Chapter 14

Don Flack was sitting at his desk reading a story in the newspaper when his desk phone rang. "Flack," he said as he kept on looking at the article.

"Don Flack?"

"Yes. Who's this?"

"This is Ellie Danville, Jo Danville's daughter."

"Oh. Hi. What can I do for you? You're not in trouble are you?"

"No. It's just that Mom said she would call me when they got to Hawaii but she hasn't called and they got there yesterday."

Don considered that. "Well, she might be busy. I'm sure she'll call you soon."

"But Mom always calls."

Don could tell by Ellie's voice that she was really upset. "I'll see if I can get in touch with her."

"Has she contacted anyone there?"

"No, she hasn't. I'm sure she would contact you before she would us." Don looked at his watch. "I'll let you know if I find out anything. Let me have your number."

Ellie told him the number. "Don't worry now," Don said.

"Thanks."

Don hung up the phone. He smiled. He figured Mac and Jo were busy with each other and just forgot to contact anyone. He scowled at that thought. He knew how important Jo's kids were to her and he knew Mac would never interfere with that. He got his phone and called up to the lab.

Danny was sitting at his desk writing a report when his phone rang. "Messer," he answered.

"Danny, have you guys heard from Mac or Jo?" Don asked.

"Not a word. Why would they want to call us?"

"Well, I was just asking cause I just got a call from Ellie and she hasn't heard from Jo and she said Jo promised to call her when she got to Hawaii."

Danny laid his pen down. "Maybe they just forgot," he said.

"You think so?"

Danny had to admit that was highly unlikely. He and Lindsey would never forget to call Lucy no matter what they were doing. "No," he said. "Mac told me what hotel they would be in." Danny shuffled through papers on his desk. "They were going to stay at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa on Hawaii. I don't have the number."

"You really think I should call over there and remind them that they didn't call Ellie?" Don asked.

"Don't ask me. You started this."

"No I didn't. Ellie did."

"Well, it is Jo's daughter. What's the harm? All Mac can do is chew you out and tell you not to call them again."

Don snickered. "You really think he would?"

"Nah."

"Well, I'll try it."

Don hung up the phone and then found out the number for the hotel. He stared at it a moment before he dialed it. He supposed it would not hurt to try. The phone started to ring and Don thought about hanging up but he decided to go through with it.

"Sheraton, this is Amy speaking," someone answered.

"Amy, this is Detective Don Flack in New York. I need to speak to Mac Taylor or Jo Danville. They were supposed to check in yesterday there."

Don waited while Amy looked up the information in her computer. "I'm sorry, Sir, they never checked in," Amy said.

"I'm sorry?"

"They never checked in."

Don absorbed that for a moment. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Amy looked in her computer again. "Yes, they didn't check in so their room was given to someone else. They were supposed to arrive yesterday with the cruise ship and they never checked in."

Don was silent for a moment. "Okay, do you have any idea how I can get in touch with the captain of that ship?" he asked. He waited while Amy was looking up that information.

Amy gave Don the information. "Thank you, Ma'am," Don said. "If they happen to show up later, will you tell them to call me…Detective Don Flack?"

"Yes, sir. I'll make a note of that here."

"Thank you."

Don hung up the phone. He was starting to get a little worried now. Why would they not check into their hotel? Why would they not call if they had decided to change hotels? How could they change hotels on the spur of the moment like that? Why would they not inform the hotel? He got the phone and called the number that the hotel clerk had given him. When he finally got to the captain of the ship, he was almost disgusted.

"Captain Reynolds," he answered.

"Captain, this is Detective Don Flack in New York. How ya doing?"

"Doing fine. What can I do for you?"

"You had two passengers on your ship who were supposed to arrive in Hawaii yesterday and they never checked into their hotel," Don said. "Do you know if they're still on the ship?"

"There are some still on the ship but if they had a hotel rented, they should have left the ship."

"Can you find out for me if they are on the ship and call me back? I need to know. Their names are Mac Taylor and Jo Danville."

The captain wrote those names down. "I'll get back to you," he said.

Don hung up the phone. He shifted in his chair. No one knew where Mac and Jo were…they did not check into their hotel…the captain did not even know whether they were on the ship or not. He called up to the lab again…

Danny answered the phone. "Messer," he said.

"Danny, nobody over there knows where Mac and Jo are," Don said.

Danny was silent a moment. "What?"

"Nobody knows where they are. They didn't check into their hotel and they didn't inform the hotel that they were getting another hotel."

Danny thought a moment. "Are you saying they're lost?" he asked.

Don rubbed his forehead. "I don't know what I'm saying," he said. "Either Mac and Jo got carried away and just disappeared or they forgot to let the hotel know that they got there. I'm waiting for the captain to tell me whether they are still on the ship or not."

"Well, let us know what you find out."

"Sure."

Don hung up the phone. He was more than a little concerned…but should he be? Mac and Jo could do what they wanted to do, but he had to think about the fact that Melinda Holmes was out of jail and that he was sure she would want revenge if she could get it. But would she go to the trouble of getting on that cruise? How would she know they were on the cruise? He was sure that Mac and Jo had only told the people around them. Mac was not one to spread things around and neither was Jo.

It was two hours before the captain called Don back. "Don Flack," he answered.

"Detective Flack, this is Captain Reynolds. Your friends are not on the ship."

"Don't you keep records of who left the ship?"

"They are not registered on the list as having left the ship but they are not on the ship either."

"What about their cabin?"

"All their things are there."

Don stood up. "Are you serious?"

"I assure you, we will do everything we can to find out what happened to them," Captain Reynolds said.

Don could not believe what he was hearing. "How can they get off that ship without anyone knowing where they are?" he demanded.

"It's a big ship, Detective, but everyone is supposed to be accounted for. Only the ones who were leaving the ship registered here so that left us to believe that everyone else is onboard."

Don rubbed his hair back in frustration. "I want to know the minute you find something out," he said.

"I'll let you know."

Don hung up the phone and headed for the elevator. He was upset now. Mac would never be out of place like this and neither would Jo and she would never forget to call Ellie, nor would she be where Ellie would not know where she was.

Don came out of the elevator at the lab and walked around to Danny's office. Lindsey was there too now. "Hey," Don said. "I just got off the phone with that Captain Reynolds. He says they don't know where Mac and Jo are. They're not on the ship and they are not on the register that they left the ship. They didn't check into their hotel and they have not called Ellie."

Danny and Lindsey stared at Don. "What's going on?" Lindsey asked.

Danny looked at her and realized he had not told her anything about what was going on. "Ellie called and said her mother had not called her," Don said. He explained the situation to Lindsey.

Lindsey's mouth dropped open. She looked at Danny. "Where could they be?" she asked.

"Now, don't start getting upset," Danny said. "We don't know that they're not on the ship. They might not have been in the cabin when the captain checked."

"Danny Messer."

Danny blew out a breath. "Okay, I have to admit it sounds suspicious and I know this is not like Mac and Jo."

"What do we do?" Don asked.

Danny shook his head. "Why don't we call the Hawaii P.D. and ask them to find out what's going on?" he asked.

"Well, it would be better than nothing."