Back with Part 2 of Episode 2 of Curated Chaos! Enjoy!

Chapter 2

“So, you don’t know the man who started the fight?” Joey said, eyeing the heavily bruised man lying on a cot.

“Hell no! If I did, I’d be breaking down his door and wringing his scrawny neck!” the man bellowed.

“Do you know what he looked like?” Joey said, after glancing at Geenie. The old woman seemed content to remain perched on the edge of her chair and watch as Joey questioned the first victim of the fight.

“Some kid who looked like he’d broken into his daddy’s liquor cabinet.”

“You’re saying he was drunk?”

“He smelled like a fucking brewery. If he was sober, I’m Madonna!”

Joey winced at the mental image that popped into his head. “Right. Drunk teenager. Anything else?”

The injured man paused his rant for a moment, looking thoughtful, “Yeah. He had a really nice fucking watch. I remember thinking that it was way too nice for some snot-nosed brat like him. Must have cost a fortune!”

“Can you describe it?” Joey asked. He doubted the man would have gotten a good look at the watch before being knocked to the ground, but every little bit helped.

“A platinum and yellow gold Day-Date Rolex with a slate ombre dial and a custom, diamond-studded bezel,” the man said quickly.

Joey gaped and tried to scribble the details onto a hastily sourced scrap of paper. “I’m surprised you saw all that in the middle of the crowd.”

The injured man winced as he shrugged. “I donno, man. I just like watches. Having a piece like that means something, you know?”

Joey slowly nodded, “Yeah. Sure, that makes sense.” Glancing once more at Geenie, who just smiled back at him, Joey said, “Thanks for your help. It could help us find the culprit.”

The injured man just nodded, “Sure thing, man. Just keep me updated. I’ll need to know who to send my doctor’s bills to. Actually,” the man said, propping himself up on his elbows, “Do you think I could get the watch as part of the compensation when I sue him for damages?”

“I…uh… I don’t know? Maybe?”

“Right. Thanks. I gotta call my lawyer! I’ll be counting on you as a witness!” the man said a little too eagerly.

Joey just nodded and retreated from the room before he could get dragged further into that mess.

“Well, that was certainly informative,” Geenie said as she hobbled alongside Joey.

“Drunk kid with a fancy watch?” Joey said. “Would have been more helpful if he’d remembered hair color, or even what the guy wore. We could have checked the security cameras for the surrounding areas.”

“You make an excellent, if unintended, point, my dear assistant. The murder took place in one of the few public locations onboard that evaded the prying eyes of surveillance recordings. How curious.”

Joey shrugged, “There are too many nooks and crannies to cover everything.”

“But nearly anywhere else on the deck, and the assault would have been seen. How did the perpetrator know precisely where to strike?”

“Luck?”

“Perhaps,” Geenie conceded, though her expression remained thoughtful. “Now, what do you suppose our next step ought to be?”

“No idea. I’m not exactly a detective.”

“Nonsense, Joey! You do not need a badge to be an investigator! You only need keen eyes and a sharp intellect.”

“Well,” Joey paused and thought for a moment, “It’s getting close to lunchtime, so maybe we should check the dining room?”

“Excellent suggestion! Onward!” Geenie said, once again stabilizing herself on Joey’s arm.

---

Evangeline Porter eyed the young man she had roped into her latest escapade. Despite his obvious discomfort, he proved to be an exceptional assistant. Certainly, superior to the last one, who she discovered was most unfit for the role.

This young man, Joey, was obviously adrift. Geenie chuckled to herself silently. While he seemed capable enough as a member of Blue Jay’s crew, he lacked the same passion for the position she had seen in the rest of the staff. Despite his protests, however, he had taken to investigation like a fish to water. Geenie smiled. Oh yes. This would be quite entertaining. A young man with nearly as great potential as there was for ocean-related puns!

As the pair arrived in the offensively grand dining room, Geenie paused to study the crowd. She could hear snippets of conversation all around her, much of it concerning the incident that morning, though one nearby table was complaining about a shouting match that occurred late last evening in a private cabin adjacent to theirs.

“Over there,” Joey spoke, interrupting her casual eavesdropping. He pointed her toward a table crowded by rambunctious young men and women. All of whom were dressed in what she supposed passed for fashion these days. Despite their questionable sartorial tastes, their demeanor spoke of means and privilege. Joey had keen eyes indeed.

Taking her cane in hand, Geenie adroitly wove through the labyrinth of tables and chairs, beelining directly for the gathering of youths. Briefly, she pondered upon the nature of a collective noun for a group of teenagers. Perhaps a scoff? A sarcasm? A rebellion of teens? Geenie smiled. Yes, that would do nicely.

“Good day, ladies and gentlemen,” Geenie said, beaming at the children who turned to her in confusion.

“Hey! Who lost their granny?” One of the rebellion called to the rest of the group, who snickered in response.

“I assure you, young man. No one has misplaced me. Rather, I am in search of a young gentleman,” Geenie said. Her eyes darted among the rebellion before pausing at one teenage boy whose wrist glinted with silver and gold. With a soft nudge at Joey, she inclined her head at the boy with the gleaming wristwear.

Her stalwart assistant circled the table, approached the young man, and bent to whisper something in his ear. The boy tried to leap to his feet, but a hand planted on his shoulder kept him in place. Another hushed exchange and the boy rose to his feet to follow Joey.

“Hey! What are you doing to him!” one of the girls shouted, as she spotted Joey leading their person of interest away from the table.

“He’s a witness to the fight this morning,” Joey explained.

“I already talked to that security guy! I told him everything I saw!” the boy said.

“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience,” Joey said patiently, “we just have a few additional questions. It won’t take very long.”

“Then you can do it right here!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Ship policy,” Joey said, shrugging regretfully, before guiding the boy away.

Geenie couldn’t help but be pleased. Joey was proving himself to be an even greater help than she had hoped!