by Jaden Skye
“How long were Tiffany and Shane a couple?” Cindy asked her.
“On and off for years, I guess. I’m not really sure. Seems she was always talking to him about something.”
“Have the police interviewed Shane?”
“Who knows?” said Meryl. “The police are fixed on Tad. He was foolish enough to tell them that he saw Tiffany alive about an hour before it happened. That’s all they needed to hear. They’re too lazy to be bothering with others. They just want to latch onto someone and close the case fast. There’s no way in the world that Tad could have done it. It’s impossible. I don’t think anyone even mentioned Shane to them.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Why should I say anything? No one takes me seriously. Richard sees to that. That’s why I wanted to call you down here. I want you to listen to me and to be on my side. I want you to report back and tell me every little thing you find. Together we’ll find the killer. Women know how to do that kind of thing.”
“I also have to report what I find to the police,” Cindy said softly.
“Just as long as you tell me first,” Meryl said. “We’re all in big danger now. I warned my daughters, I said stay on board. Don’t leave my side, I begged them. They refuse to listen to me, especially Rori. Whatever I say, she does the opposite. I say stay close, she goes for a long walk. She says we can’t live in fear, the police are on it. Rori never listened to a thing I said. And Wynn’s trying her to best to soothe everyone. “ Then Meryl laughed strangely. “Where’s Tiffany?” she asked.
Cindy shivered.
“I don’t believe she died,” Meryl whispered. “They’re making it up, hiding something important from me. A mother can always tell when they’re hiding something.”
Cindy took a deep breath. Was the Senator right? Was she completely unstable?
“Do you have any children?” Meryl asked then.
“No, I don’t,” Cindy said, suddenly saddened.
“Of course not,” Meryl shook her head. “How could you do this work if you did? You couldn’t. You wouldn’t be able to put yourself in such danger. But someday you may have children. You’ll know better than how I feel. You’ll know better than about a lot of things. Having children teaches woman things about life that she never could learn otherwise. It opens her up, makes her aware.”
Cindy believed it must be so.
Meryl stood back and looked at Cindy with fresh eyes for a moment.
“You’re a young woman,” she said as if seeing her for the first time. “Not so many years older than my own daughters. Young and very beautiful.”
“Thank you,” said Cindy.
“I hope you won’t get trapped doing this for the rest of your life,” Meryl sudden turned motherly. “There are better things waiting for you, a home, a family, people you can love.”
“This is perfect for me right now,” Cindy said quietly. “I’m happy to be here to help you.”
Meryl came over and gave Cindy a hug. As she did, Cindy felt the full weight of this woman’s sorrow, falling upon her.
“God bless you dear for your wonderful heart,” said Meryl. “But, keep your eyes open for danger. Remember this killer is vicious. He slithers around, hides his intentions, despises women. And, nobody knows where he is right now. No one knows. Not even the angels.”
CHAPTER 4
While Cindy was upstairs talking to his wife, the Senator brought Mattheus to the bar in the room on the other side of the hallway. It was long, polished and fully stocked. Some kids were sitting at the bar, others were scattered on sofas. They got quieter as Mattheus and the Senator entered the room.
“There’s nothing left wanting on this ship,” the Senator said as he went behind the bar to make a drink for Mattheus. “You’ve had a long trip. What would you like?”
It was warm on the boat and Mattheus didn’t want anything at the moment, except to be filled in on details.
“Wine spritzer is fine,” said Mattheus, “light on the wine.”
Mattheus looked around. He felt as if he had landed at spring break in an exclusive club except for the strong feeling of upset in the air. The kids backed off as he came in, giving him and the Senator room to do business.
The yacht was fantastic. He wondered how the Senator managed to afford it. Mattheus watched him as he prepared the drink. The guy was elegant, smooth and in charge. When he turned around, Mattheus noticed the wrinkles on his furrowed brow.
The Senator handed the drink to Mattheus. Then he took his own drink in his hand and said, “let’s go out on the deck to talk.”
They walked slowly out there. It was a relief to be outside. Mattheus needed time alone with this guy.
“Particularly muggy day today,” the Senator said. “Usually we get better breezes.”
Mattheus nodded.
“We don’t have much time,” the Senator went on. “Once a case goes cold, it disappears. I understand why they’re keeping it under the radar. But I don’t like it.”
“Of course not,” said Mattheus.
“They’re scared to create turmoil on the island," the Senator kept filling him in,” too much is at stake. But what about us? Our whole life is at stake. You wouldn’t believe the pressure I’ve been under to keep this quiet. But between you and me, I don’t give a damn who finds out. So what if terror floods the island and ruins the party season. I want to know who did it. I want him caught and stopped!”
Mattheus felt comfortable with him. He related to the guy’s angst. He knew what it felt like to have something he loved ripped away from him and not be able to do anything about it. He related to how driven the guy was to find the killer. He’d felt the same way when his wife had been killed, was consumed with the need to solve the case – which he never did. To this day no one knew who killed her. It tormented Mattheus.
“I’m actually glad you’re here,” the Senator said then, “never would have thought so, either. It was my wife’s idea, but now I see she was right, about something, finally.”
