Текст книги "Death by Request"

Автор книги: Jaden Skye

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

A strange silence filled the room as Loretta walked in further and sidled over to Cindy and Mattheus.

“I’m sure Cindy and Mattheus know more about the case than anyone here,” Loretta continued. “Why don’t we take some time to hear from them? I’m curious if they think that Alana did it?” Then Loretta turned to Cindy, challenging her.

“I don’t know who did it,” said Cindy, honestly.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Owen was miffed. “Face it, Alana wouldn’t have jumped off the bridge if she wasn’t escaping a fate much worse than being arrested. She was in big trouble and she knew it. Life in jail probably.”

“We don’t know why she jumped,” Cindy repeated. “There’s no specific evidence.”

“Well, Cindy’s not the judge and jury in this case anyway,” Owen declared. “She’s a hired hand, a freelance detective.”

“What do you think, Loretta?” Mattheus asked, trying to deflect Owen’s burst of anger and turning towards the young woman who looked just as gaunt as she had before.

Loretta wouldn’t answer though, just stared with malice at Owen.

“How about it?” Mattheus repeated, more emphatically.

“I think my mother didn’t plan to die,” Loretta replied.

“No one plans to die,” Ralph made a sour face. “That’s a stupid thing to say.”

“Some people plan to die,” quipped Loretta, “Alana did. She went right to the bridge, had a destination.”

“Are you trying to tell us something, Loretta? Are you warning us of something?” Isabelle addressed her granddaughter nervously.

At that Loretta smiled openly. “You think I’m planning to jump? I’m not. You won’t get rid of me that easily. You don’t understand me and never will. Whatever I say, you think the worst. I’ve accepted that, Isabelle.”

“Don’t call me Isabelle,” her grandmother flushed.

“Answer your grandmother with respect, young lady,” Ralph became irate.

Owen walked over to Loretta, clearly wanting to defuse the situation.

“There’s no reason to be so bitter forever,” Owen said quietly. “I’m sure your mother would have wanted me to give you a decent inheritance dear, and I plan to.”

Loretta’s face became gnarled. “I wouldn’t take a penny from any of you,” she shot back. “That’s not what I’m here for.”

“What are you here for?” Ralph’s voice got louder.

“To get justice for my mother,” Loretta’s voice rose.

“The person who killed your mother has lost her own life,” Isabelle interceded. “Justice has been served.”

“It’s been served, Loretta,” Owen insisted, “let it go.”

Loretta spun around then, slunk to the back of the room, and planted herself down on a round, swivel chair. Then she started drumming her fingers along the edges of it.

“Well,” Mattheus took charge then, speaking to the entire group, “Cindy and I just wanted to make a final call to wish the family and Owen well.”

Owen came up and put his arm around Mattheus. “You two did a great job,” he repeated, “I’ll be eternally grateful to both of you. You kept the pressure up, smoked out the culprits.”

Mattheus nodded at him. “Thank you.”

“What’s next for the two of you?” Owen asked pleasantly then.

“Cindy and I will be leaving for the airport first thing tomorrow,” said Mattheus. “I’m glad this worked out well for you, Owen.”

“It has, thanks again,” Owen replied.

It worked out well? Owen’s comment bothered Cindy. How could it have worked out well when his wife had died? Didn’t he realize that he was returning home without her?

After a few more pleasantries, Cindy and Mattheus walked to the door and Loretta immediately dashed up behind them.

“Give me your number, please,” Loretta said to Cindy. “This minute.”

“Of course,” said Cindy, nervously. “Would you like to talk now, before we go to the hotel?”

“No, later’s better,” said Loretta. “I want to talk when we can be alone.”

*

A heavy silence fell between Cindy and Mattheus as they got into a taxi to go back to the hotel and make arrangements to leave Jamaica.

“If you want to know the truth,” Mattheus finally admitted as the taxi pulled away, “I can’t wait to get out of here and for us to finally be alone.”

Cindy nodded, distracted.

“I’ll make reservations on the first plane out of here. We can head wherever you like,” Mattheus went on.

That sounded tempting, “a little vacation?” Cindy asked, halfheartedly.

