The Stormy Course: A Sugarbury Falls Mystery (Sugarbury Falls Mysteries Book 11) by Weiner Diane

Author:Weiner, Diane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press
Published: 2023-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

In the evening, Henry and Emily sat by the pool. Emily said, “Poor Shelby. It’s one bad surprise after another concerning Anson. Jas must be the one who left the voicemail.”

“We can’t be certain.”

“And the check?” said Emily. “I’ll bet it was for Jas.”

“Most likely.”

“And the plane ticket?” asked Emily. “You don’t think…”

“That she was pregnant? And going to New York to take care of it, courtesy of Anson?”

“It’s too disturbing to think about. Besides, we’ve seen Jas in a bikini.”

“Okay, you’re not a doctor and have never been pregnant, but I’m sure you know there’s no visible baby bump in the first weeks. Months, even.”

“Yeah,” said Emily. “Abortion is still legal in New York.”

“I hadn’t seen Anson in years, but there was a time when we were close. In my gut, I can’t imagine him sleeping with someone young enough to be his daughter. And back then, he was very much prolife.”

Crew members began searching up and down the deck.

Emily said, “What’s that about? What do you think they’re looking for?”

“Or who are they looking for? Something’s going on.”

A voice came over the intercom. “Gerard Gregory, please report to the captain’s station. Chef Gregory, please report to the captain’s station.”

Emily said, “Why are they looking for a chef at 10:00 at night?”

“I don’t have a clue,” said Henry. “Isn’t that Alejandro, our waiter over by the lifeboat?”

He and Emily went over to him.

Henry said, “What’s going on?”

“A crew member is missing. He left dinner service early and no one has seen him since. Keep it to yourself. We don’t want the guests to panic.”

“Panic?” said Emily. “Do you think he’s gone overboard?”

“We thought he was hiding out with his girlfriend, one of the casino dealers. It’s frowned upon for crew members to date on board. We searched, but then…”

“Then what?”

“Then his girlfriend went to the captain and reported him missing. He was supposed to meet up with her after her shift at the casino but never showed up. His cabin mates haven’t seen him all evening.”

An alarm sounded. Three long blasts.

Henry said, “So much for keeping it from the passengers.”

Alejandro said, “That’s the man overboard warning. They’re implementing protocol.”

Henry pointed to the water where orange smoke puffed above the water. “What’s that?”

Alejandro said, “If someone spots a person in the water, they use the orange smoke to mark the spot.”

“Someone spotted him overboard?” asked Emily.

“I don’t know. I’ve got to go.”

Emily and Henry felt the cruise ship come to a stop. Search lights from the bridge scanned the water. Jean Louis came over.

“What’s going on?”

“Man overboard, according to our waiter.”

“Alejandro says they use the smoke to mark where they think someone fell into the water. Do you know what happens next?” asked Emily.

“They’ll notify search and rescue, send out a helicopter…”

“How long can he survive out there?” asked Henry.

“I don’t know,” said Jean Louis. “It depends on the water temperature, his injuries, whether or not he’s intoxicated… and, of course, sharks could be a factor.”

Emily looked across the

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