“I will guard this with–“
“Not with your life, you won’t,” Trisha interceded.
“If you feel your life is at risk, please give up the jewels. We can take care of things from there,” M.A. Farmer said.
I placed the silver box deep inside my tote bag and tied the handle loops together. We stood up to leave.
“We thank you so much, Mrs. Edwards and Mr. and Mrs. Paige for assisting us,” the Purser said, extending his hand to shake our hands–first to Larry, me, and then Trisha.
We left the Purser’s office not knowing what to say. Trisha wrapped her arm into mine.
“We will keep a close watch on you,” she said.
“Let’s go back to our room,” I suggested.
“I have a better idea. If anyone watched us going down to the Purser’s office, we should take a different route back to our cabins. How about we take in that comedy show in the bar theater? If anyone asks, well they shouldn’t, but if they do, you were just straightening out your bill. Okay?”
“Okay. Comedy sounds just what I need now,” I replied.
We headed up to the seventh deck and ordered some raspberry ice tea from the bar.
Chapter 19
My Roomie
After the show, we caught the elevator going up to the Tenth Deck to turn in for the night. I stayed with Trisha again and Larry settled in my room.
“Where shall I store this?” I asked her as I extended my hand holding the silver box.
“Here, put it in the room safe. I use my birth year and Larry’s as the combination,” she said, opening the safe.
“I feel like I should sleep with this, but okay,” I said, squinting my eyebrows together as I watched her put the boxed necklace deep inside the safe.
“Now I have some packaged popcorn I can cook in the microwave and we’ll find a good movie to watch. How’s that sound?” she asked. She always did have a way of alleviating a situation.
“Great. I can hardly wait to get out of these clothes and into my tshirt.”
I found a humorous romance story playing on channel five while the buttery popcorn aroma filled the room. The movie lasted until ten o’clock and since today’s activities wore us out, I fell asleep in no time.
—-
I woke up once to visit the restroom, and upon my return to a full morning sleep, I glanced over to check the safe in the corner of the closet. The black box looked so innocent sitting there and unaware it contained thousands of dollars’ worth of jewels inside. I sighed and climbed back into the single bed, trying not to think about tomorrow.
Before I knew, I awoke to the daylight streaming in through the open curtains. Trisha drew away the drapery from the balcony sliding door, urging me awake.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” she said with good cheer.
I washed up and joined my friend in her bathrobe out in the fresh air.
“Here,” she said, handing me a hot cup. “I made hot chocolate. Larry just called and said he will be over in a few minutes.”
“Thanks, and thank you for putting up with me,” I said.
“No problem. You must have slept like a baby. I didn’t hear a thing.”
“Thanks, but I did get up once.”
We heard a knock at our door and I being taller than my friend, looked through the peephole. I could see Larry standing there.
Trisha opened the door and Larry gave her a big hug.
“Well, are you ladies ready for breakfast?” he asked with one beefy arm around her shoulder.
“I feel nervous leaving those jewels here in your safe,” I said in a hushed voice.
“It’s probably better there than in your room safe. But if you feel better about it, I’ll keep them with me in my cargo pants pocket and it zips close,” Larry said.
“Yes, I would,” I replied.
He squatted down dialed the combination. When Larry pulled out the silver box, he made sure the necklace was still inside the square container before he secured it into his pocket. We left their cabin and headed for the elevators.
We located a window table to watch the ocean and eat our breakfast. Trisha checked the ship’s scheduled.
“We will dock on the Na Pali coast of Oahu,” she said. “That’s where a lot of the passengers are signed up for another luau dinner.”
“We, of course, will be attending the formal ball tonight,” I added, dipping my spoon into my cereal.
We wasted our time touring the ship again and Larry walked over to the Registration Desk to check our bill. The charges accumulated were for incidentals such as drinks and the internet. My account was pending.
We sat and watched the afternoon matinee and headed back to our rooms. I stopped with Trisha, and then I remembered my good skirt and blouse were still in my cabin.
“Larry, I have to get some of my things for tonight.”
When he unlocked the door and opened it, the room looked like it needed servicing.
Spotting the housekeeper on duty, I said, “There’s Lynn, I’ll ask her why the room isn’t made yet.”
“Our room is made,” Trisha commented.
“Lynn, when will my room be made up?” I asked her.
“Your room number?”
“Ten twenty-one.”
“I just did it an hour ago,” she replied, checking her log sheet.
“Well, come and look,” I said.
She left her cart in the hallway and followed me to my room. When she looked in, I could hear her gasp.
“I don’t understand. I’ll take care of this now.”
“Wait,” Larry said. “Susan make sure if anything is missing.”
“You think someone was in here?” I asked.
“Just check your belongings out.”
My suitcase was the first thing I saw yawning agape with my day clothes and fresh underwear. The souvenirs I had packed in the corners of the luggage were open and strewn on the closet floor. My blouses that had been hanging up lay discarded on top of my purchases.
The mattress, stripped of the sheets and blankets, leaned to one side off the wooden bed frame.
