by Jaden Skye
Kiera gripped Cindy’s attention. “We’re so sorry for your loss,” said Cindy.
“It’s been a while,” said Kiera, “but of course it feels like yesterday.”
How well Cindy could relate to that. Her own sister, Ann, had died down in the Caribbean and it also felt like it happened yesterday.
“I understand,” said Cindy. “The same thing happened to me.”
That interested Kiera. “What do you mean?”
“My own sister was killed a short time ago as well,” said Cindy, hoping to create a bond with Kiera which would allow the two of them to talk more easily.
Cindy was right, Kiera was moved and troubled by the news. “Do you ever get over something like that?” Kiera asked.
“Yes, you do.” Mattheus joined the conversation. “It takes time, patience, and a lot of forgiveness, but it can happen.”
Cindy knew that Mattheus was right about that. “It also takes people close to you who support you through the journey,” Cindy added. “I hope you have that.”
Kiera nodded swiftly. “I did. Sparks was one of my greatest supporters,” she said. “But now he’s gone, too.” Kiera’s hands tied into a knot and then untied again.
“That’s rough,” said Mattheus.
Kiera looked at Mattheus, a bit confused. “Who are you exactly?” she asked.
“We’re Cindy and Mattheus,” Cindy responded quickly, “from CM Investigations.”
“Not the bride and the groom?” Kiera was aghast.
“Yes, we were supposed to be,” Cindy responded.
“You’re the reason Sparks came down to Belize? To be the best man at your wedding?” For some reason, Kiera seemed shaken by this.
“Right now we’re private investigators on the case,” Mattheus replied. “We’re operating in our official capacity looking for Sparks’s killer.”
“I see,” said Kiera slowly, having trouble putting it together.
“And you’re the reason Benita wasn’t at the rehearsal dinner?” Mattheus went on methodically. “Benita was meeting you at the airport, wasn’t she?”
Kiera swallowed slowly. “I’m really sorry Benita missed the rehearsal dinner,” she said.
“That’s not the point,” said Mattheus. “Sparks missed the dinner as well. He was being killed while toasts were being offered to a long, happy life for us.”
“My God,” Kiera breathed. “It’s too awful.”
“Can you help us with this?” Mattheus took a step closer to her.
“Of course, I’ll help you in any way I can.” Kiera didn’t back away.
“First tell us whatever you know about Benita and Sparks.” Cindy quickly rejoined the conversation.
Kiera’s eyes glossed over for a moment before she started. “My sister, April, knew Sparks and Benita better than I did, but I also knew them. And I heard a lot about them from April, too.”
“You’re part of the group they all belong to?” asked Mattheus.
“In my way, maybe,” said Kiera. “Now that April’s gone, I’m closer to all of them. For years I was on the outskirts, though, a dancer who didn’t have much time for socializing. Once April died, it all changed. I couldn’t dance anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” breathed Cindy.
“What are you doing down on the island now?” asked Mattheus, drawn in.
“Sparks insisted that I come down,” Kiera said slowly. “He wanted me to join the party on the yacht and have a good time. We were all going there after the wedding. In the meantime I had a room in the hotel a few doors down from Sparks and Benita.”
“That was good of him to take such care of you,” said Cindy.
“Yes, it was,” said Kiera. “Sparks took April’s death very personally. He kept trying to do all he could to make it up to our entire family.”
“He blamed himself?” asked Mattheus.
“Maybe,” said Kiera, “but my sister’s death wasn’t his fault. The evidence pointed strongly to her fiancé, Ron, right from the start. My parents believed Ron had killed April the minute they’d heard she’d gone missing. They never could stand him anyway. April finally listened to them and broke off the engagement. Then she went missing two days later and turned up dead.”
Kiera spoke so matter-of-factly it gave Cindy the chills. “Ron’s in jail now, isn’t he?” Cindy double-checked.
“Yes, of course, for life,” replied Kiera, “no chance of parole.”
“Could Ron have gotten someone in jail to get a hit man to come down to the island and get revenge on Sparks?” Cindy asked. “I heard Sparks was instrumental in putting Ron in jail.”
