Death by Devotion (Caribbean Murder #9)

Cindy put her arms around her. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t want this to happen.”


“No, I didn’t,” breathed Andrea.

“You just wanted your family back together again,” Cindy said softly.

“That’s all I ever wanted,” said Andrea.

“And now you’ll have it,” Cindy replied.

“Wait a minute,” Mattheus stepped in. “I’ll take good care of Andrea and Petra, set them up in a new island, keep them safe, but as to our being a new family –that’s way too much.”

Petra looked over at him with sad eyes. “Time will tell,” she whispered, “time will tell.”

“And what about you, Cindy?” Sean intervened.

“I’m returning to the States immediately,” said Cindy. “My ex sister in law and her former husband are trying to take my house away from me. I’ve got to fight it in court.”

“What?” Mattheus exclaimed startled. This was the first time he’d heard about it.

“We didn’t have a chance to talk about it before,” said Cindy.

“Why are they doing it?” Mattheus was upset.

“They want the place for their own purposes,” Cindy remarked. “What difference does it make? I have to be back there to fight it.”

“Do you have a good lawyer back home?” asked Sean.

“Not yet,” said Cindy, “but I’ll find one.”

“You might have found one already,” said Sean. “I’ve been discharged from the police force as of right now.”

Everyone grew completely silent. Cindy was horrified, “Why?”

“There’s all kinds of reasons they’re giving me,” said Sean, “but they don’t amount to a thing.”

“I told you,” said Mattheus, agitated, “the force is loaded with corruption. Sean stepped out and did what was right, and he got canned.”

Sean smiled wanly, “something like that, maybe,” he said.

“I’m so sorry,” said Cindy, touched to the core.

“I’m not,” Sean said. “This isn’t the right place for me, either. Sooner or later I had to get out of here.”

“So you’re leaving sooner rather than later,” said Cindy.

“I’m leaving at exactly at the right time,” Sean replied. “And nothing wrong with a hiatus back in the States working as a lawyer on a worthwhile case,” he smiled.

Mattheus looked over at Sean, blanching. “Are you making Cindy an offer?” he asked.

“Something like that,” said Sean. “It can’t hurt for her to have support in protecting what is hers.”

“You’re right,” said Mattheus. “I want Cindy to have all the protection she can.”

Cindy was stunned by Mattheus’s response, had no idea what to say.

Mattheus took a step closer to her. “We both have things to take care of,” he said softly.

Cindy wondered if this was good bye.

“I have to trust that what is right between us will happen,” Mattheus continued, amazing her.

“I have to only hope and pray that soon we’ll be back together working on cases, and more.”

Cindy wanted to cry, but kept herself from it. “Where are you headed to, Mattheus?” she asked.

“I’m going to settle Andrea and Petra is St. Croix. I have a network there who can look after them. After that, I hope you will join me.”

Cindy heart was pounding. “Let’s see how everything goes,” she said.

A reporter rushed over to them at the moment. “The news is out on TV and all kinds of calls for new cases are coming in for you guys,” he exclaimed.

“That’s good,” said Mattheus, “very good. We both have business to take care of first, and then we’ll be ready to.”

Sean came over and stood beside Cindy and Mattheus then. “You guys are terrific,” he commented. “Who knows, maybe, in the future, I can even work on some of these cases with you?”

“Let’s see, let’s see,” said Cindy. “For now, one step at a time.”