The Case of the Karaoke Killer: Ellie Tappet Cruise Ship Mysteries, #2

By Cheri Baker

Ellie Tappet is back aboard the S.V. Adventurous Spirit and eager to make a splash as the cruise line's first ever singles coordinator. As the newest crew member she knew she'd have a lot to learn. What she hadn't expected was a frosty reception! The rumor mill is working overtime and it seems she's made enemies without even trying. To keep her dream job, she must prove herself, and quickly.

Ellie sees the potential for a romance or two but these singles refuse to mingle! She comes up with a creative solution: a masked karaoke contest. With faces hidden from view, guests can have a moment in the spotlight and make new friends in the process. There's nothing like a friendly competition to get people talking.

A tragedy on opening night has everyone reeling. But is Ellie imagining a crime where none exists?

It's all hands on deck for a cozy mystery adventure with the unstoppable Ellie Tappet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adventurous Ink LLC
• Release date: Jan 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781952200007

Cheri Baker

Cheri spent her formative years hiding under the blankets with a flashlight, reading everything she could get her hands on, but especially books by Stephen King, Judy Blume, Agatha Christie, and Mercedes Lackey. Her experiences in management inspired her first novel, Involuntary Turnover, about an HR manager turned private investigator. Cheri lives in Seattle with her husband of 18 years. She's working on her fourth novel.

Book preview

Chapter One

ELLIE TAPPET CLASPED HER HANDS around her teacup and inhaled. As the warmth of the cup seeped into her palms and the sweet scent of bergamot rose up to greet her, she tried to release the tension in her shoulder muscles. Today, finally, she was starting her new job aboard the S.V. Adventurous Spirit. Weeks of preparation had gone by in a blur. For the next three months, she’d be living out of a suitcase, working with the crew, and creating a new social program for singles traveling aboard the Spirit. This was her first job in nearly a decade, so of course she was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? Across the table, her friend Violet Wolfe was gulping down her coffee like she was dying of thirst. Violet tipped her head back and smacked the bottom of the cup to ensure she’d gotten every drop. Then she raised her empty cup above her head and waved it back and forth like a flag.

Maria, can I get a refill? Pretty-please? Violet looked at the barista behind the coffee counter with pleading eyes. The dark-haired woman shot Violet a look of amused disapproval. But at last she nodded and turned to grab an empty carafe from the shelf above the espresso machine.

Ellie and Violet sat at a small round table next to an enormous porthole window. The Spirit had arrived at PortMiami well before the sun came up. While most of the passengers were still sleeping, the crew was up and bustling, getting ready for their day. Outside the window, the lights of the PortMiami terminal buildings were bright enough to illuminate the supply trucks lined up alongside the ship. Work crews took pallets of material off the ship for disposal or cleaning, and they loaded fresh supplies using hydraulic lifts, ramps, and other machinery. Ellie held up her hand to hide a yawn. Soon, the current batch of passengers would disembark and twelve hundred new guests would stampede aboard ready to party. The new passengers would be hungry, excited, and eager to begin their cruise to the Caribbean islands. Ellie understood how that felt, because just three weeks prior she’d been a passenger herself.

At the end of her vacation, Captain Spark had offered her a part time job aboard the ship. And Violet had asked Ellie to arrive early, before the workday started, to get oriented. Long days were something she’d need to get used to. Ellie gripped her teacup tighter. Hopefully she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew. This job had sounded like a dream come true, right up until the moment her family had dropped her off for work. Now she felt a slow-growing anxiety. It churned around in her stomach like a poorly cooked meal. Was she up for this? She hoped so. But only time would tell.

In Ellie’s opinion, they were sitting in the prettiest and most impressive room onboard. The little Italian-style cafe, Cuppa, was tucked into the lowest level of a big open space called the atrium. A short distance away there was a marble-tiled dance floor, a grand piano, and glass elevators with golden doors. A magnificent staircase swept around the outer rim of the atrium; it went up and up, skimming the edges of the upper decks. Up near the ceiling, a trio of crystal chandeliers sparkled.

Maria came over holding a silver carafe. Her name tag had a tiny Spanish flag on it and her dark hair was plaited in a side braid. She refilled Violet’s coffee and introduced herself to Ellie.

Ellie is our new singles coordinator, Violet said. She’s here to get people’s noses out of their phones long enough to talk to one another.

Maria frowned slightly. That’s nice. But do we even have singles on board? Mostly what I see are older married couples and their reluctant teenage children. Plus some newlyweds.

