Doojoon and I were eating breakfast with our family the next morning.

            “This cruise wasn’t the reality we wanted,” my mom said, pouting a bit. “Two murders in less than a week? That’s insane.”

            My dad was busy thinking as he nibbled on his hash brown.

            “Daddy?” I said.

            “Mm?”

            “Can I ask you a question?”

            My dad nodded. “Sure.”

            “By any chance, did all 2 victims have a sort of matching…tattoo?”

            My dad thought about it. “Now that you mention it…they did. A sort of skull each embedded on a different part of the body. The first guy, on the ankle. The second guy, on the neck.”

            Bingo.

            “Thanks dad. I was just, you know, wondering,” I said nonchalantly.

            “______, don’t tell me that you’re thinking about proving that Junhyung boy innocent,” my dad said.

            “He is innocent,” I said.

            “And what proof do you have?”

            I bit my lip. “I don’t have any…yet.”

            “Do you know anything that would help with the case?” my dad asked.

            I shook my head. “Nope. Nothing at all.”

            Just as I said that my attention was suddenly turned to a man reading a newspaper a couple of table over.

            “D-Doojoon.” I called my brother’s attention. “I-Is that…”

            Doojoon nodded. “The same skull tattoo, that man has it on his palm.”

            The man put down his newspaper and took a sip of his water bottle. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he stared at the water bottle in horror as he brought his hands up to his neck, gasping for air.

            “HELP! This man is choking!” a waitress said, trying to help the man.

           Doojoon and I raced over to the man, praying to ourselves that it wasn’t what we thought it was. He fell to the ground, still clutching onto his neck. His eyes looked look they were going to pop out from its sockets as he stopped moving.

            “Oh my god…” Doojoon said.

            I felt his pulse.

            “It’s useless,” I said quietly. “He’s dead.”

            The people in the restaurant gasped and a small child screamed in the distance. My dad rushed over and observed the man from head to toe. But Doojoon and I knew things that my dad didn’t. We knew what to do now.

            The police came running in again and inspections were made. Doojoon and I watched the whole thing.

            “Detective Yoon,” a fellow inspector said. “We found another set of fingerprints on the water bottle besides the victim’s. It matches with that boy.”

            My eyes widened.

            “The fingerprints on the water bottle are those of Yong Junhyung?” my dad asked, clarifying.

            The inspector nodded. “Right.”

            My dad turned to me and Doojoon. “There’s no doubt about it now, kids. Yong Junhyung is the murderer.”

            I was shaking as I said, “N-No…he can’t be. Someone’s framing him, dad! He can’t be accused this easily!”

            “There’s so much proof against him that it’s impossible not to suspect him at this point ______. This man was poisoned. This is the 3^rd murder. It’s dangerous if we keep letting him loose. We must confine him for the time being,” my dad said.

            “N-No…you can’t!”

            “We have no choice, ______.”

            My dad walked away with the other policemen and Doojoon patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, _______. At least now we know what to do.”

            I nodded at Doojoon, more determined than ever. “Time to find Mr. Carmeliano.”

            Later that night I was resting in my cabin room alone. My parents were at the casino and Doojoon was out with some girl that he’d met at the pool. There was a knock on the door and I got up to go open it.

            I peeked out the hole to find Junhyung.

            “What is he doing here?” I asked myself as I opened the door.

            Junhyung brought up his head and we met eyes. He looked really frustrated and angry, but at the same time a bit sad. It hurt me to see him like this.

            “Junhyung? What’s-

            But before I could continue Junhyung stepped forward and forcefully pulled me into an embrace. I stood still, frozen, wondering what was up. He held onto me tight, wrapping his arms around my back as he leaned his head on my shoulder.

            “Junhyung what’s wrong?” I asked quietly, hugging him back.

            Junhyung let go and put his hands on my shoulders, positioning me to face him. “The police are out to get me,” Junhyung said. “No one believes me. I’m wanted on the ship. They want to confine me. My parents won’t say a word to me.” Junhyung bit his lip, still staring at me with those eyes. “No one believes me except you.”

            “I know that they have a lot of evidence against you,” I said softly, trying to reassure him. “But don’t worry, Doojoon and I will find Carmeliano and expose him as the true murderer.”

            “Y-You know?” Junhyung asked.

            I nodded. “Mm. It all clicks into place if it’s him. Honestly…framing you would’ve been fairly simple. He knows what he’s doing.”

            Junhyung grinned. “Mind telling me your side of the story, Nancy Drew?”

            I smiled. “And mind telling me everything that you know about this whole incident, Yong Junhyung?”

            “If you don’t mind me stowing away in your room.” Junhyung looked behind him. “They’re still looking for me.”