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

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  He folded his hands and laid them on the desk. “I suppose I don’t have to tell you to be careful.”

  “Yeah. Like stay away from railings and check for hairy insects…” The words were out of her mouth before she realized it sounded dumb. At least it did to her. As if the killer would try that route again. “I. We – my roommate Sarah and I – bought some bug spray.”

  He nodded. “Not a bad idea.” She let out a sigh of relief. Maybe he didn’t think it was that silly, after all.

  Dave studied the woman across from him. He was a good judge of character. He liked her. She seemed a little nervous but also like she had a bit of spunk in her. Of course, he’d heard the rumors. How she was sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong.

  He leaned forward and studied her face. Her gray hair was in a bun. Wisps of hair had managed to escape and now framed her face, showing off her serious brown eyes, which were staring at him intently.

  He gave a mental shake. Earth to Dave. “How’s your investigation going? Any suspects?”

  “Yeah,” she admitted. “Honestly, Olivia had plenty of enemies so there are lots of suspects.”

  He grabbed the pen on his desk and began twirling it around in circles. “Care to tell me who you think they are?”

  “You mean you don’t have your own?”

  What kind of security / detective person was he if he didn’t have his own list of suspects? She wondered.

  He cut her off. “Of course I do. I want to compare lists.”

  “I’m sorry Detective. Officer…”

  “It’s Officer Patterson. Retired officer from the State of Florida, now employed by the cruise line,” he explained.

  Millie nodded. “Officer Patterson. Well, my list is long.” Millie leaned forward. She told him about Cat, about Maribelle and Robert, Maribelle’s boyfriend. She also mentioned Zack but she didn’t really see him as a suspect.

  She almost mentioned Andy but that felt a bit like a betrayal. Instead, she bit her lip. “That’s all.”

  Dave’s eyes narrowed. “What about your boss, Andy?”

  Millie’s eyes dropped as she studied her hands. “Yeah, he might be a suspect, too,” she admitted.

  Her head shot up. “I almost forgot one! Doctor Gundervan.”

  That was a new one to Dave. He lifted his eyebrows. “Oh?”

  She told him how he had lied and told Annette and Millie that he hadn’t known Olivia LaShay yet they knew for a fact that wasn’t true.

  He tapped the pen on the desk, deep in thought. “That’s interesting.”

  Millie glanced at the clock behind Officer Patterson. She had five minutes to report to work. She shot up out of the chair. “I have to go or I’ll be late!”

  She didn’t wait for him to reply as she bolted out of the office and sprinted down the hall, her backpack bobbing up and down as she ran.

  Patterson stepped over to the open door. He gazed down the hall in the direction Millie had taken. He watched until she was out of sight then slowly closed the door, a smile on his face.

  Chapter 10

  Millie dashed up the four flights of stairs to the deck where passengers were returning. Andy was standing by the entrance, greeting the guests. She slipped in beside him, tucked her shirt in and smoothed her hair as best she could.

  He looked down at his watch. “A minute and a half. You’re doing better,” he joked.

  Millie grinned. “Either that, or I’m getting faster at sprinting,” she shot back.

  Millie stood next to Andy for several long moments, greeting the weary but smiling guests. They all looked relaxed, happy, and tired. All of them except for a young family who rushed forward. The man was holding the arm of a young girl. “My daughter. She was stung by a bee and now she’s telling me she can’t breathe.”

  Millie’s eyes darted to the girl’s face. It was beet red. Millie knew in an instant that the young girl was having an allergic reaction. “She needs to get to medical.” Millie didn’t wait for an answer as she grabbed the young girl’s arm and pulled her to the nearest elevator where several people were waiting to board.

  Millie pushed through. “Medical emergency. Please stand aside.”

  The crowd stepped back as the young girl and her family rushed inside the open elevator.

  Millie unclipped her radio from her belt and switched the button on top to the emergency channel. “This is Millie Sanders. I need Doctor Gundervan STAT!” she shouted.

