Terror at Sea: Three mysteries aboard a cruise ship Read online

  Terror at Sea

  By

  Debby Mayne

  Janice Thompson

  Cynthia Hickey

  Cabin Fever – Debby Mayne

  Don’t Rock the Boat – Janice Thompson

  Exposure at Sea – Cynthia Hickey

  Cabin Fever

  Debby Mayne

  Copyright ©Deborah Mayne 2017

  Forget Me Not Romances, a division of Winged Publications

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, with the exception of brief quotations in printed reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters in this story are the product of the author's imagination and are completely fictitious.

  Chapter 1

  “Don’t be so hardheaded, Autumn. You need to cancel your cruise.” Mama’s voice cracked over the phone.

  People have called me hardheaded all my life, so it didn’t faze me in the least. Plus I’ve been teaching seventh grade English for years, and I figured if if I could put up with their hormonal mood swings, I can deal with anything. “I’ve been looking forward to this cruise all year.”

  “But people have died on that boat.”

  “The reports were that they died of germs.”

  “Exactly. I know you’re healthy, Autumn, but some germs—”

  “Yes, but think of it this way. After those people died, they cleaned the ship from top to bottom. I don’t think there’s a single germ left on that boat.” I did my best to keep her from hearing doubt in my voice. I was a tad nervous too, but I’d already spent hard-earned money on this cruise, and I couldn’t afford to waste a penny.

  “But what if—?”

  “Please, Mama, don’t do this. I’m going, and that’s all there is to it.”

  “I can’t talk you out of it?”

  “Afraid not.” I smiled as I imagined her expression of defeat. “Trust me. I’ll be just fine. I’m healthier than most people, and don’t forget that a lot of people on that boat didn’t die.”

  “Maybe I’ll see if Summer can go with you. You can use someone to help look after you.”

  “I don’t need a bodyguard. All I need is a week of relaxing on the open sea, some delicious meals I don’t have to cook, and a little time away. It’s been a rough year.”

  After we got off the phone, I had no doubt Mama would call Summer Walsh, my first cousin who has been trying to get away from law enforcement after leaving the Nashville Police Department. The only problem is she keeps stumbling over dead bodies everywhere she goes, which makes me wonder why Mama would want her to go on the cruise with me. That’s almost like asking for trouble.

  Regardless of how I tried to brush off Mama’s worries, as though they didn’t bug me too, I was concerned enough to have nightmares. The exact boat I booked a month after school started was the one where a couple of people died from unknown causes. News sources stated that they’d contracted some sort of super bug, so the cruise company docked the ship and gave it a major scrub-down with the strongest disinfectant known to man. They even sent out a letter to everyone who’d booked a cruise and assured us that we were getting the cleanest boat in the fleet. But still …

  ~

  After another week and at least a half dozen more phone lectures from Mama, I stood at the port in Miami, waiting to board the ship. I looked around at all the other people who’d arrived early—more couples than singles—buzzing past me, most of them excited about what we were about to experience. Naturally, there were a few bored looking people who had clearly done this enough times to lose their fascination with cruising, but I suspected that was a façade.

  One of the things that always bugged my friends was my propensity to be early … for everything. Whether it was the first day of class or a party, if I arrived when I was supposed to, in my mind, I was late.

  I kept glancing at my watch, until the time finally came to head to the terminal, where I was told to check in. My luggage was supposed to be waiting for me in my room … er, cabin, and I said a silent prayer that it would be there. I’d checked it when I first arrived, and it just sat there, unattended, making me wish I’d waited just a little bit longer to let it go.

  After standing in the same spot for almost half an hour, I realized the line wasn’t budging. I turned around and made eye contact with the person behind me who was an older man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and plaid shorts. It took every ounce of self-restraint to keep from laughing as I thought he’d gotten his fashion cues from watching too many episodes of “The Love Boat.”

  The line started to move a few minutes later, and I finally got to the person who asked for all of my documents. Since this was going out over international waters, I had to have a passport. The woman studied it, looked at my face, and then went back to perusing my passport again. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but her actions made me squirm.

  I had to fill out a questionnaire regarding sickness. That was fine, but I couldn’t help but wonder how many people were honest. If they’d paid what I did for the cruise, they weren’t likely to divulge the toilet-hugging stomach bug they had yesterday. Then she told me to stand behind the blue line so she could snap a picture of me. The image was about as flattering as my driver’s license photo.

  Finally, she gave me a hint of a smile and nodded, letting me know I could board. Some of my friends had warned me to bring a light carryon—one that was big enough for essentials in case my luggage got lost but not too big, or I’d be tied up with someone rummaging through my stuff. They were right. I got right through, while other passengers stood around with scowls on their faces.

  On the way to the ship that was big enough to hold more people than many small towns, several photographers asked me to pose, so I did. They informed me that the pictures would be available for purchase later. I had to shake my head, as I thought how much money I’d already paid yet they still weren’t satisfied.

