Darkest Journey (23 page)

Still, Charlie knew, the walls might have ears. “What's odd?” she repeated.

“This room,” Alexi said softly. “According to the experts in these things, there are two kinds of hauntings. There are residual hauntings, where, say, soldiers fight the same battle over and over again. And then there are active hauntings, like the ones we've all had opportunity to experience. This room seems as if it's the site of a residual haunting. The men here...lying sick and injured as they did all those years ago, when more than half of them eventually died. But there's that one man who looks like a doctor. He keeps looking at you, Charlie.”

“I know,” Charlie said.

“I think he wants to talk to you, but it seems like he's afraid, maybe because you're always surrounded by other people.”

“I'm not sure why a ghost would be afraid,” Clara put in.

“We need to find a way for him to talk to you,” Alexi said.

“I agree,” Clara said. “But we can't leave you alone.”

“Maybe if you're around but not too near...” Charlie murmured.

“We'll work on it,” Alexi said. “Okay, first up...begin with the medley.” She kept talking, riffling through her sheet music.

Charlie looked around the room again, hoping to see the doctor materialize.

Talk to me, please, talk to me
,
she thought.

But the room remained empty, so she returned her attention to their practice for the evening's performance.

She thought how lucky she was to have such good friends. They'd both been through hell very recently—and on cruise ships, no less.

But they were here now, for her.

She turned around and saw that Ethan and Jude had settled at a table.

Even Ethan was back.

For her.

And then, as she watched, the ghostly doctor materialized right behind Ethan. Once again, he caught her eyes.

Then he raised a hand in a solemn salute.

* * *

When it came time to head upstairs for lunch, Ethan brought the files containing photos, including some of Chance Morgan's, of people who had been aboard the
Journey
before Corley and Hickory had been murdered.

He left Jude to watch over the Southern Belles and enjoy lunch, and he headed straight to the infirmary. He hadn't seen Dr. Amerind flirting with passengers at the Sun Deck buffet, so he had to assume the doctor was in his quarters or seeing a patient.

Two attractive young women in nautically themed nurse's uniforms, a blonde named Mindy Gunderson and a brunette named Haley Howell, greeted him as soon as he entered the infirmary.

Haley explained that Dr. Amerind was in with Mrs. Vineland, a frequent passenger. She suffered from motion sickness but cruised aboard the
Journey
time and again anyway. She simply liked the ambience of the riverboat and the various excursions available when they were in port.

Ethan noticed that she had a chart in her hand; she had obviously been about to join Dr. Amerind and Mrs. Vineland.

“I assume you were both here the day of the big reenactment, right?” he asked pleasantly.

“Of course,” Mindy said. “We're under contract, so we don't have a choice. At least the reenactment was something a little bit different.”

“You don't enjoy the shipboard programming?” he asked.

“There are only so many lectures about history a girl can take,” Haley said. “The best is when we're in port in New Orleans.”

“We get a week off the ship once a month—fill-in nurses, waiting for full-time jobs with the cruise line, come on. Time for us to have fun,” Mindy said, and winked. “I mean,” she added solemnly, “we're purer than the driven snow while we're aboard.”

“No drinking allowed, and I have no problem with that. We never know when we might be needed,” Haley explained.

“Then you'll make good witnesses,” Ethan said.

“Witnesses?” Haley gasped. “Does this have something to do with those two reenactors who were murdered? But why? It's not like they were killed here on the ship.”

“No, they weren't,” Ethan agreed. “But we're trying to piece together everything that was going on in their lives before they were killed, in case there's a clue in there somewhere.”

“But you can't blame the
Journey
for what happened!” Haley said, clearly upset.

“No one blames the ship. We're just trying to find any hint that could lead us to their killer,” Ethan said. “Dr. Amerind told me two people were arguing with Albion Corley up on deck. A man and a woman. I have pictures. Would you mind taking a minute so I can show them to you? I'm trying to figure out who might have been arguing with Mr. Corley.”

“No prob,” Haley said, and then flushed. “Oh, if you don't mind a slight delay. One of us is supposed to be in with the doctor when he has a patient, so he's waiting for me.”

