Curse of the Arctic Star Paperback - 2013

Summary

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE



Bon Voyage

âÈêNAME AND CABIN NUMBER, PLEASE?âÈë THE efficient-looking porter asked, reaching for the large green suitcase sitting on the dock beside me.

âÈêNancy Drew. Hollywood Suite.âÈë I shrugged and shot a glance at my two best friends. âÈêThatâÈçs all they told usâÈ'I donâÈçt know the number.âÈë

The porter smiled. He was a short, muscular man dressed in a tidy navy jacket with silver piping and matching shorts, with a name tag identifying him as James. Every employee of Superstar Cruises wore some variation on that uniform, from the driver whoâÈçd picked us up at the Vancouver airport to the woman checking people in over at the gangway.

âÈêThatâÈçs all I need to know, Ms. Drew,âÈë James said. âÈêThe Hollywood Suite doesnâÈçt have a number.âÈë

I watched as he scribbled the letters HS on a bright purple tag, then snapped it onto the handle of my bag. He lifted the suitcase as if it weighed nothing, even though I knew that wasnâÈçt the case. IâÈçm no fashion plate, but a girl needs plenty of clothes for a two-week Alaskan cruise! Then he set my bag on a metal cart along with at least a dozen other suitcases, trunks, and duffels.

Meanwhile my friend Bess Marvin was staring up at the ship docked beside us. âÈêWow,âÈë she said. âÈêBig boat.âÈë

âÈêMajor understatement,âÈë I replied. The Arctic Star was absolutely massive. We donâÈçt see too many cruise ships in our midwestern hometown of River Heights, but I was pretty sure this one was even larger than most.

Just then I heard a scuffle nearby. âÈêHey, give that backâÈ'I donâÈçt want to check it!âÈë George Fayne exclaimed as she grabbed a grungy olive-green duffel bag out of another porterâÈçs hand.

George is my other best friend. SheâÈçs also BessâÈçs cousin, though most people find it hard to believe theyâÈçre related, since the two of them couldnâÈçt be more different. Exhibit A? Their luggage. GeorgeâÈçs consisted of that ugly duffel, a sturdy brown suitcase that looked as if it had been through a demolition derby, and a plain black backpack. Definitely the functional look, just like her short dark hair, faded jeans, and sneakers. Bess, on the other hand, had a matching set of luggage in a nice shade of blue. Tasteful and pulled together, like her sleek, shoulder-length blond hair and linen dress.

The porter took a step back. âÈêOf course, miss,âÈë he told George politely. âÈêI only thoughtâÈ'âÈë

âÈêRelax, George,âÈë Bess said. âÈêI think you can trust him to get your toothbrush and your days-of-the-week underwear onboard safely.âÈë

âÈêMy underwear, maybe.âÈë George already had the bag unzipped. She scrabbled through the mess inside and finally came up with her laptop and smartphone. âÈêThis stuff? I trust no one.âÈë

Bess snorted. âÈêSeriously? WeâÈçre going to be cruising the gorgeous Alaskan waters surrounded by amazing scenery. YouâÈçre not going to have a lot of time to look for cute kitten videos on YouTube, you know.âÈë

âÈêMaybe not,âÈë George retorted. âÈêBut if we need to research something for NancyâÈçsâÈ'âÈë

âÈêHi, Alan!âÈë I said loudly, cutting her off as I noticed a guy hurrying toward us.

âÈêItâÈçs my lucky day!âÈë the guy announced with a big, cheerful grin. âÈêI found my sunglasses. I mustâÈçve dropped them when we were getting our stuff out of the airport van.âÈë He waved the glasses at us, then slid them on and wrapped an arm around BessâÈçs shoulders. âÈêActually, though, every day is my lucky day since I met Beautiful Bess.âÈë

George rolled her eyes so hard I was afraid theyâÈçd pop right out of her head. âÈêSooo glad you found your shades, Alan,âÈë she said drily. âÈêI was afraid youâÈçd be so busy searching youâÈçd miss the boat.âÈë

I hid a smile. About a month earlier, Bess and George and I had been having lunch at one of our favorite cafÃûs when George noticed a guy staring from a nearby table. He was maybe a couple of years older than us, with wavy brown hair and wide-set gray eyes. When he realized heâÈçd been caught, he came over and introduced himself as Alan Thomas, a student at the local university. He apologized for staring and explained that it was because he couldnâÈçt take his eyes off Bess.

