Page 67 of Tiki Hut Tragedy
“What is it?” Millie asked.
“Remember when I mentioned a person I was keeping an eye on at the sportsbook area the other night?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s her. The one who has been betting heavily, losing a lot of money.”
Millie could feel the blood drain from her face. “Annette, can you refresh the screen and confirm Astrid is still near the sportsbook counter?” Themen had now left. The only person still standing there was the woman.
“She is,” Annette confirmed.
“I think I know why Brody hasn’t seen Astrid in the casino despite us tracking her there every night,” Millie said. “Astrid is the pretty young woman.”
The pieces started to fall into place. Astrid booking a solo cabin. Lola, the room steward, telling Millie that Astrid’s cabin was neat as a pin, with no belongings lying around. Her wig going sideways the day of Dixie’s drowning. She was intentionally altering her appearance, keeping her identity a secret while hosting the Belly Busters.
Millie nudged Brody. “Do you know this woman’s name?”
“No clue. She hasn’t gotten into enough trouble for me to ask for her keycard, although she’s close.”
Millie slid her cell phone from her pocket. Pretending to take a selfie, she angled the camera, giving her a clear shot of Astrid. “Now what?”
Brody repeated that she’d lost a lot of money and was becoming increasingly aggressive toward the waitstaff and cashiers.
Millie thought about the one person who had an inside scoop into Dixie’s thoughts and actions before her death. She thanked Brody and left to catch up with Cat. Pulling her off to the side, she told her friend what had transpired. “The bottom line is I believe the attractive woman who doesn’t even remotely resemble Astrid is her.”
“Altering her appearance so she can play in the casino doesn’t make her a killer.”
“We’re still missing a piece of the puzzle. I think I know who might be able to help us.” Millie wiggled her earpiece. “Hey Annette. Can you track down Wendy Jorgensen?”
“Sure.” Tapping ensued on the other end. “J-o-r-g-e-n-s-e-n. She’s down on deck five, at the bar.”
“Which is where Felix is hosting karaoke.” Millie paced, briefly outlining her theory about Astrid. “Wendy was Dixie’s cabinmate. I could be wrong, but my gut tells me she’s the one who wrote the anonymous note.”
“Mousy Astrid is a gorgeous woman. This is a twist we didn’t see coming.”
“I’m about to blow this investigation wide open.”
“Good luck. Sounds like you’ll need it.”
After Cat left, Millie swung by the apartment and tracked down the anonymous note before making a beeline for the bar.
She stood near the back, listening to a guest belt out a rendition of a popular country tune. The song ended, and Millie began weaving her way through the crowd, searching for Wendy. She finally found her seated at a table with several others from the group.
Hannah was the first to notice her. “Hey, Millie.”
“Good evening.” Millie folded her hands. “We have a lot of talented passengers.”
“We love karaoke,” Roxanne said. “Some are good. Some are bad, but all are entertaining.”
“I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying yourselves.” Millie mentioned the upcoming competition. “It won’t be long before you’ll all be the center of attention.”
“I’m ready.” Wendy playfully flexed her muscles. “Ready to win.”
“I’m planning to watch it.” Millie caught Wendy’s eye. “I was wondering if you had a moment to chat.”
A look of confusion flitted across her face, quickly replaced by a hesitant smile. “Sure.” She slid out of her chair and followed Millie into the corridor. “Is everything all right?”
“Maybe.” Millie led her to a quiet corner. “How well do you know Astrid?”