“I'm happy to hang out till you're free,” Ethan told her.

“I can help you right now,” Mindy said, and smiled at him. “You're really a Fed? That's a big deal, huh?”

“Not so much,” he told her, and laid the pictures out on the check-in counter, first shots of Albion Corley and Farrell Hickory.

“Those are the dead men, right?” Mindy said, looking up at him.

He nodded. “I have pictures of some of the other people who were there. Can you tell me if you remember any of them, especially if you saw them with Professor Corley when he was here on the deck after the program?”

“I can try. We were half watching, half working and, honestly, kind of bored,” she said, wincing apologetically.

“That's all right. I appreciate anything you can tell me.”

He laid out more pictures, these of Brad and Mike Thornton, George Gonzales, Barry Seymour, Luke Mayfield, Jennie McPherson, Jimmy Smith and Grant Ferguson.

She looked up at him, pleased with herself. “I saw them all!” she said.

“After the reenactment was over?”

“Not these two—” She pointed to the Thornton brothers. “But this chick,” she said, pausing to point to Jennie. “I had a long talk with her after. She was playing a nurse. She was really nice and even did my makeup before we left port.”

“She's a makeup artist,” Ethan said. “And the others?”

“Those men, yes.” She pointed at the pictures of George, Barry, Luke, Jimmy and Grant. She zeroed in on Grant. “Very distinguished, said he's an accountant, but I've seen him in some commercials. I didn't see him talking to Mr. Corley, though. He was talking to a passenger, and he looked pretty tense and kind of annoyed. And this guy... He was cute.” She pointed to Jimmy's picture. “He knocked into me on his way to do something, and when he apologized, for a minute I thought he was going to ask for my number. He didn't, though. He just looked at me kind of funny. I'm sorry he didn't ask. He really was cute.” She looked more closely at the pictures of George, Barry and Luke. “I don't remember much about them, but these guys hung around for a while before we sailed, too. These two,” she said, indicating Barry and Luke, “were talking to each other. One wanted to hang around, and the other wanted to get going. I forget which was which, though. And this guy...” she said, indicating George. “He just looked hungry. The reenactors were welcome to eat at the buffet, so that's probably what he did.”

An older woman whose skin appeared to be a pale shade of green came out to the small triage area and smiled at them. “I feel much better already!” she said to Mindy, then turned to Ethan. “I'm sorry—did I keep you waiting? You certainly look healthy to me.”

“You didn't keep me waiting at all, Mrs. Vineland,” Ethan said.

“Hmmph,” she murmured, glancing back at Dr. Amerind. “How does he know my name?”

“I'm Ethan Delaney, Mrs. Vineland,” Ethan said.

“He's with the FBI,” Haley added.

“That explains it. Big Brother is watching. No wonder you knew my name.”

“Mrs. Vineland, trust me, Big Brother is too busy elsewhere to tell me your name,” Ethan said, smiling at her. “I know your name because someone mentioned that Dr. Amerind was in with you.”

“Oh. Well, this is small and intimate, as cruising goes. We're very friendly on the
Journey
,” she said, as if she had joined the ranks of the employees. “You may call me Mildred. And I'll call you Ethan. No Agent Delaney for me.”

“That will be fine, Mrs. Vineland,” he said.

“Mildred.”

“Sorry, I grew up around here and had it drummed into me not to be too familiar with women I didn't know well. I'll do my best to remember to call you Mildred.”

She smiled, satisfied. “Lovely. I'm off to get some toast. I'm actually quite hungry now.”

“Stay topside to eat. That will help,” Dr. Amerind told her.

“Whatever you say, Gerard,” Mildred said, and waved. “Pleased to meet you, Ethan.”

“You, too—Mildred.”

Once she was gone, the doctor turned to Ethan. “You brought your pictures?”

“Yes, and Mindy has already been very helpful. I'm just wondering if you saw any of these people around once the reenactment was over.”

Gerard Amerind stared carefully at the pictures, with Haley looking over his shoulder. “I remember this woman. She played a nurse.”

“Jennie McPherson,” Ethan said.

