Death by Devotion (Book #9 in the Caribbean Murder Series)

by Jaden Skye

  “I came down here to find out who killed your husband,” Cindy replied.

  Petra shut her eyes quickly and then opened them in a flash, suddenly looking like a caged tiger. This woman wasn’t on drugs, Cindy decided, just in an altered state of mind.

  “So, you’re gonna be the big hero? Petra turned on her. “Think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”

  “I’m not a hero, just do my job,” Cindy replied unmoved. She had no intention of buying into Petra’s act or letting her manipulate her.

  “What makes you think that you can find out who killed my husband?” Petra seemed undaunted.

  “It’s my job” Cindy repeated. “I’ve found out things like this before.”

  “Yeah, I heard, you’re famous or something,” Petra sneered. “The police told me.”

  None of this was relevant and Cindy wasn’t getting side tracked. “How come you’re not thrilled I’m down here?” Cindy countered. “Don’t you want the killer of your husband to be found? Cindy suddenly felt as though she were putting Petra on warning.

  Petra threw back her head and laughed, startling both Cindy and Mattheus.

  “I love it how you folks from the States come down into our territory and try to take over, acting like we’re all idiots. You’re so smart, eh? You think you ever can know what’s really happening down on the Islands? Well, you can’t, and you never will.”

  “Don’t you want us to know?” Cindy stared in Petra’s eyes, which seemed distressed and sly at the same time.

  Petra looked at Cindy with disgust. “You couldn’t know if you tried, honey. Not when you’re all pretty and fancy, like that.”

  Cindy wondered why Petra disliked her so intensely? Was it really because Cindy was down here from the States, or because of her relationship with Mattheus? Did Petra secretly want him back again for herself? Why wouldn’t she? And, in all this time, Cindy hadn’t heard her say one word about Andrea. Her daughter was locked up and Petra didn’t seem to give a damn.

  “I would think you’d be happy I was here to get your daughter out of jail,” Cindy tossed out at her.

  “If I thought you could help my daughter, I’d be happy,” Petra, edged closer to Cindy, as if wanting to take her on. “But they got Andrea locked up. The system’s made of steel. Their minds are all made up.”

  Cindy didn’t buy it. Was it just convenient for Petra to believe her daughter didn’t have a chance?

  “What do you think happened to your husband, Petra?” Cindy confronted her directly.

  To Cindy’s surprise Petra suddenly began trembling. Mattheus stepped closer to her to comfort her, but she jerked away. Clearly she had no love for him, either.

  “What happened, Petra?” Cindy wouldn’t let up. “You know more than you’re saying.”

  “Whatever the bastard got, he deserved it,” Petra suddenly hissed, between trembling lips.

  “I’m not denying that,” Cindy took a step closer to her. “But did Andrea do it?”

  “Never,” Petra howled. “I refuse to believe that, I refuse.” Then she looked at Cindy oddly.

  “I heard your husband beat her,” Cindy kept going.

  “He beat me, too. So what?” Petra kept howling. “Doesn’t mean a damn. Doesn’t mean he didn’t love both of us.”

  That stopped Cindy completely. What kind of insanity was this?

  “A guy can beat you and love you,” Petra was now running her shaky hands through her messy hair. “It happens all the time here – we understand it. Not you, not from where you come. Up in your world, everything’s all clean and pretty. But deep down underneath, no one gives a damn about each other. I’d rather get beat up and know someone cared.”

  Cindy threw Mattheus a hurried glance. He was staring, transfixed at Petra, taking in every word she said.

  “You’re right, you’re right,” Mattheus echoed, “we get beaten up in all kinds of ways.”

  Petra didn’t hear a word Mattheus was saying though, just turned and pointed at him.

  “This never would have happened,” she yelled, “if you hadn’t come back down here. Who asked you to come? Who needed you? You got Andrea worked up in a crazy way.”

  “How?” Cindy was fascinated.

  Petra turned to Cindy then. “He made my daughter think she finally had someone to protect her, a real father. But it’s not so easy to have that, is it?” Petra tossed her hair away from her face. “And look how he protected her! Cain’s blood was all over her and now she’s sitting in jail.”

