Drama on the Caribbean Express, page 1
Drama on the Caribbean Express
By
David Helmreich
A Jersey Walcott Novel
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2010 David Helmreich
Watch for other titles by David Helmreich at Smashwords.com
Jersey awoke in the middle of the night, something was wrong. He looked at Maggie, she was sound asleep. It was three in the morning and the engines had stopped. On a ship that’s nine hundred feet long and has two thousand passengers on board it takes a lot of power to drive it through the water. The modern GE gas turbine engines that turn the diesel generators supply thirty three thousand horsepower to the propeller shafts. With all that power below deck, normally there is a dull rumble throughout the ship. You get used to it, so when it’s not there it’s quite noticeable
We had arrived in Ft. Lauderdale two days before we were to board. Maggie had wanted to do some shopping for cruise wear, whatever that is. So without spending a small fortune we were able to update our cruise and island outfits. One night we went to South Beach and ate at Joe’s Stone Crab and then walked the sidewalks for several blocks taking in the sights; they sure have some weird looking people in that area. A block away from the restaurant, two guys approached us holding hands, when they got real close they unclasped them. One had short spiky hair the other had longer hair, quite curly. They were clean and polite as they asked us if we could help them. I’m not intimating but I can put on my nasty face if I need to. My size also might cause anyone to reconsider getting violent with me. I weigh around two hundred and ten and am six feet two. I was heavier when I played football at Ohio State since I was playing opposite a two seventy and three hundred pound linemen.
The guy with the curls asked, “Could we borrow your room for a while?”
I was so shocked I was speechless and Maggie was trying to keep from laughing. Without thinking about what they wanted it for, I asked, “How much?”
Curly said, “Two hundred for two hours.”
I replied, “Are you insane?”
“No sir, I’m not, actually, you two could be in the room with us, if you want.”
I said, “No I don’t think that would work, fine someone else.”
We walked on shocked and speechless.
Maggie said, “Wow, I guess it happens, just never thought it would happen to us. Is this the direction the country is going? Yikes, I hope not.”
On Saturday, we boarded the Victoria for an eight day cruise. We spent the first day at sea on our way to the Bahamas. It was our first stop and was very nice. Our ship’s passengers had access to the Atlantis Resort, which is on Paradise Island the biggest and newest resort in the Bahamas. It’s connected to the main island by two bridges. We found a cab and headed over there. First thing we did upon getting there was head to their pool, it was spectacular. Maggie had been working on her tan back in Columbus, in other words she had been going to the tanning salon, so she had a nice glow on her skin. I was actually looking kind of pasty white. She got to sit in the sunshine but I was careful, so I stayed in the shade to protect my delicate skin. In just a few days of a little swimming and being near the ocean, I would develop some color on my body. After lunch at the poolside grill, we went inside to the casino; they have four of them at the Atlantis. We picked the most casual one since we were now in shorts, sandals and tee shirts. I liked to play craps as I was good with numbers and knew the game. Maggie liked it too, she usually bet the same way I did. After awhile she got tired of that and went to the blackjack table. I was ahead about four hundred. I dropped out and took my chips and cashed out. Maggie was betting the farm at the blackjack table, but she also had a huge pile of chips in front of her. When I looked closer, her chips were all twenty dollar chips. She must have had five hundred dollars worth. Showing on the table, she had two aces which she split and bet a hundred on each one. The first card was a five, which gave her sixteen; the card on the second ace was a nine which gave her twenty. The dealer had a queen showing and drew a five; he was required to draw again. He drew a ten, which put him over. Maggie collected her four hundred dollars and got up from the table with the rest of her winnings. I got the stink eye, letting me know that I wasn’t the only one who could win. She cashed out and let me know she had won seven hundred twenty five dollars.
She then said, “So what’s new, big boy?”
“I think dinner is on you, lucky,” I said.
When a cruise ship is in port you can go on and off at any time, dinner is available and everything is open as usual. Final boarding is nine o’clock.
We wandered outside and decided a drink and people watching were in order. Maggie noticed some seats in the shade near the pool, so that’s where we headed. I flagged down a waiter and ordered two margaritas. We noticed some others from the ship and assumed this was a popular place to gather. I was feeling gritty and sweaty from the sun and lotion so I suggested we head back to the ship and get cleaned up, then have a nice dinner in one of the restaurants. Maggie liked that idea too. It was very assuring that brain one and brain two worked in unison. I can’t tell you how many times we both thought of the same idea at the same time. I often wondered if we were connected through brain waves or something.
We went to the main entrance thinking we would take a cab. We saw a shuttle bus parked off to the side that said, ‘Shuttle to Docks’. I walked over and awoke the driver.
I asked, “Do you go down to the cruise ships?”
“Yes mon,” He replied.
“How much?”
“Oh, it is free for da guests, the lady too?”
“Yes the lady too.”
“Oh, then it is twenty bucks, plus tip.”
I said, “What did you say?”
“Just jiven wit ya mon, it’s all free.”
