Chapter 26
Bert crouched beside the bed in their stateroom, his tactical kit in his pocket. Small lock picks, bypass tools for electronic key cards, miniature cameras no bigger than shirt buttons, and an earpiece connected wirelessly to Mary’s phone.
“You’re sure about this?” Mary asked from her wheelchair near the door, her voice low despite the fact they were alone. She held her phone in her lap, the screen showing the camera feed that Bert would transmit once he activated the equipment.
“We want documentation of what Colin has in those rooms. So we gather what we need.” Bert checked the earpiece connection one more time.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “What happens if you get caught breaking in?”
“Then I guess you’ll have to bail me out of jail,” he quipped, adoring the twinkle now in her eyes. “Besides, you’ll be my lookout. If anyone comes, you’ll warn me, and I’ll be out before they know I was there.”
Mary’s expression shifted from concern to something that looked like anticipation. “You trust me?”
He leaned down and kissed her, hard and fast. “Babe, there’s no one else in this world I trust more than you.”
Straightening, he said, “You’ll be positioned near the elevator.
Your phone will show you what I’m seeing, so you can guide me if needed.
And if Colin or anyone else approaches, you’ve got your cover story ready.
” Bert stood, tucking the tools into various pockets with practiced efficiency. “You’ll be perfect.”
The way her face lit up made Bert’s chest ache.
He’d seen Mary competent and professional countless times at LSIMT.
But this was different. This was fieldwork, the kind of active role she probably thought she’d never be a part of.
But the excitement in her eyes told him how much she wanted to be essential to this mission rather than just support staff.
“I’m ready,” she assured, her voice steady.
They moved into position, and she rolled to a spot near the elevator where she had clear sightlines down the corridor. Her phone was angled so she could see both the camera feed Bert would transmit and the hallway around her.
Bert approached Diane’s stateroom with casual confidence. Anyone watching would think he was just another passenger heading to his cabin. The key card bypass took less than ten seconds. The soft click of the lock disengaging was barely audible over the ship’s ambient noise.
He slipped inside, closing the door softly behind him, and activated the camera clipped to his shirt. “I’m in,” he murmured, knowing Mary would hear him through the earpiece.
“Copy that.” Mary’s soft voice came through. “Hallway is clear. You’re good.”
Diane’s stateroom was a suite with a sitting area separate from the bedroom. The connecting door to Colin’s adjacent room was closed but not locked. Bert knew that gave Colin easy access to monitor his aunt at all times.
The sitting area was neat, with no personal items scattered about, but the furniture had been pushed to the side, likely to give Diane more room as she maneuvered in her wheelchair.
Bert moved to the bathroom, where prescription bottles lined the counter in careful rows.
He photographed each one, making sure to capture the labels that clearly indicated the medication name, dosage, prescribing doctor, and pharmacy.
Then he opened each bottle and photographed the actual pills inside, wanting to capture their color, shape, and markings.
Sisco, with Sadie’s research assistance, would be able to identify exactly what Colin was giving Diane and whether it matched what the label claimed.
“Six bottles total,” Bert murmured for Mary’s benefit. “Labels show blood pressure medication, arthritis medication, and vitamins. But the pills inside don’t all match the drug names.”
“Copy that,” she whispered.
Bert did a quick but thorough search of the rest of the bathroom, but found nothing unusual.
Toiletries, makeup, and hair products sat organized on the counter, all within easy reach.
He moved into the bedroom and photographed anything that might be relevant.
Diane’s phone sat charging on the nightstand.
Her wallet was in the drawer, and Bert carefully documented the credit cards and ID.
Sadie could cross-reference the card numbers with the charges they’d already identified.
“Hallway still clear?” Bert asked, preparing to move to Colin’s room.
“All clear. You’re good to proceed.”
The connecting door between the suites opened silently, and Bert moved into Colin’s space.
The contrast was immediate and stark. Where Diane’s room felt sterile and controlled, Colin’s was lived-in and chaotic.
Clothes were draped over chairs, and an open, partially unpacked suitcase was on the floor.
