The Body in Davy Jones' Locker Read online

  The

  Body in Davy Jones’ Locker

  (A Grace Holliday Cozy Mystery)

  Elisabeth Crabtree

  Copyright © 2017 by Elisabeth Crabtree

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the author.

  First Printing, February 2017

  v. 2.18.17a

  Author’s Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and situations are completely fictional and a work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Dead Men Tell No Tales

  Grace has never been happier. She and Kyle are embarking on a blissfully romantic weeklong cruise in the Caribbean and she is looking forward to sun filled days by the pool, exciting excursions on private islands, all you can eat delicious food, and moonlit nights in her new husband’s arms. And maybe, just maybe, tickets to the Dread Pirate Davy Jones Comedy Magic Show, one of the cruise’s most popular shows.

  When the magician makes one of the passengers disappear in front of the audience, Grace is suitably amazed. However, when the passenger doesn’t reappear by the end of the show, Grace is suitably worried. Worried enough to do some sleuthing backstage.

  When a dead body appears it’s up to Grace and Kyle to find the killer before they end up in Davy Jones’ Locker as well.

  Prologue

  Three Months Ago

  The man glanced over the ship’s railing and down into the deep blue sea. It was dark enough, he thought, flicking his cigarette butt out into the ocean. He leaned over the railing and tried to get a glimpse of the balcony beneath him, then turned and looked up towards the balcony above. Everything was quiet and dark.

  It had been raining hard for the last hour, driving everyone indoors. He had complained about the awful weather, but now it turned out that it was a good thing. There would be no one out to see what he was about to do.

  For now, he thought gazing up at the dark sky. The downpour had slowed down to a misty drizzle in the last five minutes and moonlight was now peeking out through the storm clouds and spilling across the balcony. It wouldn’t be long before people would start venturing outdoors.

  He lifted his collar and huddled into his coat. It wasn’t cold but he felt a chill nonetheless. He scowled at the glass door behind him. What was taking that girl so long?

  He turned back to the ocean. Stupid girl. It was all her fault really, he thought, his hands tightening on the railing. He should never have hooked up with her, but he’d never been able to resist a pretty face. Now, because of her and the secret they shared, they were forever tied to one another. He smiled grimly as he contemplated throwing her overboard.

  The boards under his feet creaked.

  He glanced to the partition next to him hiding the staircase joining the balconies together. He held his breath, waiting for someone to appear and catch him out on the balcony. Not that he was doing anything wrong being out here—at least not yet—but the last thing he wanted was company.

  The door behind him opened and his companion stepped out, huffing and puffing as she dragged the body along with her. She unceremoniously dropped the corpse at his feet. “Thanks for your help, by the way,” she snapped as she pressed her hands to her lower back.

  He gazed down at the body dispassionately. “Did anyone see you?”

  The girl wiped her forearm across her sweating forehead. “Only the Captain, the Steward, and the Porter. Ow!”

  His fingers bit into her arm. “Did anyone see you?” he snarled.

  “No!” Her eyes flashed in anger. “I’m not stupid, you know.”

  He disagreed, but he didn’t feel like arguing with her. He doubted it would do any good. Despite having shown no capacity for great thought, she was incredibly impressed with her own intellect. Stubbornly so.

  “Did you do as I instructed you?” he asked as he reached for the body.

  She expressively rolled her eyes. “Yes, of course.”

  He turned the body over and frowned. He glanced back at the girl with a baffled expression on his face. “You changed his clothes.”

  She nodded her head.

  “Why?” he asked surprising himself with how calm he sounded.

  “So no one could identify him,” she said as though the answer was obvious.

  He blinked. “In a few minutes he’s going to be at the bottom of the ocean. Who’s going to identify him?”

  The girl had the audacity to look at him as if he was the dumb one. She tossed her hair over her shoulder in a gesture of contempt. “What if someone sees him fall? What if they fish him out? They’d be able to tell who he is if they saw him in that getup.”

  “Or his face.” He picked up the dead man’s hand. “Or his fingerprints.” He reached into the corpse’s pocket and pulled out a billfold. “Or the fact you’ve left his identification with him,” he said, his voice rising with every word he spoke. “Or the fact that over a hundred people on this ship knows his name and can recognize him.”

  The boards creaked again.

  He stood and walked to the partition, nervously clenching and unclenching his hands as he took the stairs up to the balcony above. Seeing that it was still dark, he immediately turned and went down to the lower balcony. Satisfied that they were alone, he returned to his companion who was standing at the railing inspecting her fingernail polish.

  “You should have left his clothes alone,” he said quietly as he knelt by the body.

  Her lips disappeared into a tight line. “You told me to get rid of everything that’s his.”

  “Not everything,” he said placing the billfold into his pocket. “I’m going to need this when I leave the ship tomorrow.”

  “Why? What are you going to do with it?”

  “Weren’t you the one who said that no one must know he’s dead? So tomorrow, I’m going put on his clothes, leave the ship and use his credit cards. You’re going to tell everyone he went on a drunken bender and quit. Do you think you can handle that?”