  “I told you I’m getting Andrea out,” Mattheus shouted, outraged.

  “Yeah, yeah, tell me another,” Petra let loose. “You said lots of things to me years ago and you’re saying them again now. But did anything you said ever come true?”

  “Give me a chance,” Mattheus pleaded.

  A long, cold chill went through Cindy. What was Mattheus pleading for? Exoneration from the past, or a chance to save their daughter now? Probably both. But one important question hadn’t been answered. It stood there like a heavy fog around them all. Who really killed Cain? Could it have been Andrea?

  Cindy tried to bring light into the situation, began going over the plain facts.

  “Andrea was found beside Cain’s body when he was found. She was covered in his blood.”

  Petra started sobbing. “That doesn’t mean she did it,” she gasped.

  “No, it doesn’t,” said Cindy, “but then we have to find who did. And why, and how? We have to gather all kinds of evidence, go over every possible person who could have had a motive, and an opportunity to be there when he died.”

  “We don’t even know the exact time of death yet,” Mattheus chimed in. “We’re still waiting for the medical examiner’s report. That’s important. We know what time they found Andrea with Cain, but we don’t know the exact time he died.”

  “Andrea’s innocent, I know she’s innocent,” Petra wailed.

  “And if she isn’t?” Cindy stopped her cold.

  “What do you want to do, destroy our entire family?” Petra grew stone cold. “Did you come down here to take all of us out?”

  “I want to know why you’re so sure Andrea’s innocent?” Cindy felt like grabbing her, shaking her, making her come to her senses. “You have to tell me everything you know – about Andrea, about Cain, about your relationship with him.”

  Petra’s eyes shut again and she grew silent, as if she were hiding deep secrets inside that she could never share with anyone.

  “I don’t like you,” Petra finally muttered. “I don’t trust you.”

  “Trust Cindy or not, you have to cooperate, Petra,” Mattheus said in a husky tone as he took a step closer to her. “It’s the only chance we have.”

  Petra opened her eyes and started to ramble. “All through the years there were plenty of people down here who wanted to kill Cain, but no one ever could. He’s wired in, got contacts, he was protected.” Then she turned to Cindy. “You know who else has motive?”

  “Who?” Cindy asked, mesmerized.

  “He’s standing right here!” Petra went on. “Just take a look.”

  Cindy wasn’t sure what she was getting at.

  “Mattheus!” Petra lashed out. “He has plenty of motive. He threatened my husband and not only me, but others also heard him. He has a rotten temper and it makes sense that Mattheus wanted to kill my husband and take my daughter away.”

  Mattheus grew pale and looked as if he would keel over, as if someone had dropped a ton of rocks on him.

  “Those are pretty vicious accusations,” Cindy shot back at Petra.

  “It’s what I told the police,” Petra’s mouth grew taut. “Ask them and they’ll tell you. I pointed the finger at Mattheus. And, they didn’t really disagree. Yeah, there was blood all over Andrea, but who pushed her to it? He’s under suspicion, too, believe me.”

  Cindy felt a flame of hatred for this woman Mattheus had come down to help. Now she was turning on him. That was convenient for her, wasn’
t it? Sure Cindy knew Mattheus had a temper, but she also knew he could never kill anyone. His whole life was about being there for others. Cindy had seen him risking his life many times to help.

  “You’re turning on Mattheus to protect your daughter,” Cindy put Petra right in her place.

  “Like hell I’m turning on Mattheus to protect my daughter,” Petra snarled.

  This woman was trouble and Cindy knew it. “And you’re protecting yourself, as well,” Cindy added.

  “Protecting myself from what?” Petra demanded.

  “You also had plenty of motive as well, didn’t you, Petra?” Cindy countered. “It couldn’t have felt good to be beaten by the man you loved.”

  “Get out, get out,” Petra raised her fists and came after both Cindy and Mattheus then, on a rampage, sweeping them out the door.

  *

  Once outside, it was hard for Mattheus to even take a few steps down the street. “I can’t believe she turned on me to the police,” he finally said.

