The Pleasure Cruise Mystery by Robin Forsythe

that infernal instrument a siren, after a sea nymph with a melodious voice. A minor key is always a major irritant to me.”
    â€œWhat time are you going to get up, Ricky?” asked Vereker as he commenced to undress again.
    â€œDepends on when I fall asleep. I asked the steward to bring tea at six-thirty. It’s now three o’clock. You’ll see me at breakfast in any case; I’m feeling hungry already.”
    â€œI’d like to see you fairly early. I shall have several odd jobs for you tomorrow and you’ll need all your wits about you, so try and get a couple of hours’ sound sleep.”
    â€œIt’ll be sleep in spite of the sound, Algernon. Good night!”
    â€œGood night!”

Chapter Five
    I
    To put it very mildly, this is a damned nuisance, Mac,” said Captain Partridge to the doctor.
    They were closeted together in the master’s cabin not long after the doctor had interviewed Mr. and Mrs. Colvin and told them briefly that Mrs. Mesado was dead. They had thrown off all official restraint and were chatting very confidentially with one another.
    â€œI agree,” replied Doctor Macpherson curtly as he lit a cigar.
    â€œAny nasty complications from our point of view?” asked the captain quietly as he flung off his cap and ran his fingers through his thick grey hair.
    â€œOn the face of it, no. The Colvins—Mrs. Colvin, by the way, is the dead woman’s sister—say that she was suffering from heart disease and knew herself that she might have a fatal seizure at any moment.”
    â€œWhat d’you think yourself?”
    â€œConsidering the circumstances it might be advisable for me to think they’re right.”
    â€œI see your point,” remarked the captain slowly. “Do you think there’s anything not quite straight in the business? Suicide for instance?”
    â€œMight be suicide, but that would be clear only after a post-mortem examination.”
    â€œSuicides are a bit of a nuisance. I’ve had four of them in my time. Three on the ‘Nereid’, my last ship. In every case they occurred the day before we put into port. The poor devil who’s sick of the world dreads the very sight of land. The choice of time in each case was rather convenient, because I put the body ashore next day and sent my coded message to the company, as well as my report to the Home Office, before I forgot all the particulars.”
    â€œSpeaking professionally, there’s something not quite straight in this case. I don’t altogether like the look of it,” said the doctor reflectively.
    â€œBetween you and me and the binnacle, what d’you think’s wrong, Mac? You needn’t mince matters. We’re alone.”
    â€œIt’s terribly difficult to say just off-hand. I’m not so sure about that heart disease.”
    â€œBut the Colvins say it was heart disease, and they ought to know.”
    â€œThat’s true.”
    â€œWell, then that’s good enough for us. Simple case of death at sea. Who found the body on D deck?”
    â€œYour young friend Ricardo, and he summoned his pal Vereker. Ricardo collected the night steward, Fuller, who dug me out, explained matters, and I went straight to where Mrs. Mesado’s body lay on the starboard side of D deck. Fuller and Vereker carried the body to the lady’s cabin, No. 89 on the same deck. By this time life was extinct. Cautioning Vereker and Ricardo to keep their own counsel owing to the nature of the trip, I dismissed them tactfully and told Fuller to bring in the Colvins.”
    â€œThey were terribly upset of course...”
    â€œYes, but they gave me to understand that they knew that such a seizure might occur at any moment. They say the patient took a digitalis preparation for her ailment, but after a search I could find none of the medicine among her things.”
    â€œIs digitalis poisonous?” asked the captain