Death on the Bella Constance (A Jesse Watson Mystery Series Book 6) (10 page)

“Hey, you can take mine,” Billy said. “As long as you don’t
start killing passengers.”

“Very funny.”

“I don’t see why either one of you ladies should need a gun,”
McCoy said. “All you have to do is talk them to death.” Billy and McCoy almost
fell out of their chairs laughing.

“Time for bed,” I demanded. “You’re both starting to act like
Maggie Anderson.”

That shut both of them up.

We finished our breakfast and left the dining room, heading
for our staterooms. I told
Savannah
to put on something warmer since it
appeared the weather was going to get worse. The chill in the air was sure
proof of that. The ship, although not as big as most cruise liners, could
surely hold up against the rough seas. That’s what Billy said.

Once out on the outer walkway, I could tell the ship was
rocking. A couple of times
Savannah
and I had to grab hold of the hand
railing. Few people were up this early, and if they were, they must have been
in their rooms. The walkway was clear.

“It sure is dark out here,”
Savannah
said. “It’s almost
eight o’clock
.”

“That’s because the sun is behind the clouds,” McCoy said.
“It’s going to get rough, so I want you ladies to be careful. I don’t want to
wake up and find out one of you fell overboard.”

Savannah
and I glanced at each other.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of each other, won’t we,
Savannah
?”

“We’ll be fine. Besides, we don’t plan on hanging around out
here. We’re going shopping.”

The two of us giggled as if we had big plans to do our own
thing, but that wasn’t what was going to happen.
Savannah
and I were going to snoop around on our own, and see what we
could uncover. If she didn’t know what I had in mind when I winked at her at
breakfast, she would soon. If she wasn’t interested in my idea, I would behave
myself and actually go shopping. That wasn’t what I wanted to do, but I didn’t
want to drag her into something she didn’t want to get into.

We parted ways when we reached our rooms with the agreement
that
Savannah
and I would meet up again in ten
minutes after we had time to change clothes.

Once Billy and I were in our room, he flopped down on the bed
without bothering to take off any of his clothes. “I don’t want you to go out
and get into trouble,” he said. “Promise me, `ge ya.”

“How much trouble can one get into while shopping?” I asked
as I started to undress. “I might spend your money though.”

“Bull,” he replied. “I know exactly what you have in mind.
Don’t think I didn’t see that wink.”

“You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

“I know you too well.”

“Then you should know that you can trust me. I’m not going to
let anything happen to
Savannah
, and I’m sure not going to get into
something I can’t handle.”

“Just in case,” Billy said, trying to stay awake long enough
to finish his sentence. “Put on a pair of jeans, and wear that windbreaker I
bought you. That way you can stuff my snub-nose in the back pocket of your
pants, and the windbreaker will hide it.”

“I knew you wouldn’t let me go out empty-handed with all
these criminals running around!” I jumped on the bed and started smooching on
him. “You’re such a good husband.”

He stretched out and dozed off while I was kissing him.

“Hmm. My poor guy is so tired,” I whispered, and kissed him
on the forehead one last time. I crawled off the bed and started to get
dressed. After slipping into a pair of jeans, I pulled out a T-shirt from the
top drawer of the dresser, slipped it on, and then walked over to the closet to
get my tennis shoes and windbreaker. My mind was racing! I picked up the
keycard off the nightstand before heading to the door, and then remembered I
had forgotten to take Billy’s gun.

“It’s in the top, right drawer,” Billy whispered, not moving
or even opening his eyes. “If you’re not back in four hours when I wake up,
I’ll send out a search party.”

I walked back over to the dresser, pulled out the gun from
the drawer, and said, “If I’m not back in four hours, please do.”

I closed the door behind me, chuckled at the idea of a search
party looking for
Savannah
and me, but then I stopped in my
tracks. What was I doing? This cruise was loaded with drama. The last thing I
wanted to do was get in the middle of it, but I was, and now I was dragging
Savannah
into what could turn out to be a
dangerous situation. She’d had enough drama in her life. She’s a famous author,
and along with that notoriety a few crazies want to be your best friend.