“Yes, he was,” said Kiera, “but Ron blames my parents for it. It’s them he hates, not Sparks. He goes on and on about my parents, even in jail.”
“Does that concern you?” asked Cindy.
“Not really. Sparks watched over my family like a hawk,” Kiera replied, “and me too.”
“How did Benita feel about that?” Cindy was fascinated.
“Benita accepted it for what it was,” Kiera replied. “What choice did she have? But don’t get me wrong, Benita was extremely possessive of Sparks. As far as she was concerned he was her property. If he came back even a little late from a job, he heard about it from her big time.”
Mattheus flinched at that. “Not a good setup for a guy who works in security!”
“Sparks had to convince Benita over and over that she was the only one for him. If you saw the gifts he had to give her…” Kiera’s voice took on a mocking tone.
Cindy was startled. “Benita was insecure about their relationship? That was not the impression I had.”
Kiera paused. “No one would ever have said that,” she murmured. “They would say that Sparks totally worshipped Benita. And of course, Benita always acted as if she was the queen of the world with him.”
“Sounds like she was,” Mattheus intercepted. “If he was constantly getting her gifts, he was telling her something.”
“What exactly?” Kiera was put off.
“That he loved her,” Mattheus continued, “and that she was the only one for him.”
Mattheus’s comment obviously jarred Kiera.
“I wouldn’t say that.” Kiera wouldn’t go along. “You can’t wrap up a person with a bow and think they belong to you only.”
Mattheus smiled. “No, you sure can’t,” he added, “but plenty of people do it anyhow.”
Cindy felt uncomfortable by the turn the conversation had taken and wanted to introduce a new train of thought. “Was Sparks Benita’s first important relationship?” she asked Kiera.
Kiera was quick on the draw. “This was definitely not Benita’s first relationship. In fact, I heard she was engaged to someone else only a short while ago.”
“Really?” That was news to Cindy, and it was important. She wondered why they hadn’t heard about it before.
“I heard that breakup was mutual, though,” Kiera said, “not such a big deal.”
“Who was Benita engaged to?” Cindy pushed it.
“I’m not sure,” Kiera answered. “It wasn’t something she liked to talk about. And Benita would definitely stonewall you if she felt you crossed the line.”
“And what about you, Kiera, are you involved with someone right now?” asked Mattheus.
Kiera looked at Mattheus oddly. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” he responded.
Kiera threw a quick glance at Cindy then. “Not right now,” she responded. “I really haven’t been able to date since April died.”
Mattheus seemed affected by her response. “Is that why Sparks took you along to Belize and wanted to bring you to the party on the yacht?” he asked.
Kiera smiled. “Yes, in fact, that’s just what he said. There’s a guy on the yacht, Pete, a well-known actor, and I’ve always been interested in him. I’m a bit star-struck. In fact, Pete and I dated a little in the past, but the time wasn’t right then. Pete was still involved with an old flam
e. He’s free now, though, and Sparks thought this would be a perfect chance for Pete and I to get together again.”
“Good of Sparks,” said Cindy, “very kind of him.”
Kiera’s eyes glazed over. “Yes, Sparks was definitely very kind.”
Mattheus looked at his watch then, walked over to Kiera, and shook her hand. “Thanks so much for talking to us so openly,” he said. “Think about whatever else you may know about who could have done this. Any detail you remember could make a big difference.”
“I definitely will,” breathed Kiera.
“I have an appointment to speak to someone at the US Embassy now.” Mattheus turned to Cindy. “We need more hands and eyes on the case, especially with the cops acting the way they have been. This will only take a little while. I’ll be back way before the storm.”
Cindy liked the plan. “Great idea,” she agreed, as Mattheus took off.
“How have the cops been acting?” asked Kiera when she and Cindy were alone.
“They’ve got their sights on a gang member who has just been released from jail,” said Cindy. “They’re not open to other ideas or help.” Cindy enjoyed updating Kiera. She found her both interesting and unsettling at the same time.
