Diamond in the Blue: D.I. Simpers Investigates by Phil Kingsman Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Phil Kingsman
Simpers, more out of a need to control his own unpacking than a vote of thanks for the young man.
'Are you sure, sir?' replied Joki, 'I am quite happy to assist you and just to say, sir, please be careful when opening the wardrobe door. It is most sticky and I have reported this to my manager. He has promised that he will have it fixed.'
'Yes, yes, thank you for letting me know. I'll be careful. Now, I'm sure you have other guests to see to…'
'Well, if that will be all, sir, please enjoy the rest of your day, and if there is anything I can do, please let me know…'
'Thank you, Joki. You have been most attentive.'
Simpers closed the door behind the steward, then inspected his suit to check it had been hung correctly. He pulled on one arm of the jacket as if to give it his own seal of approval. Satisfied, he turned to his open suitcase and began the task of emptying its contents in strict order. Trousers, shirts, ties then underwear. Each allocated to its own specific location.
Games
Simpers thought he ought to spend some time getting to know the ship 'above stairs', so set off for the sun deck. He determined he would work his way from top to bottom of the floating pleasure palace. Simpers scrutinised a plan of the ship on the lobby wall. He discovered to his dismay that his cabin was as far forward as it was possible to go without sharing a bed with the anchor.
His research confirmed being lower and towards the centre of the vessel minimised movement. He now knew his forward position would do the opposite in rough weather.
He also realised his cabin was on a much higher deck than he was comfortable with. Simpers could not understand why passengers seemed to pay more for their cabins the higher up they were. He considered this a triumph of vanity over common sense. For all the Deputy Captain had droned on about the ship having stabilisers, he didn't believe it for a minute.
Turning to his right, Simpers viewed the corridor as it stretched out before him to a vanishing point that seemed miles away. He noticed how polite staff were. Cabin staff would invariable welcome him with a broad smile and, for the most part, impeccable English. One thing was for certain, he had enjoyed the address of 'sir' more times since embarking, than he had in the previous couple of weeks at work.
Other passengers also smiled and gave a slight nod of the head, while maintaining eye contact and offering the greeting of the day. Perhaps, he thought, the things he had read about cruising were true. He began to relax.
Exiting the lift on deck fourteen, Simpers strolled into the Bridge lounge. This was a huge space that spanned the entire width of the ship and was the highest point that passengers could access. Bar staff milled about serving coffee and soft drinks to passengers who had slipped into 'cruise mode'.
A Grand Piano graced one end of the room, though despite its size, it looked like a toy when compared to the dimensions of the space it stood in. A long sweeping bar hugged an entire width of the room, save for a set of solid cherry-wood doors on either side. A small gaggle of male passengers stared with gravitas at the beer pumps. They were waiting for the ship to slip its mooring in order to make the transition from soft drinks to alcohol. As he took in all that the room had to offer, Simpers marvelled at the expanse of glass that curtained the front face of the lounge. Although more seasoned cruisers had taken the chairs offering the best views, he could still look down on the bow of the immense ship. Raising his sights, he looked into the middle-distance to glimpse the mouth of Westbay Sound. He preferred the calm of the sound, rather than what he remembered lay ahead once the ship reached the open sea.
'I thought you said everything was free on this ship.' Simpers turned to see a middle-aged man whose specially bought for the cruise T-shirt failed to cover the full extent of his ample midriff.
'No, I said that the
'Are you sure, sir?' replied Joki, 'I am quite happy to assist you and just to say, sir, please be careful when opening the wardrobe door. It is most sticky and I have reported this to my manager. He has promised that he will have it fixed.'
'Yes, yes, thank you for letting me know. I'll be careful. Now, I'm sure you have other guests to see to…'
'Well, if that will be all, sir, please enjoy the rest of your day, and if there is anything I can do, please let me know…'
'Thank you, Joki. You have been most attentive.'
Simpers closed the door behind the steward, then inspected his suit to check it had been hung correctly. He pulled on one arm of the jacket as if to give it his own seal of approval. Satisfied, he turned to his open suitcase and began the task of emptying its contents in strict order. Trousers, shirts, ties then underwear. Each allocated to its own specific location.
Games
Simpers thought he ought to spend some time getting to know the ship 'above stairs', so set off for the sun deck. He determined he would work his way from top to bottom of the floating pleasure palace. Simpers scrutinised a plan of the ship on the lobby wall. He discovered to his dismay that his cabin was as far forward as it was possible to go without sharing a bed with the anchor.
His research confirmed being lower and towards the centre of the vessel minimised movement. He now knew his forward position would do the opposite in rough weather.
He also realised his cabin was on a much higher deck than he was comfortable with. Simpers could not understand why passengers seemed to pay more for their cabins the higher up they were. He considered this a triumph of vanity over common sense. For all the Deputy Captain had droned on about the ship having stabilisers, he didn't believe it for a minute.
Turning to his right, Simpers viewed the corridor as it stretched out before him to a vanishing point that seemed miles away. He noticed how polite staff were. Cabin staff would invariable welcome him with a broad smile and, for the most part, impeccable English. One thing was for certain, he had enjoyed the address of 'sir' more times since embarking, than he had in the previous couple of weeks at work.
Other passengers also smiled and gave a slight nod of the head, while maintaining eye contact and offering the greeting of the day. Perhaps, he thought, the things he had read about cruising were true. He began to relax.
Exiting the lift on deck fourteen, Simpers strolled into the Bridge lounge. This was a huge space that spanned the entire width of the ship and was the highest point that passengers could access. Bar staff milled about serving coffee and soft drinks to passengers who had slipped into 'cruise mode'.
A Grand Piano graced one end of the room, though despite its size, it looked like a toy when compared to the dimensions of the space it stood in. A long sweeping bar hugged an entire width of the room, save for a set of solid cherry-wood doors on either side. A small gaggle of male passengers stared with gravitas at the beer pumps. They were waiting for the ship to slip its mooring in order to make the transition from soft drinks to alcohol. As he took in all that the room had to offer, Simpers marvelled at the expanse of glass that curtained the front face of the lounge. Although more seasoned cruisers had taken the chairs offering the best views, he could still look down on the bow of the immense ship. Raising his sights, he looked into the middle-distance to glimpse the mouth of Westbay Sound. He preferred the calm of the sound, rather than what he remembered lay ahead once the ship reached the open sea.
'I thought you said everything was free on this ship.' Simpers turned to see a middle-aged man whose specially bought for the cruise T-shirt failed to cover the full extent of his ample midriff.
'No, I said that the