A Cruise to Murder

by Dawn Brookes

  Rachel enjoyed the time with Sarah and, as always, felt much more normal in the presence of her friend. She wished they still shared a flat together; life would be so much easier with Sarah around.

  Perhaps I can buy my own flat if the compensation is as good as Sarah suggests it will be.

  After lunch, Sarah pushed Rachel up the main High Street which was packed with people and shops. As a tax haven with no VAT added to goods, Gibraltar proved to be very attractive to cruise tourists with lots of money to spend. Neither Rachel nor Sarah were in the mood for extravagant spending, although Rachel did buy her mum a pair of gold earrings and her dad a new camera case. Sarah topped up on toiletries and then offered to take Rachel back to the ship.

  “You should get that leg elevated now to keep the swelling down,” she said, and Rachel laughed.

  “Okay, Nurse Bradshaw!”

  They caught one of the regular buses that ferried cruise passengers to and from the terminal. Sarah folded the lightweight wheelchair and placed it in the aisle while Rachel manoeuvred her way on with the aid of crutches. Rachel was happy to get back to the ship and asked Sarah to take her straight to her room so that she could get some rest before facing the CSO again. She was dreading going to dinner, and she was particularly dreading what news there might be on Carlos.

  Once in her room, she climbed on to the bed, took some painkillers and went to sleep.

  Chapter 26

  Rachel awoke to banging on the stateroom door. It took a moment for her to realise where she was, as she still felt groggy. As she went to move, she felt the plaster on her leg and pain in her ankle, which reminded her of what had happened.

  She hobbled to the door as she hadn’t quite mastered the walking plaster technique yet. Looking through the spy hole, she saw Sarah and opened the door.

  Her friend came bustling in. “I was so worried about you. I phoned three times and you didn’t answer, and I’ve been banging on the door for ages. I was just about to call Josie to open up.”

  “Sorry, I was out for the count. I think these painkillers are taking their toll. What time is it?” Her room was dark because she had closed the curtains before climbing into bed.

  “It’s eight o’clock. We set sail an hour ago and I think you may have missed your dinner.”

  “That’s perhaps as well, I don’t want to run into Carlos. I’ll get something at the buffet. Are you joining me?”

  “Yes, I will. I’ll just give Waverley a ring and tell him we’ll be along in an hour. Is that alright with you?”

  Rachel sighed. “Yes, I guess we have to get it over with. Sarah, I really need to wash. How am I supposed to shower with this plaster in place?”

  “Da-daaa!” Sarah opened a package she had been holding and held up a long plastic boot with a rubber seal at the opening. “Meet your shower helper. I’ll show you how to put it on, and then you can do it yourself after today.”

  Sarah helped Rachel pull the boot over her plaster and showed her how it secured itself against her leg, allowing her to get into a shower or bath without wetting the plaster.

  “You’re the best!” exclaimed Rachel.

  “More good news to come. The captain has secured two luxury suites for you and Lady Snellthorpe to stay in for the rest of the cruise. They have large bathrooms and are on deck fifteen. You will have a butler and can order anything you like, on the house. Josie will pack up your room, and your belongings will be moved for you.”

  Sarah was oozing excitement now.

  “Okay, so what’s the bad news?”

  “You will have a security guard stationed outside your rooms for the rest of the cruise, and Marjorie will be escorted everywhere. From a discreet distance, of course.”

  Rachel groaned and went for a shower. It was a lot more difficult than she’d thought it would be, showering with her leg in plaster. Even with the plastic boot, she felt clumsy and awkward. They were later than they’d thought they’d be going up to the buffet for dinner, so Sarah let CSO Waverley know that they had been held up.

  Rachel was glad of the crutches as she still felt unsteady walking on the plaster cast, but she knew she would master it soon enough. Three more nights to go. She was pleased that she would soon be home, having called her parents from Gibraltar. They had agreed to collect her from Southampton so that she wouldn’t have to negotiate luggage and train travel with a broken ankle. She hadn’t been completely honest with them about how she had sustained her injuries, deciding to fill them in on the real story when she got back. For now, they just knew she had fallen down some steps and broken her ankle.

