| Presents Caribbean Cruise Part 3 |
| MYSTERIES AND SURPRISES! It was drawing near to the big night of the Masked Ball. Passengers were mobbing the 'Novelty Shoppe" to purchase fancy Ball masks, and all the girls were hanging up their Ball Gowns to make sure there were no wrinkles in them. They boys were getting out their Dinner Suits and pressing them. The girls who were hunting rich husbands couldn't wait to meet the four men that Madame Killian had told them they would be meeting, and the 'Irish Terrors' were rubbing their paws together in anticipation of forthcoming riches! One little girl who was a member of the Girl Scout Troop had been missing from all the excitement up until now. Her name was Maise Louise, and she had been seasick ever since they left port. Finally, her companions persuaded her to allow the ship's doctor to call. She couldn't spend the whole cruise in bed! Doctor Tipper arrived at her cabin and examined her carefully. Really, all that Maise Louise needed was some medication to settle her tummy and, once she got some good food into her, she would be fine. |
| Maise Louise took two of the tablets straight away, and her friends took her up on the deck to get some food and fresh air. Things were looking better already! Meanwhile, the ship's band was entertaining on the sun deck. They now had different instruments and were playing blue-grass music to suit the younger audience. Jake was on Bass, Bailey on Guitar and Oliver on Banjo. Everyone's feet were tapping! |
| The band was playing soft music in the background, and the atmosphere was positively magical. Meanwhile, the Irish Terrors had slipped away from Kodi who had been following them. They headed off to Bella Beach Bunny's cabin and Guiness had picked the lock. Making certain no one was around, they slipped silently inside. It was dark and they dared to turn on a light. They began to search through drawers. Gasps of amazement and delight escaped their lips as they gazed upon riches beyond their imagination! Carefully, they emptied out the jewel boxes and spread the jewels on the bed to examine them more closely. What they did NOT realize, was that they had a hidden observer in the form of Boomer, the Peeping Tom of the cruise! He had hoped to catch a glimpse of the magnificent Bella Beach Bunny as she was dressing for the Ball. Sadly for him, he was too late - but what was it that these guys were doing? Who WERE they? He felt sure they didn't belong in this cabin, and after watching for several minutes he saw what they were up to! ROBBERY! Boomer was torn. What should he do? If he called a steward, he would have to explain how come he was peeking in through the window of a rich lady's cabin! He wasn't even supposed to be on this deck! He found his feet glued to the spot in fear, and in fascination of all those jewels that were before his young spying eyes! Just then, something really scary happened. There was a noise from the nearby bathroom and something TERRIFYING emerged! IT WAS AN ALLIGATOR! It crept up on the Irish Terrors and was upon them before the realized what was happening. They had been so absorbed in the jewels and they hadn't heard it approaching. "YIKES" yelled Guinness. Murphy F spun around just in time to jump out of the way of those snapping teeth. "That must be her BODYGUARD!" he gasped, then leaping onto the bed he screamed at Guiness, "Where's your GUN you idiot? SHOOT IT!" Guiness fumbled in his bag and drew out a pistol - and fired... |
| The Alligator took the bullet and fell silent, and still. "Let's get the hell out of here before anyone comes!" exclaimed Murphy F. "But, but, - - what about the loot...?" asked Guiness. "LEAVE IT!" shouted Murphy F. "Just get out of here FAST!" Without turning to see if the 'bodyguard' was dead, they fled from the cabin and raced down the passageway. Boomer decided it was time to leave too, and slipped quietly away from the scene of the crime. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- It so happened, that our two dizzy blondes were trying to find their way to the Grande Ballroom and had ended up on the same deck that the Irish Terrors were fleeing from. The two would-be robbers were coming down the passageway with such speed that they crashed right into the two dizzy blondes and knocked them to the floor. They didn't even wait to apologize but ran on, leaving Lacey O'Quinn and Kansas to pick themselves up and regain their composure. "OOOH!" gasped Lacey as she brushed off her gown. "I'm going to report those two horrid boys to the Captain!" They hurried on, looking for the lift to the next level, and whom should they meet but Kodi, who was on his way to Bella Beach Bunny's cabin. "Oh, sir, we've just had the most TERRIBLE experience!" said Lacey O'Quinn breathlessly. "Yes," went on Kansas, "Two nasty, RUDE boys came running down the passageway and knocked us over!" "And they didn't even stop!" exclaimed Lacey. Kodi was immediately interested. "What did they look like?" he asked. The girls described them, and Kodi frowned. "Come with me," he asked, "I'd like you to be with me when I take a look in one of the cabins." |
