Death by Desire (Caribbean Murder #4)
Jaden Skye
PROLOGUE
In the midst of great natural beauty, hidden beneath lush growth, intensely scented poppies, bougainvillea, lilies of the valley, a snake slowly crawls on its belly, back to the sea. And, the body of a young woman lays twisted hopelessly, torn and disposed of, the day after a lavish party on her family’s yacht, celebrating her engagement to be married and to live in happiness the rest of her life.
“Find me,” she cries silently, as her spirit departs from the land of the living, the yacht rocks in the ocean, and the snake stops at the water’s edge, raises its head and hisses loudly into the sun, before it slithers away.
CHAPTER 1
Cindy’s stomach fell as she looked out of the plane window and saw the narrow landing strip at the St. Bart’s airport. It ran right to the edge of the ocean and seemed as if it would take a miracle not to miss the strip and sink in the water. As she reached for her life vest and Mattheus put his hand over hers.
“We’re doing just fine,” he said, “the pilot does this all the time.”
Cindy took a deep breath as the plane quickly descended. The trip had gone so quickly. There hadn’t been nearly enough time to go over all the reports the Senator had faxed about the gruesome murder of beautiful Tiffany O’Connell, his daughter. Tiffany had been found at sunset, mauled at the beach, the day right after her huge engagement party on her father’s yacht. Half of St. Bart’s had been there to celebrate.
The Senator’s wife, a frail woman, beside herself with shock and grief, had heard about Cindy and demanded a woman on the case. The Senator had faxed sheet after sheet to them just before they boarded the flight. The reports were sent secretly, along with photos of Tiffany, both at her engagement party and then of her mangled body on the beach.
Nothing like this ever happened at St. Bart’s, he told them, especially during the Christmas season, when the place was packed with visitors, the rich and famous, coming from all parts of the United States and Europe to celebrate and be seen at the glittering parties for those on the A list. During this week, huge, magnificent yachts would be arriving, lining the coast, jockeying for the best position. People planned for a glorious Christmas vacation at St. Bart’s all year long. And so did the residents, who thrived on the island’s reputation for being beautiful, pristine, totally safe and unspoiled. The island was a unique mixture of ravishingly beautiful natural habitats along with elegant shops, restaurants, clubs, and spas. The food was exquisite, the service supreme. It was a place people could come and be cared for magnificently, protected, free of the pressures and dangers that haunted other vacation spots in the world. This one place still remained as a sanctuary for celebrities who could unwind without being gaped at by the rest of the hungry world. The police on the island were doing their best to keep it quiet.
Cindy felt strange to be going on Christmas, which always been her favorite holiday. She loved the wonderful music, food, smells, candles, lights. She loved wrapping presents, receiving cards, connecting with those who’d been far away. A special feeling of peace and love always surrounded her, a sense that the world could be a haven, always filled with everything good. The image of this young woman’s mangled body now rose up and filled her mind. She had to go, no matter what the season.
Cindy had looked over the photos and reports during the flight, but there wasn’t much in them. The police on the island hadn’t found any evidence at the scene of the crime.
“Twelve stab marks,” Cindy had said to Mattheus. “It’s a crime of passion.”
Mattheus wasn’t sure.
“No evidence anywhere? Could be a setup.”
Cindy loved tossing ideas back and forth with Mattheus; they each always saw another aspect of what was going on.
Mattheus looked out the plane window now, and tapped his fingers on the edge of his seat. Cindy felt how eager he was to get there already, dig in, uncover suspects. She took a deep breath. This was the fourth case she’d been on in a row. She hadn’t had time to catch her breath or regroup. It was actually startling to her to see how enormous the need was for a woman detective down on the islands. Cindy was troubled to see the danger women lived in, and how unprotected they felt. It was also comforting to have Mattheus besides her doing the work. They balanced each other wonderfully and were quickly becoming a well-known team. More quickly than Cindy wanted. Some days it felt as if they’d always be together, chasing after one killer or another. It was as if they’d fallen into an unknown destiny that swept them along unfailingly.