“Precisely,” Mattheus replied, delighted.

Cindy wished she could have felt delighted as well, but something was nagging at her, wouldn’t let go.

“Okay, what’s wrong? Let’s have it,” said Mattheus, picking up her mood. There was nothing Cindy could hide from him, ever.

“Let’s stay here a few days more,” Cindy suggested.

“Why?” Mattheus bristled, “the case is over. It’s wrapped up.”

“And what if it isn’t?” asked Cindy.

“What are you talking about?” Mattheus was uneasy. “Case closed. Wrapped up.”

“I’m not ready to leave,” Cindy insisted. “Something’s unfinished, it’s bothering me.”

“Cindy,” Mattheus took her shoulders and pulled her to him. “That’s just your nature. You always feel there’s one last thing you’ve left undone. But this is it. We’re finished. They’ve released our client. I’m calling for airline tickets the second we return.”

“No, not yet, I can’t do it,” cried Cindy.

“If you want we can even go back to the States for a while,” Mattheus pleaded. “We can visit the cottage you have in Oyster Bay. I’ve always wanted to see it.”

The idea was certainly tempting to Cindy, but she couldn’t leave now even if she wanted to.

“We’ll definitely go there, but not now,” she said.

“What’s left to do here? There’s nothing to investigate,” Mattheus sounded exasperated.

Just then, thankfully, Cindy’s phone rang. She picked it up and it was Loretta.

“You guys planning to leave?” Loretta asked, frantically.

“In a little while, Loretta,” Cindy breathed.

“Don’t go yet, please. Wait for me, I have to talk to you,” Loretta pleaded.

“I’ll definitely wait,” Cindy answered promptly. “When can we meet?”

“How about in an hour at the park down the road from your hotel?” Loretta said before she hung up the phone.

“It was Loretta, she wants to talk to me,” Cindy was excited.

“Okay,” said Mattheus gathering his patience. “You go talk to Loretta in the park, when you come back I’ll order the airplane tickets. Does that make you feel better?”

“Yes, it does,” breathed Cindy.

“You’re teaching me how to be a patient man, Cindy,” Mattheus exclaimed. “If I didn’t love you so much, it would drive me crazy.”

“Don’t let it drive you crazy,” smiled Cindy. “Just become more and more patient and keep loving me.”

“That’s a deal,” said Mattheus, “I definitely will.”

Then he pulled Cindy close to him and they kissed deeply.

“You’re a wonderful detective, Cindy,” Mattheus murmured when they pulled apart, “and a better woman than you’ll ever know. You’re worth waiting for, really worth it. I’ll stay here as long as you want.”

*

Cindy arrived at the little park down the block from the hotel, where huge hibiscus flowers bloomed and birds sung their hearts out. She got there before Loretta and waited on a wooden slatted bench. Cindy was relieved to have one more person to talk to about the case. No matter what anyone said, Cindy knew she wasn’t finished investigating, but had no idea why.

As soon as Loretta arrived she pranced over to Cindy brightly, excited to see her there.

“You’re a good person, Cindy,” Loretta said as she sat down close to her. “There aren’t too many good persons left in this world anymore, but you’re definitely one of them. We need you here. I need you.”

“Why, thank you very much,” said Cindy, deeply touched. “Why do you say that?”

“You care about my mother,” Loretta replied.

“Yes, I do,” said Cindy sadly, feeling Loretta’s huge loss, “and you care about her, too.”

Loretta winced. “I always did but no one realized it. They were all awful to me, got in the way. I’ll never get over it.”

“Yes, you will,” said Cindy, turning her full gaze upon the frail young woman. “Time will show you how to get over it, Loretta. One day you’ll learn how to forgive them all.”

“Forgive them?” Loretta gritted her teeth. “How could you even suggest something like that?”

“Because you’ll do it not only for them, but for your own sake too,” said Cindy. “I know you can, you’re a good person, too.”

Tears filled Loretta’s eyes and her face suddenly softened. For the first time Cindy saw under her stony exterior how pretty she really could be.

“No one ever said to me that I was a good person,” Loretta suddenly whimpered.

