Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

“Who cares why?” Andrea was standing firm. “He found me, didn’t he? And I told you that he did. I told you I met him.”


“Baby, I thought you were dreaming or something,” Petra’s voice got softer. “I know you always wanted to see your real dad and I thought you were making up a story so you’d feel better about your life.”

“That’s a huge insult,” Andrea burst out. “What do you take me for, some kind of nut?”

Mattheus wanted to get closer to Andrea, but stood fixed to the spot. Then he suddenly heard footsteps coming down the hallway closer to them.

“Oh God,” that’s got to be Cain,” Petra looked nervous.

The footsteps stopped at the doorway and a big, heavy, rough looking Caribbean guy, dressed in baggy jeans and a dirty red shirt, entered the room.

“What’s this, a cat fight?” the guy demanded. “I heard the yelling all the way back in the yard.”

“It’s nothing, Cain, nothing at all,” Petra’s voice became trembly as she tried to make light of it.

Cain then suddenly spotted Mattheus. “Who the hell is this?” he growled.

“Never mind,” Petra spun around towards Cain, giving Mattheus a frightened look over her shoulder.

Cain held out his hands, stopping Petra from getting any closer.

“Hold on, you didn’t answer me. I asked you a question,” he said in a menacing tone.

Alerted, Andrea quickly stepped in between them. “Mattheus came to see me, I invited him here,” she informed Cain sharply.

“Mattheus, who?” Cain smirked, looking Andrea up and down slowly. “Looks like you got all ready to see this dude, too.”

“No I didn’t. He surprised me,” Andrea snapped.

“Oh really? You’re telling me this old guy came here just to see you?” asked Cain.

Mattheus wanted to lunge at the guy and knock him around, but he forced himself to stay steady. To his great relief Andrea held her ground.

“I told you, I invited him here,” she repeated to Cain.

“Shut up, you’re making it worse,” Petra exclaimed to Andrea.

“Making what worse?” Cain grabbed Andrea’s elbow then, shoving her roughly to the side.

“Ow,” Andrea called out as he thrust her to the side.

That did it. Mattheus flew over and put his arm around Andrea’s shoulders to steady her. Then he turned to Cain and grabbed him by the collar.

“You better back off or I’m gonna knock you to pieces and throw you through the window,” Mattheus growled.

Cain’s jaw fell opened. “You know who you’re dealing with Mister?”

“I know all I need to know,” Mattheus growled back.

Cain pushed Mattheus away from him. “Who the hell you think you are?”

“Oh good Lord, why are you letting this happen?” Petra called out. “Tell me why?”

“You better back down,” Mattheus said to Cain, furious, “or I’m taking you in.”

“Taking me where?” Cain grinned strangely, showing a row of small, broken teeth.

“This is Andrea’s dad,” Petra piped up loudly, trying to ease the situation. “He’s a private detective.”

That stopped Cain for a second. “Private detective? Ha, well, I’m clean as can be.”

“He’s Andrea’s dad,” Petra’s voice grew more strident.

“Like hell he is. I’m Andrea’s dad,” Cain exclaimed. “Remember, you married me!”

“Mattheus is Andrea’s natural father,” Petra insisted.





“He’s the guy who left you in the lurch?” Cain’s face grew contorted as he glared at Mattheus through swollen eyes.

“I wanted him here, I invited him,” Andrea spoke right in Cain’s face.

“Listen, slut, I heard enough from you,” Cain barked, sullenly.

Mattheus felt the rage rise through him. “Who the hell do you think you are, calling my daughter a slut?”

“I’ll call the bitch whatever I like,” Cain sauntered closer to Mattheus. “What the hell do you know about her, anyway? When’d you last see her? She’s a bitch and a slut and everyone knows it.”

At that Andrea spun around, fled to the door, opened it briskly and disappeared into the dark night.

Horrified, Mattheus ran after. He couldn’t let her fly away like that, shamed and humiliated. He’d find her easily, he thought, as he fled on her trail.

But, to Mattheus’s surprise, the heavy darkness and thick trees created a blanket he could not penetrate. Where was she? Where had she turned? He didn’t know where he was either, but he’d track her down, he wouldn’t give up. In his painstaking way, Mattheus waded slowly through the hill and brush searching for his daughter.”

*

When Mattheus finally found Andrea, she was crumpled up under a huge tree down at the base of a hill, in a tangled part of town, crying. By then it had grown dark and all he had was the light of the moon.

“Andrea,” Mattheus called as soon as he spotted her.

She didn’t look up.