Come Find Me in the Midnight Sun, page 17
“There is never a moment when I am not interested in coconut shrimp. What time?”
“Seven?”
“Perfect. That’ll give me time to change. Meet me at my place at a quarter till? It’s on the way down to the water.”
After I record her address, I pull on a cap and hop in the shower. When I’m clean and dressed, I stand in front of the bathroom mirror. I take my hair down. There’s a sort of indent in the waves where my hairband always rests. I flip my head over and shake it out. Sometimes I forget what my loose hair looks like. I’ve never been one to spend a lot of time on a beauty regime, but I want to make an effort tonight, even if I have to be in uniform. I separate my hair into sections and brush it gently, then dig through my toiletries bag. Leave-in conditioner is the best I have, but when I finish smoothing it through the top and sides, it’s made a notable difference. The dark strands are neat and orderly as they sweep over my shoulder blades. I swipe on a coat of mascara and evaluate the result. Not bad. My college roommates always claimed to be jealous that I don’t have to wear foundation or blush. I smile at myself, but it’s not entirely convincing and it feels slightly unnatural. Baby steps, I guess.
* * *
Seward does such a nice job with the streetlights that walking in the dark doesn’t feel the least intimidating. The snow is piled in tidy heaps again, with the sidewalks cleared and salted. Anna’s house is about halfway between the hotel and the cruise ship terminal. I have passed it several times as I’ve worked around town, but it’s set back from the road and partially obscured by a massive pine tree. I stand at the end of the driveway and look at the house for a moment. The porch light illuminates a patch of pale-yellow siding, a navy door, and white trim. The small porch must be a great place to sit with a cup of coffee and watch everyone walk to the water in the summer. There’s a window box painted to match the door below a tall, arched window and a steeply pitched shingle roof. I wasn’t sure how to picture Anna’s house, but now that it’s here in front of me, it’s clear this place reflects her charming and cheerful personality. It looks like a cottage in a fairy tale.
Anna answers the doorbell immediately and ushers me inside while affixing a dangling earring to her left lobe. She wears a camel-colored turtleneck sweater dress that accentuates her shape perfectly with a hem just below her knees. The material looks so soft I want to touch it, but she walks toward the stairs.
“Sorry, can you give me just a second? I have to find my shoes!”
“No rush at all. I always thought food was a twenty-four seven option on a cruise ship anyway.”
“You’re not wrong! Feel free to sit, or poke around.” She waves an arm toward the living room, just off the entryway where I stand. “Sorry it’s kind of a mess!” She hesitates, then hugs me and plants a kiss on my cheek before she disappears up a narrow set of stairs with a dark wood banister.
The living room is a little disheveled, with clothes and dishes scattered. Instead of seeming messy, though, the place feels lived in and cozy. The room is small and comfortable, with a striking rug in pinks and yellows under a plush upholstered sofa. There’s a wood-burning fireplace with mismatched stones forming a wide hearth. I appreciate the older aesthetic. I lived in a gargantuan new build growing up, and except for my college dorm, it’s been more modern apartments ever since.
The first floor is three rooms: an eat-in kitchen with a small round table, the living room, and a room that runs the length of the back of the house that Anna seems to use as a study or reading room. Everything is on a small scale—the rooms, the doorways, the cabinets—and I like the separation of rooms. It gives a nice sense of privacy, and of mystery about what’s through the next doorway. I like this cottage even more from the inside. In the study, there’s a desk, but I don’t spy a hint of work. Instead, there are loads of books and magazines and a few, mostly dying, potted plants. I laugh when I notice even her cacti are none too healthy.
“Don’t you judge me—it’s hard to keep a cactus alive in Alaska!”
I turn to her standing in the doorway. She’s wearing a pair of lace-up chocolate leather boots that reach beyond the hem of her dress. They are beautiful but also flat and practical. She’s added her ME badge.
“No judgments here! I don’t even have any plants to kill.”
“No plants? But every home needs plants, even if they are…in distress.”
I gently touch an ivy spilling over the edge of a bookshelf. This one still has a lot of green in it. “You’re probably right. I haven’t exactly made my place in Anchorage a home yet. It was supposed to be temporary until I could get to know the city and figure out which neighborhood I want to be in.”
