by Jaden Skye
“I need her name,” Cindy insisted.
“I can’t give you that. I just can’t. We’re legally bound to protect those who’ve been here.”
Margaret’s first commitment seemed to be toward protecting the shelter, not necessarily the people who worked in it, not even if their lives could be at stake.
“Kara’s gone missing.” Cindy’s voice rose. “She might still be alive. Her life might be in danger. Aren’t you legally bound to protect her as well?”
“I would do anything on earth I could to protect Kara,” Margaret exclaimed, “but there’s nothing further I can say. Why not go check out the drug ring yourself?”
“Believe me, I will,” Cindy replied.
“Good, and let me know what you find.” Margaret’s voice clenched and became brittle.
“I will. And please see if there’s anything else you can give me that might help bring Kara home alive!” Cindy pleaded.
“I gave you all I have, I gave you all I have,” Margaret finally mumbled before she hung up the phone.
Agitated, Cindy immediately put in a call to Mattheus. “There’s a lot going on here,” she said, the minute he picked up.
“I thought you were relaxing and taking care of yourself,” he responded.
“I told you I had a meeting with Alfred first,” Cindy practically snapped.
“Yes, and I told you that guy could make anyone crazy,” Mattheus answered, irritated as well.
“There are things I want to go over with you.” Cindy held her ground.
“Absolutely,” agreed Mattheus. “First thing in the morning we’ll have breakfast and go over everything.”
“First thing in the morning? What about tonight?” Cindy felt blindsided.
“Listen, the police have informed us that the medical examiner’s report will be officially in tomorrow. We’ve got a head’s-up that it’s almost certain that there’s nothing linking Kara and Shane. Rod and family are planning to leave tomorrow right after the report’s in. They’ve even started packing.”
“That’s premature, if you ask me,” said Cindy.
“It’s not premature, it’s a good thing,” Mattheus disagreed. “It’s unhealthy for them to stay down here waiting and waiting for news that does not come. I want to have dinner with the family the last night they’re here. I’ll be back late, you take it easy. We’ll go over everything in the morning.”
None of it sat well with Cindy, though. “You don’t want to take a few moments and hear what I found?” she asked slowly.
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Mattheus remarked, “it’s that things are tying up here.”
“Just like that?” Cindy was stunned.
“It’s better this way, believe me,” said Mattheus.
“Better for who?” Cindy couldn’t help question. “Better for Rod, better for Rowley? How about Kara? Is it better for her to be abandoned like this?”
“Cindy, you sound crazy,” Mattheus snapped back. “No one has abandoned Kara. She’s gone, she’s missing. The consensus of all professionals here is that she drowned. “
“But there’s no proof of that, absolutely none.” Cindy wouldn’t have it.
“And do you have anything else, anything concrete at all that would lead us to think differently?” Mattheus demanded.
“I might,” Cindy answered, a bit shaken. “It’s not concrete yet, but with time and patience it could be. It needs investigation.”
“Is this something Alfred told you?” Mattheus sounded harried.
“Yes,” Cindy answered.
“He’s unreliable, Cindy, I told you before. He’s filled your head with crazy ideas.” Mattheus was dead set.
“A possibility isn’t crazy unless it’s been looked into and proven to be wrong.” Cindy stayed firm.
“But we can’t look into every idea that floats by unless it has some merit,” Mattheus remarked. “That’s lesson one in good detective work. Otherwise you squander your time and energy, get distracted.”
Cindy wondered if Mattheus himself weren’t being distracted by Rod now. She didn’t want to go into this further at the moment.
“Okay, I hear you, I hear you,” she replied curtly. “See you tomorrow. Have a good time tonight.”
CHAPTER 13
At this point Cindy had no intention of discussing this further with Mattheus and decided to go down to the police station herself first thing in the morning and look into the drug ring. Thankfully, she awoke early and got up while Mattheus still slept. Then she showered, dressed, and went downstairs alone for breakfast. After breakfast she would go straight to the station and see if she could find any connection between Kara' and Shane’s death.It felt good having breakfast alone downstairs.
