Ruskin nodded, listening thoughtfully.
‘If you have any views on the matter now that another passenger is missing an item, you need to let me know.’ Peter sighed. ‘If we can’t find out where the items are I will have to file a report with the authorities ashore tomorrow.’
As they walked away, Carmen turned to Ruskin. ‘Some cosy crime author I am,’ she said. ‘I hope my Rainbow Sleuth would do a better job of unravelling this whodunit because I haven’t a clue.’
‘The situation is serious,’ Ruskin said. ‘I must find the answer to this mystery.’
Carmen nodded. ‘I’m going to find Theo and buy him a large drink for putting up with my mother all day.’
‘Do you know where they are?’ Ruskin asked.
‘Theo sent me a text to say that they were by the pool on the lido deck.’
‘Probably relaxing in the last of the day’s sunshine.’ Ruskin reached out to take her hand. ‘Let’s go and find out.’
‘Come on, Betty, one more duck, and you share the lead!’
Carmen and Ruskin arrived on the lido deck and could hardly believe their eyes when they saw the commotion in the pool as Kyle, standing by the edge, wearing a rainbow sunhat and neon Speedos, shouted out instructions.
‘Colin! That’s a foul!’ Kyle yelled and blew a whistle. ‘Three ducks scooped at once constitutes a final warning; if it happens again, you will leave the pool.’
The pool was full of pensioners and brightly coloured rubber ducks bobbed about on the surface. With elbows out and water flying, each person carried a small net on a pole as they splashed and dived to net a duck.
In the middle of the pool, Fran sat on an inflatable blush-coloured flamingo, wearing her baby pink tankini, while Sid paddled around her on a fierce-looking crocodile. Don was riding a dolphin, while Debbie had a doughnut around her waist.
‘Good heavens,’ Carmen said, her eyes wide as she saw Betty at one end of the pool wearing a safety strap and sitting in a waterproof chair next to a wheelchair ramp, thrusting out a noodle to shove Neeta out of her way. Betty wore Carmen’s sludge-green swimsuit and a flowered rubber cap, and as she extended her net, she scooped up a duck and flung it on the side of the pool.
‘Another duck for Betty!’ Kyle called out. ‘She shares the lead with Sid. Two minutes to go, everyone. Put some effort into it!’
As a pensioner tumbled into the water from the steps and another dived chest-deep, Carmen and Ruskin smiled when they saw Theo, comfortable in an inflatable chair, wearing heart-shaped synthetic sunglasses, paddling towards them.
‘Hola!’ Theo called out. ‘Did you have a good day?’
‘Yes, but possibly not quite as much fun as you appear to be having here,’ Ruskin laughed.
‘How on earth did you get my mother into a swimsuit?’ Carmen gawped. ‘She can’t even swim.’
Theo slid off his chair. ‘That was down to Fran, I’m afraid she raided your closet.’
‘I thought I’d thrown that dreadful bathing suit away,’ Carmen said.
‘Betty looks as though she’s having a great time,’ Ruskin said as Betty hurled another duck out of the pool, narrowly missing his head.
‘It’s been full on.’ Theo eased out of the water. ‘Fran decided that Betty needed cheering up, so we took her for a wander around Cartagena and had a most enjoyable lunch, then back to the ship for poolside trivia, and now, as you can see, the floating duck hunt.’ Removing the novelty glasses, he reached for a towel and began to dry himself.
‘I have a feeling that you’re going to tell me Mum won the trivia.’ Carmen thought of her mother’s quizzing skills.
‘She certainly did, and it looks like she’s about to secure first place here too.’
Everyone stopped and turned towards Kyle as he blew his final whistle. Breathless with anticipation and fuelled by rivalry, they waited for the result.
‘Drumroll, we have a winner!’ Kyle called out. Checking the scores on a clipboard covered with glitter stickers, he let the tension mount. ‘In third place for the dolphin that appeared far too interested in the flamingo, we have Don with fourteen ducks!’
A cheer went up for Don, who looked miffed not to have scored higher. ‘Kyle, you have the game rigged tighter than a ferret in a rabbit hole!’ Don yelled.
Kyle ignored the comment. ‘In second place, give it up for Debbie, who dived extra deep and achieved a fantastic fifteen ducks!’
‘Fix!’ Don shouted, ducking as Debbie walloped him with a noodle.