  Sarah insisted Rachel sit down when they got to the buffet, and then she went and got food for her, returning a second time for her own food. It is good to have Sarah around, thought Rachel. They enjoyed their food, and the waiters, who normally didn’t serve from the buffet, kept coming over to offer them more food or drinks.

  After she had eaten, Rachel felt a bit more like herself, albeit a slightly light-headed self.

  “How’s Marjorie?” she asked.

  “Still a bit shaken, but she has already been moved to her suite and is being waited on hand and foot by the butler you will share. I think it will be difficult for her until she finds out what and who is behind all of this, although I think we all know the who!”

  “Does her son know he is under suspicion?”

  “I’m not sure. Waverley is going to fill us in on the investigation once we see him, and he wants to talk to you some more, so I suppose we should get on with it.”

  Sarah smiled sympathetically. They got up to leave, but as they did so, Rachel spotted someone out of the corner of her eye.

  “That’s him! That’s the man from last night.”

  “Where?” By the time Sarah had turned to look, the man had gone, and Rachel was not capable of going after him. “Did he see you?”

  “I don’t think so, he was looking the opposite way. If only he had come forward so that we could eliminate him from our enquiries.”

  “Now you are sounding like a police constable,” said Sarah, laughing. “Come on, PC Plod, let’s plod along to your new suite. Waverley will meet us there.”

  Rachel picked up her crutches and walked slowly towards the lifts. On arrival at deck fifteen, Sarah led the way to the starboard side, but this time they were heading towards the stern of the ship. The suite was at the very back in the corner, and Sarah pointed to another one in the opposite corner on the portside.

  “That’s Marjorie’s room.”

  Rachel was pleased to arrive, and on entering the room, she let out a whoop. It was about four times the size of her balcony suite, and there was a separate seating area and a huge bathroom with a tub as well as a shower. She walked through to the lounge area and saw a large flat screen TV hanging on the wall, a settee which was also a bed, a computer on a desk and a huge fridge.

  “Was this not in use?” she asked Sarah.

  “Apparently both suites were vacated in Gibraltar as the family were heading over to an apartment they own in Spain before flying home.”

  “It’s wonderful,” said Rachel as she opened the fridge and found it fully stocked. There were flowers on the table and a fruit bowl filled with exotic fruits.

  There was a knock at the door and Sarah went to answer it. CSO Waverley entered, smiling. It was the first time Rachel had seen him smile. That morning he had been very serious and his whole demeanour had reflected the gravity of the situation, but now he appeared a little more relaxed.

  Perhaps because no more murders have taken place.

  “I trust your new accommodation suits?” he said.

  “Yes, I think it will do, thank you.” Rachel noticed a tall, skinny man standing alongside Waverley, who he now turned to.

  “This is Security Officer Ravanos. He will be guarding you and Lady Snellthorpe for the rest of the journey. He will be relieved at night by Security Officer McColgan.”

  Rachel was about to ask whether this was all ne
cessary, but decided against it as she didn’t want to cause any problems. On reflection, she was pleased that Marjorie would be protected.

  “How will he guard both of us?” she asked instead.

  “Well, Lady Snellthorpe will be his priority because we don’t really think that you are in any danger. It is unlikely the killer knows who you are, but if you could let your guard know where you are going at all times, that would be helpful.”

  “How is the investigation going?” asked Sarah.

  CSO Waverley pointed to a seat. “Do you mind if I sit down?” Rachel nodded towards the chair and Waverley sat. “I’m afraid we don’t have any leads on the potential killer yet, but head office is going through the passenger manifest with a fine toothcomb and anyone with a criminal record will be brought to my attention by the morning. The police in London have been informed and they will start investigating the Snellthorpe family and business connections to see what that brings up. I have asked them not to alert Jeremy Snellthorpe, just in case he is involved, so their enquiries will be discreet. At present we have no real leads, and the man who assisted you last evening has not come forward. We did put out a request over the ship-wide speaker during the day and will do so again tomorrow morning, in case he was off ship. We could do with a description from you, though, if that is possible?”