“Well, there’s still plenty of time, right?” She takes my hand and leads me through the doorway and down the short hall to the front door, stopping with me as I examine the photos lining the walls. Some are landscape photos, but one is of Anna and what I assume are her parents in front of a white cottage that looks strikingly similar to the house we’re in. “My parents’ house. Cute, right?”
“Is that where you grew up?”
“Yup! I go back whenever I can, which is not often enough with work. Now hurry it along, lady, I’m starving!”
I laugh, hoping I’ll have more opportunities to get acquainted with Anna’s house. As we head out the door, she grabs the bright orange coat I first saw her in. There are more fashionable choices hanging next to it, but I’m guessing she wants to make clear she’s affiliated with the city. For some reason, Anna’s coat choice makes this feel slightly less like a date. I exhale. I put the strangeness of this not-a-date date and the discernment of the professional-personal line out of mind. I’ve never crossed that line before, but it could easily get blurry.
Chapter Eighteen
Fishing charters and whale watching tours depart from this section of the harbor. Most of the boats are covered, and seagulls cover their masts. As we pass through, Anna stops suddenly and squeezes my hand with her soft glove.
“Look at that!” I turn to see a group of sea lions removing a boat’s cover with their heads. They’re massive animals, and the boat is listing a bit to the side they’ve overtaken.
“Will they damage the boat, do you think?”
“Oh, they sure can. The owners try as hard as they can to keep them off. They’re forever breaking off steps and anything that’s not durable and well attached. They’re curious things just having a rollickin’ sea lion good time. I’m sure they don’t mean to cause harm but, well, when you’re a family of giant animals…” One of the deck covers is halfway off now, flipped back on itself as the animals try to work their way underneath it.
“Should we try to run them off?”
“You do that, you’re on your own! They’re usually friendly, but they’re still a lot bigger than us. And besides,” she grins under the white orb of a streetlight, “the boat owner is going to learn a valuable lesson about securing their property.”
“Hazards of living here, I guess.”
“Exactly. We don’t tolerate shit from other humans, but we’re pretty understanding of the animals. They were here first, right?” True.
The cruise ship looms ahead of us. Ships come into Anchorage’s port constantly, but I’ve never had reason to get close. When we’re ready to board, I look up, and the ocean liner towers several stories overhead. Anna and I are miniscule.
“Mikey’s right! A floating city.”
“That about sums it up. You love them or you hate them.”
“Have you ever been on a cruise?”
“Exactly once.”
I raise my eyebrows at her as a security guard glances over my badge, checking my face against the photo. He probably knows all the regular Seward officers well. “My parents wanted to go to the Bahamas, and they convinced me to come along. It was brilliant for the first three days.”
“And then?”
She shrugs. “It was a little much for me. Kind of sensory overload. There’s always a party or music or kids running around the pool. I guess I was more interested in just sitting on the deck staring out at the water, but the deck was always packed. You had to fight for a chair in the morning, and I’m not the fighting type.”
I wrinkle my nose. “That probably wouldn’t be for me either. I like my privacy.”
“Me too. I recharge best when I can get away. Ideally outside, but the sofa will work in a bind.”
“Sounds like me.” I’m kind of surprised we’re alike in that way, though.
We follow an extremely long carpeted hallway to where it ends at a glass-domed atrium ringed with real palm trees. A glittering white fountain sits at its center surrounded by potted plants and, as Anna noted, loads of running children. White Adirondack chairs sit in random groups, all of them occupied by groups of people talking. I blink against the onslaught of noise. A child barrels into my side and then takes off again, yelling.
“Welcome to dinnertime on a cruise ship.”
I stand completely still, flustered. I’m overwhelmed easily by crowds. Somehow Anna knows I am unmoored. She takes my arm and guides me away from the rush. My tension eases a little, and I sigh.
“Let’s find the buffet. It should be a little quieter there.” She’s right, thankfully. There are several dining rooms and restaurants on board, and Anna asks for directions a couple times. The buffet dining room is surprisingly quiet, with low conversations, soft classical music in the background, and the clink of chafing dish lids being put back in place.
I start toward a table against the windows before I remember why I’m there. “I guess center of the room, close to the buffet line is best. I’m supposed to be visible to the passengers.”
“Good call.” Anna sits her black leather clutch on a chair, and I frown. She winks. “Anyone silly enough to swipe a purse from a table an officer just claimed deserves what’s coming to them.”
Right. I do in fact have Police sewn in giant capital letters across the back of my jacket, which I carefully hang on the back of my chair. My occupation is now perfectly visible to anyone in the buffet line. I smooth my uniform and check my badge is visible.
