Page 19 of Tiki Hut Tragedy (Cruise Director Millie Mysteries #6)

Millie stared at the supplements and pill bottles neatly lined up along Wendy and Dixie’s bathroom sink.

Plucking a tissue from the box, she picked up the nearest bottle.

“Hey, Millie.” Lola appeared. “How’s it going?”

“This bathroom looks like a mini pharmacy.”

“Right? I’ve never seen so many bottles in all my life.”

“No wonder Dixie wasn’t feeling well.” Millie turned her cell phone on. She tapped the camera icon and flipped it around for a wide-angle snapshot. “I wonder if these are all Dixie’s bottles or if some of them are Wendy’s, too. ”

“Wendy helped Dave Patterson pack up Dixie’s stuff, so I’m guessing what’s left belongs to her,” Lola said.

“Do you recall there being even more than these?”

“Yes. Many more.”

Millie slipped her reading glasses on and studied a prescription bottle, confirming it belonged to Wendy Jorgensen. Working her way down the line, she searched for the Peppermill brand pills. “I’m looking for Peppermill pills.”

“Peppermill pills?”

“It’s a supplement made with peppermint. I think I found it.” Millie shifted a bottle and studied the label, Blue Lane Peppermill Pills. She snapped a photo of the label, making sure she had both the ingredients and warnings.

Lola nervously licked her lips. “I hate to rush you, but Wendy could come back any time. ”

“I’m done.” Millie crumpled the tissue and shoved it in her pocket.

“The last thing I want to do is get you into trouble.” She followed Lola out of the cabin and into the corridor.

“You mentioned Astrid, who is the group host, trying to smooth things over between Wendy and Dixie. Do you remember if anyone else stopped by?”

“I do. Most of the other members of their group have cabins on this deck.” Lola mentioned one more incident.

“Around the same time the women were arguing, Brody from security escorted Wendy back to her cabin. From what I overheard, there was some sort of big blowout inside the casino, and he asked them to leave.”

“I wonder if Dave Patterson knows.”

“Oh, yes. I mentioned it to him when he was here to pack up Dixie’s things,” Lola said. “He didn’t seem surprised.”

Millie tapped her foot on the floor. “You said some additional members of the Belly Buster’s group are staying on this deck. Are you cleaning their cabins as well?”

“My assistant and I clean many of the cabins.”

“Have you noticed any of the other women arguing?”

“No. The woman in charge, Astrid, visits them often.”

“Out of curiosity, who is Astrid’s cabinmate?”

“She has a cabin to herself,” Lola said. “She is a very private person.”

“Private person?” Millie echoed.

“At her request, I only clean her cabin once a day. It is very tidy, with nothing on the counters. I wouldn’t even know she was there except for her suitcases in the closet.”

“No personal items lying around?”

“She has clothes hanging in the closet and perfume in the bathroom along with a toothbrush and toothpaste but nothing else. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not complaining. It’s nice to have someone I don’t have to spend a lot of time picking up after, if you know what I mean.”

She asked Lola a few more questions until a group of passengers entered the corridor. “Thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome.”

Millie headed topside and began her next round of events. The hours passed and the crowds grew as passengers returned from their day in Puerto Plata.

A quick check of her watch and she realized the ship’s departure time had come and gone. She hurried down the steps to the gangway, noticing a group of the ship’s security staff near the open door.

She caught Suharto’s eye and strolled over. “What’s going on?”

“We’re having some sort of mechanical issue. ”

Her radio blasted. “Delta, Delta, port side on the dock.” The engine room supervisor barked orders for several of the maintenance crewmembers to meet him on the dock.

“Delta means damage to the ship or a mechanical failure,” Suharto said.

“Great. This can’t be good.” Millie took off, taking the stairs two at a time. She reached the bridge and found Nic and other senior officers standing near the controls.

She caught a word or two, and when she heard the word Azipod, Millie knew it was serious. Long moments passed with Nic and his staff chatting back and forth with the mechanics.

“Clear to depart,” the mechanic finally radioed over.

“Let’s go.” A look of relief crossed Nic’s face. “Bring the crew back on board and release the ropes. ”

Disaster averted, Millie made a beeline for the apartment. Scout stood by the door, waiting to greet her.

She scooped the small pup up and stepped outside. The gangway was gone. Ropes no longer secured the vessel, and the familiar churning of the water was clearly visible.

The massive ship slipped away from the dock and drifted past Fortaleza de San Felipe, reaching open water.

Relieved to know they were on their way, she returned to the bridge, empty except for the usual team of officers and assistants.

Nic stood at the controls, watching as she caught up with him. “Hello, dear.”

“Hey, Nic. What happened?”

“The Azipods froze.”

“I know the Azipods are important, but remind me again what they do. ”

“They’re what moves the ship.” Nic went into a long, technical explanation of their purpose, most of which went over Millie’s head.

What she did know was that if the Azipods weren’t working, Siren of the Seas was in deep doo.

“I’m not sure if it was a glitch. The engine-room staff is monitoring the situation. ”

“I doubt many of the passengers even noticed.” Millie’s schedule app chimed, reminding her of the new diamond elite art gallery exhibition, an event she’d come up with after receiving feedback from the top-tier cruisers, requesting more exclusive events.

She arrived to find Brenda, the gallery host, filling crystal flutes with champagne. “Hey, Millie.”

