Death by Engagement

by Jaden Skye

  “The people down in Amaneuten know who the killer of those other two women is,” Cindy started, putting the bags of jelly down on the table.

  “Who?” Mattheus was taken aback.

  “A guy named Billy Sears. A big woman at the grocery down there told me she thought he was down in Venezuela right now.”

  “Wow,” Mattheus mused, “the guy’s probably cooling his heels.”

  “People down there feel nervous about him,” Cindy went on.

  “Wait a minute.” Mattheus lifted his hand as if to stop an oncoming train in its tracks. “It’s all very interesting, but as of now, that’s a completely different case. If we can’t find a connection between him and Shari, we leave that to the authorities.”

  Cindy was about to say that the authorities had declared the case cold and had no real interest in warming it up now, but she decided to hold back. She knew that she and Mattheus couldn’t launch into two cases at the same time, especially not in Mattheus’s current frame of mind.

  “I guess there’s a lot of cases that stay open, like low-hanging fruit on trees that never get ripe,” Cindy mused out loud.

  “That’s a good way of putting it.” Mattheus got up from the table he was working at and stretched his legs. “You’re getting the point.”

  Cindy wasn’t sure what point she was getting exactly.

  “You’re realizing that we can’t solve every single case that comes out way.” Mattheus went over to her. “Sometimes there’s a nest of cases tucked into one another,” he said as he put his arms around her lovingly. “I’m happy you’re back so quickly.”

  They hugged for a few minutes and then, satisfied, Mattheus returned to the table he was working at.

  “Find anything interesting so far?” Cindy asked.

  “I talked to the police,” Mattheus started filling her in, “and did some of my own footwork, called some contacts and dug into the computer. Looks like Doug’s a rising star at work. He gets in early, works late hours, driven to be the top of the heap.”

  Cindy wasn’t surprised to hear that. It was the sense she had about him. “What else?” She wanted more.

  “Turns out that Shari wasn’t his only love interest since college,” Mattheus continued. “The two of them broke up now and then and kept getting back together. The longest breakup lasted about six months, when he saw a woman named Cayenne.”

  “That’s an unusual name.” Cindy was struck by it.

  “Yes, it is, but there was nothing particularly unusual about the woman, though. She’s someone he met through work, a paralegal for a firm a few blocks away,” Mattheus continued.

  “How did Shari feel about that relationship?” It was interesting information and Cindy wondered about it.

  “I have no idea about that,” said Mattheus, “but the person who told me about it said that Doug wasn’t really himself when he was seeing Cayenne. He seemed better and happier when he and Shari got back together again.”

  “Who told you this?” Cindy was curious.

  “A cop I know who has contacts at Doug’s firm. It’s a big firm, with plenty of branches. One of Doug’s colleagues spoke to my friend. It wasn’t particularly confidential or earth-shattering information, just popular knowledge, it seems.”

  “What I’m interested in is how Shari took the separation. Did she also see someone else then? Who initiated the breakup?” Cindy was wondering out loud.

  “That shouldn’t be too hard to find out or take too long,” Mattheus intercepted her questions.

  “We probably need to know more about Shari in general,” Cindy concluded.

  “That’s always the bottom line.” Mattheus seemed to be truly on board now. “Dig around. Talk more to her family and friends. I’ll talk to Doug’s friends and family. It should all become clear, quickly.”

  Cindy felt the pressure Mattheus was still under to get this over with and move on. She decided to sum up the steps she would take so Mattheus could have an overall timetable in mind.

  “I’ll have to check with her friends and family more fully,” Cindy started, “take a look at the crime scene and talk to the coroner. If you take on Doug’s friends and family, this should then all be clear shortly.”

  “Okay,” Mattheus agreed, “but why do you have to talk to the coroner?”

  “Routine,” Cindy reminded him, “and further results from the autopsy should be back in a day or two as well.”

  “That’ll sum it up, then?” Mattheus looked over at Cindy searchingly.[cl8] . He obviously needed an assurance that this wasn’t going on forever.

