Sea Salt Caramel Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 4) (6 page)

“
T
he medical bay
,” Nikki erupted. Grabbing Hawk's hand she ran toward the stairwell and descended to the deck the medical bay was located on. Reaching the door to the medical bay, she stopped. Hawk pulled out his gun, motioned for Nikki to stand back, and kicked the door open. And there, attached to Captain Mayfield's chest, was a note. “What does the note read?” Nikki asked Hawk.

Hawk leaned over Captain Mayfield's chest and read it. “Back off or die, Detective Daily,” he read the note aloud. “The next dart belongs to you.”

“Now we know why Dr. Rowen was led to us; the killer wanted you to see him kill Dr. Rowen, to scare you,” Nikki said, closing the door to the medical bay.

“Ah, I ain't scared,” Hawk said in a tough voice. He pointed at the handwriting on the note. “The handwriting matches the other two in your pocket.”

Nikki stared at Hawk. For a second she saw him lying dead with a dart stuck in his throat. Not fully understanding why, she broke down and began crying. “No...” Nikki wept.

“Hey,” Hawk said, alarmed, “it's okay, you don't have to cry. There ain't nothing gonna happen to me.”

Nikki walked over to Hawk and wrapped her trembling arms around his shoulders and hugged him. “Be safe,” she begged as tears dropped from her scared eyes. And then, out of the blue, she looked up into Hawk's eyes, leaned up on her tippy-toes, and kissed him.

Hawk closed his eyes and kissed Nikki back. “Oh Nikki,” he sighed, “I know this isn’t the right time to tell you this, but you've taken my heart.”

“Ditto,” Nikki whispered, laying her head down on Hawk's shoulder. “If we make it through this, I'm going to kill you, you big lug. I didn't want to care about anyone else.”

“Me neither,” Hawk admitted, holding Nikki in his arms.

Listening to the storm attack the ship, Nikki pushed the awful image of Hawk lying dead out of her mind. A killer was on the loose, and it was their job to find him. “Hawk, what people say about the man who owns this ship, that he's a mystery… Do you suppose he could be the killer?”

Hawk considered Nikki's question. Letting go of her, he put his hands gently down onto her shoulders. “I'm all ears, partner,” he smiled.

“I was just thinking that the killer has escaped us twice. Once in the stairwell and then up on deck. He knows the layout of this ship, Hawk. He also wants this ship to stay on course for some dangerous reason. I'm inclined to believe the killer might want this ship to sink.”

Hawk stared into Nikki's beautiful eyes. “For insurance money?”

Nikki nodded. “It's possible.”

“But the killer would go down with the ship?” Hawk asked, confused.

“Would he?” Nikki asked as alarm bells went off in her head. “Hawk, would he? What if there is a bomb on this ship set to go off at a certain time? The killer can jump ship and set the bomb off by remote control.”

Hawk bit down on his lower lip. “The killer knocked off Captain Mayfield...but why? Maybe because Mayfield knew too much or crossed a line? The killer then took out Dr. Rowen as a message for me to back off, but Dr. Rowen seemed awful anxious to tell me something, didn't he?”

“Yes,” Nikki agreed.

“Okay, Nikki, let's go through the process of elimination. We'll start checking this ship for a bomb.”

“What about the killer?” Nikki worried.

Hawk bit down on his lower lip again. Shaking his head, he walked over to Dr. Rowen's desk and pulled out the bottle of Brandy. “Well, Dr. Rowen, you old boozehound, you had an awful end and—” Hawk stopped talking.

“What?” Nikki asked, alarmed.

“Look,” he said, handing her the bottle of brandy. Staring at the bottle, he pointed to a plastic bag holding a note. “We have a message.”

Nikki ran to the cleaning station sink, emptied the bottle of brandy and pulled the plastic bag free. Handing Hawk the empty brandy bottle she nervously glanced around the empty medical bay, expecting the killer to somehow materialize out of thin air, waited until the ship fought through a thunderous swell, and then pulled the message out of the plastic bag. “The ship is doomed. Get off it while you still can. BOOM,” Nikki read the message aloud to Hawk and then grew silent as all the color drained from her face. “It is a bomb,” she whispered, terrified.

“A bomb... Maybe the killer didn't take out Dr. Rowen as a warning to me after all,” Hawk told Nikki, shaking his head. Rubbing the back of his neck, he began to pace around the medical bay. Having a dead body lying on a bed in the middle of the bay made Hawk feel uneasy. The dead body could have been himself, or even worse, Nikki. “Nikki, it's too late to turn around. We're stuck in this storm but good. So the killer wants to sink this ship in the storm, collect the insurance money, and walk away free as a bird. It's a good plan, too. The killer can blame the storm for sinking the ship, and who would be able to say otherwise? All the witnesses will be dead.”

