Death by Engagement (Caribbean Murder Series, Book 12)

Andrea interested Cindy a great deal. She seemed grounded and smart.

“How did you feel about your son’s upcoming marriage?” Cindy asked her directly.

“I was resigned to it,” Andrea responded bluntly. “Doug and I discussed the pros and cons many times. But ultimately, I agree with my husband, the choice of my son’s mate was up to him.”

“What were some of the cons?” Cindy couldn’t help but asking.

“Do we really have to go into this now, just when Shari’s died?” Doug was becoming flustered. “Isn’t this the time to speak well of her, remember her kindly?”

“Doug’s just like my mom in many ways,” Kate couldn’t help but speak up. “He always thinks deeply about what’s right for all.”

“Thank you, Kate.” Andrea took that as a compliment, turned to her daughter and managed a taut smile.

“I’m not as tactful as my mother, though,” Kate couldn’t help but add. “And I’m not as forgiving. I like to say what’s on my mind at all times.”

“Was there something you had to forgive Shari for?” Cindy was right on it. It was her job to discover hidden dissension, and she was good at it.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Kate replied. “Shari never did anything to me or anyone. But since we’re talking about it honestly, let me just say I was always worried about her mood swings.”

“She had mood swings or depression?” Mattheus intervened then.

“Both, I guess,” said Kate. “They’re the same, aren’t they?”

“Not exactly, but go on,” Mattheus was becoming more engaged.

Kate jumped on it, obviously needing to talk. “You’d make an appointment with Shari and she wouldn’t show. Everyone thought it was cute, but not me. I thought she just didn’t care enough. And I wondered how could someone like that make a good wife for my brother?” Kate seemed to feel victorious at having finally said what was on her mind.

“Shari’s mood swings were handled by her medication,” Doug responded flatly, suddenly sounding a great deal like his mother.

“But why would you marry someone who always needed medication?” Kate flushed as she confronted Doug again now.

“Pipe down, Kate, pipe down,” her father insisted again. “It’s a moot question now, anyway, isn’t it? Shari is gone.”

The shock of that statement, and the reality of what had just taken place, silenced everyone and hung heavily in the air.

In a little while Kate willfully broke the silence. “It wasn’t only Shari,” she went on, “it was the whole family. Shari’s twin sister, Deidre, is also strange, nobody will deny that.”

Again a harsh silence fell down upon them.

“What does the fact that Deidre was strange have to do with Doug marrying Shari?” Mattheus pursued it. “There’s always some strange family members that people have to contend with.”

“Not strange like Deidre, though.” Kate ‘s voice got louder. “She only has a few friends, never dates, spends hours alone hiking on weird trails. I mean that is strange. Did Doug really want that gene pool for his children?”

At that Doug stood up briskly, pushed himself away from the table, and stared at Kate.

“Why are you talking this way now? What’s wrong with you?” he practically shouted at her.

“Shari’s gone! There’s no reason to tear down her family now.”

“There’s never a reason to tear anyone down,” Doug’s father pronounced formally. “We accepted the family, we accepted the situation. In fact, Andrea and Marla, Shari’s mother, seemed to get on fairly well. Isn’t that so, Andrea?”

“Yes, of course it is. We had lunch together from time and time and it was entirely pleasant.”

Kate spun around in her chair then and looked out the back of the gazebo. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to talk against the dead,” she piped up. “I just wanted to help the investigation.”

“Thank you, Kate.” Cindy stood up and put her hand on Kate’s shoulder. “You helped us a lot.”

“I did?” Kate spun back around then. “How?”

“Yes, how?” asked Andrea, surprised by Cindy’s comment as well.

“It’s important to get a full picture when you’re trying to determine how a person really died,” Cindy responded.

“I beg your pardon?” Doug’s father stood up and spoke loudly. “What is there to determine, exactly? I was told it was clear that the cause of death was suicide.”

Doug turned to his father then. “Shari’s father hired Cindy and Mattheus to find out if that’s how Shari really died. He doesn’t believe it was suicide, he thinks it was foul play.”

Doug’s father seemed totally stunned. “I thought Cindy and Mattheus were simply here to help the families deal with the news and adjust to the situation,” he said, unbelievingly.

“We’re here to investigate a possible crime,” Cindy informed him.

“Why, that’s preposterous, it’s ridiculous!” Doug’s father insisted. “If I’d known that I’d never have spent this time with you.”