" She turned to Brandt. "Your report says she tried to leave the section. Would you like to amend it? " He looked at the page. It was 3:05.
He could have said, "Let me correct that, " and the room would have let him. He put the pad back in his vest. "It stands. " At 3:19, the door opened a third time. Captain Anders Holm was 60, silver haired in whites.
Naomi felt her shoulders drop for the first time in an hour. Behind him, Nair stood with her jaw set. "Captain, " Naomi said, "thank you for coming. " Holm took in the cuffs, the sergeant, the chief. Sergeant Brandt called the bridge at 2:44, he said slowly, to report a theft and a suspect in custody.
I've heard the rest from Ms. Nair in the last 5 minutes. "Captain, the necklace was recovered on—" Naomi began. I know where, Ms. Sutherland. He rubbed his forehead. Chief, what does the footage prove?
That Ms. Vandermeer was on deck. Not what happened there. Then it proves nothing yet. Holm turned to Naomi and it was said gently, I don't know what happened. I do know a police officer is holding a guest on a theft complaint, and my company's counsel is unreachable until we dock.
I won't obstruct him at sea and hand a lawyer a reason to say I did. We make our scheduled port call at 6:00. County officers will meet us at the pier. They can sort out the rest. Captain, chief, log everything.
If this is wrong, it will be wrong on paper. Brandt drew an evidence bag from his vest. Phone. No, Naomi said. Holm looked at the floor.
He's police, he said quietly. I can't tell him no. Naomi's fingers stayed closed on her purse for 1 second, then she opened them. Brandt took the phone out himself, dropped it in the bag, sealed the strip, and wrote on the tag. Log that I did not consent.
Noted. Please write it down. He didn't. Holm left. Duarte lingered reading the seal on the bag and followed.
The room emptied to three, Brandt, Kessler, Naomi. At 3:52, Kessler logged the cuff check and slid two fingers under the steel. Naomi thanked him. At 4:00, through the wall, a ship's bell began to ring. It struck in pairs, two, a pause, two, a pause.
Naomi lifted her cuffed hands into her lap and closed her eyes. The gala program folded in her purse had one line at the bottom, 1600, the association tolls eight bells. She had watched the clock for this. Now she heard all eight from a room with a police sergeant in it. Brandt checked his watch.
"10 minutes of nothing. " he said to no one. When it was over, Naomi opened her eyes. The evidence bag lay beside her purse. The screen inside lit through the plastic and Kessler saw it first.