Sea Salt Caramel Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 4) (4 page)

O
ut in the hallway
, Nikki glanced at the few employees standing about and then turned her attention to Lidia and Herbert. “You guys better get to your cabin and batten down the hatches, okay?” she whispered in Lidia's ear. “Mr. Lane can't turn the ship around because the killer said if he does, more people will die. This ship has to stay on course. The storm Mr. Lane is worried about will be on us in about two hours.”

“Oh dear,” Lidia whispered. Looking at Herbert she sighed. “Okay, honey, we'll be in our cabin. Where are you going to be?”

“The Chinese man we saw is a Mr. Lei Johnson. Hawk and I are going to question him,” Nikki whispered and then hugged Lidia. “We'll come to your cabin later.”

“Hawk, I demand answers,” Herbert stated, folding his arms together.

“So do I,” Hawk told Herbert and patted the man on his shoulder. “You guys better get to your cabin and stay put. We'll be by later. Let's go, Nikki.”

With careful eyes, Nikki studied the employees still standing around. When she spotted the young girl who had given her a bottle of water in the lounge earlier, she paused, began to speak, decided not to, and walked past the girl. Fifteen minutes later she and Hawk were standing in front of Mr. Johnson's cabin door. Hawk pulled out his gun and badge. “You knock,” he told Nikki moving her to the left side of the door as he moved to the right side.

Nikki braced herself, stuck out her right hand, and knocked on the cabin's wooden door three times. “Mr. Johnson,” Hawk yelled, “this is Detective Daily. Please open up. I need to ask you some questions.”

To Nikki's surprise, the cabin door slowly opened. Lei Johnson appeared, calm, collected, and intelligent. “Yes, Detective?” he asked in a cold voice. With patient eyes, he examined Hawk's badge.

“May we speak inside your cabin, please, sir?” Hawk asked.

“No,” Lei answered, stepping out into the passageway. Pulling the cabin door shut behind him, he examined Nikki. The woman was lovely in every aspect, but dangerous. Her eyes held a brilliance that was difficult to understand.

“You are aware that Captain Mayfield is dead?” Hawk asked Lei.

Lei took his right hand and knocked a piece of lint off of his suit. “I heard rumors, yes,” he answered. “Some low-paid servant on this ship informed me that Captain Mayfield had been killed by a poison dart.”

“Yes,” Nikki told Lei, easing over to Hawk. Lei Johnson looked like a man who took good care of himself, muscular and fit. The last thing she wanted was for him to strike out at her unexpectedly. “The dart was made of bamboo.”

“I see,” Lei said, narrowing his eyes. “And you, Detective Hawk, believe I am the killer?”

Hawk held his gun down at his side. He had enough distance to get off a single shot if Lei tried anything. “I'm not implying anything. But it has been brought to our attention you have made this same cruise a few times. Also, you were seen leaving a public bathroom earlier with Captain Mayfield.”

Lei glanced at Nikki. He remembered seeing her in the hallway after leaving the bathroom. “Detective, I run a diamond business. My card.”

While gripping his gun tighter, Hawk watched Lei reach into his jacket and retrieve a business card. Reaching out his left hand, he took the card. “Sea Diamonds,” he read aloud.

“I sell diamonds to people on vacation. This ship, as you can see, is quite remarkable. Only the wealthy can afford passage, unlike those who purchase cheap tickets on those cheesy cruise ships that sail to overpriced tropical islands.” Lei explained. “I made arrangements with Captain Mayfield to begin selling diamonds on this ship. I was in the bathroom with Captain Mayfield earlier. I went to the bathroom to retrieve my diamonds. Captain Mayfield was holding them in the ship’s safe for me. I know a bathroom is an unlikely place, but one has to be careful.”

“Why were you so rude on the dock earlier?” Nikki demanded. “You walked right past my friend and were very rude.”

