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

  Chapter 2

  Millie wandered around aimlessly until she remembered the kind woman at the counter had given her a map. Millie fished it from her purse, slipped her glasses on and studied the ship’s layout.

  Millie was still studying the diagram when a young man stopped to help. “You looking for the crew quarters?”

  Millie nodded. “Yes. I have no idea where I’m going.”

  The young man pointed to the elevator. “Take this to Deck 2. When you get off, turn right and you’ll see a set of stairs. Go down one flight. Turn left and head straight out through the door that says “Employees only.”

  Millie thanked him and headed to the elevator, repeating his instructions in her head. Millie’s memory wasn’t as sharp as it used to be. Unless, of course, it was something unimportant. Like remembering that Roger’s favorite snack was trail mix. The one with coconut. Or that he liked his white socks on the left hand side of the dresser drawer and his black socks on the right.

  She shook her head and she scolded herself. He has no business occupying real estate inside your brain.

  Eventually Millie found the door and stepped through. It was like entering a different world. The first thing that came to mind was that it was dark. Everything around her was a shade of drab gray.

  She wrinkled her nose. Several stomach churning smells assailed her nostrils at the same time. The smell of stale cigarette smoke, rotting vegetables and sweat. Millie swallowed hard and forced herself to keep moving.

  She found her way to the employee quarters and her assigned cabin. She inserted her brand new key card in the slot and pushed the door open. She flipped on the light switch and stepped inside.

  Her heart sank. The room was small. The entire cabin was no larger than the back deck on her house.

  She was still standing there trying to get over the shock when someone came crashing through the door behind her. The door handle whacked Millie in the back, propelling her into the room. She lurched forward. Millie thrust her hand out to grab onto the edge of the bunk to steady herself.

  “Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!”

  Millie kept one hand on the bed as she turned around. Standing behind her was a petite woman with jet-black hair and olive colored skin. “Are you okay?”

  Millie nodded. “I’m fine,” she reassured her.

  The young woman held out a slender hand. “You must be Mildred. I’m Sarah, your cabin mate.”

  Millie took the hand and shook it lightly. “Nice to meet you, my dear,” she said. “You can call me Millie.”

  The young woman’s eyes glazed over as she looked past Millie’s shoulder. “This room is tiny!”

  A set of bunk beds took up most of the small space. Across from the bunk beds was a half desk that had seen better days. Above that was a TV that looked to be about the same age as the desk. On the other side of the small desk was a door.

  From where she was standing, Millie could open the door without taking a single step. In fact, she could touch the bunk beds with one hand and the door handle with the other.

  She took a single step, pulled the door open, and peered inside. It was a bathroom. She flipped on the light and blinked at the tiny space.

  Sarah looked over Millie’s shoulder. “That is our bathroom?”

  Millie started to chuckle, which made Sarah giggle. Soon, the two doubled over in laughter.

  “Wait! Wait!” Millie took a step up and into the closet size bath. Her shower at home was bigger than the entire bath! She plopped down on the toilet lid and stretched out her arms.

  Millie’s fingertips touched the back wall of the shower and the mirror over the sink at the same time. “Great. We can save time. Brush our teeth and shower all at once,” Millie joked.

  Sarah wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She looked back at the narrow bunk beds. “I’ll take the top bunk if you don’t mind.”

  Millie followed her gaze. The space between the top bunk and ceiling was tight. She raised an eyebrow. “Now, dear. If you’re sure. I don’t mind taking the top bunk…”

  Sarah raised a hand. “I insist.”

  Millie wasn’t looking for special treatment, but she wisely caved on this one. She was a bit on the claustrophobic side and the fact that one couldn’t even sit upright in the top bunk without hitting their head wasn’t lost on her.

  She eyed the floor-to-ceiling closets near the door. “Let’s make a deal. Since you gave up the lower bunk, you get your pick of closets,” Millie bargained.

