The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) π
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Palmer stands and offers me his hand. I rise and shake. βThank you.β
I show him out and nearly stumble over the white-uniformed purser waiting in the corridor. Gabe Matapang. Heβs ten minutes early, which suits me just fine. Palmer nods to Matapang as they pass each other. I introduce myself to Matapang and invite him into my suite.
I spend very little time on pleasantries and get right to it. βYouβre probably aware that a guest named Bill Black died the night after disembarking from the last cruise. Iβm investigating his death. I understand you donβt remember Mr. Black.β
βSorry, no, I donβt.β
His English is smooth and unaccented.
βThatβs okay. My questions are really about the shipβs storage. They may not seem relevant to Mr. Blackβs death, but please answer them as completely as possible.β
Matapang nods. βNo problem.β
βI understand the spaβs supplies are kept in the purserβs stores on C-deck. Who has access?β
βAny purser. Kofi, of course. The captain, if she needed to for some reason.β
βSpa manager?β
βMr. Merullo? Sure.β
Interesting. He calls his boss by his first name, but not Merullo.
βDoes Mr. Merullo go into the stores himself?β
Matapang nods again. βUsed to be that I took care of all the spa supplies. I had everything organized alphabetically. When the spa staff needed something, they just let me know and Iβd get it for them. No problem. Since Mr. Merullo came, itβs all changed.β
And Matapang doesnβt sound at all happy about that.
βHow?β
βMr. Merullo made me put everything for the spa in its own section. Organized the way he wants. Half the time, I canβt find what they need. He makes it seem like thatβs my fault. If heβd just let me organize it like it was, there wouldnβt be any problems.β
Hard to believe that Mr. All-Mighty Dollar would want anything done in a less efficient, less profitable manner.
Unless, of course, heβs hiding something.
βWhatβs in the spa stores?β
βYou mean, oils and things?β
βYes.β I poise my pen over my pad.
βOils. Lotions. Cleansers.β He ticks them off. βSpecial shampoos and soaps. Kel, she does nails at the spa, her tubs of acrylics and brushes and things are in there.β
βWhen I interviewed Mr. Merullo, he mentioned that everything for the spa is ordered from a company called Serenity. Is that right?β
I ask to test whether Matapang knows about the supplies ordered from Hidden Emerald Ranch. Seems like thereβs no love lost between Matapang and Merullo, but if Merullo has taken control of the spa supplies to hide the brick, Matapang may simply be in the dark.
βNo, I guess he doesnβt know where everything comes from. Addie, sheβs the stylist, she gets shampoos and dyes from a place called Triffic Tresses. Kelβs nail stuff comes from a company called Glitter and Gel.β
I wait, but he doesnβt mention Hidden Emerald Ranch.
βMr. Merullo also mentioned herbal supplements that he uses in a class he teaches. Are you aware of those?β
βSure am. Heβs real picky about those. Iβm not even supposed to open the boxes.β
Bingo.
βMr. Merullo unpacks them himself?β
βYeah. Leaves me the empty packaging to clean up, though.β
Considerate guy.
βAre they marked, the boxes with the herbal supplements in them?β
βWith a green diamond. They donβt come from Serenity, either. I guess Mr. Merullo forgot about that.β
Doubtful. Now I know what Iβm looking for.
βGabe, thanks so much for your time. Youβve been tremendously helpful.β
βYouβre welcome.β When I stand, he rises and shakes my hand. βYou wonβt mention this to Mr. Merullo, will you? Heβs already had me written up a couple of times.β
βNot a word,β I promise. βMy investigationβs confidential.β
And I donβt think Merullo is going to be around to butt heads with Matapang much longer.
Once I show Matapang out, I check my phone. My good little girl has sent me a text saying that she and Vashi are going to check out the bondage market. As I start to respond, another text pops up to say that theyβre back and watching a movie.
Emily will be occupied for at least an hour, and sheβs safe enough with Vashi with her. I text her to say Iβm going out so she should put the manual latches on the doors, but that Iβll be back by five-thirty.
That gives me an hour and a half to find the brick.
I wait until I hear the metallic click on the other side of the connecting door that tells me my baby dollβs safe. I fire off a quick text to Niall, then I go hunting for boxes with green diamonds on them.
* * *
It takes much longer than I expect. Everything conspires against me.
First, the stormβs hit in earnest and, either because they donβt want the cleaners working until dawn, or because the open decks are dangerous with the spray and wind, the crew have closed the Lido and outside decks. I have to work my way around the closed spaces, taking the stairs down two decks, walking through the casino and relocated bondage market, before heading back up towards the spa. With the Lido and outer decks closed, the casino level is packed to the rafters. Iβm forced to push my way through the crowd, trying to avoid knocking into any of the passengers, who are already looking green around the gills from the roll of the ship. When I finally pass the heads at the far end of the casino, the airβs ripe with the smell of vomit. Guess those anti-sea-sickness pills arenβt all theyβre cracked up to be.
My second bit of bad luck is finding the spa closed due to the weather. I figured if all the staff were in the spa, I could slip into the stores. Since I donβt want any of them walking in on me while Iβm rifling through boxes, I use the orange keycard to let myself in and check the computer on the reception desk.
The computerβs not password protected. More crappy security,
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