Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

“I don’t like you,” Petra finally muttered. “I don’t trust you.”


“Trust Cindy or not, you have to cooperate, Petra,” Mattheus said in a husky tone as he took a step closer to her. “It’s the only chance we have.”

Petra opened her eyes and started to ramble. “All through the years there were plenty of people down here who wanted to kill Cain, but no one ever could. He’s wired in, got contacts, he was protected.” Then she turned to Cindy. “You know who else has motive?”

“Who?” Cindy asked, mesmerized.

“He’s standing right here!” Petra went on. “Just take a look.”

Cindy wasn’t sure what she was getting at.

“Mattheus!” Petra lashed out. “He has plenty of motive. He threatened my husband and not only me, but others also heard him. He has a rotten temper and it makes sense that Mattheus wanted to kill my husband and take my daughter away.”

Mattheus grew pale and looked as if he would keel over, as if someone had dropped a ton of rocks on him.

“Those are pretty vicious accusations,” Cindy shot back at Petra.

“It’s what I told the police,” Petra’s mouth grew taut. “Ask them and they’ll tell you. I pointed the finger at Mattheus. And, they didn’t really disagree. Yeah, there was blood all over Andrea, but who pushed her to it? He’s under suspicion, too, believe me.”

Cindy felt a flame of hatred for this woman Mattheus had come down to help. Now she was turning on him. That was convenient for her, wasn’t it? Sure Cindy knew Mattheus had a temper, but she also knew he could never kill anyone. His whole life was about being there for others. Cindy had seen him risking his life many times to help.

“You’re turning on Mattheus to protect your daughter,” Cindy put Petra right in her place.

“Like hell I’m turning on Mattheus to protect my daughter,” Petra snarled.

This woman was trouble and Cindy knew it. “And you’re protecting yourself, as well,” Cindy added.

“Protecting myself from what?” Petra demanded.

“You also had plenty of motive as well, didn’t you, Petra?” Cindy countered. “It couldn’t have felt good to be beaten by the man you loved.”

“Get out, get out,” Petra raised her fists and came after both Cindy and Mattheus then, on a rampage, sweeping them out the door.

*

Once outside, it was hard for Mattheus to even take a few steps down the street. “I can’t believe she turned on me to the police,” he finally said.

“What did you expect of her?” Cindy asked. She knew that Mattheus had rescue fantasies about Andrea. Now she wondered if he’d also had fantasies about getting back with Petra, becoming the happy family they never had been. “Did you expect Petra to be the person you knew years ago?”

“I don’t know what I expected,” Mattheus said, honestly. “But it’s crazy of her to point the finger to the police at me.”

“Crazy like a fox,” said Cindy. “You’re the perfect foil got her and she’ll do anything she can to get free.”

“You mean so she can free Andrea?” Mattheus asked.

“No, I mean for her to get free. Who knows how she fits into this scenario?” Cindy was shocked that Mattheus couldn’t see what was in front of his eyes.

“Poor Andrea, living with a mother like that,” Mattheus said softly then.

“Don’t be so quick to feel sorry for Andrea, either,” Cindy was on a war path. “You don’t really know the first thing about either the mother or the daughter.”

Mattheus stood taller then as if he’d suddenly woken up.

“You’re right,” he murmured, strangely. “But they finally said I could speak to Andrea alone in jail tomorrow. And, I’m going to find everything out.”

“You haven’t seen her in jail yet?” Cindy was astonished

“No, I haven’t,” said Mattheus.

“Do you want me to come with you?” asked Cindy.

“Not yet,” said Mattheus. “This is the first time I’ll have to myself with her. It will be better if you’re not yet around.”





Chapter 8


The hotel Mattheus had booked was almost walking distance from Petra’s home.

Rather than looking for a cab, Cindy and Mattheus decided to walk there together in the dark, with only the sliver of a new moon giving them light.

“We’ll go over things in the morning,” Cindy said as they moved along. “It’s best for both of us to get a good rest tonight.”

“Who says I can ever rest again?” Mattheus responded.

“Mattheus, this isn’t your fault,” Cindy stopped walking a moment and turned to him. “All this has been going on down here long before you ever met your daughter.”

“No, that’s not true,” Mattheus wouldn’t have it. “I came into the picture and rustled things up. I let Andrea think she could have a new life. Maybe I gave her the courage to do what she did?”

That startled Cindy. “What did she do? Kill her stepfather?”

Mattheus stared at Cindy a long time. “It’s possible, isn’t it?” he finally answered.