That kind of thing happens to Bess all the time, so I didnâÈçt pay much attention. SheâÈçs not the type of girl who gets swept off her feet by just anybody.

But apparently Alan wasnâÈçt just anybody. HeâÈçd taken her on a romantic picnic for their first date, and the two of them had been together ever since. It was nice to see Bess so happy, even if I secretly thought Alan was a little goofy and overly excitable. George thought so too, though with her it wasnâÈçt such a secret.

âÈêNeed some help with those, buddy?âÈë Alan asked as James returned for BessâÈçs bags. âÈêI can give you a hand. Should I just toss it there on top of NancyâÈçs suitcase?âÈë

âÈêItâÈçs quite all right, sir,âÈë James replied. âÈêYour entire party is in the Hollywood Suite, right? Just leave your luggage here and weâÈçll take care of it. You might want to head over to the check-in line so you can start enjoying all the fine amenities of the Arctic Star.âÈë

âÈêThanks,âÈë Bess said. âÈêCome on, you guys. LetâÈçs go.âÈë

Alan nodded agreeably. âÈêThis is so amazing,âÈë he said to no one in particular as we headed toward the end of the line. âÈêI never thought a poor college student like me would be taking an Alaskan cruise!âÈë

He wasnâÈçt the only one. Just a few short days ago, IâÈçd been wondering what I was going to do with myself for the next month while Ned was off being a camp counselor and my dad was busy with a big case. River Heights is kind of sleepy at the best of times. This summer? It was downright catatonic.

Then Becca Wright had called, sounding frantic. That was my first clue that my summer was about to change. See, Becca is just about the least frantic person IâÈçve ever known. Just a couple of years out of college, sheâÈçd already landed the plum job of assistant cruise director for the maiden voyage of the Arctic Star, the flagship vessel of brand-new Superstar Cruises. Having known Becca for years, I was sure that was mostly due to her work ethic and friendly, upbeat personality. Although IâÈçm sure it didnâÈçt hurt that her grandfather had been a bigwig executive at the venerable Jubilee Cruise Lines. HeâÈçd retired a few years back, but he still knew just about everyone in the business.

So why the frantic call? Some suspicious things were happening at Superstar Cruises, and Becca was afraid someone might be up to no good. Naturally, that made her think of me. See, my thing is solving mysteries. Big ones. And small ones, like the case where IâÈçd first met Becca, which had involved finding her familyâÈçs runaway dog. And everything in between.

So which kind of case was this? I wondered, glancing up again at the gleaming white ship looming over the dock. Was someone really out to mess with Superstar Cruises like Becca seemed to think? Or was it just new-job jitters and a little bad luck?

âÈêEarth to Nancy!âÈë Alan waved a hand in front of my face, grinning. âÈêYou look a little nervous. Not worried about getting seasick, are you?âÈë

âÈêNope.âÈë I smiled back at him. Real mystery or not, I was glad that Becca had called. My friends and I were about to set out on the all-expenses-paid cruise of a lifetime!

The four of us joined the line waiting to board, which was growing with every passing second. George stood on tiptoes, hopping from one foot to the other as she tried to see how many people were in front of us.

âÈêHey, shouldnâÈçt there be a special VIP line or something?âÈë she complained. âÈêI mean, weâÈçre in the Hollywood Suite! We shouldnâÈçt have to wait in line with everyone else.âÈë

âÈêYeah.âÈë Alan chuckled. âÈêPlus, weâÈçre contest winners! That should count for something, right?âÈë

âÈêUm, the lineâÈçs moving pretty fast. IâÈçm sure weâÈçll be aboard soon,âÈë I said quickly. The last thing we needed was for Alan to start blabbing to the shipâÈçs employees about the whole contest-winner thing. Mainly because it wasnâÈçt true.