The Senator’s bitterness about his wife stung Mattheus. He wanted to know what was behind it.
“We need to infiltrate every corner of this island,” the Senator went on, wiping the sweat from his face. Mattheus also noticed that the expensive shirt he was wearing was damp.
“Do you have any ideas about who may have done it?” Mattheus asked, point blank.
The Senator’s jaw clenched. “I’ve been thinking about it night and day. I do have an idea. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure something like this out.”
Mattheus was surprised.
“I’m a public figure,” the Senator continued, “and I fight for what I believe.”
“I saw that when I researched your background,” said Mattheus.
“Good,” said the Senator, all business now. “Then you know how hard I’ve fought for issues that are important to me - the environment, solar energy, protecting wild life?”
“Yes,” said Mattheus.
“Did you also have time to research what’s going on here on the island?”
Mattheus perked up. “Like what?”
The Senator’s eyes were gleaming. “Things here aren’t the perfect heaven they seem. They used to be. This place used to be an incredible corner of the earth, unspoiled, hidden away, a sanctuary for nature and people. Up until recently they only had one practically dirt road to drive on. It’s only recently that well paved roads were built.”
Mattheus wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
“That’s one of the reasons our family loved this place so much. Not only our family, plenty of others. People come down here to leave the world behind.”
“And?” Mattheus didn’t need a tourist guide to natural beauty. He had a killer to find.
“The place is now being flooded with rich Russian Moguls. They’re coming in and buying up homes and land for millions way more than they’re worth. The Moguls plan to make big bucks on this place and the rich people who live here s
mell even more money coming into their pockets. There are battles going on about ransacking natural habitats to build new hotels and casinos, turning this place into a high traffic, drug infested spot, like plenty of others around.” The Senator stood up and ran his hands through his hair. “I objected to that. I fought it. I fight it still. I will not give in.” His hands were shaking.
Mattheus moved closer to him.
“Sasha Petrovich is the name of the guy who heads up this group who plans to build a casino here,” the Senator continued. “He came to me to help him, to throw political power his way. He said there was plenty in it for me. I turned him down flat.”
Mattheus took a swift breath. They were in deeper waters than he had imagined.
“This guy has a villa down here. He has his own security force. He comes and goes and thinks he owns the island, or is about to. He warned me it wouldn’t be pretty if I fought on the other side.”
The Senator began pacing. “I never imagined he would do something like this.”
“You believe he did it?” Mattheus asked alarmed.
“Him or one of his flunkies,” the Senator said. “These guys are heartless, they’re gangsters. They live and die for money. He was warning me about trouble, but I had no idea what he really had in mind.”
“Have you told the police?” Mattheus asked.
“What police? There’s never any crime here. We have a few gendarmes on the island set up in a little police house. They’re in the pocket of the President, his own personal corps. When someone goes against the President’s wishes, these guys find ways to harass them. Do I have to tell you that Petrovich and the President are also tight?”
These were serious accusations the Senator was making. Mattheus pulled out a pad and started to take careful notes.
“You’ve got to report this to the authorities,” Mattheus stated.
The Senator’s voice turned bitter. “I told the gendarmes, naturally. They just looked at me blankly. This is was way beyond what they’re able to handle. The real police for the island, the ones who are used to handling crime, are down on Guadeloupe. I demanded that they be sent for. The only reason the gendarmes called for them is because of who I am. They’re on their way as we speak.”
“But a U.S. Senator’s daughter has been killed down here. You’ve got to be able to bring help in from the U.S.”
“Right now we’re in the hands of the French. We can call on Interpol later on if we have to.”
“Do the gendarmes down here know you’ve hired a couple of private detectives?” Mattheus asked.
“I mentioned the two of you in passing,” said the Senator. “It didn’t much sink in. Listen, I want you to get all the evidence you can on Petrovich. Meet him, snoop around. Nail him. Gather as much information about them as you can, and I’ll pass it to my U.S. connections. The local politicians want me to keep it quiet, but I don’t give a damn how much noise you make. My daughter’s dead. That’s all I care about. And I want her killer ripped from limb to limb.”
Mattheus looked up as the Senator spoke and was startled for a moment as he saw Tad standing in the doorway, listening in.
The Senator paused, followed Mattheus’ glance, and took a deep breath.
“Come on in, Tad,” he said.
Tad walked over to the Senator, who put his arm around him.
“This is the son I always wanted,” the Senator said. “This is one terrific young man, and look what they’ve done to his life.”
Tad smiled wanly, looking strained and sad. Mattheus could see how close the two of them had been.
“And to top it off,” the Senator continued, “all their focus is on Tad. It’s ridiculous.”
Mattheus looked at Tad closely. He had a distant quality about him, as if he barely registered what was going on.
“I’m sure you have a solid alibi,” Mattheus said to Tad, routinely.
“Of course he has,” said the Senator, offended.
“I was Scuba Diving at Richard Bolton’s place when Tiffany was killed,” Tad said quietly. “I asked her to come with me, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to walk on the beach alone.”