Ellie smiled. That’s true. But the Captain wants us to be more welcoming to solo travelers. I know from experience that it can be a bit lonely to travel by yourself. I’m hoping to help our guests have fun and make new friends. If romance happens, that’s a bonus, but you can’t force these things. Especially on such a short voyage.

Ellie has a knack for matchmaking, Violet said. Also, she’s good at solving crimes. It’s a bizarre combo, but it works. She winked at Ellie, who laughed.

She’s exaggerating, Ellie said.

Violet scoffed. As if! I expect to see at least one engagement by the end of the week.

Well, good luck with that. Maria must have realized how dismissive she sounded, because she quickly smiled at Ellie. It was a customer service smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.

Once she was gone, Ellie leaned forward and whispered, What was that about?

Violet shrugged. Oh, It’s nothing worth worrying about.

Ellie’s stomach twisted. She hadn’t missed the way Violet squirmed in her chair when she dodged the question. What aren’t you telling me?

Violet sighed and placed her hands flat on the table. Well, I wasn’t going to bring this up — especially not on your first day — but apparently not everyone is thrilled about the new singles coordinator job. It’s not your fault, obviously, but I should have seen this coming.

Why? Is it me? Do they think I’m not up for this? And did I do something wrong already? Ellie set her teacup down with steady hands and straightened her back.

Internal politics, mostly. We have a lot of departments who want to add staff for various reasons, and it’s almost impossible to get corporate to agree. But your position was approved immediately. That’s almost unheard of, so word on the street is that you got the job because we’re friends. Violet’s expression darkened. I’ve been getting snide looks all week. You’d think with all the goodwill I’ve built up over the years that people wouldn’t be so petty, but… She rolled her green eyes. It doesn’t matter. Because you’ll do great, and they’ll all love you.

No pressure there. Ellie replied. She’d expected a warm welcome from her new coworkers, but it seemed that they’d already prejudged her.

Violet looked pained. But it’s not personal, I promise. It’s just that the Lofts are such a small area of the ship. We’re talking eighteen staterooms out of a ship that carries twelve hundred. That’s why some people think we should spend our limited resources elsewhere. But I know you’ll win them over. And I’ll do what I can to help.

Ellie nodded. I understand. And thanks for telling me.

You’re welcome. Violet picked up her coffee cup and leaned forward eagerly. Anyway, tell me how things went at home! How did your family react to the fact you’d taken a job on a cruise ship? Did poor Marcie hit the roof?

Ellie shook her head. Her daughter-in-law Marcie was a big worrywart, and sometimes she treated Ellie like she was made of glass just because she was in her sixties. The time apart might do them some good. Actually, she and Junior took the news really well. They were surprised that I’m giving up my retirement to go back to work, but once I explained how much I loved being on the ship, they seemed happy for me.

Also, this gives me a chance to help them out. Junior and Marcie are moving into my house while I’m away so they can save a little money. Junior’s job with the police department doesn’t pay all that well, and Marcie is working part time until Clara gets a little older, so every dollar helps. And Clara insisted on giving me her stuffed pink octopus, Samuel L. Jackson. Ellie took the fluffy pink toy out of her purse and held it up.

Violet chuckled. Clara named him that?

Ellie smiled. No, that was Junior. He’s a fan. She put the octopus away, settling him gently in her purse between her makeup bag and a paperback book.

Violet pulled a square of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. Ellie saw it was the ship’s daily newsletter Cruise News You Can Use. Well, your room is ready, and the porters will deliver your luggage before embarkation begins. So let’s talk business. Violet flattened the newsletter on the table and opened it to the first page. She pointed to the long and detailed list of shipboard activities, running her finger down the paper. I was wondering where your events are.

My events? Ellie’s smile faltered. As the ship’s cruise director, Violet led events all day long and into the night. But no one had told her she’d be expected to do the same. Why did Violet expect her to do things she’d never been told to do? Ellie’s face felt hot. Perhaps she’d missed something in her new hire paperwork, but she didn’t think so.

Violet nodded. You’ll be setting up some mixers, right? Singles who mingle? Maybe some group dinners? Don’t worry about today’s newsletter; it’s too late to get your stuff in there, anyway. But if you tell me about your events, I can talk them up during mine. And we’ll want to get your numbers to corporate.

Ellie’s heart clenched into a ragged little fist. Numbers?