Bess shifted her handbag to her other shoulder and pulled out a packet of paperwork. âÈêDoes everyone have their tickets and passports handy? Nancy?âÈë

âÈêWhy are you looking at me?âÈë I said. âÈêIâÈçm not that forgetful, even when IâÈçmâÈ'âÈë I caught myself just in time, swallowing the last few words: even when IâÈçm investigating a case. âÈêUm, even when IâÈçve just crossed a couple of time zones,âÈë I finished lamely, shooting a look at Alan.

Luckily, he wasnâÈçt paying attention. He was digging into the pockets of his Bermuda shorts.

âÈêUh-oh,âÈë he said. âÈêI think I left my passport in one of my bags. IâÈçd better go grab it before they load it onto the ship.âÈë

He rushed off, disappearing into the throng of passengers, porters, and bystanders on the dock. George watched him go with a sigh.

âÈêOkay, this is already getting old,âÈë she said. âÈêShouldnâÈçt we just let him in on the secret already? AlanâÈçs a huge goody-two-shoes nerdâÈ'IâÈçm sure we can trust him not to tell anyone weâÈçre really here to solve a mystery.âÈë

âÈêShh,âÈë I cautioned her, glancing around quickly.

âÈêDonâÈçt call him a nerd,âÈë Bess added with a glare. âÈêHeâÈçs just . . . enthusiastic about things.âÈë

âÈêYeah. Like I said. Nerd,âÈë George said.

I ignored their bickering, realizing I didnâÈçt have to worry about anyone overhearing us at the moment. A red-haired young man had just arrived at the dock, and about a dozen other people, from little kids to an old woman with a walker, were pushing and shoving and laughing loudly as they all tried to fling themselves at him at once. Almost every single one of them had bright red hair and freckles.

Bess followed my gaze. âÈêFamily reunion?âÈë she murmured.

âÈêBrilliant deduction, detective.âÈë I grinned at her, then turned to George. âÈêWe canâÈçt tell anyone why weâÈçre really here,âÈë I reminded her quietly. âÈêNot even Alan. We promised Becca, remember? Besides, weâÈçve really only known Alan for a few weeks.âÈë

âÈêOh, please.âÈë Bess shook her head. âÈêWhat do you think heâÈçs going to do? Call the New York Times so they can publish all your clues?âÈë

âÈêNo, of course not.âÈë I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Alan wasnâÈçt returning yet. âÈêBut heâÈçs not exactly Mr. Introvert. We donâÈçt need him blurting out something at the wrong time, even by accident.âÈë

âÈêWhatever.âÈë George didnâÈçt look entirely convinced. âÈêGuess weâÈçd better talk about the case while we can, then. WhatâÈçs your plan?âÈë

âÈêThe first thing I need to do is talk to Becca,âÈë I said. âÈêAll she told me on the phone was that thereâÈçd been a few troubling incidents in the couple of weeks leading up to this cruise, including some threatening e-mails or something. Oh, and the Brock thing, of course.âÈë

Bess sighed dreamily. âÈêI canâÈçt believe we almost got to be on the same cruise ship as Brock Walker!âÈë

âÈêNo, we didnâÈçt,âÈë I said. âÈêThatâÈçs why Becca called us in to help, remember? According to her, Brock Walker was supposed to put the âÈæsuperstarâÈç in Superstar Cruises. I guess thatâÈçs their gimmickâÈ'passengers being able to rub elbows with superstars. So when he canceled less than five days before departure, she knew it was bad news. Then when she heard it was because someone was sending threatening e-mails to his family . . .âÈë

âÈêSounds like a mystery to me,âÈë George agreed, kicking at a loose board on the dock.

I nodded slowly, still not entirely convinced. Brock Walker was an A-list actor whoâÈçd starred in a popular series of bad-boy comedy-action films. But in real life he was supposed to be a hard-working, down-to-earth family man, married to his high school sweetheart, with a couple of kids. Definitely not the type to flake out on a commitment, at least according to his reputation.

