by Dawn Brookes
A Cruise
to
Murder
A Rachel Prince Mystery
DAWN BROOKES
OAKWOOD PUBLISHING
www.dawnbrookespublishing.com
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. Although real life places are depicted in settings, all situations and people related to those places are fictional.
Paperback Edition 2018
Kindle Edition 2018
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-9998575-3-0
Copyright © DAWN BROOKES 2018
DAWN BROOKES asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this Work.
All rights reserved in all media. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author and/or publisher.
Cover Design by Janet Dado
To my mum
The kindest woman I ever knew.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Other Books by Dawn Brookes
About the Author
Acknowldegements
Chapter 1
“I can’t do this anymore, Rachel. I’ve met someone else.” The words pierced through her brain, like knives carving her in two.
Rachel awoke with a start, wondering where she was. The rhythmic chugging sound of a train on railway tracks reminded her immediately. Pushing the dream to the back of her mind, she looked around the busy train. The middle-aged woman with a teenage girl in tow, who had sat opposite Rachel at the start of her journey, had gone. She had been replaced by a younger woman with customary ear phones attached to her head and eyes glued to the mobile phone in her hand. A young man, presumably her boyfriend, was sitting next to her, reading a book and eating a sandwich.
Rachel noticed that the rather large man who had been sitting in the aisle seat next to her had also been replaced. An older man reading a newspaper was now beside her. Realising that she must have been in a very deep sleep, she automatically checked that her handbag was still in place. She had squashed it between herself and the side of the carriage, when her eyes had begun to feel like lead and she realised that sleep was inevitable.
Reassured that it was still there, she took a quick look behind her to where the luggage compartment was and noticed her suitcase remained where she had left it. Vivid pink with white polka dots, it was hardly going to go unnoticed, even though it was now surrounded by other people’s luggage. She had bought it to stand out, and stand out it did.
Looking at her watch, she saw that it was now ten o’clock in the morning. She turned and looked out of the window, the sadness that had been wrenching her heart for weeks re-surfacing. Work had been busy and she had pulled in extra hours to help dull the pain, but now she had stopped, it came crashing in on her again.
Blast Robert – get out of my head, she thought as tears stung the back of her eyes. Thankfully, phone-girl was too busy with her device to notice the tears.
The passengers around her were eating and drinking, so she assumed she must have missed the trolley service. Another hour and a half and the train would be arriving in Southampton. The smell of fresh coffee made her thirsty and she needed to stretch her legs. Rachel decided to go for a walk and get some sustenance.
With an involuntary sigh that drew a sympathetic look from the man seated next to her, she excused herself and made her way through the train to the buffet car.
The train was now tearing through the countryside and felt like it was floating on air, except for the occasional shaking of the carriages from side to side. It was much busier than it had been at seven-thirty when she had first boarded in Leeds. The walk became an obstacle course as she fought her way past different-sized luggage overflowing into the aisles. She almost lost her balance as she moved through the carriages and felt the sway where they joined together.
Why did I agree to this holiday? She was pondering this thought when she finally arrived at the buffet car. Sarah had been so kind and sympathetic when Rachel had called her two months ago, after Robert had decided to end their relationship and leave her broken-hearted and alone. Rachel had been engaged to Robert for a year, but she had noticed a change in him about six months prior to the breakup. At the time, distracted by assessments and not really able deal with it, she had put it down to the work strain they were both under and dismissed his moodiness.
Robert worked in Manchester as a police sergeant. They had met at a party and were immediately attracted to each other, discovering that they both went to church and were both in the police force. He had approached her while she was sitting with a group of friends.
“Would you like to dance?” It wasn’t the best pick-up line she had heard, but from the moment she looked into his dark-green eyes, she was smitten. It had seemed to be an ideal match, and it had been as far as Rachel was concerned.
Rachel had recently joined the force when they first met, and was committed to staying in Leeds until her two years as a student officer were completed. Robert had been supportive initially, and when he asked her to marry him, she was over the moon. They agreed that she would look for work in Manchester once she qualified as constable.
That was before – this is now. Sorrow and pain coursed through her veins.
She bought herself a rather stale club sandwich and a cup of strong coffee, and felt a bit better for having something to eat and drink. Grateful that she was not one of those people who starved themselves when they were unhappy, she was equally aware that she did not want to comfort eat and gain weight – especially being a fitness fanatic. Even she had stopped eating for a few days following the shock announcement from Robert eight weeks earlier though.
The memories once again invaded her senses.
