Cruise to Murder (Z & C Mysteries, #2) (5 page)

They exhaled as they closed the door behind them. With a brush of their hands through their hair, they composed themselves as if nothing was out of the ordinary, before entering their own suite. Inside, they grasped each others’ shoulders and let out a silent scream.

The Kanes managed to lay out all the goodies, beverages and games for their party that night. They decided to continue the evening as planned, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, in case an investigation aboard ship—over what they now deemed to be murder—would ensue.

While they were pulling open the drapes
, so they could see the island lights, they heard the first knock on their door. It was Kathryn.

“Helloooo. I brought someone you know, I’m told.”

“Remember me? Matilda Dread?” the lady in the pointy red hat said, all smiles.

“Of course I do. It’s been a few years since college.” Zo gave a friendly hand shake.

The woman was still sweet-faced with unruly hair, like Zo remembered; only, now there were slight wrinkles around her eyes and gray hair framed her forehead.

“I saw you at the magic show last night, and I was telling the girls, ‘That has to be Zoey Kane!’”

More knocks brought more ladies and more laughter with irreverent comments and jokes.

“Oh, I guess you heard about the Belmonts?
” Kathryn said. “Police have taped their suite door, so no one enters. They’re investigating!”

“Really?” Zo and Claire squeaked.

“Uh, we heard his wife was missing…” Claire pretended not to know for sure.

“I heard she had a fractured skull and bruises
,” another added.

“To think, you go on a cruise to get rid of all that kind of news, and then something like this. Do you have a ch
erry to go on top of this fudge?” asked a woman with dark hair and a purple boa over her shoulders.

“Do you think she was thrown off the ship or fell off an ocean cliff while hiking, hit her head and drowned?” The room was a buzz now with everyone chiming in.

“The husband did it!” called one over the crowd.

“You don’t know that, honey. They looked very happy to me,” said the woman finding
a cherry and adding sprinkles to some ice cream.

It was hard for Zo to keep up with who was saying what, but the lady nearest her leaned into another and said, “Yeah, but these cruise ships are filled with all manner of espionage, hustlers and murderers.”

The other woman narrowed her eyes and replied, “Well, I know I’m looking at you a little more carefully.”

“
I have it on good authority that the moon was high and full and anyone being thrown off a ship would have been spotted immediately,” Matilda interjected. “In fact, the moon that night had waxed its ultimate size and lit up the night like a spotlight. So, she had to have died in the daylight.”

“Just how do you know so much?” asked another.

“I know about moons, nights and days, from an old college professor of mine.”

“Reeeally?!” questioned the one whose eyes were
now slits.

“Yes, I think I remember him, Matilda. He is quite famous actually
,” Zo added. “You’ve probably heard of him,” she said to the other.

“And who would that be?” asked she who was contrary.

“Dumbledore!”

The old lady’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Uh, heh… heh heh heh.” She leaned back into
a full gut of laughter. “If you don’t beat all! Here, let me fix you a banana split. You’re crazy. I like you.”

“Mother, may I see you over here?” Claire gestured with a finger.

Zo came over to her.

“Are you having fun?”

“Absolutely. As much as I can, after what we’ve experienced today.”

“Speaking of murder…,” said Matilda.

“No one is speaking of murder,” interjected a petite woman in a red baseball cap.

“We are all thinking it. Now let me make my point. There are caves on that island that have a reputation of Night Walkers, a tribe of Koona Cannibals that run along the hills and come down into those caves with their victims.”

“No way!” disputed the petite lady.

“
Way
, my dear, and you would be considered a tasty
hors d’oeuvre
with that hat as a cherry on top.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Kathryn. “I heard that story. They come down out of the hills and mix with people, but they always have something about them that doesn’t seem quite right.”

“It wouldn’t be somebody wearing purple with red? That just ain’t right!” A red-sequined woman laughed, jingling the ice in her glass.

They continued their fun—gossiping, speculating, joking. They didn’t even glance at the two card games Zo had purchased from a shop.

“Well, ladies,” Matilda finally said, standing up
, “the casinos are just getting going good and I think I will go on a man hunt.”

“
Good luck on that one.” Somebody laughed. “You bring a love potion?”

“Maaaaaybe.”

The other ladies made a dash for the door with her. “Thanks, it’s been fun…,” a couple of them remarked. They all had smiles as they departed.

The next morning, after a superb breakfast, Zo and Claire were mostly over their jitters. Curiosity started to take over, so the two decided to go back to the beach and look around. For what, they weren’t sure.

“All you need is some common divorce sense
,” Zo said.

“Don’t you mean horse sense?
” Claire had asked.

“Let’s face it. If one has enough sense to know they’re in a bad relationship, enough to get out, that’s all you need to figure out other crummy problems.”

“Hee hee.” Claire laughed. “I guess you’d be the expert on that one.”

After looking around
the beach in the bright noonday sun, where the body of Mrs. Belmont had washed up, they decided it told them nothing.

“Look
, Mom, down the beach. Aren’t those the Koona ‘Cannibal’ Caves the ladies were telling us about? How far away are they?”

“I’m thinkin’ maybe three miles. Give or take a couple of miles. The horizon is deceiving.”

“Want to walk? What else do we have to do? I’m oiled and you’re slathered.”

Zo raised an arm and then lowered it toward the direction of the caves. “Walk on!”

