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

  Andy had assigned her shore duty, and although Millie didn’t care much for the heat, she would rather be on the island than on the ship. She wanted her feet to hit dry land, at least once in a while.

  Andy told her she needed to be on the first shuttle boat to shore since she would be in charge of helping set up the island activities. Some of the activities included a volleyball match, which sounded too much like work, and a limbo contest, which was definitely not Millie’s thing.

  The boat ride was quick and Millie was one of the first ones off. She headed down the steps of the shuttle boat and wandered across the sand toward the beach area.

  Although her shirt was cotton and white, for which she was extremely grateful, the hot Caribbean sun beat down on her head. Soon, she was sweating head to toe.

  Darna from the bar, Olivia’s brother, caught a glimpse of her struggling to assemble the volleyball nets and rushed over to help her. “You look like you could use some help.” He handed her a towel. “Thanks.” She wiped her brow and hung it on the net.

  With Darna’s help, the two of them managed to wiggle the posts in place. After they had finished, they headed for the nearest palm tree.

  One of the bartenders passed by with bottled water. Darna snagged two and handed one to Millie. She unscrewed the cap of the icy drink and took a huge gulp. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and gazed at Darna.

  He chugged his whole bottle and screwed the top back on the empty container. “Heard someone sent you a threatening note.”

  Millie nodded. News sure did travel fast around the ship. “What’d the note look like?”

  “It was about this big.” Millie held out her fingers. “And it was pale blue.”

  Darna lifted a brow. He looked out at the turquoise waters and nodded. “That’s the stuff the ship’s officer’s use. Medical staff, the captain. You know, the upper echelon.”

  “Huh.” Millie stuck a hand on her hip. Medical staff…as in Doctor Gundervan.

  “Course anyone could lift a sheet of paper on the ship. It wouldn’t be hard to do.”

  Darna nodded at something behind Millie. “Wonder what he’s doing onshore,” Darna said.

  Millie followed his gaze. Doctor Gundervan was standing next to a row of lounge chairs, talking to Maribelle, Olivia’s former roommate. Their heads bent close together. They were having what Millie would guess was a serious conversation.

  “I don’t trust her,” Darna told Millie.

  Millie nodded. She didn’t trust her, either. Of course, at this point she didn’t trust anyone. She gave Darna a sideways glance. What if he had killed his sister? After all, he was around her more than anyone else was.

  A shiver ran down her back despite the unbearable heat. “Don’t go and get heat stroke, now,” he warned.

  Millie nodded and watched as Darna headed to his station - the covered tiki bar. He was lucky. At least he had some sort of shade.

  She stood there for another long moment watching Maribelle and the good ole’ doctor chat it up.

  Millie trudged across the sand as she headed to the food stations to check on the progress. Motive and opportunity. That’s what ran through Millie’s mind. The two went together. When she could figure out who not only had motive, but also the perfect opportunity, she would have the killer!

  The rest of the afternoon flew by. Millie was grateful it went by fast. More than once, she wished she was one of the guests wearing a bikini, lounging under a palm tree and sipping a fruity drink. Well, maybe not the bikini part but definitely the lounging under a palm tree part with a frosty drink in hand.

  Millie was on the last shuttle and one of the last to return to the ship. She had worked her tail off all day. She had been so busy that she had only had time to grab a small roast beef slider in between tasks. She began to feel a bit nauseous from lack of food as the boat chugged across the open water.

  She could see Darna hanging out in the back, talking to Alison Coulter, the blonde dancer. Alison tipped her head back and laughed at something Darna had said to her.

  Millie thought they made a cute couple. She wondered if they were dating. Then she remembered that Donovan Sweeney, the purser, and Alison had gotten off the ship together in Nassau.

  Millie shook her head. This place had more drama than Days of Our Lives.

  Back in the cabin, Millie stripped off her sweaty clothes and climbed into the shower. She turned the water on cold and stood there for several long moments, letting the cool water pelt her sore, tired muscles.