The driver obliviously had an easy going and fun personality. He inquired where we were from and if we were enjoying everything.
I said, “Yes we’re having a great time.”
He said, “Dots impotent, life is too short to not enjoy.”
We arrived at the pier; I thanked him for the ride and gave him twenty dollars.
“Nah, you don’t have to do dat, I just kiddin ya,” he said.
We boarded the ship around five and went to the cabin to clean up. I jumped into the shower and got out quickly and started to shave. Maggie had fallen asleep on the bed but woke up when I was looking in the closet for something to wear. She stretched and yawned, got up and went into the bathroom. I heard the shower running and had some thoughts but didn’t follow through on any of them. She came out of the bathroom wrapped a towel, looking fresh and invigorating. We walked up to the lobby area; where they post the dinner options and specials that each dining room offers. We picked the ‘Starlite Lounge’ and headed that way. As we were waiting to be seated, we struck up a conversation with a couple from Dallas, Texas. Like us, this was their first cruise and they were enjoying it. They liked the ship and the crew; they thought the food and service were outstanding. Maggie asked them if they would like to join us for dinner and they agreed that would be very nice. We were seated next to a port window and ordered a round of drinks. It was maybe a half an hour till sunset, it was picture perfect outside.
The water was a beautiful azure color, the days were bright and the nights clear. I remember Louie Armstrong singing, “It’s a wonderful world.” On a cruise ship there is a lot of lounging around on deck, also a lot of eating at a number locations for each meal, and some gambling. Not to mention drinking nonstop.
We both talked about the days activities; they had spent most of the day in downtown Nassau, sightseeing and shopping. We told them about our good luck gambling and sitting by the pool, eating and drinking. Maggie, with good sense, didn’t mention how much we won. I think she was worried about getting mugged. I noticed a band was starting to set up in the corner.
I said, “I can stand to hear about one set as I’m pooped from all the sun and water, not to mention the margaritas.”
They all agreed they had had a full day and were ready to turn in shortly. The band got set up and started off with a Jimmy Buffet song, which seemed appropriate, then followed with the Beach Boys. I gave Maggie the high sign, meaning it was time to go. We settled the bill and said how we enjoyed the company.
The engines being off bothered me. Now that I was awake, I decided to take a walk around. I left a note for Maggie and told her to stay in the cabin with the door locked. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for but was curious about the engines stopping. Maybe it was perfectly normal for some kind of maintenance in the middle of the night, but I didn’t think so.
Walking around a cruise ship at three in the morning is a little eerie. The passageway lights are dimmed. None of the stores are open and the casinos closed an hour ago. I went as far down as the elevator would go, that put me on level one. I knew there were several levels below this for the engines, trash, and storage. I found a door that was labeled authorized personnel only. I tried the knob and it swung open. I was in a small room about ten by ten with an information board on the wall. To the left was storage and maintenance; to the right was engineering and mechanical. I chose going to the right and went down a long corridor. I opened one of the doors off the corridor and found myself on a catwalk overlooking the engines, miles of piping, big pumps, compressors and assorted other mechanical types of things. It was dead quiet, not a noise anywhere. Looking at an engine room that was the size of a city lot w
Then I saw on the lower level a small room with a window overlooking the equipment. I thought I saw some movement in it, so I moved a little bit to my left. I saw three men inside talking and waving their hands. I didn’t want to be discovered so I backed up out of sight.
It was a dangerous for a ship this size or any size not to be under power on the ocean. With no forward momentum, she will tend to turn sideways and be at the mercy of the waves and swells. Also with no power, the pumps will not be able to fill and empty the ballast tanks that give it stabilization. If the engines stay off for more than a few hours, this ship will be in real trouble.
Back at the room, Maggie had never stirred. I crawled back into bed and dosed off for awhile. At seven o’clock, as I was shaving, the ship’s loud speaker system said ‘attention please’ the ship’s captain came on and said we were having engines problems and they expected the issue to be fixed in a few hours. Meanwhile we were operating on backup generator power and all services would continue as usual.
Maggie and I went up to the rear deck for the continental breakfast. Fortunately, the seas were calm and we just floated, going nowhere, rather than cruising. I felt like we were a cork bobbing around in a swimming pool. It is a very strange feeling, there is no wake behind the ship and no ocean’s breezes are produced because we were standing still, or floating still.
Maggie asked, “How far do you think we are from land?”
I replied, “I’m not sure, we were to arrive in San Juan at nine in the morning. The engines have been off for five hours, so five hours at twenty miles an hour puts us maybe one hundred miles from San Juan.”
“I’m not sure I could swim that far,” Maggie quipped.
I am thinking that brain number two was very uneasy with the situation. I’m sure there were others among the two thousand passengers that had the same uneasiness. I found it odd that the engines had developed a problem but no one was working on them. Why were the men sitting in the room down below instead of solving the problem? I sometimes tend to over think things, maybe this was one of them. So what if we had an engine problem. I’m sure it does happen; I can’t believe we are on the only ship that has experienced an engine failure.
