he turned his attention to April, cooing to her as he’d offered a pill and a tube of water to calm down the near-hysterical woman. She’d reacted quickly to the medication and now sat near the floor, still floating but slumped over in a half-conscious state.
Sam envied her.
“It’s bad,” Sean said.
“Yes.” She didn’t see any reason to fill him in on the details. “Thanks for the help.”
“It’s my job.” He gestured at the courtesan nearby. “I’ll get April back to her suite and get her settled. She should sleep for an hour or so once she goes down. I’ll go back to my cabin. Call me if you need me for anything else.” He hesitated. “Are you okay? Do you want something to take the edge off?” His gaze went again to the closed door. “This isn’t going away anytime soon.”
A hell of a strong drink , Sam’s inner voice screamed. She might have been wired before but this took it to whole new levels of stress. There was going to be hell to pay and not only for the killer, if and when they found him. Or her.
She was responsible for this.
She was the captain.
She drew in a deep breath, counting to three.
Just like the therapist said.
Letting it out on another three beats.
One, two, three.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She paused, trying to figure out how to phrase her question delicately. “Do you have company?” She winced inside, wondering how to swear his customer to secrecy. The gossip train would be running soon enough but she didn’t need to add more fuel to the fire by having Sean’s client know something was afoot. Having him run in and out with his medical kit wasn’t going to help keep this quiet.
Sean smiled. “I’m between customers. Seems a grumpy old man isn’t as appealing as he used to be.”
“Ah.” She didn’t know what to say to that. “Okay. I might have to call you again depending on how things go. Thanks for the help.”
He nodded and touched his index finger to his temple. “At your service.”
She wasn’t sure what else she could do but wait and stand guard.
Sean pulled April upright, whispering to her in that low Irish accent that had probably broken a thousand hearts.
April sniffled once and rubbed her eyes with both hands in an attempt to regain her composure before turning to Sam. “I’m sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for?” Sam replied.
“I should have—” The courtesan fumbled for words. “She—”
Sam held up her hand. “Go lie down. When the marshal arrives he’ll want a statement, and you should rest.”
She left out the part where April would be the most likely suspect. The first person to find the murdered woman usually was the one who did it.
Reading all those mystery novels had come in handy after all.
Good thing the
Belle
didn’t have any butlers on board.
Sean clucked his tongue, his hand tight around the slender woman’s waist. “You’re in no shape to be thinking about this right now. Come along, let’s get you into your home.” He nudged April toward her quarters. “Get settled and have a cuppa. That’ll set you right.” He caught Sam’s eye and nodded toward the locked door.
“Belle.” Sam heard the bolts retract.
Sean opened the hatch for April and helped her through. He gave Sam another weak salute, then pulled the door shut behind them.
“Let me know when he goes back to his own suite, Belle. Lock him in after he gets back and relock April’s door, same as the others.” A deep throbbing started behind her left eye. Right now they were all suspects, all of the crew and a good portion of the base personnel.
This wasn’t going to end well.
“Chief Medical Officer Danforth is at the entrance. I’ll send him through.” Belle’s voice was soft but firm. “He is alone.”
“Thank you.” Sam’s attention went to the end of the hallway. “Keep everything secure. No one moves, no one leaves. Anyone wants to dispute that, tell them to take a number and wait for me to call them
Sam envied her.
“It’s bad,” Sean said.
“Yes.” She didn’t see any reason to fill him in on the details. “Thanks for the help.”
“It’s my job.” He gestured at the courtesan nearby. “I’ll get April back to her suite and get her settled. She should sleep for an hour or so once she goes down. I’ll go back to my cabin. Call me if you need me for anything else.” He hesitated. “Are you okay? Do you want something to take the edge off?” His gaze went again to the closed door. “This isn’t going away anytime soon.”
A hell of a strong drink , Sam’s inner voice screamed. She might have been wired before but this took it to whole new levels of stress. There was going to be hell to pay and not only for the killer, if and when they found him. Or her.
She was responsible for this.
She was the captain.
She drew in a deep breath, counting to three.
Just like the therapist said.
Letting it out on another three beats.
One, two, three.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She paused, trying to figure out how to phrase her question delicately. “Do you have company?” She winced inside, wondering how to swear his customer to secrecy. The gossip train would be running soon enough but she didn’t need to add more fuel to the fire by having Sean’s client know something was afoot. Having him run in and out with his medical kit wasn’t going to help keep this quiet.
Sean smiled. “I’m between customers. Seems a grumpy old man isn’t as appealing as he used to be.”
“Ah.” She didn’t know what to say to that. “Okay. I might have to call you again depending on how things go. Thanks for the help.”
He nodded and touched his index finger to his temple. “At your service.”
She wasn’t sure what else she could do but wait and stand guard.
Sean pulled April upright, whispering to her in that low Irish accent that had probably broken a thousand hearts.
April sniffled once and rubbed her eyes with both hands in an attempt to regain her composure before turning to Sam. “I’m sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for?” Sam replied.
“I should have—” The courtesan fumbled for words. “She—”
Sam held up her hand. “Go lie down. When the marshal arrives he’ll want a statement, and you should rest.”
She left out the part where April would be the most likely suspect. The first person to find the murdered woman usually was the one who did it.
Reading all those mystery novels had come in handy after all.
Good thing the
Belle
didn’t have any butlers on board.
Sean clucked his tongue, his hand tight around the slender woman’s waist. “You’re in no shape to be thinking about this right now. Come along, let’s get you into your home.” He nudged April toward her quarters. “Get settled and have a cuppa. That’ll set you right.” He caught Sam’s eye and nodded toward the locked door.
“Belle.” Sam heard the bolts retract.
Sean opened the hatch for April and helped her through. He gave Sam another weak salute, then pulled the door shut behind them.
“Let me know when he goes back to his own suite, Belle. Lock him in after he gets back and relock April’s door, same as the others.” A deep throbbing started behind her left eye. Right now they were all suspects, all of the crew and a good portion of the base personnel.
This wasn’t going to end well.
“Chief Medical Officer Danforth is at the entrance. I’ll send him through.” Belle’s voice was soft but firm. “He is alone.”
“Thank you.” Sam’s attention went to the end of the hallway. “Keep everything secure. No one moves, no one leaves. Anyone wants to dispute that, tell them to take a number and wait for me to call them
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