Misfortune (and Gouda) Read online

  M I S F O R T U N E

  (A N D G O U D A)

  (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery —Book Four)

  B L A K E P I E R C E

  Blake Pierce

  Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising nineteen books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising thirteen books; of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising three books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books); of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).

  ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), and MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!

  An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

  Copyright © 2021 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Yasonya, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES

  HER LAST WISH (Book #1)

  HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

  HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)

  AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

  CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

  CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

  CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

  A YEAR IN EUROPE

  A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)

  DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)

  VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)

  ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

  GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

  GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

  GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

  GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)

  GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)

  GIRL ERASED (Book #6)

  LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

  ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

  ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

  ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

  EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES

  MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)

  DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)

  CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)

  MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)

  CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)

  MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)

  ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

  LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

  LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

  LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

  LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)

  LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)

  LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)

  LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)

  LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)

  LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)

  LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)

  THE AU PAIR SERIES

  ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

  ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

  ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

  ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

  FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

  FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

  FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

  FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

  FACE OF FURY (Book #5)

  FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)

  A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

  THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

  THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

  THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

  THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

  THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

  THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

  THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)

  THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)

  THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)

  THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)

  THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)

  THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)

  THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)

  THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)

  THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)

  THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)

  THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)

  THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)

  CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

  A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

  CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

  SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

  HOMECOMING (Book #5)

  TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

  KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

  IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

  IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

  IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

  IF SHE HID (Book #4)

  IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

  IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

  IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

  THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

  WATCHING (Book #1)

  WAITING (Book #2)

  LURING (Book #3)

  TAKING (Book #4)

  STALKING (Book #5)

  KILLING (Book #6)

  RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

  ONCE GONE (Book #1)

  ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

  ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

  ONCE LURED (Book #4)

  ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

  ONCE PINED (Book #6)

  ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

  ONCE COLD (Book #8)

  ONCE STALKED (Book #9)

  ONCE LOST (Book #10)

  ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

  ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

  ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

  ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

  ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

  ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

  ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

  MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

  BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

  BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

  BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

  BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

  BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

  BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

  BEFORE
HE SINS (Book #7)

  BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

  BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

  BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

  BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

  BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

  BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

  BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

  AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

  CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

  CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

  CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

  CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

  CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

  CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

  KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

  A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

  A TRACE OF MUDER (Book #2)

  A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

  A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

  A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

  CHAPTER ONE

  London stifled a yelp of alarm. She’d almost spilled a tray of drinks when the worried-looking steward came dashing up to her. She was helping out in the lounge of the riverboat Nachtmusik, which was not her usual job. But as the ship’s social director, and as a dedicated employee of Epoch World Cruise Lines, she often volunteered to fill in wherever help was needed—and help was obviously needed here today.

  “I’m sorry to trouble you, Ms. Rose,” he said. “But do you know where I can find Emil Waldmüller?”

  Recovering her balance and making sure the drinks were still in place, London glanced at the clock above the bar.

  “Judging from the time,” she told the anxious steward, “he must be up on the Rondo deck getting ready to—”

  “He’s not there,” the steward said in reply. “People are gathered up there, waiting to hear him. The ship is almost within sight of the Mäuseturm—‘Mouse Tower’—but Herr Waldmüller hasn’t shown up yet.”

  That was a surprise to London. It wasn’t like her German colleague to be late for anything, ever.

  She knew that Emil, the ship’s historian, was scheduled to point out sights along the Rhine Gorge as they passed through it, sharing his considerable knowledge with an eager group of listeners. Surely he would show up soon. And besides, right now London had more than a dozen drinks to serve.

  “Don’t worry,” she assured the steward, “Herr Waldmüller would never miss a lecture. He probably got held up for a few moments. He’ll be there—if he isn’t there already.”

  The steward nodded uncertainly and headed back out of the lounge.

  London felt a flash of worry as she tottered with her tray toward her first table, weaving among the people who were coming and going.

  Emil—late for a lecture? she thought.

  She was sure he wouldn’t miss the assignment altogether. He was probably already up there on the open-air Rondo deck starting his talk right now.

  Meanwhile, she needed to get these drinks safely to the passengers who had ordered them. Her customers were seated at the various tables and clusters of sofas and chairs in the large room, or were playing games in the mini-casino off at one side.

  It had been a long time since London had worked in a bar, and she’d forgotten how hectic it could be. She had to remember which drinks on her tray went to which tables, not losing track of which customers had ordered the deceptively strong Long Island Iced Teas, or the vodka-based Moscow Mules in their chilled copper mugs, or the bottles of lager and stout, or the glasses of wine, or the whiskeys-and-water. Her mind clicked away frantically as she made her way around one of the attractive potted plants that were part of the décor, navigating with the care of a tightrope walker to keep the tray level and the drinks from spilling.