  By the time she had showered and changed, she felt a bit better. Andy had given her the rest of the evening off since she’d worked the entire day without a single break.

  She slipped into clean clothes and opened the cabin door to head topside. There, standing on the other side of the door, was Annette, her hand raised, ready to knock.

  She looked as if she was about to explode into a million little pieces. “I have a brilliant idea!” she exclaimed. She grabbed Millie’s arm and dragged her back into the room before slamming the door shut behind them.

  Annette’s eyes danced with excitement. Millie didn’t have the heart to tell her she was about to pass out from hunger. Instead, she plopped down on the edge of the bed as Annette slid into the only chair. “We need a stakeout,” she decided.

  Millie’s brow shot up. “A stakeout!” She was about to shoot the idea into the deep blue seas until she thought about it. “A stakeout to flush out the killer!” She snapped her fingers. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Too much heat today, I reckon,” Annette teased. “Listen, here’s my plan. We spread the word that you’ve got evidence that you’re about to turn over to Patterson.”

  Annette paused. “Heard you two had a cozy little visit.” She winked.

  Millie’s mouth dropped open. “Why, I…”

  Annette waved a hand. “Now, I’m not one to gossip so don’t worry about me.”

  Millie closed her mouth and gave Annette a dark look. There was nothing to gossip about!

  Annette rambled on with ideas about the stakeout while Millie’s mind wandered. First, she was a “busybody” then someone was sending her threatening notes and now she was “getting cozy” with Detective Patterson!

  And she hadn’t even been on the ship for a week!

  “…so we let it slip that you have incriminating evidence,” Annette continued.

  Millie shook her head. “I’m sorry, Annette. I missed that last part.” Actually, she had missed almost all of it.

  “I was just saying that we tell them you stumbled on some evidence and it’s hidden in your cabin.”

  Millie stopped her there. “How do we catch them in the act?”

  Annette jumped to her feet. “Follow me.” She opened Millie’s bathroom door and climbed up on the bathroom counter.

  Above the counter was an access panel Millie had never noticed.

  Annette popped the panel off and shoved it to the side. She looked down at Millie. “Give me a boost.”

  Millie stepped inside and grabbed the bottom of Annette’s sneaker, giving it a shove and hoisting Annette up through the panel and into the ceiling.

  “I don’t get a warm fuzzy about this,” Millie warned.

  “Oh, I’ve done this before.” Annette’s muffled voice echoed from the opening.

  The ceiling tiles shifted as Millie watched Annette shimmy across the bathroom ceiling and into the small cabin.

  More than once, she squeezed her eyes shut, certain that at any second Annette would come crashing through. Millie had no idea how she could explain that.

  “I’m over here.”

  Millie followed the voice to a small, square vent in the center of the room. She looked up. She could see Annette’s piercing eyes through the vent holes.

  Annette poked a finger through one of the squares. “I can hide in here and wait for whoever it is to show up.” She snapped her fingers. “Busted!”

  Millie liked the idea. The on
ly part she didn’t like was that SHE hadn’t thought of it. “Were you a detective in another life?” Millie asked.

  “No. Let’s just say I had an interesting career years ago. Plus, I love to watch old re-runs of Murder, We Wrote,” she reminded her.

  Millie waited for Annette to crawl back out of the ceiling before replacing the panel and wiping the dust from the counter. The lightheaded sensation had returned. “I’m going to grab a bite to eat. Wanna come?”

  Annette brushed the dirt from her clothes. “Nope. Gotta head back up to the kitchen and work on tomorrow’s dinner menu. I have to have it on paper for the sous chef. If not,” she made a slicing motion across her neck, “it’s off with my head!”

  Millie opened the cabin door and stepped out. She followed Annette down the corridor and into the passenger area. They climbed the steps and stopped in front of the entrance to the kitchen. Annette grabbed the door handle. “I’ll work on spreading the word.” She winked at Millie and disappeared behind the door.

