Death on the Bella Constance (A Jesse Watson Mystery Series Book 6) (2 page)

Before we could get up out of our hiding place, the man
turned to
Arnold
and shot him in the head. Blood
splattered all over the computer screen just like he had promised.

We didn’t move. It was too late for us to do anything for
Penny and Arnold, except take pictures of the killer and his accomplices, and
call the police.

The guy wiped the gun clean with a hand towel, and then put
it in
Arnold
’s hand. He tried to wrap the dead
man’s fingers around the weapon to make it look like a murder-suicide. While he
was busy setting up the crime scene, Rona and his other accomplice frantically
wiped down the place, yelling at each other the whole time.

Twenty minutes later, as they were walking out the door, a
yard full of Albemarle County Police, geared up for the arrest, turned on their
lights. One officer yelled, “Stop, or we’ll shoot!”

Of course, Rona and her partners in crime took off running,
but they couldn’t dodge the bullets. They were taken down before they ever made
it out into the woods.

Rona was the only one to survive. Before she lapsed into a
coma, the police managed to get partial answers to their questions—enough to
piece together what went down. She’s now hooked up to a ventilator at
Martha
Jefferson
Hospital
in
Charlottesville
, and her prognosis is grim.

Billy’s brother, Daniel, died just before Christmas. His
death tore out our hearts and souls. We had been trying to pick up the pieces
and just live a normal life for a few months, and then we were going to take a
breather. A vacation was on the agenda, but then Penny Johanson came along.
That tragedy was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We’d had enough!

The very next day, Billy and I booked a cruise to
Bermuda
. That’s right! A trip to a warm
place with white sandy beaches and little umbrellas in the drinks!
Alaska
was out. I’d had enough. The winter
here had been frigid, with snow from November to February. I had a chill in my
body and a chill in my heart. I needed a break. I wanted to relax and mellow
out, bask in the sunshine on a warm beach, and maybe smoke a few cigarettes.

A cruise to
Bermuda
! Billy and I were so excited when we
pulled out of the driveway the next day, heading for
Norfolk
,
Virginia
to board the
Bella Constance
. It was early April.
Daffodils were in full bloom, and the forsythia bushes were bursting with their
yellow flowers. What a beautiful sight! Life is grand! Fun, relaxation, and
nights of dining and dancing were on the agenda… and lots of romantic evenings
with my husband!

Newport News is only a hop, skip, and a jump away from
Norfolk, so when we got on Interstate 64, I told Billy I wanted to stop by and
see my old duplex and Mom and Dad’s old house. We had the time. I could show
him some of my past. He thought it was a good idea, and when we reached the
Fort
Eustis
exit, we took a ride down memory
lane—at least it was for me. I had a pang of sadness when I saw my folks’ home
and thought about my father.

“I really miss him,” I said as we rode passed.

“You always will, `ge ya.”

`Ge ya is the name Billy calls me occasionally. It’s Cherokee
for—
woman
. 

I smiled up at him through my tears and said, “Finally, we
can get away from all the drama and chaos for a while. Being a P.I. is a real
scary business sometimes. It takes a lot out of a person.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve been doing this all my life. No
wonder Ruth left me.” He stopped short. “I didn’t mean…”

“I know what you meant. If she wanted to work with you like I
do, we wouldn’t be together. I’m the lucky one. I know I’m the only `ge ya for
you.”

Billy chuckled as he pulled out onto
Denbigh Boulevard
heading back toward the interstate.
An hour and forty-five minutes later, after leaving the 4Runner in the parking
lot for the week, we embarked on the cruise ship,
Bella Constance
. We
were ready for some fun in the sun!

“This is going to be the absolute best week!” I said, looking
up at Billy. “I’m so excited!”

“I can see,” he said, looking at me with that charming smile
of his.

Billy is a Cherokee Indian. He’s over six feet tall, dark,
handsome, well-built, and has the personality every woman wants in a man.
Sometimes, I wonder what he sees in me. I’m 5’5", skinny, and I used to
have long, dyed red hair until I had it cut to shoulder length—having long hair
and trying to keep it out of the fingers of babies was too much work. Besides,
shorter hair seems to suit my face, and I am fairly decent looking, if I do say
so myself. As you can see, I’m still working on my insecurities.

We were going to be like newlyweds on their honeymoon. We
promised each other before we left
Charlottesville
that we would spend the whole time concentrating on each
other, leaving all our concerns back home. Life would continue without us for
seven days. No computers and no spy gadgets, only our cell phones for
emergency, and the digital camera we brought along for our personal use. This
vacation was about us… Billy and me.