“She's tiny, but she has a temper. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure she was the one arguing with Mr. Corley on deck. I didn't see her, of course, but it's the voice. I can't be a hundred percent sure, but I think it was her.” He pulled the pictures of Brad and Mike. “I saw them leave, but the others, they all hung around. There was some talk about a movie they were all making.”

“Yes, they're filming up in St. Francisville,” Ethan said.

“I'd talk to that little blonde if I were you,” Dr. Amerind said. “She was definitely upset about something. Very pretty, but also very upset.”

* * *

“Want to come ashore for a brief excursion?” Ethan asked.

Charlie was perched on the bed in her small cabin, going through DC-area housing brochures with Alexi and Clara. Alexi and Jude were set. Jude had snagged a great rent-to-own property near the Krewe offices in Northern Virginia. Clara and Thor were in a short-term rental but looking for something more permanent. Clara had told Charlie it was actually a difficult search because everyone kept trying to make it so easy. “There are about thirty-five agents working out of the office now—not to mention the tech department!—and they're all giving Thor leads, which makes for dozens of places for us to look at. Thing is, we have to have space and I'd like a yard—we have a husky.”

Charlie had just laughed at that. Of course, they had a husky. Thor was from Alaska.

Then Ethan had knocked and identified himself, and they'd opened the door. Charlie felt as if they were being a bit overcautious, but plenty of people were killed in broad daylight, so there was no point taking chances.

Charlie was curious as to where he wanted to take her. They were docked at Oak Alley, which she'd seen plenty of times before, but the truth was that she would be happy to go anywhere with him, so she said, “Sure.”

“We'll be back in an hour or so—plenty of time for you to set up for tonight's show,” Ethan said, adding quietly, “We're going to see Shelley Corley.”

“Poor woman,” Alexi said. “First, she lost a cousin, and then she lost her fiancé.”

Ethan nodded. “We'll be as sensitive as possible, but the truth is, when you've lost someone you love, you do want justice for them.”

“I worry about myself. I think I might flat-out want vengeance,” Alexi said. “Not nice, not right, but...true.”

After a quick promise to see them in plenty of time to get set up to greet the early dinner seating, Charlie joined Ethan, and they left the ship. On shore, she saw a woman standing beside a Chevy sedan. Ethan must have told her whom to look for, because she waved as soon as she saw them.

Shelley Corley was about fifty and was also one of the most attractive women Charlie had ever seen. Her skin was a beautiful café au lait color, her hair was dark, and her eyes were a true amber. She was dressed in a pale blue business suit and a large sun hat in a matching shade. Her features were strong and arresting, and though she smiled as she greeted them and shook hands, her smile was grim.

“When Special Agent Crow spoke with me this morning...well, I realized immediately I needed to speak with you. I want to help in any way possible. There's a small place down the road where we can talk, past Oak Alley and just on the other side of Laura Plantation.”

“I think I know the place you're talking about,” Ethan said. “Thank you for picking us up.”

Shelley nodded and got into her car. Charlie immediately took the backseat, allowing Ethan the front.

As they drove, they discussed the
Journey
, the historic plantations they would be passing, even the weather. Once they were seated inside the small mom-and-pop coffee shop that was their destination, Shelley quickly went into high gear.

“When Albion was found murdered, I thought my heart broke in two,” she said. “Then, when Farrell was killed...well, I felt like whatever was left of my heart had been shattered completely. I don't say that for pity, because I'm strong, and I'm going to be fine. Albion had never married, and he had no children of his own, but I'm a widow—I went back to my maiden name—and I have two daughters. They both live in California now, but they came home quickly to be with me. And I have cousins and nephews and nieces, friends. I'm surrounded by those who love me. I don't need anyone's pity.”

“I would never offer pity, but you do have my deepest sympathy,” Ethan said. “I have to ask, though... Did anyone else know about you and Farrell?”

“Well,” Shelley said, looking toward Charlie, “your father knew, of course.” She turned back to Ethan. “But otherwise, no. I hadn't even told my daughters. When Albion was killed, I had to wonder if it was a hate crime. But when Farrell was killed, too, I didn't see how it could be. No, what I believe is that they somehow crossed someone.” She turned to Charlie again, and reached for her hand. “You found Farrell,” she said softly.