Page 1 of Waylaid in Whittier (Cruise Director Millie Mysteries #5)

“…is of utmost importance.” Gustav Olson, the new safety director, droned on. “Going forward, each department head is responsible for maintaining safety logs, to be turned in weekly to my office. The new form you’ll be required to use has already been uploaded and is online.”

Millie resisted the urge to look at her watch. She and her colleagues had been stuck in Gustav’s self-designated “command center” for almost an hour now, an hour of hashing and rehashing Majestic Cruise Lines’ safety policies.

She nudged Sharky. “You know, this is all your fault, us having to sit through this meeting.”

“She’s right.” Annette wagged her finger at him. “I could think of a bazillion better things to do besides sitting here and having Olson drill into our heads the stuff we already know…including how not to super clean the I-95 corridor with slippery solvent.”

Sharky’s brows furrowed. “It wasn’t the entire corridor, only a small section over by the room where I store confiscated items. How was I to know the sanitizer would turn the hallway into an ice rink?”

Olson stopped talking and pointedly stared in their direction.

Millie scrunched down in her seat. She was already on Olson’s radar after he sprang a surprise inspection of the dressing room area, deeming it unsafe because of the entertainment staff’s blind spot when they came around the corner for costume changes during performances.

Clearly, the man didn’t grasp the fact her staff had to complete the changes in record time, which meant it occasionally created somewhat of a safety hazard.

“I won’t take any more of your time,” he announced.

Cat, who was seated on Millie’s other side, clapped loudly.

The safety director shot her a death look and continued. “Please be advised that I’m increasing my unannounced inspections. I expect to find your areas clean and clear, with safety being an utmost priority.”

Donovan Sweeney, the ship’s purser, stopped Olson, who was making a beeline for the exit.

Millie, with Annette, Cat and Sharky close behind, hurried out the side door, taking a straight shot down to Sharky’s office.

“I’m ready for the donut you promised,” Annette said.

“They’re the best around.” Sharky took the bakery box that was sitting on top of the filing cabinet and placed it on his desk. “Thank you for agreeing to join me here after the meeting. I’ll cut right to the chase. I have a problem.”

Sharky’s cat, Fin, who was curled up and napping on a nearby chair, lifted his head. He slowly stood, arching his back in a long stretch before climbing onto the desk, demanding to be petted.

Millie promptly complied. “There’s my Fin. Are you ready to head home, buddy?”

“I know I am. The Caribbean is calling,” Annette said. “So, what’s up, Sharky?”

“Food first.” Cat chose a chocolate donut with a generous dose of coconut sprinkled on top and passed the box to Millie. “I’m not good at solving crises on an empty stomach, not to mention I’m not a huge fan of early morning meetings.”

“Early morning safety meetings,” Annette corrected.

“I’ve already apologized,” Sharky said. “Don’t bust my chops too badly. It’s been a rough week.”

Millie perused the offerings, finally deciding on a good old-fashioned glazed donut. She took a big bite. The donut nearly melted in her mouth. “These are delish. Where did you say you got them?”

“Big Sky Bakery in Juneau. I picked them up before we left.” Sharky waited for Annette to finish choosing her donut. He grabbed a chocolate éclair, shoved half of it in his mouth while reaching for a plain donut with his free hand.

Cat arched her eyebrow. “I thought you were cutting back on sweets.”

“I am,” Sharky mumbled. “Four is my usual.”

Dee…doo…dum ditty…doo. Sharky’s cell phone blasted a catchy tune. “Not again.” He tapped the top to dismiss the call and placed it face down. “I can’t take much more.”

Millie took another bite of her decadent treat. “What major issue is troubling you?”

The phone went off again. With a look of utter exasperation, he turned it over. “Elvira. Elvira is driving me nuts.” He tapped the screen. The phone went silent.

“Maybe you should tell her not to call as often and remind her that you’re working,” Cat suggested. “What does she want?”

“I have no idea. She mentioned maybe traveling to Alaska this summer to learn about gold mining. Next thing I know, she’s sending me cryptic messages. I’m beginning to think she’s here.”

“Here on board Siren of the Seas?” Millie asked.

“Here in Alaska. I got the first message about three days ago. It said something along the lines of her having a golden opportunity to strike it rich, and then she sent me a text with a picture of herself standing on top of a pile of rocks and holding a pickax.”

“Let me see.”

Sharky handed Millie his phone.

She slipped her reading glasses on and studied the photo. Sure enough, Elvira stood on a small mound, a bright yellow hard hat atop her head and grinning from ear to ear. “This could most definitely have been taken here in Alaska.”

“There are more.” Sharky scrolled through the screen, showing them picture after picture of Elvira, all with cryptic captions. “I don’t know if she’s bored or what. We’ve talked a few times. Whenever I try to pin her down to find out exactly where she is, she cuts me off and says she’s gotta go.”

“I would nip this in the bud if Elvira is bothering you,” Annette said. “Tell her you’re not a fan of guessing games.”

“I’ve been racking my brain, trying to figure out what her angle is. All I can come up with is she’s onto something, some sort of find, and doesn’t want to spill the beans.”

“Meaning gold?” Millie asked.

“Maybe.”

“Elvira is one of those people that you need to be blunt and to the point with,” she said. “It’s possible you’re not being firm enough with her.”

