by Jaden Skye
Ironically, it was from Mattheus. How strange, thought Cindy, arriving at a moment like this. Cindy put the phone down, her hands a bit shaky. If Mattheus were here it would be a simple matter to interview Taylor. Mattheus would know where she was going and would cover her back. It was difficult not to grab the phone and text back, telling Mattheus what was happening right now. But Cindy resisted doing that. Taylor was only a few steps down the hall, and she couldn’t imagine any reason he’d want to do her harm. Without waiting another moment, she decided to go right to Taylor’s room, and see what she could find.
*
When Cindy walked into Taylor’s room it was dark, messy and filled with smoke and half used coffee cups. The blinds were shut closed and all kinds of papers were strewn across the floor. Piles of notebooks lined the table adding to the disarray.
“I heard there was a detective on the case,” Taylor said as soon as Cindy walked in the door.
Cindy looked at him and was surprised. Despite the fact that Taylor was rumpled and dressed in old clothes, her was strikingly handsome with large, intense, blue eyes that followed her every move.
“I’m truly sorry about your loss,” Cindy started, wondering where the rest of Pete’s family was?
“Sit down,” Taylor motioned to a chair, that was covered with magazines.
He accompanied Cindy to the chair and before she sat down, tossed the magazines onto the floor. Then he pulled up a chair close by.
“My brother didn’t deserve to die,” he said heavily.
“Of course not,” Cindy murmured.
“He gave the bitch everything she ever wanted,” Taylor’s eyes narrowed as he spoke.
“You mean Loretta?” Cindy was taken aback by the vehemence with which he spoke. “Who else?” asked Taylor. “You think Pete was a ladies man? He was not. The little wife
spun him around her little finger, like a toy.”
Obviously Loretta’s distaste for Taylor was completely mutual.
“Did you ever talk to Pete about Loretta?” Cindy was curious to hear more.
“Sure I did, all the time,” Taylor mumbled. “But the guy couldn’t hear a thing I said. “A woman can do that to you,” he grimaced.
“You’re not married yourself, are you?” asked Cindy.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Taylor became immediately offended.
Cindy had wondered if Taylor was basically a woman hater, though she wouldn’t say that to him.
“Tell me more about your brother’s marriage?” Cindy tried to get the conversation back on track.
“I couldn’t stand her, ever,” Taylor started, rubbing his hands on his legs. “Pete fell for Loretta the minute he saw her. Maybe it was because he never had much luck with girls. Other than that, I never could understand why.”
“That’s rough,” said Cindy. “It’s hard to have someone in the family marrying a person you don’t like.”
“Yeah it’s rough,” agreed Taylor, “but to his credit, Pete was strong. He never let it get between us. A weaker guy might have though. Lots of wives break up family relationships.”
“That’s true,” agreed Cindy. “How else was Pete strong?”
“In the long run it didn’t matter that he was strong,” Taylor went on, “a lousy marriage can take a toll on anyone.”
“It certainly can,” Cindy agreed, “it took a real toll on your brother?”
“Did it ever,” Taylor pronounced.
Cindy wondering if Taylor was referring to the fact that Pete went to see prostitutes.
“It’s awful where they found him,” Cindy tried to get closer to that question.
“Everything’s awful about this lousy story,” Taylor got up suddenly and went to the get a can of beer. “Who cares where they found him though? The awful part is that he’s gone. He didn’t deserve to die.”
Cindy wanted to ask Taylor what he thought happened, but he didn’t seem stable enough to take on that question directly, yet.
“I’m down here checking the records,” Taylor offered on his own as he sat back down beside Cindy. “I’m going over the books.”
Cindy was surprised. “You have access to Taylor’s private finances?” she asked.
Taylor looked Cindy up and down harshly. “Pete was my best bud, not just my brother. I got his passwords, his diaries, everything. Right now I’m checking the money trail.”
“Is that why you came down?” Cindy asked promptly.
