Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series: Box Set: Books 1-3 Read online

  Millie nodded. She had never seen a picture of Toby before. She remembered that someone had mentioned he had a crush on Olivia. Millie studied the photos one more time and then handed the phone back to Donovan. “Thanks for showing those to me.”

  Donovan slipped the phone in his front pants pocket. “Listen, I didn’t care for Olivia all that much either. I mean, she wasn’t that nice of a person, but she didn’t deserve to die.”

  He paused as they watched a young couple stroll past. He gave a small nod and waited until they were out of earshot. “Honestly, I’m not sure how hard the investigators here on board are working the case since Dave Patterson had an intense dislike for Olivia, too.”

  Chapter 13

  Millie turned startled eyes to Donovan. The fact that Detective Patterson didn’t like Oliva shouldn’t have come as a surprise. It seemed like the only people on the ship who liked her either were dating her or related to her.

  Millie’s eyes narrowed. The list of suspects was growing by the minute. At this rate, she would never be able to figure out who killed Olivia! Unless, of course, she went with Annette’s idea to set up some sort of sting and it was beginning to look like their only viable option.

  She didn’t mention the sting to Donovan. He was on the list of suspects, too. Heck, everyone was at this point!

  She thanked him again for his time and stood. She wanted to head back to the cabin to mull over the new information.

  As she wound her way around the ship, she focused on the killer’s weapon – the spider. Someone surely must have noticed the spider and small terrarium somewhere along the way. The killer had to have sneaked the spider on board, which means they would have purchased it in port!

  She snapped her fingers and glanced at her watch. Annette was off the clock now. If she was lucky, Millie could catch up with her in the kitchen.

  Millie took the steps two at a time. She power-walked the rest of the way to the kitchen.

  She pushed on the gleaming stainless steel door that connected the prep area to the kitchen. She stood on her tiptoes and peeked in through the large, round window. She let out a sigh of relief when she spied the top of Annette’s dark head as she moved back and forth.

  Millie shoved the door open. “I’m glad you’re still here!”

  Annette pulled her head from the deep freezer and spun around. “Oh! I’m all wound up about the stakeout so I thought I’d come down here and whip up some treats for my crew,” she said. “You know, a surprise for them when they get here in the morning.”

  Millie eyed the counter, covered in baking supplies. “What’re you making?”

  “Good ole apple crisp!” Cooking always helped Annette sort through things.

  Millie stepped closer. “You mind if I help?”

  Annette plopped a large bag of honey crisp apples on the counter and pushed them forward. She pulled a knife from the rack and set it next to the bag. “You can slice the apples if you want.”

  Millie rolled up her sleeves and headed to the sink to wash her hands. She dried her hands on a nearby towel.

  Annette opened a drawer and grabbed a crisp, white apron. She handed it to Millie.

  Millie pulled the apron over her head and tied the strings in the back. She lifted a large, glass bowl from under the counter and set it next to the bag. She opened the bag, grabbed the knife and picked up an apple.

  Annette began to measure the sugars and flour and dump the dry ingredients in another bowl.

  Millie chopped the apple in half. “I was thinking about the spider. The one that killed Olivia.” She sliced the apple into thin pieces and tossed the pieces in the bottom of the bowl. “The killer must have somehow gotten the spider in port.”

  Annette scooped a measured cup of softened butter and scraped it into the bowl. “True,” she agreed.

  “I’m just thinking out loud, but it makes sense that they would’ve done it just before killing Olivia. You know, so there would be less chance that someone would discover the spider. I would think it would be hard to hide something like that.”

  Annette added nutmeg and cinnamon to the mixture and picked up a fork. She glanced up at Millie. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “So I was wondering,” Millie said, “what port did the ship stop in just before it docked in Miami? The day Olivia died.”

  Annette let go of the fork. She tapped her index finger on the side of her cheek. “Let me see. Hmm, that would’ve been Jamaica.”