She had gone to visit him in Manchester, and as usual arrived at his sister’s house. Robert’s sister, Louise, lived around the corner from his flat. She was a kind and patient woman with three children under the age of five and a husband who seemed to work all hours. Louise was committed to family life, although Rachel couldn’t help noticing that she looked exhausted most of the time. Rachel sometimes wondered if her husband deliberately missed getting home early in order to avoid having to spend time with the children or help with chores. She’d convinced herself that Robert would not be like that, and they would live as loving partners.
At least we would have done, if he’d got over his moodiness and more importantly, if he hadn’t met someone else.
Rachel had arrived late on that Friday night and only seen him briefly.
“I’ll collect you tomorrow morning at ten. We’ll go out for lunch and spend the day together.” He turned away before she could ki
ss him.
Her time was limited, as she had to get back to Leeds on Saturday night to work on the Sunday. Looking back, she realised how foolish she had been, missing all the warning signs; but she had been studying frantically to finish her police assessments while planning for the future, and she was madly in love.
Louise had seemed quiet and distant over breakfast on the Saturday morning.
“Is everything alright?” Rachel wondered if she and her husband, George, had argued. George had left early in the morning and, unusually, had given Rachel a hug before he went.
“Yes, fine. I just need to get the children ready for their grandma.” Louise had busied herself in the kitchen for the rest of the morning.
Robert arrived at around eleven o’clock, an hour later than they’d agreed. He didn’t apologise for being late.
“I’ve only got time for lunch,” he said brusquely.
“Oh, that’s a shame. I was hoping we could go into town.” She was disappointed, but tried to hide it, naively thinking he must have been called in to work – not unusual for police officers. Although a staunch believer in people’s rights to protest, march, and all manner of other things, Rachel did sometimes wish they would spare a thought for the police. The police had to give up their days off and time with families to maintain public order. Even the most peaceful demonstrations could erupt into violence if rival factions got over-heated.
Robert was quiet again.
“I’ve just got the one assessment left to do next week and then I’ll be qualified. It won’t be long before we can spend a lot more time together.” Rachel tried to make the most of the time they had, overcompensating for his lack of speech by babbling on. They stopped outside her favourite café; the familiar smell of percolated coffee and baking filled her senses with a pleasing aroma. She entered the premises happily, looking forward to a romantic lunch, but Robert seemed to move away whenever she tried to hold his hand.
“I missed every signal. I was blind,” she later told Sarah.
There was the usual queue of people waiting to be served, and they waited in line to order lunch and coffees. Rachel ordered her favourite home-made beef and potato pie, and was about to tuck in when Robert grabbed her hand.
At last, some sign of affection. Then she looked into his eyes with a feeling of foreboding. He stared at her with a coldness she had not seen before; she was looking into someone else’s eyes – these were not the happy eyes of her fiancé.
“I can’t do this anymore, Rachel. I’ve met someone else. I love her and I want to marry her.”
He threw himself back into the chair and took a deep breath. At this point, he looked away.
Rachel couldn’t believe what she was hearing – her stomach was in knots and her heart was racing. Beginning to feel light-headed, she opened her mouth but realised she couldn’t speak.
Taking advantage of the fact that she was unable to say anything, Robert continued. “I’ve tried, Rachel, really I have. I met Jessica through an inter-church thing – we started doing youth clubs together and things developed from there.”
Rachel saw a look in his eyes that had once belonged to her, as he began to speak about this woman whom he had dared to give a name. Somehow, thinking of this person as the other woman allowed Rachel to feel angry; but thinking of her as Jessica brought her to life as another person who had fallen in love with a man. Rachel’s man.
Flabbergasted, Rachel shut down and went into autopilot. She could thank her police training for this skill because it helped her to survive the conversation – and it had become a matter of her survival. Her hand felt sore and she realised that she had been twisting her engagement ring round and round while he was speaking.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she said, and then she got up and walked straight out of the café. At first, she didn’t know where she was going, but after about an hour she realised she was heading for the train station. Her mobile phone had rung a few times with Robert’s ringtone, but she declined the calls and turned it off. She knew she was not being very adult about this, but her heart had just been torn apart.
How else should I react? she asked herself, angrily. Tears fell down her face as she walked, and she had to use every ounce of strength to stop herself from sobbing in the street. A few people looked at her as she passed by with embarrassed fleeting glances, but no-one had asked if she was alright.
Sorrow had turned to anger by the time she reached the train station – anger with Robert for doing this to her, and anger at herself for missing all the warning signs. She saw that there was a train leaving for Leeds in ten minutes, so she sprinted to the platform.