  Her jaw clenched. “I think—” She broke off, her attention swinging to the door.

  “What is it?” he asked following her gaze.

  “I thought . . .” She turned her attention back to him. “I guess it was nothing.”

  He rolled his eyes before glancing down at the body. “What did you do with his clothes? We might as well throw them overboard with him.”

  She returned her attention to her fingernails. “They’re all packed away in his suitcase.”

  He gritted his teeth. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten before asking with deliberate slowness, “Where are the clothes he was wearing when he died?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry. They’re tucked away safe and sound.”

  Stupid girl, he thought viciously. What game is she playing? “Why?”

  “Like I said, I’m not as dumb as you think. I decided I needed a little insurance,” she wrinkled her nose, “just in case.”

  He glanced back at the ocean. What he wouldn’t give to throw her over the side but he couldn’t risk it. Not until he found where she hid the bloody clothes. He rose to his feet and stepped closer to her.

  She tilted her chin up as he moved in close, and smiled at him in amusement, further enraging him. He took a calming breath before gently brushing his fingers across her face. “There’s no need for insurance, baby. You know I’d do anything for you. I love you.”

  Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into his hand. “Do you?”

  “I’m doing this to protect you.” He couldn’t help grimacing as he stared at her. “Doesn’t my being here prove it?”

  Her
eyes snapped open. She reached up and grabbed his fingers, twisting them until he grunted in pain. “To protect me?” Shoving his hand away with a snort, she said, “I think you have it backwards. I’m the one protecting you.” She tapped her fingers against his chest. “Don’t forget it. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be doing this.” Her eyes flashed. “This is so stupid. You almost ruined everything, you know. All we had to do was wait a few months, but no, you had to lose your temper.”

  He frowned at her in confusion. “Me? You’re the one…”

  The girl pressed her fingers to his lips as her gaze lost focus again. “Did you hear that?” she whispered, her eyes wide with fright.

  He stilled, listening for any indication they had been discovered. When he heard nothing but the sound of the ocean and the ship underneath their feet, he shoved her fingers away from his mouth. “I don’t hear anything.”

  “I know I heard something,” she insisted, her attention still focused on the door.

  He strode across the balcony towards the door. Throwing it open, he poked his head inside and looked around.

  Just as he thought. The place was deserted.

  “Everything’s fine,” he said closing the door with a snap of his wrist. It slammed shut with a loud bang, causing him to cringe.

  Panic seized her. “No, it’s not fine. Someone was there.” She backed away from the corpse, her hands up in the air. “I told you we shouldn’t do this. I told you!”

  “Oh, shut up,” he snapped as he reached for the body. With the girl’s help, he hefted the dead weight into his arms. Then glancing over each shoulder, he lifted it over the railing and let it fall from his arms.

  “What are you two doing out here?” a man’s voice said from behind them.

  They whirled around to find Tucker Bernard standing behind them.

  Tucker inclined his head to the side, as they stood rooted to the spot, staring at him. “Is everything all right?” he asked taking a step forward.

  The girl’s mouth opened in a silent scream.

  Tucker jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Is Leo here?”

  A small gurgle escaped the girl’s mouth. In one swift move, the man stepped in front of the girl and faced the intruder.

  “Hello Tucker,” he said. “What brings you out here tonight?”

  Tucker Bernard shrugged his broad shoulders. “I wanted to talk to Leo about what happened tonight. Do you know where he is?”

  The man glanced over his shoulder at the deep blue sea. “Haven’t a clue.”

  The girl, having recovered from her surprise, stepped out to face Tucker. She gave the young man her most charming smile as she linked her arm through his. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” She trailed her fingers up his chest. “Just where have you been hiding?”

  He gave her a pensive look. “The gift shop.”

  She tilted her face up towards his. “Oh, did you buy me something?”

  “No.”

  Her lips formed an exaggerated pout.

  “I went to get a wet suit.”

  The man glanced into the water. No one was around, he thought. He could just as easily get rid of Bernard as he did the other. It’s not as if anyone would miss the boy. Still, he was going to have a hard enough time explaining one disappearance. He didn’t want to contemplate explaining two. “Thinking about taking a swim, Tucker?”

  “No, it’s just in case . . .”

  The girl’s eyes narrowed. “In case of what?”

  “In case we capsize in the typhoon that’s coming,” he muttered self-consciously.

  The girl’s eyes rolled back in her head as the man glanced up at the sky. He closed his eyes as rain lightly sprinkled across his face. The corners of his lips turned up. “Do you expect that to happen any time soon?”

  “We’re on a death trap,” the young man informed them in a serious whisper.

  “I can’t believe you bought that nonsense,” the girl said as she dropped her hand from Tucker’s arm. His naivety obviously working as a repellant to her grand intellect. “I’m surprised at you. The safest place to be in the world is on a cruise. No one has ever died on the Sapphire of the Sea.”

  Catching her eye, the man lifted his brows up. “You don’t say?”

  She pursed her lips together as she moved further away from Tucker.

