Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

“Was she in love with someone?” Cindy broke in, suddenly remembering how nervous Natalie had become when the topic came up.

“Andrea, in love?” Petra threw back her head and laughed. “She’s fifteen years old, doesn’t know what the word means.”

“Was there someone she had a special relationship with?” Cindy took a step closer to Petra, speaking in a threatening tone.

“Why?” asked Petra, ill at ease.

“Because I need to know,” Cindy said. “I heard there was someone else in her life and I want to know who.”

Petra put her hands on her hips, outraged. “Oh yeah? Who’d you hear that from? Natalie? You can’t believe a damn word that kid says. She’s got a big mouth and she runs it.”

Cindy was afraid to let Petra think Natalie had told her that, didn’t want to put Natalie in danger. “No, Natalie didn’t say that,” Cindy went on, “someone else told me.”

“Who?” Petra began to look alarmed as well now.

“It’s a well known fact,” Cindy lied.

The thought of it seemed to make Mattheus feel better though. “If there was someone Andrea loved, you’ve got to tell me, Petra,” he said to her. “It’s important, we need to know.”

“She didn’t love him, she didn’t love him,” Petra’s voice got more shrill. “She just hung out with some white guy to hurt me. That’s the kind of kid she could be.”

“How could it hurt you that Andrea hung out with someone she loved?” Cindy jumped in.

“He was a white guy,” said Petra. “Andrea made that point to me over and over. It made her feel like she was better than me.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Mattheus, horrified.

“Andrea told me about some white guy who loved her, then she wouldn’t say another word,” said Petra reluctantly. “I have no idea who.”

“What’s so bad about that?” Mattheus continued. “Her father was a white guy. You dated me.”

“For one night,” Petra spit out.

“Who is this guy? Where does he live?” Mattheus demanded.

“I truly have no idea,” Petra was shaken, “and frankly, I couldn’t care less.”

“This information could help us get Andrea out of jail,” Cindy, pulled herself, turning into the consummate professional.

“Who said she should get out of jail?” Petra lashed out at Cindy.

“You don’t want Andrea out of jail?” Cindy was breathless.

“For all we know she’s safer in there,” Petra insisted.

“Is that why you don’t want her out?” Cindy dug further. “Or, is there another reason? Someone else you’re protecting?”

That was way more than Petra could bear. “Get out of my house this minute,” she yelled.

“Calm down, Petra,” Mattheus put his hands on her shoulders then.

“This bitch just accused me of killing Cain,” Petra put her head on Mattheus’s shoulders, sobbing.

“Never said that,” Cindy retorted, watching her closely. “I just asked if you were protecting someone. I never said it was you.”

Petra just kept sobbing for a long while though on Mattheus’s shoulder, as he stood there, helpless and distraught.

*

Cindy waited for Petra’s sobbing to die down and for her to move her head off Mattheus’s shoulder.

“Get her out of here, get her out of here,” Petra finally said to Mattheus as her sobbing died down.

“It’s probably a good idea for you to step out and give Petra some time to calm down,” Mattheus said to Cindy in a sad tone.

Cindy felt Mattheus needed time to calm down as well, and absorb all he’d learned about his daughter.

“That’s fine,” Cindy said, unabashed. “I’m going to the jail to speak to Andrea now.”

“Not a good idea,” said Mattheus.

“No, it’s not,” Petra insisted.

“It’s the next step for me,” Cindy remarked calmly. “How about you, Mattheus?”

“And after I leave here I’m going talk to the guys,” Mattheus filled Cindy in.

Cindy stood there a moment, taking one last look around the room before she left. As she scanned the place more closely, to her surprise she saw a photo in a frame sitting on an end table that hadn’t been there before. The photo was of a stocky, handsome, Caribbean man about the same age as Petra.

“Who’s that?” Cindy asked casually, before turning around to go.

“Who?” Petra answered, getting up from the couch and quickly grabbing the photo.

Mattheus got up, followed her, took the photo from her, and opened his eyes wide.

“Who is he, Mattheus?” Cindy asked again.

“It’s the guy who accompanied Petra on her visit to the jail,” Mattheus answered disconsolately.

“He’s an old friend, my neighbor,” Petra insisted.

“You put a framed photo of a neighbor up in your living room?” she asked.

“She’s after me,” Petra hissed and turned to Mattheus. “And she’ll use anything she can get.”

Mattheus looked down at the photo again. “Must be a pretty good friend,” he agreed, “to be on display like this.”

Petra grabbed the picture away from Mattheus then. “Yes, he is,” she snapped. “So what?”





Chapter 15