Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

“Only a certain amount of time allotted with each visitor here,” the guard informed him.

Disgruntled, Mattheus stood up. “I want to make another appointment right now,” he declared.

The guard just nodded, “Take it up with the officers in the front,” he said. “It’s up to them.”

Mattheus looked over at Andrea then who was looking at him with a helpless stare.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon, honey,” he said loudly. “Nothing’s gonna keep me away.”

*

As Mattheus turned and left through the narrow hallway, to his surprise, Petra was walking towards him with a short, muscular man at her side. A guard followed a few steps behind them.

“Petra,” Mattheus called out, but she simply threw him a strange glance as she walked past him, not stopping to say hello.

“This lady’s another handful. Sure can be uppity,” the guard remarked as Petra passed by. He seemed to feel badly for Mattheus for a moment.

“You can say that again,” said Mattheus, grateful for the guard’s support.

“If you want to talk to the cops about another appointment, this is the place to go,” the guard showed Mattheus a long, narrow room, filled with different cops and a receptionist up front.

Mattheus went up to the receptionist and just as he did, to his surprise, a side door opened and out came Sean. The two of them caught each other’s eye at the same moment.

“Well, if it isn’t Mattheus,” Sean came over.

“Nice to see you, Sean,” Mattheus replied, as if it were just a normal afternoon.

“How can I help you?” Sean replied.

“I just had a visit with my daughter, and would like an appointment for another one as soon as possible,” said Mattheus.

Sean’s eyebrows rose. “Hope it went well.”

“In some ways,” said Mattheus. “But it’s just a beginning, I need more time.”

“I can understand that,” Sean replied. “There’s a lot left to explore. How about coming into the back with me now, so we can talk things over.”

“Like what?” Mattheus hedged for a second, wondering if Sean wanted to interview him.

“You’re an important part of the picture,” Sean confirmed it.

Of course I am, thought Mattheus. Why shouldn’t I go? After all, this guy has been assigned to help me and Cindy. Mattheus wasn’t sure what to make of Sean, but it couldn’t hurt to find out. And, the picture of Petra walking down the hall with that guy bothered Mattheus tremendously. He urgently wanted to find out who he was, and what he was doing with her. Something was off, and he wanted to ask Sean about it. It would be great to have Sean as an ally, though Mattheus wondered if that was possible. There was a strange edginess between them and Mattheus felt it, even now.

“Come on back with me and we’ll talk,” Sean repeated, as Mattheus consented, curious to see where it would all lead.

*

The room Sean took Mattheus into had big open windows with a view of a long street. Mattheus looked out at the run down, second hand shops and people ambling about in and out of them.

“This must be quite a trip for you,” said Sean, as they sat down at a round table. “Not quite what you expected, I bet.”

“You can say that again,” Mattheus agreed. Even though Sean had a casual manner about him, Mattheus felt the intensity of his focus. “By the way, who was that guy Petra came in with? I saw them as I was leaving.”

Sean looked away. “I’m not at liberty to give you his name,” he said.”Why do you ask?”

Mattheus was jolted, suddenly reminded that he and Sean were not on the same team. The police were bent on keeping Mattheus an outsider and the conversation was not going to be between equals. Obviously, Sean had something else in mind.

“I find it odd that Petra would be with another guy so quickly,” Mattheus went on, anyway. It had really rankled him to see the two of them so cozy.

“What makes you think he’s another guy?” Sean looked surprised. “How do you know he’s not a friend, or brother?”

“Something about the way they were walking together,” Mattheus continued, taking Sean on. “I have a nose for what people mean to each other, have been in this business too long not to realize.”

“I know you’ve been investigating a long time,” Sean, relented, “and I’ve heard good things about the work you’ve done.”

Mattheus appreciated that.

“And why did you come down here, exactly?” Sean continued.

“I believe I answered that question at the police station, already,” Mattheus didn’t like being grilled.

“Yeah, I heard the broad outline,” Sean said, “but I’d like to know more about it.”

“Why?” asked Mattheus, suddenly cautious.

“It never hurts,” Sean tossed it off.

“I came down here to connect with my daughter,” Mattheus started, not wanting to appear obstinate and create more suspicion. If there was a way to get on Sean’s side, he was going to do it.

“You’d never met her before, is that right?” asked Sean.