“Well, I’m saying it now,” Cindy insisted. “You’re a good person Loretta, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“I won’t,” Loretta’s voice was barely audible.

Cindy wanted to hear what else Loretta had to tell her. “Tell me what you have on your mind,” Cindy asked.

Loretta was happy to plunge in. “I don’t believe Alana did it for a minute,” she started, eager to finally be speaking her mind. “There’s stuff you don’t know about everyone,” Loretta spoke fitfully.

Loretta’s moods shifted so quickly, Cindy wondered if she could trust anything Loretta said. She wanted to give it a try, anyway. “What don’t I know?” Cindy asked.

“I want you to call my mother’s friend Veronica and find out,” Loretta’s eyes darted back and forth. “Let Veronica tell you about my mother’s so called wonderful marriage to Owen.”

Cindy immediately remembered that Veronica was the woman Tara mentioned in her diary who kept warning her about her relationship with Owen.

“Are you in touch with your mother’s friend Veronica?” Cindy was surprised.

“Not really,” said Loretta, “but I saw some of the things she posted on my mom’s Facebook page and decided to contact her and get her phone number. First thing I told her my mom had been murdered. I thought she’d faint on the spot. Then we had a good talk. Veronica’s a straight shooter, like you. I know you’ll like her.”

“I’m sure I will,” said Cindy fascinated, as Loretta handed her a crumpled piece of paper with Veronica’s number sprawled on it.

“Call her now,” urged Loretta, “don’t waste a minute.”

Cindy uncrumpled the paper, took out her phone and dialed. In less than a moment a harsh voice on the other end answered, “Who’s this?”

“Veronica, this is Cindy Blaine of C and M Investigations,” Cindy replied.

“A detective?” Veronica sounded ruffled.

“I’m investigating your friend Tara’s death,” Cindy quickly put her at ease.

“Oh God, oh God, I should have seen it coming,” Veronica exclaimed. “Tara lived in a fool’s paradise. I warned her, she wouldn’t listen, and now she’s dead.”

“Warned her about what?” Cindy quickly jumped on it.

“I warned Tara over and over that Owen had something going on,” Veronica insisted. “She refused to believe me. She said I was crazy, that I liked making trouble in everyone’s marriage.”

“Was that true?” asked Cindy straightforwardly.

“Sure, I like pointing out bullshit, if that’s what you mean,” Veronica answered directly. “If you don’t point it out up front, if you don’t give people warnings, stuff like this can happen later on. You know how many women get killed by creepy husbands?”

“What made you think Owen had something going on?” Cindy continued, shaken.

“Nothing definite,” Veronica continued boldly. “But Owen’s a sexy, rich, charming guy, and Tara became more and more boring every year. She was stupid too, took him completely for granted, didn’t even dress up much anymore. A few times we were all out together, I saw Owen looking at other women, big time.”

“Most men look, don’t they?” asked Cindy. “What’s the big deal about that?”

“Yeah, they look,” agreed Veronica, “but Owen felt like he was on the prowl. This was one, hungry man.”

“Did you want Owen for yourself?” Cindy wanted to test and unnerve her.

Veronica guffawed. “Not really,” she said, “though it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing. I could have made him happier than Tara, for sure.”

“Owen says they were happy, had a great marriage,” Cindy insisted.

“Yeah, yeah,” Veronica tossed it off, “guys say everything to cover up, don’t they? But where was the fire between them? Where was the spark? Completely gone, if you asked me.”

They talked a while longer and Cindy hung up from the conversation feeling more out of sorts than before.

“Veronica’s a smart woman,” Loretta jumped in as Cindy put her phone away. “She’s got it going on.”

“Thanks for telling me about her, Loretta,” said Cindy.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Loretta wasn’t letting it go. “She told you about my mother and Owen?”

“She told me what she thought,” said Cindy.

“Owen was released from jail too quickly, it’s not right,” pouted Loretta.

Cindy knew that Loretta had it in for Owen, and had to take all this with a grain of salt.

“Don’t leave the island so fast, please,” Loretta pleaded. “My mother deserved better, her whole life long.”