As it was so early, the restaurant was practically empty and Cindy enjoyed both the quiet and the warmth of the early morning sun coming in through the open windows, caressing her face. She looked out front at the wooden slatted veranda, framed by potted plants. In a few hours the lounge chairs on it would be filled in by happy couples, honeymooning. They’d be having breakfast, drinking coffee, and gazing into one another’s eyes without a care in the world.
Suddenly Cindy felt that was not in the cards for her. Her life had taken a different turn. She’d been placed on a mission that she could not possibly let go of. Or, the mission could not let go of her. Her relationship with Mattheus was different now, too. Most of the time it went well when they were working as detectives together. When they crossed the line, became romantic, after a brief period of happiness, turbulence inevitably set in. Was it just that they were not meant for each other? Was there someone else out there who could possibly be a wonderful husband for Cindy someday?
“Want more coffee?” a waiter broke into Cindy’s reverie.
“Thanks, I do,” she said, grateful.
“You’re up early,” the young man said as he poured the hot coffee slowly into her cup. “Not too many come down to have breakfast alone.” He looked into Cindy’s eyes briefly, concerned.
Cindy smiled. What a lovely, sensitive young man. “It’s fine, it’s okay, I’m enjoying my time here,” she said cheerily, “and your coffee’s just about the best in the world.”
*
After breakfast Cindy took off to the police station without calling upstairs to tell Mattheus where she was going. There was no need to, she thought. He had done what he wanted these past few days and she had every right to do the same. More than that, she had no desire to tell him, or to have him join her, anyway.
Once she arrived at the police station Cindy immediately asked for Abe. He was a fine officer, a good person, and Cindy felt a personal connection with him. She knew Abe would be as helpful as he could and hoped he’d be around. Usually when she went to see the police, either she or Mattheus would call and let them know they were on their way.
Cindy waited at the front desk as they called for him. In just a few seconds, Abe came out of his office and walked briskly down the hall.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised to see Cindy, but also pleased.
“Do you have a few minutes, Abe?” Cindy asked.
“I have as much time as you need,” he answered forthrightly, ushering her into a small side room where they could talk. “Can I get you some coffee first?” he continued as Cindy sat down on a small sofa in the corner.
“No, thanks, I just had breakfast,” said Cindy.
“Alone?” Abe looked surprised. “What happened to Mattheus?”
“He had a late night last night,” said Cindy, “and I wanted to let him rest this morning.”
“Late night by himself out on the town?” Abe’s eyes opened.
“Mattheus is spending a lot of time with his friend Rod,” said Cindy lightly, “trying to calm him down.”
“Mattheus is a good man,” said Abe, “a very good person. All the cops on the island respect him a lot.”
“Yes, I know that,” said Cindy.
“
I’m glad you do,” Abe replied, looking at her closely. “Okay, shoot, what’s up?”
“I heard there’s a big drug ring down here, that has tentacles up into the States,” Cindy started.
“There’s drugs everywhere in the world, Cindy,” Abe replied, resigned. “They pass through the Caribbean and go all over.”
“Yes, of course, I know that,” Cindy replied, “but I can’t help wondering if the ring might be involved in what happened to Kara and Shane?”
Abe let out a long, rough breath. “We’ve found nothing to point to it,” he said definitively
“Forget Kara for a minute then.” Cindy pursued it. “What about Shane?”
“We’re not sure about that,” Abe replied.
“Come on, Abe.” Cindy didn’t want to be played with. “Is anyone from Shane’s family down here yet?”
“No one.” Abe looked troubled. “But her boyfriend, Vinny, comes down to the station every day. He says he’s not going back home until he gets answers.”
“I’d like to talk to him,” said Cindy promptly.
“You’re not on the case,” Abe interrupted.
“Who is?” Cindy was surprised by the response.