The
Bella Constance
was one of the older cruise ships.
It had been built in the sixties by a Greek named Loukas Constance, a young man
who started out with nothing but his wit and skill, and was fortunate enough to
hire on the right men for the job. His goal was to build a fleet of ships,
eventually. Loukas built the
Bella Constance
, named after his southern
wife with an Italian name, Bella, and as time went by, he added five more ships
to his line. After he retired, he made a point of taking a cruise on the
Bella
Constance
with his wife at least once a year—the ship that started it all,
and the woman he shared it with.

Even though the
Bella Constance
was a small ship
compared to most, the information on the web stated that the service and
ambiance were beyond belief. Sounded good to me. The last thing I wanted was to
spend seven days at a place resembling a shopping mall. When there are
fifteen-hundred people in one place, it’s too much for me. This ship had a
total of seven hundred souls on board, including the captain.

We found out after boarding as the porter showed us to our
room on deck six—there were only seven—that Bella and Loukas Constance would be
joining us on the cruise. That announcement just added to my excitement. We
would get to meet the man who actually built the ship.

“How lucky can we get?” I asked as Billy and I walked into
our room.

“We will put to sea at precisely
nine o’clock
. The ship’s horn will sound our departure. The first one is
a warning, and the second one means we’re leaving dock. Then we’ll be off,” our
porter announced. “The horn will sound again at
eleven o’clock
, and we’ll assemble on deck for the lifejacket drill. We
like to give everyone a little time to settle in, but regulations require us to
have a drill, and the sooner the better.”

Billy went to tip the young man, but the man refused.

“Gratuity was included in your package. There will be no need
for you to tip the crew,” he replied. He handed Billy the keycard. “My name is
Justin. If you need anything, just pick up the phone and call.” The porter
closed the door as he exited the room.

I gave Billy a hug and said, “Alone at last!”

He kissed me and replied, “We’ll have plenty of time for this
later. We need to hurry up and go to the deck so we can wave at everyone as we
leave.”

“But we don’t know any of those people.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s all about the adventure.”

“Okay. Let’s hurry up then.”

I walked over to the bed and started to unpack my suitcase.
As I put my clothes in the drawers and hung up the two evening gowns—a simple
black one, and a peach-colored one brought just for when we were to dress up—I
looked around the room. Even though this was one of the oldest cruise ships at
sea, it had been updated with modern conveniences—that’s what it said on the
net. We even had a keycard for the room. When I looked around at the antique
furniture, I couldn’t help but think of the ship,
Titanic
. I said so to
Billy.

“That’s a pleasant thought,” he replied.

Oh, if only…

Billy walked over to the bed, opened a suitcase and started
taking out clothes. “Let me help. The quicker we finish this, the sooner we can
check out the ship.”

“I want to leave my bracelet in the suitcase and lock it,” I
said. “Not that I don’t trust the crew, but…”

“I agree. We don’t know these people. Yes, I think it’s a
good idea to keep our valuables under lock and key.”

“I’m just so glad we’re taking this vacation,” I said. “I
really need a break away from the criminal elements of society. I’m tired of
guns, killers, and low-lifes.”

“I have news for you, `ge ya. If you think everyone on this
cruise ship is good people, you might be in for a surprise. Just because we’re
on vacation doesn’t mean everyone around us has only pure thoughts in their
hearts.”

“Oh, you’re being silly, Billy. These people are here to have
a good time, not commit crimes.”

Billy laughed. “You can be so naive, young lady.” He reached
into his suitcase and pulled out his snub-nosed .38. Then he put the gun back
into the suitcase. “I won’t need this just yet. I don’t think.”

I was shocked. “I thought you weren’t allowed to bring
weapons on the ship. What’ll happen if we get caught? Will we get arrested?” I
was getting a little frantic at the idea of being locked up in a jail in
Bermuda
.

“Remember the envelope I slipped to the captain as we
boarded?”

“Yes.”

“Captain O’Riley knows who we are and what we do for a
living. When I made the arrangements for this cruise, I made it a point to talk
with him. He said that as long as I brought proper documentation, I would be
allowed to carry a concealed weapon. I can assure you that I’m not the only one.
We have a retired U.S. Marshall aboard.”

“Why would they have a U.S. Marshall aboard?”

“All ships have some sort of crime fighters on call at all
times.” He snickered.

“Oh, you’re pulling my leg.”

“Not yet.”

“I thought we agreed not to tell people what we do for a
living.”

“I had to tell the captain.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the gun? I could’ve brought
mine.”

“It’s not necessary for you to be armed. I’ll take care of
us. Besides, people are here to have fun, right? Heck, we probably won’t have
to shoot anyone the whole time we’re on vacation.”

