Captain Ronald Fairfax had sailed with the Castle Lines for twenty years. Every one of his ships had been top-of-the-line, but Queen Charlotte surpassed them all. Instead of following the lead of other cruise lines, like Carnival, building many supersized vessels that held more than three thousand passengers, on Charlotte the number had been limited to one hundred, far smaller than the old first-class ships had been.
That, of course, was why so many celebrities were on board, anxious to be counted as exclusive guests on the maiden voyage.
Captain Fairfax had gone to sea the day after he finished college in London. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a full head of pure white hair and a somewhat weather-beaten face, he was an impressive man. He was widely regarded as a superb captain and a marvelous host who walked easily among the most exalted guests.
Anyone in the know eagerly awaited an invitation to be a guest at his dinner table, or to be at one of his private cocktail parties in his beautiful and roomy suite. The invitations were kept for the crème-de-la-crème guests. Handwritten by the purser, they were slipped under the door of the recipients fortunate enough to make the cut.
None of this was on Captain Fairfax’s mind as he stood on the bridge.
It was no secret that the expense of building and outfitting this extraordinary ship had ended up being nearly double the original projection. For that reason, it had been made clear to him by Gregory Morrison, the owner of Castle Lines, that absolutely no hitch was permissible. The tabloids and social media sites would be hungry for stories about anything that might go wrong on this all-important maiden voyage. They had already seized on the reference to the amenities of the Titanic. In retrospect, it had not been advisable to publicize the ship that way.
He frowned. There was already one indication that they might be sailing into a storm a day and a half out of Southampton.
He looked at his watch. He had an extremely confidential appointment in his quarters. The Interpol agent known to the other passengers as Devon Michaelson had requested a secret meeting.
What could Michaelson possibly want to speak to him about? He had already been told that the so-called “Man with One Thousand Faces” might well be on board.
He turned from the bridge and made his way to his suite. A few moments later there was a tap on the door. He opened it. He had identified Devon Michaelson by knowing he was at the same table as the ambassador’s son, Ted Cavanaugh.
Fairfax extended his hand. “Mr. Michaelson, I cannot tell you how pleased I am that you are with us on this ship.”
“I’m glad I am here as well,” Michaelson said courteously. “As I’m sure you know, over the past several weeks the so-called ‘Man with One Thousand Faces’ has been dropping hints on various social media sites suggesting that he would be on this voyage. An hour ago he sent a message that he is on board, enjoying the luxurious surroundings, and stating that he was looking forward to adding to his jewelry collection.”
Fairfax felt his body go rigid. “Is there any chance that someone may be putting out these messages as a joke?” he asked.
“I’m afraid not, sir. They have the ring of truth to them. And it is consistent with his track record. For him it is not enough to just steal what he wants. He derives extra pleasure from dropping hints about what he plans to do, and then poking his finger in the eye of law enforcement as he carries out his plan.”
Fairfax said, “It is worse than I imagined. Mr. Michaelson, I think you can understand how important it is that this voyage must have no hint of scandal. Is there anything that I or my staff can do to help prevent a calamity?”
“I would say only be alert, as I shall be alert,” Michaelson answered.
“Very good advice. Thank you, Mr. Michaelson,” the Captain said as he walked him to the door.
Alone with his thoughts, Fairfax took comfort knowing that an agent was on board. Security Chief John Saunders and his team were very good at their jobs. Saunders had a fine reputation in the business and had served with him on previous Castle Line voyages. The security chief could deal discreetly with unruly passengers. Fairfax was confident that the ship’s employees, from over fifteen countries, had been thoroughly vetted before they were hired. But the challenge posed by an international jewel thief was different.
The realization of what could go wrong weighed heavily on him as he made his way back to the bridge.