Chapter 29
Starliner Athos Nexus Main Chat
Chattykaffi: Good Saturday morning, cruisers, and welcome to the weekend! For those of you who are new to the Athos, we offer special brunch buffets at both the Supernova Buffet and the Proxima Dining Hall. They are not to be missed! Don’t forget, tonight’s special showing of War of the Universe is at 7 p.m. in the Galaxy Amphitheater. Get there early for great seats. As always, popcorn is complimentary!
Starliner Athos Nexus Chat 3
Jackofalltrades: I hear Woolsey’s quarters are going into the lottery today. Saw them moving his stuff out.
8inthecorner: Putting my name in!
I woke up refreshed but with no new answers. The feeling I’d had the night before remained. Like the solution was there, I just couldn’t get it to fully materialize in my brain. The more I thought about it, the further away it seemed to go, too.
I resolved to stop thinking about it and see if that worked, but that was easier said than done. I showered leisurely since I didn’t have to be ready for anything but my date with Frank at eleven. Harry and I sat at the table for coffee and breakfast while we watched the Morning News Report .
I enjoyed the new guy, Kent. He was personable, seemed low-ego, and, unlike Andrew, I had no particular reason not to like him. I sipped my coffee and took another bite of my scramble bowl. Eggs, cheddar cheese, hashbrowns, diced red and green pepper, and bacon bits. It was pretty good.
After I put my breakfast dishes in the sterilizer, I got my knitting bag out. It was in need of a good organizing. I started with my notions bag, corralling my cable needles and stitch markers. Some of the stitch markers were actual plastic or metal stitch markers. Some, the ones I tended to use the most, were just little knotted loops of scrap yarn.
While I worked on that and watched the news, I took breaks to see what was happening via the Nexus. I was surprised to see that Andrew’s quarters were being cleaned out so that they could be put into the lottery.
It wasn’t like there were people in desperate need of housing on the Athos , but there were certainly some quarters that were more cramped than others. Everyone who’d come aboard had known ahead of time what they were getting. The packages hadn’t been a surprise.
Some of your allotment was based on your job. Hazel was a good example of that. As vice-admiral, she needed more space in case she had to entertain. Granted, she was a lofty example.
Some of your allotment was based on family size. Andrew and I were examples of what a standard single person received. Frank was an example of what a single person with extensive funds could purchase, because we had all purchased our place on the Athos —those of us who weren’t military or deemed essential crew. Those folks had been given quarters as part of their jobs.
If you were married or married with children, the quarters were larger to accommodate those needs.
Those who hadn’t been able to afford as much had opted to share quarters. I imagined Scotty, who had gotten his spot on board because of his brother, might have what was often referred to as an interior single.
An interior single was essentially a studio. One room that was your living space, dining area, and bedroom with a small bathroom attached. There was no window, but there was a screen that could replicate a window and featured a direct feed of what exterior rooms might see. When you weren’t watching entertainment on it.
Anyway, I was sure there would be a list of folks hoping to win the lottery on Andrew’s apartment. Personally, I thought they should give it to Scotty. Seemed fair to keep it in the family. Andrew had already paid for it, after all.
Maybe I’d mention that to Hazel tomorrow at the spa. Of course, she didn’t have anything to do with the accommodations lottery. Actually, I wasn’t sure who did. Frank probably knew. He seemed to know nearly everything.
I glanced at the time. I could finish organizing my knitting supplies later. “I should probably get dressed and put some makeup on, huh, Harry?”
Harry was sitting in one of the other chairs at the table, one foot extended over his head as he cleaned himself.
“No? Nothing to say?”
He looked up. “What time is Frank coming?”
“Eleven.”
Without missing a beat, he said, “You have two hours before he arrives. Yes, you should start getting ready.”
I laughed. “Are you saying I need a lot of work?”
He righted himself and jumped across to my lap. “No, Mum. I think you’re beautiful just the way you are.”
Smiling, I kissed his head. “Thanks, pumpkin.”
I’d been in my bathrobe long enough. I put him on the floor, went into the bedroom, and picked out the day’s look. Cuffed jeans, with a black-and-white polka dot top, black knit flats, a red cardigan, and a red scarf in my hair.
Once I had everything on but the flats, cardigan, and the scarf in my hair, I went back to the bathroom. I took my hair out of its towel and dried it, scrunching it a bit to accent the natural waves, then ran some serum through it to boost the shine and tame down the flyaways. Hazel had given the serum to me after she’d cut her hair and decided it was extraneous to her needs.
Makeup was simple. After foundation and concealer, I applied some black cat-eye liner, black mascara, a soft, tawny blush and a rather daring red lip stain, if I do say so myself. It was more of a look than I’d ever do for a workday, but it was fun. Something I’d long ago realized I was never too old to have.
I tied the scarf into my hair and put on my shoes. I was wearing my standard diamond studs. I added a sweet little beaded bracelet of black lava stone beads interspersed with gold spacers, another gift from Hazel years ago, and pulled on my cardigan. I was pretty much ready.
I brushed my teeth, checked my lipstick, then added a spritz of perfume to my wrists. Which of course got me thinking about the perfume that had been on Andrew’s sheets. Did that mean anything? Or was it just a dalliance that he’d had? A dalliance that had lasted several months.