  The ramp to the ship funneled all of the passengers who’d been cleared for boarding. I half expected to see Captain Stubing, Gopher, and Julie waiting to welcome me to the Love Boat. I had to laugh at myself when I spotted the real captain who towered over the rest of the crew and sported a full head of salt-and-pepper hair. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way, but he was no Captain Stubing—a man who could charm the socks off the guests and smile with his entire face while running a tight ship. This guy came across more intimidating, and he didn’t appear to have time for cheerful small talk.

  I was glad that my cruise-veteran friends had told me to have a bunch of small bills for tipping because so many people had their hands out for doing even the smallest task. I’d argued that I could give one massive tip once the cruise was over, but they insisted it was important to include small tips along the way if I wanted good service throughout the trip. I figured they were right since they had more experience.

  I’d been warned that I might not be able to get to my cabin right away, at least not until the cleaning crew deemed it ready for occupancy. So I walked around and tried to figure out where everything was. The ship was big, and I’d heard that it wasn’t full, but there still seemed to be quite a few people.

  A couple of hours after I boarded, the cruise director announced over the PA that all of the cabins in my section of the ship were ready. As I walked down the corridor to my cabin, I couldn’t help but smell the cleaning solution. It gave me a sense of comfort to know that they took cleanliness seriously.

  When I finally got to my room, I
panicked that my luggage wasn’t there. So I went out to the hallway, where a sweet looking woman who appeared to be somewhere between Mama’s and Nana’s age ambled by.

  She stopped and smiled at me. “Hello, dear. You look like you’re lost.”

  I grinned back at her. “No, I’m just worried about my bags. They’re not in my room.”

  “Oh, they’ll be there shortly after dinner.” She looked me up and down before meeting my gaze again. “I hope you brought something nice to wear in your carryon bag. We frown on sloppy attire in the dining room.”

  I grimaced. I’d brought all of my essentials, including a change of clothes, but it wasn’t as nice as what I already had on. “I didn’t—”

  She flipped her hand from the wrist. “If you need something, you can just borrow it from me. I have more clothes than I’ll ever be able to wear on this cruise.”

  “Thank you.” No way would I even consider wearing anything this little old lady had in her closet, but I wasn’t about to insult her.

  She extended one of her tiny hands. “I don’t believe I caught your name. I’m Betty Farber.”

  “Hi, Ms. Farber.” When I took her hand, she crushed mine so hard tears burned my eyes. “My name is Autumn Spencer.”

  She gave me a beatific smile that belied her strength. “Please call me Betty.”

  “Okay. And you may call me Autumn.”

  “I wouldn’t call you anything else.” She lifted an eyebrow and then cackled. “I take it this is your first cruise.”

  “Yes.” I paused and let out a nervous giggle. “I guess I’m pretty obvious.”

  She shrugged. “Everyone is when they first board. But give it a day or two, and you’ll be a pro. Are you going to the party?”

  “Party?”

  She nodded. “The celebration when we pull away from the dock. It’s fun. They have drinks and all kinds of noisemakers, and the view as we leave the dock is spectacular.” She gave me a wink. “And after the party, I usually host an intimate little get-together in my cabin for a few close friends. Tonight I’ll be serving my homemade cherry brandy. We crank up the music and dance the night away. You’re welcome to join us.”

  “I think I’ll pass.” I’d never been into raucous parties, and this sounded a little too boisterous for my taste.

  “Suit yourself. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to miss it, but I’m sure you have your reasons.”

  “Have you done a lot of cruising?” I asked.

  “That’s all I do. I booked a series of cruises, came onboard, and I haven’t left this ship in two years ... well, except when they make me get off to clean it, and that time they had to disinfect it a few months ago. I had to stay in a hotel for nearly a week.” She rolled her eyes. “That was a hassle, but I think everything is under control now.”

  “You never leave the ship?”

  She shook her head. “Like I said, I never leave the ship except when they make me.”

  “Do you go on any of the tours when we dock?”

  She sneered at me. “What part of never don’t you understand?” She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. “Some people are impossible.”

  “I’m sorry.” This woman intimidated me.

  “Don’t be. You just have a lot to learn, and you’re obviously tense about taking your first cruise.” She turned slightly and gave me a narrow-eyed look. “Are you sure you don’t want some of my homemade cherry brandy? It would relax you, and from what I can tell, you need a little loosening up.”

  Chapter 2

  I went back into my cabin and thought about Betty. She seemed like a sweet woman, but there was something odd about her.

  The more I pondered what she’d said about never having left the cruise ship, the more questions popped into my head. For example, she had to have a permanent address to have a passport, so what did she use? Did she have a family? And where did she go when she had to evacuate for cleaning—other than the time when they had to de-germ the boat a few months ago when she said she stayed in a hotel?