  He paused for a moment.

  “We have managed to find out more about your—” He coughed. “Your acquaintance, Carlos.”

  Rachel stiffened and sat up; he had her full attention. She had been dreading whatever it was she was about to hear.

  “It turns out his full name is Carlos Jacobi. He is a Private Detective who was hired to keep an eye on Lady Snellthorpe and make sure she was kept safe. He hasn’t been very good at his job by all accounts, but we can confirm that he is who he says he is, and that he is not under suspicion.”

  Rachel had stopped breathing, but she now felt huge relief mixed with anger. Carlos was not a murderer, but she was angry with herself as much as with him because she had obviously distracted him from his job.

  “Who hired him?”

  “He won’t say. Says his clients are confidential and he won’t budge on it. I think he probably doesn’t want us telling his employer what a mess he’s made of his job, to be honest. We have checked his ID, though, and his firm has done work for the Snellthorpe family in the past – mainly for the former Lord Snellthorpe.”

  “That’s why Marjorie thought she recognised him,” said Rachel. “Has he discovered anything while on board?”

  “He says he thought he saw someone running away from the scene in Lisbon and gave chase, but lost sight of the man as he was prevented from getting far by the crowds. He then returned to the scene and saw you getting into a taxi with Lady Snellthorpe, so he knew she was safe. He continued following her, but spotted our men following, too, so he assumed she would be under permanent surveillance and relaxed his guard. As did we, unfortunately.”

  “I see,” said Rachel. She now knew that she had seen Carlos running away in Lisbon, but not for the reasons she had feared. CSO Waverley’s words also clarified why Marjorie had felt she was being followed.

  “All in all, it’s a bit of a mess. Our security team made themselves too obvious.” Waverley glared at SO Ravanos, who appeared to squirm a little, and then looked back to Rachel. “Mr Jacobi was unable to give a description of the man he chased, other than he was about six feet tall with dark hair, and that description fits about five hundred passengers. I don’t think the killer will try again, though. He may think he succeeded with his last attempt.”

  I doubt that, thought Rachel.

  “Surely he would have stayed around to check – unless the other passengers scared him off.”

  Sarah echoed the same concern. “Wouldn’t he have kept watch to make sure she was dead?”

  “Well, if he did, he will know he wasn’t successful,” answered Waverley, looking uncomfortable. “I still think he will give up. He has made two unsuccessful attempts on Lady Snellthorpe’s life, possibly three if we count the probability of it being he who was in her stateroom the other night. He will know that we are on to him now so he would be mad to try again. Nevertheless, we are not taking any chances, and Lady Snellthorpe will be guarded at all times. However, I think this crime will now only be solved by the British police, unless our passenger checks come up with someone of interest.”

  “What about Marjorie’s friend?” asked Rachel.

  “The police in Scotland have been informed, and they have broken it to the family that the death is now being treated as suspicious and a case of mistaken identity. That’s all we can say for now, unless we can find out more. Now, Miss Prince, perhaps you could give us a description of the man who assisted you last night.”

  Rachel gave as full a description as she could, explaining that she thought she had seen the man leaving the buffet this evening, and with that Waverley left. Ravanos was posted in the corridor with both staterooms in sight. Sarah stayed for a while, and then hugged her friend goodnight after making sure Rachel was going to be alright.

  “Goodnight, Rachel. Sleep tight.”

  “I think I will with all of these tablets.”

  Rachel laughed as she locked her door and looked at the time – half past midnight. She took her pills and went to bed, admiring the opulence of the room she was now in.

  Carlos’s face appeared before her as she drifted off. At least she didn’t have to worry about him being involved any more, but she couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever see him again.

  Chapter 27

  Marjorie woke in the middle of the night. Something in her dream had disturbed her, and now she couldn’t remember what it was.

