We returned at twelve thirty to meet Larry for lunch in the buffet room. We just grabbed turkey sandwiches and some juice and decided to sit outside on the open deck at one of the tables. The air was balmy but not as humid as it was this morning.
“How was the sugar mill, Hon?” Trisha asked.
“Interesting,” he replied, taking another bite.
Larry doesn’t say when he eats. We chowed down on our sandwiches until half way through our meal Larry said something profound.
“Susan,” he began, “Did you know there was a jewelry heist on the big island before we arrived in Hawaii?”
“No, how would I know that?” I asked, taking another bite.
“It happened before those two men disappeared.”
“Larry, now don’t start worrying her,” Trisha admonished him.
“And, there was another robbery at that jewelry store we visited on our tour a few days ago.”
“Larry, why are you telling me this?” I asked, looking at him.
“I just want you to be careful. If there are robbers or killers on this ship, I don’t want you to go walking alone.”
“I understand your concern and I appreciate what you are telling me. Since I am neither a robber nor a mastermind killer, I think I’ll be all right tonight at dinner,” I said.
“Where are we going to dinner?” he asked.
“Oops, I haven’t told you yet,” Trisha said. “Susan is getting her picture retaken near a formal dinner tonight at the Far West Restaurant.”
“Since I’ll be all dressed up, I was going to have dinner there as well. If you don’t want to go, that’s fine with me,” I said.
“Trisha, do you want to go to this formal dinner?” he asked.
“Now, you know, I’ll have dinner wherever you want. And if you don’t want to go, I’m sure she’ll be seated with other passengers.”
“I didn’t bring a suit jacket. I could rent one,” he said.
“Don’t be silly, Luv, you’ll be unhappy. There’s a cute little café near the stern bar I wanted to try out. We’ll go there,” she said.
Smiling at this exchange, I said, “There that’s settled. I think I’ll go back to my room, get my book, and enjoy the sunshine on Deck Five. I’ll be fine. Oh, by the way, I talked to Lorilee Dawn last night,” I said.
“What did she want? New sale on Camille soap?” Trisha asked.
“No, I called her.”
“Why?” Larry asked, narrowing his eyebrows at me.
I leaned in close causing them to bend toward me.
“I asked her about ghosts,” I whispered.
“You haven’t been talking to ol’ Hobs again have you?” Larry asked, stretching back into his chair.
I leaned back and cocked my head.
“No, but the way Ivan would show up in the oddest places got me to think.”
“What did she say?” Trisha asked.
“That he might be a ghost and I should calmly talk to him the next time I see him and find out what’s troubling him. She told me that’s why most ghosts don’t pass over after death. They have unfinished business or don’t know they have died.”
“And you believe this?” Larry scoffed.
“Larry, since my husband died, I have met some pretty unusual people. This ghost, if that’s what he is, is the most reasonable explanation I’ve seen since. He fits the ‘ghost’ profile.”
“Do you want to see if they have an Ouija board in the game room,” Trisha asked.
“No, and I’m not going to summon him either. But just in case, I’ll be ready. Oh, and Larry, see if you can find out the location Ivan was supposed to be during his last shift. Well, I’ll leave you two and enjoy my book,” I said as I rose out of my chair. I noticed the lunch crowd around us had dwindled in half of what it was when we first entered the buffet
I waved them goodbye and found my way to the elevators to take up to my room. When I entered my cabin, I didn’t see anyone was there. Good. I grabbed my book and left my room.
Chapter 14
Discovery
I took the elevator down to the Fifth Deck to locate a comfortable deck chair on the sunny side of the ship. No more dark shadows for me. One of the stewards propped open the double doors to the deck outside. The sunlight floating in invited me to follow a few other passengers who also wanted to enjoy the sunshine.
The day looked so nice I thought I’d take a stroll around the ship. I passed a few deck chairs and found myself walking under the several hanging lifeboats. Smaller life raft containers were stacked together within a metal cage. Then something caught my eye upon the smaller lifeboats. A jogger ran passed me in the opposite direction I had been walking as I hunched closer to an odd stain.
At first, I thought the patination was rust. But on a closer inspection, it looked like dried blood.
“May I help you madam?” a man’s voice said behind me.
Startled, I jerked up from my bent position and turned to look at the man in uniform.
“Uh, no, I was looking at the ocean and thought I spotted some dolphins jumping,” I fibbed.
“I think I did see some. Have a nice day, ma’am,” he said, grasping the brim of his hat with a nod, and continued his stroll toward the stern.
I don’t know why I didn’t show him the blood. Maybe I just wanted Larry to look at it first. I took a picture of the canister and watched the island recede as the ship moved out of the Hilo Harbor. I turned and found an empty chair near a few others against the exterior wall. Maybe that stain was just
