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Authors: Laura Charles
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come to an end, though the passengers had undoubtedly seen better service than they'd received from her today. After her shift was over, Jessica took a walk on one of the upper decks to watch the sunset. Sunsets, were, after all, one of the great perks of working on a ship. They were always beautiful.
What am I supposed to do now?, she wondered. She didn't want to spend the next five months on the ship, especially without Ryan. She was really eager to find out what happened to him and to find out the truth about whether he was really a spy. In the meantime, she was forbidden to leave the ship, in deep trouble with ship's security, and possibly in trouble with the law...in some country or another. She wasn't even sure which one.
I guess all of these things will sort themselves out in time. I'll just have to be patient. What else can I do?
Chapter 8
The next few weeks were grueling for Jessica. When the ship docked in Miami, the police were there to talk to her.
She met with Detective Johnson, who met her in an empty office at the port. He was a tall, thin man, who didn't appear to have much of a sense of humor. He was, at least, cordial.
“Good morning, Miss Steel. Cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you.” Jessica was nervous.
“Please tell me about your involvement with Ryan Stevens.”
“I have no involvement with Ryan Stevens. I met him on the ship. We had a couple of drinks. We had a date on the beach. He disappeared. That's all I know.”
“Are you sure? The ship has surveillance video of you and Mr. Stevens in the ship's engine room. What were you doing down there with him?” He took a sip of his coffee from a Styrofoam cup.
“He told me that he was a mechanic. He took me on a tour of that part of the ship, and that included the engine room. I'd never seen it, and I thought it might be interesting.”
Jessica didn't mention that she and Ryan had engaged in some hot, steamy sex in that engine room. Somehow, she didn't think that Detective Johnson would appreciate that or find it amusing.
“You know that only authorized personnel are allowed in the engine room. Your presence there suggests that you may have been helping Mr. Stevens engage in espionage.”
Jessica bristled at the suggestion. “I had nothing to do with that. We were friends. That is all.”
“That's your story? You just met this man, had a couple of dates, and you just happened to accompany him to the very part of the ship that interested him as a spy?” His look suggested that he didn't believe a word she was saying.
“That's the only story I have. It's the truth. I'm sorry that I can't help you further.”
“Fine. You may go. You will make yourself available if I need to ask you some more questions, won't you?”
“Yes. I still have several months left on my contract and I intend to fulfill it. I'll be in Miami roughly once a week for the next few months.”
“Thank you for your time, Miss Steel.” He stood up and held the door open for her.
This wasn't the first time that Jessica had been interviewed by the police. She had almost identical interviews with the police in the Cayman Islands, with representatives from the cruise line, and even with officials from the Japanese government, as shipbuilder MHI is a Japanese company.
They all asked the same questions, and Jessica gave them the same answers. She didn't know any more about Ryan than they did.
Except, of course, that in addition to being an exceptional thief, he was also an exceptional lover. Jessica was feeling pretty conflicted about Ryan right now. Sure, he'd deceived her. Had she known he was a spy, she'd never have become involved with him.
But then again - what kind of spy tells people, “By the way, I'm a spy?”
She was angry with Ryan. She felt hurt and deceived. He
What am I supposed to do now?, she wondered. She didn't want to spend the next five months on the ship, especially without Ryan. She was really eager to find out what happened to him and to find out the truth about whether he was really a spy. In the meantime, she was forbidden to leave the ship, in deep trouble with ship's security, and possibly in trouble with the law...in some country or another. She wasn't even sure which one.
I guess all of these things will sort themselves out in time. I'll just have to be patient. What else can I do?
Chapter 8
The next few weeks were grueling for Jessica. When the ship docked in Miami, the police were there to talk to her.
She met with Detective Johnson, who met her in an empty office at the port. He was a tall, thin man, who didn't appear to have much of a sense of humor. He was, at least, cordial.
“Good morning, Miss Steel. Cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you.” Jessica was nervous.
“Please tell me about your involvement with Ryan Stevens.”
“I have no involvement with Ryan Stevens. I met him on the ship. We had a couple of drinks. We had a date on the beach. He disappeared. That's all I know.”
“Are you sure? The ship has surveillance video of you and Mr. Stevens in the ship's engine room. What were you doing down there with him?” He took a sip of his coffee from a Styrofoam cup.
“He told me that he was a mechanic. He took me on a tour of that part of the ship, and that included the engine room. I'd never seen it, and I thought it might be interesting.”
Jessica didn't mention that she and Ryan had engaged in some hot, steamy sex in that engine room. Somehow, she didn't think that Detective Johnson would appreciate that or find it amusing.
“You know that only authorized personnel are allowed in the engine room. Your presence there suggests that you may have been helping Mr. Stevens engage in espionage.”
Jessica bristled at the suggestion. “I had nothing to do with that. We were friends. That is all.”
“That's your story? You just met this man, had a couple of dates, and you just happened to accompany him to the very part of the ship that interested him as a spy?” His look suggested that he didn't believe a word she was saying.
“That's the only story I have. It's the truth. I'm sorry that I can't help you further.”
“Fine. You may go. You will make yourself available if I need to ask you some more questions, won't you?”
“Yes. I still have several months left on my contract and I intend to fulfill it. I'll be in Miami roughly once a week for the next few months.”
“Thank you for your time, Miss Steel.” He stood up and held the door open for her.
This wasn't the first time that Jessica had been interviewed by the police. She had almost identical interviews with the police in the Cayman Islands, with representatives from the cruise line, and even with officials from the Japanese government, as shipbuilder MHI is a Japanese company.
They all asked the same questions, and Jessica gave them the same answers. She didn't know any more about Ryan than they did.
Except, of course, that in addition to being an exceptional thief, he was also an exceptional lover. Jessica was feeling pretty conflicted about Ryan right now. Sure, he'd deceived her. Had she known he was a spy, she'd never have become involved with him.
But then again - what kind of spy tells people, “By the way, I'm a spy?”
She was angry with Ryan. She felt hurt and deceived. He
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