“Right,” Taylor shot back. “I wanted to be at the scene of the crime, and a few steps away from the little lady. Pete’s all I got. Our mother and father died years ago in a car accident.”
“Like Loretta’s mother,” Cindy echoed.
“Yeah, sometimes I thought that’s what made them close to each other. But it wasn’t enough. The marriage was bad.”
Cindy wondered if any marriage would seem like a good marriage in Taylor’s eyes.
“It’s good of you to be here,” Cindy answered. “Have you spoken to Loretta at all?”
“Not a word,” Taylor grimaced. “I called her a few times, but she never called back. Nothing new, but at least I tried.”
“You’re doing this for Pete?” asked Cindy.
Taylor gritted his teeth. “I’m doing it for myself. What kind of brother would stay away when something like this happened? Loretta always wanted to keep me away, make me look bad. But this time, I won’t let her.”
“What exactly was wrong with Pete’s marriage?” asked Cindy, desperately wanting
specifics. “I heard he made lots of money.”
“You think that makes a good marriage?” Taylor sneered. “It doesn’t. Besides, he lost plenty of money, too.”
“But Loretta’s boutique must have helped out,” Cindy added. “I heard it’s hugely well-known and successful.”
Taylor’s eyes narrowed again. “You’d think it would help their marriage, wouldn’t you?
You’d think she’d give some of the money to my brother if he needed it?”
“Of course,” said Cindy.
“But there’s lots you don’t know,” Taylor grinned. “Loretta’s stupid father funded that business. It’s not hers at all. Basically, it belongs to him.”
Cindy was startled to hear that.
“And, there was no love lost between her father and Pete,” Taylor’s bitterness intensified. “Henry’s always one upping everyone, especially his daughter’s husband.”
“How did Loretta take that?” asked Cindy.
“Why not ask her yourself?” Taylor quickly drank what was left of his beer. “Her life wasn’t so easy, either. You didn’t know Loretta was a boozer, did you?”
“A drunk?” asked Cindy, startled.
“You can call it that,” Taylor shot back. “She covered it up by drinking at parties and all the stupid events at that boutique.”
“I had no idea,” Cindy murmured.
“So do your job then, check it out,” Taylor stood up then, impatient.
“Of course, I will,” Cindy exclaimed, disturbed. “But tell me one thing before I go. Did your brother visit prostitutes?”
At that Taylor’s hands clenched until his knuckles grew pale. “Instead of digging up dirt about my brother, go check out his lousy, selfish wife.”
“Why should I do that?” Cindy retorted. “Are you suggesting she had something to do with the crime?”
“Of course I’m not suggesting that,” said Taylor. “But if dirt is going to be flung, fling it at her, first. If he did stupid things in his life, she drove him to it. A rotten wife can ruin a man’s life. I’ve seen it before and I’ll see it again.”
“This isn’t about flinging dirt, Taylor,” Cindy stood up tall before she walked to the door.
“It’s about gathering evidence. I’ve got to find out what really happened to Pete.”
“Who cares about gory details?” Taylor cried out suddenly. “We know what happened. He’s gone, he’s dead and nothing’s bringing
him back.”
“If you don’t care what happened, why are you here then?” Cindy flung out stridently.
Taylor cocked his head to the side. “I want to go through his records and see if his lousy wife ever helped him out, or if someone was stealing from him?”
“Who would be stealing from Pete? Charma?” asked Cindy, breathless.
“No, maybe Loretta or her dad,” Taylor flung back.
*
When Cindy left Taylor’s room, she couldn’t decide if he were just trying to get revenge for the past, or if he was actually trying to follow the money trail to his brother’s death. Taylor obviously hated and distrusted women, and Loretta was clearly part of that. Cindy wondered if it was also actually true that Loretta drank too much? That certainly didn’t fit what Cindy knew of her friend or the way Loretta was behaving. Even if it were true, Cindy didn’t know how it would fit into the case. It would be easy to track that information down. And, if Cindy found it wasn’t so, that would invalidate everything Taylor said.