That’s how we met. She was involved in a situation with a guy
who turned out to be a bit obsessed, not to mention loony, and Billy and I were
in the middle of hunting down a killer in
Greene
County
. Our two paths crossed, and the rest
is history.

“Okay,” I said to myself under my breath. “I’m going to see
how she acts, and then go from there. If she really wants to go shopping, and
didn’t get the hint, we’ll go shopping. Ugh.”

“Talking to yourself, my dear?” Bella asked.

Startled, I looked up and saw Bella standing close. “It helps
me to get a grip,” I answered. “What are you doing out here alone? Where are
Loukas and your bodyguards?”

“Loukas is still in bed, and I ditched the bodyguard. Who
needs a bodyguard to walk the hallway? Now, if I were to go outside, I’d have
to take Jacob and Allison with me to keep me from blowing away. The weather is
getting bad out there. Besides, I don’t need much sleep. After four hours, I’m
wide-awake.”

“I noticed.”

“We had a late night last night.

“I heard.”

“Is that so?”

“Billy and I work as a team. The only secrets we have are the
ones we forget to tell each other. What’s the real reason you’re out here
snooping around?”

“To tell the truth, I was on my way to see you. The captain
said that you and Billy had breakfast with
Savannah
and McCoy. I was just wondering what was going on now that those two have
hooked up.”

“What two?”

“Billy and McCoy.” She leaned in closer to me and said,
“They’ve formed a bond, you know. But you don’t have to be jealous.”

“I’m not.”

“Liar.” She smiled. “You’re not the best at hiding your
feelings when it comes to Billy.”

“I might be a little bit envious of someone trying to share
my spot.”

“Don’t look at it like that, honey. Just think of it as
having an extra set of eyes with a gun.” She held up her tiny, box-like purse,
and shook it. “It never hurts to have backup.”

“I don’t believe this!” I shook my head. “Does everyone on
this ship have a gun? I thought that was a no-no.”

“That rule only applies to the bad guys.” She grinned, and
then continued. “Is Billy asleep?”

“Yes, he couldn’t hold out any longer. He was so tired that
he fell asleep while I was kissing him.”

“Imagine that.”

She turned, stood beside me, and placed her hand on my butt
as if it was a normal thing to do. The minute she did, I knew she felt the gun
I had stashed back there. We smiled at each other.

“I hope Billy was right when he told me you could handle
yourself,” she said, removing her hand.

“How did you know I had a gun on me?”

“I told Billy to make sure you were armed at all times. He’s
a good man. You’re not carrying a purse, so I assumed you had your gun in your
back pocket. I can’t imagine you stuffing it down your pants. Women have a
thing about that. No woman wants to have a gun pointed at her private parts. I
know I sure don’t.” She waited a second before continuing. “I know what you’re
thinking. You’re worried about him being unarmed. Don’t. I made sure he has
plenty of protection.”

“By the way,” I said. “I want to thank you for the lovely
clothes you sent to our room, but you know you shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t be silly! I love to do things like that for my
friends.”

“I’m glad you consider me a friend. While you’re at it, I
could sure use my own limousine.”

“Okay. I’ll see to it.”

“No, don’t! I was just kidding!”

Savannah
backed out of her room, closing the door ever so softly, and then looked up. She
was surprised to see Bella standing next to me. It clearly showed on her face.
“Hello, Bella,” she said. “What a nice surprise! Are you joining our shopping
excursion?”

“I guess McCoy is asleep as well,” Bella said not waiting for
a response. “No, I’m more into snooping around. What do you say the three of us
see what we can get into?”

A smile appeared on the faces of all three of us. The cat was
out of the bag! Shopping was out, if it was ever in, and snooping was on the
agenda.

“What could it hurt?” I said. “It’s not as if we’re going to
break into anyone’s room, are we?” I looked at Bella.

“I’d like to know the answer to that,”
Savannah
said. “I need to know if I should go
get McCoy’s gun.”

“You mean, you didn’t bring it?” Bella asked. “That will
never do, my dear. You must be armed. There are killers on board this ship, and
until we find out who they are, we need protection.”

