Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

“What happened?” asked Andrea nervous. “Why are you here so late? Did something happen to my mom?”


Cindy thought it was interesting that Andrea would think that. “Why do you think that?” she probed.

“Because she’s all alone now,” Andrea’s voice sounded as if she were wailing.

“What about her friend? The neighbor who came here with her?” Cindy asked promptly.

“He’s just a neighbor, he’s in and out,” Andrea looked more frightened. “If she’s alone anyone can harm her.”

“Was that your job, Andrea, to take care of your mother?” Cindy asked then, breathlessly.

“It was one of my jobs,” said Andrea. “Why?”

“And what were the others?” Cindy had to hear.

“What do you want from me now? Why did you come so late?” Andrea’s lower lip started to tremble.

Cindy reached out her hand and put it on Andrea’s. “I didn’t come to upset you. I came to tell you interesting news. It could be important, it could help you.”

“What is it?” Andrea’s eyes opened.

“But you have to cooperate with me, too,” Cindy took her hand back. “You have to answer my questions.”

“I’m answering them as best I can,” Andrea looked both helpless and terrified at the same time.

Cindy decided to calm her down, give her the news and hoped that would cause her to respond.

“I went to Magenta Tavern,” Cindy started, “and the bartender told me he saw you there.”

“What?” Rather than relieve her, she grew more alarmed. “Why did you do that? That’s crazy.”

“I went to confirm your alibi,” Cindy exclaimed. “No one else had, I told you I wanted to. And I did. The bartender said he saw you there with a guy. Is he the one who loves you?”

“Shut up,” Andrea snapped back. “It’s none of your business.”

“Of course it’s my business, I’m here to help you, Andrea.”

“That’s what he said too, he said he’d always help me. But where is he now? Nowhere. Has he even come to the jail once to see me? No. None of my friends have come to visit. And I’ve even gotten a weird note saying that now he’s seeing someone else.”

“I want to see that note, Andrea, I have to see it,” Cindy said intensely.

“I ripped it up right after I read it,” Andrea exclaimed. “Then I got other notes, pressuring me to confess, or else.”

“Did you rip those up too?” asked Cindy.

“Of course. The notes said I should rip them up right away, or I’d get beaten even worse than ever. And besides that, I hear someone walking back and forth outside my cell late at night. When I told the police, they paid no attention.”

“Andrea, you must tell me who beat you up?”

“I’m not sure, I don’t know, they had a mask on,” she finally breathed. “There are all kinds of idiots who enjoy beating me up.”‘

“You’ve got to tell me who the guy is you were with at Magenta’s,” Cindy insisted now. “They saw you with him at Magenta’s but no one will say who. I asked but they wouldn’t!”

Andrea shot up and started pacing back and forth. “You did the wrong thing, you did the wrong thing,” she howled, breathlessly. “It’s nobody’s business, no one at all. You’re making it worse for everybody.”

Cindy was shocked by her reaction. She got up and caught her by the shoulders.

“Andrea, calm down this minute,” Cindy spoke in an authoritative tone. “If you have an alibi and someone confirms it, it will help you get out of jail.”

“So then they’ll kill me the minute I get out,” Andrea started moaning.

Cindy began to tremble as well. “Who’s gonna kill you, Andrea?” she asked in a soft voice.

“You’ve got to tell me.”

“I never will,” Andrea hissed, “or they’ll kill my mom, too.”

“Who? Who?” Cindy demanded.

“I can’t tell you,” Andrea broke into sobs.

“Is the person connected with the guy who loves you?” Cindy had to know.

“I said I can’t tell you, and I can’t,” Andrea went on, yanking away from Cindy. “I want to go back to my cell now,” she yelled in a loud voice. “I want to go back to my cell, I want to go back to my cell.”

In a minute the guard came rushing down the hallway. “What’s the commotion here? What’s going on?” he asked.

“I want to go back to my cell,” Andrea kept shouting.

He put his arms on her shoulders, “Okay, okay, you’re going,” he said, throwing Cindy a nasty glance. “What the hell did you say to upset her so much?”

Cindy shook her head slowly. Obviously, Andrea felt her life was in danger.

“Is Sean around?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, he’s around,” the guard looked put out. “In fact, I already let him know you’re here.” Then he disappeared with Andrea, back to the holding cell.

Stunned and agitated, Cindy got up and walked back to the front. As soon as she got there, Sean was waiting. He came over to her quickly.

“What happened?” he asked, concerned

“I’m not really sure,” said Cindy disheartened.

“Come on,” said Sean, putting his hand on Cindy’s elbow, “I’m taking you back to the hotel.”