Mystral Murder (Julie O'Hara Mystery Series) Read Online Free Page A

brought it with me.” She looked across the broad table laden with food and china and, embarrassed, quickly tucked the book back in her bag. “Perhaps after dinner?”
    “Of course,” Julie said, thinking, I love this woman. “Did you bring a pen?”
    “Oh, yes,” she said, extracting the pen and waving it.
    Adrienne laughed and said, “I wish I’d brought my copy!”
    “Me, too,” Cathy said. “We’ll have to catch you tomorrow, Julie.”
    “Ms. O’Hara has an open interview later this week,” the Captain said.  “But I’ll let Mr. Reece, from Conde Nast Traveler magazine tell you more about that,” and he turned the conversation over to him.
    “Uh, hello, everyone. I’m Jon. Like the Captain said, I’m a writer from Conde Nast. I’m here doing a story on cruising, and I’ll be interviewing some of the officers and entertainers. Julie’s interview is Thursday and we’re looking for some audience feedback, so it’s going to be in the Odyssey Lounge again. Speaking of that, I’d like to do some passenger interviews, too.” Looking at the Kents, he asked, “Would you folks be interested in doing a quick interview after dinner?”
    “Oh, we’d love to!” they said in unison.
    Look at those expressions, Julie thought with delight. Their lips are curled all the way up on the sides and they’re all teeth. So happy, so genuine. They can’t believe their good luck.
    “Excellent,” the Captain said. “I think that’s a fine idea. And now, may I introduce my good friends, Gill and Cathy Byrne, who are members of HCL’s Captain’s Club and are enjoying their fifteenth Holiday cruise.
    “And last, but certainly not least, I’d like to introduce our good friend, Adrienne Paradis, travel agent extraordinaire, and her husband, Dale Simpson.”
    “Our” friend, Julie thought , not “my good friend”, not even “my friend.”
    Julie’s eyes slid over to Michelle Sinclair, sitting on the Captain’s left. The doctor was still smiling, but there were subtle changes in her expression. The laugh lines about her eyes that Julie had observed earlier had flattened out. Her beautiful white teeth, upper and lower, were still in view, but her lips, instead of curling up on the outside, were drawn back in an oblong shape.
    There’s no depth to that smile; she’s faking it.
    The Captain continued his homage to the travel agent. “Adrienne’s prestigious agency, Paradis Travel, is responsible for booking at least four hundred guests on this cruise alone. And we thank you, Madam,” he said, raising his glass to her.
    “No need to thank me, Captain,” Adrienne said, rising. “I enjoy matching people with their perfect vacation, whether it’s watching baby sea turtles hatch at night on the Galapagos Islands, or sailing in luxury on a beautiful ship like the Mystral.”
    Nice pitch. No shrinking violet, our petite friend…
    Adrienne raised her glass and said, “ Here’s to perfect vacations!’
    The Captain’s table echoed her toast, “To perfect vacations!”
    * * * * *
     
     
    CHAPTER 7
    E xcept for the ship’s officers and the Kents - who had left with Jon Reece to do their interview - the Captain’s dinner guests had gone on to the popular Top Hat nightclub on Deck 12, also in the rear of the ship. The dark floor-to-ceiling windows didn’t offer much of an ocean view, as the moon was largely obscured by clouds. Still, the band was good and the place was jumping. 
    As the evening wore on, the musicians had steadily dialed-down the decibels and tempo until the room was half full.  A quarter of those folks were slowly swaying on the dance floor. It was one o’clock and the Captain’s guests were resting. Gill was drinking scotch and scowling. Joe, his polar opposite, actually got up to sing with the band and then laughed along with everyone else when they took the microphone away from him. Dale and Cathy were passing the time with banal conversation about their dinner. 
    “There’s no