“Ready for that shrimp?”
“Born ready.”
A few people nod in my direction. Most don’t say anything, but this is what Chief Willington wants. A presence. Anna travels the buffet line with me as I load my plate with one tablespoon of almost everything. She has nothing on hers but king crab legs. People greet me or occasionally ask light questions as we move along. Anna helpfully answers when they’re Seward-specific. When we finally head back to our table, Anna gets to work cracking shells.
“I admire a woman who knows what she likes, but I thought you were born ready for coconut shrimp?”
“Oh, don’t you worry. Its time will come. But life is short, and who am I to pass up crab legs as an appetizer?” She dunks a large chunk of meat in a tiny bowl of butter. “Then again, it may not have been the most elegant choice.”
I laugh, going right for a shrimp, which is as divine as Willington promised. My face gives me away, because Anna immediately reaches across the table to take one off my plate. Whatever the people glancing our way think, Anna seems not to care, so I try not to care, either.
Just as soon as I’ve popped the biggest shrimp left on my plate in my mouth, a woman approaches our table. The large purse she clutches is partially concealed under an elaborately embroidered shawl. She scans Anna until her eyes find her badge.
“Excuse me, Officers. I’m sorry for interrupting your meal.”
I choke down the shrimp as quickly as I can without accidentally killing myself. “Not at all, ma’am. What can we help you with?”
“Well, nothing I suppose. It’s just that I’ve been hearing people say they’ve had things stolen, and I also heard about those young men that were chased off the ship. I just wondered if you’ve caught anyone yet.” Anna and I glance at each other. She raises an eyebrow. I guess this is also the first she’s heard about men being chased from the ship.
“Yes, ma’am. We know about the thefts and we’re here to deter anyone looking to steal from the passengers. The Seward Police Department is very serious about finding them and returning any lost items. If they’re recovered after you’ve departed, rest assured that anyone who’s had belongings taken will have them mailed back to them as soon as possible.”
“Well, that’s good to know, I suppose.” She shifts her weight on her low-heeled pumps and looks around the room. “But what about those men? They weren’t supposed to be on board. I don’t think the security officers are doing a very good job if they were able to get on, do you?”
“I’m sure they’re doing their best, ma’am. It’s a very large ship, and unfortunately that kind of thing can happen. Do you mind me asking how you heard about that?”
“Well, everybody is talking about it. I heard it from one of the other passengers at the hot tub. I don’t know where she heard it from. Did the police catch them in town?”
“I’m afraid I’m not sure, ma’am, but I’m also on a special assignment, so I wouldn’t necessarily be aware. I’ll be sure to check up, though.”
She scrunches her lips to one side and scowls, obviously dissatisfied. But she tells us to have a nice meal and then goes on her way, still clutching her purse to her chest as she joins a few other women before departing. Anna and I continue eating in silence until the conversation around us starts again.
“Well, that’s news to me!” Anna keeps her voice low.
“Me too. Willington didn’t mention anything about anyone sneaking onto the ship.”
“He probably doesn’t know.” That’s true. Cruise lines have their own security. Since they operate in international waters, they’re not tied to any police department through any one country. They handle on-board crime themselves, so it can often go unreported unless it happens while the ship is docked.
“Yeah, but if they chased them off, then they chased them into Seward. They should have notified the department, right?”
She makes a face at her final crab leg as if it did something wrong, then she cracks it open. The waiter immediately whisks the plate of empty shells away. We both stand, ready for another round. As we get back in line, I quietly suggest we seek out the ship’s security director.
“Any idea where the security offices might be on this monster?” I’m surprised she’s asking me.
“No clue, but sounds like a fun scavenger hunt.”
“Could be a lot of walking. Better load up on more protein.” She clinks her fresh plate against mine like it’s a champagne glass. There are pros and cons to being comfortable enough with Anna to eat in front of her. I usually get so nervous I waste food. Instead, by the time we head off to explore, I need to unbutton my pants. Since that’s not possible, I place a hand over my stomach and sigh as I stand.
“Now you see why I wore this stretchy dress.” Anna rubs her own stomach.
“You are a wise woman, Dr. Fenway. Here I thought you picked it because it’s so flattering.”
She strikes a pose before we leave the dining room.
