Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather Graham
I need your help. And please believe meâyou need mine!â
* * *
Jude was tired but he wasnât giving in to his exhaustion until the last of the guests on the Destiny had cleared the lounges and gone to bed.
Stupid, maybe. He couldnât be on every deck, and he and Crow had decided they were going to split the time while they waited for the next reports. Crow had gone to his cabin; heâd get up in an hour or so and cruise the decks. They had no idea what time the Archangel struck. No one really knew, since his victims were discovered by day. In every case, the time of death could only be approximated. It was presumed that he killed at night, making use of the darkness and the shadows. If someone meant to attack a guest, this would be the time. Easy to follow an inebriated or tipsy young woman down a quiet hallway...and slip up behind her.
The ship, although certainly not mammoth like some sailing the oceans these days, was still big enough. Heâd walked from one end to the other, from one deck down to the next, pausing to watch in the various lounges, bars and clubs. Heâd enjoyed the piano barâcasual, friendly and engaging. Ms. Alexi Cromwell had deft fingers on the piano keys and she was quick to come up with little routines to entertain the crowd. Heâd watched her with professional detachment at first; she was slim and shapely, her hair richly beautiful with its deep mahogany color, and her eyes were the color of amber. Not brown, not green, not hazel, but truly amber. She was both tart and charming and seemed to have no ego. She smiled with delight when her friends joined her and applauded their talent.
And yet, every once in a while when he looked at her, he thought he saw something infinitely sad. She was a bit of an enigma.
Of course, any real mystery about her would be easily solved. They were in the process of receiving more detailed information on every member of the crew and guest list. They needed to know who to eliminate so theyâd know who to focus on. Of course, he didnât really need to study her history, since they didnât suspect the murders had been committed by a woman, although theyâd never discounted the possibility that a man and a woman might be working in tandem. God knew it had happened before.
But he was intrigued. He was more than intrigued. He was attracted to her. Heâd barely spent any time with her, and yet he wanted to know everything about her. Where sheâd come from, where she saw herself going. More than that, he wanted to touch the deep fire of her hair and...
Well, more. And he needed to cut his thoughts off right there.
As heâd traveled the decks, heâd found country-western singers, a DJ spinning away in a disco room, a Latin Lovers lounge with salsa, an upper-crust Sky High club where a lone tenor entertained with old big band songs. Heâd found the kidsâ âRock N Roll Ship Shop,â where thereâd been games and a dance floor. Then there were the elegant dining rooms, the library, the computer room and more.
He hadnât seen the man theyâd followed onto the ship. Or had he? If the man had cleaned his face, theyâd never know.
The guyâs movements pegged him as young, Jude thought. Between eighteen and thirty.
That left them down with about a fifth of the ship.
As the hour grew later and later, he prowled the hallways. A couple passed him, giddy and laughing as they hurried to their cabin, acknowledging him as they passed.
He decided heâd check out the shipâs chapel, which was aft on the Promenade Deck.
It was locked. He was tempted to break it down or call the captain or the chaplain, regardless of the hour. But there was a mullioned glass window to the chapel and he could see through it; there was no one inside.
No young woman lay there, arms crossed over her chest, a circlet of blood around her throat, and a medallion bearing the image of a long-gone
* * *
Jude was tired but he wasnât giving in to his exhaustion until the last of the guests on the Destiny had cleared the lounges and gone to bed.
Stupid, maybe. He couldnât be on every deck, and he and Crow had decided they were going to split the time while they waited for the next reports. Crow had gone to his cabin; heâd get up in an hour or so and cruise the decks. They had no idea what time the Archangel struck. No one really knew, since his victims were discovered by day. In every case, the time of death could only be approximated. It was presumed that he killed at night, making use of the darkness and the shadows. If someone meant to attack a guest, this would be the time. Easy to follow an inebriated or tipsy young woman down a quiet hallway...and slip up behind her.
The ship, although certainly not mammoth like some sailing the oceans these days, was still big enough. Heâd walked from one end to the other, from one deck down to the next, pausing to watch in the various lounges, bars and clubs. Heâd enjoyed the piano barâcasual, friendly and engaging. Ms. Alexi Cromwell had deft fingers on the piano keys and she was quick to come up with little routines to entertain the crowd. Heâd watched her with professional detachment at first; she was slim and shapely, her hair richly beautiful with its deep mahogany color, and her eyes were the color of amber. Not brown, not green, not hazel, but truly amber. She was both tart and charming and seemed to have no ego. She smiled with delight when her friends joined her and applauded their talent.
And yet, every once in a while when he looked at her, he thought he saw something infinitely sad. She was a bit of an enigma.
Of course, any real mystery about her would be easily solved. They were in the process of receiving more detailed information on every member of the crew and guest list. They needed to know who to eliminate so theyâd know who to focus on. Of course, he didnât really need to study her history, since they didnât suspect the murders had been committed by a woman, although theyâd never discounted the possibility that a man and a woman might be working in tandem. God knew it had happened before.
But he was intrigued. He was more than intrigued. He was attracted to her. Heâd barely spent any time with her, and yet he wanted to know everything about her. Where sheâd come from, where she saw herself going. More than that, he wanted to touch the deep fire of her hair and...
Well, more. And he needed to cut his thoughts off right there.
As heâd traveled the decks, heâd found country-western singers, a DJ spinning away in a disco room, a Latin Lovers lounge with salsa, an upper-crust Sky High club where a lone tenor entertained with old big band songs. Heâd found the kidsâ âRock N Roll Ship Shop,â where thereâd been games and a dance floor. Then there were the elegant dining rooms, the library, the computer room and more.
He hadnât seen the man theyâd followed onto the ship. Or had he? If the man had cleaned his face, theyâd never know.
The guyâs movements pegged him as young, Jude thought. Between eighteen and thirty.
That left them down with about a fifth of the ship.
As the hour grew later and later, he prowled the hallways. A couple passed him, giddy and laughing as they hurried to their cabin, acknowledging him as they passed.
He decided heâd check out the shipâs chapel, which was aft on the Promenade Deck.
It was locked. He was tempted to break it down or call the captain or the chaplain, regardless of the hour. But there was a mullioned glass window to the chapel and he could see through it; there was no one inside.
No young woman lay there, arms crossed over her chest, a circlet of blood around her throat, and a medallion bearing the image of a long-gone