Daddy PI: Book 1 of the Daddy PI Casefiles Frost, J (acx book reading txt) 📖

He leans forward and clasps his hands between his knees. “That keeps me up at night.”

Poor bastard. I can imagine.

“I’ll repeat what I told Ed Isaak,” I tell him. “I find the staff on this boat exceptionally caring and professional. Black’s death isn’t down to any failing of yours.”

“What’s it down to?”

I want to answer him, I really do. He deserves to know that this wasn’t his fault, or the fault of any of the people he’s responsible for. But that’s not my job.

“I hate to do this, but you’re going to have to ask Ed Isaak. I’m not at liberty to disclose the results of my investigation to anyone. But I’ll recommend Ed share them with you. This isn’t down to you, and it shouldn’t be disturbing your sleep.”

Palmer stands and offers me his hand. I rise and shake. “Thank you.”

I show him out and nearly stumble over the white-uniformed purser waiting in the corridor. Gabe Matapang. He’s 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. “You’re probably aware that a guest named Bill Black died the night after disembarking from the last cruise. I’m investigating his death. I understand you don’t remember Mr. Black.”

“Sorry, no, I don’t.”

His English is smooth and unaccented.

“That’s okay. My questions are really about the ship’s storage. They may not seem relevant to Mr. Black’s death, but please answer them as completely as possible.”

Matapang nods. “No problem.”

“I understand the spa’s supplies are kept in the purser’s stores on C-deck. Who has access?”

“Any purser. Kofi, of course. The captain, if she needed to for some reason.”

“Spa manager?”

“Mr. Merullo? Sure.”

Interesting. He calls his boss by his first name, but not Merullo.

“Does Mr. Merullo go into the stores himself?”

Matapang nods again. “Used 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 I’d get it for them. No problem. Since Mr. Merullo came, it’s all changed.”

And Matapang doesn’t sound at all happy about that.

“How?”

“Mr. Merullo made me put everything for the spa in its own section. Organized the way he wants. Half the time, I can’t find what they need. He makes it seem like that’s my fault. If he’d just let me organize it like it was, there wouldn’t be any problems.”

Hard to believe that Mr. All-Mighty Dollar would want anything done in a less efficient, less profitable manner.

Unless, of course, he’s hiding something.

“What’s in the spa stores?”

“You mean, oils and things?”

“Yes.” I poise my pen over my pad.

“Oils. Lotions. Cleansers.” He ticks them off. “Special shampoos and soaps. Kel, she does nails at the spa, her tubs of acrylics and brushes and things are in there.”

“When I interviewed Mr. Merullo, he mentioned that everything for the spa is ordered from a company called Serenity. Is that right?”

I ask to test whether Matapang knows about the supplies ordered from Hidden Emerald Ranch. Seems like there’s 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.

“No, I guess he doesn’t know where everything comes from. Addie, she’s the stylist, she gets shampoos and dyes from a place called Triffic Tresses. Kel’s nail stuff comes from a company called Glitter and Gel.”

I wait, but he doesn’t mention Hidden Emerald Ranch.

“Mr. Merullo also mentioned herbal supplements that he uses in a class he teaches. Are you aware of those?”

“Sure am. He’s real picky about those. I’m not even supposed to open the boxes.”

Bingo.

“Mr. Merullo unpacks them himself?”

“Yeah. Leaves me the empty packaging to clean up, though.”

Considerate guy.

“Are they marked, the boxes with the herbal supplements in them?”

“With a green diamond. They don’t come from Serenity, either. I guess Mr. Merullo forgot about that.”

Doubtful. Now I know what I’m looking for.

“Gabe, thanks so much for your time. You’ve been tremendously helpful.”

“You’re welcome.” When I stand, he rises and shakes my hand. “You won’t mention this to Mr. Merullo, will you? He’s already had me written up a couple of times.”

“Not a word,” I promise. “My investigation’s confidential.”

And I don’t 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 they’re back and watching a movie.

Emily will be occupied for at least an hour, and she’s safe enough with Vashi with her. I text her to say I’m going out so she should put the manual latches on the doors, but that I’ll 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 doll’s 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 storm’s hit in earnest and, either because they don’t 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. I’m 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.