  The line crackled for a moment as Millie prayed. “This is Doctor Gundervan.”

  “Yes, I am in the elevator headed to medical. We have a young guest who may be having an allergic reaction.” She sucked in a breath and waited for what seemed like an eternity.

  The radio came to life. “I’ll meet you there,” he replied.

  When the elevator door opened, Millie wrapped her arm around the girl’s shoulder and propelled her forward. The girl had taken a turn for the worse as she began to wheeze and gasp for air. “We’re almost there. Hang on!” Millie urged.

  Doctor Gundervan was waiting outside the door. He opened it wide and the family rushed in. He took one look at the young girl, reached behind him and grabbed a syringe. He looked at the man, obviously her father. “Any allergies?”

  “No!” Doctor Gundervan nodded, lifted the girl’s sleeve and injected the needle. The girl swayed back and forth. Millie’s heart thumped loudly in her chest. The girl looked like she was going to pass out.

  But she didn’t. Within seconds, the girl’s pinched expression relaxed, her breathing returned to normal and she smiled. She looked up at her parents. “I feel much better,” she told them.

  Millie drew a shaky breath. She felt like bursting into tears.

  “You’ll need to stay here for observation for a while,” Doctor Gundervan told her.

  Her job complete, Millie turned to go. The girl’s mother stopped her before she could walk out the door. She grabbed Millie’s hand and squeezed it tight. “Thank you so much for saving my daughter,” she said.

  Millie blinked back the tears that filled her eyes. “I-I” She was about to say, “I didn’t do anything” but instead she simply said. “You’re welcome.”

  Millie nearly floated down the hall as she headed back upstairs to Andy.

  He pointed to the ground. “You forgot your backpack.”

  Millie arched a brow. “I was kind of in a hurry.”

  Andy gave her a sideways glance. “Aren’t you the jack of all trades: trivia queen, life saver, not to mention amateur sleuth.” The smile faded. “In all seriousness, you may have saved that little girl’s life.”

  Millie swallowed the lump in her throat and gave him a watery smile before turning her attention to the guests. For the second time that day, she had almost started crying in front of her boss.

  She and Andy stayed there until the last guest had boarded. “I’m heading up to the theater to check on tonight’s show. We have another trivia at 7:00 by the casino bar if you’d like to run with it.”

  Millie nodded. The last one had been a blast. “You bet!”

  He nodded approvingly. “It’s almost dinner time. Why don’t you go eat, then make a run up to the lido deck to check on the sail away party.”

  She gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir!”

  He rolled his eyes. “Now get out of here before I change my mind and make you emcee the show tonight.”

  Millie’s eyes widened in horror. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Before Andy could change his mind, she spun around and headed to her preferred method to get around: the stairs. It was good exercise plus it left more room on the elevators for the guests, not to mention her aversion to elevators.

  The buffet area was offering “A Taste of the Islands.” Millie skipped the salad this time. Instead, she grabbed a tray and started down the line. She picked up a conch fritter, jerk chicken, some sticky rice and crusty rolls. Her mouth began to water at the smells. She had
n’t eaten in hours.

  She carefully balanced her tray, making a pit stop at the beverage station for a watered down iced tea. There, in the far corner of the cafeteria, was Annette. She spied Millie at the same time.

  Millie slid her heavy tray onto the table and pulled out a chair. “What’s that?”

  Annette peeled the wrapper from the straw and shoved it in her glass. “What’s what?”

  “This?” Annette picked up a yellow-ish disc and took a big bite. “Fried plantain. They only serve this one night per cruise. I think I’m addicted to them,” she admitted.

  Millie picked up her fork. “Hmm.” They were nothing that interested her.

  Annette unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap. “I heard you found some kind of mysterious note in your cabin.”

  Millie’s eyebrows shot up. News sure did travel fast. She nodded. “Someone’s trying to scare me off the investigation,” she admitted.