Someone knocked on the door as the ship’s horn blew. “We’re
getting ready to put to sea,” the person said through the closed door.

I walked over, opened the door, and peeked out. I saw Justin
walking down the hall knocking on doors, and repeating the same thing as he
continued.

“Guess we’d better hurry up,” Billy said. “We don’t want to
miss leaving port.”

I locked my suitcase containing my diamond bracelet, and then
put it in the closet.

“Hey, wait a minute,” I said, looking around the room.
“There’s supposed to be a safe in each room. It’s behind a picture.” I looked
straight to the only picture on the wall. “There it is.”

Billy walked over to the picture and pulled it back to reveal
a small safe. He turned and looked at me. “There’s a slot on the side for a
keycard. Let me try ours.”

Billy slipped the keycard in and then pulled it out, turned
the handle, and the safe opened. “Here you go. You can put your bracelet in
here. It will be safe.”

“Forget it! I think I trust my suitcase more than I do a safe
that anyone could have a keycard to. No thanks.”

Billy closed the safe and said, “Okay. It’s up to you.”

“I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

Billy locked the door and then slipped the keycard in his
pocket as we walked down the hall, following everyone else.

For a second, I wondered why the doors to the rooms didn’t
open out onto the deck instead of the hall. Maybe Loukas Constance didn’t want
to make it easy for anyone to walk out of their room in the middle of the night
and fall off the ship. I also noticed that all the rooms had silver numbers on
them, but the room at the end of the hall had gold numbers. The room was at a
dead end. We had to turn left or right to exit. What did that mean? Perhaps
room six-hundred was a special room. Silly thoughts like that went through my
head as Billy and I made our way to the deck.

As I was standing beside Billy, holding his hand, I took a
deep breath and inhaled the salty air. It had been a long time since I had been
to the beach, or on a boat. And then I remembered why. I can’t swim, and I’d
never been fond of boats. I’d only been boating a few times, and that was a few
times too many. I got seasick each time, and the whole time I was scared I was
going to fall overboard and drown. But this was different. We were on a large,
safe ship, and I wasn’t going to drown. I had Billy by my side. Everything
would be great. I squeezed Billy’s hand and leaned closer to him.

“I love you,” I whispered.”

“I love you, too,” he replied. He leaned down and kissed me.

My heart fluttered… just like a school girl.

“Aw…” a woman standing beside me said. “Isn’t that sweet?”

Slightly embarrassed, I turned to look at her and smiled as I
did. “We’re celebrating our first year of marriage,” I remarked.

The woman was probably around seventy years old, less than
five feet tall, thin, and had short, white hair. Her alabaster skin was smooth,
and she didn’t have the heavy wrinkles one would expect to see on someone her
age. The man beside her, who most likely was her husband, was the same height,
a little heavy, and his skin was tanned as if he had spent most of his life on
the water. They might have taken a lot of cruises.

“Hello,” I said as I held out my hand to her. “I’m Jesse, and
this is my husband, Billy.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she replied as she gently took
my hand in hers. “My name is Bella, and this is my husband Loukas.”

“I’m honored,” I gushed. I looked at Billy. “This is…”

“I know, Jesse.” He held his hand out. “How do you do, Mrs.
Constance… Mr. Constance? Jesse’s right. It’s a real honor to meet you.” Billy
shook the man’s hand, and then leaned over, took Bella’s hand in his, and
kissed it. “A real honor, Mrs. Constance.”

“Oh, you can call me, Bella,” she said, softly. “Everyone
does.”

“And you can call me, Loukas,” her husband replied with a
chuckle.

I was a little humbled by their presence and was at a loss
for the proper words to say to folks who had accomplished so much in their
lives. Then I caught myself. What was I thinking? I’ve come a long way, baby…
as the saying goes. Memories came flooding back. I had accomplished a bit
myself. I shouldn’t treat these folks any differently than I would anyone else.

We watched as
Norfolk
and the surrounding cities became a blur on the horizon. All we could see was
the blue of the open sea. It was breathtaking.

I looked up at Billy and winked. He knew something was coming
as soon as I smiled. I turned to Bella and Loukas and said, “We would love to
invite you to our room for a drink, if you’re so inclined.”

Now, where did that word come from? Inclined? Who says that?

Bella smiled and looked at her husband. Loukas had a grin on
his face when he said, “Actually, Mrs. Blackhawk, we planned to invite you and
Mr. Blackhawk back to our stateroom for a drink, and a proposition I have to
offer.”

Surprised that Bella and Loukas Constance not only knew who
we were, but they also had a matter to discuss with us. Billy and I just stared
at each other for a second.

