Hunter looked at the table and at both of their hands. No drinks in sight.

“Oh, I forgot to get the lemonades,” Bobbie Lee said and then laughed. “Got busy talking to Mike the bartender.”

Now I shook my head.

After a bit of small talk, I said, “Well, I do have to get going.”

Bobbie Lee never did go get their drinks. I think she didn’t want to leave Jagger’s side. As if I would snatch him away. She looked really upset with both of us as I nodded and walked past the tank, giving a smile to Gilbert and his friends.

When I got to the elevator, I looked back and saw Hunter talking to Jagger with no Bobbie Lee around-Hunter not looking all too pleased.

And Jagger looking very pissed.

I had to smile to myself as I got on the elevator. I’m sure Jagger wanted to deck Hunter and probably throw the Southern belle overboard. How tempting was that on a ship?

With only one wrong turn, I made it back to the infirmary with five minutes to spare.

The rest of the afternoon went calmly with only a few cases of seasickness, two cuts that needed butterfly bandages and one of the swinging singles who’d had way too much sun and rum.

Rico did a good job of showing me around, and I started to feel very comfortable in the job. Hopefully, there’d be no big emergencies. I really wanted everyone onboard to stay safe and have a good time. I was wondering what my friends and family were doing when the door opened and Uncle Walt came in holding his cheek.

I jumped up and ran to him. “What happened? Come sit down.”

I started to show him into the exam room, but Topaz jumped up. “No medical care until I get all his insurance information!” She nearly screamed, as if I was committing some crime.

“He’s my uncle. I’ll give you the info as soon as we find out what happened.”

Uncle Walt took his hand from his cheek, exposing a red mark-in the shape of a hand.

“Oh, my gosh! Someone hit you?” I popped a cold pack with my hands so the chemicals inside would react, and it instantly turned cold. I gently touched it against his cheek. “You may have a shiner tomorrow. Who did this?”

Uncle Walt sheepishly looked at me, then at Rico and at Peter, who had come in the room too. “Seems as if an unhappy passenger didn’t think I was doing my job correctly. She wanted me to spend the entire day with her. Um, alone. I’m not like that, Pauline. You know it.”

I think my face turned redder than Uncle Walt’s. Before I could ask who she was, the door to the reception area swung open and a woman in her seventies, I guessed, swept in. Her white suit with navy trim looked expensive but went well with the aura of wealth she exuded.

“How is Walter, ya’ll? Is he all right?”

I gasped.

Bobbie Lee with a few wrinkles and sags.

But still a looker.

Uncle Walt pulled back as if afraid she’d slug him again, and said, “That is her. Anna Bell Lee.”

“Bobbie’s mother,” I mumbled.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but Bobbie’s grandmother,” Anna Bell corrected as she stepped forward until Topaz blocked her way.

“You can’t go in there,” she said.

I was ready to deck the woman myself. What was with the Lee women? I guessed they were very used to getting their own way with their men.

Poor Uncle Walt looked as if he wanted to crawl under the stretcher to escape.

The doc said he needed to finish examining Uncle Walt’s injury and make sure his vision wasn’t impaired.

A remorseful Anna Bell sat herself in the waiting room and kept repeating that she really didn’t mean anything, but she just wanted Uncle Walt to…keep her company. “The passenger always comes first,” she said.

Since Rico was helping the doc, I walked over to Anna Bell, quite fed up with the Lee clan. “Look, my uncle is the perfect gentleman. Maybe you are used to having whatever you want, but he’s not up for grabs.” I smiled to myself at the pun. “So, I would appreciate if you would leave him alone. Find someone else to keep you busy, or I’ll have the captain notified of your attack on Uncle Walt-and your trip will terminate in Miami.” I wanted to add that her granddaughter would be thrown off along with her, but figured Jagger could handle her.

Anna Bell merely looked at me. In the reflection of the mirror, I noticed Topaz grin and realized I’d gained another brownie point with her.

“Well, as long as he is all right. I only came down here to make sure.” She got up and turned toward the door.

Yeah, right, I thought. “I’m glad we have all of this settled. Enjoy the rest of your cruise, ma’am,” I added. I wanted to give her a swift kick in the butt. However, even I wouldn’t kick an old lady.

Uncle Walt was proclaimed in perfect health, should expect a black eye and to watch out for any headaches or nausea. I leaned over and whispered to him, “And stick with Yankee women. You’re out of your league in the South.”

He smiled and left after Topaz finished the insurance information. I looked over her shoulder and had to bite my tongue before I yelled that the fee for the visit was outrageous.

“Isn’t he considered staff?” I asked.

“Nope. Male hosts don’t get paid. They only get a free ride.” With that she turned to the printer and pushed a button to finish her billing process.

I leaned against the wall and thought that I really needed to find out who got all that money. I could see my family doctor ten times for that price. “Topaz, do you ever have trouble getting the insurance companies to pay the claims?” I figured I’d take a shot since she’d become my new best friend.

She took the paper from the printer and looked at me. “Nope. Not that I know of. Some folks in a land office in New York handle the final billing. How could the insurance companies argue anyway? Where else can the passengers go for care when we’re out in the middle of the ocean?”

I nodded. “Oh, right.” But who gets all the money? And who works in that land office?

While I stood there stunned, the door opened and Jagger walked in wearing his black jeans, a black tee and his sunglasses on his head.

As delicious as he looked in the Bermuda shorts, this was my Jagger.

He motioned for me to come to the side of the room.

Topaz gave him the once-over and said, “I have to go fax this.” After one more look at Jagger, she left.

“Some old lady hit Uncle Walt because he wouldn’t…er…spend time with her.”

Jagger’s eyes darkened. “Is he all right?”

I smiled at his concern for my uncle. Jagger had a special spot in his heart for the old man and even let him drive his SUV on occasion-when at his age, Uncle Walt shouldn’t have been driving at all.

“Some of these passengers are…whackos,” he said.

“Yeah. Oh, I’m off duty now so we can start working the case. We’ll be docking in Miami pretty soon, so lots of the passengers will get off for a few hours. We might have better luck snooping together-”

“I’m afraid you’re on your own, Sherlock.”