She abruptly pulled back. “What am I doing? I need pictures.” She tugged her cell phone from her pocket and began snapping pictures of the fireworks.
Carlita took several of the nearby parade boats and then wandered along the deck, taking pictures of the crew who had made the evening so memorable and thanking each of them. She was even able to get a picture of Cool Bones and his band with a sky full of fireworks in the background.
After she finished, she checked the photo and then showed it to him. “This is a great picture of you and the band.”
“Whoo-eee,” Cool Bones let out a low whistle. “Would you look at that sharp bunch?” he joked. “Do you mind sending me a copy?”
“Not at all. As a matter of fact, I’m going to have it framed as my way of thanking you for sharing your time and talent with my family tonight.” Carlita touched his arm. “It was wonderful. You have a great band.”
“Thank you.” Cool Bones beamed. “We loved every minute of it. In fact, we hope Pete turns this into an annual event.”
“Me too.” Carlita wandered to the other side of the deck to snap a photo of Santa and Mrs. Claus. She was also able to corral the kids long enough to get a group photo of Santa and her grandchildren.
Carlita thanked them both before she drifted to the railing to savor the tranquility of the starry night. She was relieved Pete had found a safe way to contain Roxy until they were back on dry land, ensuring their evening ended on a much more peaceful note.
A commotion near the center of the deck caught her attention. Pete was hanging a clump of mistletoe. He strategically placed it near the Christmas tree and then called on the couples to share a kiss.
Santa and Mrs. Claus were first. Sam waited until they walked away to pull a reluctant Mercedes beneath it, where he soundly kissed her.
“It’s our turn, lass,” Pete whispered in Carlita’s ear as they traded places with Sam and Mercedes. His kiss was feather light at first, and she could feel Pete start pulling away until he changed his mind. The kiss deepened as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer.
There were several whistles and catcalls until Carlita could feel her cheeks warm, and she stepped back.
“There’s more where that came from,” Pete flirted. “But for now, I need to head back to the bridge.” He reluctantly left to navigate the final leg of their journey and dock the ship while the kitchen crew brought out apple cider, fresh coffee and enough donuts to feed a small army.
It wasn’t long before they reached their starting point, the boat was secured, and the crew lowered the gangway where Pete and Carlita joined them to see their guests off.
Annie and Reese were the first to leave, followed by Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Elvira, Dernice and Luigi were next. “You still got the pain in the you-know-what contained?” Elvira asked.
“I do,” Pete said. “I’ll wait until the ship clears to deal with her.”
Finally, the only ones left on board were Pete, Carlita’s family, several of the ship’s crewmembers and Cool Bones and his band, who were packing up their equipment.
While they finished, Pete and Carlita, along with Vinnie and Brittney, headed to the back to release the troublesome woman.
They abruptly stopped when they reached the small bathroom. The door was wide open. Roxy was gone.
Chapter 5
“She’s gone.” Pete grabbed the metal bar that was propped up against the wall. “Unless she’s David Copperfield, there’s no way Roxy could have escaped without help.”
“Someone set her free,” Carlita said. “I never saw her again.”
“Me either,” Brittney said. “If she got out, she would’ve come back to check on me.”
Or abandoned ship, Carlita silently added.
“I don’t think whoever it was did it out of the kindness of their heart.” Vinnie pointed to a red splotch. “That looks like blood.”
“You’re right,” Pete followed it to another spot. A trail of blood led to the railing.
Carlita spun in a slow circle, studying their surroundings. Although the bathroom was tucked away in the back of the ship, it was still close enough that someone should’ve heard a commotion. She voiced her thoughts.
“Except there was loud music, fireworks, explosions,” Vinnie pointed out.
“Now what?” Brittney asked.
“We split up and search the ship,” Pete said.
Ricco hurried across the deck. “The place is clearing out. Where’s Roxy?”
Vinnie pointed to the empty room and the trail of blood.
Ricco’s jaw dropped. “Roxy’s gone?”
“Gone and possibly against her will,” Pete grimly replied. “We’re going to split up and search for her.”
Ricco offered to head below deck. Vinnie and Brittney agreed to search the upper deck while Carlita and Pete searched the main deck. “Let’s meet back here when we’re done.”
Pete and Carlita started their search in his office/private quarters, which took mere minutes. They moved from the office to the main deck and finished their search in the galley, where several employees were finishing some last-minute cleanup.
“Have you seen a woman about this tall with dark hair and dark eyes? She talks like this.” Pete lowered his voice.
The worker standing next to Pete shook his head. “I know who you’re talking about. Her name was Rhonda or Rebecca, something like that. She was in here earlier, before we left port. She was snooping around, asking all kinds of questions and acting like she owned the place.”
“That was her,” Pete nodded. “So, you never saw her again?”
“No, sir.”
They exited the galley, and Carlita stopped Pete. “There’s an off chance she somehow managed to free herself, or someone came
