Vanishing Vacationers (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 5) Page 6

  Millie dropped by the medical center to check on Cat and immediately recognized the sparks between Cat and Gundervan. Cat vehemently denied it, but it was obvious there was an attraction.

  Millie tilted her head to the side. “So where are you going on your date?”

  Cat’s face turned from pink, to candy apple red and finally fire engine red. She looked guilty as all get out. “I have tomorrow off. He is off ‘til noon so we’re gonna explore close to the port and maybe stop somewhere on the island for brunch.”

  She rubbed the bottom of her shirtsleeve across the glass counter top.

  “Mmhmm.”

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Cat groaned. “We’re just friends!”

  “Hmm.” Millie changed the subject. “You heard about the missing family and the reason why we’re heading to this remote island?”

  Cat nodded. “Yeah! It sounds crazy. Someone, I think it was Maribelle, said we’re docking overnight so investigators hired by the family can search the island.”

  Cat shivered. “No way am I going anywhere near the jungle. I plan to keep the ship in sight at all times.” Her eyes widened. “You-you’re not going to go look for these people?”

  Millie was great at sleuthing…and getting both Cat and Annette into some sticky situations.

  Millie fiddled with the clip on her belt. “No.” Visions of witch doctors with painted faces filled her mind. “Not this time.”

  Cat’s expression relaxed. “Good!”

  Millie continued. “I may get off the ship, though, to stretch my legs and all.” She wondered if Annette was off tomorrow. “I might see what Annette is up to.”

  Cat and Millie talked a few more minutes and Millie headed out. She barely had enough time to stop by to see Annette before the first evening headliner show started.

  She wandered into the galley and spied Annette in the dessert area, adding piping to a cake. Millie tiptoed over and peeked over her shoulder. “The dessert looks scrumptious.”

  Annette stiffened her back and loosened her grip on the frosting bag. Her hand flew to her chest. “You have got to stop sneaking up on me. You’re gonna give me a heart attack!”

  Millie touched her arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you.”

  Annette set the pastry bag on the counter next to the cake. “Danielle was in here earlier.”

  “I heard you’re loaning her a tracking device.”

  Annette reached for a cardboard bakery box. She folded the sides and lifted the delectable treat, carefully placing it in the center so the frosted sides didn’t touch the box. “Yeah. I figure if she’s bound and determined to search for those people, the very least I could do was keep track of her.”

  It made Millie feel better. That and the fact Danielle assured Millie she would not drag the two Kingman boys along with her.

  It was a good thing Millie didn’t have a crystal ball and a glimpse of what the next 24 hours would bring.

  Chapter 9

  Millie wandered backstage as the first show was starting. With everything going on, she had forgotten Ronnie Zicklaburg had invited Courtney Kingman to join the orchestra for the evening.

  She stepped close to the red velvet show curtain, pulled it to the side and peeked at the orchestra pit. She could make out the tippy top of Courtney’s head. Her eyes shifted to the front row seating in the theater.

  Courtney’s grandmother and two brothers sat front and center. Millie could only imagine how thrilled…and proud the grandmother must be. She also imagined how nervous poor Courtney must be.

  Millie remembered the first time she had been on stage. Andy had a slight emergency and couldn’t make it to the stage in time to announce the evening’s show. Zack, one of the dancers, had literally pushed Millie onto the stage and in front of the crowd.

  It had all worked out in the end, but she could relate to the phrase “having stage fright.”

  The music grew louder and Millie stepped back as the curtains started to open. The dancers strutted onto the stage and the new show “Gem of the Sea” started.

  It was an entrancing performance with numerous costume changes, flawless routines and mesmerizing music. Before Millie knew it, the show ended.

  The cast and orchestra received a standing ovation and Millie was so proud of them all, she thought she would burst.

  “Bravo!” Andy stood beside Millie, clapping furiously. “Fantastic show.”

  Millie couldn’t agree more.

