Page 63 of Love Overboard
A colorful print caught her gaze as she passed a connecting hall where two people stood. Ricardo waved his hands at a large man leaning against a cleaning cart. The stranger’s pineapple-and-lime cotton shirt partially stretched over his belly. He’d buttoned the top half. She guessed the lower buttons no longer met in the middle.
Lacey paused. “Good evening, Ricardo.”
He spun around. “Lacey?”
“Is there a problem?”
“I was …” Ricardo straightened the white bandanna covering his hair. “This man … he is not supposed to be here.”
The clatter of plates and silverware sounded from the kitchen entrance at their right. A chef called out an order, and several voices answered in chorus.
“Hello, sir.” Lacey’s practiced smile grew bigger as she directed her attention to the passenger. “Can I help you find something?”
“No thanks, cupcake.” He scribbled on a small black notepad.
“You might not realize, but passengers aren’t permitted here. This is the kitchen area. I wouldn’t want you to get sideswiped by a racing waiter.”
He flipped his notepad shut and smirked. “I’m not lost. Just doing my job.”
“Job?”
“Check with the cruise director if it bothers you.” He shouldered past her and exited into the main area.
“Do you know him?” she asked.
Ricardo gave a violent shake of his head. “No. Please excuse me. Desserts. I must finish them.”
He hurried from the hallway as Lacey took her phone from her pocket. The dismissive trespasser provoked her. His suspicious behavior went far beyond that of the typical nosy cruiser sneaking a glimpse of the backstage process. Maybe Jon could solve the mystery. Before she dialed, a text appeared on the screen.
Nadia!
Lacey had forgotten her latest mission in the confusion. She bolted for the door. One emergency at a time.
CHAPTER 29
“IS THIS WRITING IN YELLOWmarker?” Lacey bent and studied the scrawls on the light walnut paneling of the bathroom stall. “Who brings a highlighter on a Caribbean cruise?”
“Sorry to call you here before your shift starts.” Nadia wrung her hands. “I know it’s not that important, but I wasn’t sure whether to show Mr. Kapoor or clean it off without saying anything.”
Lacey placed an arm around her and squeezed. “Your message came at the perfect time.” She pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and took several pictures of the cuss words. “Did you check the other stalls?”
Nadia’s eyes rounded like life preservers. “I didn’t. Do you think there’s more?”
It was a small restroom, three stalls total, on the far side of the dining room. Each was fully enclosed with a slatted wooden door. Nadia took the stall in the middle, and Lacey checked the one by the wall.
“Oh no,” Nadia wailed.
Lacey hurried to the middle stall. Nadia pointed to the bottom half of the wall near the toilet. A tiny smiley face leered at them with a speech bubble containing a rude phrase. Lacey took another picture.
“Go ahead and clean it off.” She tucked the phone in her pocket. “I’ll report this to Mr. Kapoor. It may have been a fluke. Let’s wait and see if it happens again.”
Nadia nodded. “Sorry.”
Lacey shook her head. “If anything else pops up, and I meananything, call me.”
She exited the bathroom and wound through the tables. If there was one place that guaranteed customer satisfaction, it was here. Diners talked and laughed as they enjoyed the MSBuckingham’s world-class culinary offerings. The scent of roasted duck with savory garlic mashed potatoes drifted by her nose. She hadn’t eaten much at dinner.
“Lacey-bell!”
