Murder for the Halibut Read online

  Alex leaned across the table and kissed her forehead. “As much as I love you, Rosie, you and the others will get dined, but only Jordan will get wined, if you get my drift.”

  “But how—”

  “Okay. I can see I’d better explain everything before you wear me out with questions. When I found out you were on the ship, I pulled a few strings.” A glint of humor crossed his face. “All these years with the FBI finally paid off. I called the Dallas field commander who got in touch with Wayne Francis, Michael’s boss. He worked out the details so I could board the ship right here in Philipsburg and cruise the rest of the way with you.”

  Jordan sprang from her chair and showered his face with kisses. “You’re going to be with me until we get to Miami?”

  “Actually, I found out what flight you’re taking back to Ranchero and booked it. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for an entire week.”

  “Fantastic!” Lola said. “Ray could use your help on the ship.”

  Alex narrowed his eyes. “Why would Ray need my help?”

  All three women began talking at once, but then Rosie and Jordan gave in and allowed Lola to do the explaining.

  “Did you know Ray hired on as private security for some rich businessman?”

  “The pastry guy, right?”

  “Yes, and I can tell you he’s a class-A jerk. Anyway, a few nights ago, someone waltzed right into his cabin while he and his wife slept and made off with a pretty expensive piece of jewelry. Ray and Goose—he’s the head of security on the ship—are working to catch the thief. That’s why Ray’s not with us right now.”

  “You know I care deeply for all of you, including Ray, and I’ll be glad to help out any way I can, but I don’t know what I could possibly do that they haven’t already done. Ray’s a damn good cop.”

  “Don’t forget to tell him about Stefano’s murder,” Rosie blurted.

  Alex cocked his head. “There was a murder on the ship?”

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Jordan said. “But we think one of the chefs died from an allergic reaction to peanuts, and several of the other contestants had pretty good motives to kill him.”

  Alex threw back his head and laughed out loud. “So, how did you three jump straight from allergic reaction to murder?” He shook his head, still laughing. “I’m beginning to think your imaginations have all been working overtime. To be honest, Jordan, I can think of better ways to use your creative talents.”

  Jordan blushed at the innuendo, but she wasn’t finished arguing her case. “When Rosie and I tell you about what we know, you won’t be making jokes at our expense.”

  “What do you and Rosie know that I don’t?” Lola asked, shooting Rosie a dirty look.

  Rosie ignored Lola’s question and looked at Jordan, who nodded. Turning back to Alex, she said, “We’ve been trying to get Ray alone for two days now, so we could talk to him. We think Thomas Collingsworth killed Stefano.”

  “What?” Lola exclaimed. “The guy who dresses like he just stepped out of a bad thrift store?” She frowned. “I don’t buy it. I’d bet money that man couldn’t even kill a tiny mouse, let alone a walking, talking human being.”

  “Whoa!” Alex said, holding up his hand. “Who is Stefano, and why would this Thomas guy want to kill him?”

  “Because Stefano is probably the father of Thomas’s only child,” Jordan began.

  “Criminy!” Lola exclaimed. “I can’t believe you two kept that from me.”

  Jordan sent Lola a don’t-be-mad-at-me look before she turned back to Alex.

  “Keep going,” he said, making a rolling motion with his hand to speed her up. Obviously, he was interested in more than just her creative mind now.

  “And because somehow ground peanuts ended up in only Stefano’s spice bottle that night.”

  When Jordan saw that she had Alex’s undivided attention, she plunged ahead with what she thought was the smoking gun. “And finally, because Thomas was the only one who knew that Stefano was allergic to peanuts and didn’t bother to say a word to the doctor until after Stefano was unable to be revived.”

  Alex studied her face. He was no longer smiling.

  CHAPTER 15

  Looking through her closet, Jordan mentally kicked herself for not bringing anything sexy to wear. It would be hard to show Alex how creative she was when all she had to offer was her usual dinner outfit of black slacks and a lightweight sweater.