  After the second show ended, Millie made her way over to the orchestra pit where the players were putting their equipment away.

  Courtney was front and center, talking animatedly to the other members.

  “Good job Courtney,” she complimented.

  Courtney’s dimples filled her cheeks. The beautiful young woman was in her element.

  “Perhaps a few years down the road, you should consider a career in music,” Millie suggested.

  “I’m going to!” Courtney gushed. “It was awesome.”

  Courtney’s grandmother and brothers made their way over. “It was spectacular.” G’ma Rae patted her pocket. “Got it all on video.”

  Millie nodded. “I’m sure the production was videotaped. I’ll see if I can round up a souvenir copy for you to take home.”

  Millie waited for the theater to clear before making her way to Andy’s office. Danielle was already there and sitting next to Andy.

  Millie pulled out the chair and slid onto the seat.

  Andy waited for Millie to settle in. “Danielle is taking the Kingman boys ashore tomorrow.”

  Danielle caught Millie’s eye and winked conspiratorially.

  “Yes, that’s what I heard,” Millie answered.

  Andy leaned his elbows on the table. “You’re not having crazy thoughts about tracking down the Roush family…” He was looking directly at Millie.

  “Not me.” She shook her head. But Danielle is she added silently.

  Andy, satisfied with her answer, nodded. “Since there’s a good chance we won’t be returning to Kiriban, I decided to give you the morning off to explore the island.”

  Millie was thrilled. “I think I’ll check out the shops near the port,” she decided.

  She promised to return before noon and she and Danielle headed out. “Thanks for not ratting me out,” Danielle said.

  “You’re welcome. As long as you promise not to take the two boys.”

  Danielle made a crisscross on her chest with her index finger. “Cross my heart, hope to die and all that…”

  “Bite your tongue.”

  The girls reached the corridor and turned to head down the stairs to the crew area. “Make sure you take the GPS monitor with you,” Millie reminded her.

  Danielle lifted her hand to her forehead and saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”

  The girls parted ways as Millie headed to the crew mess to grab a bite to eat. Danielle decided to turn in. It had been a long day and she planned to be up at the crack of dawn, which would give her plenty of time to sneak off the ship before the two brothers were even awake…

  The crew mess was like a ghost town. Millie had the place all to herself. The selections were dismal but Millie was hungry. Beggars can’t be choosers she reminded herself. She settled on a rubbery hot dog and a small bag of corn chips.

  She filled a clean glass with ice and water and walked over to an empty table close by. She slid her tray onto the table and pulled out a chair. Millie glanced at the TV and plopped down on the chair. It was on the weather channel.

  A small, compact swirl covered the lower half of the TV screen. Millie narrowed her eyes and tried to determine where the small “swirl,” a tropical disturbance, might be headed.

  She quickly realized the location wasn’t far from where Siren of the Seas was. She jumped out of her seat and approached the TV. The volume was off but the picture painted a thousand words…and the words were scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

  It was a tropical disturbance, gai
ning strength and heading in their direction. It looked like it would take a day or more to reach them. Millie prayed Siren of the Seas would be long gone before the storm was within striking distance.

  She remembered the last storm the ship had been caught in near Nassau, Bahamas. It had been a doozy and Millie didn’t want a repeat.

  Millie returned to the table, slid into her seat and grabbed the bottle of ketchup. She squirted a line of ketchup along the top of the hotdog, followed by a thin line of mustard before squeezing the bun together and biting the end.

  It was tastier than it looked and Millie inhaled her food. She carried her dirty dishes to the bin, placed the tray on top of the stack and headed to her cabin. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. She planned to get up early to make the most of her free time on the island.

  The lights were off when Millie slipped inside the cabin. She quietly closed the door and stood still as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light.

  The sound of Danielle’s soft snores echoed in the small space.