| They followed Kodi to the cabin, and found the door left open. There was a loud scream from both girls as they entered and saw Ali, the Alligator, bleeding on the floor. Kodi immediately examined him and used the telephone to call the ships doctor. Ali was still breathing but was obviously severely injured. Then they noted the jewels on the bed. "No wonder those boys were in such a hurry," Kodi commented. "They were running away after having tried to carry out a robbery here and had to shoot the bodyguard." The girls didn't reply. Their eyes were fixed on the display of rich jewels on the bed. NEVER in their lives had they seen anything like this! Kodi then called Inspector Murphy V on his mobile and when he arrived they made a thorough search of the cabin and took samples of paw prints. They found the bag that the Irish Terrors had hoped to carry the jewels away in and guessed that nothing would be missing. Doctor Tipper and Nurse Tara arrived, and had some stewards take the injured Ali to the surgery. Finally, Murphy V remained at the crime scene while Kodi escorted the 'dizzy blondes' to the Grande Ballroom. Bella Beach Bunny was informed about what had happened, and she was most upset. "Oh, my poor, POOR Ali!" she cried, "I must go to him - will he live?" Kodi said that he did not know, but already Bella Beach Bunny was rushing off to the surgery to be with her friend. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Masked Ball was getting underway and several passengers were dancing to Strauss Waltzes. It was really difficult to tell who was who in their masks. |
| The girls who were hunting rich husbands were looking hard at all the men and waiting impatiently to be asked to dance. Several young men had invited them onto the ballroom floor, but none had presented them with red roses - yet! The singing group, THE MIDNIGHT HOWLERS were getting ready to take to the stage to sing their selection of favourites, and Dunkin was delighted to be able to finally get rid of his collar and perform. When Jimmy, the MC, announced them, they were welcomed with enthusiastic applause and cheers. They sang four hits, including 'Lady in Red' - but this time Dunkin was VERY careful of the 'high note'! The crowd went crazy and stamped their feet for more. For encores, they sang selections from 'South Pacific', finishing up with a romantic version of "Some Enchanted Evening'. (The 'husband hunting' girls thought it would indeed be an 'enchanted evening' if they met their four rich bachelors!) |
| While everyone was enjoying the Masked Ball, the Irish Terrors were hiding in a lifeboat from the relentless Inspector Murphy V, who was in hot pursuit. Bella Beach Bunny was drinking brandy to calm her nerves while she waited for news of Ali's operation to remove the bullet. Ali had been her beloved pet for years, and he was the best bodyguard she'd ever had as well as her friend. She couldn't bear it if he died! But Doctor Tipper was a competent surgeon, and she was assisted by Nurse Tara, who was one of the best. Ali's chances were good. After an hour, Doctor Tipper emerged and informed a very relieved Bella Beach Bunny that the operation had been a success, and Ali would recover. Whether it was due to the stress or the brandy at that point, Bella Beach Bunny gracefully fainted! BACK AT THE BALLROOM By Midnight the Ball was in full swing. Abby, Savannah, Punkie and Jessie were still waiting to meet their rich bachelors, and beginning to wonder if they ever would. Lots of gentlemen had invited them to dance, but none had presented them with roses. Then, the two playboys, Bailey Beachboy and Max appeared and came over to where they were standing. "Uh-uh," said Jessie, "here come those boys we met the other day." "Would you do me the honour of this next dance?" Bailey Beachboy asked Jessie with a gracious little bow. Jessie giggled and held out her paw. Then Max smiled a Savannah and asked her to dance with him. The two couples moved onto the floor and were soon caught up in a romantic Rumba. Shortly after this, Abby and Punkie were approached by two very distinguished looking fellows, who just happened to be Murphy M and PI Kodi. Now, THEY looked rich! Kodi asked Abby to dance, and Murphy M had eyes only for Punkie. Kodi danced like Fred Astaire and Abby was