  Oh well. Maybe if I keep him so busy looking into my eyes, he won’t even notice my outfit, she thought, reaching for the lowest cut blouse she could find.

  She pulled out the green and black silk number she’d brought for the Captain’s Gala at the end of the week. It was the same one she’d worn to the Cattleman’s Ball several months before—the blouse her escort had said made her green eyes look like emeralds. A flashback of sitting in the emergency room that night in Fort Worth when her date was pronounced DOA popped into her head. She closed her eyes to make it disappear, and when it finally did, she shoved the top back into the closet.

  No way she wanted to chance such a thing with Alex—just in case the blouse was cursed.

  At the thought of the man who had wiggled his way into her heart with a pan of lasagna and homemade sangria, she giggled.

  “Did you say something?” Rosie asked from the bathroom.

  “No,” Jordan hollered back. “I was just thinking about the night Alex cooked for me.”

  Rosie stepped out of the bathroom, her streaked blond hair hanging loosely down her back in a cascade of curls.

  “Wow! You’re getting all dolled up, aren’t you?” Jordan commented. “I hope you’ll remember that Alex is my boyfriend,” she added playfully.

  “Honey child, even if I did take a stab at that gorgeous hunk of manhood, I would be disappointed. He only has eyes for you.”

  “I hope you’re right. There are some hot-looking crew members walking around the ship, and he is definitely appealing to females.” She paused. “So, why are you wearing your hair down tonight instead of pulling it back in your usual French braid?”

  “No reason.”

  “Oh no! You actually blushed,” Jordan observed. “Tell me you aren’t getting all sexy for Goose.”

  “Absolutely not!” Rosie exclaimed, much too vehemently to be believed. “The man’s married, and you know how I feel about that.”

  Jordan studied her friend. “I believe you, but I see the way he looks at you. Before this goes any further, I need to tell…” But she stopped herself from blurting out that she’d seen Goose go back into the bar in San Juan where that sexy young woman waited.

  “Tell me what?”

  Jordan waved her off. “It’s nothing.”

  Rosie’s eyes twinkled. “Goose does flirt a little, and I wish I could say I hated it. Nothing will ever come of it, but it is nice that he finds me attractive.” She moved around to the closet. “What are you wearing tonight on your first night alone with Alex?”

  “Hopefully something to get his mind off robberies and murders.” She frowned. “Did you see the way his eyes lit up when we told him everything that’s going on around here?”

  “Yeah. Like Ray—once a cop, always a cop. My guess is we won’t be able to get a word in edgewise with Goose, Ray, and Alex all huddled together solving crimes. I probably curled my damn hair for nothing.”

  Jordan grinned. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure we can scout out a good-looking guy for you to flirt with.”

  “Make him rich, and you’re on.” Rosie patted Jordan’s behind. “Get dressed, sweet pea. I can’t have Alex blaming me because you’re late.”

  Ten minutes later, they were on their way to the restaurant, and Jordan could hardly contain her excitement. Finally settling on a rust-colored satin blouse and a simple black and rust sweater that toned down her unmanageable red hair, she could hardly wait to actually be with Alex. If they were lucky, they would get away by themselves as quickly as they could after dinner to catch up on each
other’s lives—among other things.

  As soon as they approached the restaurant, Jordan spotted Alex and gasped. If she thought the man looked good in jeans, the sight of him in navy blue slacks with a light blue button-down shirt that made his eyes resemble a cloudless sky nearly did her in.

  She was tempted to ask if he wanted to skip dinner.

  And those Paul Newman eyes told her he was thinking the exact same thing as they traveled down and back up the length of her. Ordinarily, she would have wised off with some remark like “I’m up here, Alex,” but for some reason, tonight, she rather enjoyed the scrutiny.

  He greeted them both with a kiss on the cheek, giving Jordan a whiff of his clean-smelling cologne and arming her with yet another argument for bypassing dinner and going straight for the dessert.

  “I got here just as Victor and Michael were being escorted to the table. Since they didn’t see me, I decided to wait for the two of you and surprise them, as well,” Alex said.

