The Silent Appeal #6
Inspector Lascelles asked whether I’d seen any of the crew being particularly friendly with Tiffany or taking an interest in her, and I hadn’t.
But in one of the few conversations we had, she mentioned receiving a message from Twin Star just before we docked in St. Lucia.
She was asked to find a particular crew member and he would take her to meet up with you and Trina when the ship docked in Bridgetown a couple of days later.
She was rattled from then on, convinced she was going to be fired.
I couldn’t reassure her because for all I knew she was going to be fired.
Why else would you want to meet her in the middle of a contract?
In any case, I had my own issues with a chef who’d been harassing me from day one.
I told him I’m not into men, but that made him a hundred times worse.
I’ve thought back to it many times since then, but (this is an out-there theory) did he want me to get kicked off the ship?
Did he want to get rid of Tiffany’s roommate?
Anyway, it all blew up for me in St. Lucia and the entertainment manager threw me off “for making false accusations.” I resigned, but it was messy, as you know. They cleared my things out of the cabin and I left without seeing Tiffany again.
Lascelles told me she went missing when she was ashore in Bridgetown. The two questions he had were: Who told Tiffany to meet Twin Star in Bridgetown, and who was the crew member she had to go with? He said the answers are key to finding out what happened to her.
As I was leaving, he said he was on his way to the airport—he’s coming to the UK to speak with someone he called “the other Twin Star woman.” I’m guessing that’s you.
Like I say, I remember what you did for me and wanted to tell you. Forewarned is forearmed.
I know you had nothing to do with what happened to Tiffany. Someone who paid my airfare back to Canada—when she didn’t have to—would hardly commit murder, but it can be a dirty world, and what’s right isn’t always what’s fair.
Thanks again, Isla
To: Inspector Laurence Cooper, Lockwood Police
From: Inspector David Lascelles, Bridgetown Police, Barbados
Date: June 2, 2025
Subject: Case DL/0027245/OR
Dear Inspector Cooper,
I am the OIC on a case here in Bridgetown, Barbados, about which I am hoping for cooperation with Lockwood Police.
On June 4, 2024, twenty-four-year-old female Tiffany Ramirez disembarked from the ship on which she was employed as a dancer, the Voyager Eclipse, and went into Bridgetown to meet representatives of the entertainment company Twin Star (Barbados) Ltd.
, following communication by a person or persons unknown.
She was accompanied by another crew member and has not been seen since.
Her phone was switched off shortly after she left the ship and has neither been found nor switched on since.
Records show that she signed back on board at 11:25 p.m. on June 4 but was not seen by colleagues and did not take part in the dance show the following evening. She was declared lost overboard a few hours later.
Her parents are based in the United States and are not satisfied with this declaration.
Upon examination by Forensics, we determined that the signature on the log had likely been forged, and that it was probable that Ms. Ramirez had never returned to the ship.
We therefore concluded the forgery was an attempt by person or persons unknown to make her disappearance look like suicide.
We are seeking to ascertain who was involved in the conspiracy to remove her from the ship and what transpired once she was ashore in Bridgetown.
As part of this investigation, I intend to interview a former employee of Twin Star, Ms. Nicky-Rose Dearing, who I understand is now living in Lockwood.
I will be flying to the United Kingdom this week and would greatly appreciate any assistance that your department could offer.
I look forward to meeting you when I arrive.
Yours sincerely,
Inspector David Lascelles
Undated page from a decorative journal belonging to Isabel Beck:
TODAY
Yawned all the way through our staff meeting and now trying to concentrate on my clients, but I’m so tired after Big Sunday and so anxious for the tech rehearsal, it’s not easy.
Or am I anxious generally and it just happens to be the tech rehearsal that’s next in the play schedule?
I know I couldn’t sleep and kept going over my lines.
When I did get to sleep, I dreamed that Fran was holding Emma’s horrible statue and it was laughing at me.
Nicky-Rose has just texted to say can we meet earlier because she’s got things to do before Fairways tonight. I said yes because I finish work early anyway this week. I was going to have a bath, but I can have a bath any day. Better put this journal away before someone sees it.
Unusual things that happened today:
Nicky-Rose walked past the shop! What’s she doing in Little Fowey?
I asked Nancy to take my 11:30 while I brought my break forward and nipped to Boots (didn’t say why, and hoped she’d think it was too personal to explain, which must’ve worked because she didn’t ask).