  She tiptoed across the room and eased the bathroom door open, closing the door behind her before turning the light on. After she finished changing into her pajamas, washing her face and brushing her teeth, Millie flipped the switch again and made her way back into the pitch-black cabin.

  Millie lifted her covers and crawled into bed. She folded her hands and silently prayed. “Dear God. Please keep us safe from the storm headed this way. Please keep Danielle out of trouble. I pray for my children and grandchildren, Lord, that You keep them safe and in Your loving care, too.”

  Millie unclasped her hands. They fell to her sides and she was out like a light.

  ***

  Millie awoke abruptly. Her eyes flew open and she stared into the darkness. Without windows to the outside world, it was hard to tell if it was the middle of the night or the middle of the afternoon.

  She turned her head and stared at the clock on the desk: 6:20 a.m. Millie held her breath and listened to the sound of silence. She flung back the covers and sat up. “Danielle,” she whispered.

  Nothing.

  “Danielle.” Millie said it again, this time a little louder. Still nothing.

  “Danielle!” Millie flipped the light switch on and slid out of bed. Danielle’s bed was empty. Still half asleep, she staggered to the bathroom door and tapped on the outside. “Danielle, are you in there?”

  Her eyes slid to the hook on the wall…the spot where Danielle had hung her lanyard the night before. It was gone. Danielle was gone. Millie had a feeling Danielle had been one of the first off the ship.

  Millie stepped inside the small bath and reached for her toothbrush in the corner. She grabbed Danielle’s first and lifted it. The base was wet. The girl was stealth; Millie had to give her that.

  She brushed her teeth, slipped out of her pajamas and turned on the shower. Millie showered and ran over the quick plan in her head. Maybe if she talked to a few of the locals in the small port town of St. Parrot, she would be able to glean some information about the missing family and the two investigators.

  Millie turned the shower off and grabbed her towel. After she dried off, she wrapped the towel around her and stepped into the cabin. Although it was still early morning, the weather forecast predicted scorching heat and muggy air so she opted for a sleeveless cotton blouse and loose fitting shorts.

  Millie grabbed her small shoulder bag and lanyard and headed for the door.

  When she got to the gangway, Annette was already waiting. “Where did you say we were going?’ Annette asked.

  Millie shifted the shoulder bag and narrowed her eyes, catching her first glimpse of the small village. “Oh, just wander around town; maybe ask a couple questions about the missing people.”

  Annette began to shake her head. “No way am I going to try to track down those missing people.”

  Millie began to walk. “Neither am I, but it won’t hurt to maybe see what the locals think happened to six people who simply vanished into thin air.”

  Annette trailed behind; still not 100% convinced Millie didn’t have something up her sleeve…

  They passed several small gift shops and Millie didn’t even slow down. She had a hunch the local hangouts were where she wanted to go.

  They were on a tight schedule and she wanted to make sure they were back onboard the ship in plenty of time and not be late for work.

  Annette’s shift started at eleven.

  “Let’s try here first.” Millie pointed to a small drugstore. It looked more like a rundown, dilapidated shack.

  Millie grasped the door handle and pulled. She waited for Annette to step inside and then followed her in.

  The interior looked nothing like the exterior. Tidy rows full of a variety of drug store items lined the shelves…there was a little of everything.

  Millie was in need of some toothpaste and deodorant so she grabbed her goodies.

  Annette, noting the prices were reasonable for an island drugstore in the middle of the ocean, picked up a few necessities as well.

  The store was empty, except for the two of them and a young clerk behind the counter. Annette set her items on the counter first. The girl rang each item and placed them in a plastic shopping bag. “Twelve dollars and seventy-two cents,” she told Annette, who reached inside her pants pocket and pulled out a ten and three ones.

  The girl took the money. “I don’t have any change.”

  “Keep it,” Annette glanced at the girl’s nametag. “Cherelle.” She stepped to the side.

  Millie placed her purchases on the counter.

  “Four dollars, twenty cents,” the girl told Millie.

