by A. E. Radley
Caroline gritted her teeth.
“I’ll take your palpable silence as a no. Did she talk about her family? Her parents? Her childhood? Her home?”
Caroline swallowed.
“How about the inside of a recording studio?” Mara forged on. “Did she talk about making an album, winning an award? Did she talk about the celebrities she’s hung out with? Did she talk about Serena Rubio’s work in any way?”
Caroline lowered her head, thinking back to the conversations they’d had. They’d avoided those conversations under the guise that she hadn’t wanted to talk about herself, which resulted in never talking about her work or family life. Caroline had assumed she wanted time away from those things and was happy to keep to other topics.
It didn’t mean that all of their conversations were shallow. Yes, they talked about books and their favourite meals, but they also talked about religion, women’s rights, history, and more.
They’d talked for hours on end without once speaking about Serena’s personal life.
“I’m guessing that she didn’t talk about those things?” Mara asked. “And I’m going to assume that the reason for that was because she didn’t want to lie to you. It would have been so easy for Annie to avoid you. You’re busy, she’s a passenger. You never need speak again. But she didn’t take the easy way out, she kept spending time with you.”
“But—” Caroline tried to argue.
“And seemingly without good reason. There’s no in-depth scam here, Caroline. She wanted to spend time with you, she was in a tricky situation, but she did her best to keep her lies to a minimum. And I do believe she probably tried to tell you.”
Caroline opened her mouth to argue but was instantly met with mental images of Annie saying she had to tell her something important.
“What you do with this information is ultimately up to you,” Mara said, “but I honestly think that young woman fell for you, and I think she feels sick to her stomach for dragging you into this. And I know for a fact that she needs to rest, and so do you. You can come back and see her tomorrow at lunchtime, if you wish. But not before. And she will not be going to the brig.”
Caroline opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before realising she had nothing to say. She needed time to think about what had happened, to process what she knew, and to piece things together. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry, Mara.”
“It’s okay, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. Go and get some rest.”
“I just… I don’t know what to do.”
“You decide if you can forgive her.”
“But what if there is more to this?” Caroline asked. “What if there is something I’m not seeing?”
“You’ll see it,” Mara reassured. “You worked in security for years, there’s not a scam you don’t know about. But right now, you’re tired and hurting. You can’t think correctly; you need some rest and some time. Then you can come back and talk to her again and see what you think.”
“There’s so little time,” Caroline said.
Mara looked at the clock on the wall. “Just over twenty-four hours. However, that doesn’t have to be the end of it. If you want, you can always stay in touch with her after she’s disembarked. Stop trying to wrap everything up in a neat little bow.”
Caroline realised then that Mara was right. She’d been racing against the clock to find Annie, and now she felt the same about cracking the mystery as to her presence on the ship. But she didn’t need to have all the answers when they arrived in Barcelona the next morning. It would be impossible for her to process her feelings and have an answer by then. And maybe that was okay.
“I’m lucky to have you as a friend,” Caroline admitted.
“You are,” Mara agreed, a smile dancing on her lips. “Now, go.”
She’ll Be Back
“What’s this I hear about not wanting breakfast?” Mara asked. She breezed into Annie’s room and checked the chart hanging on the end of the bed.
“No appetite,” Annie replied.
It was the truth; she felt sick to her stomach and so unsettled that she knew she’d not be able to digest a single cornflake.
Mara tutted gently. “We need to get some food in you. You’re on a cruise; it’s legally binding that you put on at least one dress size.”
Annie chuckled. “I’m not very good at following the rules.”
Mara placed the clipboard back on the end of the bed. “I can tell.”
“Am I going to be put in the brig?” Annie asked. There had been talk of releasing her from the hospital bay that afternoon, but she had no idea where she’d be taken. Nothing had been said, and she wondered if she was heading for prison. It was no less than she deserved.
“No.” Mara shook her head.
“But, Caroline—”
“You’re not going to the brig,” Mara reassured her. “I need you to take a few bites of something, just so I know you’ve eaten. And then we can see about getting you back to your room.”
Annie frowned. “My room? But I… I’m committing identity fraud.”
“You did, but the cruise was paid for and I’m fairly convinced that what you’ve told me is true. Which would mean that technically the real Serena Rubio gifted you her trip. In a roundabout kind of way.”
Annie thought there was a lot of grey area there but decided that she’d take it. Mara had been trying to help her all along, and Annie was growing to like and appreciate the woman.
“What happens to me next?” she asked.
“I can only answer questions about your treatment. The rest will ultimately be up to Captain West.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Annie said, knowing that Mara and Caroline were friends. She didn’t know if she’d get another chance to speak with Caroline, so this could have been her only chance of conveying that point. It was vital to Annie that Caroline knew that she’d never intended to cause her any pain.
“Caroline doesn’t trust very well,” Mara explained. “And when that trust is broken, well, it’s hard to get it back.”
