Death by Betrayal (Book #10 in the Caribbean Murder series)

by Jaden Skye

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Frank’s head shot up as he stared at Cindy pitifully.

  “It means we’ll definitely find out what happened to Ann,” Mattheus chimed in. “The truth can only remain hidden for a little while.”

  *

  They all spent a little while longer on the beach, prayed for Ann’s spirit, and then returned somberly to the hotel.

  “That was beautiful, Claudia,” Ben kept repeating, guiding Cindy’s mothers footsteps off the sand, back onto the streets. “Would you like us all to have a meal together now?”

  “Not now,” her mother seemed discombobulated. “I need to rest now, Ben.”

  “Of course, we all understand. We’ll get together again later on.” Ben’s voice rose as he announced to everyone, “Right now Claudia needs to rest.”

  Cindy was relieved to be free to be alone with Mattheus, and everyone else seemed relieved as well.

  *

  Back up in her room, Mattheus insisted that Cindy lay down on the lounge for a little nap. He would get his computer from his room, bring it here and continue investigating beside her while she slept.

  Cindy lay down, her palms cupping the sides of her head. She felt woozy and upset. “What was the point of all that? What was the point?” she asked Mattheus.

  “There’s a point to everything,” he calmly replied. “It’ll become clear later. Don’t think about it now.”

  “What do you think of my family?” Cindy couldn’t help asking as her eyelids grew heavy. Her mother had just made it clear to Cindy again, how much she loved Ann, and had no real regard for her. It was an old story, but became fresh again now and hurt all over.

  “They’re an interesting bunch,” Mattheus said softly, “not what I expected. But go to sleep now, Cindy, we’ll talk more later. A little nap will do wonders.”

  Despite herself, Cindy fell into a restless sleep. She tossed back and forth on the lounge as she suddenly dreamt of her sister. Ann was standing at the edge of the beach they’d been on, waving to her.

  “Ann, Ann,” Cindy went running towards her in the dream, but the closer she got, the further Ann receded. “Don’t go away, Ann,” Cindy called. “Wait a second, talk to me.”

  But Ann couldn’t stay. “Help me, help me,” Ann finally called to Cindy as her form faded into the waves.

  “Ann!” Cindy yelled, sitting bolt upright on the lounge and Mattheus ran over and put his arms around her.

  “It’s a dream, it’s only a dream, Cindy,” he tried to calm her down.

  “No, she was there, I saw her,” Cindy was panting.

  “You dreamt that you saw her,” Mattheus’s voice was soothing.

  “No, I really saw her. She said help me, help me!” Cindy’s jaw was quivering.

  “We’ll do our best,” Mattheus responded calmly.

  “But we can’t help her now,” Cindy’s eyes opened wide with panic.

  “There’s all kinds of ways to help,” Mattheus replied. “We’ll find out what happened. We’ll bring her killer to justice. That will give everyone some peace of mind.”

  Cindy got up off the lounge then, smoothed her dress out, and stroked Mattheus face. “You’re a good man, Mattheus, you’re a kind man, too.”

  “What can I do now to make you feel better?” he asked.

  “Let me get up a minute and then we’ll get to work. That’s the best medicine. I want to hear whatever you’ve discovered. We have to make a plan of attack.”

  Chapter 10

  Cindy washed up, changed into beige slacks, a light paisley T shirt and sandals. Then she brushed her hair, put on fresh lipstick and walked out onto the patio ready to work.

  Mattheus stood up when she arrived, but she motioned him to sit back down. They were working partners again now, had to get going and focus on the case.

  “Okay, tell me what you got from the police,” Cindy assumed a professional tone, though it had a frantic edge to it.

  “I learned something important,” Mattheus jumped right in. “I was waiting for the right time to tell you.”

  “What?” Cindy was alerted.

  “There has been a rash of murders at this hotel this past year,” Mattheus said. “The police have been keeping quiet.”

  “What?” Cindy jumped up. “Trage didn’t say a word about it to me.”

