Page 113 of Backtrack

“That’s okay,” Cutter said. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“She scarfed her food on purpose just to screw us over.”

Cutter pushed back his chair and dropped his napkin on the table. “I’ll stick with her,” he said. “You hang back here and find out what you can about this dog from Polina.” His phone buzzed in his pocket. “Hold that thought,” he said, digging it out while keeping an eye on Joellen, who had stopped to get a toothpick out of the little dispenser on the front desk. He turned the phone so the screen and thus the caller ID faced Lola. It was Ajit.

“Am I on speaker?” the security officer said when Cutter picked up.

“You are not,” Cutter said. “Lola and I are about to follow Joellen out of The Steak House.”

“I hope it was to your liking,” he said.

“Long story,” Cutter said. “What’s up?” Lola leaned in, and he held the phone slightly away from his ear.

“We have lost eyes on Leo,” Rishi piped up. “The last place we saw him was near the stairs on Deck 5. It looks like he was going down.”

“Lost eyes?” Lola said, loud enough to be heard on the other end.

“Rishi is trying to bring the system back up now,” Ajit said. “But I must confess, I am not hopeful.”

“Your security officer sabotaged it?” Cutter said.

“I am afraid so,” Ajit said. “I’m not able to raise Abraham Malosi on the radio. He was the very large man in the office when you first arrived. He’s a senior officer. Enough access that it would be possible for him to erase camera data or do something with the system.”

“Direct me where you want me to go,” Cutter said. “Hang on a second.” He turned to Lola. “Stay here. Follow up with Polina. I’ve got this.”

Lola folded the case file in half and stuffed it down the waistband of her slacks. “Malosi meansstrongin Samoan. I’m going with. If he’s the security guy I think Ajit’s talking about, he’s kind of the Polynesian version of Bamm-Bamm fromThe Flintstones. There might be violence—and I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

CHAPTER 51

Cutter called Joellen’s cell phone while he and Lola trotted toward the stairs that led down to Deck 4. She was just ahead and Cutter watched her ignore the call. He whistled, pointing at his phone, and then pushed her number again about the time he and Lola hit the first step.

“Listen to me,” he said when she picked up. “Ajit’s cameras are down. We’re going to find Leo on Deck 5. Go back to the restaurant and sit at our table. Ajit will clear it with the staff. I want you to stay in public places while we take care of this.”

“Arliss, I—”

“I’ll let you know what we find,” he said, and ended the call before she could argue.

Deck 5 formed a sort of dividing line between the paying passengers and the crew. There was a daycare, a video game arcade, and access to tenders that took passengers to shore at ports where the ship was unable to anchor. The medical center, complete with a small emergency care clinic and a dentist’s chair, was located just off the stairwell. All restaurants and cafes other than the crew mess were located on upper decks, leaving 5 all but deserted.

“He could be anywhere,” Lola whispered.

Cutter gestured at the stairs with an open hand. “Ajit said Leo was heading down the last time they saw him.”

“Just so I’m clear,” Lola said. “Security cameras are out over the entire ship?”

“Our view of Joellen’s door is on a different system,” Cutter said. “But everything else is offline.”

“That’s stuffed,” Lola said. “We find Malosi or Leo, I say we go ahead and confront their ass. We’re miles beyond pussyfootin’ around.”

“Yep.” Cutter picked up his pace, clearing two steps at once on the way down.

Unlike the wide carpeted stairwells between upper decks, the steps leading down below Deck 5 were concrete painted maritime gray. The door to Deck 4 was markedCREW ONLYbut left unlocked. Anyone who ventured beyond without the requisite crew badge was bound to be challenged.

Cutter and Lola were fine with that. They had badges, too, and in US waters, their badges trumped everything on the ship.

“Don’t go anywhere for the first time,” Lola muttered, footsteps echoing off the gray concrete. “Isn’t that what you always say?”

“I do,” Cutter said.