  “Did you get a chance to talk to Ray about what we told you earlier?” Rosie asked.

  Alex shook his head. “I spent so much time filling out all the paperwork and then getting settled in my cabin, I barely had time for a quick shower before dinner. I’m hoping to get a chance to hear what Ray has to say while we eat.”

  “Hey there. Sorry we’re late,” Lola said, rushing up with Ray following close behind.

  Ray shook Alex’s hand. “Good to see you again.”

  “Okay then, it looks like we’re all here except Goose,” Rosie said, the disappointment in her voice probably apparent only to Jordan.

  Ray scrunched his face and sighed. “I haven’t been able to talk to him since last night.”

  “Wait. Didn’t you and Goose question the crew members today?” Jordan asked.

  “I did, but Goose didn’t show up. His staff and I spent five hours questioning them. So far, we haven’t found anyone who looks like the man on the security tape. And we still don’t have a clue where Goose is. Right before I left the room, I talked to Orlando, who is next in command in the security department, and the only one on board with a background in criminal justice beside Goose, by the way. He was going to have someone go up to Goose’s room and see if he left some indication as to where he could be. I told Orlando I’d be at dinner, and he promised to let me know as soon as he finds out anything.”

  Jordan debated whether to tell Ray about seeing Goose go back into the bar, and then decided to wait until Rosie wasn’t standing right next to her. It was probably nothing, anyway, and Ray had mentioned that Goose had checked all the crew quarters after the ship had sailed from Puerto Rico. At least they could be certain he had reboarded and hadn’t lost track of time while he “talked business” with the young woman at the bar.

  “That’s weird,” Rosie said. “It’s like the two of you were inseparable for the first few days of the cruise, and now you can’t even get him to return your phone calls.”

  Ray shook his head. “It does seem strange. I wonder if Goose uncovered something about the robbery that he doesn’t want me to know. That would explain why he’s avoiding me like the plague.”

  “I’m sure that isn’t the case, darling. Now, let’s get in there before Victor blows a gasket. You know how he is when he doesn’t eat on time.” Lola nudged Ray into the restaurant where the maître d’ greeted them and led them to their table.

  “What took you guys so long?” Victor asked, a little annoyed. “Well, I’ll be! Is that who I think it is?”

  Jordan nodded, laughing when her friend jumped up and embraced Alex in a bear hug. Michael followed suit.

  “What in the world are you doing here, Alex?” Victor held him at arm’s length before whistling. “Hmm. You do clean up well, my friend, if I have to say so myself.”

  While they feasted on appetizers and salad, Alex mesmerized them with stories about his latest undercover assignment. When he got to the parts about being in dangerous situations, Jordan had to restrain herself from freaking out. She knew his job was not without risks, but she hated actually hearing how quickly things could have gone bad, imagining all sorts of scenarios, none of them good. Snuggling closer to him, she reached for his hand under the table.

  By the time the main course was served, it was like old times with everybody, including Alex, laughing and chatting as if it had been days instead of months since they’d all seen him.

  Victor had him in stitches relating the story about Jordan and the sweetbread in the appetizer competition a few nights back.

  “Honestly, Jordan, I’ll eat just about anything, but even I don’t think I could stomach that,” Alex said, sympathizing with her while giving her hand another squeeze under the table.

  She rewarded him with a promising smile, wondering how much longer she could sit next to him without jumping into his arms. She kept glancing at her watch, praying the time would fly and she could finally be alone with him.

  Just as dessert was served, a fortyish man with dark hair that grayed at the temples walked up to their table and tapped Ray’s shoulder. Ray stood, then excused himself as he and the man he had introduced as Goose’s next in command left the restaurant.

  “Was it just me or did that guy look upset?” Rosie asked. “I hope everything is all right.”

  For the next few minutes, there was little conversation at the table. Everyone kept checking out the entrance, waiting for Ray to return and tell them what was going on. By the time they finished their dessert, he still hadn’t made it back to the table, and although nobody verbalized their fears, they were all concerned.