  Feeling harried by it all, London wondered if her often-tousled auburn hair still held anything resembling the neat style she combed it into before she’d started this.

  Well, she told herself, it never stays in place very long. Surely the passengers are used to that by now.

  London was busy serving drinks this afternoon because the Nachtmusik had been traveling all day and would still be in transit all night. With no opportunity to go ashore, more passengers than usual were crowded into the spacious lounge. Besides that, drinks were being served at half price as part of a bundle of perks, bargains, and vouchers that had been put into effect to mollify the passengers. The cruise was now two full days behind schedule, due to the weird fact that people kept winding up dead whenever the Nachtmusik pulled into port, and the local police always delayed their scheduled departures while investigations were going on.

  London hoped with all her heart that the cruise’s run of bad luck was over.

  In any case, she actually hadn’t heard many passengers complain about the delays.

  But they sure are taking advantage of these drinks, London thought.

  Many of the customers seemed to be speculating about their upcoming visit to Amsterdam.

  Those who had ordered the Long Island Iced Teas were discussing Amsterdam’s historical sights.

  “All my life I’ve wanted to visit Anne Frank House.”

  “And I want to visit De Waag on Nieuwmarkt square—the ancient city.”

  Then at the table where London served the Moscow Mules, people were talking about something else altogether.

  “I can’t wait to visit the Artis Royal Zoo.”

  “Yes, they’re said to have the most amazing tortoises.”

  When London set down a couple of glasses of wine at another table, she heard two women talking about shopping.

  “They say you can buy wonderful clothes on the Nine Little Streets.”

  “And all kinds of accessories, I hear.”

  At the table with the whiskeys-and-water, the talk was about art.

  “I’ve read that the painting ‘Sunflowers’ is on display in the Van Gogh Museum.”

  “Yes, and so is ‘Almond Blossom.’”

  London had visited Amsterdam as a child, although she remembered little about it. She knew that she must have seen many of those sights accompanied by her mother. Now she felt her breath catch in her throat as she thought of that address she had found back in Germany.

  65 Poppenhuisstraat, Amsterdam

  Could that note really mean that Mom might be in Amsterdam again, even after all these years?

  Pay attention to your job, London told herself firmly.

  Moving around to see who needed service next, she was a bit taken aback by the conversation she heard at the table with the lager and stout.

  “Is it true that Amsterdam has a perfectly legal Red Light District?”

  “Yes, and it has shops where you can buy and smoke cannabis!”

  “Lots of things are legal in Amsterdam.”

  What those customers were saying was perfectly true, of course. Amsterdam was home to a number of well-regulated activities that were illegal in most other places. It was the cheeky tone, the slight
snickers of delight, that she heard in these voices that set off mini-alarms for her. The folks at that table looked less mature to her than most of the other passengers. The group of 100 they had on board for this trip was largely made up of retirees and second-honeymooners and the like.

  Of course, many of these same people had participated wholeheartedly in the beer festival at their last stop in Bamberg, Germany. London could feel herself cringe as she remembered that it was she who had briefly tangled with the law there. Except for the one passenger who had gotten involved in the investigation, the rest has suffered nothing worse than a hangover.

  On the other hand, might Amsterdam offer unusual opportunities for embarrassing escapades?

  London momentarily wondered whether she or somebody else in authority—Captain Hays, maybe—should make an announcement advising passengers to avoid such activities, or at least on how to behave if they did engage in them. But she quickly decided it wouldn’t be a good idea.

  They’re adults, after all.

  It was neither her nor the captain’s job to be a policeman or a parent.

  Her tray was finally empty, but that didn’t mean that she was about to get a break.

  “Another lager,” a passenger called from a nearby group, and she was off again, memorizing which drinks were to be served at which tables. London didn’t have enough time (or enough free hands) to jot the orders down on paper. She simply had to keep moving while maintaining a high level of alertness.

  Finally, she returned to the bar to recite her orders to her friend Elsie Sloan, who was in charge of the Amadeus Lounge. She and the tall woman with bleached blond hair had become friends on ocean-going ships in years past and had been delighted to meet up again on the riverboat Nachtmusik. As always, London was amazed by Elsie’s prowess as she absorbed London’s entire list while mixing drinks without pause and still barking Bronx-accented orders to her bar assistants.

  While she stood waiting, London saw a head of smooth dark hair approaching through the crowd. Amy Blassingame was also filling in as a temporary server today. The ship’s concierge was a few years younger, a bit shorter and sturdier than London, and seemed to be moving through the crowd with greater ease. Looking unruffled, Amy arrived at the bar with her own empty tray and recited her own litany of drink orders to Elsie.