Strange Tidings

by Ivy Dawson

  “Why don’t we?” Jax suggested. “It would take a few hours, but we’d narrow down the search.”

  Mark turned to him and narrowed his eyes at him.

  “Why are you here?” he asked through gritted teeth.

  Jax held up his hands in surrender then walked away, giving Shae and Alexa a sympathetic glance over his shoulder. Shae waved at him, sad to see him go.

  Remy was standing outside Lucien’s cabin, watching the medical team strap his friend to a gurney. His face was stricken as he watched the proceedings. Every now and then he’d reach up to his face and wipe away a fresh tear.

  When they wheeled Lucien away, he walked over to the group and stood close to Shae. He looked sullenly at Mark, then leaned his head on Shae’s shoulder. She didn’t shrug him off. There was nothing romantic about the gesture, the man was just seeking comfort.

  “I want to talk to Estelle,” Shae decided, and Mark let out a little hiss. “I want to make sure that she doesn’t know anything.”

  “I already told you, she knows nothing!”

  “Let her speak to the old woman,” Remy said dully. “What harm would it do? You’ve got no other direction, do you?”

  Mark sucked in a sharp breath, but he couldn’t say anything. Remy was a guest, an influential one. He could yell at the staff all he wanted, but he had to mind his tone when it came to guests. Shae couldn’t help but feel a little smug and considered having a guest around every time she spoke to her surly employer.

  “Remy, I need you to go tell Victor and Penny what happened,” Shae said gently, “and Jade. I know she’ll be very upset.”

  “Jade doesn’t know him well,” Remy said with a sad shrug, but he turned around and started walking away.

  Mark glared at them for a long second then started walking off toward the security office. Shae nearly cried out in relief when she noticed Estelle sitting on a chair, totally unharmed.

  “We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Shae said, her relief evident in her voice as she sat down next to Estelle.

  “Yes,” Estelle nodded sagely. “Strange things are happening, aren’t they?”

  “How do you know?” Shae asked. “Estelle, please tell us what you know. We need to do everything we can to solve this. Two people have already died.”

  Shae felt something akin to panic climbing up her throat. She hated murders. She knew firsthand what it felt like to lose someone. There was a hole where that person used to be. A life that felt incomplete from the day you lost that loved one in death.

  Long after the stinging pain subsided, it felt as though her outlook was scarred. An act of violence made her feel sad for the victim’s family. If she saw someone die in a movie, she stopped watching. Losing someone like that changed a person forever. There were severe consequences for those left behind.

  It helped to solve these murders, to bring the family some consolation. When she solved a murder, she felt like she was helping people like her. But when she failed, she felt personally responsible. She knew deep down that she had to detach her feelings from what she was working on. On the other hand, she knew that it was what drove her.

  “I know the Van Houghtings,” Estelle said in a small voice. “I worked for them for years.”

  “I asked Victor about you,” she said slowly. “He said he didn’t remember you.”

  “He was only a baby when I worked for them,” Estelle explained. She took a photo out of her purse and handed it to Shae.

  She recognized Samuel standing beside a younger version of Estelle next to a pretty orange tree.

  “We had a picnic in the orangery that day,” Estelle said with a fond smile. “That was about a month before he disappeared, and one of the last times we ever had together.”

  “Samuel was the man you loved,” Shae said slowly.

  Alexa looked at them curiously then sat down next to Shae. She leaned forward on her knees to hear them better. Her eyes were wide as she listened to the old woman’s story.

  “Samuel and his wife Ilse didn’t love each other,” Estelle explained. “She left them all soon after Victor was born. I was Victor’s nanny, and Samuel spent a lot of time with two of us. Eventually we fell in love. Penny didn’t agree with his choice and told him he’d be disinherited if he tried to marry me.”

  “That’s horrible,” Alexa gasped, shaking her head angrily. “She can’t do that!”

  “She could,” Estelle shrugged sadly. “I knew that he was deeply unhappy. He didn’t feel like he was doing any good, and I knew that I wasn’t enough for him.”