smitten. Punkie could not drag her gaze from Murphy M's big brown eyes. To Punkie's surprise, Murphy M took the red rose from his lapel and placed it in her hair. Kodi, who was watching, thought this was a nice idea, so he did the same for Abby. The girls' hearts missed several beats as they thought of the prediction that Madame Killian had made to them, - that rich bachelors would present them with roses, - AND IT HAD HAPPENED! After the dance was over, the other two couples joined them. Bailey Beachboy looked at the roses the other two girls were wearing and said brightly. "Hey, don't you two look delightful with roses in your hair!" He removed his own rose from his lapel and fastened it carefully into Jessie's golden curls. Max did the same for Savannah. The girls looked at each other in astonishment. IT WAS TRUE! But surely these two playboys weren't rich! They didn't LOOK rich, and certainly didn't behave like they were either. They decided to find out in the course of conversation. |
| Inspector Murphy V and PI Kodi heard news from Captain Dasher Dan that afternoon and it was as they had suspected. The mug shots of the 'Irish Terrors' confirmed the identities of their two suspects. They were travelling with forged passports! It was decided NOT to arrest them, as they had no other proof at this stage, and they needed to catch them in the act. The fact that they were holding forged passports was not enough to apprehend them until they reached port. They COULD confine them to their cabin and place a guard outside, but that would be awkward on a holiday cruise for which the two had paid good money. The two sleuths were keen to get them on a charge of robbery, so it was decided that they should wait to see what happened. Even if the two succeeded in robbing Bella Beach Bunny of her jewels, they could not go anywhere with them until the ship berthed. Kodi and Murphy V kept a closer watch on the two after this, and worked out a plan to watch them during the Ball. They would take turns, so that neither of them would miss out on the fun. THE NIGHT OF THE MASKED BALL The BIG night arrived, and passengers began to line up to meet the Captain. Everyone looked very elegant, including Captain Dasher Dan, who was VERY 'dashing' in his dress uniform. (Masks were not worn when meeting the Captain.) The beautiful Bella Beach Bunny was the first to meet the Captain, along with her two rich companions, Murphy M and Beasley. She looked stunning in a lilac gown, with a magnificent tiara on her lovely blonde head. (The guys looked pretty good too!) |
| Meanwhile, the Irish Terrors were feeling pretty uncomfortable in the lifeboat and decided to risk returning to their cabin. After all, no one had actually SEEN them at the scene of the crime, and Guinness had thrown his pistol overboard, so that man who had been chasing them would not find a weapon on either of them. Nothing could be proved. Ali the Alligator was recovering from his surgery and Bella Beach Bunny was recovering from her fainting turn. She had found nothing missing from her cabin, so all had ended well. She felt too exhausted to return to the Ballroom, so she retired to bed to sleep off the effects of the brandy. Kramer, the Barman, was busy with thirsty customers who were taking a break from the demands of the dance floor. They were eagerly discussing their plans ashore the next day when they would reach port in the exotic Virgin Islands. |
| Early next morning, before the Wheaten Princess docked, our two sleuths raided the cabin of the Irish Terrors and arrested them. Guiness was VERY frightened and both protested their innocence. But it was too late. Their paw prints, found in Bella Beach Bunny's cabin, matched those of the 'Irish Terrors'. Lacey O'Quinn and Kansas positively identified them AND, our 'Peeping Tom', Boomer, found his conscience pricking him, and he had also come forward to identify them. They would be taken back to the US, under guard, and officially charged with attempted murder and robbery. |
| A guard was placed outside the cabin, and everyone thought that would be the end of that, but they underestimated our two wayward Irish lads. They put their clever heads together and thought up a way to escape. Murphy F was determined that his cruise was not going to end without having set foot on Virgin Island soil. After all, he hadn't paid all that money for nothing! Without the guard knowing, they quietly forced the window leading to the deck outside, and entered one of the empty cabins to look for disguises. They found just what they needed. A little later, two very inconspicuous 'ladies' emerged, and made their way ashore without as much as a glance! They were FREE! |
| END OF PART THREE |