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taking over her role as excursion chef until a full-time replacement can be found.”
    â€œLeft?” Darcy frowned. “But I just saw her yesterday. I was supposed to interview her last night, but she never showed.”
    â€œIt was a very recent decision.” Mullins tapped the stack of papers against the table, getting them perfectly in line. “Phillip has graciously agreed to transition from the ship kitchen to the excursions for the time being, so we’re all set.”
    Darcy shifted forward, leaning toward Mullins across the oval table. “May I ask why Ms. Walsh left?”
    Mullins chuckled with a shake of her bottle-red head. “You’re definitely a journalist.” The other men joined in her laughter.
    Darcy smiled, but Gage didn’t miss the tightness edging her mouth. “This doesn’t have anything to do with the woman who went overboard last night, does it?”
    â€œSomeone fell overboard?” Gage asked, his brows arching. Not a great start. This was supposed to be the trip that erased Darcy from his mind, that gave his heart a break and let him immerse himself in ten days of full-on adventure. If some woman had gone overboard . . . His mind flashed back to the rapids and Tommy Moore’s lifeless form.
    â€œThe woman who fell overboard is perfectly fine,” Mullins said with utmost confidence.
    â€œYes, but was it her?” Darcy pressed. “Is that why Ms. Walsh isn’t here?”
    Mullins’ shoulders squared. “Like I said, Ms. Walsh decided to leave Destiny’s employ, and that is all you need to know.”
    Darcy opened her mouth, but Mullins held up a hand. “I realize you are a journalist and overly curious by nature, but who went overboard has nothing to do with the job we hired you to do. I suggest you focus on the task at hand. The first excursion heads out bright and early tomorrow morning, and we have plenty of items to go over.” Without giving Darcy a chance to respond, she continued, “Now if everyone will turn to the first page of your orientation glossary, you will see the activities and excursion schedule for this cruise.”

    Darcy didn’t hear another word Mullins said. Exhaustion eroded her focus, and concern for Abby’s safety consumed her thoughts. Either Abby had fallen overboard or she’d gone missing by some other means—in any case, they were covering up the truth with this “decided to leave” story. There was no way Abby would call her in to help with an undercover investigation and then just take off. Something had happened to Abby.
    Darcy had a difficult decision to make and precious little time to make it. She could stay on the ship and try to continue Abby’s investigation with what little she knew about it, or she could get off and hope to track Abby on her own.
    She knew the prudent course was to stay on board, to track Abby by her last whereabouts, by following the story she’dbeen working. If she got off the ship, she could completely lose the trail.
    If Abby had fallen overboard and was safely recovering at Kodiak Hospital, she’d want Darcy to continue and would find a way to get word to her. On the other hand, if something sinister had happened to Abby, the people responsible were on the Bering , and that made her decision clear. She needed to stay the course.
    Darcy shifted, trying to ignore Gage’s gaze resting on her. He was scrutinizing her. He sensed more was happening than she let on. She could see it in his stare, read it in the tautness of his broad shoulders.
    She shifted. Her real intentions aboard the Bering were none of his business. As far as he was concerned, she’d come to report on the adventures and was curious about a missing excursion chef. The fact that the hunger of the hunt, the urge to dig, was nipping at her heels once again could remain her secret. He’d only judge her for it. He’d made it