Chapter 5
Chapter Five
The observation deck was quiet. The hydrotherapy pool where Sebastian’s body had been pulled from had been turned off, and the water was eerily calm.
Captain Steven Klein, a man in his fifties with a stocky build, stood a few feet away.
His white uniform was immaculate, with gold and black epaulets squared on his shoulders.
His matching white hat with a black bill low over his eyes gave him an authoritative air.
Beside him, Security Chief Rebecca Hansen, slim, sharp-eyed, late thirties or maybe early forties, also dressed in a white uniform, talked in low tones with Dr. Nick Patel, the ship’s doctor, and Nurse Tony.
Patel looked like he was in his forties as well.
He was tall, had dark hair, and had a serious expression.
They kept their voices low, deliberately out of earshot from Ezra and me.
I shifted my weight, glancing at Ezra, who’d been given a terrycloth robe to cover his wet clothes. “What do you think they’re saying?”
He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “A whole lot of CYA, if I had to guess.” His voice was low and tired.
CYA was short for “Cover Your Ass.” I’d been in plenty of meetings when I worked for a corporation where people would spend their entire time figuring out ways to make sure if crap hit the fan, it wouldn’t fly back at them.
My gaze drifted back to Sebastian’s body, now hidden under a white sheet.
My thoughts went to Callie. She’d lost her first husband under strange circumstances, and now her second had died just as mysteriously.
Bad luck or something worse? I didn’t want to say it, but the word black widow lingered in my head.
Not my problem, though. We were off duty. This was supposed to be a vacation. No investigations, no dead bodies.
“I’m sure they’ll figure it out,” I said, though the way Tony had called it an accident too fast didn’t sit right with me. Chief Hansen didn’t look too convinced, either. Her arms were crossed, brows drawn tight as the group talked. She didn’t look happy.
When their huddle finally broke, Hansen came over to us. “Could you describe what happened again? And where were you when the drowning took place?” Her voice was calm but firm. “Walk me through it again. From the start.”
Ezra glanced at me, then nodded. He kept his voice even. “We were by the towel racks, on the other side of the hot tubs.”
Hansen tilted her head. “What were you doing there?”
Ezra’s jaw tensed. “We were... occupied.”
“We were making out,” I said bluntly. “That’s not really the important part, though.”
Her expression didn’t change. “Go on.”
I took a breath. “We heard this scraping sound first. It sounded like someone dragging a metal chair, or something like that. It was loud enough that we stopped what we were doing.”
“Then we heard a splash,” Ezra added. “A second one, right after the first.”
“And more scraping after that,” I finished. “It wasn’t quiet, and it wasn’t subtle. That’s when we stepped out of the corridor to see what was happening.”
“What did you see?” Hansen asked, her pen hovering over the page.
“Sebastian was already in the pool,” Ezra said. His voice had gone tight. “Face down. He wasn’t moving.”
Hansen nodded slowly, jotting it all down. Her eyes flicked back up to us. “And you’re sure about the order of the sounds? Scraping, splash, splash, then more scraping?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Positive,” Ezra backed me up.
Her eyes lingered on us for a second longer, like she was trying to read between the lines.
Then she nodded again. “Okay. Got it.” Chief Hansen’s eyes stayed locked on me, her expression unreadable but her tone just a little too careful.
“You’re sure about the order of the sounds?
” she asked again. “Scraping, then a splash, another splash, more scraping? Are you completely certain it wasn’t the other way around? Scraping, scraping, splash, splash?”
I didn’t waver, but I was becoming exasperated. “I’m sure. That’s how it happened.”
Her head tilted slightly. “Stress can play tricks on memory, especially when you’re, uhm, distracted.” Her gaze flicked between me and Ezra.
I exhaled slowly, keeping my voice even. “We weren’t that distracted. I know what I heard.”
Ezra leaned in a little, voice low and steady. “We’re sure.”
She studied us for a second longer, then tried again. “Are you positive? Sometimes—”
“I’m a special investigator with Garden Cove PD,” Ezra cut in, his voice sharper now. “I’ve worked undercover with an FBI task force. Nora has worked as a consultant for the police department on multiple homicide cases. Trust me, we both know how to recall a scene under stress. We’re sure.”
“Can’t you just look at your CCTV footage? You can verify our statements with your own eyes.” While I hadn’t seen any security cameras, I had little doubt they were there.
Her eyebrows lifted, clearly surprised. The cool, composed look flickered, just for a second. Then she nodded stiffly. Without another word, she turned and strolled back to the captain and the others. Their quiet huddle started up again.
We waited, silent, while they whispered and glanced our way more than once. It felt like forever before they finally broke apart.
Chief Hansen returned to us, her expression more neutral this time. “Thank you both for your patience. You can go back to your cabin now. If we need anything else, I’ll find you.”
