Murder on the SS Rosa: a 1920s cozy historical mystery - an introductory novella

Strauss, Lee

CHAPTER TEN

The air seemed to vacate the room. A cloud mass suddenly shielded the sun, filling the space with an ominous shadow. Ginger and Haley shared a look of surprise before Ginger spoke.

“Who’s been blackmailing him?”

“I have no idea,” Elise Walsh answered coolly. “I only know because I discovered a letter in his jacket pocket.”

As curious as Ginger was, she didn’t feel it wise to ask Mrs. Walsh why she was fishing through her husband’s pockets. “Do you know what the offence is? What did the blackmailer have on Captain Walsh?”

“I wish I knew. Now it’s possible we’ll never know.” The pupils in Elise’s grey eyes widened slightly, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

Mrs. Walsh was lying.

Elise lifted the near-empty glass to her lips and tipped her head back to finish it. “As you can imagine,” she said, “this is all very taxing.” She stood to make her point clear that she wanted them to leave.

Taking the hint, Ginger made sure to snag the half-empty bottle of brandy before saying her goodbyes to the new widow.

“So, what do you make of that?” Haley asked as she and Ginger headed down the exterior corridor to the port side of the ship where their room was located.

“I believe Mrs. Walsh was telling the truth about the blackmailing, but she was lying about not knowing the reasons why. Either way, it gives her a strong motive. Gain revenge on her cheating husband and break the powerful grip of the blackmailer.”

“Although the blackmailer could simply turn his attention to her,” Haley offered.

“Hmm.” Ginger said. “Mrs. Walsh spoke as if that wasn’t a possibility, which means she doesn’t believe it will affect her.”

“Except for her reputation.”

“She might think it’s gone already. It appears the captain wasn’t very subtle about his affairs.”

“It would be interesting to know whether the captain left her anything,” Haley said.

Oh, mercy,” Ginger mused. “Perhaps he was about to change his will to favour someone else?”

“A mistress?”

“My guess would be the actress.”

“Miss Guilford certainly didn’t enjoy watching the captain dine with his wife,” Haley said.

“Indeed not. Miss Guilford doesn't seem to be the type of lady who likes to play second fiddle, not even to the wife. It’s clear from her performance in the cocktail lounge that she demands attention.”

Ginger unlocked the door to their stateroom, and Boss hopped off his pillow to greet her.

“You’re back!” Ginger swooped the small dog into her arms, letting him kiss her face, and made a mental note to give Miss Chloe an extra tip when she saw her again. Thinking about the chambermaid reminded her of her promise to Mr. Hardy. She needed a way to have those two shy people speak together.

She put the pup down as she had yet to relieve herself of the brandy. He followed her about the room, stubby tail wagging. “Sorry we’ve been so long, Bossy,” she sang. “Mama’s got a murder to solve and it can’t be helped.”

Ginger removed her gloves, folded them, and placed them in one of the drawers, her mind back on the case. “Maybe the captain finally told Miss Guilford he was never going to leave his wife, so she decided to do away with him by hitting him on the head with a yet-unknown blunt object.”

“That might be motive,” Haley said as she sat at the table and opened her textbooks. “But she’s not strong enough to lift him into a pickle barrel.”

“She’s not, but Officer MacIntosh is,” Ginger said, taking a seat by the window. Boss took that as a sign to climb onto his mistress’s lap. “You remember the argument I told you about, between him and the captain.”

“I wish we knew what they were fighting over.”

“As do I.” Ginger crossed her legs, and Boss readjusted himself accordingly. “And this raises another question. If you were going to kill a man on a ship, would you hide his body in a pickle barrel?”

Haley shook her dark curls. “I’d push him overboard and not risk a body being found.”

“Which means that whoever killed Captain Walsh wanted him to be found.”

“Proof of death?”

“That sounds sinister.”

Haley nodded. “Almost like organised crime or something.”

Ginger stood and placed Boss back onto his pillow, and the dog spun in a tight circle before settling.

“Who else would have a motive and means to kill the captain?” Haley said.

Ginger paced the space between herself and Haley. “It could be anyone, really. It’s not as if we know everyone onboard.”

“That’s true.”

“But I can’t stop thinking about how Babineaux and Mrs. Walsh look at each other. Seems to me they are more than just casual acquaintances.”

“Do you think the cook killed the captain to gain the captain’s wife?” Haley said. “He would be strong enough to put the body in the pickle barrel.”

“Yes, but why would he then turn around and announce that it was there?”

“Perhaps Babineaux thought that ‘finding’ the body would keep him above suspicion.”

“That still doesn’t answer the question as to why he wouldn’t just push the corpse overboard,” Ginger said.

Haley concurred. “It doesn’t.”

“That makes Mrs. Walsh, Miss Guilford, Chief Officer MacIntosh, and Cook Babineaux all potential suspects.”

“Who do we talk to next?” Haley asked.

“Good question.” Ginger sat at the dressing table, ran a brush through her hair, and tidied her bob. “We mustn’t get in the way of the chief inspector. We were lucky to get to Elise Walsh before he did, but we have to assume he has learned of the blackmail.”

“The chief inspector does seem to be attentive and attuned to his surroundings,” Haley said with a wink. “He seems pretty attentive and attuned to you.”

Ginger chuckled. “Stay on track, dear Nurse Higgins. Stay on track.”

“If you insist,” Haley said. “What’s next? A visit to Miss Guilford?”

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