  Tucker pointed to his chest. “I’m just repeating what that comedienne said during dinner.” He chewed on his lower lip as he looked worriedly towards the sky. “She was very convincing.” He dropped his gaze down to stare pensively at his shoes. Suddenly, his head tilted to the side as he regarded the deck.

  The man followed his gaze to where a shaft of light from the open door illuminated the deck. His breath caught in his throat, only then noticing the red wet streak that stained the wood.

  Tucker’s brow furrowed. “Is that blood?”

  The girl whirled around in a panic. “Wh-what? Where? I don’t see anything.” Her gaze fell to the deck. “I don’t see anything,” she said shrilly as she stared down at the bright red stain.

  Tucker helpfully pointed. “Right there.”

  “You’re seeing things,” she said adding a light laugh. “Nothing’s there.”

  “It’s right there,” Tucker said as he perched near the blood.

  Unable to deny the obvious any longer, she immediately went on the offensive with the tried and true method of blaming the messenger. “What are you doing here? Why would you even ask such a thing? What is wrong with you?”

  The man took her arm to silence her. He smiled down at Tucker. “I’m afraid I cut my hand tonight. Careless of me.” He tilted his face up towards the night sky. “Do you hear thunder?”

  Tucker’s eyes widened comically as he stood up.

  With a theatrical shudder, the man said, “I think you better go in, Tucker. We wouldn’t want a giant wave to crash over us and sweep you out and into the ocean,” he said with a touch of amusement as Tucker paled.

  The girl next to him exploded. She jerked her arm away. “The ship is not going to capsize—”

  He grabbed his companion’s arm again, silencing her in mid-retort. “Leo said something about going to his cabin. If I were you I’d try there.”

  Tucker frowned. “I did. He wasn’t there.” He chewed on his lower lip. “Maybe I’ll try the bar.”

  “Good idea,” the man said with a jolly tone. “Goodnight.”

  The girl wrenched her arm away from his grip as the door closed behind Tucker. She looked down at the red handprint on her arm with a scowl. “He knows.”

  The man pursed his lips together, giving his companion a withering look. “He doesn’t know anything.”

  “He saw the blood.”

  “He’s gullible.” He tugged on the end of her scarf, pulling it off her neck in one swift motion. “He’ll believe anything we tell him.”

  “Hey!” she protested as he wiped up the blood with her scarf. “You’re paying for that.” She shifted her gaze to the door. “What if Tucker doesn’t believe you? What if he was just pretending to believe you just now?”

  “Then we’ll have to kill him.” He tucked the bloody scarf into his pocket as he walked to the door. “I think you need to keep a close eye on him.”

  “For how long?”

  “For as long as it takes. If you think he knows, we’ll take care of him.” He held the door open for the girl. “Come on, let’s get out of here. We’re not done yet.”

  As the door closed behind them, a figure on the balcony above them stepped out of the shadows and smiled.

  Chapter One

  Day One

  Grace Holliday Dragovich leaned over the railing of the Sapphire of the Seas ship and enthusiastically waved good-bye to the people gathered on the pier. She glanced over at her new husband standing next to her with his arms at his sides and smiled. “You’re not waving.”

  Kyle stepped behind her to make room for another passenger, a very young woman with long, wavy blonde
hair, a heart shaped face and cornflower blue eyes. The girl’s white and blue sailor shirt and navy blue shorts, reminiscent of some Shirley Temple costume Grace had seen in an old movie once a long time ago, immediately caught Grace’s attention, as did the expensive looking watch on the girl’s wrist.

  “Who are you waving to?” Kyle asked in amusement as Grace returned to her waving. “We don’t know any of these people.”

  “Well, no but there’s no reason not to be polite.” She reached for his wrist and lifted it high up in the air. “See? Just like this,” she said waiving his and her hand at the same time. “Bon Voyage!”

  Laughing, Kyle wrapped his arms around Grace’s waist. He lightly kissed her neck. “That’s what they’re supposed to say,” he said jerking his chin towards the people on the pier.

  Grace chuckled. “Well, I can’t hear them and someone ought to be saying it.”

  “I agree,” the young blonde spoke up from next to them. “It’s tradition.” She leaned over the railing and waved enthusiastically. “Good bye. We’ll miss you.” She blew a kiss toward a handsome man standing on the pier with a young child on his shoulders.

  “Saying good bye to family?” Grace guessed.

  “Never seen them before in my life,” the young woman said with an amused grin. She held out her hand. “Courtney Bernard.”

  “Grace Dragovich,” Grace replied, taking the girl’s hand, “and this,” she said patting Kyle’s bare arms, “is my new husband, Kyle.”

  Courtney gasped as she did a little patty cake clap. “Oh newlyweds!”

  Heads turned to stare at her glee.

  Courtney held up her left hand, flashing the largest diamond Grace had ever seen on a ring. She said, “So am I! This is so exciting. We have so much to talk about.” She gave Grace a conspiratorial look as she linked her arm through Grace’s, effectively pulling her away from Kyle’s arms. “We newlyweds have to stick together.”