* * *
I am disoriented by the ship with its long passages, all with the same carpet. We walk the ship’s decks first, guessing the offices to be in a place easy for the passengers to find. That turns out not to be the case. It’s much easier to locate a security officer patrolling the deck. When we do, he leads us to a small office in the ship’s interior. He peers through the small round window in the door before showing us in. There’s barely room for four people.
“Sir, this is Officer Linebach and Dr. Fenway from Seward.”
A tall, dark-skinned man with close-cut hair and heavily muscled biceps shakes our hands. “Pleasure to meet you, and thank you for dining on board. I requested the additional police presence. The passengers have been nervous.”
“The pleasure is all ours.” He indicates a bench built into the wall, and Anna and I sit facing him as he settles in behind his desk.
“We wanted to speak with you about something a passenger mentioned. We were aware of the thefts, of course, but a woman told us a couple of men were chased off the ship. Is that true?”
He nods slowly. “It is, but I didn’t know the passengers were aware of it. That’s unfortunate. We try to involve them in security matters only when necessary. They are here to relax and have a nice vacation, not to worry about their safety.” He presses the tips of his fingers together in front of him.
“Did you alert the Seward Police Department?”
He sits up a little straighter. “No. It wasn’t necessary per the cruise line’s protocol.”
“Even though you chased criminals into Seward’s territory?”
“Well, for one, we don’t know they were criminals. No, they should not have been on board because they were not paying passengers, but they were not caught with anything, and the complaints about them could well have been gossip.”
“The complaints about them?”
He looks confused. “The passenger who told you about this didn’t mention why they were chased off?”
“No.”
“Ah.” He relaxes into his chair. “A cook brought to my attention one of the men was trying to sell drugs to the kitchen staff. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know because we didn’t catch them and no one confessed to having bought drugs, assuming anyone did. Still, I have no reason to think the cook would lie.”
“How did you know they weren’t passengers?”
“We didn’t. We just had a description of them. When one of the security officers approached them and asked their names, they took off.”
“To where?”
“Back the way they came, I suppose. Over the edge.”
“You mean into the water?” Anna chimes in.
“That’s right. The officer certainly wasn’t expecting that. They pencil dived into the water and swam to a boat anchored close by. Took off in it, away from town. That’s why I didn’t alert the Seward department. They weren’t headed to Seward.”
“Seven?”
“Perfect. That’ll give me time to change. Meet me at my place at a quarter till? It’s on the way down to the water.”
After I record her address, I pull on a cap and hop in the shower. When I’m clean and dressed, I stand in front of the bathroom mirror. I take my hair down. There’s a sort of indent in the waves where my hairband always rests. I flip my head over and shake it out. Sometimes I forget what my loose hair looks like. I’ve never been one to spend a lot of time on a beauty regime, but I want to make an effort tonight, even if I have to be in uniform. I separate my hair into sections and brush it gently, then dig through my toiletries bag. Leave-in conditioner is the best I have, but when I finish smoothing it through the top and sides, it’s made a notable difference. The dark strands are neat and orderly as they sweep over my shoulder blades. I swipe on a coat of mascara and evaluate the result. Not bad. My college roommates always claimed to be jealous that I don’t have to wear foundation or blush. I smile at myself, but it’s not entirely convincing and it feels slightly unnatural. Baby steps, I guess.
* * *
Seward does such a nice job with the streetlights that walking in the dark doesn’t feel the least intimidating. The snow is piled in tidy heaps again, with the sidewalks cleared and salted. Anna’s house is about halfway between the hotel and the cruise ship terminal. I have passed it several times as I’ve worked around town, but it’s set back from the road and partially obscured by a massive pine tree. I stand at the end of the driveway and look at the house for a moment. The porch light illuminates a patch of pale-yellow siding, a navy door, and white trim. The small porch must be a great place to sit with a cup of coffee and watch everyone walk to the water in the summer. There’s a window box painted to match the door below a tall, arched window and a steeply pitched shingle roof. I wasn’t sure how to picture Anna’s house, but now that it’s here in front of me, it’s clear this place reflects her charming and cheerful personality. It looks like a cottage in a fairy tale.
Anna answers the doorbell immediately and ushers me inside while affixing a dangling earring to her left lobe. She wears a camel-colored turtleneck sweater dress that accentuates her shape perfectly with a hem just below her knees. The material looks so soft I want to touch it, but she walks toward the stairs.
“Sorry, can you give me just a second? I have to find my shoes!”
