Page 50 of Love Overboard
“The cruise line should give you a raise. Do you have an easy schedule today?”
“Not even close. I’m escorting a group of passengers on an island tour. We probably won’t return to the boat until sunset.”
Ricardo placed his hand on top of hers. “It hurts me you are overworked. Perhaps tomorrow we can eat sushi?”
Lacey slipped her hand from under his and grabbed her tray. Time to break up and run. She slid her chair away from the table and placed one foot to the side, ready to propel herself upward.
“I’m sorry, Ricardo. My life is too complicated right now.” She started to rise. “We should keep our friendship simple without any dating.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I do not understand you.”
“Let’s be friends.” She stood all the way. “And nothing else.”
His lips turned downward. “No sushi?”
“No sushi.” Lacey grimaced. “Sorry.”
She spun on her heel and speed-walked to the clean-up area. The different bins waited for silverware, dishes, and scraps. Her posture relaxed when she realized Ricardo wasn’t following. She sorted her items and sighed.
One more mess cleaned up.
Jon collapsed onto the desk chair, stretched his arms above his head, and moaned. It was the first time he’d rested since the unexpected sprinkler emergency.
Staff meeting, morning announcements, and half a dozen other things he couldn’t remember had kept him running. Maybe cruise director wasn’t the best cover for ferreting out a drug ring.
A pen rolled to one side, and Jon caught it before it fell off the desk. He twirled it in his fingers as he stared out the window. The water swelled in angry, white-capped waves. Charcoal-gray clouds filled the sky. Splotches of rain hit the glass in front of him.
The Caribbean island of Nevis allowed small cruise ships to dock in port, but large vessels such as the MSBuckinghamhad to anchor offshore and transport passengers to land in small ferries called tender boats. That meant a bumpy ride and a boatload of seasick passengers.
Jon rubbed his head. He opened his laptop, clicked on an email, and spotted the information he’d been waiting for from corporate. “Finally.”
The list was surprisingly short. Eighteen people out of the entire passenger list raised a flag in the criminal background checks. Twelve were minor offenses such as shoplifting and speeding tickets. He wrote the remaining six names on a piece of paper. A married couple on deck six had been convicted of real-estate fraud. A VIP member on the diamond deck spent eleven months in jail for insider trading. A couple of men had served short sentences for drug possession in the 1970s. And the final name had a star by it.
Luca Amante.
Three different stints in prison for robbery, money laundering, and aggravated assault. Corporate included details from the assault case. Jon’s teeth clenched as he read. This was a nasty character by anyone’s definition.
Where was he now?
Jon accessed the man’s record in the MSBuckinghamdatabase. Monarch Cruises required every passenger to take a photo for the ID card they carried around the ship. People used it to enter their staterooms, make purchases at onboard shops, and scan with security whenever they embarked or disembarked. Amante’s picture showed a hard mug with deep-set eyes, puffy lips stretched to one side in an unpleasant smirk, and thinning brows that didn’t quite match his jet-black hair. The most recent entry showed he’d boarded a tour-bus excursion of Charlestown and had been on the island for five hours. Plenty of time to make contact with a supplier. The confusion that would be caused by multiple tender boats returning in the bad weather provided a perfect cover to smuggle narcotics aboard.
Someone knocked.
“Come in.”
The white-blond head of the first mate poked around the door. “Hi, Jon.”
“Peter, what’s up?”
He winced as he entered. “The weather’s horrific. Captain says it isn’t safe to bring any more tenders back from the island. He wants you to arrange accommodations for the passengers. They might be stuck there overnight.”
Jon’s gaze switched to the window. “How many are there?”
“One busload. Sixteen people who took the Charlestown tour.” Peter wobbled from side to side with the lurching ship. “Stinks for Lacey. She’s the lone employee with that group. I’d hate to be the person to break the news.”
Jon stood and shoved past him. “I need to talk to the captain. Now.”
CHAPTER 23