“I don’t know,” Billy said, hesitantly as he turned to look
back at Loukas. “I promised my wife that this trip would be about us. We could
use the time off from work. I don’t know what you have to offer, but I have a
feeling it’s going to be something we promised we wouldn’t do. This is a
pleasure trip, not a working trip. So, if…”

Standing next to Billy, Loukas looked like a child—he was so
small, and Billy was… so Billy… a man every woman would love to call her own.

Loukas reached up, patted Billy on the back and asked, “What
can it hurt to spend a few minutes with two beautiful women and one old man,
and listen to what I have to offer?”

I smiled and looked at Bella. “I’m sold already.”

“That’s the Greek in him, Jesse,” she replied. “Flatter the
women and manipulate the men.”

“It takes a lot to manipulate Billy. Trust me. I know. I have
to work so hard at it. It’s so tiresome.”

We both laughed and discovered that we had something in
common: we don’t really know men at all, but we can get our way with them
anyway. Bella and I stood together as she reached in and locked her arms in
mine. “Let’s go, Jesse,” she said. “We have so much scheming to do.”

“I think I’m going to like you… even more than I did when I
read about you.”

Billy and Loukas talked for a minute before they turned and
followed behind us.

“I’ve heard about you, too, my dear.”

“You have?” I asked, curious. “Where could you have possibly
heard anything about me?”

“
Savannah
Kelley. She has very high praises
for you and your family. She particularly adores your mother, Minnie. I hear
your mother’s getting married.”

I stopped walking and turned to Bella. “You must be kidding.
How…”

“It’s a small world and I have many friends all over the
globe,” Bella responded. “She’s one of my favorite authors, and a close friend.
I also visit her website. Have you been to her site?”

I was impressed with Bella’s knowledge of the internet and
the fact that she knew Savannah Kelley personally… and that they were friends.
“You’re starting to freak me out, Bella. I have a feeling this meeting wasn’t
accidental.”

“Of course, it wasn’t, Jesse. Who suggested that you choose
the
Bella Constance
when you were trying to make up your mind?”

I thought for a minute, and then realized that it had been
Savannah
. I smiled and said, “That sneaky
devil! She set this whole thing up!”

“Listen. I want you and Billy to enjoy yourselves. If you’re
not interested in Loukas’ proposition, then so be it.”

I was a little overwhelmed by Bella’s confession, but so
what? I wanted to meet these folks and I had. I’ll settle for that, even if
Billy says no to whatever the offer is. Yet, I had a feeling that we’d be
spending much of our time with Bella and Loukas Constance. And to be honest,
that was fine by me. I let Billy know my feelings as he looked at me when we
entered their stateroom. I smiled and whispered, “I’m game if you are.” I let
it go at that.

Room six-hundred was massive for a ship. It was the size of
four staterooms—if all the other staterooms were the size of ours. The antique
furniture was lavish, and vases of fresh flowers sat on every table. The scent
of jasmine filled the air.

“Is that jasmine?” I asked Bella.

“Yes, it is. I love that fragrance.”

“I do, too. It’s my favorite.”

“We like the same things. Just think. I’m over twice your
age, but there’s no generation gap here.”

We both smiled.

Drinks were served by Bella and Loukas’ private staff
members, and a short while later, food covered the dining table. During our
informal meal, Billy and Loukas discussed the deal while Bella and I talked
about our family, especially the antics of our children. Yet, the whole time we
were in separate conversations from our husbands, Bella and I never missed a
word said between them.

It seems that Bella and Loukas had three adult daughters,
married to men who were given jobs in the company, moved up, and were now
trying to get the head honcho—Loukas—out. Loukas had been retired for some
time, but he still had the final say. He was considering selling the company
business, which would have provided plenty of money for all three of his girls.
The only thing he would keep for himself and Bella was the
Bella Constance
—the
ship he had built and named after her. Even the mention of the idea set off an
explosive reaction from his girls and their husbands. This trip was to smooth
things over, and maybe come to an understanding. Loukas would get his way, and
everyone involved knew it. That’s what concerned him. He didn’t trust his
daughters’ husbands. He wanted someone to watch his back and find out what they
had planned to do.

“But why us?” I slipped into their conversation. “I’m sure
you must have competent private detectives on your payroll.”

“Yes, I do. But I think they’re under the thumbs of my
sons-in-law. I want new blood—someone I can trust. Bella said that Savannah
Kelley told her all about the two of you and how you saved her life.
Savannah
said that we could put our lives in
your hands and I guess that’s what I’m doing.”

Loukas looked at Billy and then back at me. “It’s almost time
for lifejacket drills,” he remarked. “So, what do you say, Billy? Are you going
to help me?”