Portside Peril (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 2) (2 page)

Andy Walker, Cruise Director, was dressed in a crisp, white uniform and standing at attention when Millie sidled up.  He glanced at his watch. “You’re right on time, Mildred.”

Millie frowned.  No one ever called her Mildred, no one except her mother when she was growing up and only when she was angry. 

“Did you see me?  I was stuck in the elevator!” She pointed to the offensive object. 

Andy shook his head.  “No, I hadn’t noticed.”  He seemed completely unconcerned that Millie could have easily been hurt.  What if the thing had plunged to the bottom of the ship and she had died?

Dave Patterson, head of security, made a pass by.  He gave Andy the thumbs up, which meant customs had cleared the ship and a fresh batch of passengers were now heading to the gangplank and would be boarding within minutes. 

Andy cupped his hands to his mouth.  “It’s show time, everyone!” he shouted.  The crew cheered – or maybe it was more like moaned.  Millie couldn’t be certain. 

One of the crew swung the entrance door open and stood watching as other workers maneuvered the ramp, attaching it to the side of the ship. 

Millie snorted.  With the door open, she had a clear view of the ramp and the passengers that were winding their way up.  It reminded Millie of a herd of cattle on stampede.

Andy raised an eyebrow.  “What’s so funny?”

Millie shrugged her shoulders.  “Oh nothing.” She wasn’t sure if Andy would think her comparison was as humorous as she.

One of the most interesting parts of passengers boarding the ship was the hierarchy: diamond passengers, the ones who had sailed the cruise line a bunch of times, boarded first. 

After diamond were platinum guests and then gold. The last to board were the newbies - what cruise ship employees called “green legs” since they didn’t have their sea legs yet. 

Green legs were more apt to become seasick during rough seas, more likely to get a serious sunburn on the first day of the cruise when they laid out around the pool too long.  Last but not least, they were more likely to throw caution to the wind, forget about their vacation budget and spend more money than they planned.  The cruise line
loved
green legs almost as much as they loved diamond passengers.

Andy and his booming voice greeted guests.  “Welcome aboard folks!”

The cattle gate was wide open and the guests began pouring in the atrium area.  Millie spent the next several hours answering questions and directing guests to different areas of the ship. 

She noticed that this week’s cruise was full of large groups that boarded in clusters.  Some of them looked to be college-age students. 

Millie made a mental note to keep an eye on them.  One group in particular started horsing around as soon as they boarded.  Security had to step in and make their presence known, which seemed to settle the rowdy crowd down a bit.

By the time all the guests had boarded and security gave the all-clear to close the door and pull the ramp, Millie’s feet were aching and her stomach grumbling.  All she had time to eat was a quick breakfast of cold, rubbery eggs and dry toast.

She glanced at the ship’s clock on the wall.  It was already 4:30.  Andy read her mind.  “I’m sure you’re starving.  Go take a break, grab a bite to eat and head out to the lido deck to check on the guests while you’re up there.”

Millie nodded.  She had stopped by the kitchen to see her friend, Annette, when she had taken a brief break and Annette had told her that one of her favorite dishes, meatloaf, was on the menu.  Millie was craving comfort food, good old-fashioned meatloaf!

There was no line at the buffet.  The eatery was getting ready to close in preparation for the dinner hour.  Most of the guests had already eaten and were up on lido getting ready sail away. 

Millie’s roommate, Sarah, was behind the counter, packing things up.  She glanced up when she spied Millie.  “Where’ve you been all day?”

“Greeting guests.” She grabbed a dinner plate and tray and hurried down the line.

Sarah followed along on the other side.  “I heard you and Cat had a falling out.”

Millie flinched. “Yeah, she’s mad at me.” It never ceased to amaze her how fast news traveled on the ship.  She finished loading her plate and headed to the table. 

Millie ate her food alone and watched the passengers wander through the dining room as they explored the other side of the ship.  She loved to watch the excited faces and the couples who seemed so happy together. 

Her smile disappeared as she thought about her ex-husband, Roger, and how much fun they had had on their one and only cruise.  Of course, that was before he ran off with one of his clients, Delilah Osborne, Millie’s former friend and hairdresser.

Millie pushed the half-eaten plate of food away.  She had lost her appetite, even though the meatloaf was delicious.  For some reason, she decided now was a good time to have a pity party for herself. 

She stacked her dishes on the tray and slid out of the seat. Millie dumped the uneaten food in the trash and wandered through the sliding glass doors and onto the lido deck.  The deck party was in full swing.

Millie circled the lower level, gauging the burn level on several of the guests sprawled out in the lounge chairs that surrounded the pool. 