“Was that unusual for her?” asked Mattheus.
“No, not at all,” said Tad. “She loved the different beaches here. She enjoyed walking on them. She had tons of friends and people around her all the time. Once in a while she liked to take a walk alone. I thought it was good for her.”
“Of course it was good for her,” the Senator interrupted. “Tad, you didn’t do a thing wrong.”
“I just wanted to get a sense of your daughter’s routines,” said Mattheus. He didn’t want to put either of them through any more grilling right now.
“Cindy and I will check in with the gendarmes. They’ll fill us in on any other details, along with the reports of the medical examiner,” Mattheus said.
“The report’s not in yet,” said the Senator.
“And, the gendarmes won’t have anything much to tell you either,” the Senator went on. “They’ll say Tad was the closest to Tiffany and the last to see her alive, so they’re focusing on him. They’ve interviewed him three times already, but there’s no evidence linking Tad to the crime.”
“From what I see so far, there’s no evidence linking anyone,” Mattheus commented.
“That’s why you’re here,” the Senator said.
“Cindy and I will need to meet and talk with everyone on the yacht,” said Mattheus. “And also, as many people at the party as we can. You never know who may have an important piece of information.”
“Can you find the killer for me?” the Senator asked then, in a hushed tone.
“There’s always something, one piece forgotten that leads to a chain of footsteps the killer never imagined was there.”
“You’ve got to find him,” Tad pleaded hoarsely, “for all our sakes.”
“We will,” said Mattheus confidently. Tad was a lovely young man. He seemed overwhelmed by what had happened. Mattheus wanted to talk with him more, out of the Senator’s range of hearing.
“Oh, here you are dad,” Wynn said loudly. “Rori and I have been searching all over for you.”
Mattheus was so focused on Tad that he didn’t see two young women come to the doorway then, about to enter the room.
Wynn walked into the room agitated, with her sister following.
Mattheus hadn’t seen Rori before. She was beautiful, tall, blonde, slender, he was startled to see how much she looked exactly like photos of her murdered twin.
“I can’t believe you’re drinking so early,” Wynn declared, taking away her father’s glass.
Rori stood there, staring at Mattheus. “You’re the detective on the case?” she asked.
“Yes,” answered Mattheus. “My partner is with your mother right now.”
“I heard about her,” said Rori. “I heard that she’s beautiful, doesn’t look anything like a woman detective.”
Mattheus was taken aback. He didn’t often let himself recognize how stunning Cindy was, with long, wavy hair, perfect features and wonderful figure. It was easier to see her as a work partner, a buddy, one of the guys. That way he could be more relaxed, not focus on the loneliness that always lived in the pit of his stomach.
“Cindy’s been with mom for quite a while now,” Wynn said.
“She should be down here with us any moment now,” said Mattheus.
“So, what’s the plan?” Rori confronted him.
Mattheus was surprised by her boldness. She didn’t seem as shaken as the others, either.
“We’re going to have to talk to everyone on the boat and also at the party,” said Mattheus.
“I’ll help you out,” said Rori.
“Thanks.”
“We’ll also want to talk to you and your sister, Wynn.”
“The police have interviewed our family. They’ll tell you what they said,” the Senator responded.
“Cindy and I like to do it ourselves again.”
“Here comes Cindy now,” said Mattheus, happy to see her. “Cindy, I’d like to introduce you to Rori.”
Rori stuck out her hand and Cindy took it.
“It’s my pleasure,” said Cindy.
“Okay, you guys have a big job here and you need to get going,” said Rori. “Where do you want to start?”
“Rori,” the Senator was becoming irritated, “don’t take over.” Clearly, she was hard to handle.
Wynn stepped in then. “Rori likes to take everything over. Don’t be put off by her.”
“Just the opposite,” said Mattheus. “I appreciate your sister jumping in.”
“Thanks,” said Rori, pleased.
“I’m sure you have your own plans,” Wynn said to Cindy, “you don’t need any help from us.”
“Quite the opposite,” said Cindy warmly. “We need all the help we can get. All suggestions are appreciated, any thoughts, memories, tips.”
Emboldened, Rori spoke up again, “Who do you want to talk to first?”
Mattheus joined in. “To begin Cindy and I would like to have some time alone with Tad.”
“There’s no need for that,” the Senator didn’t like it. “I told you, Tad’s been interviewed many times.” He put his hand on Tad’s shoulder, as if to protect him from the pain he was going through. “There are more efficient ways to use your time.”
“It’s fine with me,” Tad responded. “I’ll be happy to talk to them. After all, Tiffany was my fiancée. I know every little thing about her and what was on her mind.”
Rori stared at him oddly when he said that and Wynn looked away.
“Let’s get off the boat now for a while,” Mattheus said, “and find a place where we can talk.”
“It’s a waste of time,” the Senator repeated, annoyed.
“It’s a place to start,” said Cindy.
“So, go,” said the Senator, “but don’t stay away too long.”
Mattheus, Cindy and Tad, walked off the boat together into the warm afternoon sun. Tad had the key to the Senator’s car that was parked at the edge of the dock.