  “I’m sorry,” Shae said sympathetically, reaching out and taking Estelle’s hand in hers. “That’s not an easy thing to go through.”

  “It wasn’t,” Estelle shrugged nonchalantly, but her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

  “What happened when he disappeared?” Shae asked slowly.

  “The whole family was acting strange for weeks. Penny kept taking Victor away from me, and she was treating Samuel strangely too. Then, one day, she called him into his office and when he came out, he wasn’t the same. The next day, he took his boat out and never came back. Penny wasn’t surprised, and she didn’t send any search parties out either. She never went looking for him.”

  “I wonder what she told him,” Alexa mused. “It must’ve been a very serious conversation.”

  “I was fired a week after he left,” Estelle said with a heavy sigh. “The family was strange. I know whatever’s going on now has to do with what happened twenty years ago. Talk to Penny, and you’ll find out.”

  “Estelle,” Shae said thoughtfully. “How did you end up on the same cruise ship as the Van Houghtings? And at the same time that Samuel showed up again?”

  “Yeah,” Alexa realized, looking at Estelle suspiciously. “What’s up with that?”

  “They love coming on cruises,” Estelle said with a shrug. “This isn’t the first time I’ve followed them there. I never went far. I live in the same town as them. I just wanted to keep an eye on Victor. I thought I owed it to Samuel.”

  “Would you recognize Samuel if you saw him again?” Shae asked curiously. “I think the family needs all the help they can get when it comes to proving his identity.”

  “No,” Estelle said firmly, shaking her head. “No. I’m not going near that family. I watch from afar, yes, but that’s as far as it goes. Samuel abandoned me, and Penny ruined my life. I don’t want to help them.”

  “Then why did you warn us?” Shae asked with a frown.

  “Not for them, for you,” Estelle said, becoming more agitated with every word.

  Shae looked at Mark worriedly, and he nodded at her, quickly leaving the room. The security office was a few doors down from the medical bay. Dr. Zooberg had a lot of experience with calming down distraught and agitated seniors.

  “They destroy lives. They wreck everything in their path,” Estelle said, her lip trembling as she spoke. “You can’t help them. You can only watch them destroy themselves.”

  Shae and Alexa looked at each other in concern, then got up and backed away slowly. Estelle was in her own world now. She didn’t even seem to notice their presence anymore. Shae felt sorry for the old woman but couldn’t help but feel suspicious. The timing was too perfect, and Estelle had a clear motive.

  The old woman was also obviously unstable and wouldn’t have the awareness to come up with such an intricate plan. She was also frail and wouldn’t be able to run away from Stefan or anyone else. Just to make sure, Shae checked the old woman’s arm. She wasn’t injured.

  A few minutes later, Mark reappeared with Dr. Zooberg trailing purposefully behind him. Shae and Alexa quickly left the room, allowing Estelle a little privacy.

  “I think it’s time we had a chat with Penny and Samuel,” Shae said decisively, her skin crawling as she remembered what Estelle had told her.

  Stefan was still standing outside Penny’s door, but he looked a lot more serious now. He nodded firmly at the two of them and opened
the door for them, checking to make sure that no one else was behind them or lurking in the corner.

  When they walked in, Penny was having a cup of tea with Samuel while Victor stood in a corner and stewed.

  “Oh, good,” Penny said happily when she saw them. “Just in time. I’ve decided to make an announcement.”

  She put her cup of tea down gently and got up primly, smoothing her skirt down as she got up. Shae and Alexa looked at each other curiously.

  “This man is the real Samuel Van Houghting. My son has come back at last.”

  Victor made a strangled sound and his face turned a furious shade of red, while Samuel looked up at his mother with tears in his eyes.

  “How do you know?” Shae asked, sitting down slowly.

  “I don’t accept this!” Victor yelled, storming out of the room. Penny looked at him worriedly then turned to her son.

  “Samuel, it’s time you made amends. Go talk to your son.”

