Death by Engagement (Caribbean Murder Series, Book 12)

“She had too much to live for!” Tad corrected himself, hopelessly.

“Yes, of course, I understand,” said Cindy, “but didn’t Shari also suffer from long-standing depression? Perhaps that caused her to jump?”

“Nonsense,” Tad bellowed, in pain. “Shari felt better than she ever had these past months. She even stopped taking her medicine while we were dating. She didn’t need it anymore. We were happy.” Tad’s voice began wavering as if he were about to break into sobs. “Listen, I’m coming right down to Aruba. What’s the hotel her family’s staying in?”

Cindy gave him the information and he hung up without another word.

After Cindy put the phone down, she took a glass of water, drank it quickly and then went out onto the balcony to breathe some fresh ocean air and clear her mind. Was it possible that Shari was in love with Tad, and couldn’t bring herself to either marry Doug or break off the engagement? Did the bitter conflict cause her to end her life? This new possibility made Cindy feel dizzy. She lifted her head up toward the sky that had grown darker. Strong winds were picking up and Cindy felt them pushing forcefully against her. Even though this was hurricane season most of the local storms usually passed Aruba’s coastline. There was some blowback though, and Cindy wondered if these harsh winds weren’t the back end of some storm raging close by.

“Cindy, are you here?” Cindy heard Mattheus’s voice now calling.

“I’m out on the balcony, Mattheus, come out,” she called, relieved that he was back.

“I’m coming,” he called and in a minute was out there beside her, his arms flung around her strongly.

“Backend of a nearby storm,” Mattheus commented as the strong winds blew at both of them.

Cindy turned and faced Mattheus then, feeling shakier than she’d realized.

“I just put a call in to a guy named Tad, a recent ex-boyfriend of Shari’s,” Cindy said. “I had to give him the news. He’s on his way down here now, devastated.”

“A recent ex-boyfriend?” Mattheus asked, his brow curling. “Something serious?”

“Sounds like it, from the way he took the news,” said Cindy. “Shari’s sister, Deidre, thought so, too. Shari dated him while Doug and Cayenne were dating.”

“How recently did all this go on?” asked Mattheus, puzzled.

“In the past year, I believe,” said Cindy. “Doug and Shari were broken up for about six months and dated other people. Then they got back together and got engaged.”

“That’s not such an unusual story,” said Mattheus. “Lots of time there’s that one last fling before two people tie the knot. This way they’re absolutely positive that they’re right for each other.”

It definitely made sense, but still Cindy didn’t know why she felt so uneasy about it. Perhaps it was the depth of the despair in Tad’s voice.

“I just spent some time with Doug,” Mattheus went on. “He’s a lovely guy. Awful that this happened to him. He’s holding up quite well, though. His family just arrived and I asked if you and I could speak to them after they settled in a bit. Doug agreed immediately. He’s not hiding anything.”

Cindy thought that she’d like to speak to Doug’s ex-girlfriend Cayenne, too, but didn’t say so. She didn’t want to make things more complicated than they were already becoming. Clearly, Mattheus thought they were sailing on a breeze and would be done with the case before she knew it. Cindy felt otherwise.

“Oh yes, one more quick piece of news,” Mattheus just remembered. “Your mom and Frank are also on the way to Aruba as we speak.”

Cindy felt jarred. “On their way down here? That’s not just a piece quick news, it’s a bombshell,” she replied. “I don’t know why they didn’t check with me about it first.”

“They checked with me.” Mattheus smiled.

“We’re in over our heads as it is. The last thing we need is to spend time with them.” Cindy was uneasy.

“Not at all,” said Mattheus. “By the time they arrive and settle in, as I see it, our work will be practically done. We can certainly take some time for a family dinner then.”

“Practically done?” Cindy was astonished.

“Sure,” said Mattheus. “There’s hasn’t been a piece of evidence to contradict the conclusion that Shari committed suicide.”

“Plenty of innuendos, though,” Cindy remarked, irritated, “and plenty of trails that haven’t been fully followed.”

“Cindy, come on, remember what you promised? We’d go over it for a few days and it would be done?”

“And what if we come to a bump in the road? What then?” asked Cindy, flummoxed.

“If we come to a significant bump, we’ll deal with it then. But we haven’t,” Mattheus repeated.

Cindy hadn’t told Mattheus about her time with Deidre in detail, though, and didn’t plan to at the moment.