Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

“Yes, he was,” Sean replied. “And he did his dirt right from his jail cell – saw to it that plenty of people disappeared. He worked directly for the Kingpin, did what the guy needed.

That made him extra valuable.”

“So, lots of people must have wanted him dead,” Cindy jumped on it. “They must be happy about this.”

“Sure they are,” Sean seemed to enjoy their discussion. “Lots of goons are gloating

because he’s gone. And you know what they’re especially happy about? They’re thrilled they got a suspect for the crime sitting in the clinker, nicely tied up. This way no one looks any further.” Sean stopped to see if Cindy got what he was talking about.

“You’re telling me it’s dangerous to look further, not to muddy the waters?” Cindy was rattled.

“I’m telling you your life will be in danger if you probe Cain’s network too deeply,” Sean said. “Leave that for us to do.”

Cindy suddenly felt exhausted. Whose team was Sean on anyway? Was he protecting Cain and his buddies? Was he also pleased that suspicion was focused on Andrea, Petra and Mattheus? Cindy pushed her chair away from her table then.

“Thanks for letting me know how things work here, Sean,” she said quickly.

“Hold on, wait a minute,” he said, pushing his chair away along with hers. “I’m not telling you to cover anything up. I’m just telling you to be careful. Don’t go there alone. Don’t investigate it out in the open. Do it quietly, undercover. And, if you have to go there, I’ll go with you.”

Cindy didn’t know what to think.

“Look at me, Cindy,” Sean said then, standing up. “Do I look like the kind of guy who would ask you to brush anything under the rug?”

Cindy smiled. No, he didn’t, not at all. Sean looked just exactly what she needed at the moment. And she had no idea how he’d come into her life.





Chapter 9


The cell Andrea was being held in was in back of the police station, tucked under a low hanging shed. There was a small window that let in some air, a bed, a chair, sink and toilet. Other than that, it was bare. Because they’d found her right beside Cain, his blood all over her, there’d been no problem getting her locked away.

Mattheus hadn’t yet been allowed to speak to his daughter directly. He’d spoken to her briefly over the phone, told her he was on the case. She’d mumbled something and hung up fast. Today would be the first time he saw her in person since the murder.

The guard led him down along the little corridor that led to the visitor’s section. Andrea would be brought out and the guard would stand watching them from behind.

“You wait here,” the guard said to Mattheus as they got closer. There was a small wooden table and two rickety chairs in the waiting section, and a ceiling fan that kept whirling the stuffy air around.

Mattheus sat down and waited, hardly able to breathe. Beads of sweat covered his forehead as he wondered what Andrea would actually say. He knew he had to approach this like a detective, but his fatherly feelings got the better of him. He thought how much he’d love to grab her and for the two of them to escape.

In a few minutes Andrea walked into the holding section, accompanied by the guard. She wore loose overalls, a T shirt and looked sweaty, messy and distraught.

“Andrea, honey,” Mattheus immediately jumped up to greet her, as she looked away.

“It’s me, your dad.”

Andrea looked down at the floor as the guard led her to a chair opposite Mattheus.

After she was seated and the guard took his position in the back of the room, Andrea looked up at her father.

“This has got to be awful,” Mattheus said the moment his eyes caught hers.

“Why are you here?” Andrea replied glumly.

Mattheus was taken aback. She seemed in a fog, enclosed in a world of her own.

“I’m here to help you,” he said, wondering if his words even got through.

“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled.

“Believe it or not, I’m on case,” he continued. “I’m gonna find out who did it and get you out of here.”

“Fat chance,” she said sullenly. “The police are convinced it was me.”

“Why do they think that?” Mattheus needed to hear more from her.

Andrea’s eyes flashed with sudden hatred. “Because I had the bastard’s damn blood all over me.”

Mattheus couldn’t sit still. “And how did that happen?”

“Cause when I got there, he was laying flat in a pool of blood. Hell, I yelled and bent down over him to see if he was still breathing? It’s possible, you know!”

“Anything is always possible,” Mattheus commiserated.

“I wanted to pump on his heart and bring him back,” Andrea spoke in a throaty tone. “I know how to do that.”

“And then what happened?” Mattheus was spellbound.

“I leaned on him and tried to make him move. He didn’t,” Andrea went on. “Then I saw the knife laying there in the corner. His throat had been slashed.”

This was the first Mattheus had heard about a knife and how exactly Cain had died.

“I grabbed the knife to look at it,” Andrea went on, the words pouring out.