âÈêI wonder what they told the paying passengers.âÈë Bess glanced around. âÈêEspecially since the rest of the entertainment is C-list at best.âÈë

George patted her laptop, which sheâÈçd slung over her shoulder in its case. âÈêI checked earlier todayâÈ'Brock put out a statement saying it was a scheduling conflict.âÈë

âÈêYeah.âÈë I shuffled forward as the line continued to move. âÈêBut Becca said heâÈçs really mad about the threats. He told the CEO of Superstar Cruises that if the company doesnâÈçt figure out who did it, heâÈçll tell everyone the truth.âÈë

âÈêBummer.âÈë George shrugged. âÈêBut that sounds like a job for the cops or the FBI or someone like that.âÈë

âÈêI know.âÈë I sighed. âÈêThe trouble is, the CEO is afraid that any bad publicity involving police investigations might scare off passengers and sink the company.âÈë I chuckled, realizing what IâÈçd just said. âÈêSo to speak. Anyway, thatâÈçs why weâÈçre hereâÈ'undercover. The CEO used to work with BeccaâÈçs grandfather, so I guess she and Becca are practically like family. Since it was too late to re-book BrockâÈçs suite, Becca talked her into flying us out and letting us stay there while we keep an eye on things.âÈë

âÈêWhich is totally awesome,âÈë George said with a grin, shooting a look up at the ship. âÈêIâÈçm not sure about this whole cruise thing, but IâÈçve always wanted to see Alaska!âÈë

âÈêSo what else did Becca tell you?âÈë Bess asked me. âÈêYou said there were some other suspicious incidents.âÈë

I nodded. âÈêThatâÈçs what she said, but she didnâÈçt go into much detail. Just mentioned something about threatening e-mails, and some prelaunch mishaps. SheâÈçs supposed to fill me in when I see her. Once we know more, maybe weâÈçll be able toâÈ'âÈë

I stopped short as Bess cleared her throat loudly. A moment later Alan arrived, apologizing to the people in line behind us.

âÈêFound it,âÈë he announced, holding up his passport. âÈêI got there just in timeâÈ'that porter was about to roll our cart away.âÈë

I forced a smile. Having Alan along was definitely going to make things more difficult. That hadnâÈçt been part of the original plan.

But when heâÈçd heard that the three of us had won a free cruise to Alaska in a four-bedroom suiteâÈ'cover story, remember?âÈ'heâÈçd begged to come along. As an environmental studies student at the university in River Heights, heâÈçd pointed out that Alaska was the perfect place to get a jump-start on his sophomore-year research project, and heâÈçd never be able to afford that kind of trip on a college kidâÈçs budget. Especially when he lavished what little spare cash he had on his new girlfriend, Bess.

Okay, so he hadnâÈçt actually mentioned that last part. He hadnâÈçt had to. Bess had invited him along and told us weâÈçd just have to deal with it. The girl seems sweet and agreeable most of the time, but sheâÈçs got a backbone of steel when the situation calls for it.

Soon we were inside, being checked in and issued our ship ID cards. âÈêEnjoy your time with Superstar Cruises!âÈë the smiling employee told us.

As we thanked her and stepped away, I nudged Bess in the side. âÈêCan you distract you-know-who for a while?âÈë I whispered. âÈêI want to look for Becca.âÈë

âÈêLeave it to me,âÈë Bess murmured back.

Alan had just moved away from the check-in desk to tuck his ID into his wallet, but he looked up quickly. âÈêDid you say something?âÈë he asked Bess.

She stepped over and looped her arm through his. âÈêI was just telling Nancy weâÈçd meet her and George at the suite later,âÈë she told him with a flirty little tilt of her head. âÈêWant to go for a walk to check out the ship?âÈë

She didnâÈçt have to ask twice. Seconds later they were strolling out of the check-in area hand in hand. George shook her head as she watched them go.