“Alright,” Cindy capitulated. “I’ll stay in Jamaica a little while longer and see what else comes up.”

“Thank you,” Loretta leapt over and hugged Cindy. “It will be worth your while, I know it will. Don’t they say the truth reveals itself if you wait for it?”

Cindy hadn’t heard that saying, but at the moment, it felt right on.

Chapter 21

“Are you ready to go now?” Mattheus called out as soon as Cindy returned to the hotel from her interview with Loretta.

Cindy looked around and saw Mattheus taking in the sun and breeze out on the balcony. “I’m back, Mattheus,” she called out.

“It was great of you to go speak to Loretta,” Mattheus called back, “and hear what she had to say. Ready to go now?”

Cindy replied as she came out and sat on the edge of Mattheus’s chair. “I’m less ready than ever to leave now,” she said.

Mattheus shook his head. “Okay, let’s have it. What did she say?”

“Loretta gave me the number of a woman named Veronica, her mother’s friend. I called and spoke to her right away. Veronica told me that Owen and Tara’s marriage was nothing like he told us. She said that he was on the prowl.”

Mattheus made a sour face. “People say all kinds of things. What good is this information going to do us now? Owen’s been released, Cindy. It’s over.”

“I want to go back down to the dock and onto the boat they rented one more time,” Cindy went on. “Something tells me to do it.”

“It’s overkill and guilt,” Mattheus replied. “You’re blaming yourself for Alana’s death. It wasn’t your fault. You’ve got to move on.”

“I want to go anyway,” said Cindy.

There’s no point in it,” Mattheus insisted.

“But I’m going,” Cindy replied.

Mattheus seemed irritated. “Go if you want to, I’ll wait for you here. When you’re through give me a call and I’ll book our flight home. Okay?”

“Okay,” Cindy agreed. She knew she had to let go at some point, was just satisfying one last urge.

Mattheus put his arms around Cindy then, and pulled her to him. “Just one thing I have to ask before you go,” he said. “What exactly do you expect to find at the boat? What are you looking for?”

“I don’t know,” Cindy felt comforted in Mattheus’s arms. “I know it totally doesn’t make sense, but something is drawing me there. I have to trust that.”

“Yes, you do,” Mattheus agreed. “I respect your intuition, Cindy. I’ll be here waiting to hear what you find.”

*

Cindy was actually relieved to be going to the boat alone. She knew that Mattheus was playing along so she could feel better about leaving. He himself was done with the case, trying to accommodate her last wishes.

Cindy arrived at the dock in what seemed like no time and began walking towards the boat. She enjoyed both the breezes and the feel of the afternoon sun gently washing over her. Cindy knew the case was over and she had to let go, but something pulled her to keep going. Perhaps she just had to see the boat one last time to have a sense of closure.

When Cindy arrived she didn’t go on the boat, just stood alongside it looking out into the choppy sea. Deep within Cindy wasn’t at ease with the way the case had turned out. Alana’s suicide didn’t prove a thing about who actually had put an end to Tara’s life. Cindy thought of Loretta’s comment that Tara deserved better than this. Suddenly Cindy felt she might be here not only to say good bye to Tara, but to make her peace with her as well.

Cindy watched a few seagulls fly by, cawing loudly. How can I make this right for you, Tara? Cindy called out to her in her mind. What do you need for justice to be served? Cindy stood there silently then, watching people drifting in and out of other boats anchored at the dock. It was a beautiful, peaceful scene that said to Cindy that life went on no matter whether justice was served or not. As she was dwelling on that, Cindy she saw an older, local fisherman amble up to Tara’s boat and stand there, gazing at it, too. Cindy stepped a bit closer to the fisherman, interested to be sharing the experience with him.

“Beautiful boat, isn’t it?” Cindy murmured.

The fisherman turned his leathery, wrinkled face to her and shook his head slowly.

“Nothing beautiful about it, sister,” he remarked in a croaky tone. “Someone lost her life on it.”

Cindy was stunned at first, but then realized that the accident had been all over the news. He must have read about it in the paper.

“You read about the accident in the news?” Cindy asked.