  “Here he comes,” Jordan said, finally spying Ray walking back into the restaurant alone. “And he doesn’t look real happy.”

  When he reached the table, Ray pulled out his chair and sat down, reaching for what was left of his beer and finishing it off.

  Rosie, who was not known for her patience, looked past Alex and asked the question that was in everyone’s mind. “Did they find Goose?”

  Ray shook his head. “No, but we now have another problem on our hands.”

  “What kind of problem, Ray?” Alex asked.

  “One I’d like to talk about with you for a few minutes after we finish, if that’s okay.”

  Alex glanced toward Jordan, probably remembering—as she was—how their last time together was also interrupted by cop stuff. Knowing how much Ray valued Alex’s investigative instincts, Jordan decided now was not the time to whine about it. She nodded.

  Ray met her stare and smiled before turning to Alex. “We can go down to the security office where the others will be waiting. Hopefully, it won’t take long to figure out what our next move should be.” He made eye contact again with Jordan. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I promise to send him back to you as soon as we get this figured out.”

  “Get what figured out?” Victor asked.

  Ray blew out a frustrated breath. “The security staff questioned the steward, and he told them Goose’s room was unslept in as of this morning.” He surveyed the gang around the table, almost if he were deciding how much to tell them. “As I said, they still don’t know where Goose is, but they did find something in his room that was quite disturbing.”

  “Come on, Ray,” Rosie begged. “Don’t leave us with only our imaginations. You, of all people, know how scary that can be. What could they have possibly found in Goose’s room tonight that has you this upset?

  Ray lowered his voice. “Charlese Lincoln’s diamond necklace.”

  CHAPTER 16

  “So it’s true? Goose found the necklace and kept you in the dark?” Lola patted Ray’s hand, something she did to comfort him when he was upset.

  He turned to face her. “I wish I could say that’s the worst of it, but I can’t.” He stopped to cover her hand with his other one. “They also found a diamond ring and several thousand dollars hidden in his drawer.”

  “Did Beau even know he was also missing the ring and the cash?” Jordan asked. “I only remember you sayi
ng he lost the necklace.”

  Ray studied them for a minute as if trying to decide whether he should tell them the rest. Finally, he said, “They weren’t Beau’s. The ring was reported missing on the first day of the cruise, and the cash, the following day from two different rooms.” He paused to allow his meaning to sink in.

  “Holy smokes!” Victor exclaimed. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Ray?”

  “Unfortunately, I am, Vic. There’s a strong possibility that Goose dressed up like a cabin attendant and robbed Beau and God only knows how many other passengers. Orlando said they didn’t recover any of the stolen items when they searched the employees’ cabins yesterday. There’s only one way the stuff could have ended up in Goose’s room.”

  Again, Lola patted his hand, probably thinking the same thing as Jordan: that Ray was blaming himself for not suspecting his newfound friend. But how could he have known? Goose’s interaction with the woman in the bar in Puerto Rico had left the impression he might be a womanizer, but he’d not done anything to suggest he might be a thief as well.

  “There’s more,” Ray said.

  Immediately the chatter around the table ceased, and everyone moved closer.

  “They also found a powerful sedative in his room. Orlando said the other robbery victims slept right through the whole ordeal, just like Beau and Charlese. And in all the cases, the victims complained of a headache the next day. The doctor said that’s a common side effect for this particular sedative.”

  Jordan gasped. “Goose drugged them before robbing them?”

  She made eye contact with Rosie from across the table. Rosie, who was the chatterbox of the group, especially when there was drama or gossip involved, hadn’t said a word since Ray began speaking. She shook her head, making Jordan wonder if she was also blaming herself for being so wrong about Goose.

  “Hold on,” Alex interjected. “Even though it looks like that’s the way this whole thing went down, don’t forget we’re Americans. A man is innocent until proven guilty—not the other way around.” He turned to Ray. “How can I help?”