Kiera suddenly looked upset. “I’m sorry to hear about the cops,” she said slowly.
“It’s okay,” Cindy reassured her, “we’ll soon be surrounded by the best help around. There’s no way this case is going under, or that they’re locking up the wrong man.”
Kiera nodded hastily. “I have to go back to my room now,” she said. “Sparks’s friends from the yacht are reaching out to me. I was close to Sparks.”
“How about Benita?” asked Cindy quickly. “Are they reaching out to her?”
“Of course they are,” said Kiera. “But Benita’s being reclusive. And if you knew her, you’d definitely think it was strange.”
“Nothing is strange after someone you love has been killed,” said Cindy.
Kiera stopped at that and stared into the distance. “I suppose not,” she finally said. “I suppose Benita did love Sparks.”
That comment stopped Cindy in her tracks. “Are you suggesting that Benita didn’t love him?” she asked.
Kiera shrugged very slowly. “I was never really sure,” she whispered. Then she turned straight to Cindy. “Why did you and Mattheus come down to talk to Benita in the spa anyway?”
Cindy was rattled by the sharpness of the question and recoiled. Somehow she didn’t want to tell Kiera that they’d come down to find out if Benita had spoken to Wess. Cindy wondered then if Kiera even knew who Wess was. Most likely Wess’s relationship with Sparks wasn’t public information. Cindy was reluctant to discuss it.
“We had questions for Benita, of course,” Cindy said calmly.
“But why come down here to the spa to ask them?” Kiera seemed suddenly rattled herself. “Did something urgent come up? Did you hear unexpected news?”
“Everything is urgent right now,” Cindy answered noncommittally, wondering how much Kiera really knew and what exactly was on her mind.
*
After Kiera left, Cindy was alone in the now almost deserted lobby of the spa. She stood still a moment and listened to the wind outside howling, powerfully swirling along the building. Cindy knew there was a small Thai restaurant right behind the spa and decided to go there and have a bite to eat. There was a lot to think over here, and Cindy was glad for the time alone.
Cindy walked through the lobby to the back corridor leading to the restaurant, wondering if it would be open now. As she walked along, suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.
“Cindy, hold up. Wait a second.”
Cindy turned swiftly and to her surprise Gregg was rushing up to her.
“Gregg! What are you doing here?” Cindy asked.
“I came down to check on Benita and heard she’d gone to see someone,” said Gregg.
“That’s right,” Cindy confirmed.
Gregg shook his head. “Not good. Our agreement is that she let me know whenever she leaves one venue and goes to the next. I have to know whoever she goes to see. And I expected her back in the room about ten minutes ago. This is unacceptable.” Gregg was nervous and annoyed.
“Come on, let’s walk.” Cindy tried to soothe him. “I’m headed to the Thai restaurant. We can sit down and have a bite. Benita will all right.”
“How do you know?” Gregg was put off. “The killer’s still on the loose. It could be anyone, lurking anywhere. And Benita could definitely be in the killer’s sights.”
“Why would she be?” asked Cindy.
“Why not?” said Gregg. “Benita and Sparks were totally intertwined. Why would they kill him and leave her behind? I can’t take any more chances.”
“Did you take a chance while covering Sparks?” asked Cindy.
“No, Bat and I were totally on it,” said Gregg.
“Can you reach Benita by text or phone now?” Cindy said.
“If I could have I wouldn’t be down here myself looking for her,” he grumbled. “Benita can be a spoiled kid. She’ll only listen to an authority figure for just so long, then she bristles and sprints. She even told me a little while ago that I was crimping her style.”
“It’s hard to think straight right after a tragedy,” said Cindy softly.
“Don’t make excuses for her,” Gregg answered fast. “Bat can’t stand her at all. In fact, he refused to help guard her. Bat totally loved Sparks and was even secretly hoping he and Benita would break up. Why were you guys down here to talk to her at the spa anyway?”
