A Grave to Visit

By Lilian Surkova

On a Sunday morning, the body of a beautiful young woman was found on board a luxury cruise liner, in one of the lifeboats. The victim looked pristine; there were no signs of foul play. It looked like a perfect murder. The dead woman had no name, no ID, and there was no record she had ever come on board. To ship's staff, she didn't exist.
With no clues and little help, Kate Mitchell, Head of Security for the cruise ship company, begins the first investigation on her new job. Armed only with her twenty-year experience as NYPD detective and her connections, she begins untangling one clue after another. She is good at it, which is why they pay her the big bucks.
She knew her job. What she didn't know, was that sometimes perfect murders must not upset the accepted status quo.
Depicting different aspects of human nature and oft-neglected moral obligations, A Grave to Visit is an entertaining novel and a wonderful piece of mystery fiction. Lilian Surkova adds a healthy dash of humor and irony to a story replete with deep inner conflicts and ethical torments, and brings her characters to life with a sumptuous realism.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lilian Surkova
• Release date: May 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476168203

Lilian Surkova

Lilian Surkova was educated in Russia, her background is in linguistics. She holds MA in English, Spanish, and Russian. Word craft is her passion, languages are her lifelong devotion. Currently she is employed by the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.

Book preview

Chapter One

The sun was slowly rising. It was red at the beginning. But as it was getting more visible – the colors were changing: orange, copper, gold… The sunrise had a magic power to it. It seemed the sea was giving birth to the sun. And finally, with the last push – the sun was above the horizon. The huge cannon spit it out and the new day had officially begun. The Mediterranean Sea was calm and very blue. Another beautiful day in paradise.

She was gorgeous – Paradise Cruise Liner, white, sparkling clean, almost silently sailing towards the new day. The passengers were still sleeping. After a long night of entertainment they were tired. Only the tireless crew was performing the usual routine duties.

There is nothing better than a Sunday morning. But for the cruise life every morning is Sunday morning. That’s why when people were questioned about the events, very few were able to actually say what day of the week that was.

The upper deck was spotless. A light wind was moving the canvas that covered the life boats, the ropes held the fabric secure in place, in all but one boat… That seemed out of the ordinary, and the chief housekeeper making his morning check up rounds frowned, almost envisioning how he was going to point this out to the responsible person. He approached the life boat, reached for the corner of the canvas and there it was, a leg, a woman’s leg wearing this season’s Fendi shoe. He knew it was Fendi, his girlfriend was obsessed with this particular shoe and he was going to the Fendi boutique in Rome once the ship docked. He was afraid to look further: he was afraid of what he would see. He reached for his walkie-talkie and paged the ship’s security.

Where are we right now exactly and how long till the shore? The head of security asked the Captain.

An hour ago they recovered the body that turned out to be a beautiful woman in her late twenties. They were not able to establish her identity, nobody reported a missing person, and they checked all single occupancy cabins – all passengers were accounted for. Who this woman was and how she got where they discovered her, seemed like a mystery. The ship doctor said the death had occurred no less than six hours ago. No visible signs of struggle, no injuries that might have caused her death. Mystery, that is the word that would be heard a lot that day among the ones who knew about the finding and especially among those who heard rumors.

We are 40 hours away from the Italian shore, that means that we are on our own and only in port can get the assistance of the police if we want it. I think everybody understands, it is better if we solve this puzzle before we dock. Right now, gentlemen, while we have the murderer on board, we have the upper hand. When everybody disembarks, the case will go cold.

The Captain looked tired and concerned. He was a seasoned professional and treasured the good name and the reputation of Paradise Cruise Lines. In his 23 years of an impeccable career this case definitely was out of the ordinary. He understood that it would be impossible to escape publicity, especially with that nosy reporter who was vacationing on board at this very moment.

I know what it means, Captain. Please keep the public informed to a reasonable extent. Get together with our PR office and issue a memo. I bet by lunch time the rumors will be flying all over. And with everybody having smart phones and e-mails this will appear on CNN in no time. We need to give people an official version of the event. And please don’t look at me as if I am overriding your authority. I know you are in charge, this lady is yours, but under the circumstances I think I am more prepared to deal with the facts.

Two men looked each other in the eye for a brief moment.

Yes, Paul, I think you are better equipped to deal with the situation. I’ll assist you in any way I can.

Chapter Two

Murder in Paradise! the headlines didn’t pretend to be original. Besides, it was the truth. The name of the ship was Paradise and the reporters didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. All news sites and major TV news broadcasts broke the story way before lunch time, as Paul Griffith, the head of Paradise security, had predicted. The official memo, issued by Paradise Cruise Lines, very briefly informed the public about the accident. No details, only the fact of a gruesome discovery. Sure there was room for imagination!

