Death by Engagement (Caribbean Murder Series, Book 12)

“Nothing is finished and done when a killer’s on the loose.” Cindy looked up at her as if they’d known each other forever, were old-time drinking buddies.

“Don’t know nothing about that killing, nothing!” the woman exclaimed.

Her sudden answer gave Cindy hope. The woman didn’t say she didn’t know anything about the killings that happened a few months ago, though.

“Who did they think killed those two girls a few months ago?” Cindy pressed forward confidentially.

“Billy Sears,” the woman mumbled without thinking, “everybody knows that. Of course, no one can pin it on him. They never will, either, if you ask me.”

“Where’s Billy now?” Cindy asked, straightening up a bit and looking right into the woman’s eyes.

“Long gone, honey, that’s the word on the street. Some say he’s down in Venezuela, hanging with the bobcat boys, if you know what I mean.”

Cindy didn’t know what she meant, but pretended as if she did. “Umm, hum,” she said.

“Those girls who died were in the wrong place at the wrong time, looking for trouble.” The heavy woman leaned closer to Cindy. “But don’t get me wrong, either. No one down here really thinks the killings are done. People down here are still edgy about what Billy will be up to next.”

“Sounds like you’re all sick and tired of him,” Cindy ventured.

“You got that right, anyway,” the fat woman agreed, rubbing her wrinkled forehead with the back of her hand.

“How about the police? You talk to them about it?” Cindy took another tack.

At that the fat woman grinned. “What do you take us for, idiots? We talk to the cops and before you know it, we’re gone, too.”

“You’re talking to me, though,” Cindy said in a muted tone.

“Yeah, but you’re not a cop. From the looks of it, you’re a tourist down here in these parts.”

Cindy didn’t know if she should be offended. “I’m a detective,” she repeated.

The fat woman just laughed. “Call yourself anything you want, honey. Down here in Amaneuten, you’re a school girl who hasn’t even had her first lesson.”

Cindy couldn’t help but smile back at that. “What’s the lesson?” she asked, intrigued.

“You got to learn that if you come down here alone, and step on the wrong toes, or talk to the wrong people, you’ll go back up home in a body bag. Now I think you’re cute and I like you, so I’m saying, just turn around, forget Billy Sears. And don’t tell anyone else he killed another woman up at a fancy hotel. People down here might laugh at you, but it’s not funny, because everyone’s scared he’s gonna come back and make it bad for all of us.”

“There’s no one down here who can stop him?” Cindy asked plainly.

“Can you stop the ocean when high tide’s coming in?” The woman’s eyes started to close again and her voice took on a grisly tone. “Who’s the woman you think he killed up there, recently?”

“She was a young woman down here with her fiancé looking for places to get married in,” Cindy said.

The big woman laughed at that. “Ah, the destination wedding crowd,” she mumbled.

“Is that what you call them?” Cindy felt uneasy.

“What a bunch!” The fat woman laughed louder and then shook her head, tossing away the possibility that Billy had anything to do with that one. “Nah.” Her voice became more emphatic. “That kind’s not Billy’s type. He doesn’t wrassle with the gals who have guys with them anyway, just the desperate ones who come down alone, looking for a good time.”

The door of the shop opened then and two local guys sauntered in, looking at Cindy strangely.

“She’s just a tourist who came in to get my blueberry jelly,” the fat woman quickly explained, protecting Cindy and turning to a shelf behind the counter. Then she grabbed two jars of blueberry jelly off the shelves and dumped them into a paper bag. “No problem.”

The guys gave Cindy a long, slow look, anyway.

“So, come back next week,” the fat woman continued to Cindy, “I’ll have the raspberry jam for you then.”

Cindy took the bag thankfully and looked over at the guys, who began closing in on her slowly, inspecting her more carefully.

“Step back,” the big woman ordered them, “you got to know who’s who.”

The guys decided to take the fat woman at her word then and moved away, making room for Cindy to leave.

Cindy walked quickly to the door then, thinking that it made more sense to come back later with Mattheus, if they found any connection between Billy Sears and Shari’s death.

*

Once she was outside, Cindy walked down the block, turned a corner and hailed a cab that was parked at the curb. Cindy knew her trip to Amaneuten had been short, but she was eager to get back and see Mattheus again. As she drove back to the hotel Cindy wondered whether Mattheus had contacted the police and let them know he was on the case now. Was he checking on Doug down at the station or using his computer in their room?