Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

“You guys enjoy collecting suspects?” she asked. “No one left out?”


“You can’t believe Mattheus could be involved?” Now Sean was questioning her.

“I can believe anything, if I have enough evidence,” Cindy replied swiftly. “What do you have on Mattheus?”

“Not much,” Sean leaned back a bit. “He’s just a loose cannon who was heard threatening Cain the day before he was killed. Hell, the guy came down to rescue his daughter and found this creep was beating her. That’s plenty of motive, isn’t it? Any decent guy would want to take the creep out.”

“It sounds that way,” Cindy had to agree, “but Mattheus would never kill anyone. He’s not capable of it.”

Sean stopped and stared long and hard. “You’re still in love with the guy?”

“No,” Cindy said bruskly. She said it and meant it. “I’m definitely not in love with him, but I know him well. He’s my partner and friend. We’ve worked together.”

“At the police station you said the two of you were about to get engaged,” Sean jumped on it.

“Yes, we were about to get engaged. But we’re not now,” Cindy defended herself.

“How long ago was that?” Sean was keen and kind at the same time. Nothing would slip through the cracks with him.

“Did you come here to interrogate me?” Cindy felt unsettled.

“No, I didn’t, not at all,” Sean toned it down. “I just want to point out that it’s inevitable that you would still have feelings for him. So, you can’t trust what you think of him now. Those kinds of feelings blur everything.”

“Not always,” said Cindy.

“Always,” Sean echoed. “No one can see straight when they’re in love. Or, for a long time afterwards, either. Falling in love messes up the works. Boy, does it, ever.”

Sure, falling in love messed things up, as far as solving crimes went, but Cindy also thought of Ann’s words then. Life wasn’t just about solving crimes. There was a bigger picture. People needed love, they deserved it.

“I thought Mattheus and I could do both,” Cindy said quietly, “be in love and solve crimes at the same time.”

Sean smiled warmly, “You could have, as long as the crime you were solving involved someone else.”

“So what are you saying?” she asked.

“I’m saying Mattheus can’t be ruled out,” Sean replied intently.

Cindy felt a knife go through her heart at the thought that Mattheus could be implicated. “But he didn’t do this,” she insisted.

“I hope you’re right,” Sean replied. I really do, but I also need clear evidence – there’s a lot more to investigate.”

Cindy was impressed. Sean had thought a lot about things and wasn’t satisfied

with second hand answers. He wasn’t willing to take the party line, either. He knew what he was doing, was smart and strong.

“You’re right on target,” Cindy responded, “your arguments are air tight.”

“They should be,” said Sean slowly, “I didn’t go to law school for nothing. I’m a trained lawyer, used to prosecute cases.”

Cindy was surprised, but it made perfect sense. Sean wasn’t anything like the other police officers. “Why did you give up the law?” she asked him.

“Who said I did?” Sean grinned. “I’m on it daily, without being stuck in an office. Wading through papers was way too confining. I like the outdoors, moving around, meeting people face to face. I’m a guy who lives by my gut.”

Cindy shivered. She got it, she knew him, could relate to everything he said.

“You’re fantastic, Cindy,” Sean said then, from out of nowhere.

Cindy had no idea what prompted that. “Thanks,” she said. “I guess it’s unusual to be with a woman detective.”

“No, it’s unusual to have a woman you can really talk to who gets it,” Sean replied. “It’s unusual to have a woman who feels the same way you do.”

Cindy flushed. How did he know she felt the same way? It was great talking to him as well, but she wanted to focus back on the case. It was too easy to get detoured.

“What should I know about the underworld here?” Cindy turned back to business.

“Know to keep away from them unless I’m there too,” Sean replied, in no uncertain manner.

“What else? They’re into drugs?”

“That’s the least of it,” Sean continued, “money laundering, sex, trafficking, corrupt, diseased enforcement. Rotten jails. They got their grubby hands stretched out into everything in the island. And I mean everything.”

Cindy shuddered. The island had such an untouched, balmy feeling to it. It was so beautiful, and the other side was filled with elegant hotels, restaurants, shopping, beaches, a perfect haven for visitors.

Sean seemed to know what she was thinking. “The trouble here doesn’t touch the tourists,” he said. “It’s way, way deeper than that.”

“Cain was an ex con, wasn’t he?” Cindy pursued it.