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surprises in store.”

    Samantha stared down at the body in surprise. “That’s him. The guy from the bathroom.”
    “You’re positive?” Officer Ponder questioned her with a frown.
    She frowned right back. “Absolutely one hundred percent. How did you know to find him in here?”
    “It’s a rarely used freezer. It’s one of several that we keep for backup. You wouldn’t have been shown these yesterday when you asked to check the freezers. The idea came to me last night. This morning, I started checking and this is what I found.”
    Although an unattractive shade of gray, the man looked like he was sleeping. The freezer had done an excellent job of preserving him. She saw a box of gloves on the counter. Stepping out of the freezer, she walked over and grabbed a pair. Slipping them on her hands, she came back to inspect the dead man.
    Pushing his blazer aside, she saw the dried blood on his shirt. She undid the buttons and slid the shirt aside. “That’s a bullet wound.” She paused and leaned back. “So who shot him?”
    “That, I have not yet discovered.” Officer Ponder looked a bit uneasy.
    “And who is he?” Connor asked, still staring at the man.
    Samantha resumed her search, patting down pockets, pulling his shoes off, and checking for hiding places, being thorough but careful of any possible hazardous items like needles.
    “Nothing,” she finally declared. “Absolutely nothing.”
    “I sent his prints to the FBI,” Ponder offered. “They’re sending a helicopter to pick him up. It will cause a stir on the ship, of course, but we will simply say we had a medical emergency.”
    “I would say that’s pretty much the truth,” Samantha muttered.
    “All right.” Connor rubbed his chin. “What cabin was the man you have in custody now staying in?”
    Ponder consulted his phone. “After a long investigation, we finally found a passenger who recognized the man. He’d seen him going into the room across the hall from him. That was room 7346, registered to the name of Randall Olson. I’ve already gone through it.”
    Samantha frowned. “Shouldn’t you have waited for the FBI?”
    Ponder simply looked at her. “This is my ship. It’s my responsibility to make sure my passengers are safe. I had no way of knowing if he carried any dangerous devices with him. I checked as soon as we figured out who he was.”
    “Did you find anything?”
    “Nothing unusual.”
    “Do you mind if we take a look?” Sam asked.
    “The FBI has asked that nothing else be disturbed.”
    Connor shot the man a long look. “Of course.”
    “Did they give you an ETA?” Samantha asked.
    Ponder looked at his watch. “They should be here within the hour.”
    “We’ll be waiting.”

    Connor watched the helicopter make an expert landing. Three agents exited the craft, ducking low and making their way over to Officer Ponder. He and Sam had been given clearance to meet the chopper by a reluctant Officer Ponder.
    Leaving Jenna with Andy under the supervision of two security officers hadn’t been to Jenna’s liking, but she wasn’t arguing about staying in the room. Yesterday had thrown a good scare into her too.
    “Something’s wrong with the security on this boat,” Samantha leaned in and yelled over the whirring chopper blades.
    Connor watched the FBI trio greet Officer Ponder, heads still ducked. “I agree. I thought about it all night long.” The blades on the chopper slowed to a stop. “We need to talk to Ponder again, dig a little deeper into his staff.”
    “I’m not sure I trust him.”
    “You think he’s behind all this?”
    “Maybe. Who else could arrange everything that’s happened?”
    Connor nodded, then gripped her arm to lead her over to Ponder and the agents.
    One dark head lifted and Samantha gasped. “Dakota!”
    His gaze zeroed in on her and he offered her a grin. “Hey there, Sis.”
    Connor was glad to see his brother-in-law. Married to Jamie, Samantha’s sister, the man was a force