Yes. We track attendance for all cruise activities and report our numbers up to Captain Spark. He shares our results with corporate, and that’s one way they decide which programs to keep and which ones to cut. Violet’s forehead furrowed. Didn’t he tell you any of this?

Ellie’s stomach dropped, but instead of letting Violet see her dismay, she plastered a brave smile on her face. If the crew was half-hoping that she’d fail, it was more important than ever that she do a good job. Moreover, it was probably best that she not advertise the fact she hadn’t worked a regular job in years. She’d be a self-starter! She’d work as hard as she needed to, and she wouldn’t complain. She looked Violet in the eye, No, but that’s okay. I’m a fast learner, and no one needs to hold my hand.

Good! That’s what we like to hear, Violet said. And we’ll keep things informal. The captain asked me to keep an eye on your programs and report back to him with how it’s going. So that’s what we’ll do.

Ellie nodded. I’m on it. What else do I need to know? She sipped her tea. And assume that I’m ignorant, because my entire HR package consisted of an employment contract and a recommended packing list.

Violet rattled off a bunch of names and instructions. She told Ellie how to get her events into the newsletter and who handled room reservations. Then she blazed through a bunch of crew names, departments, and extension numbers. She spoke so fast that Ellie couldn’t keep track of it all.

Got it, Ellie fibbed. Violet wasn’t just her friend any longer, she was a coworker. Maybe even a supervisor? To keep this job, she needed to impress the captain. And to do that, she needed to impress Violet first.

Now Violet was looking at her with an appraising expression. Are you okay? Because I’ve got six acrobats coming aboard in a few minutes and I need to go meet them and make sure they have all their gear. If you need more time, I can—

Ellie shook her head. You’re sweet to worry about me. And I’m sure I’ll have questions later. But for now, how about we get our day started?

Great. So when’s your first event?

Three o’clock in the Lofts, Ellie blurted.

Violet tucked her shiny black hair behind one ear. I’ll do what I can to spread the word. She waved her copy of Cruise News You Can Use in the air. You know where to find me. It’s all in here.

Ellie finished her tea and returned to her stateroom to think. She looked around the room, but there was nothing to do. Her luggage wouldn’t arrive for a few more hours. She paced back and forth alongside the bed, and then, tired of pacing, she sat down on the mattress, scooting herself back until she was resting on the plump white pillows. Whatever pleasure she’d felt earlier about settling into her new home felt blunted now. Her family was in their car, headed back home to resume their lives. And she was sitting on her little bed on a cruise ship, waiting for… something. Ellie unzipped her purse and pulled out Samuel L. Jackson. She laid back on the bed fully clothed, hugging the little toy to her chest. The octopus smelled like home, and even though they hadn’t left port yet, home suddenly felt very far away.

Chapter Two

ELLIE AWOKE TO A VOICE coming from the ceiling. The voice was loud, with a scratchy undertone, and it boomed at her as she jerked herself into an upright position.

This is your Captain speaking. All hands in ten minutes. Please report to your duty stations immediately.

Ellie hurriedly brushed tangled strands of silver hair out of her face. She remembered that she wasn’t at home; she was on a cruise ship, ready to start her first day of work. And she must have fallen asleep for a minute. Possibly several minutes. What time was it, she wondered. And what did the captain mean by duty station?

Ellie stood up. Did she have a duty station? All hands sounded like it meant everyone, and she was part of the crew now, so she should be there. Violet hadn’t prepared her for this, just like she hadn’t prepared her for the newsletter thing. Ellie pushed her annoyance to one side. She needed to hurry.

Her tennis shoes were on the floor, still tied in tidy bows. She must have kicked them off while sleeping, and now she was kicking herself for being so irresponsible. It had been a long drive to Miami that morning, but that was no excuse for falling asleep on the job. Ellie tried shoving her feet in her shoes without unlacing them, but it didn’t work, although she managed to tear a hole in her sock in the process. Ellie flung the damaged sock across the room and went to get a new one.

Right. No luggage. And I’m running out of time. Forget it.

She untied her shoes, put them on, retied them, and dug a mini hairbrush out of her purse to make herself presentable. Outside her room, her luggage stood at attention. After wheeling it inside the stateroom, she started speed walking down the hallway, past the lounge, and through the double doors that separated the Lofts from the rest of the ship.

She descended the stairs to the sixth floor. That was just a guess, but the fifth and sixth floors went all the way across the ship from prow to stern, so it was as good a place as any to look for the meeting. Ellie spotted a group of housekeepers walking together and followed