As they approached the beach front of the caves, Claire announced, “I once walked nine miles at Yosemite Park.”

“Is that the one the ranger had to sit you down in
the shade and give you water? Then give you a ride back?”

“You ruin a good story.”

Zo laughed. “You are my hero, you know that.”

Upon reaching the last of the caves, Zo assessed,
“Cave number one was smelly; cave number two was wet and drippy; and this is the largest.”

As they entered the last cave, it was truly impressive, with high natural ceilings going back a ways for much opportunity
to search among the many crevices and rock formations.

“This is my kind of cave,” Zo admired.

They spent quite some time combing it over, scrutinizing the walls—and mainly—there was nothing eventful about any of it.

“Everyone likes this cave. Look at the footprints in the sand. There isn’
t one unstepped spot in here. The Destination de Jour,” said Claire.

Then suddenly something out of the ordinary caught Zo’s attention. B
rushing off sand and blowing on her discovery, she remarked, “Oh boy, look what I found! I won a prize.”

“Whatcha got?” Claire jogged over, her curiosity piqued.

“It’s a broach… a cameo. Kinda pretty. I think it’s framed in real gold.” Zo showed her the two-inch pin. “It’s got a house with a well and words that say, ‘Go The Second Mile.’ This is nice and it’s mine now.” Zo looked around just to make sure there was no one looking for it.

A balding, swarthy man in glasses entered the cave, wearing swim trunks and a flowery island shirt.

“You weren’t looking for this pin, were you?” Zo asked. She walked forward and showed him the broach.

He had a moment of surprise cross his face, and then an uneasy smile, before saying, “No, not my style.” He licked his lips and hurried out of the cave.

“Okay, it is official. It is my pin. Have you looked around enough?”

“I think so. Let’s go.”

As the two walked out on to the beach, there were people playing with a blue and red beach ball and a couple of kids ran into the cave. “Mom, don’t be obvious, but look past the people with the beach ball to a man looking right at us.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Zo looked over her
shoulder, feigning adjusting a strap to her top.

“Would you be talking about the islander with a blank stare.”

“Yep. He’s the one.”

“There are creepy people in the world. Lots of them. But, I do have to admit he is one nasty-looking dude.”

The two walked back the way they had come, turning and looking every once in a while behind them. After they had spent some time shopping for souvenirs, they decided to get back on ship for a late buffet lunch.

“I want to go see if our pictures are ready,” said Claire, munching on an eggplant salad. “
Did you know that all these photographers with the different backgrounds—flags, ship, flowers, oceans, palm trees—are employed by the ship line? They ought to make some good money on that. Everyone wants pictures.”

Zo was going through her shopping bags
, looking over her treasure of goodies. “I don’t remember buying this,” she said, pulling out a grass-woven doll. “I’ll have to take this back. I didn’t pay for it. I don’t know who’d want it. It has no face.”

“
Hello, pretty ladies… one with soft flames for hair,” a man said, his gaze focused on Zo. He was holding a tray, broad in the shoulders and a little paunch under his beige shirt.

“Oh, you are the fire dancer
,” acknowledged Claire.

“That would be me. I’m in a show here
on the ship, too. No fire.”

“Would you like to join us?” asked Zo.

“Can’t, but thank you. I have to practice my twirls, leaps and slides.”

“What is your name, if we are going to be seeing you around
?” asked Zo.

“My name cannot be pronounced by tourists, so call me Butch. What are your names
?” He smiled.

“Zo, and this is my daughter Claire
.”

“What have you there?”
He pointed to the pile of trinkets, and then picked up the grass doll.

“Souvenirs. That one I didn’
t buy; it just got mixed into the bag somewhere. I’m going to see if I can find the shop that has them and take it back.”

“I’ve actually been looking for one of these. What say I give you ten bucks for it and you can pay the shop that has it.”

“I think you are paying too much, but sure…”

“It is now mine, right?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

Butch
held the doll by the foot and began to unravel the woven grass. He then started chanting and touching the doll against each of Zo’s shoulders, until there was no more figure of the doll. The grass was in a heap of strings in his hand.

“
That was a little bizarre, Butch.” Claire was astonished.

“Believe me, that was very good luck for me to do that. I’ve got to go now.
” He picked up his tray and left.

“Why do I keep getting chills at the back of my neck?” asked Zo. “This cruise is giving me the creeps.”

“Me, too. That was just too, too weird. Let’s go find The Red Hat Ladies and hide out in the middle of them tonight.” Claire shuddered. “You can’t date him, Mom. I think he’s a Koona Cannibal.”

“Why do cannibals have to be so cute?!
Okay, but we have to pick up our pictures first.”

The two strolled the eighth level of the atrium; walkways connecting the forward to the aft of the ship. One could look up and down stories of the ship’s decks. Glass elevators would take you to whatever deck level you wanted. At the bottom was a bar, Customer Service and entryways to other bars, casinos, shopping and restaurants.

The eighth level displayed all the different ship’s vendor photos on walls and photo boards.
Customers could find their photographer by the back drop and props used for their pictures. Cashiers were conveniently stationed nearby.

“I feel like I have met everyone, having looked over all these picture
s along the way,” Claire noted.

“Hey, there’s us at the Sail Away Deck Party!” Zo placed a red fingernail against the photo—Zo’s eyes were closed with her mouth agape; Claire’s eyes were squinting and she looked as if she was about to sneeze.