Kate Mitchell was watching, or better listening, to the news on her TV as she was packing the suitcase to fly to Italy in an hour. Paradise Cruise Lines enlisted the help of US Air Force. First they would fly to Aviano United States Air Force Base near Venice, where they would change aircraft and fly a helicopter that would deliver them to the ship. She preferred not to think about the helicopter ride yet. Deal with the problems as they arise, she ordered herself. The board of directors meeting at the company’s headquarters in New York was called at midnight and formed a task force to conduct its private investigation. The company had a team of security professionals, and Kate was in charge of it. It was her second month on the job but she wasn’t a novice in a murder investigations. She had almost 20 years under her belt in the NYPD Special Victims Unit, where she became a legend among her colleagues for her sharp mind and for being able to analyze a case and to point to the right suspect. She had a reputation of being a workaholic, but the respect she earned in professional circles was undeniable. When the time came to retire, she had a number of appealing job offers. She thought that once in her life she could afford to be irresponsible. She made a card for each offer and lined them all on the table, all seven of them. It is nice to be in such demand! Then closed her eyes, shuffled the cards and picked one. Opened her eyes and read: Paradise Cruise Lines. Well, that must be my fate, she thought, I have never vacationed on a cruise ship but always wanted to. Maybe working for this company I will finally get a chance to fulfill my dream.

Sure, dreams do come true. She knew the job wouldn’t be easy, their ships were travelling all around the world, and, with the current terrorism threat she will have her hands full. But a murder? Seemed like her old job now. Well, at least I know how to do it, she thought, beware what you wish for, it may come true...

Tall, slender and quick in her movements, she looked amazing in her early forties. Her thick brown hair always followed her in a beautiful flying motion. In fact, when she walked few people could resist looking at her. Stylish and tastefully made up, she seemed to be out of place in her old job. Actually her looks often confused the suspects as well, and she was able to pull very valuable information out of them. She locked her apartment and called the elevator. Good that I don’t have a cat, she thought again. She missed having a pet but had convinced herself that with her job and her lifestyle she wouldn’t be able to provide adequate care for an animal. The company car was already waiting for her down by the door.

If everything goes well, she should be on board the Paradise by 15:00 local time, as the military men informed her. It will leave them roughly 32 hours to solve the case. Time is of the essence.

The company’s plane was a comfortable Gulfstream and had all accommodations for productive work. She had the reports of the murder, the little information that was available at this time. With her in the plane there was a team of forensic experts with all their bells and whistles. She knew, the first valuable hours after the murder were lost but with the miracles of contemporary science even more complicated cases were solved. She had no doubt they would establish the cause of death in spite of the absence of visible signs. As for a motive, that would be the most difficult part. First of all: who is the girl? How did she get on the boat unnoticed? What does it say about the boat’s security? How in the world was that possible? She opened a file folder with the mark: Paul Griffith, Security Officer of the Paradise, personnel file, confidential.

Chapter Three

The morning was still very young. The beautiful ship was cutting the azure of the sea. The light wind was offering its help to move her even faster, forgetting that the times of sails were long gone. Paul was sitting in his cabin and trying to prepare the report before his boss would arrive. The new boss, Ms. Mitchell.

He had never met her. She was hired while he was at sea with another ship. Then a short vacation and a new trip. He was reassigned to the Paradise a few days before she sailed off from New York. Of course he had heard of her. He heard she was good and she knew her job. But the fact that corporate didn’t trust him with this investigation was sitting somewhere deep in his mind and made him upset.

He was hoping for a promotion to the Chief Security Officer of Paradise Cruise Lines, but instead they hired this woman. No doubt, she had all rights to be his boss, but the fact that he was bypassed in this promotion, the job he knew inside out, that job wasn’t his. Instead he got reassigned to this repositioning trip and now he had a body on his hands and no clue who that body was when it had been alive.

They took the prints from both hands and studied the victim for special markings without much luck. No criminal records, no border crossing records. Surveillance cameras didn’t have a single image of her. It seems the girl fell from the sky and landed in the life boat already dead. No name.

Paul had busied himself with work. No personal life and no family to care about, he didn’t even have a permanent residence, just a PO Box in New Jersey and a few belongings in a storage facility. Ever since he came from his third tour in Iraq and found out that his wife had abandoned him for some kind of a lawyer, taking their two kids along with her to a better tomorrow, he stopped thinking about life in terms of a normal person, like family, kids, a three bedroom house in the suburbs. He immediately retired from the Marine Corps in the rank of major, went to the Police Academy, and got a job with the security department at this company. Eight years had gone by, he moved up the corporate ladder and thought that he had done everything right to get the job. Oh, to hell with it! I didn’t get it, end of story. Let it go Paul, and concentrate. You have a murder to solve.

He hated these self-pity moments. Now they visited him less and less. You need to be busy, that’s for sure. And now how busy are you? Very busy, extremely busy, with that dead girl on your hands and no clues.