“I have not been in a very pleasant mood, I'm afraid,” Lei explained. “On the last voyage, it was brought to my attention that Captain Mayfield was smuggling diamonds, guns, and other items on this ship. It was also on the last voyage that Captain Mayfield threatened my life.”

“How so?” Hawk demanded.

“He told me that I would begin smuggling his diamonds for him, or he would hold my diamonds in the ship’s safe and not return them to me. I did as he ordered me to do. This morning, I returned to the ship to get my diamonds. Captain Mayfield gave them to me, only they were fakes. I was very angry. I have since calmed down.”

“Why?” Nikki asked. “I believe you would very upset.”

“I was,” Lei assured Nikki, “but my diamonds were returned to me about an hour and a half ago.”

“They were?” Hawk asked curiously.

Lei nodded. “I heard a knock at the cabin door. When I opened it, I saw a briefcase sitting out in the hall. The suitcase contained my diamonds.”

Nikki gave Hawk a confused look. “About an hour and a half ago... Captain Mayfield was murdered about an hour ago.”

“Mr. Johnson, a witness saw you enter the dining room, look at Captain Mayfield, and then leave. Shortly after, he was murdered. Can you explain your presence in the dining room?”

“I went to confront Captain Mayfield,” Lei confessed. “I wanted to accuse, insult, and embarrass the man in front of the passengers. I was furious. Then, at the last second, I decided that if I wanted my diamonds back, I needed a different approach. I left the dining room and ventured to Captain Mayfield's quarters. I entered his cabin and began searching for my diamonds.”

“But to no avail,” Nikki said.

Lei shook his head. “I'm afraid not. I returned here, to my own cabin, and began trying to conceive a plan. That's when the underpaid boy knocked on my door and told me there had been a murder. Shortly after, there was another knock on my door.”

“The second knock on your door revealed your diamonds, is that right?” Hawk asked.

“Yes,” Lei answered allowing a smile to touch his lips. “I have examined each diamond, and they are authentic. I wish I could repay the good Samaritan who returned my diamonds, but I'm afraid that person remains anonymous.”

“Mr. Johnson, remain in your cabin for the time being. If your diamonds are as valuable as you say they are, then you could become a target,” Hawk told Lei. “Also, a very dangerous storm is about to trap this ship in open water, so it's gonna get rough. I need you to stay where I can find you. Go back in your cabin, lock the door, and stay put, okay?”

“Before you go,” Nikki asked, “can you describe the person who told you Captain Mayfield had been murdered?”

Lei glared at Nikki with cold eyes. “The employees of this ship all look the same to me... it's the uniforms,” he said. Slithering back into his cabin, he closed the cabin door and locked it.

“He's lying,” Nikki told Hawk as they walked away from the cabin door.

“Yep.” Hawk shoved his gun down into a belt holster on his right hip. “Right now Lei Johnson is our number one suspect.”

W
alking to the elevator
, Nikki suddenly felt as if a huge rock struck the boat. The ship began to list dangerously to its starboard side. Unable to keep her balance, Nikki crashed into Hawk. Hawk threw out his hand, balanced himself against the right wall of the passageway, and quickly threw his left arm around Nikki's shoulder. “Whoa...settle down,” he told the ship.

Certain the ship was about to capsize, Nikki closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. When the ship began to even out, she eased her eyes open, looked around, and let out her breath. “We need to get topside and see what hit the ship.”

“A wave hit the ship,” Hawk told Nikki. “Storm must have caught up to us earlier than they thought.”

Hearing a few cabin doors open, Nikki looked down the hallway at scared faces. “It’s okay,” she called out, “I think a wave hit the ship. You should all get topside.”

Hawk noticed Lei Johnson didn't open his cabin door. “Come on,” he told Nikki, “we'll take the stairs.”

Once topside, Nikki rushed to the bridge with Hawk. She stopped briefly and peered out a window. “My goodness, Hawk, will you look at that,” she said feeling the bow of the ship dip down and then pull up as it struggled through a deadly swell.