“Heck no,” he shook his head harder. “Saw it for myself, yes I did. Was right out there fishing when it happened.”

Totally confused, Cindy stared at him. “Saw what for yourself?” she could barely speak.

“Honey, I was there when the guy drove this boat right into the lady. I saw him do it again and again.”

Cindy froze. She couldn’t compute what he was saying. “What are you talking about?”

“You know the case of the lady who died in the coma?” the fisherman needed to talk as well.

“Yes, of course,” said Cindy.

“She didn’t die by accident in some coma,” the fisherman spluttered. “I saw the guy on the boat driving it right into her and keep doing it. Then he pulled her out of the water a limp rag. I thought for sure she was dead right then. How she hung on so long is a mystery to me. Must have wanted to live badly.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone about this?” Cindy asked, stunned, her voice rising.

“What was there to say? She wasn’t dead. She was alive all that time in the coma,” the fisherman spluttered. “Then after she died, they took the husband to jail. What did they need me for, nothing!”

“For something,” Cindy cried out in pain.

“Now that I read in the papers that the husband got out, I’m planning to tell the cops,”

the old guy defended himself.

“When were you planning to do it?” asked Cindy, “when?”

“Today,” the old fisherman looked perturbed.

“It’s too late now,” Cindy yelled.

“Never too late for anything,” he croaked back.

The old guy meant well and Cindy felt badly yelling at him.

“Stop,” Cindy put her hand on his arm. “Don’t go anywhere. Wait right here.” Then she flipped open her phone and immediately called Mattheus.

“Tell the cops to nab Owen immediately,” Cindy shrieked over the phone.

“What the hell’s the matter?” Mattheus voice choked.

Cindy’s heart beat furiously. “I’ve got an eye witness,” Cindy hollered, “he saw Owen driving the boat into Tara, over and over again.”

“Hold on, what are you saying? I just spoke to the cops to tie things up,” Mattheus sounded flustered. “Cops told me Owen’s at the airport right now, on flight 67, United Airways, going back to the States.”

“Oh no, he’s not,” yelled Cindy. “Get there! Stop him!”

“Are you sure?” Mattheus hollered back. “Who is this witness?”

“I’m positive,” Cindy kept yelling, “definite! I’m going to the airport now. I’ll meet you there.”

“Go,” Mattheus yelled back, as Cindy hung up, took the old guy’s name and number and made him swear he’d go to the police immediately.

*

As the taxi flew to the airport, Cindy panted uncontrollably in the back seat. Everything fell into place as the nagging feelings she’d had melted away. She’d been wrong about Owen right from the start. Cindy prayed she’d get to the airport before Owen boarded his flight. Once he returned to the States, she didn’t know if they could get him back to Jamaica so easily.

As soon as Cindy arrived at the airport, she flew to United Airways. Thankfully, there was still half an hour before the plane took off and the travelers hadn’t yet boarded. Cindy dashed to the waiting gate and immediately saw Owen sitting there. To her total shock, he wasn’t alone. Sitting next to him was a beautiful, blonde young woman in her early twenties, holding his hand, smiling up at him. Owen was grinning and laughing with her as well. The two of them seemed overjoyed. Who was the young woman? What was he doing with her now?

Cindy approached stealthily, moving through the crowds like a shadow, watching every move he made. Owen was so engrossed with the young woman that he had no sense of Cindy approaching at all. The young woman was staring at him with adoring eyes, and he was drinking her adoration in. Clearly they knew each other well. When she got closer Cindy stood there a long moment, staring at them. She couldn’t believe that she’d been duped by Owen, like everyone else. First she felt dizzy, then furious.

Cindy plunged to his side and stood there boldly, waiting for him to look her way. When Owen turned suddenly and saw her, he registered a brief moment of surprise.

“Are we going home on the same flight?” he asked then, a bemused look in his eye, as if he’d won a crafty game.

“You’re not going anywhere right now,” Cindy growled, shaken to the core.

“I beg your pardon?” a flash of wild arrogance crossed his face.

“You’re being detained,” Cindy mustered all her authority.

