“Thanks to you, Miss Annette.” Amit placed his hand on his heart. “I would not be here if not for your guidance. You are my very best friend.”
Annette blinked rapidly. “You’re my best friend too, bud. And on that note, I better go before I start blubbering all over the place.”
Millie thanked Amit again and headed home to drop off the special treats, thinking about how proud Annette was of Amit, how she’d helped him by taking him under her wing and teaching him the “tricks of the trade.”
She still remembered the day when he’d been promoted to overseeing the bakery. He’d stepped in with confidence, enthusiasm, and ideas of his own—the chocolate croissants being a perfect example.
Dropping off the goodies, she ran downstairs to host her next event before tracking down her special guests. She found Gloria and friends in the lounge taking part in a round of trivia, all about “Siren of the Seas.”
She lingered off to the side until the room cleared. “How’s it going?”
“So far so good,” Gloria said.
Millie counted heads. “Where’s Liz?”
“Lurking somewhere around here,” Dot said. “My guess is wherever bingo is being played.”
Gloria turned, giving her cousin her full attention. “We noticed the ship stopping and what appeared to be a smaller boat out in the water. Is everything all right?”
Millie explained what had happened, how the bridge had received a mayday signal. “Our security team dispatched a rescue vessel. The Coast Guard joined in the search, but they couldn’t find anyone.”
Ruth’s jaw dropped. “Did the boat sink?”
“I don’t know. I hope not.” Millie’s radio went off.
She unclipped it from her belt. “Go ahead, Danielle.”
“Where are you?”
“In the lounge, chatting with Gloria and the others.”
“Could you meet me at the coffee bar?”
“Now?”
“Yes, please. Your cousin, Liz.” Danielle lowered her voice. “She’s having some sort of meltdown.”
Chapter 5
“Liz is having a meltdown.”
“A meltdown or throwing a tantrum?” Gloria asked.
“Danielle called it a meltdown,” Millie said.
“Ten bucks says it involves bingo. I knew all along she wasn’t hanging out in the library.”
“I have to say I had my doubts as well. I can’t remember the last time your sister cracked open a book,” Ruth joked.
“Only if it’s a catalog selling high-end merchandise,” Lucy laughed.
“You know what positive I see about Liz?” Millie didn’t wait for them to answer. “She hasn’t changed after all these years.”
“Except for the fact that she now has a rich hubby who spoils her rotten.” Gloria rose to her feet. “We had better find out what kind of trouble she’s gotten herself into.”
Moving at a brisk clip, the women strolled to the specialty coffee shop. One of the more popular spots, the upper atrium offered a bird’s-eye view of the lower decks. From their vantage point, Millie noticed Felix standing on the stage, microphone in hand. “Bingo.”
“You spotted Liz and Danielle?”