  Oh dear, it’s so frustrating.

  She got up and made herself a cup of camomile tea. Perhaps that would help clear her mind.

  Marjorie recalled the events of the previous night. The night had been beautiful, and she had been remembering many of the happy strolls that she and Ralph had taken in the past. One particular night had come to her mind.

  It had been their diamond wedding anniversary a week before their final cruise together, and they had kept it low profile, having just a few close friends round for dinner. Ralph had said he would take her out for a special dinner on their cruise and, true to his word, that night he had wined and dined her as if they were in their twenties. He had been working hard and business worries had been concerning him, but on that night, he seemed to have left all of those concerns behind him.

  After dinner, they had walked out on deck and he produced a small box from his pocket as they stood admiring the stars.

  “I love you.” It was a simple statement but Marjorie could see tears in his eyes as he looked at her. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit distracted. There’s something going on in the business. I can’t say much about it, but it’s been a bit of a worry. Money is going missing and I think I know who is taking it.” He had looked so sad. Marjorie just wanted to hold him. “Anyway, let’s forget about that for now. Open your present.”

  She had opened the Tiffany box to see the most beautiful black diamond encrusted eternity ring. The stunning cut of the five diamonds almost took her breath away. Neither Ralph nor Marjorie was prone to extravagance, in spite of their wealth, which made the gift all the more special. She had taken the 24 carat gold ring out of the box and looked on the inner side at Ralph’s request to find the engraving: RS, MS, 60 years.

  She looked at the ring now and remembered that wonderful evening. Two months after that, Ralph was dead.

  Marjorie brought her thoughts back to the previous night again. After recalling that wonderful night and admiring the precious ring on her left ring finger, she had felt a sudden shiver. She wasn’t sure whether it was the sadness of her loss or remembering Ralph’s business concerns that had caused it, but she had decided to return to her room.

  In her dream she had seen herself walking purposefully along the deck towards the
steps. It was at that moment she had sensed she wasn’t alone and turned to look behind her. She felt herself falling again, and then she saw Rachel reaching out for her. But now she remembered what had woken her. As she had turned her head, she had felt the push, and at the same time she saw the inside of a man’s left wrist underneath a black jacket.

  How odd, she had thought as she fell, no watch.

  Now, as she remembered that small detail, she wondered whether it was important.

  Perhaps it was, perhaps it wasn’t.

  Her mind now turned to what Ralph had said about money going missing from the company. He had never mentioned it again and she had learned over their sixty years of happy marriage not to pry. He would tell her when he was ready, but that opportunity had not arisen. His health had deteriorated rapidly on his return to work, resulting in the fatal heart attack.

  Who was taking money from the company? Is that what my Solicitor wants to talk to me about on my return? If it is Jeremy, it doesn’t make sense that he keeps asking for more money to inject into the business. Is he just spending it on his extravagant lifestyle and his even more extravagant wife?

  Marjorie got back into bed and decided to take one of the sleeping tablets Dr Bentley had prescribed. She was determined to take much more of an interest in the firm when she got back to London. She would find out who was taking money and then sell up, if that’s what was required; she didn’t need the money. The one thing she wasn’t going to allow was her husband’s work to be wasted on spongers and thieves.

  Chapter 28

  This blasted job’s becoming impossible! How could that woman keep surviving? If I believed in fate, I would think that it’s just not meant to be. No. Don’t be stupid, it has just been bad luck, and now it’s going to be nigh on impossible to get near to the old girl.

  Once again, he contemplated leaving the job undone and taking the risk on how it might affect his reputation. There was more to it than that, though. There was his pride. He had never failed, and he couldn’t accept failure of any kind now. His dad had been a complete failure – a weakling who allowed people to tread all over him. He had despised the way his dad was always polite to people, even when they scorned him, and was determined never to let people use him in the same way. Killing for a living empowered him. He was always in control, having the ability to take away life whenever he chose, and that’s what motivated him above all else.