  “That’ll be it,” Cindy agreed. “I’ll present all of these findings to Edward and they should give him some peace.”

  “Don’t count on that,” Mattheus sighed. “It can take a long time to have peace after your daughter is gone.” Then he stood up, came closer to Cindy again, and pulled her back into his arms. “Is this all just an exercise in kindness to Shari’s father?” he asked. “Don’t you really believe that Shari took her own life?”

  It was a good question and stopped Cindy for a moment. Actually, she wasn’t sure. “I don’t really know,” Cindy answered, honestly. “What do you think?”

  “I think Shari’s father’s half crazy with pain and can’t face the fact that his daughter had long-standing depression,” said Mattheus. “In my opinion, Shari wasn’t ready for marriage, couldn’t handle the step and jumped off the cliff rather than go forward.”

  That was an extreme formulation and Cindy really didn’t go along with it. “Something had to cause her to make that leap,” she replied. “Something might have happened between her and Doug right before?”

  “Even if it did,” Mattheus sighed, “so what? Even if Shari and Doug had the worst fight of their lives just before she jumped, that’s not murder. It’s the reaction of a sick girl who couldn’t handle life. It’s not his fault, he’s not responsible.”

  “Not legally, perhaps, but morally?” Cindy wondered aloud.

  “That’s not for us to say,” Mattheus reminded her. “We’re not ministers. We’re here to uphold the law.”

  . [cl9] “Shari just didn’t seem seriously depressed to me,” Cindy mused.

  “You only saw her for a few minutes,” Mattheus reminded her. “The two of you barely spoke.”

  “That’s true,” said Cindy, “but she didn’t seem teetering on the verge of death.”

  “Depression’s a funny animal,” Mattheus countered. “You can feel fine one minute and misery can strike the next.”

  Cindy had also heard that, but deep down, it still didn’t feel like it was depression that had taken Shari’s life. “That’s not what happened to her,” Cindy murmured.

  Mattheus became silent. “All right, tell me what happened,” he finally said.

  “Not that, not that,” whispered Cindy. “But we’ll find out soon enough.”

  Chapter 9

  It was wonderful having Mattheus on board again, working with her on the case. While he made more calls to people he knew, and got ready to go see Doug’s family, Cindy decided to speak to Shari’s sister and mother in greater depth. When Cindy called to make an appointment, Edward picked up. He said Shari’s mother, Marla, didn’t want to talk, but her sister, Deidre, was eager to.

  “Why not meet Deidre somewhere else, outside of the hotel room,” Edward suggested. “Marla’s not doing well and doesn’t want any visitors, but Deidre could use some company and distraction.”

  “Of course.” Cindy was delighted. “Where would she like to meet?”

  “I suggest the two of you go to Arikok National Park.” Edward was quick on the uptake. “It’ll be good for Deidre to get out into the woods. She’s loved being in the woods since she was a little girl. She’ll relax more there and the two of you will form a relationship.”

  It was an odd suggestion, but Cindy was open to it. “Sure, why not?” said Cindy. “I’ll meet Deidre downstairs in the lobby right away and we can take a cab to a hiking trail
.”

  “Good thinking.” Edward approved of it. “And take your time with her there, don’t push it. Deidre knows a lot about many things. If you get her to like you, she’ll open right up. And then I want you to tell me what you find out.”

  That was going too far. “Certain information is always confidential,” Cindy responded immediately.

  “From me, her father? The person who hired you?” Edward didn’t like hearing that.

  “Of course you’ll be informed of whatever is relevant in the right manner,” Cindy continued. “But there’s a natural privacy your daughter deserves. There are things she will tell me in confidence that I may not be able to disclose.”

  “That’s the first time I heard anything like that,” Edward grumbled. “I don’t like idea of the two of you keeping secrets from me.”

  Cindy wondered if Edward has also been that way with Shari. Did he demand to be part of her private life, be privy to information that he had no right to know?