“No rush at all. I always thought food was a twenty-four seven option on a cruise ship anyway.”
“You’re not wrong! Feel free to sit, or poke around.” She waves an arm toward the living room, just off the entryway where I stand. “Sorry it’s kind of a mess!” She hesitates, then hugs me and plants a kiss on my cheek before she disappears up a narrow set of stairs with a dark wood banister.
The living room is a little disheveled, with clothes and dishes scattered. Instead of seeming messy, though, the place feels lived in and cozy. The room is small and comfortable, with a striking rug in pinks and yellows under a plush upholstered sofa. There’s a wood-burning fireplace with mismatched stones forming a wide hearth. I appreciate the older aesthetic. I lived in a gargantuan new build growing up, and except for my college dorm, it’s been more modern apartments ever since.
The first floor is three rooms: an eat-in kitchen with a small round table, the living room, and a room that runs the length of the back of the house that Anna seems to use as a study or reading room. Everything is on a small scale—the rooms, the doorways, the cabinets—and I like the separation of rooms. It gives a nice sense of privacy, and of mystery about what’s through the next doorway. I like this cottage even more from the inside. In the study, there’s a desk, but I don’t spy a hint of work. Instead, there are loads of books and magazines and a few, mostly dying, potted plants. I laugh when I notice even her cacti are none too healthy.
“Don’t you judge me—it’s hard to keep a cactus alive in Alaska!”
I turn to her standing in the doorway. She’s wearing a pair of lace-up chocolate leather boots that reach beyond the hem of her dress. They are beautiful but also flat and practical. She’s added her ME badge.
“No judgments here! I don’t even have any plants to kill.”
“No plants? But every home needs plants, even if they are…in distress.”
I gently touch an ivy spilling over the edge of a bookshelf. This one still has a lot of green in it. “You’re probably right. I haven’t exactly made my place in Anchorage a home yet. It was supposed to be temporary until I could get to know the city and figure out which neighborhood I want to be in.”
“Well, there’s still plenty of time, right?” She takes my hand and leads me through the doorway and down the short hall to the front door, stopping with me as I examine the photos lining the walls. Some are landscape photos, but one is of Anna and what I assume are her parents in front of a white cottage that looks strikingly similar to the house we’re in. “My parents’ house. Cute, right?”
“Is that where you grew up?”
“Yup! I go back whenever I can, which is not often enough with work. Now hurry it along, lady, I’m starving!”
I laugh, hoping I’ll have more opportunities to get acquainted with Anna’s house. As we head out the door, she grabs the bright orange coat I first saw her in. There are more fashionable choices hanging next to it, but I’m guessing she wants to make clear she’s affiliated with the city. For some reason, Anna’s coat choice makes this feel slightly less like a date. I exhale. I put the strangeness of this not-a-date date and the discernment of the professional-personal line out of mind. I’ve never crossed that line before, but it could easily get blurry.
Chapter Eighteen
Fishing charters and whale watching tours depart from this section of the harbor. Most of the boats are covered, and seagulls cover their masts. As we pass through, Anna stops suddenly and squeezes my hand with her soft glove.
“Look at that!” I turn to see a group of sea lions removing a boat’s cover with their heads. They’re massive animals, and the boat is listing a bit to the side they’ve overtaken.
“Will they damage the boat, do you think?”
“Oh, they sure can. The owners try as hard as they can to keep them off. They’re forever breaking off steps and anything that’s not durable and well attached. They’re curious things just having a rollickin’ sea lion good time. I’m sure they don’t mean to cause harm but, well, when you’re a family of giant animals…” One of the deck covers is halfway off now, flipped back on itself as the animals try to work their way underneath it.
“Should we try to run them off?”
“You do that, you’re on your own! They’re usually friendly, but they’re still a lot bigger than us. And besides,” she grins under the white orb of a streetlight, “the boat owner is going to learn a valuable lesson about securing their property.”
“Hazards of living here, I guess.”
“Exactly. We don’t tolerate shit from other humans, but we’re pretty understanding of the animals. They were here first, right?” True.
The cruise ship looms ahead of us. Ships come into Anchorage’s port constantly, but I’ve never had reason to get close. When we’re ready to board, I look up, and the ocean liner towers several stories overhead. Anna and I are miniscule.
“Mikey’s right! A floating city.”
“That about sums it up. You love them or you hate them.”