  Annette picked the fork back up and began stirring the contents in the bowl. “We weren’t in port for very long. Maybe four or so hours and that wouldn’t give the killer much time to track down a spider.”

  Millie picked up where Annette left off. “Which means that it was close to port. A place that we might be able to find.”

  The girls finished the sentence together: “and we’ll be in Jamaica day after tomorrow!”

  Annette began to ramble. “Oh my gosh, Millie! We need to see if we can track down whoever sold a brown recluse!”

  The wheels in Millie’s head were spinning 90 miles an hour. “We’ll need pictures. You know, pictures of the suspects so we can take them around to show store owners.”

  Annette grabbed a measuring spoon. She shook the end at Millie. “And I have the perfect plan on how to get those pictures. We’ll start in the morning!”

  “How ‘bout a little Christian music?” Annette asked. She didn’t wait for an answer as she reached under the cabinet and pulled out a small portable radio. She plugged it into the outlet on the wall and turned it on. The band was one that was familiar to Millie. The women sang along as they worked on the crisp.

  She smiled when she caught Annette’s eye. It was nice to have a trusted friend. Someone she could talk to, that loved the Lord. It reminded her of a bible verse:

  “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26 NIV

  Two heads were better than one. That was Millie’s motto.

  By the time the girls finished the crisps and left them on the stainless steel counter to cool, it was after midnight and Millie was whupped. She had promised Andy she’d meet him in his office bright and early the next morning to go over the day’s schedule of events.

  A ship day at sea meant that there would be a full day of activities scheduled to keep the passengers entertained. Not that she minded. She would rather be busy than sitting around twiddling her thumbs.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning, Millie was up and ready to go before she even needed to be. She knocked sharply on Andy’s cabin door at precisely 6:50 a.m., a solid ten minutes ahead of schedule. She was pretty darn proud of herself!

  The door swung open and Andy, who was already dressed for the day, grinned down at Millie. “Ten minutes ahead of schedule. By George, I think you’ve got this timing thing down pat, my dear.”

  Millie beamed with pride as she stepped inside the room. “I hoped you would notice.”

  Andy motioned for her to have a seat across from his. This was the first time Millie had ever been in Andy’s cabin. They usually met in his small cubicle behind the stage.

  Millie was a bit envious of the size of his cabin, which was all his now that Toby was gone. If Millie had been a man, they would’ve shared the cabin but since she wasn’t, it was all his. She briefly wondered if that was one of the reasons he’d chosen a female – so he could have the space to himself.

  She gave a mental shrug. Either way, she was happy that he had. She pulled out a chair and eased into the seat, still a little sore from all the work she’d done on the island the day before.

  Tidy rows of papers spread out across the work surface. She listened as Andy mapped out the strategy for the day. She had to admire his level of organization. He had the day planned, right down to the very last event, the midnight chocolate extravaganza.

  Millie’s mouth watered at the thought of all those sweet treats. After going over even the tiniest of d
etails, Andy grabbed one of the stacks and handed it to Millie. “These are your assignments,” he informed her.

  He peered at her over the rim of his reading glasses. “Do you think you can handle all of that?”

  Millie nodded eagerly. Not only had he given her the trivia contest, she was in charge of bingo, which she personally loved to play, and the galley tours, which would give her the perfect opportunity to meet up with Annette later.

  She remembered the plan Annette and she had hatched the night before and that she needed to make excuses to take photos of the suspects. She whipped her cell phone out of her front pocket. “I was wondering if I might be able to take a picture of you. My kids will want to see who I’m working with.” She smiled innocently.

  Andy leaned back in his chair. He ran a hand through his sparse red locks. “I suppose.”

  Millie lifted the phone and snapped his picture. She took one more but didn’t dare push for a third. Two should be sufficient. She quickly turned off the phone and shoved it back in her pocket.