  “Let’s take this one step at a time, Edward.” Cindy didn’t want to discuss this point any further. “Tell Deidre to come down and meet me in the lobby now. Nobody is planning on keeping secrets from you, but the investigation must be conducted in good faith.”

  “Good faith? What does that mean exactly?” His voice rose a pitch.

  “It means that if I talk to a person and there’s an assumption of confidence, I will not be able to tell you everything I find out. Relevant information is passed on to authorities who use it then to build a case. I will certainly tell you what I can and give you a general overall picture, but not private details of your daughter’s life.” Even though she barely knew her, Cindy felt a need to protect Deidre.

  “Do what you can,” Edward gave way slowly. “I’ll trust your judgment here. Don’t leave any topic untouched or any stone unturned.”

  Cindy shivered as she hung up the phone, wondering what he was getting at exactly.

  *

  Deidre seemed excited to be meeting Cindy down in the lobby. She dashed over to her, breathing fast.

  “I can’t believe we’re going to Arikok National Park,” she started. “It’s exactly where I wanted to go. How great that you thought of it.”

  Cindy wanted to tell her that it was her father’s idea, but stopped herself for a moment.

  “There’s a wild side of Aruba there,” Deidre continued, “great hiking trails and caves and particularly the Tunnel of Love.”

  “Tunnel of Love?” Cindy was struck by the name of the cave, particularly given the circumstances of Deidre’s family’s visit.

  Deidre laughed suddenly at Cindy’s response. “Not exactly a wedding venue,” she went on. “The Tunnel of Love Cave is called that because of the heart-shaped opening at the entrance. We’ll need flashlights to go through the long passageway. We can get them at the park.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” said Cindy. “I thought we’d hike outdoors, not go into dark caves.”

  “I want to go into the cave, though,” Deidre insisted.

  “Whatever you like,” Cindy said quietly, not wanting to disturb her. “Did Shari enjoy hiking and caves, too?”

  “Absolutely not,” Deidre answered quickly, as the two of them walked out of the lobby together into the street. “Shari was frightened of the dark, since she was little. She liked everything pretty and nice. Not me, though, I like exploring dark places where people don’t go much. Shari would never go there with me.”

  Cindy took a deep breath, wondering how the two of them really got along.

  “I’m glad you’re coming with me.” Deidre shook her hair back over her shoulders. “It’s been horrible. I need to get out of the hotel room and away from my father. This whole thing has made him crazier than ever.”

  Cindy hailed a cab and the two of them got into it.

  “You have a hard time with your father?” Cindy picked it right up.

  “My father’s intensely paranoid.” Deidre spoke easily, relieved to be driving away, and also to be with Cindy. “Whatever you do, he looks for some dark motive behind it. Shari bought into it. I never did. He and I never got along.”

  “Shari got along better with him?” Cindy asked as the taxi wound along a wide road that was sheltered by trees and led in the direction of the park.

  Deidre moved closer to the window then, almost pressing her face against it. “Shari got along better with everyone,” she retorted. “She was the perfect person, everyone loved her. She knew how to take the bumps in life, as she used to say.”

  That surprised Cindy somewhat. “I heard Shari suffered from depression, though?” she asked as the taxi dove down a steep hill.

  “Yeah, she did, but she was on medication her whole life long.” Deidre pulled away from the window and stared at Cindy. “Me, I don’t buy into that. I don’t even take an aspirin.”

  “How could Shari go along with the bumps in the road if she was depressed?” Cindy wanted to know more about that. “Didn’t she have hard, sad times that you remember?”

  “Sure, she had them,” said Deidre, “but when she did she ran to my father, who gave her more meds and that was that.”

  “How about your mother? What did she think about that?” Cindy was curious.

  “Shari was my father’s daughter and I was my mother’s gal,” said Deidre. “Shari and my mother didn’t much get along. My mother didn’t have patience for all the medicine she took, she looked down on her for it, used to tell her to buckle up and stand on her own.”