Zack, one of the dancers on board and one of Millie’s favorite staff, was leading a group of passengers in a lively rendition of the Electric Slide. 

The ship had departed a bit behind schedule and the sun was already setting.  Millie slid her sunglasses on and gazed out at the sea.  The sunset was spectacular.  The clouds floated along, high above, laced in shades of pink and blue, as they dotted the sky.  

The ship had already passed South Beach and the shoreline was a speck in the distance.

Satisfied the party was going off without a hitch, Millie shuffled to the side stairs.  It was time to head to the theater to check on the progress of the “Welcome Aboard” show, scheduled for later that evening.

She made it as far as the rear of the upper deck when three ear-piercing blasts sounded.  Millie nearly jumped out of her skin!  Seconds later, a nearby speaker came to life. “M-O-B portside.  I repeat M-O-B portside!” The voice sounded a bit panicked and Millie could have sworn the voice belonged to Andy!

The radio attached to her hip crackled as a sea of voices shouted across the airwaves.  From what she could make out – which wasn’t much since half of what was being said was in English and the other in foreign languages - it sounded as if they were saying someone had gone overboard.

The ship slowed, it shuddered slightly, stopped and then started to turn. 

Not far from where Millie was standing, a crowd began to gather one floor up and over to the portside. At least Millie assumed it was the portside.  She hadn’t quite gotten the ship lingo and her sense of direction wasn’t that great.

She raced across the deck and darted up the steps, taking them two at a time. Millie rounded the corner of the spa deck.  A group of people stood off in the corner near the VIP section, which was a section reserved for the diamond and platinum members.  An area that was only accessible via a special room key.

The access door was wide open as throngs of people lined the rail and peered down at the deep, blue ocean.  Millie joined them as she stood near the rail and looked over the side.  Her detective radar went up as she tried to hear what the guests around her were saying. 

The woman to the left of Millie lowered her voice and turned her head toward the man on the other side.  “I hope they find Kyle.” 

The man next to her nodded. “Yeah, this is crazy.  One minute Kyle is partying down and the next, he’s gone overboard.”

The woman lowered her voice.  “You don’t think…”

Dave Patterson, the ship’s head of security, appeared on the scene.  His eyes met Millie’s as he walked past her and over to a woman who was wailing loudly.

A movement in the water caught Millie’s eye.  One of the lifeboats was circling the water.  Millie pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She turned the phone on and switched it to camera-mode.  As inconspicuously as possible, she began to take several photos of the crowd - the witnesses.

Millie snapped a picture of the young couple that had been talking.  She hurried up and snapped a few more quick photos before sliding the phone back into her pocket.

Millie spied a small opening next to another couple on the scene. She squeezed in. “I heard a bloodcurdling scream. Next thing I know, the woman was trying to climb over the railing.  Thank goodness a man a few feet away realized what she was about to do so he darted over, grabbed her and pulled her off the railing.  I think she was going to jump!”

Millie’s eyes widened.  This sounded like a double suicide attempt – or maybe a murder / suicide! 

Millie peered over the edge.  The lifeboat had come to a stop.  One of the crew, wearing a fluorescent yellow life jacket, dove into the water.  He swam out a short distance and grabbed something.  Someone was in the water!

The rescuer wrapped his arm around the person who was floating face down.  Using his free arm, he swam back to the rescue boat where two men pulled them from the water.  They disappeared below deck and out of sight.

A loud cheer went up from the spectators as the small rescue boat sped back to the ship.  Millie was torn. 
Should she run down to watch the crew bring the passenger back on board or stay put to see if she could glean any more information out of the people still hanging around
? She opted to hang tight.  She was glad she did. 

Dave Patterson led the hysterical young woman away.  There was another man with Patterson.  He looked vaguely familiar.  He nodded at Millie as he passed by.  She glanced at his nametag:
Juan Carlos. 

There was an empty spot where the woman and Juan Carlos had stood.  Millie shuffled over to the open spot and leaned against the rail.  The crew had secured the smaller boat and a large pulley began to lift the small boat back up to an empty spot between other emergency lifeboats.

The area was clearing out.  Only a handful of passengers lingered near the edge of the railing.  Millie scooted closer to a man who was waving his arms in the air. 

She leaned in for a listen.  “…and then I saw the woman shove something inside her beach bag.  What was odd about it was she seemed downright calm.  Seconds later, she began to scream and wail, as if…well, as if someone she loved had just gone overboard.”

Millie raised her eyebrows. 
What could be more important than getting help for your loved one or for anyone for that matter - who had just fallen more than 14 stories off the side of a cruise ship?
 

She reached in her pocket and plucked out her cell phone.  Millie snapped several more pictures of the area – including the man who had been talking.