Nikki began biting on her thumbnail. Feeling like a mouse caught in an impossible maze, she watched Hawk pace around. “Hawk, if Mr. Johnson and Matt aren't the team we're looking for, that means the killer's accomplice is still loose on this ship. The more I think about it, the more I believe that Mr. Johnson isn't the killer. Yes, the man fits the role, and I'm sure he has some skeletons in his closet. But I don't think he killed Captain Mayfield or Dr. Rowen.”

“I'm listening.”

“Hawk, Matt took Mr. Johnson his diamonds after Captain Mayfield was killed. Why would Mr. Johnson kill Captain Mayfield before retrieving his diamonds? That would be like killing a man who owed you money. You would never collect,” Nikki explained.

Hawk considered Nikki's explanation. It made sense to him. “Yeah, he's also handcuffed to Matt in his cabin. There's no way he could have killed Dr. Rowen, either.”

“Which leaves us back at square one,” Nikki sighed miserably. “We have a killer on the loose and someone—or a group of people—helping him. I'm just wondering how Dr. Rowen came to find out the ship is doomed.”

“Maybe he had a little chat with the killer,” Hawk attempted to joke.

Nikki froze. “Hawk, that's not so far-fetched,” she said. “Maybe Dr. Rowen knew the killer all along? Maybe—come on!” Nikki grabbed Hawk's hand and dashed out of the medical bay. Taking a dangerous chance of throwing her body into the open where a poison dart could easily come flying at her from any direction and take her life, she ran toward the stairwell and made her way back to Tara's quarters.

“
W
hat are
we doing back here?” Hawk asked catching his breath.

“You'll see,” Nikki said, knocking on the door. A few seconds later Tara opened the door with tears in her eyes. “Oh, it's you, Ms. Bates and Detective Daily. I was hoping it was Matt.”

“Tara,” Nikki said quickly, “when you were in the kitchen before the lights went out, did you happen to see Dr. Rowen?”

“Dr. Rowen?” Tara asked, wiping at her tears. “Let me think...” Tara pushed her mind back into the kitchen. “It was really busy. The cooks were talking and laughing, people were taking orders out to the front tables. Matt was filling the pudding bowls, and we were talking about getting our apartment. I was really excited.”

“Keep going,” Nikki told Tara in a patient voice. She had been Tara's age once, too, and understood how the mind of a nineteen-year-old girl operated.

“Well, Matt and I were talking about saving money for the security deposit, and the lights went off,” Tara explained, straining her memory. “I...wait,” she exclaimed. “Ms. Bates, Detective Daily, I did see Dr. Rowen in the kitchen. He was standing near the walk-in cooler, eating a chocolate, as a matter of fact. He was talking to a cook. I really didn't think much of it. I mean, it was dinner time.”

“And the switches that control the dining room and kitchen lights?” Hawk asked.

Tara looked at Hawk. “Detective Daily, the main control panel is located in the kitchen.” Tara stopped. Her eyes grew wide. “Near the walk-in cooler.”

“Bingo,” Hawk told Nikki. “We've found the killer's accomplice. Nikki, remind me to put a ring on your finger and sweep you away to a romantic island someday.”

Nikki smiled. “I'll settle for making sea salt chocolates together in my kitchen,” she told Hawk. “Okay, Tara, you've been a great help. Now I have a job for you and Matt. A very important job. Come with me.”

* * *

H
awk gave
Nikki a confused look but trusted in her plan. Taking out his gun, he followed Nikki and Tara back to Lei Johnson's cabin, Nikki immediately hugged Lidia, who was standing guard there with Herbert. “We believe there is a bomb on the ship,” she explained in a low voice.

“A bomb!” Herbert yelled.

Lidia slapped Herbert across the chest. “Can you say it any louder?” she fussed. “Quiet down, you big oaf. Nikki, what makes you think there's a bomb on the ship?”

The word 'bomb' caused Tara to fall into panic mode. She ran for Lei's cabin door. Hawk grabbed her. “Whoa, girl, not so fast. You can't go broadcasting what you're hearing.”

“But a bomb!” Tara said, panicked. “We have to get off this ship.”

“Tara,” Hawk said in a stern tone, “if you abandoned ship on one of those flimsy lifeboats attached up on the main deck, the sea will swallow you whole.”

