Chapter 3
"Idon't know," Benjamin said. "I guess we got along okay. He was a good actor. We didn’t really hang out much outside of the show."
"Any animosity toward him?” I asked.
Benjamin shook his head. "No. I swear, this was a total accident. You gotta believe me.”
"Can you think of anyone else who may have wanted him dead?”
Ben frowned and shook his head.
"Show me where you kept the pistol."
Ben stood up, still trembling. He led us out of the main dining salon, down the passageway to a compartment that was being used as a dressing room.
Costumes hung on racks. Several vanity mirrors glowed with theatrical lighting.
A few full-length mirrors let the actors check their wardrobe before going on stage.
Another hanging rack held the actors’ street clothes.
Ben showed us the box where he kept the gun. He lifted the lid, and we peered inside.
It was empty but for a box of ammunition.
But these weren't primer rounds. They were full load 9mm hollow points. The kind of bullets that would tear right through you and pulverize your heart, if the shooter had good aim.
Benjamin's eyes rounded, and he swallowed hard. "That's not my standard ammunition. Somebody must have swapped out the ammo.” His frantic eyes darted between us. "You believe me, don't you?"
"We'll get to the bottom of this," I assured. "We’ll need you to come down to the station and make a full statement."
Benjamin swallowed hard. "Am I under arrest?”
"That gun is your responsibility," I said. "I need you to turn around and put your hands behind your back."
His face reddened, and his eyes filled with astonishment. "You can’t arrest me! It was an accident.”
"There is such a thing as negligent homicide," the sheriff said. "Now we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way."
Benjamin frowned and complied.
I slapped the cuffs around his wrists and read him his rights.
We took him out of the dressing room and returned to the main dining hall. Brenda had finished her exam, and her crew bagged the body. The sheriff escorted Benjamin back to the patrol boat and secured him.
JD and I continued our investigation. Nobody was getting off this boat until I talked to everybody of note. Names and contact information would be collected from all the passengers.
We found Hunter and pulled him aside. He looked distraught. I asked him to tell me what happened, and he told me the same thing that Benjamin had.
"Where were you when this occurred?” I asked, as we huddled near the bar.
"Watching from the back of the room. I always watch the performances so I can give notes to the actors afterward.
Even though it's dinner theater, we take it seriously and try to improve the performance of the show.
I want the audience to have a good time.
If the audience has a good time, then they'll come back and tell their friends.” Then he added, "I'm not going to be directing dinner theater forever. I have my sights on bigger things.”
"Was there any beef between Benjamin and Jonathan?" I asked.
Hunter hesitated, then looked around. "Well, Ben thought he should be the lead." He leaned in and muttered, "But Benjamin isn’t exactly leading man material."
"How well do you know Benjamin?"
"I’ve cast him in several productions. He's a talented actor, for community theater,” Hunter said in a snide tone.
"So, it's safe to say he was a little envious of Jonathan?”
Hunter shrugged. "Who wouldn't be? Look at the guy. He’s a handsome man, or at least, he was. All the ladies loved him. He was rich.”
"Did you ever see Jonathan and Ben get into disagreements?"
"It's a theatrical production," he said, looking at me like it was a silly question.
"Actors are a little dramatic, God bless them.
It's what they do. Every small thing becomes a major issue.
So, yes, big egos tend to clash, but I didn't see anything on this production that I don't normally see—actors being catty about other actors’ performances, jealousy over casting issues, jealousy over on-set relationships. That kind of thing.”
I shared a look with Jack. "What kind of on-set relationships?”
Hunter's face tightened. He looked uncomfortable.
"I don't like getting into people's business,” he whispered, leaning in.
Then he gave another quick glance around to make sure no one was in earshot.
"I think it was pretty obvious that Jonathan had something going on with Melissa.
My God, who wouldn't want to have something going on with Melissa?
" he said, full of envy and lust. “She’s beautiful!”
"Where's Melissa?” I asked.
Hunter glanced around the compartment, looking for the actress. He pointed to the gorgeous brunette with a deep valley of cleavage and large endowments. She was a stunning woman with smoky caramel eyes, full lips, and a figure that could make you sweat.
I hadn’t noticed a wedding ring on Jonathan’s finger. "When you say affair, are you saying Jonathan was married?”
"They are both married," Hunter replied.
I shared another curious glance with Jack, then asked, "Are either of their spouses aboard tonight?"