Once on the train, Rachel had found a quiet compartment, unusual for a Saturday. She sat down and tried to take in all that had happened over the few hours that had been spent with Robert. Her happy, stable life had been thrown into turmoil, and she felt terrified of the fragility that overwhelmed her. The dark and devastating thoughts scrambling through her brain were totally new.
If only I had recognised the signs over the previous six months for what they were, the pain might have been a bit less and I might have been better prepared for what just occurred. She felt betrayed, angry, dreadfully sad; but most of all, she felt stupid. Her father had tried to warn her about long-distance relationships – not that Leeds and Manchester were that far apart.
“I am sure it will all work out for you,” he had said after her engagement. “But just be aware that people can change, and you haven’t known him that long.”
Robert had asked her father’s permission before proposing in the traditional way, and he had given it without hesitation. Rachel’s dad, Brendan Prince, was a vicar in Hertfordshire where Rachel had been brought up. Robert had joked with her later, saying that her father had warned him: “Don’t you hurt my daughter or you will have me to answer to.” They had laughed about it then, but now Rachel wondered whether her wonderful dad had seen something in Robert that she couldn’t or wouldn’t see.
I don’t suppose he asked my dad for permission to break off the engagement, she thought bitterly. How do I tell my parents?
When she got back to her flat, she realised she hadn’t let Louise know that she wasn’t going to collect her overnight bag. She turned her phone on and saw fourteen missed calls and numerous texts from Robert, all of which she deleted.
There was a text from Louise which read: “I am so sorry, Rachel, for what has happened. We only knew about it yesterday as Robert had kept it all to himself. Please let me know you are okay, I understand you will be angry and upset. The children send hugs and kisses.”
Rachel replied: “Thanks, Louise, I have returned to Leeds. Sorry to leave without saying goodbye, but had to get away and take it all in. Love to the boys.”
She received a sympathetic reply but they had not communicated since, except when Louise had sent a parcel with her overnight bag and a thinking of you card. Robert had tried to call a few more times, but she had not replied. He did write one letter, which still lay unopened in her suitcase. She might open it with Sarah.
If only I hadn’t joined the police force, I would never have met Robert. She knew it was silly to think that way, but her head was still reeling from the shock.
“You alright, love?” A voice behind her brought her back to the present. She had been staring out of the window opposite the buffet bar and hadn’t realised there were tears streaming down her face. She gathered herself together, looking up at the buffet car attendant.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you,” she replied. Pull yourself together, she chastised herself, and then she made her way back through the train to her seat, after washing her face in the toilet.
Almost an hour had passed since she had left her seat. The train would soon be arriving at Southampton station. Thankful that her seat had not been taken and that her luggage was still in place, she sat down.
Get a grip, Prince!
Chapter 2
Sarah had at long last managed
to get a good night’s sleep aboard the Coral Queen. The ship docked at 5.30am, but she was woken by her alarm clock half an hour before.
Here goes. She heaved herself out of bed and groaned. Turnaround days were the busiest for crew members who had to make sure that all passengers disembarked, dealing with around 9,000 pieces of luggage, and then ready the ship for the new arrivals. The Coral Queen was one of the larger vessels on the oceans, carrying 3,500 passengers and 1,800 crew members, and she would be heading to the Mediterranean later that day.
The busiest crew members would be the stateroom stewards, of course, as they had to clean all of the passenger cabins thoroughly and have them ready for the new passengers in just a few hours. In addition to this, the whole ship had to be cleaned inside and out. Their work was checked by Heinz Linz, the Hotel Manager, who was meticulous with his inspections. The stewards knew that if he found one piece of dirt or debris, he would be down on them like a ton of bricks.
A knock at the door grabbed Sarah’s attention. On opening it, she saw her friend and colleague, Brigitte.
“You look ready to roll.” Sarah observed that Brigitte was dressed in shorts and t-shirt.
“I am. Can you believe it, I have never been to London?” Her French accent revealed her nationality.
“Well, enjoy yourself and I’ll catch you later,” said Sarah. “Make sure you do the London Eye.”
“Top of my list,” Brigitte called as she was already halfway down the corridor. “Missing you already.”
“Yeah, really?” Sarah closed the door.
Turnaround was not such a bad day for the nurses, who had to restock the medical rooms and ensure that no drugs would go out of date during the next fourteen-night cruise, as well as collect health questionnaires in the passenger lounge. Janice had already placed the order for new supplies. Brigitte was taking the day off and heading to London for a few hours to see the sights on one of the tour buses. Passengers who were staying on board for back-to-back cruises were also given the option of a London tour.