Darkest Journey by Heather Graham Read Free Book Online

speaking of previous cases, there’s another strange association here, too,” Jackson said.
    â€œThat being?”
    â€œWe’ve recently worked two serial-killer cases involving the Celtic American cruise line. The cruise company wasn’t at fault, of course, but both killers carried out their work aboard their ships.”
    Ethan frowned, wondering how the recent deaths of the two reenactors could be related to the cruise line.
    Then he saw it. A slim connection, but a connection nonetheless.
    â€œThe Journey ,” he said. “Celtic American owns the Journey , and she does a run from New Orleans to Vicksburg, with a stop at St. Francisville. And of course, I know about the cases involving the Destiny and the Fate . Anyone in the world with media access knows about the cases.” He hesitated. “We’re sure there was no direct connection to the cruise line or the Journey ?”
    â€œWe can’t know for sure, not yet,” Jackson said, his tone tight. “But not as far as the owners, operators or employees of Celtic American go. But Charlene Moreau’s father is the cruise director and resident historian aboard the Journey .”
    â€œI know Charlene’s father. I promise you, he had nothing to do with murder.”
    â€œI’m not suggesting anything like that. But here’s where the connection to the cruise line comes in. Both of the dead men took part in a reenactment aboard the Journey . The ship does themed cruises. A week ago, the theme was the Civil War. Considering the route, a lot of their cruises are Civil War–themed, but this was their once-a-year extra-special Civil War cruise. Celtic American’s claim to fame is that they specialize in historic cruises. Interestingly, the Journey offers ghost tours as well as your standard history-based ones.”
    â€œThe Journey actually has a legitimate historical claim of its own. She was conscripted to move Southern troops up and down the Mississippi when the war began. She was seized by the Union forces when they took New Orleans in 1862, then used to move wounded Union troops. For a brief time she fell back into Confederate hands, when a small troop of Confederate soldiers slipped aboard and took her over. She went back to the Union, though—a trade was arranged that allowed for injured Rebels being held by the Union to be exchanged for the Union men aboard the ship. There had been an outbreak of fever on board, so the Confederates were only too happy to hand the ship and the men over to the Yankees, and the Journey continued on her way, mainly doing hospital runs for the rest of the war.”
    â€œSee?” Jackson said softly. “You know your local history—something that can be invaluable in cases like this. So...back to the connection,” he continued. “Both the murdered men were involved in that extra-special reenactment aboard the ship about a week ago. That’s one of the reasons the police are so sure the killings must have been planned by someone in the reenactors’ group.”
    â€œBut you don’t believe that,” Ethan said.
    â€œIt’s certainly possible, given what we know so far. But I don’t like to grasp at the easy answer.”
    â€œSometimes the obvious answer is the truth,” Ethan said.
    â€œAnd sometimes it’s not.”
    â€œNo,” Ethan agreed, and stood. If he was heading to Baton Rouge and then up river to St. Francisville, he was eager to get started. “What are my travel arrangements?”
    â€œA car’s waiting to take you home to pack and then to the airport. The plane leaves as soon as you’re aboard.”
    â€œAs soon as I’m aboard?” Ethan asked.
    Jackson smiled. “I guess you haven’t gotten used to our form of ‘troop movement’ yet. We have a nice, new private jet. Adam financed it himself. No taxpayer dollars.”
    â€œAh. Well, then, nice I won’t