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

  Andy cleared his throat. “Corporate decided to carry on with the original itinerary.”

  “Meaning Ted Danvers, the cruise line’s CEO, made the final decision the ship would keep the original itinerary,” Millie guessed.

  “In a nutshell,” Donovan said. “We don’t want to alarm you, but thought we should fill you in on the potential for some rough weather, and perhaps a change of plans.”

  Danielle flopped down in the chair. “What’s the worst case scenario?”

  “We make it to St. Martin, the storm continues on its current path and the ship is forced to skirt south of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and around the coast of Cuba before turning north,” Donovan said.

  “Which means we’ll need to put together some extra shipboard activities in the event we have fewer port stops,” Andy said. “From past experience, I can tell you the passengers start to get cabin fever if we skip port stops.”

  “In other words, cranky,” Danielle said bluntly.

  “Yes,” Andy nodded. “We can’t place all of the blame on Danvers and his insistence we continue on to St. Martin. There’s a great deal of red tape involved in switching ports on cruise day or finding a port that has room for a ship the size of the Siren of the Seas. At this stage, we don’t have many options, which means we soldier on, pray for the best and prepare for the worst.”

  “That’s what we’ll do,” Millie agreed. “How…rough do you expect the seas?” Despite being on board the ship for what was now Millie’s second year, she had only experienced rough seas from a passing hurricane once, when Nic had skipped the Nassau, Bahamas port due to high winds, high seas and rough sea conditions. It had been Millie’s first experience and some of the more seasoned crew told her at the time it was nothing.

  “It could get rough,” Donovan admitted. “We’re in capable hands with Captain Armati, so you shouldn’t worry, Millie.”

  “I have all the faith in the world Nic will keep us safe. Danvers on the other hand, is a different story.”

  Andy glanced at his watch. “Debarkation begins in half an hour, which means there’s just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat. I’ve called an all-staff meeting at nine to go over a back-up plan in the event of extra sea days.”

  He opened Donovan’s office door and motioned Millie and Danielle out. “I would join you for breakfast, but I need to head up to the bridge for a brief word with the captains.”

  “We’ll catch up with you later.” Millie was quiet on the way to the Waves buffet where Danielle and she filled their plates with food. After a quick stop to grab fresh coffee, they headed to a table in the corner.

  “What do you think?” Danielle was the first to speak.

  “Andy would not have called us to Donovan’s office if he wasn’t concerned. Maybe it isn’t even the storm that has him whacked out. Maybe he’s overwhelmed.”

  “I’m overwhelmed,” Danielle said. “This is like a double-whammy. I’ve heard about these large family group cruises. It could be a piece of cake or a week of pure torture.”

  “Don’t forget about the Nutty Knitters, the large group of knitters booked for this cruise.” Millie unwrapped her silverware and placed her napkin in her lap. “Regan and Nadia are joining us, too. I hate to say I wish they weren’t coming, but I’ll be stretching myself thin these next seven days.”

  “Let’s take one day at a time,” Danielle said. “At this point, the storm should be the least of our worries.”

  The women gobbled their breakfasts and parted ways as Millie joined Andy to say good-bye to the departing passengers.

  The first part of the morning went off without a hitch. There were no stragglers, reluctant to end their vacation and determined to make it last until they were escorted off the ship by security.

  Andy left a few minutes early and after the last guest departed, Millie joined him backstage for the staff meeting. The meeting had already started by the time she arrived, so she stood in the doorway and listened.

  He reminded his staff of the large group of family reunion passengers as well as several other groups before going over the new activities he was rolling out.

  Andy didn’t mention the hurricane and she wondered if perhaps Nic had given him an update and the storm had changed course. Millie hoped so. They would have enough on their plates without worrying about the storm.

  After the meeting ended, Millie made her rounds. Everything was running smoothly and she made it to the gangway with a few extra minutes to spare, beating Andy for a change.

  She smiled when she caught his eye as he hurried across the atrium. “You’re slowing down in your old age,” she teased.

  “It’s already shaping up to be a long week and we haven’t even left port.”

  “We’ll be fine. Just remember. It’s only for a week.”

  He didn’t have time to respond as the first wave of diamond and platinum guests stepped into the atrium. Several stopped to inquire about the impending storm and Andy did his best to reassure them that the captain and crew were closely monitoring the weather and would keep the passengers apprised of any itinerary changes.

  When the crowds thinned, Millie headed to Marseille Lounge to check on the final preparations for the Turner family’s “Welcome Aboard” party. A “Private Party” event sign blocked the entrance. She stepped inside and circled the room, making sure the decorations were in place and the tables set.

  She finished her inspection and headed up to the bridge. Nic and the other officers were gathered around the monitor, their attention focused on the screen, so she tiptoed into the apartment to check on Scout.

  The small pup was waiting for her at the door. Scout sprang onto the top of her shoe and pawed at her ankle. “Ready to go out?” They wandered out onto the balcony and her gaze fell to the gangway and a commotion near the security checkpoint.

  She could hear the loud voices, but couldn’t make out what was being said. One of the ship’s security guards approached the group, followed by Dave Patterson, the ship’s head of security.

