Page 27 of The Situation Ship
“Are you serious?” Mina gasped. “I was looking for Poppy! I checked the casino, theatre, and upper decks, and figured Isaiah would’ve found her. I was seasick and hungover, so I went back to bed.”
“Did Patrice use her own wristband to enter the suite?” Isaiah asked after the captain had repeated Mina’s alibi.
“We already checked. Fifteen minutes after Poppy’s was used, Patrice’s watch was used to enter the room. Then both watches were disconnected.”
Isaiah sighed. “Then Patrice might have interrupted someone—wrong place, wrong time.”
Poppy’s blood ran cold. Was Mina right? Had someone been waiting for her to return and just killed the first person to come through the door?
“What was Patrice doing there at that time anyway?” she asked. “The alarms hadn’t sounded yet, and if my watch was used to enter before she arrived, she wasn’t stopping by to return it. She was in my suitebeforethe drill, so she wasn’t checking on me because I was absent.”
“She shouldn’t have been on duty, and there are no outgoing calls from your suite, so no one called her to come by,” Captain Hamill agreed. She returned to the phone. “Mina’s alibi is clear.We’ve confirmed you searched the top decks and returned to your room.”
Mina slumped in her chair, clearly relieved.
“You’re free to go, since none of you were involved in the accident. I hope you’ll remember what we discussed and keep this matter to yourselves.”
“You have our word,” Isaiah said. Poppy and Mina followed his lead. As much as Poppy hated the cover-up, being locked up in ship jail with a killer on the loose didn’t sound all that tempting. At least she could trust Mina and Isaiah. That only left a few thousand other people to worry about.
The first mate, Davide, entered the office with a tight grimace and rattled off something in Italian to the captain. He left Poppy, Isaiah, and Mina to observe awkwardly until another staff member with three new wristbands came in behind him.
“This is Elma Heinsberg. She’ll be filling in for Patrice for the remainder of our voyage,” Captain Hamill said as Elma greeted them with a warm smile.
“I look forward to working with you,” Elma said with a flashy smile, clearly delighted with her promotion. Poppy guessed she wasn’t aware of what had happened to her predecessor. “We hope you’ll be satisfied with your new accommodation, and I’m sorry the Empress Suite wasn’t to your liking.” She handed them their new wristbands.
“Thank you, Elma. Could you give us a moment? We’re just wrapping up,” Captain Hamill said.
Elma left, quick to oblige.
“To err on the side of caution, I suggest you don’t tell another guest where you’re staying and don’t wander about the ship alone. We don’t want any more accidents,” Captain Hamill told them as they put on their new wristbands.
“That’s it? We carry on as normal?” Mina asked hesitantly, as if reading Poppy’s mind.
“There’s nothing for you to worry about. Other than Elma and me, no one knows where you’re staying. We will also keep it out of our database. Your new suite has fortified doors and deadbolts; we usually reserve it for presidents. Given the situation, we’re making an exception for you and your staff. All three rooms are connected, so should you need help, you’re close to your security. There’s a panic button behind each mirror and a direct line to the security desk and the bridge, but please only use those in case of an emergency.”
“Thank you for making our safety a priority,” Poppy said. Even though they were part of a cover-up, and she would have much preferred to return home, she felt a little more at ease with the extra precautions.
“No need to thank me. It’s my job to keep my guests comfortable, and we haven’t done a great job of that so far,”Captain Hamill said. “Elma will see that the rest of your journey will go smoothly. Security has brought your belongings to your new suite. In a few hours, it’ll be as though nothing happened.”
Her tone wasn’t reassuring; she was telling them to keep their noses out of ship business. Poppy wanted to shake her head. Time might pass, but she would never forget the smell, the sight of the knife piercing that poor woman’s heart, or Mina’s scream. She promised herself that if another body dropped, she wouldn’t sit back and wait to be next like a fish in a barrel.
Isaiah thanked the captain for her help before Elma escorted them off the bridge. Poppy fiddled with her new watch, vowing not to let it disappear again.
“I wish you’d asked her to update us on the investigation. How will you protect us if we’re kept in the dark?” she asked Isaiah as the lift dropped them off on the dining level. She doubted a detective would be able to sit back and do nothing while a body ripened below.
“Because if I had insisted, we might have been confined to our rooms as suspects. We’re key suspects and witnesses, so being allowed the freedom to move about freely is not to be taken for granted,” Isaiah hissed. “She had every right to lock us up until we reached Greece.”
“Why do you think she didn’t?” Poppy asked as they crossed the glass bridge to the private lifts. Only staff had access to the administration floor. Elma used a key to activate the lift.
Isaiah shrugged. “Because our alibis checked out, and because of who you are. If you suddenly disappeared, the guests would whisper, and the captain doesn’t want a panic.”
Elma was prattling on with only Mina listening to her. “Your new suite is now on the top floor. Sadly, you don’t have a below-the-sea view. Still, you have a balcony that offers exquisite views of the fireworks show and the sunset,” she enthused.
Poppy nodded as though she’d been paying attention. “I’m sure we can find our own way, and we should really get something to eat. I know the captain wanted you to aid us with the remainder of the trip, but we really won’t be needing such personal service,” she said to the woman, wanting to talk with the others freely. She also didn’t want another crew member to end up dead in her bathtub; dismissing her was for Elma’s own benefit.
Elma’s disheartened gaze quickly snapped back to the perfect smile. “Of course; your wish is my command. I won’t keep you any longer.” She hit the button for C Deck. “It’s been a long day for all of you. Given that it’s nearly four o’clock, you should be able to get a table without much of a wait. When you’re ready to return to your suite, hit A1, and your wristwatch will lead you the rest of the way.”
“Thank you,” Mina said.
