Cruising for Murder: Myrtle Clover #10

Chapter Five

Myrtle stuck her head out the door to tell Miles.

Red gently said to Eugenia. "Why don't you go back to your room and put your feet up for a few minutes? I'll be there to fill you in shortly."

Eugenia's eyes behind her large glasses looked even more anxious and she started picking at her fingernail polish. "I should let the rest of the family know. Poor Maisy. And Terrell!" She gave a sob and put a bony fist to her mouth as if to contain any others.

Red gave Myrtle a look to indicate that he really did need Eugenia out of the way of a potential crime scene. "My mother will escort you back. And she'll also help track down the family."

Myrtle decided that, all in all, this wasn't a bad chore to be tasked with. After all, it would be helpful to locate the family, since they were all suspects. "It's all right, Eugenia," she said briskly. "You've had a terrible shock. Let's let you rest for a while. Don't worry about trying to round up the family. I'm happy to do that with Miles."

Eugenia obediently allowed herself to be led back to her cabin. As they passed Miles, Myrtle put up an index finger to let him know it would be a minute. When Eugenia walked into her room, she immediately plopped down on the small sofa there and burst into tears.

Myrtle, never comfortable around crying, grabbed some tissues and thrust them at Eugenia. In an effort to distract the woman, and to perhaps also provide some information for herself, Myrtle asked, "Have you seen the family tonight? Anyone? Have any idea where they all might be?"

Eugenia looked at her with wide eyes and then gave another sob. "They couldn't have."

"I'm not saying they did. But I wondered where everyone was," said Myrtle.

Eugenia covered her face and cried even harder. Whether this was in recognition of the fact that someone close to Celeste was most certainly behind any foul play or because she actually did remember something that could prove incriminating, Myrtle couldn't say.

"I'll be back soon," said Myrtle as she left the rather suffocating feel of Eugenia's stateroom. There was nothing like someone crying to make a space feel even smaller than it was.

Miles was waiting for her in the tiny hall. "The front desk is sending some crew out, as well as the ship doctor. I'm assuming they'll approach from the lower deck since they'll need to lower the lifeboat to recover the body." He paused. "I suppose it is a body and not someone in need of medical assistance?"

Myrtle said, "Considering the missing champagne bottle, I'm going to say it's a body. Red would want a doctor to at least pronounce the death, though, I'd imagine. But yes, it should be a body, especially keeping Wanda's dire prediction in mind."

Miles looked weary at the thought of keeping Wanda and her uncanny predictions in mind.

"The entire setup points to murder. Celeste was hit over the head with a champagne bottle and then had her body thrown over the side. She definitely didn't seem to be the suicidal type, as we mentioned before. The killer must have thought he was throwing her into the water," said Myrtle.