Affairs of the Heart by Maxine Douglas

beauty
of the lobby with its art deco and highly polished woods, it was
hard for me to believe this luxury ocean liner had ever been a
troopship, let alone that great-grandfather was ever aboard her. A
ship regarded so highly by Hitler that he’d placed a bounty on her.
The first U-Boat commander who sunk The Grey Ghost would receive
two hundred fifty thousand dollars plus instantly become a hero.
Fortunately, the Ghost’s propellers were so loud the special sonar
equipment on the enemy’s U-boats was useless. If not for that, The
Grey Ghost and her eight hundred thousand soldiers would have
perished in the seas, and I wouldn’t be aboard now spending the
next few weeks investigating every nook and cranny.
    I hung up the last of my
clothes and waited for the ship to quiet down for the night before
starting my investigation. The rest of my team wasn’t expected to
arrive for another twenty-four hours. I’d delayed their trip not
wanting the legend of the haunts to override the reality of their
causes. Plus, it gave me a chance to do some digging into the
ship’s history, and my great-grandfather’s role aboard ship during
war time.
    Glancing at my watch, I
was surprised by the late hour. The lobby piano had been silent for
some time, but obviously I’d been lost in my own thoughts to take
notice. Now, if the rest of the ship was the same I’ll be able to
start investigating without the interruption of the overnight
guests. One of the reports was a woman heard the laughter of
children coming from the display of the First Class Playroom while
on one of the guided tours. Another was the sound of shuffling feet
in the Isolation Ward, followed by screaming. The Isolation Ward
was one of the exhibits in its original location; so many others
had been moved and relocated to the exhibit halls.
    I gathered up my camera
equipment, headed out the stateroom door into the hallway. With a
black bag containing video equipment slung over my shoulder and my
great-grandfather’s locket in a pocket, I headed for the Promenade
Deck.
    I strolled through the
lobby then down the portside hall. The weight of my 35mm camera
slung over a shoulder, I turned the voice activated digital
recorder on then spoke into it.
    “ Cole
Masterson, portside hall, A Deck, Queen Mary, approximately 1:30
am.” I continued down the never-ending corridor, passing doors
closed tightly for the night. Other than an occasionally late night
television show penetrating the silence, all was peaceful…and a bit
eerie even for me. I made sure my footsteps fell light so as not to
disturb any of the other hotel guests. Not that I have a heavy
step, I don’t, I just wanted to be sure everyone stayed where they
were and out of my hair. For some reason, I have a knack of
attracting people inquisitive about ghost hunting techniques. I’m
only too happy people want to know, but their questions always came
in the middle of an investigation.
    I reached the end of the
hall and stood at the stern. Again I brought the handheld close to
my mouth. “I’ve completed the walk down the hall between the
outside staterooms and the inside rooms from bow to stern. Nothing
appears out of the ordinary.” I spoke clearly, then stepped into a
small elevator and pushed the button for the Promenade Deck. The
shops are closed at this time of night so no one should be
wandering about, but I have an overwhelming feeling to get out into
some fresh air as if being crowded. The unusual need to smell the
brisk ocean air and watch its inky blackness stretch further into
the night past the Long Beach port of call for Carnival cruise
ships is overwhelming.
    My blood rushed through
my veins like liquid silver as the small compartment takes me
slowly up two deck levels. Sucking in a breath to calm my nerves,
confusion began to cloud my mind as my head swam.
    Why would a
simple elevator ride unnerve me like this? This is so not
professional but I can’t deny it. Damn, all I want is a breath of
fresh