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“She wouldn’t have left her clothes.”
“Perhaps she grabbed a few things from your room when she came in last night.”
“She wouldn’t,” Blake insists. “It’s… She wouldn’t do that to me.”
I don’t say what I’m thinking—that if she’d wanted to disappear, it would’ve been a risk to come into the room where Blake was sleeping to retrieve any of her things. Maybe the man stopped her in the hallway, asked her to meet him for a drink. Maybe someone else stopped her… But she was alone when she went to the bar. Was he following her? Did he hurt her? I can’t. I can’t stomach the thought that it’s possible, but I also refuse to believe she left willingly.
She’d never leave us, would she? Never leave me…
When he speaks again, Diego looks apologetic. “Mr. Barlowe, around two hundred people go missing from cruise ships every year. Of those people, most jump or fall overboard.”
“Could we check that? Would there be footage?” I ask, my body icy with fear. Is it possible? She couldn’t have… The idea of Mae floating in the water as we sail away from her makes my stomach churn. I’d never forgive myself.
“We have checked the security footage. Of course. Yes, but there is no sign of her on any of the cameras.”
“Then—”
“But the cameras don’t cover every square inch of the space. There are blind spots. It’s still possible Mae fell overboard and it wasn’t captured on the footage. It’s unlikely, but not impossible.”
“Why wouldn’t you have the entire deck covered? If you know things like this happen, wouldn’t that be important?” Blake demands, his voice cracking.
“We have as much as we possibly can. No security system is without flaws.”
Blake scoffs. “Unbelievable.”
“The rest of the ones who go missing,” Diego continues, his eyes landing on me, “disappear on purpose. They board the ship with the intention of never returning home. They leave at the first port and start fresh with a new life.” He pats the desk again. “Cruises make people do strange things. They give them the freedom to do what they maybe thought they never could.”
CHAPTERTWELVE
BLAKE
Florence pulls her phone from her pocket and looks down at the screen, interrupting the tension in the room. Looking sheepish, she places it face down on her thigh.
“Patton texted. He’s boarding now.”
Diego stands. “I’ll see you both to the elevator. I should get back to work anyway.”
“That’s it?” I ask, refusing to join him. “We’re done here?”
“With this conversation, yes, but the investigation is far from over. I’m not giving up on locating your wife, sir. I promise you.”
“Like you found this clip, you mean? If we’d never gone to the bar and found out she was here, we still wouldn’t know anything. You’re in charge of all of these people, and you can’t manage to find one!Not even one!” I pound one hand on the top of his desk. “How is that supposed to make any of us feel safe? How are we supposed to feel like you’re protecting us?”
“With all due respect, Mr. Barlowe, I’m notactuallythe police. I’m not a detective. I’m doing the best I can with the crew and resources I have. We’re following protocols, notifying the authorities who have better resources than I do. What I—”
“Then why aren’t they here? If they can do your job better than you, why aren’t they here conducting an investigation? Why isn’t this ship being turned upside down until we find her?”
“We’ve done a thorough search of the ship, sir. Top to bottom, left to right.”
“Except you haven’t,” I point out, my jaw tight. “You’re still refusing to do a search of the guests’ rooms. For all we know, someone is holding her in their room. For all we know, she’s unconscious and—” I cut myself off, unwilling and unable to think of how I might finish the sentence.Why isn’t he doing anything?
“As I told you, that is not an option. We have done everything in our power, and the rest, I’m afraid, is up to fate. If she were still on board, we would’ve found her.”
“What does that mean?” I demand.
“It means…” He pauses and takes a breath. “It means she has either left the ship or fallen overboard. I’m terribly sorry, but that is just the reality we’re facing.”
“No.” I clench my fists, my chest so tight it feels like a rubber band waiting to snap. “The reality we’re facing is that you’re going to be facing a lawsuit if you don’t step up, do your job, and find my wife right now!”