  “What did you expect of her?” Cindy asked. She knew that Mattheus had rescue fantasies about Andrea. Now she wondered if he’d also had fantasies about getting back with Petra, becoming the happy family they never had been. “Did you expect Petra to be the person you knew years ago?”

  “I don’t know what I expected,” Mattheus said, honestly. “But it’s crazy of her to point the finger to the police at me.”

  “Crazy like a fox,” said Cindy. “You’re the perfect foil got her and she’ll do anything she can to get free.”

  “You mean so she can free Andrea?” Mattheus asked.

  “No, I mean for her to get free. Who knows how she fits into this scenario?” Cindy was shocked that Mattheus couldn’t see what was in front of his eyes.

  “Poor Andrea, living with a mother like that,” Mattheus said softly then.

  “Don’t be so quick to feel sorry for Andrea, either,” Cindy was on a war path. “You don’t really know the first thing about either the mother or the daughter.”

  Mattheus stood taller then as if he’d suddenly woken up.

  “You’re right,” he murmured, strangely. “But they finally said I could speak to Andrea alone in jail tomorrow. And, I’m going to find everything out.”

  “You haven’t seen her in jail yet?” Cindy was astonished

  “No, I haven’t,” said Mattheus.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” asked Cindy.

  “Not yet,” said Mattheus. “This is the first time I’ll have to myself with her. It will be better if you’re not yet around.”

  Chapter 8

  The hotel Mattheus had booked was almost walking distance from Petra’s home.

  Rather than looking for a cab, Cindy and Mattheus decided to walk there together in the dark, with only the sliver of a new moon giving them light.

  “We’ll go over things in the morning,” Cindy said as they moved along. “It’s best for both of us to get a good rest tonight.”

  “Who says I can ever rest again?” Mattheus responded.

  “Mattheus, this isn’t your fault,” Cindy stopped walking a moment and turned to him. “All this has been going on down here long before you ever met your daughter.”

  “No, that’s not true,” Mattheus wouldn’t have it. “I came into the picture and rustled things up. I let Andrea think she could have a new life. Maybe I gave her the courage to do what she did?”

  That startled Cindy. “What did she do? Kill her stepfather?”

  Mattheus stared at Cindy a long time. “It’s possible, isn’t it?” he finally answered.

  “You’d have to be a fool not to see that.”

  They continued walking in silence. Cindy wasn’t sure why Mattheus’s comment disturbed her so deeply.

  “You asked me to come down here to prove Andrea’s innocence,” Cindy finally said.

  “I asked you to come down here to find the truth,” Mattheus responded.

  Cindy nodded. “Once the truth is found, will that help you go on? No matter what it is?” she asked him.

  “I don’t know,” said Mattheus somberly. “At the moment, I have no idea what going on even looks like. Do you?”

  Cindy wondered if that wasn’t an allusion to their relationship. If it was, it didn’t matter. She was not down here for that, had no intention of taking the bait. She’d come down here for one reason only, to help Mattheus in a crisis.

  “I’m staying totally focused in the present,” she said quietly. “I only came down here for one reason, to help you. Let’s just find the truth and then see where it leads.”

  *

  The hotel they were booked in was low and flat, perched on the edge of a residential street that seemed perfectly ordinary, in every way. Walking up to the front door was like visiting someone’s oversized home.

  Cindy walked into the lobby and looked around. As Mattheus had said, the place was simple, but clean. The lobby, which was empty, had old rattan furniture and a bare threaded rug in the center. A few, old lamps were on end tables and old magazines were strewn on a side chair.

  Mattheus went to the desk, where a heavy man was slumped over, half asleep.

  “Hey, Ed, wake up,” Mattheus jostled him. “We need another key – for room 22.”

  The guy woke up quickly, rustled to the back where the keys were hanging took one and handed it to Mattheus. Then he looked at Cindy and grinned.

  “Nice to see you, nice to see you,” he mumbled quickly to her.

  “Thanks, Ed,” Cindy replied as she followed Mattheus to the tiny elevator in the rear.