“Have you ever been on a cruise?”
“Exactly once.”
I raise my eyebrows at her as a security guard glances over my badge, checking my face against the photo. He probably knows all the regular Seward officers well. “My parents wanted to go to the Bahamas, and they convinced me to come along. It was brilliant for the first three days.”
“And then?”
She shrugs. “It was a little much for me. Kind of sensory overload. There’s always a party or music or kids running around the pool. I guess I was more interested in just sitting on the deck staring out at the water, but the deck was always packed. You had to fight for a chair in the morning, and I’m not the fighting type.”
I wrinkle my nose. “That probably wouldn’t be for me either. I like my privacy.”
“Me too. I recharge best when I can get away. Ideally outside, but the sofa will work in a bind.”
“Sounds like me.” I’m kind of surprised we’re alike in that way, though.
We follow an extremely long carpeted hallway to where it ends at a glass-domed atrium ringed with real palm trees. A glittering white fountain sits at its center surrounded by potted plants and, as Anna noted, loads of running children. White Adirondack chairs sit in random groups, all of them occupied by groups of people talking. I blink against the onslaught of noise. A child barrels into my side and then takes off again, yelling.
“Welcome to dinnertime on a cruise ship.”
I stand completely still, flustered. I’m overwhelmed easily by crowds. Somehow Anna knows I am unmoored. She takes my arm and guides me away from the rush. My tension eases a little, and I sigh.
“Let’s find the buffet. It should be a little quieter there.” She’s right, thankfully. There are several dining rooms and restaurants on board, and Anna asks for directions a couple times. The buffet dining room is surprisingly quiet, with low conversations, soft classical music in the background, and the clink of chafing dish lids being put back in place.
I start toward a table against the windows before I remember why I’m there. “I guess center of the room, close to the buffet line is best. I’m supposed to be visible to the passengers.”
“Good call.” Anna sits her black leather clutch on a chair, and I frown. She winks. “Anyone silly enough to swipe a purse from a table an officer just claimed deserves what’s coming to them.”
Right. I do in fact have Police sewn in giant capital letters across the back of my jacket, which I carefully hang on the back of my chair. My occupation is now perfectly visible to anyone in the buffet line. I smooth my uniform and check my badge is visible.
“Ready for that shrimp?”
“Born ready.”
A few people nod in my direction. Most don’t say anything, but this is what Chief Willington wants. A presence. Anna travels the buffet line with me as I load my plate with one tablespoon of almost everything. She has nothing on hers but king crab legs. People greet me or occasionally ask light questions as we move along. Anna helpfully answers when they’re Seward-specific. When we finally head back to our table, Anna gets to work cracking shells.
“I admire a woman who knows what she likes, but I thought you were born ready for coconut shrimp?”
“Oh, don’t you worry. Its time will come. But life is short, and who am I to pass up crab legs as an appetizer?” She dunks a large chunk of meat in a tiny bowl of butter. “Then again, it may not have been the most elegant choice.”
I laugh, going right for a shrimp, which is as divine as Willington promised. My face gives me away, because Anna immediately reaches across the table to take one off my plate. Whatever the people glancing our way think, Anna seems not to care, so I try not to care, either.
Just as soon as I’ve popped the biggest shrimp left on my plate in my mouth, a woman approaches our table. The large purse she clutches is partially concealed under an elaborately embroidered shawl. She scans Anna until her eyes find her badge.
“Excuse me, Officers. I’m sorry for interrupting your meal.”
I choke down the shrimp as quickly as I can without accidentally killing myself. “Not at all, ma’am. What can we help you with?”
“Well, nothing I suppose. It’s just that I’ve been hearing people say they’ve had things stolen, and I also heard about those young men that were chased off the ship. I just wondered if you’ve caught anyone yet.” Anna and I glance at each other. She raises an eyebrow. I guess this is also the first she’s heard about men being chased from the ship.
“Yes, ma’am. We know about the thefts and we’re here to deter anyone looking to steal from the passengers. The Seward Police Department is very serious about finding them and returning any lost items. If they’re recovered after you’ve departed, rest assured that anyone who’s had belongings taken will have them mailed back to them as soon as possible.”
“Well, that’s good to know, I suppose.” She shifts her weight on her low-heeled pumps and looks around the room. “But what about those men? They weren’t supposed to be on board. I don’t think the security officers are doing a very good job if they were able to get on, do you?”
