Deadly Cruise Read online

  Deadly

  Cruise

  A Rachel Prince Mystery

  DAWN BROOKES

  OAKWOOD PUBLISHING

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed are the work of the author’s imagination except for those in the public domain. Any resemblance of fictional characters to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. Although real life places are depicted in settings, all situations and people related to those places are fictional.

  Paperback Edition 2018

  Kindle Edition 2018

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1-9998575-5-4

  Copyright © DAWN BROOKES 2018

  DAWN BROOKES asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this Work.

  All rights reserved in all media. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author and/or publisher.

  Cover Design by Janet Dado

  To Ruth

  Friends make life more enjoyable

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Author’s Note

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Other Books by Dawn Brookes

  Chapter 1

  At three o’clock on a damp, drizzly morning, a man’s bulky body could be seen floating face-downward in the Moskva River, should anyone crossing the Krymsky Bridge in Moscow peer below. The killer had spent days meticulously surveying the area, choosing time and place carefully to prevent that from happening.

  By the time the lifeless body was found it should have been carried further south of where the killer now stood admiring his callous handiwork. Satisfied he’d completed the grisly task, he walked a few miles back to the lively bar that would serve as his alibi should he need one. He’d already made certain of being seen by several different people before slipping away. On his return, he’d get himself noticed again to give the impression he’d never left.

  After slipping in to the bar unnoticed, he ordered a double vodka and bought the barman a drink before settling in a corner booth. Another man joined him and he handed over a thick envelope containing one thousand US dollars. Payment for the intelligence he’d received. Good information as it turned out.

  Later that morning he awoke with a hangover. After packing a suitcase, he travelled by taxi to Sheremetyevo airport, but not before scanning the local radio channels in his apartment. Reports of the body of a Moscow businessman found in the river at dawn sounded low key. Initial police statements suggested the authorities were treating the death as suicide.

  Perfect, just what the heartless killer had hoped. Everything was going to plan. “One down, one to go,” he muttered before getting into his taxi.

  Being booked on an afternoon flight to London, he called his sister and arranged to meet at the Ritz for dinner, explaining he planned to leave for Southampton the next day.

  Once on board the plane, he reclined his seat and took a nap, pleased to be in the quiet of business class. It had been a busy three days.

  Chapter 2

  “It’s not a great idea, letting you loose on another cruise after last year. You know I’m worried, don’t you?”

  The handsome Carlos hauled Rachel’s suitcase from the boot of his 1970s Ford Capri. Rachel gazed into his sensitive dark brown eyes and laughed, remembering her first cruise – complete with a murderer on board.

  “This one will be indulgent luxury, I’m confident.”

  “Well in that case, my lady, here we are at your first port of call.” Carlos had driven up from London to Leeds, where Rachel had worked the night before, and brought her down to her parents’ home in Hertfordshire this afternoon.

  “Hm, in spite of a minor hiccup.”

  Carlos kept the Capri in immaculate condition, it being his pride and joy, but it remained prone to minor mechanical problems and he’d had to change the fan belt before they’d left as it was slipping. Feigning hurt, he took her hand.

  Rachel’s parents stood on the doorstep, unable to contain their excitement. Rachel rushed forward to hug her mother while her father helped Carlos unpack the rest of the car and shook his hand.

  “Good to meet you again, Carlos. Will you be staying for dinner?”

  Carlos looked unsure, still a little intimidated by Rachel’s father, the Reverend Brendan Prince.

  “Oh, do stay,” Rachel cajoled, knowing how he felt, but eager for him to get to know her parents, whom she loved dearly.

  Carlos coughed, nervously. “How can I refuse such a kind invitation? Thank you, I will.”

  The men carried the suitcase and bags indoors while Rachel and her mum walked through to the kitchen.

  “He’s afraid dad can’t talk about anything but religion.” Rachel laughed. “I’ve tried to explain that he’s most eloquent and can converse about many things, but Carlos can’t seem to get past it.”

  “And your dad doesn’t get past how Robert treated you, breaking your heart and calling off the engagement. It makes it tough for him to accept another man in your life just yet. When he’s overprotective, it makes him less easy going than usual.”

  “Oh, Mum. What are we to do with them? Carlos is not at all like Robert and Dad needn’t worry, I won’t be rushing into a serious relationship for a long time.”

  Her mother looked concerned at this revelation, but didn’t press.

  “They’ll become used to each other. Your father’s a reasonable man, and when he relaxes, Carlos might find him more approachable. He’ll talk all day about cars!” Mrs Prince turned towards a pot of freshly percolated coffee.

  “It’s wonderful to see you, Mum.”

  “It’s great to see you too, Rachel, we miss you. Your father and I worry about you taking another cruise, though, after what happened last year.”