Hawk looked out the window at the storm. The sky was dark, but the emergency lights attached to the superstructure were able to cast a clear picture of what was taking place outside. Even though he couldn't see the waves, he could hear their power. The rain was falling as if a dam had exploded. Raging winds were screaming and howling like a group of lost soldiers determined to finish their battle in a time long forgotten; a battle that would never end in their hearts. “Even if the ship sank and everyone made it into the lifeboats, I don't see how that would help much,” he told Nikki. “Pray, okay?”

“I have,” Nikki promised.

* * *

H
earing
the door to the bridge open, Nikki spotted Brody step out. “Mr. Lane,” she called out.

Brody spotted Nikki and Hawk. Forcing a fake calmness to consume his face, he approached them. “I guess that storm caught up to us early?” Hawk asked.

“No,” Brody corrected Hawk, “what we're witnessing now is a summer shower compared to what's coming. When the full force of the storm arrives, you'll know it.”

“Where are you going?” Nikki asked Brody, trying to conceal her worry.

“To get a cup of coffee,” Brody confessed. “Ms. Bates, I have a good man at the wheel. He'll keep us on course. As acting captain, it is my duty to check on the passengers. But first, I need a cup of coffee.”

“We spoke to Lei Johnson,” Hawk informed Brody. Feeling the bow of the ship dip forward again, Hawk reached out and grabbed Nikki. When the ship leveled out, Hawk explained the exchange he and Nikki shared with Lei Johnson. “I could have forced my way into his cabin, but my guess is if he is the killer, he wouldn't have the poison where anyone could easily locate it.”

“It's clear Mr. Johnson isn't acting alone, Mr. Lane,” Nikki told Brody. “He could be working with a crew member...or crew members, or a passenger. Or passengers. We don't know how many people are involved. However,” Nikki paused, “my guess is he's being assisted by one or more crew members.”

“Because of the lights?” Hawk asked.

Nikki nodded. “The lights in the dining room went off at a precise time and came on at a precise time. Mr. Lane, the young lady at the store counter in the passenger lobby, who is she? The name engraved on her name tag is Tara.”

“Tara Farndale,” Brody told Nikki, “age nineteen, high school drop-out, arrested for drug use at the age of seventeen, gets paid minimum wage to smile and be friendly to guests. I know about every single crew member on this ship, Ms. Bates. The owner of this ship likes to hire misfits...like myself, I guess you can say. He believes in giving people second chances. But Captain Mayfield did the actual hiring, and I fear he hired people who would do as he ordered them to.”

“Have you ever met the owner?” Nikki asked.

“No,” Brody replied. “The owner of this ship is a mystery to us all. Captain Mayfield was his front man. I really need a cup of coffee. When the storm hits I'll be at the wheel, and I don't want to face the storm with only hot tea in my system.”

“We'll walk with you,” Hawk told Brody.

* * *

R
eturning to the dining room
, Nikki was relieved to see only crew members present. They were clearing plates and stacking chairs. Not one single one of them spoke to each other. The mood was tense. Every face held a deep worry that clearly told Nikki she needed to worry, too. “Hey, Tara,” Brody called to the young woman who had been attending to the guest lounge shop earlier in the morning, “three cups of coffee, please.”

Tara looked at Nikki and Hawk for a few seconds, smiled politely, and walked off toward the kitchen with a broom in her hand. Sitting down at a table that had been stripped of its table cloth and dishes, Brody studied the faces of the crew members cleaning the dining room. “They know I can't turn the ship back,” he told Nikki and Hawk. “Word gets around this ship in mysterious ways. Someone is always leaking private information.”

“Dr. Rowen would be my guess in this case,” Nikki said, sitting down across from Brody. Hawk chose to remain standing.

“Most likely,” Brody agreed. Shaking his head he called out to the crew members, “We're going to get through this, guys.”

