Calamity (and a Danish) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 5) Read online

  C A L A M I T Y

  (A N D A D A N I S H)

  (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery —Book Five)

  B L A K E P I E R C E

  Blake Pierce

  Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising nineteen books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising thirteen books; of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising five books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).

  ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), and MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!

  An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

  Copyright © 2021 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Sean Pavone, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES

  HER LAST WISH (Book #1)

  HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

  HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)

  AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

  CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

  CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

  CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

  A YEAR IN EUROPE

  A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)

  DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)

  VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)

  A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)

  SCANDAL IN LONDON (Book #5)

  AN IMPOSTOR IN DUBLIN (Book #6)

  SEDUCTION IN BORDEAUX (Book #7)

  JEALOUSY IN SWITZERLAND (Book #8)

  A DEBACLE IN PRAGUE (Book #9)

  ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

  GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

  GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

  GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

  GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)

  GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)

  GIRL ERASED (Book #6)

  LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

  ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

  ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

  ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

  ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)

  ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)

  EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES

  MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)

  DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)

  CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)

  MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)

  CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)

  MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)

  ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

  LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

  LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

  LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

  LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)

  LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)

  LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)

  LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)

  LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)

  LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)

  LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)

  LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)

  LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)

  LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)

  THE AU PAIR SERIES

  ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

  ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

  ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

  ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

  FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

  FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

  FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

  FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

  FACE OF FURY (Book #5)

  FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)

  A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

  THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

  THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

  THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

  THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

  THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

  THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

  THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)

  THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)

  THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)

  THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)

  THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)

  THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)

  THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)

  THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)

  THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)

  THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)

  THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)

  THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)

  CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

  A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

  CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

  SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

  HOMECOMING (Book #5)

  TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

  KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

  IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

  IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

  IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

  IF SHE HID (Book #4)

  IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

  IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

  IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

  THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

  WATCHING (Book #1)

  WAITING (Book #2)

  LURING (Book #3)

  TAKING (Book #4)

  STALKING (Book #5)

  KILLING (Book #6)

  RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

  ONCE GONE (Book #1)

  ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

  ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

  ONCE LURED (Book #4)

  ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

  ONCE PINED (Book #6)

  ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

  ONCE COLD (Book #8)

  ONCE
STALKED (Book #9)

  ONCE LOST (Book #10)

  ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

  ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

  ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

  ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

  ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

  ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

  ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

  MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

  BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

  BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

  BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

  BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

  BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

  BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

  BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)

  BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

  BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

  BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

  BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

  BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

  BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

  BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

  AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

  CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

  CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

  CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

  CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

  CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

  CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

  KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

  A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

  A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

  A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

  A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

  A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER ONE

  The crisis hit while London Rose was finishing breakfast in her stateroom. Her buzzing cell phone interrupted the last few bites of delicious Eggs Benedict, but when she saw who was calling, she knew she had to answer.

  The familiar English-accented voice sounded more flustered than she could remember it being before.

  “Eh, Ms. Rose, there seems to be …um … I hope I’m not calling too early.”

  “Not at all, Captain Hays,” she replied. “What can I do for you?”

  “Well, it’s not exactly easy to explain …”

  The captain’s voice faded. London thought the normally unflappable gentleman actually sounded alarmed.

  “We’re having a bit of a problem, I’m afraid,” he finally said. “What you might even call an emergency. Could you kindly come up to the Rondo deck immediately?”

  London was starting to feel anxious herself. What sort of problem could possibly unsettle the captain like this, short of hitting an iceberg? And what could she, as the ship’s social director, do about it?

  “I’ll be right there,” she replied quickly, ending the call.

  She took a last sip of coffee, then ducked into her bathroom and ran a brush through her tousled short auburn hair. Meeting her own bright blue eyes in the mirror, London said, “That will have to do.”

  When she came out of the bathroom, her little Yorkshire Terrier was sitting in front of the door, ready to go with her.

  “Not now Sir Reggie,” she said. “The captain sounds really upset about something. You should stay here.”

  Sir Reggie whined.

  “Besides,” the added firmly, “you haven’t even finished your breakfast.”

  The little dog grumbled, but he stood aside and didn’t try to follow London as she hurried out into the corridor. She knew he could use his little doggie door to leave the room, but his breakfast would probably come first.

  Her stateroom was on the Allegro deck, the lowest level of the touring riverboat. The fastest way up to the top Rondo deck would be the elevator at the end of the hallway. As she headed there, she heard the captain’s voice over the public address system.

