Fatal Flirtation: A Cruise Ship Mystery (Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 13) Read online

  Fatal Flirtation

  Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series

  Book 13

  Hope Callaghan

  hopecallaghan.com

  Copyright © 2018

  All rights reserved.

  ***** *****

  This book is a work of fiction. Although places mentioned may be real, the characters, names and incidents, and all other details are products of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual organizations, events, or actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

  ______________________________

  Visit my website for new releases and special offers: hopecallaghan.com

  Thank you to these wonderful ladies who help make my books shine - Peggy H., Cindi G., Jean P., Wanda D. and Barbara W. for taking the time to preview Fatal Flirtation, for the extra sets of eyes and for catching all of my mistakes.

  A special THANKS to my reader review team!

  Alice, Amary, Barbara, Becky, Brinda, Cassie, Charlene, Christina, Debbie, Dee, Denota, Devan, Grace, Jan, Jo-Ann, Joyce, Jean K., Jean M., Katherine, Lynne, Megan, Melda, Kat, Linda, Lynne, Pat, Patsy, Paula, Rebecca, Renate, Rita, Shelba, Tamara, Valerie, Vicki and Virginia.

  CONTENTS

  Complete List of Books

  Cast of Characters

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  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

  Books in This Series

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  Get All Of Hope Callaghan’s Books Here

  Meet Author Hope Callaghan

  Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

  Complete List of Books

  (Click Links Below To Buy or Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited)

  Audiobooks

  (On Sale Now or FREE with Audible Trial)

  Key to Savannah: Book 1 (Made in Savannah Series)

  Road to Savannah: Book 2 (Made in Savannah Series)

  Justice in Savannah: Book 3 (Made in Savannah Series)

  Swag in Savannah: Book 4(Made in Savannah Series)

  Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery Series

  A recently divorced senior lands her dream job as Assistant Cruise Director onboard a mega passenger cruise ship and soon discovers she’s got a knack for solving murders.

  Starboard Secrets: Book 1

  Portside Peril: Book 2

  Lethal Lobster: Book 3

  Deadly Deception: Book 4

  Vanishing Vacationers: Book 5

  Cruise Control: Book 6

  Killer Karaoke: Book 7

  Suite Revenge: Book 8

  Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’: Book 9

  High Seas Heist: Book 10

  Family, Friends and Foes: Book 11

  Murder on Main: Book 12

  Fatal Flirtation: Book 13

  Deadly Delivery: Book 14

  Reindeer & Robberies: Book 15

  Transatlantic Tragedy: Book 16

  Southampton Stalker: Book 17

  Book 18: Coming Soon!

  Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Box Set I (Books 1-3)

  Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Box Set II (Books 4-6)

  Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Box Set III (Books 7-9)

  Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Box Set IV (Books 10-12)

  Divine Cozy Mystery Series

  After relocating to the tiny town of Divine, Kansas, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to businesswoman, Jo Pepperdine and those around her.

  Divine Intervention: Book 1

  Divine Secrets: Book 2

  Divine Blindside: Book 3

  Divine Decisions: Book 4

  Divine Christmas: Book 5

  Divine Cozy Mystery Book 6 (Coming Soon!)

  Samantha Rite Mystery Series

  Heartbroken after her recent divorce, a single mother is persuaded to book a cruise and soon finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly adventure. Will she make it out alive?

  Waves of Deception: Book 1

  Winds of Deception: Book 2

  Tides of Deception: Book 3

  Samantha Rite Box Set – (Books 1-3-The Complete Series)

  Garden Girls Cozy Mystery Series

  A lonely widower finds new purpose for her life when she and her senior friends help solve a murder in their small Midwestern town.

  Who Murdered Mr. Malone? Book 1

  Grandkids Gone Wild: Book 2

  Smoky Mountain Mystery: Book 3

  Death by Dumplings: Book 4

  Eye Spy: Book 5

  Magnolia Mansion Mysteries: Book 6

  Missing Milt: Book 7

  Bully in the ‘Burbs: Book 8

  Fall Girl: Book 9

  Home for the Holidays: Book 10

  Sun, Sand, and Suspects: Book 11

  Look Into My Ice: Book 12

  Forget Me Knot: Book 13

  Nightmare in Nantucket: Book 14

  Greed with Envy: Book 15

  Dying for Dollars: Book 16

  Stranger Among Us: Book 17

  Dash For Cash: Book 18

  Arsonist and Lace: Book 19

  Court of Corruption: Book 20

  Framed in Florida: Book 21

  Murder on Summer Lane: Book 22

  Alien Allure: Book 23

  Book 24: Coming Soon!

  Garden Girls Box Set I – (Books 1-3)

  Garden Girls Box Set II – (Books 4-6)

  Garden Girls Box Set III – (Books 7-9)

  Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery Series

  A mother and daughter try to escape their family’s NY mob ties by making a fresh start in Savannah, GA but they soon realize you can run but you can’t hide from the past.

