Chapter 13
"I'm not lying," Jimmy said. "If there was somebody else with you, I didn't see them.”
“How long were you behind the bar?” Curran asked.
“I was there the entire time after dinner. I shut down after the poker game.”
"That's just not true," I said, flabbergasted. “You served Kate martinis."
"No, ma'am. I didn't. I don’t know anyone named Kate."
"But…" I was at a loss for words.
"How much have you had to drink tonight, ma'am?" the captain asked me again.
"Stop calling me ma'am. My name is Teagan. And I haven't had that much to drink.”
The captain shared a look with Jimmy.
He looked reluctant to say it. "I had to cut her off. I was worried she might get alcohol poisoning.”
My eyes rounded in disbelief. "What!? You were pushing drinks on me nonstop. I told you when I sat down at the bar that I didn't want anything to drink." I mocked with dramatic hands, “I won’t have a job if there’s no one to serve.”
It probably wasn’t a good idea to let go of the console. I could barely stand with the undulations.
Jimmy raised his hands innocently. "I don't want to argue. I don’t get into disagreements with guests. If she says I served her friend, I served her friend."
"No, you didn’t. It seems that Teagan has dreamed up a passenger that is not aboard this ship," the captain said.
I just stared at the two of them, slack-jawed. “I haven’t dreamed up anybody.”
"If you don't need me anymore, I'd like to get some sleep," Jimmy said.
The captain nodded and excused him.
Jimmy glanced at me and flashed a sheepish frown before leaving.
"Look, I know you thought you heard something and you're very upset about it,” Curran said to me. “You did the right thing by reporting it. But I'm telling you, there is no one named Kate aboard this ship."
"That's because she was probably tossed overboard after she was strangled."
"What is it going to take to satisfy your curiosity?”
"We need to search that compartment again and interview Luciano and Sophia.”
“I'm not going to disturb them again tonight.” He exhaled a frustrated sigh. "Why don't you get some rest, and we can revisit this in the morning when we are all more clearheaded."
"It might be too late by then."
"You're telling me that this woman, Kate, is dead. If that’s the case, there's nothing we can do. I see no difference in addressing this now or in the morning."
"It gives them more time to hide evidence. I know how this works. If this crime is not solved in the first 48 hours it becomes exponentially more difficult."
"What are you, some kind of detective?” he asked in a smug voice.
"No," I said. "But I have friends who are."
The captain inhaled through his nostrils.
"Look, Teagan. I have a ship to sail. I will talk to Declan about this first thing in the morning, and we will revisit it then. I suggest you return to your cabin, lock your door, and get a good night’s sleep.
I think this will all seem a lot clearer in the morning. ”
I grumbled in frustration. This was going nowhere.
I stormed off the bridge and staggered back to my cabin, bouncing off the bulkheads as the boat rolled with the storm.
I stepped inside, locked the hatch behind me, and crawled into bed.
Lightning flashed, and the storm raged.
I went over the events in my mind. Had I dreamt Kate? Did I have so much to drink that I hallucinated her?
Maybe somebody put something into my drink.
I wanted to call Tyson, but I didn't want to disturb him at this hour. Besides, the satellite was down at the moment.
I tried to get to sleep, but I was angry and stressed, not to mention hungover. With every roll of the boat, I felt more unsettled and ended up in the en suite, throwing up. I passed out on the tile and woke a few hours later with a mouth like the Sahara.
We had sailed through the storm and were in relatively calm water.
I took a hot shower, cleaned myself off, then fell into bed. It was 7:30 AM. But I was in no mood for breakfast. I slept until 11:30 AM, sweating out all that tequila.
Eventually, I pulled myself out of bed, got dressed, then decided to brave the outside world. By that time, my stomach was settled enough to attempt food. At least, I hoped it was.
I made my way to the galley. When I stepped inside, the staff gave me strange looks. I'm sure word had traveled fast. The whole boat probably knew about my accusations.