“Call your bodyguards,”
Savannah
said, jokingly. “I lied. I have it right here.” She turned and pointed to her
jeans pocket. “It’s small, but it will do the job. It’s a snub-nosed .38.” She
wiggled her butt. “I don’t like to carry a purse unless I absolutely have to.
They get in the way.”

“Same here,” I agreed. “No purse—but I, too, have a
snub-nosed .38. Same pocket.” I wiggled my butt.

Bella got in between us and said, “I’m not wiggling my butt,
but I will tell you the advantages of carrying a purse. Have either one of you
ever seen the Golden Girls on TV?” She hooked arms with us and started walking.

“My mom used to watch it, why?”

“Imagine me as Sophia. I’m carrying the same kind of purse.
People don’t mess with little old ladies carrying a handbag like this. Don’t
ask me why, because I don’t know.”

“Maybe everyone’s seen that show, and they know what Sophia’s
got in her purse,”
Savannah
added. “I particularly liked the one
where she pulls out a gun and waves it around. You’re not going to do that, are
you, Bella?”

“Never.” Bella snickered. “Let’s take the elevator,” she
said, pushing the button. “We’re going to have so much fun!”

Fun wasn’t exactly what we had next.

A second later, the elevator door opened, hesitating just
long enough for the three of us to enter.

“Yeah, let’s take the elevator,”
Savannah
said, stepping into it with Bella.
“Why not? The sea is so rough, I’d hate for one of us to fall overboard. They
would never be able to get to us in time. The ocean is like a blender out
there.”

“I don’t want to think about that,” I said, joining them in
the elevator. “I’m trying not to notice how the ship has been rocking since
early this morning.” I held onto the handrail.

“The captain has issued a warning to the passengers,” Bella
said. “He sent crew members around to ask them to stay off the outside walkways
as long as the storm is still raging. That’s what Allison said.”

“Do you get seasick?”
Savannah
asked me.

“I don’t know. This is my first voyage. But the day is young,
and if I don’t get seasick and die, or get stuck in this elevator and have a
nervous breakdown, I’m with two armed women who might end up shooting me… by
mistake, of course.”

“I beg your pardon,”
Savannah
said. “McCoy taught me how to use a gun. I’m rather good, if I do say so
myself.”

“Loukas and I target shoot all the time,” Bella said. “When
you’re retired, you have time to do things like that. We went on a big-game
hunt once, and once was enough for me. That’s all it took for me to decide that
I didn’t want to do that again. I don’t like large animals charging at me.”

“Well, honey,” I said. “You’d better go back to your room
then, because a killer is worse than a large animal. They sneak up behind you.”

“We all know that size doesn’t mean a thing. It’s your wit
and speed that will save you.”

“I hope you have some,” I said. “I have a feeling we might
need it and it’s not even
noon
, yet.”

“There’s no telling what we might run into,”
Savannah
added. “Are you sure you’re up to
this, Bella?”

“It depends on what you two have in mind.”

Savannah
and I stared at each other, and then, finally,
Savannah
replied, “We haven’t made plans, but when Jesse suggested we
go shopping, I knew she had something up her sleeve. Shopping doesn’t seem to
be something I’d think she’d find great pleasure in. Am I right, Jesse?”

“Most definitely. Too many people. Crowds grit my nerves. I
thought we’d just snoop around a little bit.”

“By the way, Bella,”
Savannah
inquired. “How’s Nell doing?”

“She’s sleeping it off. I swear, that woman is going to kill
herself if she doesn’t stop drinking. But then again, I’d probably drink too if
I was married to Utah Hawks.”

The elevator stopped at the captain’s deck. When we stepped
out, I said, “I thought the elevator only went as high as the main deck. How
did we manage to be allowed entry here?”

“They know we’re coming,” she said as she pointed to the
control panel. “There’s a small fish-eye camera in the panel, and I told them
to be expecting me.”

“I’ve been thinking this over in the elevator, and it might
be wise if you didn’t get involved,” I suggested to Bella. “We’re playing
everything off the cuff. We don’t have a real plan.”

