Page 68 of Love Overboard
Althea hopped to her side and took her by the arm. “Here, I’ll go with you. I wanted to touch up my lipstick anyway.”
Emily squinted. “I saw Jon walk that direction. Pin him down if you get the chance. Find out anything you can.”
The two headed off with their new assignment, and Gerry quirked her lips at Emily. “What exactly are they supposed to talk to Jon about outside the bathroom?”
“You never know.” Emily took a sip of water. “Every conversation is an opportunity.”
Lacey stood near the staff entrance to the dining room. Her pen was poised above a pad of paper. From this position, she could observe anyone entering or leaving the restrooms. Her feet stood ten inches apart, braced against the jerking of the ship. It had been a rocky evening, and more than one customer had walked by cradling their bellies. The women’s bathroom boasted a line of people out the door.
“Hey, Lace.” Jon walked up, but she was busy writing. “Isn’t this your free shift? I’d like to tell you something.”
“I’m busy.” She barely acknowledged him.
“Doing what?” He peered over her shoulder.
A list of times followed by boxes filled the sheet. Some contained a check mark, and some didn’t. Lacey froze as Jon’s face drew close to her own. Her pulse stuttered, and her cheek tingled when he brushed against her. She tried to act natural as she updated her notes.
“I’ve been systematically checking the stalls in the ladies’ bathroom whenever I get the chance.” She kept her voice low so the women in line didn’t hear her. “This is the only location with writing. That tells me it’s a guest who’s been eating in this dining room. The words are always written in print and far too neat for it to be done by an inebriated passenger. The culprit is fully aware of their actions.”
Jon’s nose was close enough to her neck that his breath warmed her skin, but she continued.
“I’ve checked this restroom five times a day for the past three days and always found writing in the evenings. Last night, I spent my break monitoring the stalls every fifteen minutes and was able to narrow down to a specific window when the writing appeared. When I checked at 8:30 p.m., the stalls were clean. At 8:45 p.m., there were scribbles in the last stall by the wall.”
“Impressive, Miss Sherlock.” He reached around and turned her body. “But how do you plan to discover the right person?”
“I already have.” She savored his shocked expression as she tucked the notepad in her pocket. “I visited the security team and had them show me the footage from that specific time. Five people used the restroom during that period. Two of them were Shippers. I know they’d never do something so childish, so that leaves us with three suspects.”
Lacey grasped his waist in her excitement, oblivious to the people around them. True, this vandalism came at an opportune moment, when she appreciated a distraction from her parents. But even on a good week, she’d be livid at the casual destruction. No one messed with her ship.
Jon enjoyed the proximity of Lacey clutching the sides of his shirt. Her eyes sparkled as she explained her methods. His fingers slid farther down her arms. Could she be any cuter? He noticed Althea and Daisy watching them from the line at the bathroom. They’d report this physical contact to Emily for sure.
“Judging from the language used,” Lacey said, “I’m inclined to think it’s a younger person, and a single suspect fits that description. Going from my gut, she’s the one.”
“Even if that’s true, what can you do about it?” He studied a freckle near her right ear. “Mr. Kapoor told you not to bother the guests.”
Lacey’s gaze sharpened as she focused behind him. “Go with me on this.”
She dragged him by the arm to where the line of women stood near the restroom. It was a popular place at mealtime, and not everyone fit inside as they waited their turn. Two women in sundresses chatted at the front, while a mother and daughter waited behind them. The daughter, a preteen girl, wore a cropped T-shirt, hoodie, ragged jean shorts, and flip-flops—hardly the dress code the cruise line asked the passengers to follow for the dining room. She ignored her mother as she played with her phone.
“Don’t worry about me,” he said as they neared the facilities. “I went to the bathroom earlier.”
Lacey dropped his arm and made a face at him. She leaned in close and whispered, “Follow my lead.” Lacey led him directly behind the line at the door and raised her voice. “They’re closing in on the person writing on the bathroom stalls.”
“Is that so?” Jon matched his volume to hers.
“They’ve identified the specific window of time one of the incidents happened.” She turned her back to the line and pointed at a small black half globe on the ceiling. “When they study the security footage, that will narrow it to a few suspects.”
“It shouldn’t take long after that.” He manufactured an overdramatic scowl.
Lacey rewarded him with a smile and a fervent nod. “That poor lady. You know what comes next when they catch her.”
Jon followed her cue, and he saw the preteen’s head cock, her ear tuned to their conversation. “How do you mean?”
“I bet she doesn’t realize cruise ships have a jail. I wouldn’t want to spend even five minutes in that cell. It’s cold and dark and right next door to the morgue.”
The young girl’s head whipped around. Her eyes bulged like two Ping-Pong balls.
Jon tried to remain deadpan, but it took effort as he looked at Lacey’s butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth expression. “The morgue, huh?”