Tara knew Hawk was right. What chance did a small wooden lifeboat have against the raging storm outside? “What do we do?” she begged.

Nikki put her hand on Tara's shoulder. Soothingly, she spoke in a low and caring voice. “Tara, I need you and Matt to locate the bomb. I know that Matt knows this ship inside and out.”

“Wait a minute,” Hawk objected. “I'm not so sure I want to trust Matt, Nikki. He may try to jump ship with this girl.”

“I won't let him do anything stupid, I promise,” Tara told Hawk in a shaky voice.

Herbert huffed. Lowering the gun in his hand, he glared at Nikki. “Next time I'm staying home.”

“Oh, be quiet,” Lidia griped at Herbert. “How could Nikki or Hawk know any of this was going to happen? For crying out loud, it's not like they planned this, Herbert.”

Herbert eyed Nikki with distaste. “It seems to me that trouble fits this woman like an old shoe. Lidia, when we get home—if we get home—I forbid you to continue being friends with her. Do I make myself clear?”

Lidia looked at Herbert. Shaking her head in anger, she pointed her finger at his nose. “You listen to me, Herbert, I love you. I enjoy our life together. But if you dare, and I mean dare, try to break up the bond Nikki and I have created with one another, I'll leave you. Do you hear me?”

Shocked, Nikki began to interject. “Lidia, I don't mean to cause problems and—”

Lidia held her up her hand at Nikki. Focused on Herbert, she continued. “All you have been doing this entire time is complaining about Nikki. I'm sick of it, do you hear me? Is it her fault a bomb is on this ship? But thank goodness she had the guts to find out. All you've been doing is fussing about how she has ruined your precious good time. Did she kill Captain Mayfield with a poison dart, you old windbag?”

Hawk eased Tara back. The argument was escalating, and it was better to stand clear. Herbert said, “Lidia, you've never spoken to me like this before. Can't you see that I am concerned about—”

“Concerned, my foot,” Lidia huffed. “Anything that disturbs your quiet life at the campground you mark as hostile. For crying out loud, Herbert, Nikki and Hawk have solved three murder cases in our town. How is that wrong?”

“Need I remind you she almost cost you your life?” Herbert huffed back at Lidia.

“I risk my life every day I go into town, Herbert. Not every tourist who comes into the chocolate store is an angel, you know. Anybody could walk into the store and shoot me dead,” Lidia pointed out. “Herbert, I promise, if you don't stop clawing at Nikki, I will leave you. Not because I want to, but because you are wrong. You're attacking an innocent woman, and I can't stand for that. I expect better from you, and right now I am downright ashamed to be your wife.”

“Lidia!” Herbert gasped. “I...I...” he stuttered. Slowly, he looked at Nikki. That's when he realized that, yes, it was true. He was attacking Nikki because this strange woman who had shaken up his entire life scared him. It was one thing to risk her own life chasing deadly criminals, but it was another thing to risk the life of his wife. “I resent you because you placed Lidia's life in danger. You have no right to involve people in your crazy schemes,” Herbert snapped at Nikki. “Our life was fine without you.” Without saying another word, he shoved the gun in his hand at Hawk. “Take this awful thing. I'm through being your watchdog.”

Hawk took the gun. Herbert turned to Lidia and told her if she wanted to leave him, that was fine by him, and then he stormed off. “Oh dear,” Lidia said. “Nikki, I better go talk to him.”

“Hurry,” Nikki pleaded and took the gun Lidia was holding. “I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to...oh, Lidia, can you ever forgive me?”

“This isn't your fault,” Lidia promised.

Nikki watched Lidia chase after Herbert. “I've destroyed a marriage,” she told Hawk in a pained voice.

“No you didn't,” Hawk said, shoving the gun Herbert gave him down into the front of his belt. “I can understand Herbert’s anger. If I were in his shoes, I'd feel the same about you. He loves his wife, Nikki, and he's afraid to lose her. He's not blaming you for what's happening, but he needs to vent his anger at someone.”

Nikki lowered her eyes and studied the gun she was holding. It felt like a poisonous snake in her hands. Growing quiet, she thought back to the tears she’d cried over Hawk in the medical bay. If she lost Hawk, her world would come to an end. And if Hawk were friends with a man who was constantly putting his life in danger, what would she do? “I would react the same way Herbert is reacting,” she whispered. “Tara, go back to your room, honey. I'm not putting your life in danger. Detective Daily and I will search for the bomb.”