Page 75 of Days of Our Knives Cruise
As they make their way down the gangway, I notice Marlie’s ghost floating alongside them, her ethereal form shimmering in the morning sunlight.
“Wait,” I mutter. “What?” I frown slightly, confused. Usually, once a murder is solved, the ghost moves on to whatever awaits in the afterlife. Yet here she is, looking particularly pleased with herself. I quickly grab hold of both Bess’s and Nettie’s hands. If someone is touching me, then they, too, can hear clear to the other side.
“The Man Upstairs gave me another day pass,” Marlie explains with a wink. “I plan on haunting the pants off my ex for twenty-four hours straight. It serves him right for landing me in the afterlife in the first place. Besides...” She strikes a dramatic pose that instantly transforms her into Victoria Darkmore, complete with glowing yellow eyes and hair that looks as if she licked a light socket. “Revenge is a dish best served with supernatural special effects!”
I can’t help but laugh as Bess and Nettie clap up a storm.
“Give him the full poltergeist treatment, honey,” Bess calls out, not caring who hears her apparently talking to thin air.
“Make his toupee fly around the room!” Nettie adds with a whoop.
As the last of the passengers disembark, leaving just our little group on the gangway, Elodie turns to Wes. “So, Captain, where are we headed next? Please tell me somewhere with better shopping than fjord country. My commission this trip was pathetic.”
Wes smiles, his captain’s formality softening. “After we enjoy a wonderful day in Copenhagen, we’ll be departing tonight for a ten-day adventure through Iceland.”
“Iceland?” Bess gasps, clutching Nettie’s arm. “You mean volcanoes and geothermal pools and the Northern Lights and those adorable puffins?”
“That’s right,” Wes confirms. “The land of fire and ice awaits.”
“Iceland!” I can’t contain my excitement while bouncing on my toes and throwing my arms around Ransom’s neck. “I can hardly wait to see the land of the midnight sun with you!” I plant a kiss on his cheek at the thought of our next adventure.
“Actually, Iceland isn’t the land of the midnight sun,” Ransom corrects gently. “That’s primarily northern Norway and Sweden during summer. Iceland does have extremely long daylight hours in summer, but?—”
“Facts later, romance now,” I interrupt, kissing him again to stop the geography lesson.
The pleasant moment is broken by the appearance of Quinn Riddle. Her security uniform is immaculate as always, and her expression is uncharacteristically grave. And the lightness in the air evaporates instantly in her presence. Figures.
“Ransom,” she says without preamble. “I’ve heard back from Royal Lineage Cruise Lines.”
She steps past me to hand Wes a folder containing several official looking documents. The captain’s face goes white as he scansthe contents, his eyes darting up to meet Ransom’s with an expression I can only describe as dread.
“Wes?” I lean his way with bated breath. “What is it? Did they decide to uphold the suspension?”
Wes swallows hard, looking genuinely pained. “No. You’re officially reinstated, Trixie.”
Bess, Nettie, and I all let out a whoop of approval!
“I’ve never been so glad to be back,” I say, laughing before looking back at Wes, who doesn’t seem to be sharing in my joy. “Wes? You said I was reinstated, right?”
“That’s right, Trixie. You’re back where you belong.” He offers a somber nod to Ransom. “It’s you they’re after. I’m sorry, Ransom. Your position on the ship has been terminated. You’ve been fired from theEmerald Queen of the Seas.”
“What?” I hiss without meaning to.
The words hit like a physical blow. Ransom’s hand finds mine, and he offers up a gentle squeeze even as his face remains professionally composed.
Any joy we just shared has been replaced by stunned disbelief.
The Danish sun shines bright and oblivious, even as the future tilts off course.
Life, I’m learning, behaves a lot like a soap opera—just when you think the episode is ending on smiles and kisses, the writers slip in one final twist.
Only this isn’tThe Young and the Vengeful, where everything resets after a commercial break. This is real life—our life—and the next chapter feels as uncharted as the Icelandic waters ahead, especially without our security chief at the helm.