  Sarah smiled. “It’s a deal.” She stepped over to the closets and opened one of the doors. The closets were larger than they looked. She peered in the second closet. It was identical to the first. “I’ll take the one on the right,” she decided.

  Millie backed up and pulled out the small chair in front of the desk. “You go ahead and unpack first.”

  It didn’t take long for Sarah to unload her small suitcase. She placed a pile of neatly folded clothes on the small shelf, and then hung the two dresses she’d brought with her on the hangers.

  Sarah’s friend, Nikki, had told Sarah to pack light. Since the crew had to wear uniforms, there was no sense in packing a bunch of extra clothes. They would have limited hours off. The hours that they did have off, they would probably spend sleeping. She was glad she had taken her friend’s advice.

  Nikki, Sarah’s friend, was on her second year contract on board the ship, the Siren of the Seas, and Sarah had hoped they’d be sharing a cabin. At first, she was a bit disappointed to have Millie as her roommate, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized this might work out better. Less partying, less drama.

  Millie made small talk as she watched Sarah unpack. “So what will you be doing on board the ship?” she asked.

  Sarah placed her tennis shoes on the closet floor and turned her gaze to Millie. “I’ll be working in the dining room,” she told her. “My friend, Nikki, works on this ship. She’s the one that got me the job.”

  She stepped back from the closet and closed the door. “What about you?”

  Millie grabbed her small suitcase and shuffled over to the closet that was now hers. She unzipped the case and opened the lid. “Assistant cruise director.”

  Millie caught the small lift of Sarah’s eyebrows. She knew Sarah was surprised. She didn’t look like she’d be in charge of entertainment. In fact, she didn’t look like she’d be the head of anything. She still wasn’t 100% sure how she even got the job.

  “That sounds like a fascinating job,” Sarah admitted.

  Millie pulled her few belongings from the suitcase and carefully placed them on the shelves. She hung her two skirts and three blouses on the empty hangers. She had brought one pair of pumps, which she was wearing, a pair of navy blue sneakers and some black work shoes.

  In the very bottom of the bag was a picture of her children and her. Her daughter, Beth. Beth’s husband, David, and their two children - Millie’s grandchildren - Noah and Bella. Also in the picture was her son, Blake, and of course, Millie herself.

  She blinked back sudden tears. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind and reality was finally sinking in. She was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. An almost yearlong commitment to the high seas. Miles and miles away from her family and friends.

  Sarah’s heart went out to Millie as she gazed at the picture. She couldn’t imagine leaving her family like that. She wondered what had happened that would make someone – especially someone her age – leave everything behind.

  She watched as Millie carefully placed the picture frame in the corner of the small desk. “You have a lovely family, Millie,” Sarah told her.

  Millie glanced back at Sarah, who was now sitting on the edge of the lower bunk. “They think I’m crazy,” she admitted. She smoothed the edge of her blouse and studied the photo.

  Before Sarah could reply, there was a light tap on the cabin door.

  Sarah made it from the bed to the door in four short strides. She opened it a cra
ck and peered out. It was her friend, Nikki.

  She swung the door open and Nikki stepped in. At first, the young woman didn’t notice Millie. “Well. What do you think?”

  Sarah scrunched up her nose. “I know you told me the room would be small but – wow! This is teeny!”

  “Don’t worry. The only thing you’ll be doing in here is sleeping and showering,” she reassured her friend. “Have you met your cabin mate yet?”

  Millie cleared her throat.

  Nikki peeked around Sarah’s shoulder. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you!”

  Millie stepped forward and extended her hand. “I’m Mildred. But you can call me Millie,” she told the young woman.

  Nikki took her hand in a warm grip. Her eyes studied Millie. It dawned on her that this was the new assistant cruise director. “I’ve heard all about you.”

  Good, I hope. Millie thought.

  Nikki turned back to Sarah. “The staff meeting is at five down in the employee dining room,” she explained. She glanced at her watch. “I can show you around if you’d like to see where the crew hangs out.” She included Millie. “You can come, too.”