A laptop sat on the desk, closed but not locked in a safe.
Bert considered trying to access it, but decided against it.
The risk of Colin noticing someone had tampered with his computer outweighed the potential benefits.
Bert photographed everything, working with systematic efficiency. Beside the laptop were a few pamphlets from their tours and basic ship information. There were no prescription bottles in Colin’s bathroom, and his toiletries were scattered randomly on the counter.
The drawers were empty, but the closet did hold Colin’s more formal clothes…
suits, shirts, and dress pants. Going back to the open suitcase, Bert carefully searched through T-shirts, polos, socks, and underwear, and found several pill bottles tucked in a corner.
They had no label, so he photographed each one, as well as the actual pills inside.
“Oh, hi, Diane. Colin.” Mary’s voice came through the earpiece, urgent but controlled. “Did you have a good game?”
“Yes, it was lovely. I lost, but it’s still such a fun game to pass the time after dinner.”
Bert’s pulse and hands stayed steady as he made sure the suitcase was left as he found it. Then he slipped out of the sliding glass door and closed it securely. After flipping the lock with a special tool, he easily dropped to the deck below.
Bert couldn’t hear their responses, but Mary’s next words came with the kind of easy charm that made his heart clench with pride and love.
“My headache is so much better, thank you for asking. Bert and I thought we’d wander in the moonlight, enjoy the views from the deck.
But it’s chillier than I was prepared for, and I forgot my jacket. Bert went back to get it for me.”
Once inside, he walked around the corner with Mary’s jacket in his hands, prepared for their agreed-upon reason for him to be away.
“Got your jacket, sweetheart. Ready to go?” Bert’s voice carried the easy warmth of a man who’d been on a simple errand.
He moved toward Mary with the unhurried pace of someone who had no reason to be tense.
Colin had turned at Bert’s voice, his hand on Diane’s door, but his attention sharp and assessing.
Bert met his gaze with the bland pleasantness of a man who had nothing to hide, then transferred his attention to Diane.
“Good night, Diane. Colin.”
Diane replied, her smile wide and bright. “You two enjoy your evening. The moonlight on the water is beautiful tonight.”
“We will. Sleep well.” Bert reached Mary’s side and draped the jacket over her shoulders, the gesture both protective and affectionate. His hand settled on her wheelchair, and they moved together toward the elevator with the easy synchronicity of a couple who belonged together.
Bert pressed the call button, very aware of Colin still standing in Diane’s doorway, watching them. He kept his posture relaxed, his hand resting casually on Mary’s shoulder, everything about his body language suggesting a man with nothing more on his mind than a romantic evening with his fiancée.
The elevator arrived with a soft chime. Bert maneuvered with Mary inside, turned, and offered Colin a friendly nod and smile before the doors closed.
The moment they were alone and ascending, Mary released a breath that might have been relief or exhilaration or both. “Oh my God. That was close.”
“That was perfect,” Bert corrected, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple. “Your timing was flawless, your cover story was natural, and you kept them engaged long enough for me to get clear. Mary, you were brilliant.”
“I was terrified,” Mary admitted, but she was grinning. “But also? That was amazing. I’m so glad I was there and not stuck in the cabin wondering what was happening.”
“You’re a Keeper, same as any of us. Your skills are different, but no less valuable.”
Her smile filled her expression and reached inside his soul.
He had just leaned down to kiss her when the elevator reached the main deck.
They exited into the lounge where a few passengers were still enjoying evening drinks.
Bert and Mary moved through with the casual ease of a couple as they headed out onto the deck where the night air was cool.
Once they were alone at the railing, far from any other passengers, Mary turned to Bert with eyes that shone with excitement, pride, and something that looked a lot like joy. “We did it,” she said. “We actually did it.”
“We did.” Bert pulled up the camera feed on his phone, scrolling through the images he’d captured.
Dozens of clear photographs of prescription bottles with Diane’s name and the pills inside.
“Sisco and Sadie can work on these to identify the exact medications.” He explained the difference in Diane’s stateroom and Colin’s, as well as the unlabeled pill bottles in Colin’s suitcase.
