Darkest Journey (Krewe of Hunters #20)(85)

Soon the diners began to file in. Charlie watched for Ethan and Thor, but they didn’t appear.

Neither did her father.

Captain Derue was in front of the stage as they ended, watching as if mesmerized, applauding enthusiastically. As the diners headed out to allow the room to be set up for the second seating, he approached Charlie, looking clearly concerned.

“You’re all right?” he inquired anxiously.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Some of my men say they saw some of the same people on board today who were here the day of the reenactment. The petite woman was one.”

“Jennie? Jennie McPherson, the makeup artist you saw on set today?”

“Early, very early,” the captain said. “The others...a bit later. There were three of them, and they went in different directions.”

Charlie nodded, glancing around. A robust woman in a long blue gown had cornered Alexi and Clara. Jude was on his phone.

She looked down as she spoke, trying to make sure—if she was being observed—that it didn’t look like she was talking to herself.

“Captain, someone wrote a threat on the mirror in my cabin. They used lipstick so it would look like blood.”

He looked at her gravely. “We’re afraid for you. Me, my men—and Anson, too. He believes the killer may think you found the body of Farrell Hickory because you’d seen something that indicated where to look, perhaps that you’ve even seen the murderer himself.”

“But I didn’t see anything. I couldn’t have seen anything. The evidence shows he was killed the night before I found him,” Charlie said.

“Perhaps the killer thinks you know something else, then. It doesn’t matter. You must be careful. Please, be very careful.”

Charlie nodded solemnly. “I will be. Thank you.”

He had faded away before she finished speaking, leaving her talking to the air.

“Charlie?”

She turned to see Alexi looking at her worriedly and walked over to lean on the piano so she could tell her about the captain’s warning and what the men had seen.

“Wasn’t Jennie on set today?” Alexi asked her.

“She was, but he said it was very early, so it could have been before she had to be on set. Do you think she wrote on my mirror? Ethan and I did go up top for breakfast,” Charlie said. “I just can’t see her having the strength to kill the men the way they were killed.”

“Maybe she didn’t kill them but did write on your mirror,” Alexi suggested.

Clara moved over to the piano to join them. Jude was still on the phone, but he was watching them as he talked.

“I’m thinking about spending the night at my dad’s house in St. Francisville,” Charlie said, after they’d brought Clara up to speed. “I don’t want to be in that cabin again. I don’t know why, because I’m not actually afraid when I’m with Ethan, but I just feel it has been touched by something dirty, something evil. Silly, huh?”

“We can switch cabins,” Alexi offered.

“That’s too much trouble just because I’m being ridiculous. It’s only about ten minutes from the ship to my house, and the Journey doesn’t leave port until ten thirty. I don’t think Ethan will mind if we stay at the house tonight.”

“He won’t mind doing anything that makes you feel safe.”

Jude walked over to the piano, pocketing his phone. “Ethan and Thor have gone down to the station with Randy Laurent. They’re going to enhance some of the ship’s video surveillance footage and try to find out who might have been on the ship. I’m not sure when they’ll be back.”

“Charlie doesn’t want to sleep in her cabin tonight,” Alexi told him.

“Charlie and Ethan can have our cabin,” Jude said.

“I already offered, but Charlie doesn’t want to put us out,” Alexi said.

“I kind of want to get off the ship tonight,” Charlie said.

“Do we know how long Ethan and Thor are going to be?” Clara asked. “We could all go to Charlie’s house and wait for them, even all spend the night there. Ethan and Thor could just meet us there whenever they finished.”

“After your second set, we’ll figure out what to do,” Jude said.

“Have you seen my dad?” Charlie asked him.

“No, he hasn’t come in here,” Jude said.

“Would you see if you can find him?” Charlie asked. “I’m worried about him. He’s always here for our shows.”

“I’ll send someone,” Jude assured her.

“You could just run down to his cabin,” Charlie said.

“Not on your life. No way am I leaving the three of you,” Jude told her firmly. “I’m sure your dad is okay, but I will send someone. Meanwhile, I think your next set of people are coming in.”

Jude smiled and walked over to the table where he planned to sit for the second show. Several diners approached the Belles before sitting down to ask them to reprise one song or another from a previous night.

Finally everyone was seated, and the trio launched into their opening medley, after which Charlie began the story of the Journey and how she’d changed hands several times between North and South.

“And now she’s an Irish-American ship,” Clara piped in, which got a laugh.