The man was insufferable. Charlie paced her room later in the day, mulling over the morning’s meeting. First he ambushed her, then he blackened Ben’s name, then he spun her a yarn that was more unbelievable than that of Luke Skywalker and his Dad. Ben a gangster? She wouldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe it. But she might have to believe it. She had spoken to her landlady on her return, when she still couldn’t quite see straight from anger. She had stormed away from Sam, and stalked her way back to the little row house with her blood boiling. She could still feel her pulse pounding in her wrist, temples and even in her neck. Her skin felt hot to the touch. The landlady had lived in this house since before the outbreak, and had clung to it with her nails, teeth and anything else she could use. She had also heard of Sam’s Dad, and Ben. It was hard to listen to, and even now she wanted to tear out the part of her brain that held that memory. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, to her immense relief.

“Charlie dear, I’ve had a call from the terminal. A letter’s come for you from your ship.” Mrs Lillingham patted her on the shoulder and gave her a kind smile. “You’ve just about got time to get down there and pick it up before it closes if you hurry. I’ll have a good hearty stew on the table for you when you get back, if you’d like to join me for dinner.”

Charlie didn’t want to join her for dinner, but she had no idea how to say no. “Thanks, Mrs Lillingham, that’ll be lovely.” She gave a wan smile, sipped on her trainers and ran past her landlady  down the stairs and out of the door. 

There was a different person on duty at the terminal – a young boy, no more than 15, sat at the desk, headphones over his ears, with his head nodding in time to whatever music was playing on his walkman. The tinny sound emanating from the foam headphones gave her no clue. She could see the walkman had been upgraded to run off of one of the new solar batteries that had been introduced three years ago. It was unwieldy, and made the walkman less portable, but the running time was immense, and the fact that you could recharge it by putting it in the sun for a few hours was just mind-blowing. She was saving up to get one for her own walkman. Her last set of normal batteries had run out a few months ago, and they were almost impossible to find nowadays. Solar batteries were expensive, but worth every penny. Of course, a new battery may have to wait now that she was taking an unpaid leave of absence. 

She waved a hand under the boy’s nose to get his attention, grabbed her letter and strolled back to the house, marvelling again at the ability to be able to just walk around the streets without looking over her shoulder, and keeping one hand on her weapon. In fact, she’d forgotten to bring it with her tonight. Wow, she’d become rusty.

She slipped open the envelope as she walked and recognised the writing as the Captain’s. 

Charlie,
I hope you’re still in Southampton and that I’ve managed to catch you with this letter. You need to watch your back. We’ve had another fatality on board. One of your sous chefs was found dead the day after you left. Apparently he’d ‘appropriated’ Ben’s half-full bottle of whiskey and finished it off the night you left. When the cat’s away and all that…
Anyway, he was dead for no reason, and we saw the almost empty bottle, and the Doc tested the dregs. Charlie girl, it was poisoned. Ben was poisoned. Somebody killed him.
I’m worried about you girl – if Ben had enemies, you chasing off after his past might put you in danger. 
We’re in port until Saturday. If you get this before we sail, please give me a call on the ship’s phone so I know you’re safe and being careful.
And then come home.
J

Charlie carefully folded the letter and put it in her cargo pants pocket. She felt numb, and suddenly exposed. She reached down for her gun, and realised it wasn’t in its usual place. Swearing, she started to jog, picking up the pace until she was sprinting back to the house.

Mrs Lillingham allowed her to use the phone, her eyes full of concern when Charlie arrived panting and shocked. She left the room, giving her privacy while Charlie spoke to the Captain.  As soon as she put the phone down, Mrs Lillingham came back into the room. 

“I’m pretty sure you heard all that.”

“I did, dear,” she replied, not looking at all abashed at being caught out. Why aren’t you going back to safety?”

“Because I have to know why he died. I have to know why he was a bad guy here, and I have to know who killed him, so I can return the favour.”