Page 28 of Tiki Hut Tragedy (Cruise Director Millie Mysteries #6)

Cat slid the earpiece into her ear and tapped the side. “Annette has nifty spy stuff.”

“Some of the best.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, how is she going to help us track Astrid?”

“I’m sorry, Cat, but it’s super top secret. I promised a certain person I would keep it on the down low.” Millie made a zipping motion across her lips.

“I get it. Maybe the less I know, the better,” she said. “Although if this actually works, it’s kind of scary to think we can be tracked at any time.”

“We’re being monitored 24/7,” Millie said. “Think about it. There are cameras on every street corner, in shopping malls, and in restaurants. Probably half of the homes out there have Ring cameras. Unless you’re inside with the curtains closed, there’s a good chance you’re being watched.”

“And if you’re not being watched, someone could be listening in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked about something and bam! Next thing I know, an ad pops up on the computer for the product I was mentioning.”

“Big Brother is watching.” Millie wiggled her earpiece and hit the power button. “Testing, testing. One two.”

“I can hear you, Millie.” Annette’s voice rang through loud and clear. “Is Cat with you?”

“I’m here, Annette.”

“Good. We have a clear signal. Where are you?”

“Standing by Lucky’s, right outside the casino,” Millie said. “Have you started tracking Astrid? ”

“I have. She’s on the lido deck.” Annette’s voice grew muffled. “And on the move.”

Millie placed a light hand on Cat’s back and whisked her off to the side, out of the flow of traffic yet in a spot where they could monitor the casino entrance.

“She’s heading down. Astrid is on deck seven, passing by the gift shop. Depending on where you are, you should have a visual.”

“Coming from the direction of Ocean Treasures?”

“Correct.”

Millie casually slid to the side, giving her an unobstructed view of the corridor. A trio of passengers meandered in the other direction. A couple came toward them, followed by a woman, a voluptuous brunette with long flowing locks, wearing a clingy red dress and high heels. “I don’t see her.”

“She’s directly in front of the casino now. ”

Cat squinted her eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. She just walked through the door.”

“I’ll head that way. Cat, you stay here and keep an eye on this side.” Splitting up, Millie picked up the pace, jogging down the corridor to the entrance Astrid had taken.

Annette rattled off her current position. “She circled around the table games and is walking over to the sportsbook counter.”

Millie frowned. The only people near the sportsbook counter were two men and the brunette who had walked in only moments earlier. There was no sign of mousy, brown-haired Astrid. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“All I see is an attractive woman with long hair who doesn’t even remotely resemble her.” Millie spun in a slow circle. She spotted Brody talking on his radio not far from the cashier’s counter .

Moving at a brisk clip, she crossed the casino floor and waited for him to notice her.

“10-4. I’ll keep an eye out.” He replaced his radio. “Hey, Millie.”

“Hey, Brody.”

“What brings you to my neck of the woods?”

“I’m on the hunt for Astrid. By all accounts, she should be here, but she’s not.”

“Medium height, short brown hair. She doesn’t wear makeup and pulls her hair back,” Brody said.

“Yep. That’s Astrid.”

He shook his head. “Like I said before, I don’t recall seeing her. Maybe I can help you look.”

Millie motioned toward Cat, who was keeping watch near the other entrance. “Cat is helping, but it appears we could use another set of eyes.” She tapped her earpiece. “Are you there, Annette?”

“Yep. ”

“Is Astrid still inside the casino?”

“She is. She hasn’t moved and is over by the sportsbook counter.”

Millie scanned the area. The same people were still in place…two men and the attractive, younger woman. “This is nuts. All I see are two men and one woman, none of whom is Astrid.”

Brody clenched his jaw. “Great. Here we go.”

“What is it?” Millie asked.

“Remember when I mentioned a person I was keeping an eye on at the sportsbook area the other night?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s her. The one who has been betting heavily, losing a lot of money.”

Millie could feel the blood drain from her face. “Annette, can you refresh the screen and confirm Astrid is still near the sportsbook counter?” The men had now left. The only person still standing there was the woman.

“She is,” Annette confirmed.

“I think I know why Brody hasn’t seen Astrid in the casino despite us tracking her there every night,” Millie said. “Astrid is the pretty young woman.”

The pieces started to fall into place. Astrid booking a solo cabin.

Lola, the room steward, telling Millie that Astrid’s cabin was neat as a pin, with no belongings lying around.

Her wig going sideways the day of Dixie’s drowning.

She was intentionally altering her appearance, keeping her identity a secret while hosting the Belly Busters.

Millie nudged Brody. “Do you know this woman’s name?”

“No clue. She hasn’t gotten into enough trouble for me to ask for her keycard, although she’s close. ”

Millie slid her cell phone from her pocket. Pretending to take a selfie, she angled the camera, giving her a clear shot of Astrid. “Now what?”

