Chapter 20
Millie pursed her lips. “I wasn’t the only one who got graffiti’d?”
“The fitness center was hit. I sent my guys up there first thing this morning to take care of it, before the sunrise stretch / yoga class.”
“Hang on.” Millie reached for her mouse. “The crew member who got booted off the ship had a twin brother who was hired at the same time.”
“Arturo Bautista,” Sharky said. “He’s still on board.”
“Is it possible…”
“Arturo picked up where his brother left off? Maybe. Could be both brothers are whack jobs.” Sharky told her he’d already called Patterson to let him know about her door. “He’s gonna want to ask you what happened.”
“My office and the fitness center were the only two places that were vandalized?”
“There was one more. I think you should see it.” Sharky escorted Millie and Gloria out of the theater and up the stairs all the way to the lido deck.
Crossing over to the other side, they stopped in front of the wall where Nic and Millie had hung Scout’s official portrait, taken the day he was christened mascot of Siren of the Seas.
Instead of her pup’s furry face smiling at them, someone had used black paint to give him a pointed chin and bushy black eyebrows that drew together in a menacing glare.
Millie could feel the tips of her ears burn. “They vandalized Scout’s photo.”
“At least the glass,” Sharky said. “I was on my way up here with a screwdriver to take it down and clean it when I got your call.” He told them he’d asked his maintenance crew to check every square inch of the ship to make sure there wasn’t more.
Millie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Whoever it was made their rounds.”
“Yep.”
“Mr. Bautista is the only person who comes to mind, especially if his brother is in hot water with the FBI.”
“It’s a thought,” Sharky said. “He may have decided to stay on board to cause trouble.”
“We can’t rule out a disgruntled passenger. On the flip side, if someone had a beef, why not take their complaint to Guest Services?”
“Maybe they did,” Gloria said. “And the issue wasn’t resolved.”
Millie watched Sharky reach into his pocket. He removed a flathead screwdriver and unscrewed the frame. “I’ll have this like new before the sun sets.”
The trio backtracked and returned to Millie’s office.
Sharky placed Scout’s photo on the desk before arranging a clean drop cloth on the floor. He loosened the lid on a can of primer and painted over Cow.
Millie paced, growing angrier by the minute. “I’m going to do a little snooping around.”
“Like I said, Patterson is already checking the surveillance cameras.” Sharky added a thick layer of primer and stood back to inspect his handiwork. “I can still see it. I’ll swing by later after it dries and add another coat. Two coats should do the trick.”
Following Sharky out, Millie and Gloria trekked across the stage, down the steps and through the theater. “Let’s swing by Guest Services first.”
Nikki had gone on break. When questioned, the employees working claimed they weren’t aware of any unresolved passenger issues.
“While we’re here, let’s see if Donovan is around.” Millie approached the purser’s office door and gave it a light rap.
“Hmpfm.”
She took the muffled response as an invitation to enter. Stepping inside, she found Donovan seated at his desk. “Hey, Millie.”
“Hello, Donovan. Got a minute?”
“Sure.” He leaned back in his chair, a flicker of surprise in his eyes when he noticed Gloria following her in. “Hello.”
“Donovan, this is my cousin, Gloria Kennedy.”
“I remember you.” He sprang to his feet and held out his hand. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you. Millie invited me to hang out with her today.”
“Hopefully you have comfortable sneakers,” he joked.
“We’ve been all over the ship,” Gloria said. “I’ve figured out my cousin’s secret for staying slim.”
Millie playfully flexed her muscles. “Slim, trim and targeted by someone on board.”
“You got hit too?”
“Someone spray-painted my door. Sharky is taking care of it.”
“Along with Scout’s photo and the fitness center.” Donovan told her Patterson was reviewing the camera footage. “It’s only a matter of time before they get caught.”
“The reason I’m here is to find out if you’ve heard of any passenger complaints, someone who might be ticked off enough to vandalize the ship.”
“I met with my staff this morning for our weekly meeting to discuss current issues. There weren’t any.”
“So, no one on board has a score to settle,” Millie said.
“Not that I’m aware of, except for possibly Arturo Bautista whose twin brother could be facing criminal charges for his actions.” Donovan changed the subject. “I heard Gilberto is sick.”
“He’s come down with the flu.” Millie pressed her palms together. “Another reason I stopped by is that I’m hoping you can help me.”
“How?”
“By filling in for the illusionist with your improv but adding a twist.”
“What kind of twist?”
“A musical improv. It’s called Unsinkable Melodies.” Millie shared their idea. “The contestants’ jobs will be to come up with song lyrics. The house band can play along. What do you say?”
“I haven’t hosted improv in months.”
“This would be the perfect opportunity to jump back in. Seriously, the crowd loves your act.”
“I dunno.”
“Please?” Millie pleaded. “You would be doing me a huge favor.”
“I’ll think about it.”
She ran around the desk and impulsively hugged him. “You’re the best. I owe you one.” Millie handed him the format she’d outlined. “We’ll only be doing a seven o’clock show.”
“Hang on.” Donovan laughed. “I said I would think about it.”
“Translation for yes. Meet us backstage at six forty-five.”
“You have a knack for getting your way, Millie.”
“A friend in need is a friend indeed.” She hustled out of Donovan’s office before he could change his mind.
Gloria was hot on her heels, not stopping until they were on the other side of the atrium. “Where to?”
“As luck would have it, we’re hosting a spa event.” Millie stopped by the gift shop to grab a handful of charms before climbing the stairs to the spa deck.