  “He couldn’t. You just lost your sister, it was too fresh, and besides they’re trying their best to keep it quiet,” Mattheus explained. “They don’t want to disrupt the tourist trade.”

  The hair on Cindy’s neck bristled. “What kind of murders? Who was killed, when, why?” She was fascinated.

  “I couldn’t get too much more information than that,” Mattheus continued. “As of now, the cases are all unsolved.”

  Cindy was fascinated. “How is that possible they’re all unsolved?” It didn’t sound plausible.

  “The police did lots of work on them,” said Mattheus. “They have bulging files on every case, but no conclusion. Each case went cold.”

  “Something smells bad here,” said Cindy.

  “It’s not the police,” Mattheus jumped in. “Trage said he’d open all their files to me. I can research them all I like. In fact, they’d be thrilled for me to do so.”

  “Good,” said Cindy swiftly. “This is a great place to start.”

  “Crucial,” said Mattheus.

  Could Ann have just been caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time? Cindy wondered. Did a random psychopath hit the hotel? Was Ann just another victim in a rash of blind murders? It didn’t seem likely, but Cindy had to know more - immediately.

  “Who else knew about this rash of murders?” Cindy was quick on the draw.

  “That’s what I’ve got to find out,” Mattheus face suddenly looked grim. They had investigators come from different countries, but the pieces never came together. I’ll get to the bottom of it, believe me.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you,” Cindy said.

  “Absolutely,” he agreed. “I’ve got to talk to anyone who could be implicated, and you have to find out more about Ann’s activities and her relationship with Frank.”

  Cindy swallowed hard. “I’ll go into her email immediately. As for Frank, I already spoke with him. It didn’t go well. He thinks I’m snooping where I don’t belong, doesn’t see me as a detective. He definitely won’t let me in too far, refused to give me the password to computer.”

  Mattheus shook his head. “He has no choice about it,” he remarked.

  “You tell him that,” said Cindy.

  “Okay,” Mattheus agreed, but quickly thought better of it. “That may not be such a good idea. If I approach Frank, it might seem threatening to him. And, if he’s threatened and has something to hide, he’ll hide it even deeper.”

  “Frank had nothing to do with Ann’s death,” Cindy said clearly. “As annoying as he’s being, he loved her.”

  “Love can turn into hate in a minute,” Mattheus remarked, “and then back to love again. We don’t really know what happened between them, until we find out.”

  Cindy felt irritated. “It’s the wrong focus,” she assured him. “It’s far more important for you to investigate the murders and for me to look into Ann’s personal email and Facebook accounts now. For all we know she was having trouble, maybe someone who hated her was lurking around. Why else would anyone kill her?”

  “Lots of reasons,” Mattheus started.

  Cindy shook her entire body. “No, this was personal. It had to be.”

  “That’s a strange conclusion to come to so quickly,” said Mattheus.

  “Not strange at all,” Cindy objected. “You didn’t see the huge scratches on her neck. I saw them – they were jagged, like claws.”

  Mattheus stopped cold. “I didn’t know you saw your sister’s body.”

  “I went to the morgue,” Cindy replied.

  Mattheus looked at her distressed, “Without me?”

  “I had no choice
,” Cindy murmured.

  “You had a choice, you could have called me immediately,” Mattheus’s voice rose just a bit.

  “I couldn’t, it was too much,” Cindy said sharply. “I didn’t know what was going on in your life -.”

  “Cindy,” Mattheus breathed, amazed.

  “We can’t go backwards over this, we have to go forwards,” Cindy said urgently. “Let me go now and look into Ann’s email.”

  “Okay, go do it,” Mattheus agreed. “And I’ll check around the hotel to see if anyone possibly saw or heard anything go on between Ann and Frank before she was killed.”

  Cindy was surprised at how annoyed she felt at Mattheus’s insistence upon probing more deeply into Frank and Ann’s relationship. There was no reason for it; it was a waste of time and energy. Mattheus had enough on his hands with the rash of unsolved murders.

  “You’ll do better spending your time looking into the unsolved murders,” Cindy urged.