  After several tense moments, the port guards walked away and the passengers made their way up the gangway.

  “I’ve got to get back to work.” Millie coaxed Scout inside the apartment, making sure he had food and water before slipping out. Nic and the other officers were still talking, so she quietly made her way out of the bridge and up to the lido deck.

  The sound of the ship’s horn vibrated the deck, announcing their departure. Millie made her way to the railing and watched as the ship drifted away from the dock. The skies were clear and blue for as far as the eye could see, and she had the fleeting hope that perhaps the storm would shift and miss them entirely.

  “Millie. Do you copy?”

  Millie tugged her radio from her belt. “Go ahead, Danielle.”

  “Can you meet me in front of the Marseille Lounge?”

  “10-4. I’m on my way.”

  Danielle was already there, pacing in front of the doors, when Millie arrived. “You look stressed out.”

  “I am. I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.”

  “Why?”

  “The Turner family. I’ve never seen a rowdier bunch of passengers in my life. They’re loud and obnoxious and scaring some of the other passengers. Guest services have already gotten several complaints about them.”

  “Does Patterson know?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Danielle nodded. “He was down at the gangway while some of the family members were boarding. They were giving security a hard time.”

  “About what?”

  “They were trying to bring a bunch of booze on board, which we both know is against company policy. Patterson finally offered them some complimentary drink cards. From what I heard, the group is holding a grudge and making the bar staff miserable, among others.”

  “Great. This is all we need.”

  “I just talked to Brody. He said Patterson upped the number of security personnel patrolling the ship. T
his is going to be a rough week.”

  “In more ways than one,” Millie grimaced. She started to say something else when two of the ship’s security guards rushed past them and then she heard a bloodcurdling scream.

  Chapter 3

  Millie and Danielle raced after the security guards.

  “Whoa!” The women came to an abrupt halt at the sight of two men punching each other as they rolled around on the floor.

  Danielle snatched her radio off her belt. “Bravo, Bravo. Deck nine aft.”

  “On the way,” Dave Patterson’s clipped voice replied.

  “Stop!” A young woman standing nearby began screaming hysterically as she pleaded with the men. “Please stop!” She darted forward, tripping on one of their legs before she hit the floor and landed with a dull thud.

  Oof.

  Millie sprinted toward the woman, quickly pulling her away from the fray while the security guards attempted to separate the two men.

  The sound of heavy boots filled the corridor as Patterson and several more of the ship’s security staff arrived to try to break up the brawl.

  It was several tense moments before Oscar, Patterson’s second in command, dragged one of the men away. He was breathing heavily, his lower lip split and bleeding.

  It took two more security personnel to pull the second man to his feet. “I’m pressing charges,” he said as he dabbed at the blood dripping from his nose.

  Patterson positioned himself between the two men. “What happened?”

  “This man has been harassing my sister from the moment we boarded this ship.”

  “Who is your sister?”

  The woman took a step closer. “I am.” She eyed the second man uneasily. “I would rather not give my name.”

  “Understood,” Patterson turned to Oscar. “Please take our passenger, Mr.…” His voice trailed off.

  “Vic Turner and rest assured you won’t be forgetting my name anytime soon.”

  Patterson motioned for the guards to escort Turner away and waited until they were out of sight before turning to the woman. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “Yes. My name is Jennifer Quillen. My family and I boarded the ship early this afternoon. After boarding, I dropped my carryon in my cabin and ran upstairs to the pool bar to order a drink. The man – Turner – tried to hit on me and then he started following me around.”

  Patterson addressed the second man. “Did you witness Mr. Turner following your sister?”

  “Yes.” The man nodded. “I already warned him once to stay away from Jen. He and the other members of his party are thugs.”

  “I told Mr. Turner I wasn’t interested and attempted to leave, but he grabbed my arm. My fiancé, Todd, told him to buzz off. The man got in Todd’s face. I thought they were going to start punching each other. Thank goodness one of the security guards was nearby and asked Mr. Turner to leave.”

  Jennifer went on to explain she suspected Vic Turner was following her, along with some of the other men in his party. She had already reported the incidents to guest services and they were looking into the matter.

  Patterson pulled a notepad and pen from his pocket and nodded at the man. “What is your name?”

  “Aaron Quillen. Todd is at guest services talking to them again. Meanwhile, I offered to accompany my sister to her spa appointment. It’s a good thing I did.” Aaron rubbed his neck. “He tried to choke me.”

  “I’m sorry,” Patterson apologized. “We’ll be conducting a thorough investigation of the incidents, which means you’ll need to accompany me to my office to fill out a report.”

  “What about my sister?”

  Millie stepped forward. “I’ll stay with her.”

  “Thanks, Millie.” Patterson turned to Jennifer, a concerned expression on his face. “Did Mr. Turner touch you?”

  “No. I noticed him as soon as I left my cabin, so I knew he followed me there. Thankfully, Aaron was with me, so we began making our way here. All the while, this man was saying things, threatening Aaron. I think he was looking to pick a fight.”

  “What kind of things?” Patterson prompted.