He sent the photographs to LSIMT via secure upload, then pocketed his phone and pulled Mary closer. “But right now, we take a breath. We did good work tonight. You did a good job. Let yourself feel that.”
Mary turned in his arms, shifting as much as she could in her wheelchair, and looked at him with an expression that made his heart stutter.
“You came. As soon as I called with a worry, you came. The way you trust me, the way you make me feel like I’m still capable of anything…
Bert, do you know what that means to me? ”
“You are capable of anything,” Bert said, meaning every word. “The wheelchair doesn’t change that. It just means you adapt, find new ways to apply your skills. But you’re the same brilliant, competent woman you’ve always been.”
“I love you,” Mary said, the words coming easily now, without the fear that had shadowed them before. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Bert kissed her, slow and deep, pouring months of longing and love into the connection. When they finally broke apart, both breathing harder, he rested his forehead against hers, letting emotions speak what words couldn’t convey.
They held each other for a while longer as the ship cut through dark water and stars wheeled overhead. Tonight, they’d worked together as partners. A team that trusted each other completely. And that made all the difference.
Once back in their stateroom, he pulled out his laptop. “Sadie sent an update. Let me see what she found.”
He logged into the secure server and pulled up the files as Mary rolled close to read over his shoulder. Bert scrolled down. “Sadie dug deeper into George Watson’s background.”
“George?” Mary leaned closer. “What about him?”
“He owns his own business, doing private consulting work, according to his website. He’s been married twice. Both wives died.” Bert felt his stomach tighten as he read. “First wife died in a car accident twenty years ago. Second wife died of a sudden heart attack ten years ago.”
“That’s...” Mary’s voice trailed off. “That doesn’t make him suspect.”
“Maybe,” Bert agreed. “But Sadie’s instincts are pinging. Widowed twice, both were wealthy in their own right, all of whom left everything to George.”
Mary was quiet for a long moment. “You think George might be the one we should be watching?”
“I think we need to consider the possibility.” Bert pulled up another file. “You said George sought out Diane on day one. He’s been very attentive, very friendly. Playing cards together, discussing books, spending time alone when Colin isn’t watching.”
“But he got food poisoning,” Mary pointed out. “That could have been Colin trying to keep him away from Diane.”
“Or he could have been pretending. It could have been George creating a reason for Colin to let his guard down.” Bert rubbed his face, exhaustion and concern warring in his chest. “If George is running a scam, he might target Colin as the sole heir.”
Mary’s expression was troubled. “That’s terrifying. Diane could lose everything, including her life, and we have no idea who to be suspicious of.”
“Which means we need to move faster.” Bert checked his messages.
“But, in truth, we don’t actually know that Diane is being harmed or threatened. She could just be someone with a caring but overbearing nephew and an unfortunate man as a suitor.”
“That’s why we’re investigating. Remember… suspicions of a threat can be just as important as knowledge that a threat has actually occurred.”
She nodded slowly. “You’re right. I just hope we don’t make things worse. Like Colin is innocent, and we cast doubt on him.”
“But Mary, if either man is targeting Diane, and if either of them realizes we’re onto them...”
“We become threats that need to be eliminated,” Mary finished grimly.
Bert pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Then we stay alert. We don’t go anywhere alone. We keep up the engaged couple act, which gives us a reason to be together constantly. And we trust that Logan and the team will come through before anything happens.”
“I hate waiting,” Mary said, leaning into his warmth. “I hate knowing Diane might be in danger and not being able to do anything about it.”
“We are doing something. We’re building a case. We’re keeping eyes on both Colin and George. We’re working the case until authorities can intervene.” Bert tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. “And we’re keeping each other safe too. That’s not nothing.”
“No,” Mary agreed. “It’s not nothing.”
They spent the next hour reviewing Sadie’s research, building timelines, and documenting everything they’d observed over the past few days.
But tonight, at this moment, with the woman he loved safe in his arms, Bert allowed himself to simply be grateful. Grateful that Mary had taken a chance on him.