  Key to Savannah: Book 1

  Road to Savannah: Book 2

  Justice in Savannah: Book 3

  Swag in Savannah: Book 4

  Trouble in Savannah: Book 5

  Missing in Savannah: Book 6

  Setup in Savannah: Book 7

  Merry Masquerade: Book 8

  The Family Affair: Book 9

  Pirates in Peril: Book 10

  Matrimony & Mayhem: Book 11

  Swiped in Savannah: Book 12

  Turmoil in Savannah: Book 13

  Book 14: Coming Soon!

  Made in Savannah Box Set I (Books 1-3)

  Made in Savannah Box Set II (Books 4-6)

  Sweet Southern Sleuths Short Stories Series

  Twin sisters with completely opposite personalities become amateur sleuths when a dead body is discovered in their recently inherited home in Misery, Mississippi.

  Teepees and Trailer Parks: Book 1

  Bag of Bones: Book 2

  Southern Stalker: Book 3

  Two Settle the Score: Book 4

  Killer Road Trip: Book 5

  Pups in Peril: Book 6

  Dying To Get Married-In: Book 7

  D
eadly Drive-In: Book 8

  Secrets of a Stranger: Book 9

  Library Lockdown: Book 10

  Vandals & Vigilantes: Book 11

  Fatal Frolic: Book 12

  Sweet Southern Sleuths Box Set I: (Books 1-4)

  Sweet Southern Sleuths Box Set: II: (Books 5-8)

  Sweet Southern Sleuths Box Set III: (Books 9-12)

  Sweet Southern Sleuths 12 Book Box Set (Entire Series)

  Cozy Mystery Collections

  Cozy Mysteries Collection (Heart and Holiday Edition)

  Cozy Mysteries 12 Book Box Set: (Garden Girls & Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery Series)

  Fall Into Murder 6 Book Fall Themed Cozy Mystery Collection

  Cozy Mysteries Cookbook (Free w/Newsletter signup)

  Cozy Mysteries Cookbook-Recipes from Hope Callaghan Books

  Cast of Characters

  Mildred Sanders. Mildred “Millie” Sanders, heartbroken after her husband left her for one of his clients, decides to take a position as assistant cruise director aboard the mega cruise ship, Siren of the Seas. From day one, she discovers she has a knack for solving mysteries, which is a good thing since some sort of crime is always being committed on the high seas.

  Recently remarried to the ship’s captain, Millie has embarked on a new adventure onboard Siren of the Seas.

  Annette Delacroix. Director of Food and Beverage on board Siren of the Seas, Annette has a secret past and is the perfect accomplice in Millie’s investigations. Annette is the “Jill of all Trades” and isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and help out her friend in need.

  Catherine “Cat” Wellington. Cat is the most cautious of the group of friends and prefers to help Millie from the sidelines. But when push comes to shove, Cat can be counted on to risk life and limb in the pursuit of justice.

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  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

  Chapter 1

  “Millie, do you copy?”

  Millie Sanders-Armati forced one eye open. Still half-asleep, she squinted at the walkie-talkie sitting on the nightstand next to her bed.

  She shifted onto her elbow and gazed at the alarm clock, which was sitting right next to her radio. It was five-fifteen a.m. The alarm wasn’t set to go off until five-thirty, her normal wakeup time to begin her shift for turnaround day on board the mega cruise ship, Siren of the Seas.

  Andy Walker, Millie’s boss and the ship’s cruise director, was interrupting her last fifteen minutes of sleep, not that she’d slept well anyway.

  Millie’s new husband, Captain Nic Armati, had already left their apartment to begin his workday over an hour ago.

  Nic was responsible for assisting the harbor pilot and guiding the ship into the Biscayne Bay. Not only was he at the helm to help guide the ship into port, he was in charge of docking the massive ship between two others…all before the early hour of six a.m.

  Millie didn’t mind Saturdays, the turnaround days, when the ship’s current passengers disembarked and another round of excited vacationers boarded for a week of fun in the sun.

  The upcoming week was going to be extra busy for Millie, the ship’s assistant cruise director. The Siren of the Seas was welcoming several large groups of passengers, including the Nutty Knitters, a group of fifty plus crafters from throughout the U.S., as well as a large group celebrating their family reunion.

  The Turner family had already supplied Andy with a list of “demands,” special events they wanted incorporated into their gathering. The family had paid handsomely for the extra events and Andy, who was anxious to make sure the week went off without a hitch, had asked Millie to help him coordinate the activities.

  And if that wouldn’t keep her busy enough, Nadia and Regan Leclerc, their friends from the island of St. Martin, where Millie and Nic had honeymooned, were joining them for a week. Siren of the Seas would pick the couple up during their port stop in Philipsburg.

  Millie had taken care of all of the couple’s embarkation and cabin details, making sure their friends, who had been key in giving Millie and Nic the honeymoon of their dreams, enjoyed a pampered and relaxing week on board the ship.

  Her plans had been perfect until Andy threw the large family reunion into the mix.

