George had painted a good picture for him with words; he’d also explained the different passages that led to the unseen parts of the ship.
And, of course, he knew that Chloe was anxious to learn what they had discussed, but she would stay patient and allow things to play out for the time being.
As she was doing now...
“What was it that you said everyone was feeling like tonight?” she asked Celia. “There are choices, choices! One of these nights, we want to do the elegant seafood restaurant—”
“Ah, you don’t think that sushi is elegant?” Jeff teased.
“No, I do love sushi!” Chloe assured him.
The sushi restaurant was one that included both an inside and an outside area. Celia suddenly turned to wave at someone.
“Oh, look! There’s Amelia Swenson—she has plenty of room at her table. Let’s head that way!” Celia said.
“Sure, sounds great,” Wes said, heading through the tables and passengers to reach the table.
He noted that the man who had accosted Celia and Jeff, Howard Markowitz, had also opted for sushi that night. He was several tables away, seated close to a woman with long dark hair Wes assumed to be his wife.
There were others at the table.
Howard looked up, glancing over at Wes. He simply nodded gravely.
Wes gave him a nod in return.
He hadn’t come to have sushi in order to attack Celia andJeff again; he had gotten there first and Wes was pretty sure that the nod meant he didn’t intend to cause any trouble.
And yet it was interesting; they either knew or had met and become friendly with the others at their table as there seemed to be a lively conversation going on around them.
And he wondered how many people on the ship—while appearing to be so delighted and intrigued by the classes—weren’t wondering as well how all these people weren’t more concerned about what had happened.
The other deaths hadn’t been connected to the incident in Broward, not in the press.
And, of course, it was sad, but people did lose their minds and do horrible things.
“The menu is wonderful, everything you can think of! Sashimi, sushi, rolls, bowls, salads... There’s even seaweed, rice paper, lobster rolls, you name it!” Celia said happily.
“And it’s mostly all stuff that’s good for you, too!” Jeff announced, looking over at his wife. “Celia likes to limit red meat, make sure she has lots of vegetables, you know, the body is a temple and all that!”
“Hey, he’d have a bacon cheeseburger for breakfast, lunch and dinner!” Celia told them. She smiled at him, but it was, Wes thought, a warning smile. It was just another little below-the-surface type thing that she said or did that cemented her as the alpha dog in the duo.
“Well, we’re in the right place, then!” he said, nodding to Amelia as they all took seats at her table.
“Hey, guys, welcome!” Amelia said, looking up from her menu.
“Thanks, cool that we’re joining you all?” Chloe asked.
“Of course! Table seats ten. I can’t take up all this room on my own,” Amelia said.
“And it’s good when we get to talk to people—you know, besides taking different classes,” Celia said. She leaned forward and said quietly, “You wouldn’t believe what just happened!”
“What?” Amelia asked. “I mean, not—”
“No, no, just some idiot followed Jeff and I down to the hospital area, wanting to know how we’re all acting so casual and not worried because of... of what happened with Jane. It made me so mad! They didn’t know her. Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, we all knew her. You know, through the years, software events—just getting together. She had to have been in the deepest, most horrible bowels of depression!” Celia told her in a whisper. “I mean... there’s no way not to think about it and get a little worried now and then!”
Amelia glanced at Wes and Chloe.
“And then—” she began, frowning slightly, as if this was something they shouldn’t have been discussing in front of others.