Cindy felt disheartened as she went back to her room. The next step would be to change quickly, get down to the brothel and have the girls tell her how to contact Charma’s main customer, Eric. Maybe Eric somehow knew more about Pete and could shed light on both him and Charma.
Chapter 10
It was almost evening by the time Cindy arrived at the brothel, dressed plainly in a blue striped dress and sandals, her hair tied primly back. As soon as she walked in, Cindy was greeted by a Dominican woman, in her late forties, in a splashy red dress, her hair piled up on her head and large gold hoop earrings.
“Come in sweetie pie,” the older woman said, reaching for Cindy’s hands. “I’m Shanya. Charma called and said you were on the way. We’ve been expecting you for a while.
“I got here as soon as I could,” said Cindy struck by her warm, easy going manner.
“You got here just fine,” said Shanya, leading Cindy right into the main parlor, which was oddly empty at the moment, except for a few articles of clothing strewn here and there.“The girls are getting ready for a big night tonight,” Shanya smiled slowly, looking at Cindy’s face. “Big night every night here. Can I get you something to eat?”
“I’ve actually just eaten,” Cindy lied. She wanting to be through with the interview as quickly as possible.
“Don’t like it here much, do you?” Shanya grinned.
Cindy felt at a loss.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, you don’t have to stay for long. I did my best to get hold of Eric for you. He’ll be here to get you in a few minutes.”
Cindy looked at her gratefully. “Thank you so much,” she said.
“No, honey, thank you for helping out Charma,” added Shanya. “She’s a good girl, she’s one of our best.”
“In what way is she the best?” Cindy was quick on the uptake. “You mean Charma has the most customers?”
At that Shanya laughed out loud. “She sure has plenty of customers, no denying that, but she’s smart too, and she’s fun. Charma’s good to the girls. Everyone cares about her.”
Cindy shivered quickly, realizing that this place was a family for those who lived here. The girls needed and cared for each other.
“Charma’s in big trouble now, though,” Cindy replied as calmly as she could.
“Nah,” Shanya waved her hand flippantly. “Always seems like everyone’s in big trouble and then it blows over in a few days, like a flash of lightning on a summer night.”
Cindy was struck by Sanya’s calm. “This kind of thing happens a lot down here?” Cindy asked. “Customers get killed? The girls are taken in?”
“To be perfectly honest, yes,” Shanya pursed her lips, slowly rambling over to a sofa and fluffing the cushions on it. “When the police need a suspect, they take the girls in. It’s a game we all play. The cops usually release the girls in a few days.”
“Do they also usually find the killers?” asked Cindy.
“I didn’t say that,” Shanya turned and looked at Cindy squarely. “I said it’s usually blows over. The whole thing goes away.”
Cindy wasn’t sure exactly what Shanya was implying and waited for her to elaborate. She didn’t, just continued fluffing cushions out on the sofa.
Cindy walked closer to her, then. “Charma says you were here when she got home the
night Pete was killed. You saw her walk through the door with her date for the night and that she returned about an hour after Pete died.”
“That’s exactly right,” mumbled Shanya.
“Who did she come back with and what time exactly?” Cindy needed to hear it directly from Shanya.
“That’s privileged information,” Shanya demurred.
“That’s Charma’s alibi,” Cindy corrected her. “It could save her life.”
“There’s plenty of other things that can save Charma’s life,” Shanya retorted.
“Like what?”Cindy felt agitated. wanted to take Shanya on.
“Like finding the real killer,” Shanya smiled slowly. “Like you talking to all the right people, not missing a trick, if you know what I mean.”
“Talking to Eric?” Cindy asked.
“Exactly, honey,” Shanya smiled again. “He’s the perfect one to talk to. Eric’s not about to let his honey hang in jail for too long.”
“Charma’s his honey?” Cindy needed to be absolutely clear about what Shanya was saying.
“Well, you’re gonna ask him that yourself, aren’t you now?” Shanya turned to Cindy as the smile suddenly wiped off her face.
“Of course I’ll ask him,” answered Cindy. “Did Eric just find out that Charma was taken in?”
