Page 79 of The Situation Ship
“I don’t know, and I wish she was here so I could ask her,” Poppy said, looking around the room in case Mina had arrived. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to come because she was afraid of being caught out in a lie. Or had she used the break-up as an excuse to be left alone? Her mind swam with dozens of questions, and she couldn’t help but feel her trust in Mina waning.
“She still isn’t here?” Isaiah asked. “She called me about an hour ago and said she was on her way. I assumed she was with you or around here somewhere.”
“She might’ve been trying to find us,” Isaiah said, but Poppy could tell from his creased brow that he was worried.
“Over an hour ago? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I figured she would’ve found you.”
A tense silence fell between them. She feared they thought the same thing. Either Mina was involved with the killings, or she was in trouble. Neither option was comforting.
“She called me from the suite, so it’s the best place to start. I’m going to go back to the ship and see if I can find her,” Isaiah decided, walking Poppy towards the poker table where Axel was playing. “I need you safe in a crowd. I don’t want to think the worst, but I want you here if Mina’s involved and not working alone. Axel, Poppy is going to be your good luck charm. Please keep an eye on her. She has a tendency to wander off.”
“I know the type,”Axel said, focused on his cards. Phoebe, on the opposite side, glared at him.
“Don’t worry, we’ve got her,” she said.
Poppy didn’t want to involve them, but there was safety in numbers. The ship was docked only down the pier, so Isaiah could walk there and back in minutes.
“I’ll stay, but be careful.” Her gut told her Mina wasn’t involved, and she worried she might be in danger. She had to have a good reason for lying.
“If I’m not back in thirty minutes, call the captain and alert security,” Isaiah said, obviously surprised she wasn’t arguing. When he kissed her, she knew she had done a terrible job of hiding the concern on her face. “Mina’ll be fine. We’ll have time to ask her questions when I find her. Don’t leave with anyone, even if they say I sent them. Stay here unless I come to get you.”
“Be safe.” Poppy hated watching him go alone. At least security was still on the ship, and she was sure he would alert them when he boarded.
“Can we deal you in, Ms Roe?” a politician with terrible posture and an even worse poker face said as she joined the table. “It’s for a good cause.”
“Then you’ll feel better when you lose.” Poppy smiled, glancing over her shoulder to see the doors close behind Isaiah.
“You can take my place; I’m going to get dessert,” Phoebe said, folding her hand. With the next hand dealt, Poppy checked her watch as what promised to be the longest thirty minutes of her life began to tick down.
When Phoebe returned, Poppy was sure she would tell her that Isaiah was back with Mina and that everything was okay. Instead, she handed her an envelope with her name on it.
“A fan wanted me to give you this. She was too nervous to come over and talk to you herself,” Phoebe explained, sitting opposite Axel. Poppy opened it.
Engineering level, 11pm. Come alone if you want to end this.
Or the next time you see Isaiah, it’ll be in a pool of his own blood.
A fan hadn’t given Phoebe the envelope. The killer had.
A knot formed in her stomach when she thought of how the killer had stood next to Phoebe – could have hurt her in the crowd and disappeared. This was a warning, a message to say they could get close to anyone anytime.
“What did she look like? What was she wearing?” she asked, trying to conceal the panic in her voice.
“Brown hair, and wearing a waiter’s uniform. I think she didn’t want to be seen interacting with the guests,” Phoebe said.
“Can you see her now?” Poppy asked, searching the crowd. Phoebe stood again to help.
“I don’t see her. Everything okay? Did they write something nasty?” Phoebe asked as she was dealt back into the game.
“Fine. Just a nice note.” Poppy forced herself to keep her voice steady. She didn’t want to alarm Phoebe or Axel, and shedidn’t think either would react well to the truth. “I’m out of this game, but keep my seat. I’m just going to the bathroom.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Phoebe asked, as Axel eyed her suspiciously.
“I’ll be fine,” Poppy lied, clutching the envelope. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back to take your money.”
The dealer distracted the players, giving her time to slip away. She walked through the guests to the bathroom to ensure Phoebe hadn’t followed her before leaving the event room and heading out of the hotel’s main lobby.