“Hello, Brenda.” Millie gave her a quick hug. “How was your break?”

“Wonderful. I got to see my kids and family. How was Alaska?”

“Beautiful, full of adventures. ”

“I’m sorry I missed it. Maybe next time. This is for you.” Brenda handed her the list of VIPs who had confirmed they were attending. “I’ve ordered some scrumptious appetizers with more than enough Dom Perignon to keep them happy along with goody bags for each of them.”

“Goody bags?”

Brenda motioned for Millie to follow her to the other end of the bar, away from where the servers were setting up. Tucked off to the side was a cluster of glittery gold foil bags with the Siren of the Seas’ logo and a photo of the ship on the front.

Millie let out a loud whistle. “Fancy.”

“Right? If this doesn’t make them feel special, I don’t know what will.” Brenda reached inside a bag and removed a miniature painting of a pond with a wooden bridge crossing over it.

“This is pretty.”

“Claude Monet’s The Water Lily Pond. I find it both tranquil and soothing. ”

“I’m sure the VIPs will like it.”

“The miniature is only the beginning.” Brenda removed a small glass jar and held it up.

The liquid gold contents glimmered under the gallery’s lights.

“L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream, guaranteed to smooth any wrinkle on your face. It’s a bargain at a hundred and twenty bucks for an ounce and a half.”

Millie made a choking sound. “Seriously?”

“Donovan gave us his marching orders, to pamper our elites, and that's precisely what I'm doing.” Brenda set the jar aside and showed her a decadent cookie wrapped in silver paper, with a gold satin ribbon tied at the top. “Amit and his new bakery team whipped up these gourmet cookies.”

“They look yummy.” Millie’s mouth watered. “What’s in them?”

“Caramel cream, made with bits of toffee, dark chocolate, creamy peanut butter and buttery pecans. ”

“It’s almost too pretty to eat.”

“I bet they’re worth every calorie.” Brenda licked her lips. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but a fresh selection of art pieces is on display. The elites will be the first to preview our new offerings.”

“You outdid yourself,” Millie said. “If this doesn’t feel like pampering, I don’t know what will.”

The staff arranged the final table of treats right before the special guests started to trickle in—an equal mix of men and women, couples, singles, along with a family of five who had recently reached the elite status.

Millie mingled, chatting with many of them who were like old friends, having traveled with the VIPs for years, meeting their families, learning about their lives and gathering valuable feedback.

A familiar figure glided across the room where Millie stood admiring a replica of another Monet work of art.

“Aliviah,” Millie beamed. “How are you? ”

“Getting older by the minute,” she quipped. “You’re looking tanned and trim, my dear.”

Millie patted her hips. “It hasn’t been easy. I dined on some delicious dishes while we ambled around Alaska.”

Aliviah waved a jeweled hand. “I haven’t visited the Last Frontier in ages. The flights and layovers are what stop me.”

“It’s a long haul if you’re flying from Florida.” Millie changed the subject. “I was thinking about you the other day, remembering how you mentioned bringing your family on a voyage this year.”

“It’s in the works.” Aliviah winked. “I’ve secured the cabins, an all-expenses paid trip for my family and close friends.”

“I can’t wait to meet them.”

Brenda, who was standing nearby, handed Aliviah a goody bag .

“What a beautiful bag. Thank you.” The elderly woman peeked inside, oohing and aahing over the selection. “You have truly spoiled us rotten.”

Brenda licked her finger and jotted it in the air. “Mission accomplished.”

A passenger appeared, inquiring about the golden bag of goodies. Brenda hurried off to grab more bags, leaving Millie and Aliviah alone once again.

“Rumor has it you have your hands full on this voyage.”

“We have a few rambunctious groups.”

“The infamous Belly Busters from Nebraska are at the top of the list, I’m sure.”

“Between you and me, yes.”

“I’ve watched their shenanigans on television. Hotshot Hannah. Wendy the Wolfette, Dixie the Destroyer, rest her soul. You have a nose for mysteries.” Aliviah tilted her head, curiously eyeing Millie. “What’s your take?”

“Her death has been ruled an accident.”

“You don’t believe it?”

“Not entirely. Something is off.”

“Do yourself a favor and watch a clip of their most recent competition. It’s like the WWE or WWF of food. Those women have gotten into some knock-down, drag-out fights.” Aliviah became sidetracked and began talking about something else.

After she left, Millie finished her hosting event, thinking about Sharky’s GoPro and wondering what he’d caught on camera while rescuing the women. As soon as the room cleared, she called the maintenance office. The call went to voicemail, so she tried her friend’s cell phone.

“Hey, Millster.”

“Hey, Sharky. Where are you? ”

“Leaving the engine room. There’s a minor issue with the propulsion system.”

“I heard. I thought it was some sort of glitch.”

Sharky made a clicking noise with his teeth. “I wouldn’t bet the bank on it.”

“Great, so there is an issue?”

“Maybe. What’s up?”

“I was thinking about Dixie’s drowning. There appears to have been some bad blood between her and some of the other contestants.”

“You’re not convinced her death was an accident,” he guessed.

“Let’s just say I’m skeptical. I was wondering if I could take a look at what your GoPro recorded during the rescue.”

“Sure. Actually, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to swing by because I noticed something no one else picked up on.”