  Millie shook her head and started up the flights of stairs to the top. Dinner in the dining room was in full swing, which meant that there would be few passengers in the buffet area; something Millie was starting to enjoy.

  She loved the passengers. Loved their excitement but there were moments it was good to get away from it all.

  She made a beeline for the burger station. She had been tortured all day long with the smells of grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. She grabbed a tray and headed to the order window.

  Catherine – or – Cat appeared behind her, tray in hand. “I hear you’re quite the busybody around here.” She grabbed a bundle of silverware from the towering stack nearby.

  Millie groaned inwardly. Cat was the last person she wanted to talk to today. She wanted to enjoy the rest of her evening in peace – and quiet - if that was possible. Which, apparently, it was not.

  She stepped in front of the window and smiled at the young man behind the counter. “I’ll take a cheeseburger with extra cheese,” she told him. “Please,” she added.

  She turned to Cat, still standing beside her. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She wanted to hear what Cat’s version of “busybody” entailed.

  Cat grabbed a fry from her plate and chewed thoughtfully. “Oh, just that you’re determined to solve Olivia’s murder and that you’ve been hanging out down in Patterson’s office.”

  Millie clenched her fist. “I am not hanging out in Patterson’s office,” she gritted out.

  Cat raised an eyebrow. “My, my. A little defensive, aren’t we?”

  Millie didn’t answer. Her burger was ready. “Thank you.” She smiled at the cook and slid the plate on her tray. She turned on her heel and without uttering another syllable to Cat, walked the other way.

  She made a quick stop at the dessert station where she grabbed a piece of strawberry pie on her way to a corner table. As far away from people – and Cat – as possible. She set the tray on the table and unwrapped her silverware. She reached for the bottle of ketchup.

  “Ahem.”

  It was Cat. Again! “Mind if I sit here?”

  Millie shrugged her shoulders, determined not to let Cat see how she was getting under her skin. “Help yourself,” she muttered.

  Cat settled in the chair across from her. Millie watched as she shifted her plates from the tray to the table. Maybe eating with Cat wasn’t such a bad idea. It would give her a chance to find out a little more information about Olivia and her enemies.

  Millie set her plate and pie on the table and laid the tray on the seat next to her.

  Cat already thought Millie was a snoop so no point in beating around the bush. “Olivia sure had her share of enemies.”

  Cat patted the tip of her beehive hairdo and lifted her burger. “It would be easier to list the people that did like her.”

  “What about Darna?”

  Cat drew her brows together. “Something odd about those two. They were always together and Darna never seemed to mind when Olivia flirted with other men.”

  Millie sipped her water. Apparently, Cat wasn’t aware that Darna and Olivia were brother and sister. She paused, the glass halfway to the table. What if Darna had lied to Millie? What if he and Olivia weren’t related after all, and he had just made that up to throw Millie off?

  She made a mental note to see if she could verify the accuracy of his confession.

  Cat took a big bite of burger and studied Millie. Like someone inspecting a bug under a microscope. Millie squirmed under the intense gaze.

  Cat set the burger down and picked up her napkin. She dabbed at the corners of her mouth. “Surely you put Andy on the list.”

  Cat leaned forward. “Your boss. Andy,” she whispered. She leaned back and looked around. “He had the hots for Olivia and she scorned him. Publicly embarrassed him, really.”

  Millie was all ears. “Go on.”

  “The day before she died, they had some sort of spat in front of the Kids Korner.” “Kids Korner” was an activity center for guests’ children. Millie had walked by once or twice but had never actually gone inside to check it out.

  Millie remembered Andy telling her that his fiancé had died years ago. Could Andy be a killer? Then Millie remembered Cat mentioning Toby, the former assistant cruise director.

  Maybe she was just jealous since, in her opinion, being the assistant cruise director was a better job than running the ship’s store, which would mean she probably didn’t care for Millie that much, either.