“We don’t need one,” Bella said. “I got you this far. Let me
do this first, and then whatever ideas the two of you have, we’ll discuss them
afterwards. I have a few things I want to check out. And if you’re worried
about my being in a dangerous situation, don’t be. I’ve been there before, and
I know how to watch my back. Plus, I have you two with me. What could possibly
go wrong?”

I should’ve insisted that she go back to her room right then,
but I didn’t. No one told Bella Constance what to do… no one!

Bella’s first place of interest was the captain’s deck—the
huge room at the very top of the ship where the captain and his men controlled
everything—the heart of the
Bella Constance
. Most passengers aren’t
allowed in this area unless they’re being given a special tour, but Mrs. Bella
Constance wasn’t just anyone. She, along with her husband, were the owners of
this ship. It was named after her, and with that came respect and obedience.
She could go anywhere she wanted to, except the passengers’ quarters, and she
said she wouldn’t want to. She wouldn’t dare invade their privacy, unless it
was a matter of life and death. She didn’t like to pull rank, but she would,
and the captain knew it. He was a little hesitant at first, but she won him
over with her charming personality. She has a way of getting what she wants,
and she wanted to get into the computer room to have a look at tapes from last
night.

“What are you talking about?”
Savannah
whispered as the three of us looked around, waiting for
someone to come up to us. “What tapes?”

“All the areas on board, with the exception of staterooms,
are monitored by cameras,” Bella replied, softly. “The recordings are stored on
file, and we can access them. They’re not actually tapes. That went out when
CDs came along. Now, everything is stored on a small card like you have in your
digital camera. We can see what people were doing, and where they were at any
given time.”

“And you think they’re just going to let us look at them?” I
asked.

The crew on the captain’s deck seemed to be too busy doing
their jobs to notice us, or they knew Mrs. Constance had the run of the ship.
My bet was the latter.

“I know they are,” she said. “I called the captain this
morning before I left. I was on my way to your room to see if you wanted to
join me. I didn’t realize we’d have the pleasure of
Savannah
’s company as well. How interesting!
This is really going to be fun! I’m so excited!”

A crew member, dressed in a white uniform like the others,
walked out of a closed room in the middle of the captain’s deck. He came over
to us, and asked, “May I give you and your friends the tour, Mrs. Constance?
I’m sorry the captain can’t be here, but I’ll be glad to show you around.” He
looked at
Savannah
and me, and offered, “My name is
Larry Snow, and I’m the first mate to the captain. If he’s not available, I’m
the one to see. Please allow me to give you the tour.”

“Thank you, First Mate Larry,” Bella said. “This is my
friend, Jesse Blackhawk, Private Investigator.” She introduced me with a wave
of the hand. “And this is Savannah Kelley, famous author, my other friend.”

We greeted the first mate with a smile and a handshake.

“I’ve been a big fan of yours, Ms. Kelley,” Larry said to
Savannah
, gushing. “I’ve read all your books.
They just keep getting better and better. When’s the next one coming out?”

“Soon,” she replied. “It’s always a pleasure to meet a fan.
Thank you for your kind words of praise.”

I could’ve sworn that First Mate Larry was going to start
drooling, but he didn’t. Instead, he held out his hand to Bella and asked, “May
I have the honor of escorting you and your friends anywhere you want to go?”

Bella winked at us, and then said to him, “Show my friends
the view first, please.”

He talked as he walked, and motioned with his hands as he
showed us the 360 degree view through the large glass windows.

“This view is our pride and joy,” he said. “You can see for
miles in any direction.”

“It’s spectacular!” I said. Now, it was my time to gush.
“What a beautiful view! Ah… is that the big storm I’ve been hearing about off
to the right of us? Good Lord! Those black clouds look scary.”

The more I stood there and stared, the queasier I began to
feel. The ship swayed and bobbed, and I knew that the storm, although far off
on the horizon, looked angry, and was probably headed straight for us. Bolts of
lightning flashed in the sky among the dark clouds.

“Are we going through that?”
Savannah
asked, appearing to be a little uneasy as well. “It looks as
if the sky is going to explode.”

