Cold Grave by Kathryn Fox Read Free Book Online

and see how you feel?’
    ‘Yay, thanks Mum.’ He threw his arms around her waist and whispered, ‘Love you.’
    She squeezed him back. ‘Likewise. Be good and have a great time.’
    He was off. A game of Simon Says had begun near the cones.
    Lori explained that parents were given pagers, and if the children wanted to be collected, the staff would call. She also wrote down the number of the club and asked Anya to fill out a medical background form, and give permission for excursions to the water slide and up to the sports deck.
    ‘We also need a password, so you or Ben’s father can sign him out.’
    Anya thought of the two girls who had run past her on the stairs. ‘I just passed a couple of kids outside.’
    ‘Oh, if they’re ten or older, parents can give consent for them to sign themselves out.’
    ‘Kids that young just come and go as they please?’ Anya thought of her own childhood. She and her brother were never allowed to ride bikes because they might get out of their mother’s sight. They weren’t allowed to meet friends or go for walks without an adult. Although it was understandable, they had felt stifled and controlled.
    Lori became serious. ‘I wouldn’t let any child of mine do it. But people assume ships are safe.’ She leant closer. ‘You should be very proud of your boy; he has the most beautiful manners. Just between us, that’s a rarity these days.’
    With no way of Ben leaving the club without her or Martin present, she had no qualms about letting him stay. From what she could see, the counsellors were experienced and adept at handling scores of children at once.
    Anya headed back to her cabin for a long hot soak in the shower.
    Inside, she clicked the deadlock and kicked off her sandals before depositing the pager on the bedside table. The cleaning staff had already changed the linen and cleaned the entire cabin. The bunk bed was back in its recess in the ceiling. Appreciating the tidiness and lingering lemon scent, she slid back the balcony door and let the ocean breeze in. The sheer layer of curtains billowed in and out, like white sails. On the balcony, the weather was perfect, despite the occasional clump of grey clouds in the distance. Small white peaks periodically punctuated the smooth waves.
    For the first time she felt like she was on holidays. No work to rush off to, no reports to prepare. Even more importantly, no seasickness. She contemplated what to do and picked up the daily activities sheet and a hardback book placed on the coffee table. On offer that day were Broadway dance classes, a lecture on the history of Hawaii, latest release movies in the theatrette, cooking lessons with the pastry chef, a tour of the kitchens, and a fine art auction in the atrium. While at sea, the casino opened at nine am, the shops at ten, and bingo ran throughout the day and evening. A top deck dance party began at ten and continued until midnight. The art auction piqued her curiosity. It was also the perfect opportunity to explore the ship, at her own pace. She sat on the lounge and flicked through the hardback. Glossy, coloured images of the ship-building process were scattered among astounding figures and facts about the Paradisio .
    She turned to an article on the owners of the cruise line. Sven Anderson was a third generation shipping magnate, whose family originated from Sweden but moved to America to follow their dreams. The story talked about the business and a family photo showed a number of adults and teenagers grouped behind a ruddy-faced man in his sixties. The caption described two sons from his first marriage, the teenagers seemed to be from a second, and a young girl to his third wife, the daughter of a Russian oligarch. Anya wondered how the family managed Christmas. Having one child in a split family was challenging enough.
    She put down the book, peeled off her dress followed by the one-piece swimsuit, and dropped them on the nautical-themed bedspread. The shower was anything