  “Millie, do you copy?”

  Millie groaned as she reached for the radio. “Go ahead, Andy.”

  “Did I wake you?”

  “Yeah, but it’s okay. What’s up?”

  “I need you to meet me in Donovan Sweeney’s office ASAP. Can you be there in about ten minutes?”

  Millie briefly closed her eyes. “Sure, if I don’t brush my teeth, take a potty break and you don’t mind if I show up wearing my pajamas.”

  “I can handle everything but the pajama part,” Andy teased. “I’ll give you fifteen to get here.”

  “How generous. See you in a few.” Millie set the radio on the nightstand. She flung the covers off and sprang from the bed, all the while wondering why Andy wanted her to attend an early morning meeting.

  She could count on one hand the number of times Andy had called her to an early meeting on turnaround day, and each time it had involved some sort of crisis. This was not the way Millie wanted to start her day.

  Luckily, Millie had already hung her work uniform on the bathroom hook the night before, and was ready to go. She ran a quick brush through her hair before smoothing it with her hands and expertly twisting it into a tidy bun.

  She brushed her teeth and then hurriedly dressed. With a quick glance in the mirror, she grabbed her shoes and ran out of the room.

  Scout, their teacup Yorkie, was waiting for her on the other side of the door. “Oh, I bet you need to go out.”

  She scooped Scout up and clambered down the stairs to the balcony door. Millie set the small pup on the balcony and he trotted to the other end. Scout loved the morning ritual of Millie tossing his ball and then rewarding him with treats, but she didn’t have time.

  She coaxed him back inside and gave him a pat on the head. “I’m sorry, Scout. I’ll take you out later. I promise.”

  Millie gave him a quick smooch and grabbed her lanyard off the kitchen counter before darting into the hall.

  Nic, Antonio Vitale, the ship’s staff captain, and a man Millie recognized as the harbor pilot stood close to the wall of windows, talking in low voices.

  “You’re out early,” Nic said as Millie crossed the bridge.

  “Andy wants me to meet him in Donovan’s office. I’ll see you later.” She gave Nic a wave without missing a step as she hastily exited through the bridge door.

  Millie hustled down the stairs until she reached deck five and guest services. The guest services desk was quiet. Soon, it would be a buzz of activity with passengers anxious to speak with an employee about their onboard account and final bill.

  Guest services was the one area where Millie would hate to have to work. Dealing with customer complaints, especially the complaints on the last day of the cruise when the sticker shock of the spa services, gift shop goodies, excursion packages and beverage purchases were all tallied and totaled, and where the bill literally became due wasn’t something she would enjoy.

  “Miss Millie.” The guest services employee smiled as Millie swung the door open and stepped behind the counter. “You’re here early.”

  “Andy summoned me for an emergency meeting. Is he here?” She motioned toward Donovan’s office door.

  “Yes.”

  Millie thanked the woman and rapped lightly on the door before turning the knob and sticking her head inside. “Party for three?”

  Donovan was seated behind his desk. “Come in. You’re right on time.”

  “Barely.” Millie stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

  “I br
ought you a peace offering.” Andy held out a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks.” Millie gratefully accepted the drink, savoring the rich aroma before sipping the hot brew. “Let me guess…you dragged me down here to tell me we have another large group of family members boarding for this week’s cruise.”

  “No.” Andy shook his head. “I wish it was another reunion.”

  Alarmed by the tone of Andy’s voice, Millie quickly sobered. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Andy glanced at his watch. “Danielle is on her way. I would like to wait for her to arrive before I explain.”

  “I heard my name.” Danielle slipped into Donovan’s office. Millie grinned at the sight of her young co-worker, whose shirt was untucked and hair was sticking up on the back of her head.

  Millie reached out and patted her hair. “Did you just crawl out of bed?”

  “Of course I did.” Danielle swatted Millie’s hand away and smoothed her hair. “Andy made it sound like the ship was on fire or something.”

  “Not on fire, but close,” Andy said. “You both might want to have a seat.” He turned to Donovan. “I’ll let you tell them.”

  Chapter 2

  “It appears this upcoming week’s cruise is going to be a little rough,” Donovan said.

  Danielle snorted. “You dragged me out of bed at this hour to tell me the cruise is going to be a little rough? Of course, it’s going to be a little rough. The Turner Family Reunion will take over half the ship and Andy promised them the moon.”

  “No,” Donovan shook his head. “Perhaps I worded it wrong. There’s a hurricane brewing out in the Atlantic. Hurricane Imelda models show us in the ring of probability to be in the storm’s path. Corporate made the decision to continue on the scheduled itinerary with the possibility of a diversion to the west and then north. We won’t know for sure for a couple of days.”

  Millie eyed Donovan over the rim of her cup. “I don’t understand. Why not switch the itinerary and move out of the storm’s path?” She quickly closed her mouth. If they switched itineraries, Regan and Nadia wouldn’t be able to join them on the cruise.