“You can’t work on both cases, Cindy.” Abe was insistent. “There could be a conflict of interest.”
“Not if the cases are intertwined,” Cindy flung back.
“There’s no proof of that.” Abe remained unwavering.
“Does Vinny have anyone here working with him?” Cindy wouldn’t let it pass by.
“I’m not sure if he has professional help.” Abe looked at Cindy sadly, wanting to offer something. “But listen, there’s a friend of Kara’s down here who’s in touch with Vinny all the time.”
“A friend? Who? Alfred?” asked Cindy, startled.
“That’s it!” Abe smiled. “It’s a guy named Alfred. He refuses to believe that Kara drowned and is tearing the island apart looking for her.”
Cindy’s knees buckled. Alfred was doing more than she was. “I have to speak to someone in the drug ring,” she repeated. “Please give me a name? Tell me where to find them?”
Abe shook his head definitively. “Absolutely not,” he declared. “You’re no match for those guys down there. They’ll eat you up in second. Besides, it won’t lead anywhere.”
“But I have to, Abe,” Cindy insisted.
“Why?” He stood his ground.
“There are just two kids out there, alone, searching.” Cindy felt the passion rise in her. “That’s not right, Abe and you know it. It’s not fair. I have to know why Shane died,” Cindy continued, unnerved.
“We’re releasing the medical examiner’s report in an hour.” Abe backed down a little, touched by Cindy’s plea. “I’ll tell you what we have now.”
“Thank you,” Cindy breathed.
Abe pulled open a drawer, took out some papers, and started to read.
“Shane suffered a bullet wound in her ribs,” he began. “Her lungs were filled with water. Right now it’s not absolutely clear if she bled out from her wound or died from downing.”
“You mean you don’t know if she died when she was shot, or if the person who shot her took her and threw her in the water?” Cindy repeated, wondering whether they really cared. Was anyone investigating the case thoroughly?
“Something like that,” Abe agreed as he read on. “Cause of death was definitely homicide though. One way or another it was foul play.”
That was a huge declaration. Cindy was all over it. “What are you doing to find the killer?”
“We’ve been investigating, Cindy,” Abe continued methodically. “We don’t have anything yet, no weapon, no motive.”
“Shane was a regular at the casinos.” Cindy picked right up on it. “Did she have a fight with someone there, did a gambling debt go sour?”
“We haven’t found anything like that either,” said Abe.
“What does Vinny say?” Cindy persisted.
“Vinny’s going nuts. Just keeps saying he’s gonna kill the person himself when he gets his hands on him. The kid has no idea how it happened. No one has.”
“That’s not good enough, Abe,” Cindy breathed slowly.
“There are cases like this that fall through the cracks every day,” Abe finally admitted
“Because no one keeps the pressure up,” Cindy declared. “Shane falls through the cracks because she doesn’t have a family down here fighting for her. Except for her boyfriend no one seems to care.”
“There’s all kinds of reasons cases fall through the cracks,” Abe murmured.
“What else could have happened to her? Give me something Abe, anything!” Cindy pleaded.
“I wish I could.” Abe seemed moved by Cindy’s passion.
“Think hard, you can,” Cindy insisted.
“Oh yeah,” Abe commented, in passing. “There were lots of drugs in Shane’s body. She was definitely using.”
“That’s important,” Cindy shot back. “Date rape drugs?”
“No, just regular drugs, cocaine I believe,” he grumbled.
“Okay, that’s a big deal.” Cindy felt vindicated.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” said Abe. “Lots of people down here are using. They come down to have fun and drugs are just part of it. What can you do? It’s a fact of life now.”
“So, it could have been a drug deal gone bad?” Cindy mused out loud. “I want to know where she got the drugs from. Vinny must know.”
“He doesn’t,” said Abe.
“But he has to know, Abe. If Shane was using he had to be, too. Where does he get his drugs from?”
“He denies doing drugs.” Abe recoiled.