  She got to her feet and started for the door when she realized she’d been in such a hurry to impress Andy with her promptness, she hadn’t had time to make a pit stop in the bathroom and she’d had already consumed several cups of coffee.

  She pointed to Andy’s bathroom. “Do you mind if I use your bathroom?” she asked.

  Andy’s head was down as he studied his schedule. He looked up at Millie and shook his head. “No. Go right ahead.”

  Millie slipped inside and shut the door. She reached for the light and flipped it on. The room was full of men’s grooming items. A razor, some shave cream, a jar of Brylcreem. She lifted the jar. She hadn’t seen Brylcreem in years!

  She carefully set the jar back down and lifted the toilet seat. The bathroom was a bit bigger than the one she shared with Sarah. Not by much though.

  She finished her business, flushed the toilet then turned on the faucet. Out of the corner of her eye, something caught her attention. A luxury item. Medicine cabinets. Something she and Sarah didn’t have.

  She dried her hands and gently tugged the corner of the door. It swung silently open.

  She admired the space inside for several seconds and started to close the door when something caught her eye. The shelf was empty except for something that was peeking out of the top. Millie stuck her hand inside and felt around. She grabbed the item and lifted it out. It was a money clip.

  Millie knew she should put it back and stop snooping but she couldn’t help herself. Something told her to check the inside. Her fingers fumbled inside the compartments as she felt around.

  It appeared to be empty and she was just about to put it back where she found it when her finger touched a slip of paper tucked in the very bottom of the last compartment. She slid the paper out and unfolded the sheet. It was a receipt but she didn’t have her glasses and the letters were blurry.

  She moved it away in an attempt to get an idea of what it said. “K---ston Pet -----.” Her heart began to flutter. Could this be a receipt for a pet store?

  She heard a commotion coming from outside the door. Andy must wonder what on earth she was doing in his bathroom. She quickly pulled her phone from her pocket, switched it to on and snapped a photo.

  Her fingers fumbled as she rushed to replace the piece of paper in the compartment and shove it back in the cabinet. She quietly closed the cabinet door and took a deep breath.

  Andy was staring at her as she stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door. She did the only thing she could think of. She clutched her stomach. “Gotta watch those spicy chicken wings,” she moaned.

  Andy was at a loss for words. Almost. “I hope you’re alright.”

  Millie covered her mouth to hide a grin that was threatening to escape.

  Millie waved her hand. “I’ll be okay.” She pointed to the bathroom. “I hope I didn’t drop the green fog,” she added.

  Andy’s eyes darted to the door. “I-I’ll be sure to give it a little time to – ahem – clear out.”

  Millie grabbed her stack of papers. “I better get over to the gym and make sure the girls are ready for the early riser’s yoga class.” She grabbed the door handle and twisted. She patted the radio clipped to her belt. “Call me if you need me.”

  She didn’t want for an answer as she headed out the door and down the hall. The look on Andy’s face was priceless. Millie dissolved into fits of laughter at the look of horror on his face when she mentioned the green fog.

  The smile quickly disappeared as she remembered the receipt in the cabinet. She’d have to look at the picture later. She sent up a small prayer, hoping that it wasn’t what she suspected it was: a pet store receipt.

  Millie spent the rest of the day working through her schedule. Despite the hectic pace, she was able to get pictures of everyone on her suspect list. Everyone that is, except for Cat. Every time she stopped by the gift shop, the place was packed. It didn’t help that they were having their famous “gold-by-the-inch” sale.

  Millie watched the throngs of people milling about. She rolled her eyes as she watched two women elbow each other at the 50% off table. You’d think they were giving the stuff away!

  She only had time to grab a quick chicken wrap sandwich in between events and it was now just after 7:00. The main show in the theater was in full swing, which gave Millie a chance to wander up to the buffet.

  Tonight’s themed dinner was All American. Millie’s favorite food. She grabbed a tray and started down the line. She loaded a slice of pepperoni pizza on her plate, along with a hot dog, potato salad and a large scoop of coleslaw. On her way out, she grabbed a small serving of apple crisp that looked vaguely familiar.

