Hmm. “Really? I would think they could wait until tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes. “Nope. House rules. They have to be ready to be dropped in the mail at the next port of call.”
Why? “Gee. Who makes the house rules?” I asked, then chuckled to lighten the mood.
Topaz was about to speak, but from behind me a voice said, “The captain.”
I swung around to see Doc Peter. “Oh. Of course he does. He must make all the rules around here.”
Suddenly I wondered if Captain Duarte was in on the take. Was he the mastermind of the fraud, in addition to running this gigantic ship?
The doc went into the backroom and I watched Topaz gathering up her purse. “Hey, Topaz, I just wondered about that guy with the chest pain. Did he ever come back?”
“Nope.” She bent down, picked up her shoes and slipped them on. I hadn’t even noticed that she took them off when she sat at the desk. No wonder. Her feet had to be killing her.
“One thing I did notice”-We’d be docking in Bermuda soon, so I decided to give it a shot-“is that the chest pain’s bill was considerably less than those girls who collided. And less than the bills I just stuffed.”
She glared at me.
Oops. “I couldn’t help noticing.” I laughed. She didn’t. Yikes.
She shrugged-and it looked genuine. “Different treatments I guess. As I’d said, I don’t make the rules around here, Pauline, I only follow them. Like any good, dedicated employee should do.” With that Topaz turned to head toward the door with a “have a nice night” and let Kris in as she went out.
I sat for several minutes pondering all I’d learned-and her tone.
Once I’d reported off to Kris, I went back to my cabin to change for the night. I still had to meet Hunter. Damn it. When I walked in, I froze.
Betty lay sprawled on her bed, obviously napping, but also wearing her damn salmon tee shirt! Instinctively, I checked to see that her chest was moving up and down-thank goodness.
Visions of a dead Jackie popped into my head.
Quietly I went to my closet and looked at my clothing. I didn’t want to appear sexy for Hunter. Yet, I didn’t want to look frumpy either, which might seem too obvious that I was angry with him for getting rid of Jagger. So, I went with ivory. Nothing sexy or frumpy about ivory.
The top I grabbed had three-quarter-length sleeves that were made of some transparent material. Hence not frumpy. The slacks that Goldie had picked out were actually Capri-style with a little lacy trim at the bottom. At the bodice of the top was a gathered section, which hugged my chest in all the right places. Hence the sexy part.
Betty snored softly as I went into the bathroom to change. I kinda wished she would wake up so we could chat a bit before I left, so I took my time, putting on my makeup as instructed by dear Goldie. What a wiz the guy was with makeup!
Finally, putting on the last of my mauve lipstick, I looked in the mirror-and thought of Jagger. Damn. I wish he could see me, was my first thought. Then I chastised myself and refused to admit that the guy was just as addictive as Goldie had said.
“Shoot. I’m going to have fun tonight, no matter.” With that I opened the door with such force that it flew out of my hand with a bang.
“Bother!” Betty flew up in her bed.
I hurried over. “I’m sorry. The door flew out of my hand.”
She curled her lips at me, and why not? I had awakened the woman from a deep sleep. “Really, Betty. I am so sorry.”
Yet, that may have been to my benefit.
She flopped back onto her pillow and hugged her other one. She sighed and said, “Look, girlfriend, don’t be barmy.”
I gasped. Had Betty been that angry with me? And what the heck did “barmy” mean? I had no clue but it didn’t sound good.
She chuckled. “Silly. Don’t be silly. I know it was an accident. The blasted door gets away from me just about every time I come out of the loo.”
“Oh.” I laughed.
She looked at me. “Don’t you just look smashing. Some chap is going to be pretty pleased tonight. Are you going to the lounge to dahns?”
Dahns? What the heck? I thought for a second then realized what she’d said. “Dance? Yeah. I guess I will. Hunter is meeting me there.” I looked at my watch. Five minutes late already. Damn. But work came first. “Hey, Betty. What’s with all the different bills in the infirmary?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about, Pauline.”
Let’s hope not. “Sorry. I helped Topaz with her work. Geez. Some people get outrageous bills and others, depending on their conditions it seems, get decent, normal-for-the-treatment bills.”
Betty’s eyes widened. “What?”
I explained a bit more.
She sat up and listened with the interest of a grandchild listening intently to a story told by his nana. After several minutes, I said, “So you never noticed the differences?”
“Blimey. I never did anything with the bills. Topaz or the other clerks do that work.” She bit her nail a few times. “I have no idea why the difference.”
I shrugged. Suddenly I realized that if I made a big deal about this, Betty might get suspicious of me. Why the heck should I care about the billing? “The only reason I mentioned it was because the two girls who collided were furious. I just want to know how to handle things if it happens again.”
“I’m sure, mate.” She got up and walked to the loo. Before she shut the door, she said, “Ask the captain about it if you really are that interested. And have a smashing time with Hunter!”
I forced a smile. Ask the captain? Even though he knew who I was, if he had anything to do with the fraud-and I kind of doubted it-what the heck would he tell me and what the heck would happen to me then?
I poked at the elevator button and stepped in when the door opened. Two of the crew that I’d met in the hallway get-together the other day were there. One whistled.
I laughed. “Hey.”
They both nodded and smiled.
When the door closed, the elevator started up instead of down. I must have been too preoccupied with my life’s possibly being in danger to notice I’d gotten on the wrong one. We also must have hit the “milk run,” because the damn thing stopped at every floor on the way up.
The two guys got off at the top and five swinging singles got on. Three females. Two males. I thanked Saint T that I wasn’t one of them. That my life was so full with my career I didn’t have to go out looking for a guy.
I was fine by myself. Happy. Very happy.
Despite what Mother thought.
Smiling, I turned around so as not to eavesdrop on their chatting and watched the people in the lobby below. Three guys walked across the lobby in the damn salmon tee shirts. Funny that I’d never noticed them before. Then again, it might have been that I was only looking at single males running or looking suspicious. I had to teach myself to be aware of everything that went on around me.
I thought I was doing pretty well on the case by myself. A feeling of pride settled inside me. I had to brush up on being more aware and keeping up the good work.
The elevator stopped and one of the females cooed, “The Bottlenose. Last one out buys drinks!”
That cleared the elevator at record speed. I stepped out before the door shut and noticed Hunter standing by the doorway talking to one of the crewmembers.
“Hey,” I said as I approached. “So sorry to be late.”
He turned and smiled then introduced me to Jack, who was one of the waiters in the lounge. Apparently someone had complained about his not serving them fast enough. Some females. My money was on the darn Lee women.
I nearly suggested Jack “spill” their next round of drinks on them, but instead, I swallowed back my revenge and followed Hunter into the lounge.