Millie glanced down at her watch.  With all the excitement, she had lost track of time.  She was late for work! 

Millie picked up the pace as she scrambled down several flights of stairs and bolted across the Atlantic deck to the theater. 

The theater was dark except for a dim light that beamed out from under the red velvet curtain.  Millie almost tripped over herself as she hurried around the seating and up the steps. 

The performers were in the back make-up area, preparing for the show.  Her eyes scanned the crowded room as she searched for Andy.  He was nowhere in sight.

One of the dancers, Alison, caught her eye.  She sauntered over.  “Looking for Andy?”

Millie nodded. 

Alison tugged on the edge of her sequined skirt. “He’s down handling the man overboard crisis,” she explained.

Millie let out the breath she’d been holding.  Of course Andy would be there – which would give her the perfect excuse to check it out herself!

“Where are they?”

Alison looked around. “Down in medical.” she leaned in.  “I heard the guy was DOA.”

“You mean the passenger is dead?” This was not good.  Not good at all.  The ship hadn’t left port more than a couple hours ago and they already had a fatality.  “Are we turning back?”

Alison shook her head.  “You would think so but the suits said no.  We continue on.”

Millie thanked her and made her way back out of the theater.  It was time to head to medical.

Security was tight outside the medical center and Doctor Gundervan’s office.  Two guards nodded to Millie as she squeezed past the growing crowd and made her way inside.

The front waiting room was empty.  Millie could hear voices coming from the back. The sound of a woman’s sobs filled the air. 

Millie stepped around the corner and her heart sank.  The poor young woman she had seen up on deck was in a chair, hunched over, her face buried in her hands. 

Andy stood nearby.  He patted her shoulder soothingly.  He gave Millie a quick look before leaning close to the woman. He whispered in her ear.

Captain Niccolo Armati was there, too.  He was off in the corner speaking to Dave Patterson, the head of security on board the ship.  Captain Armati glanced in Millie’s direction.  His look was unreadable, his eyes dark. 

Millie shivered.  For some reason, she got the distinct impression that he did not care for her.  She wasn’t sure why, though.  She’d only met him once and seen him around ship here and there.  It wasn’t like she had done anything wrong.  At least not that she could think of.

She eased over to Andy’s side.  “You might have to do introductions for the Welcome Aboard show tonight,” he muttered from the corner of his mouth. He gave her a hard stare.  “You can do it, Millie.”

A lump lodged in Millie’s throat.  She had only been on stage – in front of thousands of people – once, and Andy had been up there with her.  Now he was telling her she had to take over and open the show. 

What if she choked?  Or worse yet – fainted?  How embarrassing would that be?

The distraught woman began to cry again.  A wave of guilt washed over Millie.  Her biggest worry was stage fright.  This poor woman had just lost a loved one!  She stiffened her back and gave Andy a small salute.  “Yes, sir.  I’ll get the job done,” she assured him.  If only she felt as confident!

Millie wandered out of the room and wound her way through the growing crowd.  She wondered where they kept the bodies on board a ship.

She didn’t have to wonder long as she watched two men, dressed in black, push a gurney through an open door. On top of the gurney was a white sheet that covered what Millie could only guess was a body.

Standing near the outer fringes of the crowd were Cat and Annette.  They motioned her over to the other side of the corridor, out of earshot of the passengers. 

Millie cautiously approached.  She eyed Cat warily.  “Thanks for rescuing me when I was trapped in the elevator,” she said.

Cat gave a half shrug.  “I can’t stay mad.  Annette explained your side of it and it wasn’t really your fault I ended up in jail,” she admitted.

Millie took a step closer.  “Well, I want you to know that I’m really, really sorry,” she said sincerely.  “Truce?”  She extended her hand.

Cat put her hand in Millie’s hand.  “Truce.”

“Kiss and make up later,” Annette interrupted.  “So what happened?”

Millie told them everything she knew, including what she’d overheard from the witnesses. She patted her pocket.  “I took pictures.”

Cat’s green eyes gleamed with interest.  “Sounds like a new mystery to me!”

Annette faced Millie.  “Cat would make a nice addition to our team.”

Millie nodded.  Cat would make a good addition.  She had access to most of the passengers.  A lot more than Annette, who was stuck in the kitchen most of the time.

Annette lowered her voice. “We need to have a little pow-wow after we’re off duty.  You know, go over everything and take a look at Millie’s pictures.” 

The girls agreed to rendezvous at midnight in the library.  Because Millie was assistant cruise director, she had access to areas of the ship that other staff and crew did not, including the library after hours.

Millie’s heart was racing as she headed up the stairs and to the theater.  She wasn’t sure if it was the new mystery that was causing it – or the fact that soon she’d have to face thousands of guests on stage!