  There certainly wasn’t much else to do and with three people in the cabin, the walls were really starting to close in. She nodded. “If you don’t mind me tagging along.”

  Millie followed the young women out the door. I hope the entire crew on board isn’t in their 20’s or I’m going to stand out like a sore thumb, she decided.

  The three of them walked for what seemed like forever. The corridor stretched out as far as the eye could see.

  “Welcome to what the crew nicknamed I-95. You know, like the highway,” Nikki said.

  Millie and Sarah didn’t have time to answer. They stopped in front of a set of large, glass doors.

  “Here’s the crew mess,” Nikki announced. It was the crew dining room. They stepped inside and made their way to the end of the buffet line. The place was bustling with activity.

  Millie reached for an empty tray and scooted down the line. She grabbed a side salad, a sandwich and a small bag of potato chips. Nikki nodded to a few people she passed as she led the girls to a table in the corner.

  Millie set her food on the table and the tray to the side. She unfolded her napkin and plucked out a dinner fork. She looked up at Nikki. “Do you work in the dining room, too?” she asked.

  Nikki lifted the top of her hamburger bun and squeezed a glob of catsup on the patty. She shook her head. “Nope. I work at the guest services desk.”

  Millie twirled the straw inside the water glass. She shook her head. “That wouldn’t be for me,” she admitted. “You’ve probably heard it all.”

  “And then some,” Nikki grinned. “Ah, the stories I could tell.”

  She went on. “So you’re the new assistant CD.”

  Millie nodded. “I’m still not quite sure how I got the job.” Millie opened the bag of potato chips and pulled one out.

  “So what’s my boss like?” Millie was more than a little curious about her new boss. She prayed that they would hit it off.

  “Andrew Walker. You’ll like him,” Nikki told her.

  Sarah plucked a fry from her plate and dipped it in the ketchup. “Did you see the body they took out near the bar on Deck 5 earlier?”

  Millie scrunched her eyebrows and nodded. “It must’ve happened right before I got on.”

  Nikki set her burger on her plate. “I didn’t see what happened but it’s all the buzz around here. Her name was Olivia LaShay. I heard she died.”

  Millie glanced down at the salad still on her plate. The thought of a dead person made her stomach churn. She pushed her plate away.

  Apparently, the idea of a dead person didn’t bother Nikki. She pulled her piece of chocolate cream pie forward, picked up her fork and took a big bite. “She worked in the gift shop upstairs.”

  Nikki looked around then leaned in. “Someone said she was poisoned!”

  Sarah paused, mid-bite. “Before she got on the ship?”

  Nikki shook her head. “I don’t know. The details are kind of sketchy right now. No one seems to know and the big shots, they’re keeping a tight lid on info so far, so it’s pretty much just gossip at this point.”

  She turned to Millie. “I bet you could find out more since Andy was one of the first people on the scene when she collapsed.”

  Millie wondered if he had been the one waving people away. “What does he look like? Andy, I mean.”

  Nikki opened her arms. “He’s about this wide and balding on top. And he has a loud voice, like he’s yelling all the time,” she added.

  Millie nodded. Andy was the man she had seen earlier. Her boss. Hopefully he was a decent guy. “So you like him?”

  Nikki nodded. “Yeah. From what I know. Of course, I don’t know him all that well. He doesn’t mingle much with the crew.” She changed her voice and added a British accent. “I bloody well hope he’s a decent chap for your sake.”

  Millie chuckled at the pathetic attempt. At least the cruise director was a little more…well, a little more mature. Closer to her own age. She wasn’t sure how she’d feel about working for someone that was younger than her children. “I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”

  The girls carried their dirty dishes to the side bin and emptied them in the large container. The staff meeting would begin shortly and Millie was getting a tad nervous. The more employees that wandered in, the more nervous she became.