  “I can do both,” Mattheus answered easily. “You go explore Ann’s emails. I’ll find out more about Ann and Frank’s relationship and delve into these murders. Then we’ll talk.”

  Cindy headed to her computer, able to move forward now. She felt energized and clear headed working with Mattheus. From the very start they had a great energy between them that worked synchronistically, balanced each other and left no stone unturned.

  *

  As Mattheus left Cindy went to get her computer, take it out onto the patio, and get into Ann’s email. The breeze that had gotten stronger on the beach had turned into a light wind. Cindy felt it blowing through her hair as she opened the computer. When she came to the place where she had to put Ann’s password in, she felt a moment of fear. Cindy felt as if she was trespassing upon her sister’s privacy, almost as if she were turning into her. But she wasn’t Ann, she was a beloved sister who was could leave no stone unturned in finding the killer. Ann wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

  To Cindy’s distress, the first thing she saw when she got into the account was a string of unanswered emails from Ann’s friends. None of them had any idea she’d died, Cindy realized painfully.

  “Have an incredible vacation, Ann,” the first one said. “It’s long overdue and I’m thinking of you. If you have a second, let me know how it’s going. Love you, Lana.”

  Lana was one of Ann’s closest friends. She and Ann had grown up together, still lived close by. Cindy knew her well.

  The next unanswered email was from Rebecca. “Let me know when you’re getting home, Ann. If I can I’ll meet you at the airport. Hope you’re back in time for the next meeting of the Circle. We’re always counting on you.”

  The Circle was a group Ann had belonged to forever. It was composed of women who raised money for local charities. Ann had led the group and loved it. Cindy couldn’t bear the thought of writing to these women and letting them know what had happened.

  The third unanswered email was from their mom. “Ann, dear, have a lovely holiday with Frank. Make it all you have dreamt of. I’m so glad the two of you took my advice and decided to get away. Love, mom.”

  Cindy stopped and read that one a few times. Why did her mother give Ann advice to get away with Frank? Was it just her usual meddling? Was Cindy trying to read something into the email that had no bearing at all?

  Cindy scrolled down and read the other emails. Most were ordinary, even dull. Arrangements for the meetings of the Circle, luncheon dates, exchange of pleasantries. From what Cindy read it seemed that Ann lived her life mainly on the surface. Cindy had never perceived Ann that way before. She’d always thought of her sister as having rich, full, busy days. Maybe she didn’t? Maybe that was why Ann was always so ready to leave and come to meet Cindy at the airport when she returned. Had Ann needed Cindy and the excitement she provided more than Ann had let on?

  One email caught Cindy’s attention. Ann was apologizing to a friend for not being able to make a lunch date. “I have so much to do to prepare for Frank’s return,” Ann had stated. “He’s so busy these days, I’m never exactly sure when he’s coming home.” Cindy wasn’t sure what this referred to. What was Frank so busy with? Where had he gone?

  The friend had answered nicely enough. “Of course, of course, I understand. It’s hard when business takes them all over the place.”

  Where was business taking Frank? Ann had only mentioned in passing to Cindy that Frank had been traveling a bit more for business. Cindy wondered now why Ann hadn’t filled her in on more details. Probably because it hadn’t bothered Ann much. Most likely Ann just took it as a matter of course, the way she took everything. Was Frank’s busy schedule the reason they were taking time alone together now in Bermuda? Was he trying to make it up to her, give Ann the attention she’d been wanting?

  Cindy took a deep breath and kept scrolling. Finally, she found an email from Frank to Ann.

  “Be back home on the six forty five flight,” it announced. “Looking forward to seeing you. Frank.”

  Nice enough, thought Cindy, but where was the word love?

  “Six forty five?” Ann had answered. “I thought you were landing at five?”

  Cindy noticed herself wanting to make something of this, too. There seemed to be an edge to Ann’s tone here that Cindy hadn’t noticed before. Was this just more paranoia? Cindy stared at the emails and then stopped herself. She was grasping at straws. Wasn’t it perfectly usual for couples who’d been married for many years to forget about signing off with the word love? And so what if he took a flight that landed a bit later? Cindy realized that she could lose reality quickly if she let herself obsess about every word.