Zack waved his hand in the air, dismissing Millie’s rapidly growing fears.  “Millie, you’ll be fine.  You’re a born natural,” he told her. 

Millie frowned. 
She was a born natural, all right, but at what? That was the real question.

Millie chewed her bottom lip. “What if I pass out on stage?”

“Just pretend that all of the passengers are naked,” Zack suggested.

Millie sucked in a huge breath and pulled back the velvet curtain. She took a small step and then she froze in her tracks, unable to move forward.  Suddenly, she felt a hard shove in the middle of her back. 

Zack was pushing her!  Millie half-stumbled, half-stepped out onto the stage.  The lights were bright, almost blinding and it made it hard to see how many people were in the audience, which was probably a good thing.  She couldn’t see the crowd but she could sure hear them.  Like the sound of a roaring sea.  A sea of people.  The place was packed!

Millie had heard Andy’s Welcome Aboard presentation exactly one other time.  Millie turned the microphone on and lifted it to her mouth.  She pasted a smile across her face and started to talk about whatever came to mind, making it up as she went along. 

Millie had always been fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda gal and tonight it worked for her.

By the time her bit was over and she had introduced the singers and dancers, she walked across the stage: floated, really.  She was smiling and this time it was genuine. 

Zack winked at Millie as he passed her on his way out.  She gave him a grateful grin.  If not for his encouragement, she might not have done it.  Of course, the shove probably hadn’t hurt, either. 

When she hit the edge of the curtains, she ran smack dab into Andy, who was still applauding.  “Bravo, my dear! That was fabulous!”

Millie handed him the mike as she stepped off the stage.  The bright lights!  The adoring crowds!  Millie was on Cloud 9. 

Andy studied her glow. “Uh-oh.  I better watch out for Millie, the next cruise director of Siren of the Seas,” he teased.

Andy was a great boss and a great guy. He was from across the pond and she loved his British accent and his polite manners, something that was greatly lacking in today’s world.  The fact that he had given her the opportunity to work side-by-side and learn from him made her appreciate her boss even more.

Andy lowered his voice. “The passenger that went overboard.  He died.” Millie nodded.  She knew she needed to start her investigation promptly.  The more time that passed, the less the witnesses would remember. 

Andy went on to say that the girlfriend, Courtney Earhart, would disembark and return home tomorrow during the ship’s first stop in Nassau in the morning.

Millie patted her pocket and her cell phone.  She and the girls would study the pictures later, try to get near the passengers who had witnessed the horrific fall – or happened to be at the scene of the accident. 

First on her list was to get as close as possible to Courtney Earhart, or her friends, to see what she could find out. 

Andy set his mouth in a grim line as he watched the dancers shimmy and shake on stage.  Overboards were the worst, in his opinion.  An expert in cruise ship mishaps had come aboard for a talk with the entire crew and staff not long ago.  He described all the various scenarios for accidents on board a cruise ship. He also gave them the warning signs to watch for. 

The expert described what falling off the side of a cruise ship would feel like and it wasn’t pretty.  Depending on how the person hit the water, it would feel something akin to crashing onto a cement sidewalk at a horrific speed.  “The young woman that was with him.  His girlfriend is already talking about suing,” Andy told her.

Andy turned his attention from the stage to Millie.  His eyes narrowed.  “I don’t suppose you happened to…”

Millie finished his sentence.  “…be up on deck right after it happened?”  She patted her phone inside her pocket.  “As a matter of fact, I was up on the lido, checking on the sail away party, which you told me to do,” she reminded him.

Andy grinned.  “Good girl.  And?”

“Well.   When I heard the horn blast and the ‘MOB’ crackle over the speaker, I knew something had happened.  I saw a crowd gathering up in the VIP area so I headed that way.”

Andy crossed his arms.  He rocked back on his heels.  “Go on.”

“So I weaseled my way into the thick of things.  You know, it’s easier to put your ear to the ground so-to-speak if you’re close by. I overheard a couple talking about a young woman and the man that went overboard.”

Andy stopped her.  “You don’t happen to remember what they looked like?”

Millie reached into her pocket and pulled her cellphone out.  “It’s all right here.  In case they needed to be questioned or what-not.”

She handed the phone to Andy.  He studied the first photo and swiped the screen to the next. There were several different shots.  Millie had been thorough.  She had snapped photos of the witnesses, the young woman.  She even had a clear picture of the rescue boat in the water. 

He stopped on the last frame.  He frowned at the screen.  His head shot up.  “What was Zack Smythe doing up on deck?  He was supposed to be back here practicing for tonight’s show!”