âÈêThat guyâÈçs got it bad,âÈë she said. âÈêI really donâÈçt know what Bess sees in him, though.âÈë

âÈêThatâÈçs a mystery for another day.âÈë I headed out after them. âÈêLetâÈçs not waste time. Becca said weâÈçd probably find her on the main deck.âÈë

George glanced around as we emerged into what appeared to be a sort of lobby area. It was carpeted in red, with murals on the walls depicting famous Hollywood landmarks. A pair of winding, carpeted staircases with gleaming mahogany banisters led upward, with a sign in between that showed the layout of the entire ship.

I barely had time to glance at the sign before a smiling young female employee rushed toward us. She was dressed in shorts and a piped vest and was holding a tray of tall, frosty glasses with colorful straws and umbrellas sticking out of them.

âÈêWelcome to the Arctic Star,âÈë she gushed. âÈêWould you ladies care for a complimentary Superstar smoothie? TheyâÈçre made with a refreshing fruit mixture, including real Alaskan wild blueberries. A specialty of the ship!âÈë

George was already reaching for a glass. SheâÈçs not the type to turn down anything free. âÈêThanks,âÈë she said, then took a sip. âÈêHey, Nancy, youâÈçve got to try this! ItâÈçs awesome!âÈë

âÈêThanks, but IâÈçm not thirsty,âÈë I told the waitress. Grabbing GeorgeâÈçs arm, I dragged her toward the stairs. âÈêFocus, okay?âÈë

âÈêWhatever. A girlâÈçs got to stay hydrated.âÈë George took another big sip of her smoothie as we hurried upstairs.

A couple of flights up, we found the lido deck. It was a partially shaded area spanning the entire width of the ship, and appeared to be where all the action was at the moment. As we emerged out of the stairwell, we almost crashed into another employee. This one was a lean, tanned man in his late twenties with slicked-back brown hair.

âÈêWelcome aboard, ladies,âÈë he said with a toothy grin. âÈêMy nameâÈçs Scott, and IâÈçm one of your shore excursion specialists. Our first stop the day after tomorrow will be Ketchikan, where youâÈçll have the chance to experience anything from a flight-seeing trip to the fjords to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show or . . .âÈë

There was more, but I didnâÈçt hear it. IâÈçd just spotted Becca halfway across the deck chatting with some passengers, looking trim and professional in her silver-piped navy jacket and skirt.

âÈêSounds great,âÈë I blurted out, interrupting Shore Excursion ScottâÈçs description of kayaking in Tongass National Forest. âÈêWeâÈçll get back to you on that, okay?âÈë

âÈêSave me a spot on those kayaks,âÈë George called over her shoulder as I yanked her away.

âÈêLadies!âÈë someone called out cheerfully. Suddenly we found our path blocked by yet another uniformed employee. This one was a short, skinny guy with a wild tuft of blond hair and a slightly manic twinkle in his big blue eyes. âÈêHollywood Suite, right?âÈë he asked.

âÈêYeah.âÈë George sounded surprised. âÈêHowâÈçd you know that?âÈë

âÈêOh, they send us photos of our guests ahead of time. YouâÈçre Nancy and youâÈçre Georgia, right?âÈë

âÈêGeorge,âÈë George corrected with a grimace. She hates her real name. âÈêCall me George.âÈë

âÈêGeorge it is!âÈë The guy seemed as if he couldnâÈçt stand still. He sort of bounded back and forth in front of us. It reminded me of my neighborâÈçs over-enthusiastic golden retriever. âÈêMy nameâÈçs Max. Oh, but you probably figured that out already, right?âÈë He grinned and pointed to his name tag. âÈêIâÈçll be your personal butler.âÈë

âÈêOur what?âÈë I said.

