“What makes you think it’s more than an accident?”
Other than the fact that the scraping sound I told her about last night couldn’t have been made by Sebastian, which meant someone else had been there when he went into the water?I shook my head.“Call it gut, instinct, the fact that I’m not a gullible dimwit.I doubt very seriously your doctor is going to find any water in Sebastian’s lungs.How can you have an accidental drowning if there is no one actually drowned.”
“I told you to leave the investigating to me,” she said, careful not to raise her voice.
“If you were investigating, then I would, but it seems to me you’re trying really hard to sweep everything under the rug.”I had no concrete proof she was trying to cover up a potential crime, except for my gut.The fact that she kept trying to get me to say the sounds I heard had happened in a different order the night before had only added to my suspicion that this was going to be deemed an accident, no matter the findings.
“That’s it,” Hansen said.“Do you want to be disembarked in Cozumel with the body?I can make that arrangement.”
Gilly put her hand on my shoulder.“We don’t want that.”
“Good,” the security chief said.“Now, stay out of it.I don’t want to hear any more about you poking around in things that are not your concern.”She gave me an “or else” glare before storming off.
Bruno brought four big fluffy towels over to us.“Everything okay here?”he asked.
“Fine,” I groused as I took one and patted my wet hair.“Just great.”I had a question about something I didn’t understand in my vision that Bruno might be able to help with.“Is there an elevator back behind the bar area?”
“It’s a service elevator,” Bruno said.“It’s for staff only.”
“So, it doesn’t go up to a penthouse suite or anything like that?”
“No,” Bruno confirmed.“It only goes down to staff quarters, the galley, housekeeping, maintenance.You know.Services.”
“Could a guest use the elevator?”
He gave me an odd but curious look.“They aren’t supposed to, but I won’t say it never happens.”
“Interesting...”
He frowned.“Is it?”
“Very.”I gave him a nod.“You’ve been a big help, Bruno.Thanks so much.”
“My very pleasure.”He gave us a playful bow, then went back to the bar to collect his next order.
When he out of earshot, Gilly gave me a wary look.“We’re not staying out of it, are we?”
“Nope,” I told her.“Not by a long shot.But I will be more careful going forward.The last thing I want is to get myself kicked off the ship.”
“We’d sure miss you,” Gilly said without missing a beat.She held her hand out and when I took it, she helped me to my feet.“Come on.Pippa will be waiting for us, and you’ll need a change of clothes first.”
“You know I love you, right?”
“I do.And I love you, too.”She smiled.“But, Nora, if they boot you from the cruise, I’ll be mad for you on your behalf, but I’m staying.”
“That’s fair,” I told her as I put my arm around her shoulders, pressed my wet self against her side, and grinned as she made a face.“Totally fair.”
I meant what I said about being more careful.I believed Hansen when she said I’d be disembarked, and I didn’t want to leave the cruise any less than Gilly.Even so, I couldn’t just ignore the fact that a man was murdered, even if the man was a big, dumb jerk who probably deserved what he got.
“Tacos,” Gilly said to get me out of my head.
I forced a smile and nodded.“Tacos.”
ChapterNine
My wet pants stuck to my inner thighs with every step.By the time I reached the suite, I couldn’t get them off fast enough.I happily peeled them away, along with the rest of my damp clothes, leaving them in a soggy heap on the floor.Gilly headed to her room to freshen up and use the bathroom while I hopped into the shower.Logically, I knew the ship’s filtration system was top-notch, but Gilly calling the hydrotherapy pool “dead body soup” had planted itself firmly in my brain.I scrubbed harder than necessary, just to be sure.
Ten minutes later, I was clean, dressed, and mostly dry.I threw my wet clothes into the floor of the shower.Tinted sunscreen and a touch of blush gave me enough color to look alive, and I twisted my hair into a messy bun.Since Gilly wasn’t knocking on my door, I wandered onto the balcony, letting the ocean breeze cool my skin.The rhythmic splash of waves lapping away from the ship was oddly calming.A small flock of seagulls circled below, one diving and resurfacing with a wriggling fish in its beak.Huzzah.