  “Now you’re sounding like Carlos. I’m positive that was a one-off.” Rachel laughed again. “Sarah will be there, and I need a break, Mum.”

  Rachel wondered what her mother would think if she knew all she’d been going through and how much she needed a respite from policing. While her mother busied herself making drinks and preparing dinner, Rachel excused herself and took her coffee outside to the garden. Carlos and her father had disappeared; she assumed this was a positive thing, but hoped Carlos wasn’t being given a pep talk.

  Rachel lingered outside, sitting on a swing seat on the large paved patio and surveying the grounds where she had grown up. The vicarage stood tall, an imposing Victorian building with eight bedrooms and ample space upstairs and down. Generous sized gardens displayed an ancient oak, large acacia trees, an apple orchard and a multitude of shrubs lining the borders that shielded the
vicarage from the church, next door. Rachel inhaled the refreshing smell of recently mown grass. Her father found gardening a therapeutic hobby; his garden was his haven where he went to unwind.

  He took his job seriously and spent a lot of time visiting parishioners; hence, his church bucked the national trend of diminishing numbers. It was a two-edged sword, though, because it led to her father being permanently on call. Rachel’s mum also kept busy by proxy, entertaining or supporting various causes and village activities, although the Parish Council had recently agreed to employ a youth worker to take up the slack.

  Rachel took a sip of coffee, recalling the events of the last six months. It had begun one Monday evening when she and her colleague, Tim Bryson, responded to an emergency call. The street they were directed to was on a housing estate renowned for violence. They heard a commotion as soon as Tim parked the squad car, getting as close as he could to the noise, but the sounds were coming from behind a building with narrow access.

  They hurried towards the noise and Tim gave chase to someone. He hadn’t seen the other person in Rachel’s line of sight, visible in the shimmering moonlight, and she froze as the glistening metal of a knife caught her eye. Running towards the second man, she realised it was too late to save the teenager he’d stabbed straight through the heart in merciless fashion.

  Shocked, she reached for her radio as the man lunged forwards, still wielding the bloodied knife. It caught her stab vest rather than her neck; she fell and her attacker raised his knife again.

  Rachel had managed to loosen the telescopic truncheon she carried while going for her radio with the other hand, and she wielded it with enough power to knock the man off balance. As soon as he was down, she got to her feet and hit him anew as he sought to stab her from the ground. This time, he quietened down, so she could drag his hands behind his back and apply handcuffs.

  She rushed over to the boy lying in a pool of blood and called for an ambulance and backup, but the boy was already dead. Rachel tried for what seemed like an eternity to resuscitate him before the ambulance arrived.

  Tim came back. “Where the hell were you?” he shouted, but stopped as he registered the scene in front of him. Sirens and police appeared from everywhere. The ambulance arrived and paramedics took over from Rachel, confirming her fears that the boy was dead. The perpetrator was still on the ground, yelling abuse at anyone who would listen.

  “Police brutality, that’s what this is. That deranged woman hit me without provocation. I was just passing by, trying to help, when the filth came at me like a howling banshee.”

  There had to be an internal investigation, despite it being obvious the man was lying. Rachel’s nerves were shot for several months as the court case seemed to drag on forever. After she had given evidence, alongside DNA found on the knife and in the boy’s wounds, and separate evidence found at the scene, it was enough for a guilty verdict to be returned, convicting the man of murder. Rachel felt relieved the trial was over, even though the image of that young boy, attacked for his mobile phone, would stay with her forever.

  Reaching for the lukewarm coffee, she realised Carlos was sitting next to her, sidling closer.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Long enough – still getting flashbacks?”

  “Yep, but less vivid than before. I’ll be better once I’ve had a holiday. At least the court case is over and I can get on with my life. Did I tell you they’ve nominated me for a bravery award?”

  Rachel didn’t tell Carlos that the perpetrator, Steven Tansley, had vowed to get revenge. The police had never caught his accomplice, but she suspected Tansley was more mouth than action. Despite a history of violence dating back to his teenage years, he didn’t appear to have the kind of influence that would put her in danger. Nevertheless, it would pay to remain alert.

  “Yes, sweetheart, you did and you deserve it.” Carlos held her hand for a while and they sat in comfortable silence. The silence was broken when they heard excited shrieking coming from the house. Rachel turned and saw Sarah, her best friend, running towards her.

  “Rachel, I’ve missed you. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow so your parents invited me over to dinner.”

  Rachel hugged her friend. “That’s great! You look really well.” Sarah had a healthy glow and exuded happiness. She worked as a nurse on the cruise ship Rachel would join the next day, and had shared in the adventures of the previous year when a hitman had been on board.

  “Hello, Carlos, it’s wonderful to see you too.” Sarah gave him a warm embrace, and then turned back to Rachel. “I have enjoyed three months off after completing my first nine-month contract on Queen Cruises so I should look well.”

