Page 47 of Waylaid in Whittier

The pampering didn’t end with room service. Passengers left their cabins in the morning, beds unmade, towels hanging from the hooks, dirty dishes on the desk, only to return and find the room steward, part-magician and part-ninja, had breezed in and made it look like you had never even stepped foot inside.

The most pressing concern was what activity to attend, making sure you didn’t miss the shows—comedians, magicians, the singers and dancers. It was no wonder cruises were top vacation destinations.

She ran upstairs and grabbed Scout to help her host a pre-dinner cruise director chat in the Paradise Lounge, sharing a few of the highlights of the upcoming voyage, and thanking them for choosing Siren of the Seas.

After the talk ended, passengers hung around to thank her and greet the ship’s unofficial mascot.

Joy Turner, a server and friend of Millie’s, swung by to grab a handful of empty glasses. “Hey, Millie.”

“Hello, Joy. I haven’t seen you around lately.”

“I’ve been working in the elite passenger’s private dining room and lounge. The suites and VIP packages have been sold out for the last few cruises.”

Millie wasn’t surprised. Many of the passengers were returning guests to Siren of the Seas, with Alaska being a favorite destination. “Are you ready to head back to warmer weather?”

“Yes, and no. I’m going to miss the mountains, the glaciers. There’s so much to explore.” Joy shifted her tray. “What about you?”

“I’ll miss it, but I’m looking forward to being closer to home.” Millie helped carry a tray full of glasses to the back before swinging by guest services to chat with Nikki Tan, the supervisor, to make sure there weren’t any issues she needed to address.

Thankfully, nothing pressing had popped up, at least not yet, and she made her way downstairs for her first round of bingo. After finishing, she dropped Scout off at home and returned to the theater to introduce the headliner show.

With Felix in charge, the show went off without a hitch, the aerial acrobats floating and flying while the Siren of the Seas’ band played along. The show ended and received a rousing round of applause.

Millie returned to the stage, reminding guests they were docking overnight and would leave the following day. She also reminded them to stay on the ship’s time, knowing many ofthem had traveled through various time zones in order to reach Whittier.

After finishing, she grabbed a quick bite to eat and returned to the apartment. As promised, Sharky had sent the names of the people who were part of Elvira’s gold mining group. She forwarded the list to her email and printed a copy.

Yip.Scout trampled over the top of her foot, demanding her attention.

She scooped him up and scratched his ears. “It’s been a long day, huh?”

The pup pawed at her sleeve, his signal he wanted to play. She tracked down his favorite ball and played catch until he grew tired of the game.

Knock. Knock.

“I wonder who that could be.” Millie hurried down the hall. She opened the door and found Danielle standing on the other side. “Hey, Millie. I hope I’m not bothering you.”

“Not at all. I was getting ready to research the people who are in Elvira’s gold mining group.”

“I talked to Brody. He told me what happened.”

“I haven’t had a chance to tell him that Sharky and I got stuck in an elevator.”

Danielle’s eyes widened. “You got stuck in an elevator?”

“In Wanda Tillman’s apartment building.” Millie filled her in about meeting the woman’s neighbor. “I’m almost certain the person who attacked Wanda is part of the gold mining group.”

She pulled an empty chair around the table and next to hers. Starting at the top, she and Danielle began working their waydown the list. “Alex Smith is the producer.” She typed his name and Gold Grade Mining Group into the search bar.

Millie clicked on the link, and a website popped up.

Danielle let out a low whistle. “This looks like a big operation.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Millie skimmed the main page before clicking on the “about us” tab. Photos and detailed profiles appeared.

Alex Smith’s was near the top. She pulled up his bio, her breath catching in her throat when she read the first paragraph. “Will you look at that?”

Chapter 18

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