potty.”
“I’ll take him,” Jenna offered.
“No.” Andy shook his head. “I want Mommy.”
“Of course you do.” Samantha grinned at him and took his hand. “Come on then.” To Connor and Jenna, she said, “We’ll meet you in the dining room?”
“Sure.”
Samantha found the restroom on deck five and held the door open for Andy.
He walked in like he owned the place and went straight to the biggest stall. Sam smiled to herself. She’d trained him well. She followed him in and shut the door behind him.
After helping him take care of his business, she watched as he fumbled with the snap on his shorts. “Want me to help?” she asked.
“No. I can do it.”
He could, things just went faster if she helped. Instead of pushing the issue, she simply watched.
A loud slam made her jump, and Andy shrieked.
Heart in her throat, Samantha looked through the stall’s crack to see a man stumble into the women’s restroom.
Cop senses tingling, she pushed Andy back into the corner and lifted her finger to her lips. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly covered it with her hand. As soon as she removed her hand, he said in a normal voice, “What was that?”
Realizing her three-year-old wasn’t about to keep quiet, Samantha cracked the stall door and peered out. The man was slumped against the wall. Blood covered his chest.
He looked up and saw her. Then his eyes dropped to Andy standing at her side. His mouth moved as though he tried to say something.
“Mommy, the man’s hurt.”
Shaking herself out of her stupor, she hurried forward. “What happened?”
Kneeling beside him, she looked at his now closed eyes. The pallor of his skin said he needed help fast.
Grabbing Andy into her arms, she burst out of the bathroom. “Hey, there’s a man in here that needs help!” She saw no one who looked like they might be able to help. Spinning, she ran in the other direction and came upon two cruise staff. Breathless, she shifted Andy and said, “There’s a man in the women’s bathroom. He’s either been stabbed or shot or . . . something. He needs medical attention now.”
One of the men got on his radio, the other said, “Show me.”
Samantha whirled and headed back for the bathroom, Andy bouncing on her hip. She threw open the door and came to an abrupt halt.
The bathroom was empty.
2
Sam looked at the officer whose name tag read Karl Hines. “I’m telling you, he was there. There’s no way he walked out of that bathroom.” What she wouldn’t give to have a cell phone right now to call Connor. But she’d left it in the room. They’d agreed to no cell phones during the cruise except if there was an emergency situation.
She would say this qualified.
“Ma’am, I’m not saying you didn’t see a man in the bathroom, but . . .” Officer Hines trailed off as he stared at the floor.
The clean floor. Not a spot of blood on it. At least not so her naked eye could see it. Her fingers itched for a Q-tip and some luminol.
“I don’t understand it,” Sam muttered. “I saw him. Andy saw him, didn’t you, buddy?”
Andy nodded. “The man was hurt. Bleeding and yucky.”
Sam saw the look the two officers exchanged and knew they didn’t consider Andy much of a witness.
Andy stretched toward the sink. “Want my truck.”
Turning, she saw Andy’s toy pushed up under the sink and realized he must have dropped it when she yanked him up to get help for the man.
That man who was no longer here.
She put Andy down and he rushed over to grab his truck. To Officer Hines, Samantha said, “Look, I know when a man is dying. And that man was one breath short of stepping into eternity. He didn’t get out of here under his own steam.” She looked around, then snatched Andy back up into her arms and stepped out of the bathroom.
“Ma’am, are you taking any medication?”
Samantha turned and stared. “Am I—what? No, I’m not taking medication.”
“Do have a
“I’ll take him,” Jenna offered.
“No.” Andy shook his head. “I want Mommy.”
“Of course you do.” Samantha grinned at him and took his hand. “Come on then.” To Connor and Jenna, she said, “We’ll meet you in the dining room?”
“Sure.”
Samantha found the restroom on deck five and held the door open for Andy.
He walked in like he owned the place and went straight to the biggest stall. Sam smiled to herself. She’d trained him well. She followed him in and shut the door behind him.
After helping him take care of his business, she watched as he fumbled with the snap on his shorts. “Want me to help?” she asked.
“No. I can do it.”
He could, things just went faster if she helped. Instead of pushing the issue, she simply watched.
A loud slam made her jump, and Andy shrieked.
Heart in her throat, Samantha looked through the stall’s crack to see a man stumble into the women’s restroom.
Cop senses tingling, she pushed Andy back into the corner and lifted her finger to her lips. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly covered it with her hand. As soon as she removed her hand, he said in a normal voice, “What was that?”
Realizing her three-year-old wasn’t about to keep quiet, Samantha cracked the stall door and peered out. The man was slumped against the wall. Blood covered his chest.
He looked up and saw her. Then his eyes dropped to Andy standing at her side. His mouth moved as though he tried to say something.
“Mommy, the man’s hurt.”
Shaking herself out of her stupor, she hurried forward. “What happened?”
Kneeling beside him, she looked at his now closed eyes. The pallor of his skin said he needed help fast.
Grabbing Andy into her arms, she burst out of the bathroom. “Hey, there’s a man in here that needs help!” She saw no one who looked like they might be able to help. Spinning, she ran in the other direction and came upon two cruise staff. Breathless, she shifted Andy and said, “There’s a man in the women’s bathroom. He’s either been stabbed or shot or . . . something. He needs medical attention now.”
One of the men got on his radio, the other said, “Show me.”
Samantha whirled and headed back for the bathroom, Andy bouncing on her hip. She threw open the door and came to an abrupt halt.
The bathroom was empty.
2
Sam looked at the officer whose name tag read Karl Hines. “I’m telling you, he was there. There’s no way he walked out of that bathroom.” What she wouldn’t give to have a cell phone right now to call Connor. But she’d left it in the room. They’d agreed to no cell phones during the cruise except if there was an emergency situation.
She would say this qualified.
“Ma’am, I’m not saying you didn’t see a man in the bathroom, but . . .” Officer Hines trailed off as he stared at the floor.
The clean floor. Not a spot of blood on it. At least not so her naked eye could see it. Her fingers itched for a Q-tip and some luminol.
“I don’t understand it,” Sam muttered. “I saw him. Andy saw him, didn’t you, buddy?”
Andy nodded. “The man was hurt. Bleeding and yucky.”
Sam saw the look the two officers exchanged and knew they didn’t consider Andy much of a witness.
Andy stretched toward the sink. “Want my truck.”
Turning, she saw Andy’s toy pushed up under the sink and realized he must have dropped it when she yanked him up to get help for the man.
That man who was no longer here.
She put Andy down and he rushed over to grab his truck. To Officer Hines, Samantha said, “Look, I know when a man is dying. And that man was one breath short of stepping into eternity. He didn’t get out of here under his own steam.” She looked around, then snatched Andy back up into her arms and stepped out of the bathroom.
“Ma’am, are you taking any medication?”
Samantha turned and stared. “Am I—what? No, I’m not taking medication.”
“Do have a
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