  Her mouth watered as she balanced the heavy tray in search of a quiet corner. She spied Annette’s familiar brown head, her back turned toward her. Millie picked up the pace and zigzagged across the room.

  “Hey stranger,” Millie called out, just before she reached the table.

  Annette whirled around, a piece of ham and cheese pizza halfway to her mouth. Her eyebrows rose as she glanced at Millie’s stacked tray.

  Millie set the tray on the table and pulled out the chair. “I’m starving.”

  Annette pointed at the hot dog. “Where did you get that?”

  “Over there.” Millie nodded in the direction she’d just come from. The hot dog was loaded. Onions, catsup, mustard, and chili sauce.

  She unfolded her napkin and set it in her lap. “You’ll never guess what happened today.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and turned it on. She slipped her glasses on and scrolled to the picture she had taken of the piece of paper she found in the wallet in Andy’s bathroom cabinet.

  The words were clear as a bell now. Her heart thumped in her chest as she read the words. “I found this in Andy’s bathroom.” She handed the phone to Annette.

  Annette took the phone and pulled it close. She lifted her head and peered at it through the bottom of her glasses. “Kingston Pet Store, Kingston, Jamaica.”

  Annette’s bright blue eyes widened. “Andy is the killer,” she whispered.

  Millie shut the phone off and slipped it back in her pocket. “We’ll know tomorrow after we track down this pet store and show them Andy’s picture,” she told her.

  Millie was so depressed at the thought that Andy was Olivia’s killer, she couldn’t even muster a level of enthusiasm for the Chocolate Extravaganza. All she could do was wonder how such a nice man could be a killer. She remembered his fiancé. Maybe he couldn’t help himself. He killed the women he loved.

  What if he became obsessed with her? A chill ran up her spine at the thought. She really needed to stop watching Lifetime TV.

  Millie forced herself to try a few bites of chocolate covered bacon and chocolate chunk brownie before heading back to the cabin. The chocolate made her feel slightly better. She patted her pocket. She had packed a few peanut butter chocolate bars in her pocket in case of an emergency.

  Chapter 15
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  Millie tossed and turned all night. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was crawling around by her feet, but every time she checked, there was nothing there.

  She woke abruptly to the sounds of soft snores coming from the upper bunk. It was dark. Of course, the cabin was always dark when the lights were off, which made it hard to tell if it was the middle of the night or middle of the day.

  She stumbled out of bed and crept up the three short steps to the bathroom. The worst part of having a roommate was trying to be quiet.

  In the bathroom, she turned on the faucet, filled her hands with cold water and splashed it on her face. After she finished brushing her teeth, she pulled on a pair of yellow capris and a sleeveless cotton blouse. She gave her gray locks a quick run through with the comb and pulled them back into a tight bun before flipping the light switch off.

  She lifted the door handle and slowly eased it open. She needn’t have bothered. Sarah was wide-awake and sitting upright in bed, the TV remote in her hand as she flipped through the channels.

  Sarah lifted her hands over her head, easily touching the low ceiling. She yawned and eyed Millie sleepily. “Where are you sneaking off to so early?”

  Sarah knew that Millie had a full schedule yesterday, which meant she had most of today off. She hopped off the top bunk and landed on the floor with a thud. “Let me guess! You’re going sleuthing,” she said.

  Millie wrinkled her nose. “How did you know?”

  Sarah reached around the side of Millie and grabbed her clothes before heading to the bathroom. “Don’t forget your secret suspect list.” She winked then stepped into the bathroom and quietly closed the door behind her.

  Millie scowled. How did Sarah know about the secret suspect list? Even Annette hadn’t seen the list!

  She grabbed her backpack, loaded it with the important stuff: bottled water, her phone, her passport, some cash and last but not least, the list, which she had tucked under the edge of her mattress.