At that moment Cindy and Gregg arrived at the Thai restaurant, which thankfully was open. They stepped into what seemed like a straw-thatched hut with beautiful vines growing over the walls. Only one customer was sitting at a table, eating quietly. Oddly enough, a television in the corner was on. Probably to keep everyone updated on the storm, thought Cindy.
“We’ll only sit down for a few minutes, Gregg,” Cindy repeated as they were led to a small table at the side.
After they were comfortably seated and served a cup of perfumed tea, Gregg resumed his questions.
“Tell me why you and Mattheus were down at the spa to talk to Benita,” Gregg repeated.
“Bat met up with us on the beach,” Cindy started, “and talked to us about this and that. He especially wanted to let us know that Sparks had been instrumental in putting a guy named Wess into jail. Seems Wess was recently released and had been trailing Sparks wherever he went.” Cindy looked at Gregg for confirmation.
Gregg squirmed. “I know all about that situation,” he said. “Wess is totally inconsequential. He’s a guy with ruffled feathers who just wanted to annoy Sparks. If he’d wanted to actually kill him he could have done it long ago.”
“Bat said he even thought Wess was down here on the island,” Cindy continued, waiting to see Gregg respond.
Gregg just looked annoyed. “Listen, there are always thousands of rumors floating around about all these people, where they are, what they’re doing, what they’re hiding from the world.”
“Was Wess part of the crowd on the yacht?” asked Cindy, needing to be certain.
“He knows the people, but he’s not really part of the crowd,” Gregg replied. “In fact, he’s someone who doesn’t like the crowd very much. He’s a private type, different from most of them. Wess is a white collar businessman who spent some time in jail for playing with his firm’s money. In his eyes he did nothing wrong. I doubt very much that Wess is down on the island. Bat likes to dream up crazy scenarios.”
“Bat said he even thought he saw Benita talking to Wess at the airport,” Cindy added.
“Tell me another,” said Gregg. “Yeah, Benita talked to Wess at the airport like I talked to John Lennon while boarding the flight.”
Cindy laughed.
“Did you come down to the spa to ask Benita if she talked to Wess at the airport?” Gregg seemed incredulous.
“Yes, we
did,” said Cindy, feeling a bit foolish herself.
Gregg’s phone rang then and he picked it up instantly. “Where the hell are you? Okay, you’ll tell me everything. Just get back to the hotel now. I’ll be in the room waiting.” Then he hung up the phone.
“Benita?” asked Cindy.
“That’s right,” said Gregg, sitting back down and gulping what was left of his tea. “She said she’ll explain where she went. But I couldn’t care less what she tells me. She definitely cannot go roaming around the island alone until the killer is found.”
Cindy finished her tea as well. “Absolutely right,” she declared. “And please let me know where Benita went and whatever else she has to tell you.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When Gregg had gone, Cindy walked gingerly to the cobblestone walk outside the restaurant. She wanted to be outdoors for a few minutes before the storm struck. It was always thrilling to feel the powerful winds and electric air swirl around her. As she walked, Cindy saw a delicate arbor down at the end of the trail, hidden behind bushes. She began walking to it, arrived, and stepped underneath, finally feeling safe and protected. Then, to her total amazement, Cindy saw a familiar figure in the distance rushing down the walk toward her.
“Cindy, it’s me,” her brother-in-law, Frank, was calling out to her.
“Frank?” Cindy stayed glued to the spot.
Frank arrived in a flash, his face sweaty and flushed. “The storm’s going to hit the island any minute now,” he spoke quickly. “Everyone’s asking about you. Nobody’s seen you for a while. You haven’t even given us the courtesy of a call today.”
Cindy saw how rattled he was. “I’m really sorry, Frank. I’ve been talking to people who knew Sparks, gathering information, staying focused.”
“Well, get unfocused!” Frank retorted. “Focus on us instead. Sparks’s death is not your fault or even your business.”
That comment disturbed Cindy greatly. “It certainly is my business,” she countered.
“Sparks was Mattheus’s friend, you barely knew him.” Frank took a step closer as a wave of heavy clouds darkened the sky. “The people you invited down here are your business. They’re worried about you.”