Camille, the manager, stood at the counter, a warm smile on her face when she saw them strolling toward her. “You’re right on time.”
“Thanks. You’ll be proud of me. I didn’t forget to grab a handful of these little gems.” Millie dangled a packaged charm. “I got a little sidetracked. We stopped by Donovan Sweeney’s office to ask about disgruntled passengers or if he knew of anyone with a chip on their shoulder.”
“Chip as in vandalizing the ship?” Camille quipped.
“Correct.”
“Patterson was already here this morning. He took pictures of the fitness center’s damage.”
A flurry of excited voices filled the corridor. Their special guests arrived, ending the conversation.
Millie stepped forward to greet them. “Thank you for joining Camille and me for the pampering party.”
Camille grabbed the tray of champagne flutes and passed them out. “Louis Roederer for those of you with discerning palates.”
While the women mixed and mingled, Millie worked her way around the room, passing out the limited-edition charms—a sterling silver Siren of the Seas replica with a sapphire gemstone at the stern of the ship.
“Who designed these?”
“Me,” Millie said.
“How precious,” the woman gushed, holding the charm so it sparkled under the LED lights. “You are so clever, Millie.”
“She’s a gem,” another guest chimed in. “So thoughtful and sweet.”
The guests finished sipping their champagne before being escorted to the various spa rooms in the back.
Millie, with Gloria by her side, made their rounds, offering snacks and delivering gift baskets overflowing with goodies—samples of spa products ranging from bath bombs to fuzzy fur slippers.
Soft music, fragrant aroma, hushed voices. The spa event was a world away from the hustle and bustle of the busy ship…a quieter pace in a relaxed, tranquil setting.
The event ended and before Millie knew it, she stood at the spa’s entrance, hugging her VIPs, many of them she considered friends.
Gloria stood by her side until the very last guest left. “This is my favorite hosting event so far.”
“Isn’t it fabulous?” Millie held up her hands. “The mini mani was the icing on the cake.”
“My hands haven’t felt this smooth in years.”
Camille finished ringing up a purchase. She handed the bag and receipt to the customer before joining Millie and Gloria. “I swear these pampering events get better and better.”
“Based on the feedback, it’s number one.” Millie handed Camille a charm. “I didn’t forget you. This is for your collection.”
“Thanks. I wasn’t going to ask.” Camille promptly added it to her bracelet. “Where are you headed next?”
“To check in with Dave Patterson.”
“Before you go, I’ve been thinking about our earlier conversation and the vandalism,” Camille said.
“What about it?”
“Something I noticed that might tickle your sleuthing brain.”
“A clue?” Gloria asked.
“Possibly. Follow me.”
Taking a shortcut, they trekked down the hall separating the spa from the fitness center.
Zigging and zagging around the free weights, the trio passed by the room used for aerobic classes and product demonstrations.
On the other side were the treadmills and Peloton bikes. Along the back wall were shelves of towels. A fridge with chilled towels sat on top. Next to the fridge was a water cooler filled with lemon-infused water.
“Lemon water.” Gloria reached for a cup and hesitated.
“Help yourself. The water is for everyone,” Millie said.
She poured a cup and sipped the tart concoction. “This is a well-equipped fitness center.”
“Only the best for our guests,” Millie said. “Although we have a small gym for the crew members downstairs, most of them come up here to work out and lift weights.”
Gloria pointed to the floor-to-ceiling windows, offering an unobstructed ocean view. “With a view like this, I can see why.”
Millie waited until her cousin finished her water. “What were you going to show us?”
“This door was spray-painted with the word ‘Fix’ and nothing else.”
“Fix,” Millie repeated. “My office door said cow.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
Camille took them to an enclosed area located directly behind the cabinets and beverage station, to a room Millie had never noticed before.
The walls were filled with metal cabinets. On closer inspection, she noticed clear glass doors, all of which appeared to be locked.
“Check this out.” Camille tapped the top of a lever lock. “You can see someone tried prying this open.”
“The vandals did this?”
“It appears so.”
Gloria squinted her eyes. “What were they after?”
“High-end energy drinks. Giselde is around here somewhere. Let me track her down.” Camille took off, promising to return shortly.
While they waited, Millie pulled her cell phone from her pocket and typed “Fire Up energy drinks” into the search bar. A full page of ads filled the screen.
Gloria peered over her shoulder, watching her click on a link. She sucked in a sharp breath. “Whoa.”
“Are you noticing what I’m noticing? These energy drinks cost fifty dollars per ounce.”
Camille returned, followed by Giselde, the fitness instructor, a surly woman who rarely smiled and reminded Millie of a drill sergeant. “Hello.”
“Hey,” Giselde gruffly replied.
“Millie and I were wondering about Fire Up.” Camille mentioned the vandalism and how it appeared that someone had tried prying the cabinet open. “What exactly is this stuff?”
“Potent energy boosters. It’s not sold in the US. We buy it from a company in France.”
Millie wrinkled her nose. “Does it sell?”
“Like hotcakes to a very discerning group of fitness geeks,” Giselde said. “Which is why we keep it locked up.”
“So, a passenger buys this stuff to boost their energy or metabolism.” Millie bit her lower lip, her mind whirling. “Why would the vandals be interested in it?”
“There is another benefit, although it’s not advertised as such.”
“Which is?”
“The United States outlawed it specifically because of the added benefit. In other words, whoever tried breaking into this cabinet knew exactly what they were doing.”