Owen only laughed harshly at her and pulled the young woman closer to him, looking at Cindy with disdain. The young woman looked shaken, however. Obviously, this confrontation was not something she ever expected.

“Who is this?” Cindy took a step closer, pointing to the young woman. “And what is she doing here with you?”

“This is Nina,” Owen replied, casually, “and what’s it to you?”

“Nina,” Cindy spun towards her and looked at her threateningly, “what are you doing here with Owen now?”

“Don’t say a word, it’s none of her business,” Owen flashed a dark look at Cindy.

“It’s completely my business. I’m still on the case,” Cindy said then, trying to shake the awful confidence he exuded.

“Case is over,” he mocked, “nothing more to do.”

“Oh really?” said Cindy, her eyes narrowing at him. “What if I tell you that we now have an eye witness to the accident?”

“Oh yeah,” Owen replied unaffected, “tell me anything you want. It’s over and you’re fired! You’re working for me, like everyone else.”

“I’m working for Tara,” Cindy shot back as Nina shivered, unnerved.

“Lots of things are over,” Owen continued, blocking Cindy’s words out. “My time with Tara is over finally, my time with her crazy family is over, too. Over, over. It’s a new day.”

“Just like that?” Cindy felt contempt for him. “Tara’s barely dead and you’re with a new woman?”

Owen laughed. “Who’s to say it’s just like that? Nina and I have been together a long time, we’ve been waiting for this moment.”

“Owen, please,” Nina tugged on his jacket, looking afraid.

“Please, nothing,” he said to her bruskly. “There’s not a thing in the world they can do to me now. Or to you, either, sweetheart.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Cindy’s blood was boiling. “Obviously your relationship with Nina went on while you were married to Tara.”

Owen laughed louder. “So what? What are you going to do, wrap me on my knuckles and tell me I’m a bad boy?”

Cindy wanted to slap him across the face and slap Nina as well. She was actually about to do it when thankfully out of the corner of her eye she saw Mattheus approaching with two cops. Thank God, she whispered, turning the other way and waving to them.

By the time Owen spun around to see who Cindy was waving at, both the cops and Mattheus were at his side.

“Get the hell away from me,” Owen tried to grab Nina and make a run for it.

“Hold on,” one cop said, closing in. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh no? Says who?” asked Owen, trapped and furious.

“There’s new evidence,” Cindy spit out at him again. “There’s a witness who saw you driving the boat into your wife, over and over again.”

“Oh God,” Nina whimpered, turning white.

“Tara was alive after the accident,” Owen gained his footing, “it didn’t kill her. I lost control of the boat. There’s no way they can prove I did it on purpose.”

Nina started crying and Cindy stepped fiercely between her and Owen, separating them.

“If you know something that you’re hiding,” Cindy flung out to Nina, “you’re an accessory to a crime. You’ll be arrested and charged with murder, too.”

“Oh no, no,” Nina became terrified.

“If you tell us the truth, you’ll be free,” Cindy said.

“She doesn’t know the truth, she doesn’t know anything,” Owen tried to edge back in beside her.

“I do know things,” Nina kept whimpering.

“Shut your mouth, idiot,” Owen demanded.

Nina’s eyes opened painfully. “What did you call me?” she gasped.

Owen stepped closer threateningly, “I said shut up, idiot,” he thundered at her.

Trembling, Nina crept closer to Cindy.

“It’s alright, Nina,” Cindy said, “tell us the truth and you’ll be protected in every way.”

“It was planned, it was planned,” Nina started sputtering, “Owen did it to be with me. And not only that, he wanted the money, too.”

“From the insurance policy?” Cindy demanded.

“Yes, he said he needed all the money he could get. And he needed Tara gone, and me in his life,” Nina’s body was trembling.

The police yanked Owen’s arms behind him then and locked the cuffs on.

Owen’s face grew red and his eyes started glaring. “You’re a fool now and you’ve always been,” he practically spit at Nina.

“Did Owen put the stuff into Tara’s IV?” Cindy continued grilling Nina. This was a perfect time to get every ounce of truth out of her.

“Yes, he did,” Nina breathed. “But I pushed him to do it. I couldn’t stand waiting so long for Tara to die.”