  She cast a suspicious glance in her direction. It was probably best that she keep Cat at arm’s length. Not share too much info with her until she was certain she could be trusted.

  “…has a photo of Olivia lying on the floor in the atrium.” Cat was still talking.

  Millie, so deep in thought, had missed what she said but her ears perked up when she heard the word photo. “Who has a photo of Olivia?”

  Cat rolled her eyes. “No, I was just saying that Donovan Sweeney took some pictures of Olivia’s body. I watched him do it.”

  Donovan Sweeney was the ship’s purser. She didn’t know him that well, but she intended to change that ASAP. She needed to have a look at the photos!

  Maribelle sauntered over with a tray of food just as Millie was finishing hers. Maribelle sat and Millie stood. It was the perfect opportunity to make a hasty retreat.

  “It’s been a long day. I think I’ll turn in.” Millie didn’t wait for a reply as she picked up her empty plates and headed out of the area.

  She dropped her dirty dishes in the bin next to the sliding doors and made a beeline for the guest services desk in hopes that Donovan was working the late shift.

  She made a quick trip down several flights of stairs until she reached Deck 5. Her eyes scanned the large, long gleaming counter until she caught a glimpse of Donovan standing near the half door on the far right side of the counter. He was getting ready to leave!

  Millie made fast tracks across the floor and over to the counter just as Donovan stepped to the other side. He shut the door and looked up in surprise. “Millie Sanders.” He smiled. “I heard you’re doing a great job and even managed to avert a medical crisis of one of our pint-size passengers.”

  Millie’s face warmed. She had almost forgotten about the girl and the bee sting, so wrapped up in the investigation. “It was nothing,” she said.

  “You’re being too modest,” Donovan replied.

  Millie lowered her voice and glanced around. “I heard you snapped a couple pictures of Olivia before her body was covered and taken away.”

  Donovan stopped abruptly. His eyes narrowed. He stared at Millie for a long second, as if deciding whether or not he should confess. “I did.”

  Millie wilted under his gaze. She swallowed hard. It was now or never, she decided. “I was wondering if I might take a peek at those pictures.”

  “The company has a team of investigators on the case now.” He shook his head. “Are you that bored with your job? I’m sure
Andy can find more to keep you busy.”

  To Millie, it almost sounded like a threat.

  Millie shook her head. It was hard for her to explain. She loved her job. But this was personal. As if she had something to prove. To Roger. Not that it would matter. Why would he care if she were in the middle of the ocean solving mysteries? He was probably happy she was thousands of miles away!

  She didn’t want to tell all that to Donovan. Instead, she simply said, “It gives me a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning.” Sudden tears burned the back of her eyes.

  Donovan reached out and touched her hand. “I’m sorry, Millie. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  He nodded his head. “Let’s go.” Millie hadn’t meant to play on his sympathies but it looked like that had done the trick.

  Millie followed him up the stairs and out onto the promenade deck. He pointed to an area off to the side. The area was deserted. Along the wall was a long metal bench.

  Donovan pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. He flipped through the screen and then handed the phone to Millie. Millie’s heart began to pound as she slipped on her glasses and studied the screen.

  The body was exactly how Millie remembered seeing it that day on the floor in front of the bar. She studied the photo carefully and scrolled to the next one. This picture showed a different angle. There were several more photos and some of them included the people that had gathered around the woman’s body.

  She recognized Robert, the bartender. The one who was dating Maribelle, along with Andy and someone Millie could swear was Alison Coulter, the blonde dancer. But her head was turned to the side and Millie couldn’t be 100% certain.

  There was one more person that showed up in a couple of the pictures. It had to be someone who worked on board because they were wearing a lanyard around their neck. The odd thing about the person was that they weren’t wearing a uniform.

  Millie pointed to the figure. “Who is that?” She held up the phone.

  Donovan tilted his head as he studied the photo. “That’s Toby Oglesby, the former assistant cruise director.”

  He handed the camera back to Millie. “He must’ve been on his way out when this was taken.”