Annie could understand that. Caroline had been let down badly by the Royal Navy, her career and her standing left in tatters. On top of that, her relationship had ended in infidelity. It wasn’t a surprise that Caroline found it hard to trust.
Annie realised that she had almost certainly contributed to Caroline’s trust issues tripling overnight.
“I thought so,” she agreed. “I… I’ll leave her alone. But if it does come out, like, when I’m gone. Please tell her that I never meant her any harm, and I… I really did like her.”
Annie felt her cheeks heat up in a deep blush. It felt like high school, admitting to someone that you had a crush on their best friend.
“You should tell her that yourself,” Mara said. “I have a feeling she’ll be back.”
“To arrest me and throw me in the brig?” Annie grinned.
“Depends on how well she slept.” Mara winked.
A nurse knocked on the doorframe. “Doctor Perry? That call you were waiting for came in; I arranged a face-to-face conference in half an hour.”
“Marvellous. Thanks, Sam.” Mara looked at Annie. “How do you fancy speaking with Serena Rubio in thirty minutes?”
Annie bolted upright. “She’s okay? You found her?”
“She’s perfectly fine; her manager was a little confused to get my call but believed my story of your presence on Fortuna surprisingly quickly. I think Miss Rubio engages in this kind of nonsense quite often.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Annie said. “I’d love to talk to her.”
Mara gestured for Annie to lift her wrist so she could check on the bandages. Annie obliged.
“Can you tell me where Diego is?” Annie asked.
She’d not asked about him at all since she’d been rescued, as if the mere mention of his name would summon him like the demon he was. But the question was racing around her head, needing to be soothed.
; “Off the ship,” Mara replied. “Caroline had him arrested.”
Annie nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said softly.
“You don’t sound too pleased about that?”
“He’ll get out,” Annie said. “He always does. There’s corruption everywhere, and he has a lot of money and knows a lot of secrets. He’ll be back. Next time I probably won’t be so lucky, but that’s what you get for hanging out with the wrong people.”
Mara covered up the bandage and remained silent. Annie couldn’t blame her; there wasn’t much that could be said. Annie had accepted her fate; Diego may not have killed her this time, but he’d no doubt be back.
She may have dodged an icy death, but things were far from over.
The Real Serena Rubio
Sleep never came, but an exhaustion-fuelled unconsciousness had. Caroline was glad for it; she felt slightly refreshed and nearly ready to take on another day. Just as long as that day promised to be nothing like the one that had proceeded it.
She prepared a mug of strong coffee in the kitchen in her stateroom, not willing or able to interact with other people just yet. She set up her laptop at the dining table, not wanting to sit in her office either. She needed to see out the window, to watch the small waves churning as they sailed by.
The water had always calmed her, the knowledge that nothing could compare to the almighty beauty and strength of the ocean. She firmly believed that if you looked at the water for long enough, you’d find a solution to any problem. Or be so soothed by the view that the issue felt less problematic.
She opened her laptop and accessed her emails. She sipped at her coffee while they loaded, arriving in large batches. There was nothing like an eventful day at sea to suddenly hear from everyone in the company.
She turned and looked out of the large window; one of the major benefits of her suite was the multiple windows. Her living area consisted of two windows, one by the seating area and one by the dining table. At the end of the room was a doorway onto a private balcony. Her bedroom also had a balcony, as did the second bedroom. It was the perfect suite for someone who loved a view. Not quite as perfect as Serenity, but it was a great second choice.
She could see the very edge of Corsica in the distance, which meant they were making up the time they had lost the previous evening. Fortuna always navigated its way in between the two large islands of Corsica and Sardinia on the way back to Barcelona. It made for great views and photo opportunities for the passengers on a day at sea with no stops.
Back in her email account she noted that Thomas had restructured and issued the crew schedule for the day. He’d marked Caroline down as ‘admin’ for the entire day, a trick they’d been using for years when either one of them wanted to avoid being roped into something by Dominic.
Usually it was just an hour here or there, but Thomas had fenced off the entire day for her. He even had himself attending dinner at the captain’s table that night. Caroline was about to reply and put herself back on the roster when she paused.
Maybe it was a good idea to take the time. They arrived at Barcelona at five the next morning. If she returned to duty in the morning, then she could say goodbye to the passengers and effectively reset herself for the next sailing.
And the idea of taking a break wasn’t too terrible, either.
Her inbox contained a message from Mara, too, and Caroline let out a long sigh. She sipped more of her coffee and took in the view again. Her thoughts and feelings were still in turmoil. She had no idea how she was supposed to process everything, and it still felt like a ticking clock was hanging over her head.
She opened the email. There was a brief and professional message explaining that a face-to-face meeting would be taking place between Mara, Dan, and Serena Rubio over a webcast—Caroline looked at her watch—in about twenty minutes time.
Caroline chewed her lip. The meeting would answer some lingering questions and probably present many more. She rubbed her forehead. There was no reason for her to be there, but like the invisible pull that had dragged her closer to Annie throughout the cruise, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay away.