I followed Nicky-Rose for as long as I could and saw her go into TUI. I couldn’t stay to see when she left because time was getting on. I made a mental note to ask her tonight what she was doing in there.
Then I thought again. She knows I work across the road in Specsavers. She could’ve mentioned she was going to be in Fowey or texted to see if we could meet up.
But maybe she didn’t know she’d be here.
Perhaps she’s booking a last-minute trip for after the play.
She’s definitely the sort of person who’d take a mini break to a posh villa in Spain.
Is she going there on her own? She wants me to give someone something for her, and get something from them…
Is she actually planning a surprise pressie for me, just like the friendship bracelet I made for her?
Could it be a ticket to go with her on a mini break? My heart is soaring at the thought!
Then I wondered if she went into TUI to book a one-way flight back to Barbados and my heart sank again.
My nan used to say “what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” She was right. I had to go to Boots and buy a packet of sanitary towels in case Nancy saw me come back empty-handed.
Message exchange between Isabel Beck and Nicky-Rose Dearing on June 2, 2025:
11:31 a.m. Issy wrote:
Hiya!
11:31 a.m. Issy wrote:
What are you up to this morning?
11:32 a.m. Issy wrote:
I’ve got a break until 12:15. Yay!
11:33 a.m. Issy wrote:
It’s lovely working in Little Fowey. There’s a fantastic coffee shop a few doors along called Zephyr. Famous for their amazing matcha macarons according to the sign.
11:34 a.m. Issy wrote:
I’ve never been in there but always wonder what it must be like.
11:36 a.m. Issy wrote:
Perhaps we could try it out if you’re in the area? I don’t like matcha, but I’m sure they do other flavors.
11:38 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Busy today. See you at five in Squires.
11:39 a.m. Issy wrote:
See you then! I’m sure Squires is better than Zephyr anyway! Really looking forward to play week! Love Issy xxxx
Escalation Note made by Urvi Patel, travel booking assistant at TUI in Little Fowey on June 2, 2025:
At around 11:40 a.m. today I saw a lady looking to reserve a one-way, connecting flight to Jakarta that she said she’d pay for later this week.
When availability to Bangkok came up low, she asked me to look at Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, or Manila.
In the end we placed a hold on a seat to Hyderabad via Riyadh with Etihad and Air India.
I’m escalating this reservation because the lady said that she’d be paying for the ticket later this week in cash. She asked a few questions about our Forex bureau and I told her we can only accept pounds sterling in cash, not other currencies.
Her name was Sarah-Jane MacDonald and she gave an address in Lower Lockwood.
Reviewed by: Clare
Note: Don’t see the problem? It’s just a reservation.
Closed by: Grace
Note: Agreed. Not our place to judge customers’ finances or reason for travel.
Escalation Note closed at 5:12 p.m.
To: Denise Malcolm
Cc: Joel Halliday, Nicky-Rose Dearing
From: Kevin MacDonald
Date: June 2, 2025
Subject: Bang bang, you’re dead!
Good afternoon, tech team extraordinaire,
Ahead of tonight’s technical, I want to check we have the starter pistol from Denise’s friend and that we go into tonight’s rehearsal aware of potential glitches in advance.
For instance, Joel, is the new light working properly?
I spotted a noticeable dark spot rear stage right that I’d like you to look into.
Also, the telephone: Can we rig up the old phone and make it ring on cue, or is it easier for this SFX to be played digitally over the speaker from the lighting box?
The former looks and sounds more authentic, the latter is easier and less likely to result in a typical amateur drama moment—that extra ring after the actor has picked up the phone.
Blood. I’ve splashed out on a gallon of all-purpose washable stage blood.
I want to see a realistic bleed from the bullet wound; the NADA judge will be in the front row and so does she.
However, a professional stage-grade pneumatic squib costs over ￡600.
A sandwich bag of blood, tied tightly enough to stay closed before the hit, but loose enough so that when the victim slams their hand over their chest, it bursts, is the best we can do.
Denise, you and Marianne are responsible for bagging up the blood.
We’ll go through the gunshot scene as many times tonight as we need. Perfection is all I ask.
Kevin MacDonald, Committee cochair and director
To: Kevin MacDonald
Cc: Joel Halliday, Nicky-Rose Dearing
From: Denise Malcolm
Date: June 2, 2025
Subject: Re: Bang bang, you’re dead!
Dear Kevin,