  “I don’t know if he’ll listen to me,” Samuel said hesitantly, staring fearfully at the door.

  “You have to start somewhere,” Penny said firmly, pointing at the door as she sat down. Samuel nodded firmly and walked out with an apprehensive look on his face.

  “We spoke to Estelle,” Alexa burst out, looking at Shae apologetically. Shae shrugged at her friend and looked to see how Penny would react.

  “Estelle?” Penny said with a little chuckle. “Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. Let me guess? My family is evil, and I ruined her life?”

  “Yes,” Shae said simply, settling into her chair and looking straight at Penny.

  “My dears, Estelle was my son’s mistress. She abused her position as Victor’s nanny, and I fired her. If Samuel wanted to marry her, then he could’ve done so at any time. The poor woman is delusional.”

  “I see,” Shae said, raising an eyebrow. Penny’s explanation held a seed of truth. From what they’d seen of Estelle, it was clear that she didn’t have the best mental state. Shae reminded herself quickly that there were two sides to every story. “And how do you know Samuel is who he says he is?”

  “That’s easy,” Penny said simply, picking up her cup of tea. “Before my son left, he came to me. He wanted some money and his boat. I wasn’t happy with him, but I couldn’t force him to stay. He promised that he’d be back one day. So, I simply asked Samuel what we spoke about the day before he left. He was able to tell me exactly what was said. No imposter would know that.”

  Shae nodded. Penny’s explanations all seemed totally reasonable. She was about to ask a few more questions when the door burst open to reveal Stefan.

  “Come quickly,” he said, his eyes wide. “It’s Victor and Samuel!”

  Chapter 8

  Shae got up and quickly followed Stefan, conscious of Alexa and Penny following her worriedly.

  Victor was standing near the railing on the deck, glaring at Samuel, while the older man pleaded with him.

  “You’re a liar!” Victor shouted, his face turning red! “You’re just trying to steal my money!”

  “Victor,” Penny said scandalized, running toward them and grabbing her grandson’s hand. Victor glared at her and quickly withdrew his arm. He looked at her as though she were a stranger, and Penny’s expression changed from horrified to hurt.

  “Leave me alone,” Victor told her viciously, shaking her loose and storming off.

  Samuel made a sad sound at the back of his throat and put his hand on Penny’s shoulder to comfort her.

  “It’s my fault,” he said mournfully. “I left him. I wouldn’t want to forgive me either. The poor boy. He must be so confused.”

  “Don’t take it personally,” Penny told him, her voice thick with unshed tears. “He’s just taking this hard. He doesn’t trust you yet. It’s a difficult thing to do when money is involved.”

  “I thought he still got the money, even if Samuel came back,” Shae said with a frown. “That’s what he told me. He just said that Samuel would be added to the family accounts.”

  “My dear,” Penny said with a long-suffering sigh, “that’s not how any of this works. Victor will get the trust fund when he’s twenty-five, but the majority of the fortune will fall to Samuel. Victor will only get it once Samuel dies.”

  “That’s definitely not what he told me,” Shae said slowly. “It looks like Samuel’s causing him a lot of trouble by being alive.”

  Samuel blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably, but Penny glared at her. Shae shrugged. It was true. If Samuel was who he said he was, then he was causing a lot of damage by showing up out of the blue. He decided to run away all those years ago, leaving his son to grow up without parents.

  It was a cowardly action, and by showing up unannounced, he was reopening old wounds. Especially since he seemed so intent on shoving himself back into his family’s life without giving them time to adjust. This would be the second time that he majorly affected his son’s outlook on life.

  He damaged Victor by leaving. Now he was causing more damage by showing up out of the blue and demanding a place at the table. Shae stared thoughtfully at Victor’s retreating figure. The man seemed to deal with the trauma by running away from it.

  If he chose to deal with everything that way, then all of this was going to be even more traumatic for him. It also meant that he had a lot of bottled-up rage in him. What if he decided to release all that pent-up rage?