My head was so full of the mystery surrounding Andrew’s death that I almost couldn’t think about it anymore. It was too much. One thought led to another, which led to another, and before I knew it, my thoughts were a jumbled mess.
Whatever Frank had planned for today, I was looking forward to the distraction. In fact, I needed it.
He arrived at ten fifty-eight. His enthusiasm made me smile. “Hi, there.”
“Morning.” He stepped inside. He was in jeans and a worn but neat flannel shirt with a belt and soft leather loafers that looked expensive and possibly Italian. No logos, though. That wasn’t Frank’s style anyway. “You didn’t happen to dream who the killer is, did you?”
I snorted and shook my head. “No such luck.”
He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “You smell as good as you look. Ready to go?”
“Do I need to bring anything?”
“Nope.” He looked over and nodded to Harry, who’d moved to the couch. “Hieronymus.”
“Frank,” Harry said back.
“Then I’m ready. Bye, Harry. See you when I get home.”
“Have fun, Mum.” He didn’t even lift his head, the little slug.
As we walked toward the elevators, I tried to get more info out of Frank. “Where are we going again?”
He laughed. “You’ll see.”
We got into the first available car along with a few other people. Saturdays were busy with staff and crew getting things done and enjoying their day off. I watched carefully as he leaned forward to press the button for our floor, but he shifted at the last moment, blocking my view.
“Hey.”
He laughed. “What?”
He knew exactly what he’d done. “Okay, be that way.”
“You don’t like surprises?”
“I like them all right.” I smirked. “I like figuring them out better.” Something that was impossible to do with all the other buttons that had been pressed.
“I picked up on that.”
Our next stop was the twenty-ninth floor. That was a big cruiser destination. The botanical gardens took up that entire deck as well as the one above it. The gardens were really something to see. Not only beautiful but functional, as a lot of the ship’s more exotic fruits were grown there.
The car stopped, the door opened, and no one made a move. Until Frank nudged me. “Come on. This is our stop.”
I smiled. “The botanical gardens?” I followed him out. The sweet, earthy scent of growing things filled my senses as we left the elevator.
“Is that all right?”
“Yeah, definitely. I haven’t been here in a while. Probably not since week two, and that was early days. I can’t wait to see what it looks like.”
“Great. We have a lunch reservation at twelve thirty at Bloom.”
My mouth came open. “Really?” Bloom was one of the pricier restaurants on the starliner and hard to get into. I’d never been. I wasn’t even sure Hazel had eaten there. Definite cruiser territory.
“Really.” He tipped his head toward the glass doors just ahead and held out his hand. I took it.
The doors opened as we approached, sliding out of the way. Warm, fragrant air wafted over us, and a young man with a tablet greeted us from behind a small reception desk. “Welcome to the botanical gardens. Are you here for a tour?”
“Self-guided,” Frank answered. “And we have a reservation at Bloom.”
“Fantastic,” the young man said. The name patch on his green jumpsuit said Davis. He scanned our wristbands with his tablet. He saw whatever he needed to on the screen, then reached under the counter and handed us each an over-the-ear receiver. “Information and fun facts about the gardens will play through those as you near a checkpoint. Take your time and enjoy your day. Remember that photography is encouraged, but touching and picking is not. Also, no killing of insects or other wildlife is allowed.”
He tapped something on his tablet, and the frosted double doors behind him slid open. A lush, green oasis waited beyond. “Have a wonderful visit.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Frank nodded.
We both put on our earpieces.
A computerized female voice spoke through mine. “Welcome to the Athos Botanical Gardens.”
Frank smiled at me. I smiled back. “This is nice. In fact, it’s exactly what I needed.”
“Good.” He gave my hand a little squeeze, and we made our way into the gardens. The first section was all flowers. Flowering plants, flowering vines, and some small flowering trees. All the color made for a very impressive entrance.
A small etched glass sign sat low to the ground. In at least forty different languages, it bade us welcome. A little yellow butterfly sat on the edge.
I inhaled. There was just something about the quality of the air here that was unlike anything else on the ship. It was green and bright and clean, despite the fragrance it carried. Just being here made me feel happy and peaceful. As if we’d gone outside for a walk on a beautiful spring day.
We wandered, following the path but in no real hurry other than the reservation that awaited us. The only time I let go of Frank’s hand was to take photos. I couldn’t wait to go through them on my tablet later. Everything was so green, the flowers so vivid, the air so fresh.
It was a great reminder that for all of our technology, nothing beat nature in all its glory.
I loved seeing the insects, too. That might seem like an odd thing to love, but the bees, butterflies, and beetles really made it seem like the outdoors. I knew they were part of the ecosystem, just like the earthworms and whatever else lived in the soil. Some people didn’t like that they’d been brought in, but the truth was, they were far better at maintaining the balance of things than anything manmade.
By the time we arrived at the restaurant, which was situated on the second floor so that it overlooked much of the gardens, I was in such a relaxed state that it occurred to me that I hadn’t been taking enough time for myself lately.
All of this stuff with Andrew had understandably gotten to me, but I needed to let it go. It wasn’t my job to solve his murder.
In that moment, I resolved to let the ASF do their job. I’d never been great at keeping resolutions, but there was always a first time.