history of any kind of mental illness?”
Stunned, she opened her mouth, then shut it. Thankfully, holding Andy took two hands. It was all she could do not to punch the man. His patronizing tone nearly undid her. Taking a deep breath, she turned and gazed at the ceiling. “There.” She pointed. “That’s a camera. They’re all over this ship. We need to get the video and watch it.”
Again the looks passed between the two officers. The one who had been quiet up to this point asked, “Where was the man hurt?”
She glanced at his name tag. Simon Ellis. She said, “His chest. He had on a white shirt and a black blazer. The white shirt was covered in blood, his complexion was pale and waxy. He was nonresponsive when I tried to find out what happened.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“No, I’m a former special agent for the FBI.” She narrowed her eyes. “There’s a murderer on this ship and you need to find him before someone else dies.”
Connor looked at the door to the dining area, fully expecting Samantha to walk through at any moment. She’d been gone close to thirty minutes and he was beginning to be concerned. And to wish for his cell phone.
How dependent he’d become on that device.
He looked at Jenna. “I’m going to go look for Sam and Andy. You go ahead and grab something to eat if you want.”
“Sure. I can do that.”
He saw her eyeing not the buffet but the group of college-aged boys sitting at the round table in the corner. “Hey, remember Bradley?”
Sorrow flashed in her eyes. “We broke up.”
“What?” Shock nearly rendered him speechless. “When? You two have been together forever.”
“I know. And it was two weeks ago.” Her lips firmed into that hard line he recognized. It meant, I don’t want to talk about this right now .
Connor covered her hand with his and got her attention. “I’m sorry.”
She blinked back tears. “I am too.” A slender shoulder lifted in a slight shrug.
Connor ached for her. But she would talk when she was ready. And he was worried about Samantha and Andy. He got up from the table and made his way through the crowd and out of the dining area.
Heading toward the nearest restroom, he rounded the corner and came to a dead stop. Samantha stood in the midst of security, Andy on her hip. The expression on her face spelled trouble.
Dread centered itself in the middle of his chest as he hurried toward his wife. “Sam?”
She looked up and he caught the relief in her eyes. Then the anger returned and her jaw firmed. “Looks like we can’t get away from work after all.”
“What do you mean?” He took Andy from her and she planted both hands on her hips.
She filled him in, ending with, “Only the body disappeared and these guys don’t believe me.”
“Ma’am, it’s not that we don’t believe you, we just . . . I mean, what do we do without a body?” Officer Hines lifted both hands in supplication.
Connor eyed the two men. “Are either of you former cops or military?” That was the type who generally worked security for cruise lines.
Hines nodded. “I worked as a street cop in Chicago for a year before I decided to come on board here.”
Officer Ellis shook his head. “I just got out of the academy a month ago.”
So he was dealing with inexperience. He looked at Sam, then back at Officer Hines. Reaching into his back pocket, Connor produced his detective’s badge. “Could you get the head of security here and fast?”
Officer Ellis’s eyes went wide. “Sure.” He excused himself, stepped to the side and pulled out a radio. Connor heard him speaking but couldn’t make out the words.
Sam moved over next to him. “I want to see the video on that camera.” She pointed it out to him.
He nodded.
Within a few minutes, a gray-headed man with a military bearing strode toward them. He held out a hand and Connor shook it. “I’m Mitch Ponder. How can I help you?”
Sam told her story once again. The senior officer stepped
Stunned, she opened her mouth, then shut it. Thankfully, holding Andy took two hands. It was all she could do not to punch the man. His patronizing tone nearly undid her. Taking a deep breath, she turned and gazed at the ceiling. “There.” She pointed. “That’s a camera. They’re all over this ship. We need to get the video and watch it.”
Again the looks passed between the two officers. The one who had been quiet up to this point asked, “Where was the man hurt?”
She glanced at his name tag. Simon Ellis. She said, “His chest. He had on a white shirt and a black blazer. The white shirt was covered in blood, his complexion was pale and waxy. He was nonresponsive when I tried to find out what happened.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“No, I’m a former special agent for the FBI.” She narrowed her eyes. “There’s a murderer on this ship and you need to find him before someone else dies.”
Connor looked at the door to the dining area, fully expecting Samantha to walk through at any moment. She’d been gone close to thirty minutes and he was beginning to be concerned. And to wish for his cell phone.
How dependent he’d become on that device.
He looked at Jenna. “I’m going to go look for Sam and Andy. You go ahead and grab something to eat if you want.”
“Sure. I can do that.”
He saw her eyeing not the buffet but the group of college-aged boys sitting at the round table in the corner. “Hey, remember Bradley?”
Sorrow flashed in her eyes. “We broke up.”
“What?” Shock nearly rendered him speechless. “When? You two have been together forever.”
“I know. And it was two weeks ago.” Her lips firmed into that hard line he recognized. It meant, I don’t want to talk about this right now .
Connor covered her hand with his and got her attention. “I’m sorry.”
She blinked back tears. “I am too.” A slender shoulder lifted in a slight shrug.
Connor ached for her. But she would talk when she was ready. And he was worried about Samantha and Andy. He got up from the table and made his way through the crowd and out of the dining area.
Heading toward the nearest restroom, he rounded the corner and came to a dead stop. Samantha stood in the midst of security, Andy on her hip. The expression on her face spelled trouble.
Dread centered itself in the middle of his chest as he hurried toward his wife. “Sam?”
She looked up and he caught the relief in her eyes. Then the anger returned and her jaw firmed. “Looks like we can’t get away from work after all.”
“What do you mean?” He took Andy from her and she planted both hands on her hips.
She filled him in, ending with, “Only the body disappeared and these guys don’t believe me.”
“Ma’am, it’s not that we don’t believe you, we just . . . I mean, what do we do without a body?” Officer Hines lifted both hands in supplication.
Connor eyed the two men. “Are either of you former cops or military?” That was the type who generally worked security for cruise lines.
Hines nodded. “I worked as a street cop in Chicago for a year before I decided to come on board here.”
Officer Ellis shook his head. “I just got out of the academy a month ago.”
So he was dealing with inexperience. He looked at Sam, then back at Officer Hines. Reaching into his back pocket, Connor produced his detective’s badge. “Could you get the head of security here and fast?”
Officer Ellis’s eyes went wide. “Sure.” He excused himself, stepped to the side and pulled out a radio. Connor heard him speaking but couldn’t make out the words.
Sam moved over next to him. “I want to see the video on that camera.” She pointed it out to him.
He nodded.
Within a few minutes, a gray-headed man with a military bearing strode toward them. He held out a hand and Connor shook it. “I’m Mitch Ponder. How can I help you?”
Sam told her story once again. The senior officer stepped
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