  The meeting was brief. Apparently, quite of few of the staff was returning for a second contract. Millie was relieved that there was a good mix of age groups. Both younger and older, like herself. Of course, the younger was the majority and her age group the minority.

  Millie was surprised to learn during the meeting that guests wouldn’t be arriving until the next morning.

  After the meeting ended, Millie headed back to the room to change into her official uniform. Not that it was much of a uniform. A white shirt, navy blue blazer and white polyester slacks. Her nametag was already pinned to the front.

  She gave herself the once over in the mirror on the closet door, took a deep breath and headed for the door. It was time to meet her new boss!

  Chapter 3

  Millie stepped into the corridor and glanced to the right then left, not exactly sure which way she should go. She watched as people darted here and there. They all seemed to know where they were going.

  She shuffled off to the side. Where is the most likely place the cruise director would hang out? she wondered. Then it dawned on her. She remembered her employee packet mentioned Vegas style and other shows on board every night that the cruise director and his assistant supervised. He was probably with the performers at the back of the stage.

  She climbed the stairs to the first passenger level and wandered over to the bank of elevators to study the diagram on the wall – the ship layout.

  If she was reading the diagram correctly, she was on the same side of the ship as the theater. All she had to do was climb two more levels to reach the theater.

  Millie suffered from claustrophobia and a fear of elevators so she opted for the stairs. At the top of the landing, she headed to the side. To the right was a double set of metal doors. To the right of the doors hung a sign: Theater.

  She opened the door and stepped inside. The theater was dark. The lights were off. Her eyes adjusted to the lack of light and she noticed that there was row after row of wide, padded seats. They seemed to go on forever.

  Her eyes drifted upward. On the second level was another section of balcony seating.

  She took a step forward. Several long aisles led to a large center stage. Directly in front of the stage was an orchestra pit.

  Millie walked down the center aisle and headed to the front. She could hear muffled voices coming from somewhere behind the shimmering red velvet curtains that hung from the ceiling.

  She spied a set of steps leading up the side of the stage. With a quick glance back, she quietly
headed up the stairs and behind the stage.

  A small, narrow doorway separated the side stage from the back. Bright lights beamed through the opening and the voices grew louder. Muffled laughter sounded from somewhere. Laughter. A positive sign.

  She took a few more steps forward and BAM! A towering giant ran smack-dab into her. Like a charging bull.

  “Oh my goodness gracious!” All Millie could see were legs. Legs that were almost eye level. Well, perhaps not quite eye level. Maybe a little lower. More like her chin level.

  Millie tilted her head back and looked up. It was a young woman. If Millie had to guess, she was in her early 20’s. At the most. Long, red fingernails grazed the top of Millie’s arm as the woman released her hold. “I’m sorry! I didn’t even see you there.”

  Millie smiled. Yeah, probably because I look like an ant. “It’s really my fault for sneaking back around here,” she assured her.

  Behind the blonde female Adonis was a cozy area. More like a closet. Bright, shiny outfits lined the walls as far as the eye could see. The outfits were all color-coordinated. An array of tall hats with plumes of feathers sat on shelves above the garments, organized in the same meticulous manner as the outfits.

  To the right of the wardrobe area, where the light was spilling out, was a makeup area. Long mirrors lined one wall. Bright bulbs beamed down on the counters. Plastic makeup cases and an assortment of hairbrushes and combs took up nearly every inch of space.

  The woman glanced down at Millie’s nametag. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh! You’re the new assistant cruise director.” Her hand shot out. “I’m Alison Coulter, one of the dancers.”

  Millie took the proffered hand. She studied the girl’s face. Her bright blue eyes twinkled mischievously and her gleaming white smile made Millie want to smile in return, which she did.

  Alison released her hold. “You must be looking for Andy.”

  Millie nodded. “The cruise director.”

  Alison waved an arm. “Follow me.” She spun around and began walking in the direction of the makeup room. Millie broke into a trot to keep pace.