She loved to read mysteries, but to be in the middle of a real life mystery was unbelievable good fortune. She was bursting to report it all to her mother in an e-mail before she went to sleep. A lively discussion about the missing Santa suits began. The waiter had to struggle to complete taking their orders. “Are you sure you didn’t arrange this, Ivy?” Maggie Quirk, Ivy’s roommate joked. “You wanted to stage a murder mystery on board, but it was just too complicated. Besides, it isn’t our place. We’re guests here.” Maggie’s hazel eyes twinkled. A comfortable size twelve, her short auburn hair fell into waves around her pleasant face. Her lips curved up into a ready smile. There was a certain wryness in her tone, which she’d acquired after the failure of her “perfect” marriage. Three years ago, on her fiftieth birthday, the big surprise had been that her husband told her he wanted a divorce because he needed more excitement in his life. After the shock wore off, Maggie realized it was the best birthday gift she had ever received.