  Annette nibbled the edge of the plantain. “You’re not gonna give up, are you?” Annette hoped not. Millie was the most exciting thing that had happened on the ship in eons. That and the murder, of course.

  Millie stiffened her back. A frown creased her brow. “Of course not!” She picked up a jerk chicken wing and took a bite. The veiled threat was going to backfire. If anything, it made Millie even more determined to find the murderer!

  Chapter 11

  The sail away party was in full swing by the time Millie made it topside. Zack Smythe was smack dab in the center of all the action as he led throngs of passengers in a rousing rendition of Macarena. It looked like fun. Millie grinned at Zack, who gave her a quick wink as she headed over to the rail.

  She glanced around nervously, a fleeting thought that someone might be getting ready to bum-rush her and push her over the side ran through her mind. She had visions of her body hurtling 90 miles an hour over the edge.

  The ship was slipping away from the dock. Millie peered down the long side at the passengers who were doing exactly what she was doing.

  Off in the distance she heard a loud shriek. Her head jerked around as she tried to figure out where the noise was coming from.

  Racing along the dock was a portly woman, holding onto a wide brimmed floppy hat and clomping along in a pair of flip-flops. With her other hand, she was waving an empty drink glass as she shouted at the ship to come back.

  One of the guests next to Millie started to chuckle. “Looks like twinkles missed the boat. Literally!”

  Millie eased closer. This sounded like an interesting conversation. The man next to him glanced back. “Twinkles?”

  The first man snorted. “That’s what we nicknamed her. She was in Tiki Time doing shots when we left. Life of the party, that one,” he added.

  Tiki Time was a resort bar a short walk from the dock. Millie and Sarah had passed it earlier, on their way back to the ship.

  Millie turned her attention to the poor woman. She was standing near the water’s edge now. Millie prayed she wouldn’t do anything stupid. Like jump into the water and start swimming out.

  But she didn’t. Instead, she flopped onto the concrete, face down. Millie wished she had a bag of popcorn. This was better than the movies!

  The woman lay motionless on the ground. Maybe she had passed out. Millie let out the breath she’d been holding as she watched a golf cart pull up beside the woman sprawled out on the cement.

  A man in uniform jumped out of the driver’s side. He leaned over the woman and gently shook her shoulder. She didn’t even flinch.

  The other man – the one in the passenger seat – got out and came up beside the first man and he wasn’t nearly as gentle. He kneeled over the woman and shook her hard, all the while shouting in her ear. The wind carried his voice. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!”

  That got the crowd going. The spectators began to chant “Beauty! Beauty!” Finally, the woman came to enough to roll over on her back.

  The men each grabbed hold of one arm and half-carried, half-dragged the woman to the back of the golf cart. They unceremoniously dropped her on the bench seat.

  The driver got in behind the wheel as the guard in the passenger side reached back and grabbed hold of the woman’s arm in an effort to keep her from falling out.

  The crowd cheered as the golf cart made a sharp U-turn, sending the passengers careening to the right before the driver stomped on the gas and the cart raced off toward the island.

  Millie had to wonder what the cost of missing the cruise ship might be. She hoped she never had to find out!

  The party on lido was in full swing now as the steel drum band began to play and passengers joined in the festivities. Millie wandered around the lido deck for several minutes, smiling at guests and picking up a cup here or a plate there on her way.

  She glanced down at her watch. Trivia started in half an hour. Determined to be early for a change, she dropped the dishes in the bins and headed back indoors.

  She couldn’t wait to find out what trivia would be this time. She hoped it was something she was good at. Several guests had already gathered in chairs near the trivia area. She recognized some of them from the 70’s game.

  Using her key to unlock the cabinet, she reached inside to pull out the manila folder with the questions and several pads of paper along with a pack of pencils.

  She slid her glasses on her nose and peered down at the question and answer sheet. Her throat closed up and her heart started to race as she read the top of the sheet and the trivia questions: Twenty of the Deadliest Insects in the World.

