Free Cold Grave by Kathryn Fox

ship. Superstition says that one albatross means that the ship will be dogged by misfortune. Two of them have the older crew members really rattled . . .’
    They were still days from port.
    Anya asked Karen, ‘Who will notify Carlos’s family?’
    ‘Thankfully, not Doctor Sensitive.’ The nurse stared into the distance. ‘Head office will do that. These men are away from home for up to a year. They’re in close quarters with people who often don’t speak the same language as them or share the same basic beliefs. Hundreds of years of ethnic pride and tribal fighting aren’t easy to leave onshore. Guess I shouldn’t give Novak such a hard time. Who knows what he’s had to live through.’
    ‘Is ethnic fighting something you see much of?’ Martin probed.
    ‘Well, it isn’t surprising when you combine long hours, alcohol and confined spaces for lengthy periods. Anyone caught fighting is automatically sent home from the next port. Guess you have to give credit to the staff that relatively few incidents occur.’
    Anya thought that there might also be a wide variation in what constituted appropriate sexual behaviour and treatment of women. In certain cultures, men could feel entitled to sex, and in close quarters, there was a greater chance of incidents between crew. A crew member could have been with Lilly last night.
    The barman delivered a plate of antipasto, french fries and fresh bread. Martin tore open a bread roll and filled it with french fries. ‘Sounds like a tough life working onboard. Why do it?’
    ‘Money. It’s why most people are here. Earn money, see the world.’
    Not to get shot and lose both legs, Anya thought. ‘What happens at the end of all those months?’
    ‘We go back to where we came from and rest. If we’re good at our jobs, and stay out of trouble, we’re offered another contract. Officers tend to work three months on, then have a couple off, but crew can do eight to ten months before getting a break. Still, most of our guys keep coming back year after year.’
    ‘Is the money really worth it?’ Martin asked.
    ‘Tips can make it lucrative. And they’re an incentive to work harder for the guests.’
    Anya was curious, ‘What happens if the passengers refuse to tip?’
    ‘That’s the crunch. If the cabins are half empty, or if the guests don’t have the great time they imagined, tips don’t get paid. Other passengers spend up big on board, get the bill at the end and can’t afford to tip. It’s hospitality, so it’s unpredictable.’
    Martin seemed fascinated. ‘How easy is it to stay in touch with family?’
    ‘Easy, but it isn’t cheap. This cruise line blocks Skype or video-chatting because of the massive downloads involved. I write out all my emails in a Word document, then cut and paste them. Saves a mint on internet charges. I’m lucky the medical centre has twenty-four-hour access to anywhere in the world. The rest of the crew have to line up for hours just to get online.’
    Martin pursued the point. ‘Surely the company can spring for calls home?’
    ‘Would you want to be paying international calls for fourteen hundred crew members a day? I don’t blame them; they’re trying to run a business.’
    It had to be difficult. Anya thought of Junta and her baby in Jamaica. ‘But it’s not as if the staff have a choice being so far from home.’
    ‘This is the thing. They do.’ She sat forward. ‘Working on a cruise ship is a way out of poverty, and gives the next generation a better life. We all want that for our kids. Carlos probably lined up for days to get the chance to work here. There are hundreds who would take his place like –’ she snapped her fingers ‘– that. For him it was the opportunity of a lifetime. A few years on cruise ships would have paid for his home, and probably the education of his children.’
    Martin sipped his beer. ‘If there are hundreds of able-bodied employees wanting to take his place . . .’
    The three sat in silence