“What about the investigation?” Ezra asked, his voice low but pointed.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Holden,” she said. “We’ll do a thorough investigation. And after the doctor examines the body, we’ll determine whether the drowning was an accident or not. But that’s for us to handle, not you. You and Ms. Black should go back to enjoying your vacation.”
“What will happen to Sebastian’s body?” I asked, hoping they had a freezer somewhere that wasn’t in one of the kitchens.
“We’ll be moving it to the morgue,” she said.
I frowned. “I’ve studied the deck plans for Lady Voyager, and I would’ve noticed a room marked as a morgue.”
“It’s on the bottom deck behind the medical center.” Her voice hushed. “It’s not something cruise lines like to advertise.”
“How often do people die on cruises?” Ezra asked with incredulity.
“It’s more common than I’d like to admit.” She pivoted her gaze to the covered body. “This is my fourth since I was hired as the security chief two years ago.”
I blew out a breath. “Yikes.”
Hansen shrugged. “Accidents happen on a floating island, especially when you add alcohol to the mix.”
“So,” I said suspiciously. “They’ve all been accidents?”
“Yep,” she replied quickly without elaborating.
“What about the body?” Ezra asked. “Will it stay on the ship until we get back to Tampa?”
“No.” The security chief looked over her shoulder at the other crew members and then back to us. “Once we inform any family members onboard, we’ll help them make arrangements to disembark at our first port of call to repatriate their loved one home.”
Sebastian was British. Did that mean he would go back to the UK or the states?
“Operation Rising Star,” I heard Tony’s voice through Hansen’s radio. “Keep the aft service elevator clear for the next hour.”
“Copy that,” a crackling voice came back.
“Operation Rising Star?” I mean, Sebastian was a star-maker, but it seemed a little on the nose.
“It’s our code for when we’re transporting a body.”
“Interesting.”
The captain legged it over to us. “Well, folks, I’m sure this wasn’t part of your itinerary, and I apologize for any inconvenience this tragedy has caused.
” He gave us a tight, but genial smile. “We’d certainly appreciate your discretion in this matter,” he added smoothly.
“You understand, I’m sure.” His voice was polite, but the message was clear.
“A death on board can be... disruptive. Talk to Natalie Carmine, our director of guest services, in the morning. Tell Nat that you’re special friends of Captain Steve.
She’ll take care of any spa and salon treatments you need to help you relax back into your vacation. ..on the house, of course.”
A payoff to keep us quiet. Classy.
“Thank you, Captain Steve,” I said, keeping my voice level. “If there’s nothing else, we’d like to leave.”
“Of course,” he said, nodding solemnly. “I can’t imagine how traumatic tonight must have been for you. If there’s anything you need, let me know. If I can’t help you personally, I’ll find someone on the ship who can. When you’re on the Lady Voyager, you’re always in good hands.”
Too bad Sebastian Caldwell hadn’t been.
Ezra, with barely a nod toward the captain and crew, took my hand and led me away without another word. We walked in silence, past a long row of deserted lounge chairs, out the privacy gate, and to the nearest elevator. The panel dinged softly when the elevator arrived, the doors sliding open.
Once inside, the doors shut, and Ezra let out a low, frustrated growl. “That was not an accident.”
“Agreed,” I said. “I’m not even sure it was a drowning.”
“Mmm-hmm.” He rubbed his thumb against my palm. “I have my doubts as well. He wasn’t in the water for more than a minute before we got him out.”
“Yeah, that feels farfetched.” Besides, someone else had been in the spa area.
I was certain of it. Even so, it wasn’t like we could do anything.
We were in international waters, and the captain decided whether to bring in outside law enforcement.
And even if we weren’t in international waters, getting the FBI to chopper in to take over the investigation was even more farfetched.
“This isn’t Garden Cove. It’s not our case. ”
“Nope,” Ezra said. “Not our town. Not our problem to solve.”
“Although, since his wife’s in the cabin next to ours, it would be positively rude not to check in on her.”
“It would be downright unfriendly.”
“After she’s been informed, of course.”
“Of course,” he conceded.
“And maybe, while we’re being neighborly, we could ask a couple of easy, not-too-invasive questions about what Sebastian was doing after dinner.”
Ezra squeezed my hand. “Nothing wrong with some non-invasive inquiries.”
“And if she invites us inside their suite, and my aroma mojo happens to kick in?” I put up a hand. “Well, I can’t help it if any visions I might get give us some insight, right?”
Ezra chuckled, the tension in him finally breaking. “God, I love you.”
I grinned, smug with pleasure that I’d shifted his mood. “So… a little sun, a little fun, and a dab of investigation?”
He dipped his face to mine and kissed me. “Sounds like a plan.”