  Millie handed her a five-dollar bill. “You can keep the change.”

  Millie reached for the bag. “Say, we’re here on the cruise ship, Siren of the Seas. We heard some tourists visited the island not long ago and vanished.”

  The girl nodded solemnly. “Yes mum. It ‘tis scary how they disappear. We haven’t had no one gone missing since July.”

  Chapter 10

  Millie’s jaw dropped. “You mean this has happened before?”

  “Yes mum. It happened last time it ‘twas the Tarry of the Fifth Moon season. The gods, they be angry and want a sacrifice.”

  The girl shrugged. “I guess it ‘twas them.”

  Millie wasn’t one iota superstitious. God controlled the universe, not “gods.”

  Annette leaned forward. “Where is the sacrifice location?”

  Cherelle’s eyes widened. “Beyond Hassadona Pass. I have never been there,” she added.

  Annette shifted her stance. This girl truly believed the Roush family had been taken as a sacrifice by the gods!

  She had a sudden thought. “What about the other two…the investigators who were here searching for the missing family?”

  Cherelle rubbed her brow. “The gods, they are angry that someone come after da sacrifice so dey take them too.”

  It sounded like an excellent reason to Annette not to search for the missing family!

  Millie folded the top of her shopping bag. “You wouldn’t happen to have…met any of the…err…sacrifices before they vanished…”

  The girl’s ringlet curls bobbed up and down and she nodded.

  Jackpot! The girls were onto something.

  “Yes. They stop here for bug spray and bottled water,” she said.

  “The family or the searchers?” Millie asked.

  “The family,” Cherelle answered. “I never met the other two.”

  Annette tugged on Millie’s elbow. “Don’t go getting any funny ideas.”

  The clerk shut the cash register drawer. “You don’t be tinkin’ bout goin’ after dem,” she warned.

  Annette swiveled her head. “No way, Jose!” She wasn’t going anywhere near Hassadona Pass. Not now. Not ever!

  Annette and Millie stopped by the small post office next to the drug store and then the restaurant across the street…if you could even call it that. It
was more of a covered pavilion with an open grill and plain white fridge / freezer combo next to it.

  Millie wondered if there was such a thing as a health department on the island and if they inspected the restaurant. She had her doubts.

  Still, she wanted to check it out, to see if the employees could add to Cherelle’s account of the Roush family’s disappearance. She decided to play it safe and ordered a Diet Coke, in a can, unopened.

  Annette, working on the same wavelength, ordered a can of Coke. The girls set their purchases on the long, wooden bar and climbed onto the bar stools.

  Millie’s stomach grumbled. She had been in such a hurry to get off the ship she had skipped breakfast.

  Despite her concerns the food might not be safe, whatever the cook was grilling smelled delicious.

  Millie popped the tab on top of her soda can and took a swig. It was ice cold and it hit the spot. She set the can on the counter. “What’s for breakfast?”

  The cook turned, his toothy white grin covered his face. “It ‘tis fried flatbread. I put cooked egg and a slice of ham on top. You want to try?”

  Millie was torn. On the one hand, she was starving. On the other hand, she wasn’t keen on food poisoning.

  She decided it was worth the risk and would pray over it before taking the first bite. “You talked me into it.”

  Annette gasped. “Millie!”

  Millie shrugged. “You only live once.”

  Annette and Millie watched as the cook plated the fried flatbread, reached inside a bowl next to the grill and cracked two eggs on the hot griddle. While the eggs cooked, he reached inside a white paper wrapper and using a set of tongs, slid a thick slice of ham next to the frying eggs.

  So far, so good. At least he wasn’t using his hands!

  After the eggs cooked, he placed them on top of the fried flatbread. Last, but not least, he carefully centered the cooked ham on top of the eggs.

  He ripped a paper towel from the holder, wiped the edge of the plate and carried it over to Millie. The smell of fried ham and eggs filled the air.