âÈêWhoa!âÈë George exclaimed. âÈêSeriously? We get a butler?âÈë

âÈêAbsolutely.âÈë Max nodded vigorously. âÈêEach of our luxury suites has its own dedicated staff, including a butler and two maids, to make sure your trip is as pleasant and comfortable as possible. You can call on me day or night for all your needs.âÈë

âÈêCool,âÈë I said briskly. Max seemed like a really nice guy, but I was feeling impatient. Over his shoulder, I could see Becca moving on to another set of passengers. âÈêWeâÈçll get back to you, okay?âÈë

But Max had already whipped out a handful of pamphlets. âÈêHereâÈçs a partial list of our available services to get you started,âÈë he said brightly. âÈêOur room service menu, the shipboard activity schedule, spa services, our exclusive pillow menu . . .âÈë

George was already examining the pamphlets eagerly. I could see that it wasnâÈçt going to be easy to shake Max.

Then I had an idea. I grabbed one of the pamphlets. âÈêEr, the pillow menu, huh?âÈë I said. âÈêCome to think of it, I canâÈçt sleep well on anything but a . . . um . . .âÈë I quickly scanned the list. âÈêA buckwheat pillow. Do you think you could find me one right now? I might need to take a nap soon.âÈë

âÈêCertainly, Ms. Drew!âÈë Max beamed as if IâÈçd just asked him to be my best friend. âÈêIâÈçll take care of it right away. Just text me if you need anything else.âÈë He handed us each a card with his name and number on it, then scurried away.

âÈêWow,âÈë George said. âÈêA real butler! This is awesome. Maybe I should tell him to get me a special fancy pillow while heâÈçs at it.âÈë

âÈêForget it,âÈë I said, slapping her hand as she reached for her cell phone. âÈêBecca. Now.âÈë

This time we actually made it over to her. I hadnâÈçt seen her in a couple of years, but she looked pretty much the sameâÈ'curly dark hair, sparkling brown eyes, a quick smile. She was chatting with a rather weary-looking couple in their thirties. The man wore a T-shirt with the Canadian flag on it, and the woman was keeping one eye on the eight-year-old boy dribbling a soccer ball nearby.

âÈêCareful, Tobias,âÈë she called, interrupting something Becca was saying about the dinner schedule. âÈêWe donâÈçt want to be a bother to the other passengers.âÈë

âÈêMaybe you donâÈçt,âÈë the boy retorted, sticking out his tongue. âÈêI told you I didnâÈçt want to come on this stupid ship!âÈë With that, he kicked the ball into a column. It bounced off and almost hit a passing woman.

âÈêWow,âÈë George murmured in my ear. âÈêBrat much?âÈë

BeccaâÈçs smile never wavered. She glanced toward me and George briefly, then returned her focus to the parents. âÈêWe have lots of activities for our youngest guests,âÈë she told them. âÈêPerhaps your son would enjoy checking out the rock-climbing wall or the arcade. ThereâÈçs also a kidsâÈç tour of the ship scheduled for first thing tomorrow morning. One of our youth activities coordinators can give you all the details if youâÈçre interested.âÈë

She gestured toward a good-looking young Asian guy standing nearby. TobiasâÈçs parents thanked her, then grabbed their sonâÈçs hand and dragged him toward the youth coordinator.

âÈêNancy!âÈë Becca exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot. âÈêThank goodness you made it. Hi, George.âÈë She glanced around. âÈêWhereâÈçs Bess?âÈë

âÈêSheâÈçs, uh, busy right now.âÈë I didnâÈçt want to waste time explaining about Alan. I knew we probably only had a few seconds before Becca had to return to duty. âÈêSo when do you want to meet to talk?âÈë

âÈêSoon.âÈë Becca shot a cautious look around, her smile fading. Then she lowered her voice. âÈêSomething else has happened, but I donâÈçt have time to fill you in now. Can you meet me at my office later?âÈë

âÈêSure. Where is it?âÈë

She was writing the deck and cabin numbers down on her card when a sudden, shrill scream rang out from somewhere farther along the huge deck area.

âÈêWhat was that?âÈë George exclaimed.

Becca instantly looked worried. âÈêI donâÈçt know, but I hopeâÈ'âÈë

Before she could finish, someone let out a shout. âÈêHelp! ThereâÈçs a bloody body in the pool!âÈë

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Citations

• Hornbook Guide to Children, 07/01/2013, Page 82