  “That Aaron and Todd better watch their backs.” She quickly hurried on. “Like I said, I think he was trying to pick a fight with Aaron.”

  “I’ll have one of my guards escort you to the spa and stay with you until I have a chance to get to the bottom of this,” Patterson said. “Now that Mr. Turner is in custody, you should be safe.” He turned to Aaron Quillen. “The report shouldn’t take long.”

  “I’ll stay with Jennifer, as well.” Millie patted the young woman’s arm and noticed she was trembling.

  Patterson grasped the man’s arm and he, along with several of the other security guards, strolled down the hall and disappeared from sight.

  “We’re not far from the spa,” Millie spoke in a soothing voice. She kept the conversation light as Jennifer and she, along with the security guard, began walking.

  When the trio reached the spa, Jennifer followed an employee to the back. Millie began pacing the corridor floor when a movement caught her eye. It was Danielle hurrying toward her. “What happened to you? One minute you’re there, the next you’re gone.”

  “I decided to follow the troublemaker, to see where the security guards took him. I found out that Vic Turner is with the Turner Family Reunion party, the same group I mentioned earlier. When the rest of the family finds out Patterson detained someone from their group, we’re going to have trouble,” Danielle predicted.

  “Maybe it was a misunderstanding and this whole thing will blow over.”

  “I hope you’re right, but you should stay on guard.” Danielle glanced at her watch. “I gotta get going. Mix and Mingles is meeting in five minutes and I’m hosting it.”

  “Good luck.”

  After finishing the spa tour and signing up for several sessions, Jennifer, accompanied by Millie and the security guard, headed to the other side of the ship. “Todd planned to meet Aaron and me at the tiki bar after my spa visit.”

  The tiki bar was packed. Jennifer circled it twice before pointing to a man standing off to the side. “I see Todd.”

  The young man nodded at Millie and warily eyed the security guard. “What’s up? Where’s Aaron?”

  “He’s being questioned. That Turner guy followed us and attacked Aaron.”

  Millie interrupted. “One of the ship’s security guards will stay with you until our head of security is able to interview everyone involved in the incident.”

  “I’m going to punch that Turner guy’s lights out,” Todd growled.

  “We can’t let you do that,” Millie replied in a calm voice. “It will only make matters worse.” She turned to Barios, the security guard. “Barios will stay with you, so the man shouldn’t give you any more trouble.” At least Millie hoped he wouldn’t cause more trouble.

  “If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact guest services. My name is Millie Armati and I’m the assistant cruise director.” Millie extended her hand to the chubby man with curly red hair and freckles.

  “I’m Todd Ebenstein, Jennifer’s fiancé.”

  “Todd and Jennifer.” She shook Todd’s hand and gave Jennifer a reassuring smile.

  Millie mentioned again that they could call her if needed and then she began making her rounds from the top of the ship and working her way down.

  When she reached deck two where the security office was located, she decided to pop in to let Patterson know Jennifer had been reunited with her fiancé, explain to him what had happened and let him know Barios was with the couple.

  The light was on, and she rapped lightly before pushing the door open. Patterson was seated at his desk. He gave Millie a grim smile before motioning her inside. “Come in. How is Jennifer?”

  “She’s understandably shaken, but I think she’ll be okay. So what happened with Vic Turner and Aaron Quillen?”

  Patterson heaved a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately, I had to plac
e both of them under cabin arrest until I can get to the bottom of what happened.”

  “What?” Millie pressed a hand to her chest and dropped down in a nearby chair. “I can understand why you placed Turner under cabin arrest, but why Aaron?”

  “Because I reviewed the ship’s surveillance of the incident and Aaron Quillen threw the first punch. He hit Vic Turner first.”

  “Probably because Turner was harassing them.”

  Patterson leaned back in his chair. “I ran checks on the men. Both have past criminal records. I’m not even sure how they made it through customs and pre-screening.”

  “Wait until the Turner family finds out.”

  “They know. We’ve already broken up several scuffles. I contacted corporate. We’re removing several of the troublemakers from the ship when we dock in Philipsburg before things go from bad to worse. I’m running out of security personnel to cover the shifts.”

  “Does Nic…I mean Captain Armati…does he know what’s going on?”

  “He does. I informed him of the events earlier and he was in complete agreement.”

  “I’m sorry,” Millie said. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

  “I appreciate the offer. I’m hoping if we can get through tomorrow, things will calm down.”

  Millie chatted with Patterson for a few more minutes, until his office phone rang. It was one of his staff, informing him about another scuffle in front of the deli counter. “I better get up there.”

  Patterson followed Millie from the office and they parted ways with Millie heading to her next hosting event.

  She moved from event-to-event with only a quick break in the early evening when she grabbed a hamburger from the deck grill. Millie ate it standing up while she caught a few minutes of the movie under the stars playing on the mega screen near the pool.

  Then, it was back to work as Millie helped host the Welcome Aboard headliner show. Next, it was co-hosting karaoke before slipping in to check on the comedy show.

  Finally, it was time to head home. First Officer Craig McMasters and Captain Vitale were working on the bridge. They waved to Millie as she passed through on her way to the apartment.