  “Good morning, Epoch World Voyagers. I have a rather urgent request to make … er, more of an order, actually. Any passengers currently on the Rondo deck must leave there immediately. Passengers elsewhere should stay away from the Rondo deck until further notice. And …”

  The captain paused again, then said, “Above all else, do not be alarmed by any, eh, changes or disturbances or … peculiar phenomena. No one is in any danger. That is all for now.”

  London doubted that the captain’s announcement would succeed in calming anybody. Some of their passengers were already agitated because the riverboat Nachtmusik was crossing rougher water than usual. Since their departure from Amsterdam, they’d been sailing the open sea on their way to Copenhagen. Although specially designed ballast and propulsion systems made that possible for the yacht-like riverboat, the craft did rock a bit from time to time.

  Some passengers had gotten seasick, and others were just annoyed. Fortunately, most of them, like London herself, had done plenty of traveling by land, rivers, lakes, seas, and air, and weren’t prone to seasickness.

  When London got to the elevator, she saw that it was already in use.

  She turned aside to take the spiral stairway upward, but then she heard a racket coming from the stairwell above her. Apparently a lot of people were using both the elevator and the stairway, either to get clear of the Rondo deck or to return to their staterooms.

  Or, she thought, maybe they’re headed to the bar.

  She just hoped there wasn’t going to be a stampede.

  She heard the elevator door open and turned back that way. Several passengers whose staterooms were here on the Allegro level stepped out, looking rather frightened.

  “London, what’s going on?” one asked.

  “What did the captain mean?” another asked.

  London fumbled for the right words—but of course, she didn’t really have an appropriate response ready, since she didn’t know yet what was going on.

  “I’m—I’m sure everything will be all right. Just stay calm. And please let me through.”

  The group parted, allowing London to enter the elevator, and she used her official card to make an express trip to the top deck.

  Her concern was growing as the elevator made its climb. The captain wanted her up on the Rondo deck, but at the same time he was telling everybody else to stay clear of it. She wondered what sort of task he had in mind for her.

  When the elevator door opened, London stepped out quickly because several anxious passengers stood there waiting for the car. She saw that others were crowding into the stairwell to walk down.

  She hurried onto the open-air deck, then stared with astonishment at her surroundings. Even at this early hour, the Rondo deck was normally a bustling, happy place, with passengers enjoying the fresh air in deck chairs, swimming in the small plunge pool, or playing on the shuffleboard court.

  Instead, crew and staff members were darting to and fro folding up deck chairs and umbrellas and clearing the deck of anything that wasn’t bolted down. The portly, middle-aged captain was dashing abou
t, his walrus-style mustache in constant motion as he gave orders.

  He snapped at a couple of straggling passengers with uncharacteristic sharpness.

  “You two! Didn’t I just tell all passengers to go below?”

  London knew the two passengers quite well and wasn’t surprised when the black-clad man with the thick dark hair didn’t move.

  A tall woman with a shock of curly hair tugged on his sleeve.

  “Maybe we should do as he says, dear,” Audrey Bolton suggested.

  “Nonsense,” Cyrus Bannister retorted with his typical supercilious smirk. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”

  The captain shook his head with frustration as London approached him.

  “Sir, what’s going on?” London asked him.

  “That’s what’s going on,” the captain said, pointing out over the water.

  No land was in sight. But London’s mouth dropped open with amazement at what she did see. A helicopter was flying toward the Nachtmusik. She hadn’t heard the distant buzz of its engines over the turmoil of clearing the deck, but now the sound was becoming louder by the very second.

  “We must prepare for a landing!” Captain Hays shouted before darting away to give further orders.

  “A landing? Nonsense!” Cyrus said with a sardonic chuckle. “A helicopter like that would scuttle this boat if it tried to land here. I’m expecting something quite different—and a lot more exciting.”

  More exciting than a sinking ship? London wondered.

  Cyrus was something of a patronizing, disagreeable know-it-all filled with expertise about an endless variety of subjects, ranging from classical music and great painters to dog breeds. But he often knew what he was talking about.

  I guess he’s an authority on helicopters too, she figured.

  “I really think we should leave,” Audrey insisted to Cyrus.

  “Oh, no, my dear,” Cyrus replied. “You won’t regret staying to see this, I promise.”

  Meanwhile, the ship itself was slowing to a near stop in preparation for whatever was about to happen.

  Quickly, the helicopter came more clearly into view. On its side was a familiar company logo with the name Epoch World Cruise Lines. The aircraft descended toward the deck as it approached, and its rotating blades raised up a powerful wind that rattled the stacked furniture and whipped around the people remaining on the deck.