Page 7 of Love Overboard
“Emily Windsor. A very friendly lady. But I doubt she has anything to do with this. Too nice.”
Collins smirked. “You’d be amazed how many nice people I’ve slapped the cuffs on through the years. Have any of the crew appeared overly interested in the missing cruise director?”
“No. More like relieved he’s gone. I don’t think they cared for Newberg much. Apparently, he was great at schmoozing the passengers but was a stuck-up snob to the employees.”
“I understand he died while everyone was off ship for repairs.” Collins yanked a small notebook from his pocket and flipped the pages. “Dexter Newberg. Age thirty-two. Found floating in the ocean with enough cocaine in his system to choke a horse. The police wrote it off as an accidental drowning due to overdose.” He snapped his gum. “Good thing Monarch’s general manager still had my number and gave me a call. How ’bout you give me some background on this case in your own words?”
“It’s not uncommon for people to sneak recreational drugs on a cruise for party purposes.” Jon closed the lid of his laptop. “But large amounts of narcotics are showing up on Monarch ships with alarming frequency. Two months ago, a drug-sniffing dog unearthed five kilos of cocaine on the MSVersaillesin the wall behind a crew member’s toilet, and last week, the FBI busted a couple of passengers on the MSAlhambrasmuggling more cocaine in hollowed-out Virgin Mary statues. Tabloids got ahold of the story and slapped us with the label Ship of Sin. My deacon father strongly objected to that term. After all, we bill ourselves as family friendly and don’t even offer casinos, unlike a lot of the other cruise lines. This situation puts a major dent in our squeaky-clean image. The PR department isn’t happy.”
“Too many scandals, too close together.” Collins nodded. “Be glad you brought in an expert from the outside. Can’t trust anyone on board.”
No. There was one person he could trust. Jon’s thoughts drifted to Lacey. Intelligent and loyal to a fault, she’d be a valuable asset in the search for a culprit.Maybe I could—
The memory of Dexter Newberg’s swollen, waterlogged body stopped that thought cold. He’d seen pictures of the corpse, and they weren’t pretty. The idea of putting Lacey in harm’s way was unthinkable. Better keep her as far from this as possible.
Collins spit his gum in the trash can by the desk. “What’s our first move?”
“My first move is to give the welcome orientation.” Jon stood from behind the desk. “Time to distribute door prizes.”
“Hey, babe, can you get me one of those drinks with the little umbrellas?” A middle-aged man with a too-tight T-shirt, a diamond stud earring, and jet-black hair that didn’t match his thinning eyebrows stopped in front of Lacey.
“I’m so glad you asked me.” She’d perfected the art of answering stupid questions with a believable smile. “But we don’t offer beverage service during our welcome orientation. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“What!” His voice rose, and the female companion holding his arm cringed. “That lifeboat practice took forever, and I still can’t get a drink?”
“The muster drill can be a bit overwhelming, can’t it?” Lacey made sure her tone was appropriately consoling. “We have bottled water on a table in the hall if you’re thirsty, but if you’re willing to wait, I promise our cruise director will make this orientation worth your time.”
He sucked a giant breath through his nose and tilted his head forward, but his girlfriend tugged on his sleeve. “I’ll mention this in my online review.” He glared at Lacey as he emphasized the words.
“There’s also a phone number for customer service on the card in your cabin.” Her smile remained at full capacity. “Have a wonderful cruise, sir.”
She left the man with the midlife crisis and found the whole Shipper posse waiting with sympathetic expressions.
“Don’t listen to him, sugar.” Daisy laid a hand on her arm. “That kind is never satisfied.”
Althea wrapped her soft arms around Lacey. “You give me a squeeze and forget all about him.”
“I’m surprised to see you here.” Lacey patted Althea’s back before she let go. “Don’t you usually skip the embarkation meeting? You must have the speech memorized by now.”
Gerry waved her novel. “Never fear. I came prepared.”
Emily stood clasping a pen and a black three-ring binder. “Besides, this embarkation features the new director’s welcome speech. We want to check him out.”
As if on cue, Jon poked his head into the group. “I love it when beautiful women check me out. Be sure to let me know how I rate.” He pointed a cheesy finger gun at her. “You too, Lace.”
Lacey’s eyes started to roll upward, but she stopped them in time.
Jon held two elbows out to the women at his sides. “May I escort you ladies to your seats?”
“Yes indeedy.” Althea grabbed an arm before he even finished making the offer, and signaled for Daisy to take the other.
“How kind of you.” Daisy placed her hand in the crook of his arm. She received his attention as if it were owed her. Jon accompanied them down the aisle, bending his head toward Althea as she chattered. Gerry and Emily followed in their wake, part of the honored procession.
Lacey watched as the group passed rows of sturdy navy-blue couches and chairs until they reached the front. Jon waited while they settled, then walked up the center stairs and onto the stage. He studied the room and rested his gaze on her for a brief instant before he raised his microphone.
“Ahoy, everyone. Welcome to the MSBuckingham. Are you ready for the best vacation of your life?”
Hoots and hollers answered.