  “Dinner’s ready.” Rachel’s mum appeared at the French doors leading out to the patio. The excited trio followed her back into the house and enjoyed a very pleasant home-cooked coq au vin. Rachel’s mum, a superb hostess and accomplished cook, never failed to deliver.

  Rachel and Sarah nattered away over dinner as if they had never been apart. The girls had been friends since school days and Sarah’s parents were good friends with the Princes, attending the church where Rachel’s father was vicar. There were a few nervous glances shared between Rachel’s parents and Carlos over dinner, but while Rachel knew they worried about her going on a cruise, at least their joint concern brought the men closer together.

  “Thank you for dinner, Mrs Prince, Mr Prince, but I must head back to London now,” Carlos announced once they had enjoyed an after-dinner coffee. Rachel knew he was working on a difficult case although he seemed unable to discuss too many details. As a private investigator, he worked on many mundane cases, but this latest one was more complex. Rachel was worried he might be in danger, but accepted the danger that came with both of their jobs and knew they would have to learn to live with it.

  Rachel and Carlos had been attracted to each other almost immediately after meeting the year before and had been dating ever since. Neither of them was in any rush to settle down. Agreeing to allow the relationship to blossom into what was now a healthy romance, they had recently discussed the possibilities of Rachel moving jobs to London as they didn’t see enough of each other, but Rachel was cautious following her broken engagement. She sometimes wondered whether she could ever give her heart to another man after the pain of Robert’s betrayal. Carlos told her he would wait for as long as it took, confiding in her that he too was afraid of long-term commitment.

  Rachel accompanied him to the car, and he held her tight.

  “Be careful, my darling. Stay away from danger.”

  “The only danger on this cruise will be that I might gain weight.” She kissed him on the lips.

  “Call me tomorrow and when you are in New York.”

  “I will. Carlos, please be careful yourself, won’t you?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ll collect you from the port in two weeks. Ciao.”

  Carlos climbed into his beloved car and drove away. Rachel remained outside, watching until his car disappeared from view in the evening sunset before returning to the house.

  Day 0

  Chapter 3

  The next morning, Rachel woke before dawn with bright sunlight penetrating the light curtains in her childhood bedroom. Looking out at the Hertfordshire countryside, Rachel brimmed with excitement. The sun was already burning away the remaining early morning mist.

  Rachel was taking this break courtesy of Queen Cruises’ generous offer of a free luxury cruise anywhere in the world. New York was a place she had always longed to visit – ‘the city that never sleeps’ had an exciting ring to it, and shopping was her top priority. The cruise had been booked months ago with Rachel hoping the court case would be over. Now, with Sarah’s new contract starting, the timing couldn’t have been better.

  When Rachel arrived downstairs, her father was already up and dressed, and most of her luggage had miraculously loaded itself into the boot of his car. Rachel gave an exasperated sigh. He preferre
d to start early and had limited tolerance of tardiness. She should have known he’d be worried about traffic congestion and potential delays, so inevitably would want to leave extra time for the journey to Southampton.

  “Dad, we don’t need to leave for another hour,” whined Rachel in a fruitless attempt to slow him down.

  She texted Sarah to let her know they would be with her soon. The phone vibrated almost immediately; she looked at the screen.

  “I knew your dad would want to leave sharpish. I’m up and ready.” Sarah’s response was more patient than Rachel’s. There was hardly any chance to say goodbye to her mother before she was bustled into the car.

  “Enjoy yourself in New York, darling, and stay out of trouble.” Her mother gave her a quick hug, rolling her eyes and turning to her husband. “Drive carefully, Brendan, there’s plenty of time.” She kissed him on the cheek.

  Before long, they’d collected Sarah and nine-months’ worth of baggage essentials for her second stint aboard the Coral Queen. They had sailed on the same ship the previous year. The drive to Southampton was uneventful; even the M25 motorway was relatively clear, a rarity. The girls discussed how they could meet up in-between Sarah’s shifts.

  “I hope you’ll manage with all the sea days on this cruise.” Sarah had previously broached this with Rachel, but she was prepared, knowing there were six sea days each way with only two days in New York.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve brought a truckload of books and intend to chill and de-stress. I’ll make full use of the luxurious suite your company has thrown in. I didn’t get to experience the benefits first time round!”

  Sarah smiled. “You’ve got that right. During the last trip I did to New York, though, we had rough weather mid-Atlantic. The medical team hardly came up for air.”

  “Is Dr Bentley on this cruise?” Rachel had become acquainted with members of the medical team last year and she liked the chief medical officer.

  “Yes, Graham’s still working on board, and Alex has stayed on as baby doc, so things are fairly stable now.”