Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

Cindy and Sean had a brief lunch before she left to visit Petra. The time she’d spent with him had been both pleasant and unnerving. It was incredibly upsetting to have learned that Mattheus had been brought up on charges and hadn’t told her about it. But, perhaps it was just part of a detective’s life and he hardly thought anything of it. He had been exonerated, after all. Was Sean systematically trying to drive a wedge between them, create doubt in Cindy? Certainly, Mattheus was doing that, making Cindy suspect Sean and the entire police force.

Cindy took a cab straight to Petra’s home. As she drove back into that neighborhood she began to feel constricted and tense. It wasn’t pleasant coming here alone. She wondered how Mattheus was doing now, talking to the guys in the gang. Was it possible he’d actually get to talk to Pedro, the leader of the whole thing?

The taxi stopped in front of Petra’s home and Cindy got out, paid him, and walked up the narrow front pathway. What if Petra were out for the afternoon? What if her visit was for nothing? Perhaps she really should have called. When Cindy got to the door, she rang the bell and then knocked loudly.

To Cindy’s delight, in a few minutes, Petra came to the door and flung it open. She actually looked beautiful, wearing loose, silk, printed slacks and a fitting tunic, with her hair loose around her face. Cindy wondered if she had a visitor? It was clear that Cindy was definitely barging in.

Petra’s eyes opened wide the minute she saw Cindy. “What are you doing here now?” she exclaimed.

“I just happened to be in your neighborhood,” Cindy lied, “and was hoping we could have a few words.”

“Ever hear of the phone?” Petra snapped back. “Why didn’t you call and ask before you arrived?”

Cindy had no decent answer to that. “Just a spur of the moment thing,” she replied.

Petra didn’t like it, but couldn’t close the door on Cindy, either. “Well, you’re here, come in,” she murmured.

Grateful, Cindy walked through the narrow hallway and into the living room. The windows were all open and it was breezy. Cindy looked around a moment and then couldn’t move, just stood staring. Mattheus sat there, on the couch.

“Mattheus?” Cindy finally murmured when she could catch her breath.

Mattheus quickly stood up from the sofa. “What are you doing here now?” he replied, equally startled.

“You’d have thought she’d call,” Petra came up behind Cindy. Then she walked over to Mattheus, put her hand on his shoulder and pressed slightly, so he would sit back down. He did and Petra quickly took her place beside him.

“I thought you were down talking to the guys,” Cindy barely mumbled.

“I had business to finish with Petra first,” Mattheus was caught between them.

Cindy’s voice got louder. “You came down here to tell her I was going to come and talk to her?”

“Exactly,” Petra crooned, a little smile creeping over the edge of her mouth. “He was being a gentleman, looking after me.”

“And now I’m the enemy?” Cindy shot back.

“I wanted to give Petra time to prepare to see you,” Mattheus haltingly replied.

“Prepare in what way?” Cindy grew more irate with each passing moment. Was Mattheus actually working against her? Was what Sean said true? Had he called her down here to be his foil?

“I’ve been through enough shocks for one lifetime,” Petra quickly broke in. “He was just letting me know you were going to come and grill me again.”

“I never said that,” Mattheus interrupted.

“No, but you said something like it,” crooned Petra.

Mattheus swallowed hard.

“What exactly did you say to Petra?” Cindy asked, furious.

“I simply said you’d be coming over to talk to her about her life with Andrea. I said the discussion wouldn’t be easy and that she should get ready for it.”

“Is it supposed to be easy, Mattheus?” Cindy drew a step closer to him. “A man has been killed and your daughter is in jail for the murder.”

Petra stood to her feet and snapped, “It’s far from a done deal, believe me. The medical examiner’s report isn’t in it. The time of death hasn’t been determined. Andrea said she was with a friend during most of the day and people were with her.”

“Do you know that for a fact, Petra?” Cindy zeroed in on her.

“No, I don’t,” she said. “I don’t know anything.”

“It should be easy enough to find out,” said Mattheus, also standing. “The people who saw her will tell us.”

“And maybe they won’t?” Cindy couldn’t look at him. “When I spoke to one of them, she said the kids had made up their minds not to talk to me.”

“Not to you, maybe?” said Petra, “but they’ll talk to Mattheus.”

“Oh really? How do you know that?” Cindy moved in on her.