Brody repeated that she’d lost a lot of money and was becoming increasingly aggressive toward the waitstaff and cashiers.

Millie thought about the one person who had an inside scoop into Dixie’s thoughts and actions before her death.

She thanked Brody and left to catch up with Cat.

Pulling her off to the side, she told her friend what had transpired.

“The bottom line is I believe the attractive woman who doesn’t even remotely resemble Astrid is her. ”

“Altering her appearance so she can play in the casino doesn’t make her a killer.”

“We’re still missing a piece of the puzzle. I think I know who might be able to help us.” Millie wiggled her earpiece. “Hey Annette. Can you track down Wendy Jorgensen? ”

“Sure.” Tapping ensued on the other end. “J-o-r-g-e-n-s-e-n. She’s down on deck five, at the bar.”

“Which is where Felix is hosting karaoke.” Millie paced, briefly outlining her theory about Astrid. “Wendy was Dixie’s cabinmate. I could be wrong, but my gut tells me she’s the one who wrote the anonymous note.”

“Mousy Astrid is a gorgeous woman. This is a twist we didn’t see coming.”

“I’m about to blow this investigation wide open.”

“Good luck. Sounds like you’ll need it.”

After Cat left, Millie swung by the apartment and tracked down the anonymous note before making a beeline for the bar.

She stood near the back, listening to a guest belt out a rendition of a popular country tune. The song ended, and Millie began weaving her way through the crowd, searching for Wendy. She finally found her seated at a table with several others from the group .

Hannah was the first to notice her. “Hey, Millie.”

“Good evening.” Millie folded her hands. “We have a lot of talented passengers.”

“We love karaoke,” Roxanne said. “Some are good. Some are bad, but all are entertaining.”

“I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying yourselves.” Millie mentioned the upcoming competition. “It won’t be long before you’ll all be the center of attention.”

“I’m ready.” Wendy playfully flexed her muscles. “Ready to win.”

“I’m planning to watch it.” Millie caught Wendy’s eye. “I was wondering if you had a moment to chat.”

A look of confusion flitted across her face, quickly replaced by a hesitant smile. “Sure.” She slid out of her chair and followed Millie into the corridor. “Is everything all right? ”

“Maybe.” Millie led her to a quiet corner. “How well do you know Astrid?”

“W-why do you ask?”

Instead of answering, Millie removed her cell phone from her pocket, pulled up the photo of the attractive woman who was in the casino. “Is this Astrid?”

The color drained from Wendy’s face. “Yes, I mean. It’s a mess.

” She started rambling on about Dixie, the Belly Busters, the competition and arguing with her.

“Astrid has a gambling problem. I heard her tell Dixie she figured out a way to rig the contest so that she won in exchange for splitting the winnings.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t tell Dixie how she planned to accomplish it.”

“To cover her gambling debt,” Millie said. “How did you find out? ”

“I overheard them talking. She told Dixie she owed someone a bunch of money.”

“And how did Dixie respond?”

“She told Astrid she was going to turn her in to Amerifinest.”

“But before Dixie could report her, she drowned,” Millie said in a soft voice. She removed the note from her pocket and handed it to Wendy. “Did you write this?”

Wendy’s face crumpled, and she started crying. “I didn’t know what to do. After Dixie drowned, I wasn’t sure Astrid…I thought maybe had done something to her, and figured someone should know.”

“This is a very serious accusation,” Millie said. “I think it’s time for us to meet with Dave Patterson so you can tell him everything you told me.”

“Am I…would I be considered an accessory? ”

“I’m no legal professional, but you didn’t have proof, only suspicions, and you tried telling someone, albeit anonymously.” Millie placed a light hand on her shoulder. “You did the right thing.”

“I hope so. I mean, I’ve always gotten along with Astrid.”

“I get along with her too, but that doesn’t make her a good person. We need to talk to the head of security about what you know.”

It took a minute for the women to reach Patterson’s office and another few minutes to track him down. They waited in the hallway with Millie encouraging Wendy to share any information she thought might be helpful.

Within moments he arrived and escorted them inside.

Taking turns, the women brought him up to speed.

Patterson’s expression grew grim. “Do you think Dixie was drugged? ”

“Maybe.” Wendy nervously twined her fingers. “There’s a drug. It’s called Gainquist. It helps with food digestion. Dixie mentioned it once but I never saw a bottle, or maybe I just didn’t notice it.”

Patterson reached for his notepad. “I’ve requested a toxicology report. I’ll specifically ask if this drug was in Dixie’s system.”

“I don’t take it because it makes me dizzy.” Wendy answered a few more questions and then Patterson told her she was free to go.

“What will happen to Astrid?”

“I’ll bring her in for questioning. I’m sure the Miami authorities will want to speak with her as well.” Patterson escorted Wendy to the door and waited for her to leave. “It sounds as if Astrid has some explaining to do.”