“I’m sure they’re doing their best, ma’am. It’s a very large ship, and unfortunately that kind of thing can happen. Do you mind me asking how you heard about that?”
“Well, everybody is talking about it. I heard it from one of the other passengers at the hot tub. I don’t know where she heard it from. Did the police catch them in town?”
“I’m afraid I’m not sure, ma’am, but I’m also on a special assignment, so I wouldn’t necessarily be aware. I’ll be sure to check up, though.”
She scrunches her lips to one side and scowls, obviously dissatisfied. But she tells us to have a nice meal and then goes on her way, still clutching her purse to her chest as she joins a few other women before departing. Anna and I continue eating in silence until the conversation around us starts again.
“Well, that’s news to me!” Anna keeps her voice low.
“Me too. Willington didn’t mention anything about anyone sneaking onto the ship.”
“He probably doesn’t know.” That’s true. Cruise lines have their own security. Since they operate in international waters, they’re not tied to any police department through any one country. They handle on-board crime themselves, so it can often go unreported unless it happens while the ship is docked.
“Yeah, but if they chased them off, then they chased them into Seward. They should have notified the department, right?”
She makes a face at her final crab leg as if it did something wrong, then she cracks it open. The waiter immediately whisks the plate of empty shells away. We both stand, ready for another round. As we get back in line, I quietly suggest we seek out the ship’s security director.
“Any idea where the security offices might be on this monster?” I’m surprised she’s asking me.
“No clue, but sounds like a fun scavenger hunt.”
“Could be a lot of walking. Better load up on more protein.” She clinks her fresh plate against mine like it’s a champagne glass. There are pros and cons to being comfortable enough with Anna to eat in front of her. I usually get so nervous I waste food. Instead, by the time we head off to explore, I need to unbutton my pants. Since that’s not possible, I place a hand over my stomach and sigh as I stand.
“Now you see why I wore this stretchy dress.” Anna rubs her own stomach.
“You are a wise woman, Dr. Fenway. Here I thought you picked it because it’s so flattering.”
She strikes a pose before we leave the dining room.
* * *
I am disoriented by the ship with its long passages, all with the same carpet. We walk the ship’s decks first, guessing the offices to be in a place easy for the passengers to find. That turns out not to be the case. It’s much easier to locate a security officer patrolling the deck. When we do, he leads us to a small office in the ship’s interior. He peers through the small round window in the door before showing us in. There’s barely room for four people.
“Sir, this is Officer Linebach and Dr. Fenway from Seward.”
A tall, dark-skinned man with close-cut hair and heavily muscled biceps shakes our hands. “Pleasure to meet you, and thank you for dining on board. I requested the additional police presence. The passengers have been nervous.”
“The pleasure is all ours.” He indicates a bench built into the wall, and Anna and I sit facing him as he settles in behind his desk.
“We wanted to speak with you about something a passenger mentioned. We were aware of the thefts, of course, but a woman told us a couple of men were chased off the ship. Is that true?”
He nods slowly. “It is, but I didn’t know the passengers were aware of it. That’s unfortunate. We try to involve them in security matters only when necessary. They are here to relax and have a nice vacation, not to worry about their safety.” He presses the tips of his fingers together in front of him.
“Did you alert the Seward Police Department?”
He sits up a little straighter. “No. It wasn’t necessary per the cruise line’s protocol.”
“Even though you chased criminals into Seward’s territory?”
“Well, for one, we don’t know they were criminals. No, they should not have been on board because they were not paying passengers, but they were not caught with anything, and the complaints about them could well have been gossip.”
“The complaints about them?”
He looks confused. “The passenger who told you about this didn’t mention why they were chased off?”
“No.”
“Ah.” He relaxes into his chair. “A cook brought to my attention one of the men was trying to sell drugs to the kitchen staff. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know because we didn’t catch them and no one confessed to having bought drugs, assuming anyone did. Still, I have no reason to think the cook would lie.”
“How did you know they weren’t passengers?”
“We didn’t. We just had a description of them. When one of the security officers approached them and asked their names, they took off.”
“To where?”
“Back the way they came, I suppose. Over the edge.”
“You mean into the water?” Anna chimes in.
“That’s right. The officer certainly wasn’t expecting that. They pencil dived into the water and swam to a boat anchored close by. Took off in it, away from town. That’s why I didn’t alert the Seward department. They weren’t headed to Seward.”