“No, ma’am. We’re trying to outrun the storm, but it’s moving
rather fast. We might have to change direction, and head out to the north, or
even backtrack if we can’t get around it. We’re measuring its movement, and
from our prediction, it should fizzle out before it catches up to us. It might
get a little rough out here, but there’s nothing to worry about. The crew has
everything under control.”

“Whatever it takes,” Bella commanded. “We’ll make it up to
the passengers if we have a delay in docking. I spoke with the captain
earlier.”

“Yes, he told me.”

“I don’t know why he feels it necessary to tell me these
things,” Bella said, making conversation as she walked. “He’s the captain of
this ship. He’s the one in charge.”

“I’m sure it’s out of respect for you and your husband,”
Larry replied. “This is our navigational system.” He pointed around at the
different gadgets and screens.

“It’s hard to imagine…” Her words trailed off as
Savannah
and I stood together, looking at the
horizon.

“Looks pretty scary to me,” I said.

“Me, too.”

Nervous, we both turned and followed our guide. We circled
the room, looking down at the decks below, and the few people on them, and
watched as the sky continued to grow darker.

“What’s this?” I asked, pointing to a large, windowless room
in the center of the captain’s deck. “Is that where the computers are?”

The first mate walked over to the door, slipped a keycard in
the slot, and said, “Follow me, ladies.”

The three of us walked into the room behind Larry and looked
around. There were countertops along all the walls, and on top of each sat
lines of computers hooked up to various screens. Six men, all dressed in the
familiar white uniform of the captain’s crew, attended to the computers.

Larry walked over to one of the men, turned to us, and said,
“This is Malcolm. He will take care of you. Just tell him what you want.”

“Thank you so much, Larry,” Bella said, graciously.

First Mate Larry smiled, excused himself, and then left the
room. The door clicked, and the three of us noticed it immediately.

“Don’t be alarmed,” Malcolm said. “This is a high-security
area. The door locks automatically, and you have to have a keycard to access
it. The captain’s crew—the men you see dressed in white on this deck—are the
only ones who have access to this room.”

“So, only the men we see dressed like you are part of the
captain’s crew,” I stated. “What about the others?”

“They’re all part of the captain’s crew, but each dresses
according to job assignment.”

“Is that why the guy at the pool was dressed in shorts and a
polo shirt?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Malcolm replied. “We do have exceptions,
though, but that would bore you. I’m sure you didn’t come here to discuss our
dress code.”

“No, we didn’t,” Bella said. She leaned over his shoulder. “I
want you to pull up a tape from last night.”

“What time last night? I can start from the moment passengers
boarded until right now, if you’d like. But here,” he said as he stood up. “Let
me introduce you to the rest of our security team first.” He pointed as he
spoke. “This is James… Roland…
Tex
…
Jersey
…
and Derick.”

We shook hands.

“I’m Jesse,” I said.

“I’m
Savannah
.”

Malcolm and the other men smiled.

“We know who you are, Ms. Kelley. Remember, we’re security.
We know everybody.”

“Oh, please call me
Savannah
.”

Computer chairs were pulled over next to Malcolm’s station
for us to sit in, and then the others returned to their work monitoring people.

Being here reminded me of the work Billy and I do. We monitor
people, only we do it differently, most of the time.

“I guess you know this, Mrs. Constance,” Malcolm said. “We
have yet to discover where the champagne originated from. Members of our crew
were instructed to deliver the bottles to certain rooms, but that’s all we have
so far. We’ll find out more as soon as we can.”

“I know that,” Bella responded. “That’s not what we’re interested
in right now. I have someone working on that. Just show us any incidents of
interest.”

Malcolm punched keys on the keyboard, and split screens
appeared. The images were small, but once he clicked on one, the video appeared
on a larger screen right above the one in front of him. He hit a key, and the
video fast-forwarded.

“This is the scene that happened in the bar last night.”

We were surprised to see Billy, McCoy, and
Utah
sitting at the bar, their bodies moving and twisting
as if they were windup toys. We started laughing, until we saw the scene that
showed
Utah
grabbing the rear end of a waitress.
That put an end to our laughter.