  “Victor is a good man,” Penny said primly, seeming to sense what Shae was thinking. “He’s just cautious because of our past experiences. I think he’ll be more relaxed when he realizes that Samuel is who he says he is.”

  “So, Victor’s still not convinced that Samuel is really his father,” Shae said thoughtfully.

  “I don’t know what else to tell him,” Samuel said, fidgeting with his hands and glancing at the sea as he spoke. “I know in time he’ll accept me. I just hope that I can make up for everything I’ve done.”

  “There’s a lot of damage that needs to be undone,” Shae reminded him. “You were gone for most of his life. It’s hard to forget that kind of thing.”

  “I missed everything,” Samuel said, looking down at his hands, his eyes bright with tears. “I’ve been a terrible father. My father would’ve been ashamed of me.”

  “We can’t look back,” Penny said firmly. “We need to look forward and move on with our lives. Victor’s stubborn, but he’ll come around to you. You just need to give him time. He trusts me, I think deep down, he knows you’re really his father.”

  Shae sensed that the conversation was becoming more private, and so she excused herself, giving them both a small wave and walking away.

  As she walked, her mind raced with all the different possibilities. Victor didn’t seem to be in the best state of mind. Although she didn’t know him very well, she guessed that his reaction was out of character.

  He looked like the type of person who enjoyed his routine and thought things through. Remy and Lucien were both friends from school. He didn’t switch them out for new friends. Estelle also knew their routine well enough to follow them. That meant that they didn’t change their plans very often.

  Her feet seemed to take on a will of their own and carried her closer to his room. She turned the corner and nearly bumped into the man in question. Victor flushed guiltily and looked down at his feet.

  His shame confused her, but then she realized that he must’ve been peeking around the corner, watching them talk.

  “Your grandmother is concerned about you,” Shae started, unsure of what to say to him.

  “Yeah, well,” he mumbled, shrugging pathetically.

  “I understand,” Shae continued. “This can’t be easy for you. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling.”

  “Angry,” Victor said immediately, as he nodded thoughtfully, “and a little suspicious. How did he know where we were? And how did he convince my gran so quickly? She’s really clever.”

  “Maybe he really is who he says he is,”
Shae said with a shrug.

  “No,” Victor shook his head emphatically. “He isn’t. That man isn’t my father. He’s lying to get to our money.”

  “Of course, he doesn’t feel like your father,” Shae said sympathetically. “He hasn’t been in your life for twenty years. It’s strange, having him around.”

  “No,” Victor sighed in annoyance. “It’s not just that. Something feels off about him. It doesn’t feel right. I know he’s lying. I just can’t shake this feeling.”

  He spared her one more glance before walking off, watching Samuel and Penny talk. He kept close to the wall to prevent being seen, and his behavior made her lift an eyebrow.

  He’d already lied to her about what would happen if Samuel’s identity was confirmed. He’d been bargaining on inheriting a place at the company for his whole life. What would he do if everything was taken away from him?

  Shae sensed that he could be hiding something else. His behavior was erratic at best. She watched him carefully, and when she was sure he wasn’t paying attention to her, she headed off toward his cabin.

  Stefan still hadn’t made his way back yet, so she quickly used her keycard to get in. Captain Tim had given her one of his keycards that opened any door on the ship. She was only allowed to use it during an investigation, and Mark kept track of the card.

  If she used it for personal gain, she had no doubt that he’d be waiting to catch her. She slipped the card into her back pocket and surveyed the room.

  It was extremely neat, except for where Penny and Samuel had been sitting earlier. Victor’s clothes were still in his bag, and she lifted the bag open with a pencil, noticing that his clothes were perfectly arranged.

  She dropped the flap and started opening drawers and cupboards, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, Victor’s room was spotless. She sat down on one of the armchairs facing the bed with her back to the door, trying to come up with a new idea.

  The bed caught her attention for two reasons. The first was that it was a king size and looked impossible comfortable. The staff’s beds were little better than bunk beds and were barely comfortable. Then again, it probably wasn’t a good idea to give the staff beds that they didn’t want to leave.