The young man who had taken Nikki's ticket earlier dropped a plate down onto the table he was clearing. His face was no longer friendly. “I didn't sign on to drown,” he complained. “You have no right to risk our lives. Captain Mayfield—”

“Captain Mayfield is dead, and if I take this ship off course, more people can die,” Brody barked at the young man.

“We might all die if you don't get us out of this storm,” the young man barked back. “Man, this job is lame. I'm through. If we live through this, you can have my uniform and shove it.”

“You can leave the dining room,” Brody told the young man in a stern voice. “You are hereby terminated from your position. Go to your quarters and remain there.”

“Fine with me,” the young man said. Turning toward the other crew members he asked: “Anyone else with me? Joe? Richard? Jennifer?”

A young woman with long, pretty, black hair and a scared face shook her head. “There's a killer loose, Matt. I'm staying topside.”

Other crew members echoed the young woman's words. “Suit yourself,” Matt said and huffed away.

“I'm going to get us to port in one piece,” Brody promised the crew members. “I know what you're all thinking—another storm, and good old Brody is at the wheel. But let me make this clear, the captain of that cargo ship that struck the
Blue Pearl
was drunk, and I was stone cold sober. Someone had to take the fall, and unfortunately, it ended up being me.”

Spotting Tara carrying a tray holding three white coffee cups, Nikki patted Brody's arm. “Here comes the coffee.”

Brody sighed miserably. “Yeah,” he said, lowering his eyes to his hands.

Hawk put his hand on Brody's shoulder. “When a man is bound and determined to redeem himself, he will in time. Trying to prove yourself to a bunch of young kids is only going to cause you a headache.”

“Here's the coffee, Mr. Lane,” Tara said. Carefully, she placed the coffee tray down on the table. “I brought out some sugar and half-and-half.”

“Thanks,” Brody said.

Tara smiled at Nikki and Hawk and went back to sweeping. “Sweet girl,” Nikki said, taking a cup of coffee and lifting it up to Hawk. Hawk gratefully took the cup of coffee from Nikki. She handed the second cup to Brody. “Did you order the passengers to their cabins?”

“Yeah,” Brody said, taking the cup of coffee from Nikki. “When the full force of the storm arrives I'm going to need everyone in their cabins. If the times comes, I'll give the order to abandon ship. Captain Mayfield was going to walk all the passengers through the emergency procedures once the weather cleared. I wish he had waited to depart from the port after the storm passed, but he was anxious to get out to sea.”

Hawk sipped his coffee. With steady eyes, he studied each and every crew member working in the dining room. “Mr. Lane, any idea who might be helping the killer?” he said loudly enough to cause most of the crew members to stop working and look over at him. Looking at Nikki, he nodded.

Nikki quickly caught onto Hawk's plan. “Yes,” she said making sure her voice was loud enough to be heard across the dining room, “we're certain it's one of the passengers that is assisting the killer.”

Brody gave Nikki a confused look. “But you said—”

“We're certain it's one of the passengers,” Nikki interrupted him.

“Uh, I can get you the list of the all the passengers’ names,” Brody replied.

“Please do,” Nikki said, picking up her cup of coffee. Before she could take a sip, Tara eased her way out of the dining room and back into the kitchen. Nikki felt her heart break. “There goes the rat to the cheese,” she told Hawk miserably.

“Let's cut her off at the pass,” Hawk told Nikki, putting down his coffee. “Mr. Lane, we'll meet you back at the bridge in a few minutes.”

Standing up, Nikki took a sip of hot coffee and shook her head. “She was so sweet, too,” she said.

“Come on,” Hawk told Nikki, taking her hand. Without wasting another second, he hurried Nikki out of the dining room and jogged to the staircase. “We don't want to frighten her,” he said, stepping into a wooden stairwell lit with bright lights. “Let her get to Johnson's door and see what happens.”