Caroline arrived deliberately late. She watched from afar as Mara, Dan, and Annie filed into Mara’s office. She took a couple of deep breaths and then walked into the office, stopping by the doorway so she could watch and listen, hopefully unnoticed.
Everyone took a seat, and Mara raised her laptop up on some textbooks so everyone could see properly. A call came in and Mara answered.
“Hello, Miss Rubio,” Mara said, “thank you for your time assisting us with this. My name is Mara Perry, this is Dan Lovell, and you hopefully know Annie?”
“Annie!” Serena cried. “You are hurt! What happened?”
Caroline wanted to laugh. Serena’s speech pattern was nothing like Annie’s. If she’d taken a second to listen to one interview, she would have rumbled Annie in seconds.
“I’m fine, just…” Annie replied.
“It was him? The relationship you were running from?” Serena asked.
“Yes. It’s okay, though,” Annie said. “I’m okay.”
“I’m to blame, I should never have gotten you involved in my stupid plan. I was just so upset when we met. I wasn’t thinking. And now you are in trouble, Annie, I’m so sorry.”
“Miss Rubio,” Dan spoke up, “I need you to confirm that you willingly provided Miss Peck with your ID and your personal belongings.”
“Yes, of course I did,” Serena declared as if Dan was asking the most ridiculous question she’d ever heard. “You think she stole them from under my nose? You think I’m too stupid to notice someone walking away with my handbag and my suitcase?”
“No, of course not, we’re simply—”
“You are questioning this when Annie has been hurt?” Serena continued. “Isn’t it your job to keep her safe? Her beautiful face is cut, her nose is… broken? How? How does this happen aboard your ship?”
“Details of the incident aren’t avail—”
“You are useless,” Serena dismissed Dan and turned her attention back to Annie. “Oh, Annie, I am so sorry that this happened to you. I should never have encouraged you to do this. I should have left you to take your train. This is my fault.”
“No,” Annie denied. “This is my fault. I made a lot of mistakes, committing identity fraud was one of them, but it was a mistake I made myself.”
“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt…”
Caroline stepped forward. “Miss Rubio, I’m Captain Caroline West. If anyone is to blame for what happened to Miss Peck, it’s me. Safety is my number-one responsibility, and this incident is unforgivable. Believe me, investigations are underway, and I’ll not rest until the gaps in security have been tightly sealed. As I’m sure you’re aware, identity fraud is a criminal offence. In this situation, you have also committed a crime by encouraging and allowing Miss Peck to knowingly defraud the company. I’m willing to let it go on this occasion, but I would request that you not do anything like this in the future.”
Serena grinned and inclined her head, aware that she had been politely told off. “Of course, Captain.”
Caroline was under no illusion that Serena would change her ways. She seemed like the sort who enjoyed getting her way and never played by the rules. A celebrity, through and through. This was who she had expected that first night at dinner; instead she’d gotten Annie.
Annie, who was shyly looking at her through her messy curls, her hair pushed to the side to accommodate the gauze and bandages that covered the wound on her head and the cuts to her face.
Caroline tore her gaze away from Annie. Dan was talking to Serena, getting more details from her for his paperwork. Caroline turned and left the room; she had nothing else she needed to say or hear. She’d almost made it to the door when a passenger exited one of the rooms.
“Captain! Oh, do you have a minute?”
Caroline tried to smile and look pleased to see the woman. “Of cou
rse, how can I help?”
“My son, Jamie, got hurt on the water slide.” The woman held up her hand. “His fault, he was being silly. Boys being boys and all that. He’s feeling a little sorry for himself, but I know he’d love to meet you. He’s so very interested in sailing.”
“I’d love to meet him,” Caroline said.
She entered the room dedicated to children, the colourful characters painted on the walls giving the room a light feel. An elderly woman, maybe the grandmother, sat in a chair beside the bed holding Jamie’s hand. Jamie was dressed in pyjamas covered with a cartoon character she couldn’t identify. His arm was in a sling and his front lip was bloodied; she wouldn’t be surprised if a tooth or two was missing.
His eyes widened as he saw her. “Captain,” he whispered in awe.
“I hear that we have a sick patient,” Caroline said. She stood to loose attention by the side of the bed. “How are you, Jamie?”
“I broke my arm,” he said, one tooth definitely missing. Caroline pictured the water slide being closed and a poor staff member crawling through it in the search for a tiny enamel pearl.
“So I see. I broke my arm once, taught me to be more careful on waterslides,” she said.
Jamie smiled, not knowing whether she was joking or not.
“How old are you, Jamie?”
“Ten.”
“Ten? You must be a member of the Pirate Club?”
“Yes, I went every single day,” he replied with a smile that would have been bigger if he could move his mouth without it hurting.
“He loves the kids’ clubs,” the probable grandmother said.
“When I grow up, I’m going to work on a ship like this,” Jamie announced, his shyness waning.
Caroline wanted to tell him about her last twenty-four hours and ask if he wanted to have a stab at being a fireman.