although not necessarily. Someone the size of your cousin could shove someone over. Especially if they were knocked out already.” His eyes met my angry ones. “Not that I’m accusing Sierra of anything.” He looked at the diamond bracelet sitting on the desk, still wrapped in the clean towel. “If Sierra were the jewel thief, she could have attempted to steal Nicole’s bracelet and in the altercation, Nicole flew over the railing.”
I glared at him. “Do you seriously think that’s a possibility?”
“Anything is possible when it comes to murder. But that scenario would not make my top ten list so you can stop stabbing me with your beautiful blue eyes.”
I glanced at the bracelet again. Despite sitting in the corner of the balcony all week, it still sparkled. “What are you going to do with the bracelet?”
“We could attempt to process it for DNA or fingerprints, but given the outside moisture, the odds aren’t great. And we certainly wouldn’t get the feedback before we docked in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow morning.”
“I have an idea.”
Tom placed his hand over his heart. “The four words that strike fear in a husband.”
“Very funny. Given the limited time we have left, what if I wore the bracelet tonight? I could show it off at dinner and in the theater. Maybe wave it around backstage. Someone might recognize it.”
He rubbed his ear lobe. Evidently not a huge fan of my plan. “I’m not crazy about it, but since you’ll be surrounded by your family tonight, I suppose it can’t hurt. Just don’t do anything rash.”
Moi?
“And take your cell with you.”
Now it was my turn to look shocked. “At five dollars a minute?”
He blew a kiss to me. “See how much I love you.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Tom told me he intended to search through Nicole’s dresser to see if he could learn anything further about her relationships, family, career, etc. Jared brought caution tape from the security office, and the minute I walked out, the door into her stateroom was crisscrossed in yellow strips. It seemed kind of late to turn the cabin into an official crime scene, but I wasn’t in charge, as usual.
My mission was to subtly flaunt the diamond tennis bracelet all over the ship. I returned to our room and changed into a full-skirted sleeveless red cotton dress. The diamond bracelet gleamed against the bright scarlet.
I slid my watch on my other wrist, grabbed a clutch large enough to hold my phone, and set off on my mission. My first stop would be backstage at the theater. I’d never gone behind the scenes before so this was an excellent excuse. Plus Stan could probably use a pep talk by now.
I called Sierra’s room, hoping she was still there. I wasn’t certain how I could gain access to the backstage area without someone’s permission.
“On my way out the door, Zac,” Sierra said into the phone.
“It’s Laurel,” I blurted out before she could hang up on me. “I need to go backstage for a couple of minutes. Can you arrange it?”
“Are you ready to leave right now?” she asked.
“Yep. Just tell me where to meet you.”
Sierra gave me instructions, and the minute we hung up I left our room and headed for the elevator. I couldn’t help rotating my wrist back and forth, admiring the way the diamonds sparkled under the ship’s gleaming chandeliers. The elevator doors pinged open, and I greeted Danielle and her husband, Pierre.
I walked inside and pressed the button for the second floor.
“Such a lovely bracelet you are wearing,” Danielle cooed at me. “Did you buy it on one of the islands?”
Tricky question. “It was a gift,” I replied and held my arm out for her to admire the bracelet. She delved into her purse, pulled out a jeweler’s loupe and held my wrist right up to the device.
“The stones, they are trés belle.” Danielle reluctantly relinquished my arm. “Maybe ten carats. From your husband?”
Another trick question. Technically, Tom did pick up the bracelet from Nicole’s balcony and hand it over to me.
I simply replied “yes” then pointed to her loupe. “Are you in the jewelry business?”
“I own a share of a diamond mine in Canada,” Pierre said. “Our diamonds are very popular with people who boycott the blood diamonds from Africa.”
“So this trip is for business?” I asked.
He nodded. “The cruise provided a good opportunity to visit some of the larger diamond store chains that purchase their gems from our mine. And make some acquisitions of our own. We discovered the perfect setting for my wife’s diamond.”
Danielle displayed an emerald-cut diamond the size of a sugar cube on the fourth finger of her left hand.
I wagered she knew exactly how many carats her own ring contained.
The elevator stopped at the third floor. I held the door open while she pushed Pierre’s wheelchair through the opening. “Au revoir,” she said with a slight wave, her giant diamond glistening as they walked away.
The doors closed behind them then whooshed open as we landed on the second floor. I stepped out and looked to the left and right, trying to get my bearings. I checked the map and confirmed the theater was at the opposite end of the ship from where I was currently standing by the entrance to the Main Dining Room.
One thing this ship was good for was enforced exercise. I headed for the theater, walking against the crowd moving toward the dining room. I thought about my conversation with Danielle and Pierre. If they owned a diamond mine, they certainly wouldn’t need to resort to stealing any of the passengers’ jewelry. Unless they made up that story to throw me off their crooked trail. Danielle certainly was quick with
that jeweler’s loupe. She’d whipped it out of her purse before I could blink.
This trip was making me suspicious of everyone. Even my own family members. I needed to be on my guard for the next few hours if I wanted to catch a thief.
And a murderer.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
Sierra waited for me in front of the closed doors of the theater. She also wore red, although it was more of a cranberry shade in a sheath-style dress that flattered her curves. Dark shadows under her eyes were the only sign of her stress.
We exchanged quick hugs before getting down to business.
“So what’s the pressing need to go backstage?” she asked. “I imagine it’s a zoo back there.”
I brushed my bangs off my forehead and she shrieked. “Where did you find that bracelet?”
I pulled away from her. “Why are you asking me that question?”
“That looks like one of the items Sanjay mentioned was stolen, although I don’t remember who reported it. Diamond tennis bracelets are fairly common, but the one you’re wearing isn’t your everyday garden variety tennis bracelet.”
I held it up for her inspection. “Close to ten carats according to one of the passengers who claims to be a jewelry expert.”
“I presume Tom didn’t purchase it for you.”
“Are you kidding? This bracelet would pay Jenna’s college tuition for a year. We found it lying on the floor of Nicole’s balcony. Hidden in the corner.”
Sierra chewed on her lip as she contemplated the bracelet. “It probably belongs to Nicole. I heard that her boyfriend was fairly well off. I still don’t understand what could have happened to her.”
As we walked down the aisle toward the stage, I told Sierra about the blood stains we’d found on the bedspread in Nicole’s stateroom, along with the personal items that had been left in the safe. Sierra’s face turned whiter than Casper the Ghost. “That’s horrible. It never occurred to me to worry about Nicole. I just thought she was being a diva. There are so many of them in this business. I hope she hasn’t come to any harm, but it doesn’t sound too positive at this point. What now?”