Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries 02 - Cooks, Crooks and Cruises by A.R. Winters

Author:A.R. Winters
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2019-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

I spent the next few hours doing my job, but my heart wasn’t really in it.

It was like my mind and body were in completely different places. But, dutifully, I wandered around the ship taking pictures of anything that looked interesting or cute, and uploading them.

The whole time I was thinking about Beverly, and what had happened to her. After the conversation I’d overheard the night before. If she truly had been poisoned, I only really had one suspect in mind for now.

Finally, after a lunch so tasteless I forgot what I had while I was still eating it, I got the call from Ethan. Technically it was the first phone call after our first date, but the topic of this one was unconventional to say the least.

I was outside on a small sun deck, and I had just started interviewing an exceedingly well-tanned lady of late-middle-age. The topic was the best places for sunbathing. The woman assured me she knew the best spots from daybreak to sunset, and the most effective oils to slather on to achieve the deepest and longest-lasting of tans.

“Just a moment,” I said to her. “I have a call from the first officer.”

The woman nodded and looked suitably impressed.

“Adrienne? She’s awake. Why don’t you come down and see what you make of what she has to say?”

“I’ll be right there.”

“I’m really sorry, but I’ve got to go,” I said.

Her face immediately began to fall. “Oh, I was just about to tell you about how I keep my skin this color through the winter.”

I actually was curious to hear the answer. Judging from the mahogany color she had achieved, I imagined it might involve a trip to the hardware store and some kind of wood-stain or lacquer.

“That sounds amazing. You’ll have to tell me soon. But this is kind of an emergency. Have a great day!” I gave her a wave and started to hurry away before she could trap me into any more conversation.

When I got to the sickbay, I was waved through from the reception area to the treatment and recovery rooms beyond. Beverly’s room was the only occupied one, and thanks to the light and sounds coming out of it, I found it immediately. When I arrived, Ethan Lee was sitting beside the bed on a visitor’s chair talking to a dozy looking Beverly.

She was in a hospital bed with crisp white sheets, one that’d been tilted and raised so that she could sit nearly upright. The room smelled strongly of disinfectant and I had to suppress a shudder; I hated the strong chemical smell that hospitals all seemed to possess. When I got there, Beverly looked pale, but otherwise okay. At least, as far as I could tell.

“Do you know what happened to you?” I asked as soon as I entered.

“Hi,” said Ethan to me.

“Oh yeah, hi, and hello Beverly.”

Ethan gave me a lopsided smile, impressed with my enthusiasm. Or perhaps amused by my lack of manners. I had previously helped

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