“And you accept that at face value?” asked Cindy. “That’s ridiculous. I’m going down to the drug ring myself to poke around.”
“You can’t go!” Abe stood up, adamant.
“I have to.” Cindy stood eye to eye with him. “I won’t be able to sleep at night if I don’t. I won’t be able to stop thinking about this.”
“Just stop.” Abe took a step forward. “Go back to the hotel, spend time with your fiancé. There are better things to think about, things that are healthier for you.”
Abe meant well, but Cindy was horrified. “I won’t be able to leave the island if I don’t do everything in my power to find out how Shane died,” she exclaimed.
“You’re a special woman, Cindy.” Abe looked hard into Cindy’s eyes.
“I’m not leaving until you give me a lead.” Cindy was adamant.
“Go to the casino and ask to speak to a guy named Santos,” Abe practically whispered. “Don’t tell him I sent you, don’t tell anyone. Whatever’s going on with the ring, Santos knows about it. I have no idea if he’ll even see you, though. He’s temperamental. It depends on the mood you get him in. You can never tell.”
“Thank you,” breathed Cindy.
“And don’t tell Vinny or Alfred either,” Abe warned. “I don’t want them messing around with more than they can handle and getting themselves hurt.”
“I won’t,” Cindy promised.
“You can tell Mattheus, though,” Abe continued. “It would be better if the two of you went together. I don’t want you going alone.”
“Thank you, Abe,” Cindy cried out and to her surprise and his, ran over and gave him a hug before she flew out the door.
CHAPTER 14
Cindy sped back to the hotel to find Mattheus and get him on board. Abe was probably right; it would be better and safer for her to investigate the drug ring with Mattheus at her side. If he was there, it would give her more clout with Santos as well.
When Cindy arrived at the hotel she immediately rushed to Rowley’s room, expecting everyone to be there, including Mattheus and Rod. Now that the medical examiner’s report was final, they were probably all packing, getting ready to leave. Cindy slowed down as she approached the door. What if Mattheus was upset to see her? Rod would certainly be. It didn’t matter. Cindy and Ma
ttheus weren’t down here simply to make people happy but to find a possible killer on the loose.
When Cindy got to the room, once again the door was half open. Cindy knocked anyway.
“Come in, come in,” a male voice Cindy hadn’t heard before responded.
Cindy pushed the door open and walked in. To her surprise, the room was almost empty. Only Rowley and an attractive older man were sitting side by side on a sofa in the corner. Cindy remembered the older man to be Rowley’s father, Pete.
“Cindy?” said Rowley, surprised to see her. “What in the world are you doing here?”
Why shouldn’t I be here, Cindy immediately thought, I’m on the case, aren’t I?
“I actually came to say good-bye to you and your family,” Cindy responded pleasantly. “I also wanted to have a few words with Mattheus.”
“You knew we were leaving?” Rowley looked disturbed.
“Mattheus told me that you we were planning to leave after the medical report was official,” said Cindy.
“I didn’t know he told you that,” Rowley muttered.
“It’s good of you to come by,” Pete interrupted. “And it was good of you to loan Mattheus to us for such a long time.”
Cindy appreciated Pete’s comment. At least there was one person here who didn’t see her as the enemy.
“This has to have been a terrible time for you and your family,” she responded to him.
“Indeed,” Pete nodded, “and we’re all hurt to the core to learn about Shane as well.”
Pete’s remark surprised Cindy. No one in the family had expressed any concern about Shane as yet. Cindy gave Pete a long glance. He was an unusually attractive man with salt and pepper hair and beautiful blue eyes. He seemed different than the others, calmer and warmer.
“Thank you for caring about Shane, Pete,” Cindy responded, as though Shane were someone Cindy had known a long time.
“Do you have any news about her case?” Pete came closer, as if drawn to Cindy as well.
“The police are investigating,” said Cindy, “but they haven’t been able to locate Shane’s family and except for her boyfriend, Vinny, no one else is overseeing developments.”