Free Hula Done It? by Maddy Hunter Page B

slow, loosey-goosey shake, as if it were attached to the rest of her body by a flimsy rubber band. “I’m not going back there. It was so noisy down there with people coming and going, I checked myself out. I told them I’d get a better night’s sleep in my own cabin.” She slapped her palm over her mouth and yawned. “I’m so sleepy. But I need to stay awake long enough to pack.”
    “Pack? Are you leaving?”
    “Right after I give a statement to the Kauai police tomorrow. The only reason I was on this trip was to assist Professor Smoker. After what’s happened” — she swallowed a sob — “I don’t think I’m quite up for the carnival atmosphere on the
Aloha Princess
. Virgos have an almost compulsive need to plan ahead, so I guess I’ll fly home and figure out where I go from here.”
    I couldn’t fault her there. After my marriage ended, I’d gone home to regroup, too, but unlike Bailey, at least I’d had a family waiting to give me support.
    “So I guess this is good-bye.” She offered her hand in a formal handshake but looked uncomfortable when our palms made contact. “Hey, it was nice meeting you, Emily. I just wish it could have been under more pleasant circumstances. Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.”
    “Um —” I stood there awkwardly, caught between the classic rock and hard place. “I don’t want to frighten you, but I think you should know that some people on board know you’re the person who witnessed Professor Smoker’s murder.”
    Bailey shrugged. “Doesn’t surprise me. I suppose it was bound to get out.”
    “Yeah, but if that’s the case, wouldn’t you be safer sleeping in the infirmary tonight? I’m not implying that you’re a target, but if you are, I’d think you’d be better off in a place where there are lots of other people around.” People who were sick, lame, and drugged, but people nonetheless.
    Her eyes narrowed pensively. “I actually gave that some thought while I was lying in my hospital bed. After what you implied this afternoon, every time someone passed by my door, I jumped a little, wondering if —” She paused. “Like I told you, there are way too many people down there, any one of whom could slip into a room undetected and take care of any business that needed finishing up. That’s one of the reasons I decided to leave. Unlike my infirmary room, my cabin has a dead bolt, and I intend to use it. The only way anyone will get at me tonight is if they beat the door down.”
    That made me feel better. I loved it when people opted not to be stupid. “Do you need an escort to your door? It’s my specialty.”
    “You’re a professional escort?” She regarded my scoopneck tee and walking shorts with a critical eye, looking confused and disillusioned. “Aren’t escorts supposed to dress scandalously hot? You know — fishnet stockings? Stiletto heels? Sequins?”
    “I
am
dressed hot, for Iowa.” I smiled good-naturedly. “Actually, I’m not that kind of escort.”
    She arched her brows, still skeptical. “If you say so. Anyway, thanks again for everything.”
    She disappeared amid the crowd of casually dressed couples who were queuing up to smile for the camera prior to their first dinner aboard the
Aloha Princess
. I envied her being able to escape the mandatory Kodak moment. Margi and I had tried to sneak into the dining room without having to pose for our official photo, but the photographer had turned into the “picture police” by corralling us near the doorway and posing us like manikins in front of an ugly clip art panel of the ship. “Say cheese,” he’d instructed with drill sergeant exactness.
    I’d looked into the camera and forced a smile, but the word I mouthed had nothing to do with “cheese.”
    With four hours to go until the buffet line closed, I maneuvered my way into the elevator and zipped up to the welcome quiet of deck eleven. To my left was a glassed-in area set up like a backyard patio where guests could