Shanya suddenly became more confidential. “Not at all, we all knew about it. But, between you and me, everyone expected her to be home by now.”
“And why isn’t she?” asked Cindy.
“Now, that’s for you and Eric to work out yourselves,” Shanya pushed her chin down onto her chest and then lifted it up suddenly, as if she were a horse about to buck. “My job is to look after all my girls, not to track down the bad apples that roll into town.”
“Looks like you do a good job, Shanya,” Cindy suddenly replied, wanting to bolster her up.
“You better believe I do,” she laughed, “even though someone like you can’t really imagine what that means.”
Cindy felt suddenly slapped across the face by Sanya’s curt response. She was going to say something in return, but just then a tall, well dressed, handsome American guy walked into room interrupting their conversation.
“Hell, Eric my boy,” Shanya responded, “you came just in time.”
Eric threw a quick glance at Cindy and paused, seeming surprised.
“This here is the woman detective I told you about,” Sanya’s voice grew harsher.
“How do you do,” said Eric walking over to Cindy. Suntanned, he had wavy brown hair, beautiful hazel eyes, and looked as though he’d stepped off the cover of a men’s magazine.
“How do you do,” replied Cindy, unnerved. She couldn’t image what was a man like this doing at the brothel.
“We appreciate the help you’re giving Charma,” Eric started. “The wife hired you, right?”
“Yes, she did,” said Cindy, finding it hard, for a moment, to focus in his presence.
“The wife doesn’t believe Charma did it, does she?” Eric continued.
“Absolutely not,” said Cindy. “In fact she’s positive that Pete doesn’t know her at all.”
“Eric’s one of the best lawyers we got down here in the Dominican Republic,” Shanya chimed in. “He gets everything right.”
“I can see that,” Cindy tried to smile.
“Not everything, almost everything,” Eric looked at Cindy impressed.
“It looks like you know exactly what you’re doing,“ said Cindy.
“Looks are deceptive,” Eric joked, “but I certainly do my best.”
“I’d love to talk to you more about Charma�
�s life and customers,” Cindy said, and then suddenly remembered that Eric was one of them. For a second she was afraid that she might have offended him. “I don’t mean any offense.”
Seeing Cindy’s unease, Eric laughed out loud. “It’s okay, you’re obviously new to this scene.”
“I am,” Cindy confessed.
“Why don’t you take the little lady outside for a walk and to a proper restaurant for dinner,” said Shanya.
“That’s a good idea,” Eric smiled at Cindy wanly for a moment. “There’s a great restaurant three blocks away, we can sit down and talk in an atmosphere you’ll feel better in.”
Cindy was going to protest, but she suddenly realized how hungry she was for dinner, and also how badly she wanted to get out of this place. It would certainly be easier to talk to Eric in a neutral setting.
“I’d love to go there,” Cindy perked up noticeably. “It’ll be a better place to talk.”
Eric turned then and winked appreciatively at Shanya. “Thanks for the suggestion, darling,” he murmured.
“It’s my pleasure, lovey,” Shanya replied. “You two go sit and talk all night if you have to. I just want you find a way to bring my Charma home fast.”
*
Cindy and Eric walked out of the brothel into the humid summer night. Cindy felt oddly at ease walking with him. She was actually relieved to have someone of substance to talk to. Having the full weight of the case on her shoulders alone had been more difficult than Cindy had realized.
She and Eric arrived at the restaurant quickly. The place was festive and lively, stretched out over the entire block
“One of the best spots in town,” Eric mentioned as they approached the main door.
“It smells delicious,” Cindy said the moment they walked in. The was filled with people, music and the smell of hot, spicy food cooking.
“It’s beyond delicious,” Eric replied, as he lifted his hand to motion for a table for two.
Eric obviously knew everyone at the place and they knew him. Cindy wondered if he came here with Charma, as well, but then realized it was unlikely. Charma had said that no one could know about their relationship. Obviously, he had to keep her under wraps.