Before we left on the cruise, I had been a writer of true crime for crime magazines. I had also written two books on true crime detailing famous crimes and the resulting effects they have on those left behind. I also, with the help of Maggie, had solved the deaths of two young girls found in their mothers greenhouses. I had become disenchanted with the crime writing. It exposed us to the evils of murder and mayhem in our society. Before leaving, I had refused to accept any new assignments and consequently submitted my resignation to the magazines I wrote for. So I had left on the cruise with a clear head determined to enjoy being with Maggie and the life on a cruise ship. So far, we have been having a wonderful time. You couldn’t ask for better weather. The people we have met were all great. Some, like the guys in Miami Beach were different but, that’s the way people are. It’s what makes the world go around.
From my years of crime writing and doing investigating for my book, I had become a very curious person about other people’s behavior. What I had seen so far didn’t make any sense. I had said to Maggie that I’d like to snoop around some more. She didn’t think it was a problem, yet, and I should leave it alone.
I had to agree with her, it wasn’t my concern—yet.
When we finished our breakfast, another couple we had met earlier came over and sat down with us. We both agreed how much we were enjoying ourselves, the day was beautiful, the water clear and calm, what more could one ask for. I thought to myself, if only you knew what was lurking below.
I asked Maggie, “How about taking a walk around the deck?”
She replied, “Sure just let me stop back at the cabin to change into walking shoes. I’ll be back in five minutes, okay?”
“Sure I’ll be right here,” I said.
After she left, I asked the Strong’s what they thought about the engine problem. They both hadn’t given it much thought and were sure it would be resolved soon.
I didn’t think I could be as cavalier about the issue. Maggie returned after a few minutes and we excused ourselves and took off on our walk. I was quiet and Maggie asked what I was thinking.
“I would like to work our way up to the bridge and see what was going on in the control room,” I replied.
“I knew it,” she said. “I didn’t think you could sit this out, you’re just too inquisitive to let it go and resolve itself. Jersey, you can’t fix the engine. They have a whole team of engine people on the ship who tend to the engines. Give it a rest.”
“I just wanted to ask a few questions,” I replied
We walked toward the front of the ship; I saw a steward or and employee of some kind coming toward us. He was dressed in white and on his shirt were some bars or strips that I took as being of some importance. He tried very hard to avoid eye contact with us but when we got close, I stopped him in his tracks.
I said, “Good morning, could I ask you a couple of questions?”
“Sure, he said, how may I be of help to you?”
He was clearly not an American, maybe Russian or middle European. His name tag said Clovis, First Mate.
I showed Clovis my agent badge and my mystery writers club card. The badge I got at a novelty store and the card I got when I joined the mystery writers club for five dollars. I told Clovis I was ship security and needed to talk to the Captain about a delicate matter. He replied in less than perfect English that the captain was not available.
I responded with, “Not available, did he leave the ship?”
“Oh no sir he’s on the ship; he’s just not available.”
“Okay maybe we could call him on that ship’s phone over there,” I said.
“I afraid that’s also not possible,” Clovis replied.
“Why would that be, don’t you know the number?”
“Oh no, I know the number but he’s not to be disturbed,” he said.
I think I was barking up the wrong tree, this seemed like it was going no where. I looked at Maggie and she shrugged her shoulders and put her fingers to her lips. That meant for me to shut up and move forward.
“Okay Clovis, I will have to take matters into my own hands, you don’t seem to be able to help. When I file my report, don’t be surprised if the cruise line wants to have a little chat with you,” I said.
“I’m sorry Mr. Agent but I’m just doing what I was told.”
Funny that he thought my name was Agent because that’s what it said on my badge. I got the stink eye from Maggie, which meant that we were getting nowhere here and we needed to move on. Without another word, we took off the way we were headed and left Clovis muttering to himself and wondering if he had done the right thing. I was trying to think back if anything unusual had happened upon leaving port either in Florida or the Bahamas. I asked Maggie if she remembered anything strange. We stood by the rail and looked out over the Caribbean. There were other walkers and strollers going by, they looked unconcerned.
Maggie said, “Jersey, remember when we were leaving Nassau, they had to put the boarding ramp back out for some late arriving passengers. Did you get a look at them?”
“Yes I did, they were dressed in pastel sports coats, they were well tanned or dark skinned with slicked back hair. Also, they each carried a sturdy hard shell suitcase. It was a little odd in fact because they got on with luggage that most likely hadn’t gone through customs.”
“That’s what I thought, Maggie said, I wonder what that was all about.”
We continued our walk toward the bow of the ship; up ahead I saw some stairs leading up to possibly the bridge. That’s where I wanted to go. That’s where the captain would be and he’s the one Clovis wouldn’t let us talk to. There was a chain across the stairs with a sign that said, No Admittance. I removed the chain; Maggie said she would stay here to watch for anybody else. That’s why I thought that two brains were better than one, thanks to Maggie. I climbed the stairs slowly to the top; I saw a window toward the back and worked my way over to it. I looked in; I didn’t want to be seen.