He finished his report and went to the ship’s medical sector to look at the body again. It seemed to him that he was missing something, something very important that might shed light on the whole situation.

He ordered a ship-wide search of all service areas, including the cabins of the personnel. It is impossible to be on the ship for 10 day journey and not leave a single trace of presence. He was short on manpower for a job of such magnitude.

Chapter Four

In spite of every reassurance that the crew was taking extra security measures, the spirit on board the Paradise was somber. The knowledge that a murderer was on the ship and could strike again apparently had an impact on the usual routines. No joggers on the jogging trails, no early birds. Most of them decided to stay in their cabins; the room service was swamped with orders. The restaurants were mostly empty. Even the pool seemed less crowded, and the sun was wasting its energy.

We have to post the pictures of the victim in common areas. Someone should recognize her. It is impossible to stay on the ship and go unnoticed. Paul was all about action now. We should openly solicit help from the passengers in identifying the victim.

The meeting was conducted in the state room. It was 7 am. The Captain, the security officers, the Staff Captain, in all about twelve people were present.

The big boss from corporate will arrive in about seven hours. Time is not on our side. As of now we have 38 hours until we reach the shore. We have two hours since the discovery and we still know very little. Paul summed up the status dryly.

I’d rather say, we still know nothing, the Staff Captain offered zero sympathy.

Gentlemen, I must remind you, we are all in this together, so please hold all your sarcastic remarks to yourself. If you have better ideas, we are here to listen to what you have to say. Paul gave a look of steel to the man across the table. What we know is that the victim is about 25-28 years old, female, and three months pregnant.

The quiet talk went around the table.

Pregnant? Is that for sure? asked the Captain.

Yes, our doctor confirmed it an hour ago. We hope to learn more when the forensic team is here. No traces of any poison in the blood system, no physical damage. In fact, it even can appear as a natural death, and if not for the place of death, or to be precise the location of the body at the moment of its discovery, that gives us the grounds to think of foul play. Paul was very composed and appeared to be in control. Only the slight paleness of his cheeks, even under the permanent tan, gave away his state of mind.

We have the posters ready, our in-house designer used Photoshop to create the victim’s picture as if she were alive. We hope it will work. I suggest we post them immediately. Also I want to broadcast the public announcement with the text I have prepared. We should count on the passengers.

But with all this done in plain view, the murderer will know what we are doing, another crew member took the chance to play the devil’s advocate.

Yes, and we have to deal with it. Under the circumstances we have no other option. Whoever did this committed almost a perfect crime. His bad luck was that the body was found. I am sure he had other plans.

Paul, you are saying this with such conviction as if it were you who did it. The Captain broke with the smile hidden under his moustache.

Captain, you are absolutely right! This is the way to conduct a successful investigation, to become that murderer, to be in the bastard’s shoes and hopefully end up one step ahead of him.

Or her, the Staff Captain didn’t want to remain unheard.

Or her. Whoever he or she is.

Chapter Five

The meeting was interrupted with the knock on the door. The head housekeeper Juan, the one who found the dead girl and one of his maids entered the stateroom.

Captain, Mr. Griffith, as you ordered, we conducted the search of the crew cabins.

And? Paul felt that he was about to hear something very important.

In the cabin adjacent to the one that is assigned to Jim Roberts, the casino croupier, we found a makeup kit behind the night stand and a Fendi shoe box.

Please continue. All twelve pairs of eyes were set on this two.

You see, it is Maria who found the makeup. She looked around the cabin, went to the bathroom and said there had to be a woman. I didn’t even get what she was talking about at the beginning. Maria, tell them what you saw.

Maria was standing beside him, clearly lost in this big room in the presence of high level management. She was petite, dark hair put away from her face in a pony tail, and she looked in her uniform like a schoolgirl who was in the principal’s office trying to explain where she was while the rest of the class did the chemistry lab.

Sir, she began with her thick Spanish accent, I saw the used shower cap in the bathroom, a lipstick mark on the mirror, in one word the stuff that was very unusual for Jim. You see, Jim is very straight, you know, he wouldn’t use the shower cap and definitely wouldn’t own lipstick. The bathroom is shared by the two adjacent cabins. But the cabin next door was marked as ‘vacant’ and there was a special note ‘off limits and no service’ on the housekeeping chart. I unlocked the door leading to that cabin. The cabin looked like somebody lived there. It was kind of clean looking but wasn’t made up to the standards of Paradise. It looked empty, you know, it looked like the guest had just checked out. The mirror is usually above the night stand in every cabin. So I thought maybe something fell behind it, the night stand, I mean. I looked and there it was, the makeup kit. It is a Chanel, a very expensive one.

She was overwhelmed with her speech, visibly looking for some words to describe her findings. Then she looked at Juan, inviting him to continue.

"You see, then we started thinking, if he, Jim, got rid of all the stuff that belonged to a