Darkest Journey (Krewe of Hunters #20)(84)

Alexi was peeking out the doorway as Ethan tersely explained the situation to Jude.

“Might suggest we’ve been wrong and someone on the ship is our killer,” Jude said.

“It might, but the ship has been at the dock in St. Francisville all day, too,” Ethan said. “Someone could have sneaked aboard.”

“I’ll step out so you can go in and change,” Jude said to Charlie, nodding toward the pile of clothing in her arms.

“Thanks,” she said.

As soon as she closed the door, Alexi looked at Charlie questioningly.

“There was a message on the mirror, written in lipstick,” Charlie explained. “It said ‘You’re next.’”

Alexi shook her head. “Something similar happened on the Destiny. My guess is it means someone thinks you’re getting close.”

“Why would they think I’m getting close?” Charlie asked.

Alexi looked at her grimly. “Because even though you don’t realize it yet, you must know the killer,” she said quietly. “And that scares him. Or her,” she added.

“You think a woman could have done this? Wielded an Enfield with a bayonet attached?” Charlie said, slipping out of her clothes and into her costume. She turned so Alexi could tighten the corset. “Jennie McPherson’s name keeps coming up, but she’s about the size of a mouse.”

“She might not have done the killing herself. There could be two or even more people involved,” Alexi told her. “Women are willing to do strange things for the men they love—and vice versa, of course.”

“Including kill?”

“Maybe,” Alexi murmured.

There was a tap at the door, and after checking through the peephole, Alexi opened it to let Clara in.

The most effusive of their group, she threw her arms around Charlie. “You okay?” she asked.

Charlie nodded. “Oddly enough, though I admit I’m scared, I’m angry, too.”

“Good. Angry is good,” Clara said firmly. “Anyway, you guys ready to go? Jude is going to walk us to the dining room and stay with us. Ethan and Thor are going to wait for the forensics team and talk to Laurent when he gets here.”

“It’s a plan,” Charlie murmured.

They headed out to the hall, where the three Krewe agents waited.

“Showtime,” Alexi said.

“You going to be okay?” Ethan asked Charlie. “Alexi and Clara could go on without you.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m fine. And hopefully Captain Derue will be back, and his men are there. One of them might even have seen something. Besides, I’m not afraid of lipstick on a mirror.”

Ethan smiled at her, a smile that was grim but admiring. She wished she deserved his admiration, but she really hadn’t done anything other than not fall apart completely.

“I’ll have a new cabin settled by the time you’re finished with the second show,” he promised.

As they walked down the hall, Charlie looked at her companions. “How hard would it have been for someone to have gotten on the ship?” she asked. “I mean, someone who isn’t supposed to be here?”

“Well, security’s not as tight as when you’re traveling internationally,” Jude said from where he was walking a few feet behind them.

“Tight?” Clara gave what sounded almost like an unladylike snort. “They allow prospective cruisers on during the day. They supposedly scan IDs, but the procedure is pretty casual. I was down on the Promenade Deck the other day with Thor, and we could see how easy it was to come aboard. Of course, there’s supposed to be a count at the end of the day. It makes sure everyone who got on is off, but...”

Charlie lowered her voice. “So it’s conceivable someone from St. Francisville got on the Journey sometime during the day and went to my cabin to write that message?”

“Just about anything is conceivable,” Alexi said.

“In this case, I’d say it goes beyond conceivable to quite possible,” Clara added. “And it’s not like they had to smuggle a weapon on. We’re talking about a lipstick. No one would look twice.” She slipped her arm around Charlie’s shoulders. “But you’ve got nothing to worry about. You have us.”

“All of us,” Alexi added.

Charlie smiled, thinking about the friends who’d just vowed to protect her. A piano-bar hostess and a soprano with the voice of an angel. Not exactly a couple of Navy SEALs.

But she knew both of them had survived terrible ordeals to be where they were now, and even if they weren’t gun-toting bodyguards themselves, they came with a pair of them. And then there was Ethan, of course. Her skin flushed at the thought of him.

“I’m tired of everything pointing at my father, who would certainly never hurt me. Or anyone else, for that matter. I’m angry, and I want to shake someone to get to the truth,” Charlie said as they reached the dining room.

As soon as they entered, she saw that Captain Derue and his men were there. Every single one of them, from those who could stand to those who were too weak to rise from their sickbeds, saluted the four of them.

For a moment, they all stood dead still.

This was worth it. Whatever happened to her here aboard the Journey, this was worth it.

They saluted in return, then headed to the small stage to warm up.