Page 89 of Love Overboard
“I wish I could be that kind of people.” Althea’s gaze rose to the ceiling, and she pressed her palms together. “Give me a try, Lawd. I promise I’ll pay my tithes.”
“Please focus, Althea.” Emily sank onto the chair by the couch and pounded a fist on her rib cage to dislodge the tight sensation that plagued her. This case was giving her indigestion. “Lacey has trust issues. After meeting her father, I don’t blame her. But what can be done about it?”
“It appears there’s not much we can do,” Gerry said. “Number one, Jon’s rich. A fact we can’t change. Number two, he didn’t tell her. We can’t change that either.”
“Or can we?” Emily beat her chest a little harder. “The biggest problem is, he wasn’t honest with her. Our Prince Charming turned out to be an actual prince.” She snorted. “Or should I say ‘monarch.’ If we can convince him to tell Lacey immediately, it might soften the blow.”
Althea angled forward. “What do we do?”
Emily pushed herself from the chair. “Divide and conquer. Keep your walkie-talkies handy and scour the ship. Whoever spots Jon first alerts everyone. Between the four of us, we can help him make the right choice.”
The Shippers filed from the cabin and headed in four different directions. They had to find Jon before Lacey discovered she didn’t even know her boyfriend’s real last name.
CHAPTER 39
“HE DID?” JON CRADLED THEphone between his ear and shoulder as he typed on his office computer. “Great. Won’t be long before this is wrapped up. Collins? He’s been … keeping an eye on things. Listen, I need to get going. We have a huge masquerade ball in six hours. I appreciate you calling.”
A knock sounded at the door as he put the receiver on its cradle.
“Come in.” He shoved the masquerade paperwork to the side and began to fill out an accident report for a passenger. What kind of genius decided it was a good idea to take a selfie on a gym elliptical? And what kind of genius was Jon for allowing corporate to add a giant, swanky event on top of his other duties?
“Can I help you?” he asked without looking away from his computer screen.
“Hello, Mr. McMillan.”
Jon’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. He raised his head to find a battle line of Shippers facing him. They wore four matching expressions. Unhappy. His mind raced through the possibilities.
Denial.
Avoidance.
Retreat.
“No sense running.” Emily advanced. “We’d track you down again.”
The woman was a mind reader.
He stood and motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk. “I’m sorry I don’t have enough seats for everyone.”
“We’ll stand, thank you,” Gerry said.
It was the first time he’d seen her without a book.
Jon’s hands twitched, and he folded them in front of him like a chastened schoolboy. Maybe he should bow his head. He surveyed the others. Emily stood slightly in front, grasping a black three-ring binder. Althea and Daisy chose identical positions—arms crossed in front of them with their eyebrows dipping in the middle.
He gulped. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“You can tell us who you really are”—Althea jiggled her head back and forth as she said his name—“Mr. Jonathan King McMillan.”
“It seems you already know.” He ruffled his hair. “Would you mind telling me howmuchyou know?”
Emily marched forward. “We know you belong to the family who owns this cruise line.” She took out the binder and opened it. “You went to Harvard. Graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in business administration. And your father has announced his retirement as CEO for the end of the year. We assume he’s been grooming you to take his place.”
“Have you considered a career in espionage? The government could use people with your talents.”
“Jonathan.” The disdain in Daisy’s tone lent her an air of offended majesty. “This isn’t the time for joking.”
“I apologize.” He bent his head. “My intention wasn’t to deceive you. My father and I thought I could run the business better if I learned it from the ground up. I’ve spent the last few years absorbing every aspect of cruising from stem to stern. When the drug problems broke out, I determined to investigate them myself, and corporate assigned me as the new cruise director.”