  Dinner wasn’t for a couple more hours, so I plopped down on my bed to get some rest. I stared up at the ceiling and let the thoughts swirl in my head. As much as I was looking forward to this vacation, a few doubts nipped at the back of my mind, and now I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to come alone. So far, all I’d seen once I got on the ship were couples and a few older people who didn’t appear to want to be bothered … and Betty Farber.

  I closed my eyes for a little while, but after a few minutes, I started getting antsy. So I got up, glanced at the schedule, and decided to head on down to the dining area to check out what everyone else was wearing to make sure I didn’t commit a serious dress code faux pas. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized I fit right in with my cruise-casual attire of white trousers, tank top, and floral overshirt. In fact, some of the people I encountered wore jeans. The only people who were dressed up were a few of the elderly women.

  “Hey there, Miss.”

  I turned around at the sound of a man’s voice and saw a couple about my parents’ age standing behind me. “Hi.”

  “You look lost. Is there anything we can help you with?” The man glanced down at someone I assumed was his wife, who nodded, before looking back at me. “You remind us of our daughter, and I wouldn’t want her to be as frightened as you look.”

  I forced my expression to soften. “I’m not frightened … just a little bit overwhelmed. I’ve never been on a cruise before.”

  “Oh, we get it,” the woman beside him said. “By the way, I’m Judith Bailey, and this is my husband Harvey. We do quite a bit of cruising, so if you have any questions, we’re the ones to ask.”

  I introduced myself, and we started chatting about the fact that I was a teacher, and I needed to get away after being in a classroom all year with a bunch of seventh graders. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

  They exchanged another glance, and then Mrs. Bailey smiled at me. “You’re such a lovely young woman. I’m surprised you’re not here with someone.”

  “I’m not married, and I couldn’t get any of my friends to come along with me.” The only person I’d asked was my best friend Bethany, and she just laughed at me. Her idea of a fun time was going to the mountains and camping out.

  Someone came up to the couple, and they chatted while I awkwardly stood there looking around. I wasn’t sure what to do—whether I should leave or wait until they finished talking to their friends. So I decided to stay, but I turned away slightly to give them some privacy.

  As I watched everyone chatting with each other, my thoughts were all over the place. Mama had told me it wouldn’t be too difficult to talk Summer into coming since she was always game for anything, and now I wished I’d taken her advice. As far as I knew, she still hasn’t figured out what to do with her life. Her mother is Mama’s sister, and I knew the two of them have been scheming ever since Summer left the police department, trying to help her do some career planning.

  “Autumn?”

  My attention snapped back to the couple. I smiled at Mrs. Bailey.

  “Since tonight is casual with open seating, we wondered if you’d like to join us for dinner.”

  I nodded. “That would be nice if it’s not an imposition.”

  “Of course it isn’t. We’d much rather have dinner with a sweet young woman like you instead of some grouchy old lady who can’t mind her own business.”

  “Or a crazy woman who keeps trying to push off some homemade booze,” her husband added. “I can’t help but wonder why she can’t take no for an answer.”

  Those words alarmed me. I narrowed my gaze and realized they had their sights set on someone behind me. So I turned around and spotted Betty Farber approaching.

  Betty looked at my new friends before cutting her gaze over at me. “Autumn, I told you that you could borrow something if your luggage didn’t get to your cabin before dinner. You should have knocked on my door.”

  “I—” />
  Mrs. Bailey cackled. “Why on earth would she want to borrow one of your moth-eaten rags when she’s perfectly dressed for the occasion?”

  Whoa. These two obviously had a history, and it was clearly not a pleasant one.

  “How on earth would you know anything about dressing for the occasion? I’ll have you know my mother was one of the most elegant women in Boston, and she taught me manners that you’ll never learn.”

  Mrs. Bailey’s face turned red as she opened her mouth to respond, but her husband put his arm around her and pulled her back. He smiled at me. “Don’t mind these two. They’ve been like this since the moment they met.” He leaned over and whispered, “Not to mention their competitiveness.”

  His wife yanked herself away. “I am not competing with that woman.”

  Betty gave me a fake smile. “That’s because she can’t compete with me … on anything. Now would you like to go back to my cabin and find something appropriate for dinner?”

  Before I had a chance to say a word, I was saved by one of the ship’s crewmembers, announcing that we could enter the dining room. “There is no assigned seating tonight, so please choose a table quickly so everyone can be seated.”

  The crowd had grown so large I found myself being pushed along until we got inside the dining room. And then everyone zoomed toward a table. I wasn’t sure what to do until Mrs. Bailey took hold of my arm and pulled me with her. Next thing I knew, I was sitting at a large round table with her, Mr. Bailey, and several other people they seemed to know.

  Since I was the only inexperienced cruiser, I followed what the others did. Every now and then I caught my new friends watching me. When we made eye contact, they both smiled. It seemed sort of strange, but I figured it was their non-southern way of being friendly. Being from Nashville and hanging out with all my friends who were born and raised less than a couple of miles from me, I didn’t have much experience with outsiders. Even my students, with few exceptions, were from Nashville. And now I was the outsider.