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Zane shook the man’s hand, but his eyes stayed on Cammie. “What kind of incident?” She didn’t look hurt, but it was clear she was upset. Her face was pale, the honey hue of her sun-kissed skin completely washed out and her lips quivered just a little, enough to tell him that whatever this incident was, it had affected her more than she was letting on.
“This is my Chief Security Officer, Dilan Ross.” Captain Evans motioned to the hulking guy who was standing in the corner. “I’ll let him fill you in.”
Dilan didn’t step forward and only nodded in greeting. He was tall, his back ramrod straight with hands clasped in front of him, definitely military, definitely no nonsense. His head was shaved so close to his scalp that he looked bald, and his eyes were dark and penetrating.
“Miss Sheppard has informed us that she was with you from approximately nine p.m. to approximately three a.m. Is that correct?” Dilan didn’t bother to look at Cammie as he spoke about her.
By the way her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed, Zane caught on that her character was in question and that she was pissed.
“Yes, that’s correct. We met on the Sky Deck during the sunset mixer then went to my cabin.”
“And, to your knowledge, was Miss Sheppard consuming alcohol or drugs during this time? Was she consuming anything that might impact or alter her state of mind?” Dilan said this in a way that suggested he had already formed his conclusions about Cammie’s state of mind.
“I’ve already told you that I don’t drink or do drugs,” Cammie snipped.
“Miss Sheppard…” Captain Evans winced as he turned his head toward her. “I know this is upsetting for you, but before we can proceed with an investigation—”
“A man is dead—”
“Miss Sheppard, as I’ve already told you—”
“Whoa! What’s going on?” Zane side-stepped Captain Evans and closed the distance between him and Cammie. “What happened?”
“Mr. Roberts—”
Zane held his hand up and gave the Chief of Security a stern look. “If you don’t mind, Chief Ross, I’d like to hear what my friend has to say.”
The tension Cammie had in her shoulders seemed to ease as he stepped closer to her. “After I left your cabin, I went straight to mine, and when I got inside, there was—” She swallowed a few times, her eyes swimming a little. “There was a man, a dead man, on the floor next to my bed.”
“That is what Miss Sheppard has told us,” Captain Evans said.
“I’m not following. Are you suggesting that Cammie had something to do with that man’s death?” Zane took Cammie’s hand and squeezed it before turning to face the captain and his security chief. “Because I can confirm that she was with me and that she didn’t, at any point, consume alcohol or drugs, nor did she act in a way that would suggest she had an altered state of mind. When she left my cabin, she was coherent and lucid.”
“No, no, Mr. Roberts, we’re not suspecting Miss Sheppard of committing murder.” Captain Evans gave a dismissive wave. “We’re simply trying to establish if it was possible that she maybe could have been hallucinating at the time she returned to her stateroom.”
“Hallucinating?” Zane looked from the captain to Cammie then back again.
“When security went to investigate Miss Sheppard’s room after she’d notified us of what she’d found, well…” Captain Evans grimaced. “There wasn’t a body there at all.”
“And no sign of there ever having been a body there,” Dilan added.
Zane shook his head. “What? A body doesn’t just disappear.”
“No, it doesn’t, which is why we’re simply trying to understand what really happened when Miss Sheppard returned to her room.” The captain’s attempt at sympathy came across as patronizing. It was clear that he didn’t believe her story.
“What really happened was that someone obviously removed the body before you got there.” Cammie dropped Zane’s hand then moved around him to face off with the captain. “Maybe someone has a reason to hide the body and maybe”—she pointed at Chief Ross—“maybe someone on this ship got rid of it when they were supposed to be confirming what I saw.”
“Now, now, Miss Sheppard,” Captain Evans said, his hands up as if to calm her. “Let’s not make accusations that can’t be proven.”
“Someone removed the proof from my stateroom!” Cammie yelled.
“I think it might be best if you sleep on it, Miss Sheppard, and we can reconvene in the morning. You’re obviously very upset, and I think it’s best—”
“Let me get this straight, Captain Evans. You want me to sleep in my room? Where I found a dead man on the floor?” Cammie voice hitched higher with each question. “You want me to sleep it off and hopefully wake up to realize I just imagined tripping over a dead body?”
“Miss Sheppard, please—”
“That’s enough.” Cammie shook her head as she beelined for the door, sidestepping the captain’s attempt to stop her. “I’ve heard enough.” She shot one last glare at the captain then at Dilan before whipping the door open then storming out.
