Chapter 3
At last it was time for Penelope to visit the location of the final suspect, cabin D4. As she drew closer, she could barely hear crying…? The sound was muffled, yet easy to hear. She walked up to the door and knocked.
*double tap* *triple tap* *single tap*
Nobody answered. Instead, she was met with an aggressive shout.
“GO AWAY!”
This left Penelope no choice but to unlock the door. She pulled out the golden keychain the captain had entrusted her with,sorted through the keys,took out the one labeled D4, inserted it into the slot, and unlocked the door.
On the cabin bed lay a small calico cat girl, sobbing and yelling into her pillow.
“NOT FAIR NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!!!! GO AWAY!!!!” she yelled
Her shouts were so loud and full of despair that the large pillow barely muffled her words. It seemed that she would be difficult to approach.
“Hey, I just need you for a quick interview,” Penelope asked hesitantly.
“NO WAY. JUST LEAVE,.”
the girl exclaimed as her weeping continued.
What was her problem? Penelope wondered. Was this a stress response to the current situation, or caused by being stuck on the ship? Was she a close friend of Marigold or was this about something else entirely?
Penelope decided to make one last attempt at asking her again before leaving.
“Ok, I’ll leave you be if you can tell me why you’re so upset.”
“UGHHHH, YOU REALLY HAVE NO SENSE OF RESPECT, DO YOU? MY BIRTHDAY WAS RUINED. THAT’S WHY I’M CRYING OK?!?”
Penelope stood there totally speechless for just a moment. She did not flinch and stood calmly while keeping a neutral expression.
“ARE YOU HAPPY NOW !???!!!”
the kitten yelled. She was obviously annoyed by Penelope’s presence. The detective was well aware of this, but her curiosity kept her listening.
“UGHHH, YOU’RE SERIOUSLY TESTING MY PATIENCE! YOU GOT YOUR ANSWER, SO LEAVE.”
That was enough. Penelope decided it would be best to do as she promised and leave the girl alone. She was left with many
unanswered questions but alas she exited the cabin.
She decided it would be a good idea to head back to the rest of the locked rooms now that she had reached the end of the deck. She remembered the music coming from C4 earlier and was incredibly curious, so she made that her next destination.
The detective once again walked the vast hallway until she arrived at the door. Oddly enough, the tune could still be heard. Whatever they were up to, there was clear dedication! She proceeded to pull out the keyring, took out the key for the room and unlocked the door.
She turned the handle and attempted to push it in, but couldn’t., Something was blocking the door! Suddenly, she heard a voice.
“Owch! Hey, what was that?”
The door opened. Behind it stood a blue-eyed golden retriever with a large pair of headphones around its neck.
“Yoo, dude! Sorry bout’ that, I was just jammin’ out and lost track of time,” he said, realizing it was the detective standing outside his door.
“I’m not a dude.”
“Oh, I see… so you’re the serious type, huh? I get it.”
“You could say that. Anyway, I’m here to ask you a few questions. Please follow me”
“No problemo!”
Penelope escorted the canine to the billiard room and sat down at the same table once more.
“So, what’s your name and why did you decide to board this ship?”
“The name’s Leyla. I simply came to have a good time, ya know? Summer vacation and all that jazz.”
“I can tell you like music. What else do you do?”
“Ah, I didn’t literally mean jazz... like the music. Well, I’m a lifeguard. I also love to hit the waves! I used ta’ be a full-time surfer but surfin’ won’t pay the bills... Oh well, a dog can only dream.”
“ I didn’t assume you did. Well, tell me, do you know anything regarding the murder of Marigold Seashine?”
“Nahhh, dude, I don’t know anything.”
“Really?” she replied. She thought his response seemed rather lacking.
“Yeah dude, I'm positive. I was just listening to my jams, and then the captain called an emergency yada yada. I bet you know the story by now.”
“Ok, well, I can’t do anything other than take your word for it. You may head back now.”
They both walked back to Leyla’s cabin. Penelope followed behind the dog just to ensure she’d reach her destination.
Now only one locked door remained, room C2. Her first destination was now her last.
Penelope confined to walk down the hall and arrived at the cabin. She knocked again, but there was no response. Without hesitation, the detective took out the key and unlocked the door.
To her surprise, when she opened the door, the room was completely empty! She could’ve sworn the captain said there was a passenger in there… Did the captain misremember the room number? Nobody could’ve just up and left the place. The trash was empty, the bed was made, nothing suggested someone had been there.
It was beginning to get dark so she decided that this would be a good place to pause. She let the captain know she was going home and would share her findings tomorrow.
That night Penelope remained curious about the room and the other passengers. Besides that, she couldn’t wait to find out what the important tool the Captain had hinted at was supposed to be. Although all these thoughts kept racing through her head, it had been such a long day for the young detective that she had no trouble falling asleep.
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