The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) 📕

“Small quantities. A lot could be brought on board in something as small as a water bottle.”

“True,” Michael admits. “But if it was so easy to bring quantities like that aboard, we’d be seeing a lot more cases, I suspect.”

I lift the beer the waiter’s just brought to acknowledge his point. “Also, ‘little pink friend’ sounds more like a pill.”

Michael nods. “Certainly does.”

I rub my hand over my mouth as I think and feel the bristle there. My beard grows faster in hot weather; I’m going to have to shave again before I play with Emily tonight. No accidental abrasion of that baby soft skin.

“Did Dan offer any other insights?” Michael asks.

“He suggested the subject of interest could have been delivered by drone.”

Michael’s snort is echoed by Emily; I realize she’s listening to our conversation even though she’s talking with Teresa. I like the way she can multitask, but more, I like that she’s constantly aware of me. It’s a kind of telepathy I’ve developed with several of my subs. It’s happening fast with Emily, but everything is happening fast with Emily, and I’m surprisingly okay with that.

“Dan wasn’t particularly forthcoming.” I pause while the waiter sets down our plates. Michael’s gotten the ceviche as well, so that looks like a solid choice. Teresa’s having a César salad. I feel like the lone carnivore in the group, but my bacon burger smells damn good and is exactly what my body wants after a run, a paddling, a workout, and a caning. And coming like a freight train. Twice.

Once Emily’s asked for permission to eat, such a good girl, and everyone starts eating, I continue, “I also interviewed the staffer who cleaned our unfortunate friend’s room. He helped me with a timeline. I’m pretty sure our unfortunate friend took the subject of interest on Friday night, possibly while he was doing a scene with another couple he met on the cruise.”

“If that’s the case, he didn’t develop symptoms for forty-eight hours. Definitely not an overdose. This stuff just does a number on the organs.”

“Anything more on that?” I ask. I haven’t caught up with Michael since boarding, but I’d hope he’d circulate an email if there were any developments.

Michael nods. “Unfortunately, one of the others was admitted to the hospital yesterday. I got the word this morning. Kidney failure. They’ve got him stabilized, but I’m afraid we’re looking at organ damage for all four, and who knows how many others?”

Not good. “Have any of them admitted taking the subject of interest?”

“Not that I’ve heard. We’ve agreed to cover their medical bills and have them on placebo antibiotics on the pretense they may have E-coli, so I’m hoping they’ll come to us if they have further symptoms, but if they go to their own doctors, we don’t have any way of knowing.”

That’s a double-edged sword. If one of them would admit taking the brick, we might be able to get them to reveal the distribution route. But it’s also a one-way ticket to Lawsuit City if a Pink Pearl employee is dealing. Ed Isaak’s said we’ll put hard questions to the four as a last resort if the insurance company revokes coverage for the cruise. I know he fears that’s going to happen at the end of this trip.

No pressure or anything.

To divert myself, I check in with Emily. “How’s the ceviche, baby doll?”

“Excellent, Sir.” She takes a forkful. Everything in the dish is already diced so Daddy’s cutting services aren’t required, which is a shame because I’m really enjoying providing those. She chews the required number of times before she asks, “How’s your burger?”

“Mmm, this is a tasty burger,” I tell her, and I know she gets the Pulp Fiction reference by the way she grins. Busted. “Now, what’s a little girl doing watching such a grown-up movie?”

Emily turns crimson and becomes very involved in her lunch.

I lean in and whisper into her ear. “Uh-oh. Someone’s in trouble.”

“You, Daddy,” she whispers back.

“Nope, not me. This is all you, and you are busted, little girl. What do you think the consequences are for watching movies that are not age-appropriate?”

Emily swallows. “Belphegor?”

“No. You’re going to owe Belphegor ten all on his own if he doesn’t like his name. I think a bare-bottomed spanking might help you stick with age-appropriate entertainment in future.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she whispers, not taking her eyes off her salad, but a smile peeks through her blush.

Teresa asks Emily a question and I let her return to her conversation while I finish my burger. Michael and I make plans to meet at Pink Pearl’s offices for lunch on the shore day in Cabo. He suggests trying to take the brick back onto the boat in both pill and liquid form. I readily agree. If the screening picks up the pills but not the liquid, that tells me something, too.

“Do me a favor and put the pills in a prescription pill bottle,” I say to Michael.

“You think that’s how our unfortunate friend got them back on board?”

I shrug. “Not sure, but the cleaner remembered seeing several pill bottles, and it would be a brave security officer who challenged a guest bringing his prescription medication back aboard after a shore day.”

Michael nods sagely. “Agreed. What did Dan think of that?”

“I haven’t discussed it with him, and I won’t until after Cabo.” I give Michael a hard look. They may be family aboard the boat, but if Michael starts talking out of turn, he could really screw up my investigation.

“Understood.” He looks unfazed. As a doctor, he should understand confidentiality; I don’t think he’s the leak. “What’s next?”

“Sunday,” I say. “Day of rest.”

“Oh.” Michael shrugs a little sheepishly.

I actually intend to work tomorrow, but it’ll be analysis rather than interviews. Hopefully, Emily won’t mind working on a Sunday, because I’d like her help reviewing the CCTV footage if it has come through. “What about you?”

“I’m going to help out in the clinic in the morning.