  Cindy pushed the computer away for a moment. This was not only arduous, it was unsettling to look so closely at her sister’s personal life. She’d open just one more email before going onto Ann’s Facebook page.

  Oddly enough, the next email had a different tone. It was to another friend of Ann’s, May.

  “Hi, May,” Ann wrote, “so sorry I can’t meet you for coffee later. Frank will be coming home tonight and I’m cooking and baking for him all afternoon. So excited to see him and get things ready.”

  After all these years, Ann was excited to welcome Frank home. The reality of it hit Cindy undeniably. It was hard for Cindy to imagine how this could be, what it was about Frank her sister loved so much and felt so excited by? But there was never any telling what brought two people together, what they got from one another that kept their love alive.

  Cindy sighed, ran her hands through her hair. Next she’d have to go onto Ann’s Facebook page. That wouldn’t be as personal. Cindy had been on it many times. It was filled with pictures of Ann’s local friends and their activities, announcing times and dates of events, inviting others to them. Cindy had to check though, to see if there was any hint here of something that had gone amiss. Was Ann in a fight with anyone? Was someone jealous of her for some reason?

  To Cindy’s great relief, just as she was about to go back into the computer, the phone rang.

  Even without picking up, she knew it was Mattheus.

  “I’m down at the police station,” Mattheus started.

  Cindy appreciated that he was keeping in close touch.

  “Trage’s here with me, helping me out,” Mattheus went on. “He’s been digging through these files again, since we’re re-opening the hotel murders investigation.

  “Great,” said Cindy, thrilled that they were working on two fronts now. Mattheus coming down seemed to have energized everybody.

  “There’s a drug ring that comes up again and again,” Mattheus continued. “They’re based at the south of the island, not far from where that guy Alain lives.”

  “That makes sense,” Cindy listened closely.

  “Those guys have to know something about the hotels killings,” Mattheus went on quickly. Trage’s given me the name of the head honcho there. The police spoke to him before and ruled him out. But I’m leaving in a minute to see him. I have a way with those gu
ys.”

  “What’s his name?” Cindy wanted backup information.

  “Leon Tobitt,” Mattheus muttered.

  “You want me to join you?” Cindy asked quickly.

  “Just the opposite,” Mattheus answered promptly. “I want to connect with this guy alone - just wanted to let you know where I am.”

  “Thank you,” whispered Cindy.

  “How’s it going on your end?” Mattheus seemed concerned.

  “It’s going,” Cindy replied. “Nothing great so far.”

  “Boring?” asked Mattheus.

  “You could say that,” answered Cindy surprised, upset to imply her sister’s life was boring.

  “Keep at it,” Mattheus responded. “Remember, the real treasures are hidden in the most boring places. You’ve got to earn them, dig them out, scrap by scrap.”

  Despite herself, Cindy smiled. Mattheus hit the spot again. He inspired her to keep sloughing through endless details which didn’t seem to add up to anything, until, suddenly they did.

  “Thanks for that, Mattheus,” Cindy commented.

  “Look, it can’t be easy investigating your own sister,” he answered.

  “I can’t find anything new about her,” Cindy said, frustrated.

  “You will,” Mattheus assured her. “Be patient and brave.”

  *

  Mattheus took a cab down to Hedge Row Corner, where Leon Torbitt was known to operate. The neighborhood was situated near a dilapidated cove with a strange mixture of fine homes and small, wooden houses built on the rim. Trage told Mattheus that Leon could easily be found at this time of day at Manilla’s pub, on the eastern coast. Mattheus couldn’t wait to see him and then get back to being with Cindy again. It was incredible being with her and Mattheus wouldn’t part from her again, ever. This case had to be solved and solved fast. He couldn’t bear stretching out her suffering. After it was over they would start again, completely new.

  Mattheus had the driver let him out a few blocks away, so he could walk into the pub naturally. He wore jeans, rolled his shirt sleeves up over his elbows, and put on a pair of sunglasses as he sauntered over.