Two accidents on this ship where Sally was concerned were two too many.
He saw that Chloe was looking at him and she nodded gravely. He lowered his head, smiling.
She would stay with Edward and Sally, stick to them like glue.
And she was good, in so many ways, of course. She’d have never been paired with him on this mission if she wasn’t amazing at her job. He needed to have real faith in her.
And he did.
“Go!” she told him. “I’ll have to try to uphold the family bocce ball honor on my own! Do what you need to do, Wes, seriously. We have all day at sea.”
“Right! So. Have lots of fun for me, okay? Chloe, I’ll call you in a bit and let you know how it’s going. Hopefully, I’ll be out in time for Edward’s lecture.”
Wes had no idea why, but he couldn’t shake the idea that something was up. Something was up with Amelia being in the hospital rather than the brig. He smiled as he headed back inside ahead of the crowd, anxious to get to an elevator alone.
As he left the group, he saw Celia in front of him, walking toward their group.
“Finished already?” he asked her.
She shrugged. “I asked them to come play bocce ball, too. They’re just going to hang around the pool. Where are you going?”
“My cabin. Work—you know. When you’re the sole owner...”
“Ah! Well, I’m so sorry! See you tonight!” Celia told him, hurrying on by.
Wes shook his head. She was an extremely unpleasant person, but...
Amelia had been different.
She had seemed decent at first, and he had to admit, just from the rudeness of her behavior, he’d assumed that Celia had to be the main culprit behind everything. And, maybe, she still was. Maybe Amelia was just a bitter woman who couldn’t begin to figure out why a man like Edward Thompson had chosen a woman like Sally over her. Had she meant for Sally just to get sick—or had she wanted the woman to die? They might never know.
He headed off to the elevator on the hospital level. Since the spa and another of the beautiful lounging decks were accessible though the hallway as well, there were several people moving along the area, some headed off for facials, massagesor other such treatments, some just looking out for cool and beautiful views of the sea as the ship traveled along.
He would never know why, never really understand “gut” or instinct, but he knew from the time he approached the door to the hospital area that something was wrong.
The curtains were closed in the little room where Edward and Sally had once been during their separate “accidents.”
But the doctor was behind the reception desk, frowning and studying a book of notes.
He looked up and saw Wes and greeted him right away.
“Hello, of course, you’re here. Always checking on the welfare of others! I know that you’re concerned when George isn’t with Edward, but he was incredibly helpful to me today. One of my nurses had a family emergency. We had to leave her in Jamaica so that she could hop on a flight home. And this Amelia thing... her symptoms suggested she’d eaten or consumed something that caused serious food poisoning, but I’ve worked on this ship a while and I guarantee you, the food is good. And safe! I mean, that’s one thing—when a well-known chain of gourmet restaurants opens a cruise line, food is going to be one of the major assets on board!”
“I’ve been extremely curious about that myself,” Wes told him. “I’m with you. I believe with my whole heart that the chefs on this ship are cautious to the extreme.”
“Well, I don’t have the answers. She hasn’t been sick since she’s been here and despite the incredible tools and services they’ve managed for the hospital on this ship, I have no way of testing vomit that has been compromised with cleaning fluids since, of course, the security officers were horrified by the mess and don’t think like crime scene channels when they have a sick prisoner.”
“Crime scene?” Wes said.
“I’m sorry! I mean, all those guys wanted to do was get the place cleaned up, which is too bad, just in case there was something bad in the food. Anyway, I believe that Amelia will soon be fine and that, according to the captain’s wishes, she will be returned to the brig.”
“Is it all right if I take a look and see how she and George are doing?” Wes asked.
“Of course. You, sir, are always welcome here!” the doctor assured him.
Kilbride smiled at him and set his hands firmly on the desk as the ship made a perceptible movement.
“We’ve got some waves today!” he said.