“I guess I’m looking for female input seeing how I’m a little rusty in the relationship department. I was hoping you could give me some tips.”

“I’m with Millie,” Annette said. “You need to be firm but kind.”

“Ditto for me,” Cat said. “Take control of the situation.”

“Firm but suave.” Sharky smoothed his hair back. “I think I can handle it.”

Dee…doo…dum ditty…doo.

“It looks like you can handle it right now.” Millie made a move to head toward the door. “We’ll give you some privacy.”

“If you need moral support, we’ll be in the hall.” Annette followed suit.

Sharky stopped them. “Don’t leave. I might need you as my witnesses to verify I treated her with the utmost respect.”

“Are you sure?” Cat hesitated.

“Positive.” Sharky motioned for his friends to hang tight. He snatched his phone off the desk. “Hello, Elvira.” He promptly put the call on speaker and pressed a finger to his lips.

“Hey, Sharky. Did you get my last text and picture?”

“The one with you holding a pickax? You’re looking good, like maybe you lost a little weight,” he complimented.

Millie winked and gave him a thumbs up.

“Thanks. Yeah.” Elvira cleared her throat. “I’m getting plenty of exercise up here.”

“Where exactly is up here?”

“I might as well let the cat out of the bag. I’m in Whittier.”

He made a choking sound. “Whittier, Alaska?”

“Yep. Remember the television producer I mentioned contacting a while back? He invited me to check out the gold mining operations. I’ve learned a lot.”

“Have you found gold?”

“Maybe,” Elvira answered evasively. “Between you and me, I might have found my very own honey hole. I’m heading out later today and hope to confirm my findings.”

“Along with the production crew?”

“No way. I found this spot on my own.”

“Well, good luck.”

“Thanks. I’ve been thinking… I’ll be wrapping things up here in the next day or so. It’s the end of the season and the DNR is shutting down the roads. Something about unpredictable conditions…yada, yada. When is Siren of the Seas docking in Whittier?”

“We’re at sea today and have a scheduled stop in Anchorage tomorrow, not to dock, but to grab some supplies via the shuttle boats. We’ll be in Whittier Saturday morning to let passengers off. The ship overnights and we leave Sunday afternoon.”

“This might work out perfectly.” Elvira made a clicking sound with her teeth. “Do you have room for one more?”

“One more what?”

“Passenger. Me.”

Sharky briefly closed his eyes, and Millie could only imagine what he was thinking. She knew two things about the head of the maintenance department. First and foremost, he was a loyal friend who could be counted on in times of trouble, which is why she and the others were there—to help one of their own.

Secondly, was the fact he was not a fan of surprises. “You want to hop on Siren of the Seas when we reach Whittier?”

“You sound surprised,” Elvira said.

“More like shocked.”

“With all the hints I’ve been dropping?” she asked incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding. I thought you knew and were playing along.”

“I had no clue.”

“But I told you before about the invite to come to Alaska,” she whined.

“And then you dropped it. I had no idea. Wait. I take that back. I had an inkling when you started sending me photos.”

“You don’t sound as excited as I thought you’d be.”

“It would have been better if we planned it in advance…so I could schedule time off work to spend with you. I don’t know how much fun you’ll have sitting in my cramped cabin all day while I’m working.”

“Why would I sit in the cabin? The ship has activities galore. I’ll be busy enjoying some R&R.”

“While I’m at work,” Sharky grumbled. “It doesn’t sound like much of a fun visit to me.”

“You don’t want to see me?”

“I do, but more notice and pre-planning would have been the considerate thing to do,” he lectured.

Millie frantically made a timeout with her hands. The conversation was heading south—and fast. It was too late.

“Fine. Forget I mentioned it. You won’t have to worry about me bothering you again.”

“I didn’t mean for it to sound like I don’t want to see you, but I would have preferred we plan your visit in advance. I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from, right?”

Silence.

“Elvira?”

There was no reply. Sharky heaved a heavy sigh. “She hung up on me.”

“I think you hurt her feelings,” Cat said.

“I thought I was very polite and calmly explained my position to her.”

“It was going okay until you told her pre-planning would have been the considerate thing to do,” Millie said.

“Great.” Sharky set his phone on the desk. “I feel bad now. I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings.”

Annette patted his shoulder. “She strikes me as the kind of person who is willing to forgive and forget. Give her a little time to calm down and then call her back. I’m sure by the time we reach Whittier, you two will have worked things out.”

Sharky brightened. “You’re right. I’ll get ahold of her later and apologize. Hopefully, she’ll realize what I said was true.”

Millie offered him an encouraging smile and wished him luck. “I’m with Annette. I think she’ll come around.”

“Thanks for the pep talk and advice. I’m confident we’ll iron this out.”

Millie followed Annette and Cat into the hallway. She waited until they were a safe distance away to talk. “Well? What do you think about having Elvira back on board Siren of the Seas?”

“If it’s anything like the last time she was on the ship, Sharky’s gonna have his hands full,” Annette said. “To be honest, I’m surprised the woman is brave enough to hang out with rough and tumble mining guys. If you ask me, putting yourself in that type of situation is asking for trouble.”

Millie couldn’t agree more. Little did she know Annette’s statement was a foreboding of what would lie ahead for Elvira Cobb.