  Her head shot up. Her eyes narrowed as she cast a suspicious glance around the room. She wondered if this was some kind of sick joke or maybe another veiled threat?

  Millie set her lips in a straight line. Millie Sanders was no coward! If this was someone’s attempt to intimidate her, it was going to backfire!

  When seven o’clock on the dot rolled around, Millie grabbed the microphone and switched it to on. “Did everyone have a fun day in Nassau?” Cheers went up around her.

  She pushed the nagging thought that someone watching her wished her harm - and smiled. “Good. Good. How many of you went on an excursion?” she asked.

  Most of the group raised their hands. Millie was really getting into this entertainment-thing. “How ‘bout sweating off a couple pounds in the heat?”

  All the hands were back up. Millie grinned. “Yeah, it was a hot one.”

  She slapped the sheets of paper on the side of her leg. “Today’s trivia isn’t for the faint of heart! It’s all about creepy-crawlies and some of the deadliest insects in the world so get your pencil and paper ready. Here we go!”

  Millie made the game a fun one, even though it was the oddest trivia she had ever seen. Only one of the guests came close - with 24 of the 25 questions answered. Interestingly enough, the one Millie herself missed was on the brown recluse.

  Millie chuckled. “Gotta watch out for those brown recluse spiders. Never know when one of them is gonna show up!” Or someone’s going to try to take you out with one.

  She shoved the manila folder back in the cabinet. “Take that!” she mumbled under her breath.

  “You have a real knack for trivia.” Andy was behind her. He handed her the packet of pencils. Millie set the packet on the shelf. She locked the cabinet and turned to face him. “So far this is one of my favorite parts of the job. It doesn’t even seem like work,” she admitted.

  Andy leaned on the piano in front of the cabinet. He smiled at a couple passing by. “Heard about some kind of threatening note you found in your cabin.”

  His jaw tightened. He locked eyes with Millie. “You’re the new kid on the block, Millie. Don’t start off on the wrong foot, ruffling feathers,” he warned.

  Millie jerked her head back. He didn’t need to remind her. “Yeah, I know.” Her shoulders sagged.

  He draped his arm across her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. “Course, even I can’t resist a good mystery,” he admitted. He abruptly sto
pped and turned to face her. “Just be careful, Millie. That’s all,” he added.

  Millie let out the breath she’d been holding. It was as if he was giving her the go-ahead to continue her investigation. She watched as he headed down the long corridor and then disappeared down the steps that led to the lower level of the casino.

  Millie wasn’t in Kansas anymore, or in her case – Michigan. She pondered the case as she walked back to her cabin. She had no one to trust. Not even Annette. There was a killer roaming free and she was determined to figure out who that was!

  Chapter 12

  Millie’s eyes shot open. It was pitch black. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was. Then it dawned on her. She was in the middle of the ocean. On a cruise ship. She threw the covers aside and dangled her legs over the edge. There were times she still wondered what on earth had possessed her to take a job on a cruise ship! A moment – or moments – of temporary insanity.

  Millie slid out of bed and crept to the bathroom.

  It had taken Millie a while to fall asleep the night before. She kept feeling as if something were crawling on her. Something hairy!

  She hadn’t heard Sarah come in the night before. Of course, once Millie was out, she was a sound sleeper so it was quite possible Sarah was in the cabin.

  She stumbled into the bathroom, flipped on the light switch and peered into the mirror. Her hair, sticking out in every direction, looked as if it had been caught up in a whirlwind. Her wrinkles magnified in the bright bathroom light. She stuck out her tongue then started to laugh.

  Millie had planned ahead. Tucked on the shelf below the bathroom sink was her outfit for the day. She quickly showered and slipped into a pair of Bermuda shorts and work shirt, which was a welcome relief from the long pants that she was required to wear on the ship.

  Today was different. Today was the day they stopped at the cruise line’s private island, South Seas Cay. Millie had never visited a private island before and she was excited to see it.