  “That’s awful,” Cindy remarked.

  “Hey, everyone has their values.” Deidre shrugged it off, as Cindy noted that Deidre hadn’t yet expressed sadness or pain about her sister’s death.

  The taxi was now on a long, low road that led directly into the park. Deidre looked out of the window, delighted, as if she were a child on an outing she’d always wanted to take. Cindy wanted to go a little deeper with her, though.

  “It’s too bad that Shari can’t be with us on this outing,” Cindy probed softly.

  At that Deidre spun around. “It’s too bad about a lot of things.” Her voice grew darker. “It’s too bad Shari never listened to me. If she listened to me this never would have happened. But no, she tossed me to the side. It was her friends she listened to.”

  “It couldn’t have felt good to be tossed to the side.” Cindy picked right up on it.

  “I was used to it,” said Deidre. “Shari was the one who made my father proud of her.”

  “And you?” asked Cindy.

  “Believe it or not, my mother respected me. She told me my time would come, over and over.”

  “What did she mean by that?” asked Cindy.

  “She meant the day would come when people would realize who I was, how much I knew,” Deidre shot back quickly.

  “When will that day come?” Cindy asked, a cold chill going up her spine.

  “Nobody knows when,” mumbled Deidre, “but everyone has a time when their day comes.”

  The taxi stopped. They got out and began the long walk along a graveled pathway toward the Tunnel of Love. Cindy felt deeply unnerved by her conversation with Deidre. Was it possible that she felt her time would only come when her sister was gone? It sounded as if there were such a deep divide between them all their lives. Although she had no desire to go into the cave, Cindy was thrilled for the opportunity to find out more. Perhaps Edward was right after all. Perhaps Deidre held the key to what happened to Shari.

  *

  The Huliba Cave, known as the “Baranca Sunu Cave,” also meaning “Naked Rock,” is nicknamed the “Tunnel of Love” for its heart-shaped entrance. The cave had five entrances, and after paying to go in and get some flashlights, Cindy and Deidre took one entrance that led through a steep and narrow stairway which dipped into the cave. They had to crouch as they walked along and turn on their flashlights as it was totally dark inside.

  “This is incredible,” Deidre murmured, “better than I thought.”

  Cind
y followed tentatively, walking carefully behind. The cave was studded with stalagmite and stalactite formations in limestone rocks. There were also two bat species living in this cave and when they entered a few were fluttering around.

  “After the bats sleep in the caves during the daytime, they fly out in hordes in search of food,” Deidre informed her.

  “Is there a place we can stop and talk here?” Cindy asked, growing apprehensive. She didn’t want to go any further in, and was also repelled by the many cockroaches around.

  “Sure, let’s sit here,” said Deidre, pulling Cindy over to a ledge formed by the stalagmites.

  Cindy sat down on it and motioned for Deidre to sit close by near the exit from the tunnel. The exit actually looked quite risky, extending through a series of steps that were carved on the rock face.

  “What do you like about it here so much?” Cindy asked, quivering.

  “It’s easier to talk in the dark,” Deidre said.

  “Okay.” Cindy was ready to hear whatever she had to say.

  “I knew something bad was going to happen to my sister one of these days,” Deidre started, startling Cindy.

  “How come?” asked Cindy.

  “She didn’t have a mind of her own.” Deidre’s voice eerily bounced off the waves of the cave as she spoke. “Everyone could influence her. I told her it was because of the meds and begged her to get off them. She wouldn’t.”

  “She was scared to,” Cindy imagined.

  “She was scared to be the person she was,” Deidre corrected her. “You know, Doug was not the only guy she was involved with over the years. Shari always had a boyfriend, from the time she was in high school. But none of the relationships worked out great.”

  “What happened?” asked Cindy.

  Deidre seemed to take great pleasure in speaking about this now. “If you asked me, the guys all found out who she really was.”

  “And who was that?” asked Cindy, frightened.