“You couldn’t stand waiting?” Cindy was horrified.

“Neither of us expected Tara to live after Owen pushed her into the water and rode the boat into her head,” Nina couldn’t stop talking. “Tara had no right to live then, but she did. Then Owen just sat there day after day in that chair by her side. I told him to get out of the chair and finish it off. I couldn’t stand waiting. We had a new life ahead for us.”

Owen glared at Nina as she spoke, then suddenly lurched again as the cops cranked the cuffs tighter.

“Alana was innocent all along?” Cindy breathed painfully.

“She was,” Nina looked at Cindy, alarmed.

“You killed not only Tara, but Alana as well,” Cindy stared at her. “Two beautiful women dead because of both of you.”

“But you said I’d be free, you’d keep me safe if I told you everything,” Nina was quick to cry out. “You need me for a witness, too.”

“Yes, I do,” Cindy acquiesced.

Mattheus stepped over to Cindy then as one policeman carted Owen away and the other came over to Nina.

“I offered her immunity. We need her for a witness,” Cindy muttered.

“Got it,” the other policeman said, taking Nina’s information down, “I’ll advise the courts of that.”

“Well at least they’ve got Owen,” Mattheus replied, as Nina stood there shaking like a ragged leaf in the wind.

Chapter 22

Once again the headlines announced that Cindy was a hero. Because of her unwillingness to leave any stone unturned, Tara’s true killer had been apprehended! At the very last minute Cindy had turned things on their head once again.

Cindy and Mattheus sat close to one another on the small, velvet settee in their hotel suite watching the news on TV.

“The hospital administrator, Konrad has been re-instated in his job,” the reporter continued. “Devastated to have lost Alana, Konrad is setting up a foundation in her name.”

“So many victims of one crime,” breathed Cindy.

“And some who will grow because of it, as well,” said Mattheus, comfortingly.

That was an interesting thought to Cindy. “Who?” she asked.

“I received two calls from Loretta who couldn’t get through to your phone,” Mattheus continued. “She said you’ve saved her life, turned her into another person. One day she wants to be a detective like you.”

Cindy smiled. “That’s good hear,” she moved closer to Mattheus, hoping to stay beside him like this for the rest of the afternoon.

Mattheus got off the settee suddenly though, fell down to his knees, and looked up at Cindy.

“What’s wrong?” Cindy asked alarmed, not knowing what was going on.

Out of nowhere and with the full force of his heart, Mattheus suddenly cried out,

“Cindy, I love you. The time has come.”

Then Mattheus dug down into his pocket, pulled out a small velvet box. He flipped it open, put the open box on the palm of his hand, and held it up towards Cindy. An incredible diamond, engagement ring, sparkled magnificently like a thousand suns.

“Will you marry me, Cindy?” Mattheus’s voice dropped to an echo. “I need you at my side forever, I want to live my whole life with you. I want to make you happy, give you everything.”

Cindy stared at the ring, stared into Mattheus’s eyes which were filled with endless hope and devotion.

“Yes, yes,” Cindy cried out uncontrollably, unable to believe this was really happening.

“My God,” Mattheus jumped up, drew Cindy into his arms and held her for what seemed like an eternity. “We’ll leave Jamaica now,” he whispered, “have time together, celebrate our engagement, walk on beautiful beaches together.”

“Wonderful, wonderful,” Cindy breathed, “we’ve never had time alone before, but who knows now?”

COMING SOON…

Book #11 in the Caribbean Murder Series

Now Available: Jaden’s Skye NEW romance series!

A PERFECT STRANGER

(Book #1 in the Tom’s River Saga)

Nestled among trees and hills, set alongside a winding river, the small town of Tom’s River, Wisconsin, so beautiful and protected, is a place where everybody knows each other, a place where nothing ever changes and where people can feel safe. But one day, all that changes. Megan’s husband has gone missing, and no one can find him.

As the search deepens, Megan discovers the truth not only about her husband, but also about the secrets he’s been hiding in their marriage. Her world is shook as she realizes she’s been living a lie, has been in a relationship with a man who’s been living a secret life, a man she never really knew.