Claire Gulliver #04 - Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (2 page)

Copyright © 2007 by Gayle Wigglesworth

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from Gayle Wigglesworth, except for the inclusion of quotations in a review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2007936849
ISBN: 978-0-9825519-4-3

As always happens when writing a book, I am confronted with how little I know about so many things. I then have to find the answers. In this book, besides dragging my good-natured husband off on yet another cruise to Alaska, I also had to seek out some experts. I would like to thank them all for their help, but I would like to specifically thank these people for explaining things to me. Thank you to Charlie Mongeon, M.D., who is a good friend of my dear friends. He shared his experiences in serving as a ship’s doctor on a major cruise line for several years after retiring from practice. Thank you to my good, long-time friend, Barry Price, who was willing to answer my questions about some fuzzy aspects of California law. Thank you to my brother, Gib Coates, who helped me with some of the questions I had about the use of deadly drugs. Thank you Martin Lorin, M.D. who caught more than a few mistaken commas, his medical expertise saved me from showing my ignorance to everyone. And I especially want to thank Duane Miller of Juneau Alaska, who didn’t panic when I told him I was looking for a spot to
dump
a body. He really got into the spirit of the hunt and willingly shared his knowledge of the area with me.

And again thank you to my daughter Janet Hancock, my sister, Teresa Grill and my husband, Dave, for reading this manuscript in its early stages and being brave enough to critique it for me.

I want to state these people are not responsible if I didn’t get it right. I freely admit to taking liberties on occasion, for instance the story of the Princess Sophia is true, whether or not the people in my story were actually onboard is doubtful. Also, there is not, to my knowledge, a cruise line named Call of the Seas, nor a ship named Dreamy Seas, but there are many similar. Additionally, some of these names or people may be similar to people you know, but I assure you they are all figments of my imagination and not meant to portray any actual persons. And lastly, while any mistakes I made have to be laid on my shoulders, I have tried very hard to get it all right.

I want to dedicate this book to all those people who have shared the cruising experience with my husband and me during the past several years. Especially, I dedicate this to those who accompanied us on that first cruise to Alaska; my sister Connie and her husband Bob, my niece, Leslie and her friend, Enda, my friend, Sherrill, my friend since eighth grade, Vanya and her husband Jerry, and of course my husband, Dave. I confess I borrowed heavily from that experience.

“Are you crazy?” His tone was incredulous. He just couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Now wait a minute Sean.” Ian laid on a thick brogue, even knowing his brother was immune to the charm of it. “Don’t be hasty. It’ll be fun. Like old times. Come on, surely you haven’t lost all your sense of adventure. I can’t believe you’ve morphed into a senile lump of a man. And what else will be you doing with your time?”

Sean didn’t say anything, so Ian pressed on. “You won’t be involved. It’s just a trip we’re taking. And what could be more innocent? Thousands of people do it every year. Just two doddering old fools off to see the world.”

He laughed. “Well, all right, not the world, just Alaska. But everyone wants to see it. Everyone our age has dreamed of going. What would be more natural than us deciding to take a trip to celebrate my retirement? It’s perfect.”

“Ian, you said you were retiring. And I’ve been out of it for forty years. I have no intention of getting back in the game, and you know that.” Sean’s gruff voice was loud as if volume alone could convince his brother.

“Sean, Sean, I would never ask you to get involved. I understand you completely. And if it was me who found the girl of my dreams, then I too, would have given it all up as you did. I promise you, you won’t be implicated. You won’t even know what I’m up to. You’re just along for the ride and, of course, for cover.

“Sean, truly it will be a grand adventure. This is a wonderful ship, top of the line. We’ll meet interesting people, visit historic towns in Alaska and be pampered for twelve days. And I’ll be paying for everything. You’ll have a vacation for free. What do you say, Sean? Will you join me?”

His voice became husky as he admitted, “I need you, you see. With you, we’d just be two aging brothers getting reacquainted while fulfilling one of our dreams. Without you I would be alone, odd, noticeable.”

Sean stirred uncomfortably while he considered his brother’s request. And if something did go wrong? How would he explain it to his kids? What would his grandchildren say? No one knew this part of his history.

Ian was smart enough to remain silent while Sean mulled over his proposition. In all their lives Ian had never asked Sean for his help, even though they both knew Sean owed Ian plenty.

“Why do you have to do this one last job? Why press your luck?” Sean wished it would just go away so he wouldn’t have to make a decision.

“This is important to me, Sean. I have to do this one. It’s a perfect set up and I promise you, nothing will go wrong.”

“How do you know?” he asked suspiciously, as if he didn’t already know Ian was certain of his facts.

“I have my sources. I’ve been working on this ever since I decided to retire.” His voice was filled with regret as he admitted, “Hell, you know I don’t really want to retire, but I’ve noticed little things. I’m not as strong as I was, or as sure of myself. But for sure I’m smart enough to realize I need to get out while I can. Still, I promised myself this one last job before I retire. And I’m going to do it. All these years I’ve waited for just the right opportunity, but it never came. Now suddenly it’s here. Now is the time and I need your help, Sean.”

Sean was annoyed at his brother for putting him in this position, unwilling to agree, yet unable to refuse. “How can you get it off the ship? What if they search us?”

“Sean, Sean, don’t worry about what you don’t want to know about. We’ll be as distressed and outraged as anyone. I’m prepared. I know you’ve been out of it, but surely you remember how good we were. How good I am. We were never caught and for good reason. I don’t intend to be caught this time either.

“Just pack your dinner jacket and a snow parka and meet me in San Francisco. I’m sending you the information in the mail with the plane tickets. We’ll have a great time.

“And Sean...? Thanks. I really appreciate this.”

After Sean hung up he realized he hadn’t actually agreed to go, but then he shrugged. It didn’t matter; he was going. Ian knew him too well. And really, now that he was retired he had plenty of time to dawdle away. It may as well be on a cruise to Alaska.

Claire was breathless with anxiety as she hurried forward, awkwardly clutching the jackets she had retrieved from their cabins. Growing up in San Francisco she had witnessed countless gleaming ocean liners slipping under the bridge in pursuit of adventure on the high seas. Finally, she was on one and she didn’t want to miss a moment of that experience.

She reached a jog in the narrow passage and randomly selected the right path as she continued toward the forward bank of elevators, which would take her to the top of the ship. However, halfway down the corridor a door opened and people crowded out into the corridor, blocking her way. She paused, giving them time to move down the hall in front of her, but they didn’t.

A tall, well-dressed man leaned over a bent old lady, his concern apparent on his face. The old lady had a death grip on his arm and was visibly upset about something as she insisted, “I won’t. This is just too ridiculous.”

The third person, a middle-aged woman, danced with nervousness, her face screwed into a determined grimace. “It’s all been arranged. You can’t just...”