When Tonya's back was turned, Rex looked around her stateroom. Her room appeared to be even more cramped than his with barely space to turn around. He knew he was sensitive to spaces. The bigger the space, the less he had to deal with the smells and accompanying claustrophobia.
For years Navy ships had been his main mode of transportation. He usually had his own stateroom as an intel officer. And then when he retired and started taking cruise ship gigs, he'd be assigned a berth with eight to ten others. After the second time, he wrote a private stateroom into his mentalist contract.
But cramped quarters and small storage were a given on any ship.
"You can sit over here." Tonya sat on the edge of the bed and patted next to her. "I'll put on the TV. I need to get out of this work uniform and take a shower. Then we can do whatever you want."
On her way to the bathroom, she stripped off her top and wiggled out of her bra. Rex averted his eyes. Aware that she'd most likely look back to see if he was watching, he picked up the remote and turned to a news station to act busy.
Once she'd disappeared, he saw that she'd left her clothing strewn on the carpet, like breadcrumbs leading to the partially open bathroom door. He took a quick breath. Something familiar caught his eye.
Bending over the clothing she’d left behind, he extended one finger to lift a pair of silky panties. He recognized them instantly.
Like the ones I found in the safe. Same ecru color. Same silky feel. Same lace. And same… He twisted his finger …embroidery. "Monday," he said aloud. Tonya's wearing the Monday pair. Even though it's not Monday.
Rex lowered his finger, watching the panties float to the floor.
He'd lost his sense of time since his ordeal of being taken to that hospital-like room…maybe even before then. We got here on a Saturday. We've been at sea for… He counted on his fingers. That would make today Wednesday. I don't know how long I was in that bed with the IV in my arm, but if I'm right, we'll dock in Pearl Harbor tomorrow after lunch. That will be Thursday.
No matter how hard he tried, Rex found it very difficult to make sense of the panty situation. He scratched his head. The shower went off inside the bathroom. He made his way back to the bed to sit down again, wondering what to do with this newfound information.
Tonya emerged with her hair pulled up in a towel, another one wrapped around her thin frame. She walked over her clothing, straight toward Rex. He took a deep breath.
Oh no. She smells nice too.
But Rex knew this wasn't for him. What he wanted to do, more than anything, was to rush past her, open the door, and call, "Help!"
To his amazement someone came to his rescue; someone was knocking from the hallway. Maybe I won’t have to hurt Tonya's feelings after all.
Rex looked up to the ceiling, feeling immensely grateful. God, or almighty presence, or she who must be obeyed… He tried to think of another inclusive way to say thank you. Then he stopped and muttered, "Thank you," under his breath.
"I'd better get the door," he said, pushing past a pouting Tonya.
"Just leave it," she called.
He pretended not to hear as he pulled the door open.
Cricket Hicks stood on the other side. "We need to talk," she said firmly.
Rex stepped into the corridor, letting the door close behind him.
"What are you doing in Tonya's room?" Cricket's eyes narrowed.
"Have you forgotten? I was taken out of my own room without a key to get back inside."
"You were dehydrated. Probably hallucinating. No one was deliberately trapping you." Cricket glanced over his shoulder toward the closed door. "I'll take you back to your room right now. Will that help?"
He nodded. "It would."
On the way down the corridor he asked, "How did you know I'd be in her room?"
"I didn't know," Cricket admitted. "Tonya and I are friends. Cruise friends. We've had our ups and downs. I asked Redford if he'd seen her. He was the one who mentioned that you were with her. I decided to interrupt.”
Rex's first thought was, “How did Redford know that Tonya and I were going to her room?” And then his very next thought was more of a vision. Two naked women and himself. He brushed that aside. "So you're friends?"
"Not our first cruise together. On this particular route you often run into familiar work friends. We know each other fairly well."
Finally they arrived in front of his room. "Here we are. You have the master key, right?"
"I do." She held up her phone to the electronic pad, which beeped.
"You'll find the place clean, and all of your belongings have been put away." She opened the door. "I'll stay around until you check, just to make sure."
If it were up to him, he'd have left Cricket in the hallway. All he wanted was to be left alone. But he took a quick glance around the room, adding hastily, "Things look okay. You don't have to stay."
She closed the door behind her.
"Check it out more closely. Look around a bit more. Your wallet is right there. With your phone." She pointed to the desk. "And see, Rexie? I left you a towel elephant." She took his elbow and turned him toward the bed.
"Don't call me Rexie," he muttered. But he had to admit the elephant was pretty cute.
Rex picked up his wallet to check inside. "Everything's here."
"And your phone, over there." She pointed to the counter.
"Yep. I see it," he said.
"Good. I'll give you a chance to rest up before dinner. Then you have the final show."
Rex was startled to realize he'd forgotten he had one more show in his desperation to escape from Tonya.
"Glad I could help." Cricket's voice had assumed a professional tone.
When the door closed, Rex put the cabin lock in place. He didn't want to be disturbed. I have one more thing to check. Turning to his left, he slid open the closet door. A quick turn of the dial and the lock clicked open.
He removed the fortune globe and held it in both hands. It feels heavier. “Reunited and it feels so good," he mumbled. “I'll need your help tonight."
He reached inside the safe one more time. His fingers probed the back corners. That's odd. His jaw tightened. Someone removed the panties.
Rex left the door of the safe open to sit on his bed and think. Maybe it was Cricket. The elephant, don't forget.
Maybe that's why she made such a big deal about me looking at my wallet and phone, to distract me from looking into the safe.
All that redirection to keep me from noticing that the panties are missing…