  *

  Cindy’s room was small, but clean. The windows had been left open and thankfully and refreshing breeze blew in.

  Mattheus put her one piece of luggage on the floor and nodding, quickly left. Cindy was grateful for that. Her mind was spinning in a thousand directions and she wanted to wash up and go to sleep, not deal with anything else at the moment.

  After she was finished in the bathroom and ready to get into bed, Cindy decided to take a quick look at her phone. Since she’d landed she’d forgotten it even existed, or that there might be messages waiting for her. As she opened it up, reality returned. There were a few texts, one from her sister, Ann.

  Cindy, please let us know that you’ve arrived safely. We’re waiting to hear. That’s the least you can do.

  Cindy gulped. She’d wished she’d checked this sooner.

  Cindy, where are you? Of course Cindy hadn’t yet replied to that. A few hours later Ann had sent another text. Everyone in town is so upset that you’re gone. They can’t wait for you to return.

  On the one hand Cindy was glad that Ann cared so much, on the other it was exhausting to have to always check in.

  I’m fine, Cindy texted back right now. Just got the texts. Have been going right from the second the plane landed. Please, please, don’t worry about me.

  Cindy then got into bed, pulled a light cover over her and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.

  *

  When Cindy awoke in the morning, the bright Caribbean sun was shining into her room, warming and soothing her as it always did. She tossed for a moment and then sat up and looked at the clock. My God, it was ten already. It wasn’t like her to sleep that late. She’d probably been more exhausted that she even realized.

  After washing and dressing, she decided to look at her phone for messages before she went down for breakfast. As she’d expected two were waiting for her. The first was from Mattheus.

  So glad you’re here. Thanks again. I’m going to the jail now to speak to Andrea. Fill you in later.

  Cindy was glad to have heard where he was. She knew that her being down here was giving Mattheus the strength he needed to go forward and investigate.

  The other text message waiting was from Sean. That also pleased and surprised Cindy.

  Hi, Cindy, love to have a few minutes with you to fill you in. Contact me when you have a chance. Sean.

  Perfect timing, though
t Cindy. Mattheus would be at the jail talking to Andrea. Sean could join her for breakfast and fill her in on the details of the case, thus far. She needed to know more in order to go forward. The meeting with Sean would help her plan who to speak to next.

  Cindy texted back, asking him to join her, telling him where she was going to be. Sean responded quickly, saying he’d be right there.

  *

  Breakfast was served in a little hut, outside the hotel. Cindy took one of the small seats in it and rested her arms on the table. Thankfully, it was empty. Probably too late for breakfast now and too early for lunch. It was stuffy in here, but she was hungry and when the waiter came over she quickly ordered eggs, biscuits and coffee. Then she put her heads in her hands for a moment and closed her eyes. This was a new situation for Cindy. The case was definitely complicated and she couldn’t depend on Mattheus to help her fully. He was obviously way too involved.

  “Sleeping?” a man’s full voice, startled her out of her reverie. Cindy looked up swiftly. Sean stood there, smiling. He looked even more attractive than he had at the police station. Tall, blonde, with a rugged edge to him, he looked as if he should have been surfing the waves in California.

  “Hi,” Cindy got up from her seat to greet him. “Thanks so much for coming.”

  “No, please, sit down,” he replied. “It’s my pleasure.” Then he took the seat opposite her.

  “I ordered already, I’m sorry,” said Cindy. “I just was ravenous, suddenly. Hardly ate anything yesterday at all.”

  “It’s good to be ravenous,” Sean grinned. “It’s fine, I’ve already had breakfast, just want some coffee now.”

  The two of them took a long moment to take each other in.

  “You’re nothing at all like I expected,” Sean commented.

  Cindy laughed. She’d been thinking exactly the same thing about him. “And you look like you belong on a beach, surfing in California,” she replied.

  “That’s what people tell me,” Sean laughed along with her. “But I like it here.”

  “In Anguilla?” Cindy was curious.

  “Not particularly Anguilla,” said Sean. “I like it down in the Caribbean. After a while it begins to feel like home.”