Death by Jealousy (Caribbean Murder #6)

“We have to know.”


“What difference does it make?” Nora asked then, “she’s dead now, isn’t she? We’ll never see her again.”

“Yes, she is, but we need to know more.”

“It won’t bring her back,” Nora looked at Cindy vacantly, “and I don’t want to talk against the dead. I just want to remember the good things about her. We were close for lots of years.”

“I realize,” said Cindy vehemently, “but for all we know your information will save someone else’s life.”

“That’s what I asked you before!” Nora said. “I asked if we were all in danger? You didn’t think so.”

Tell me what were you warning Allie about?” Cindy demanded.

Nora breathed heavily. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Nora started.

“Those promises don’t matter anymore,” Cindy said softly.

“Allie was addicted to pot. It became much worse after she met Peter. I kept telling her to cut it out but she got to a point where she couldn’t do without it.”

“Wasn’t it obvious to everyone?” Cindy asked.

“No. She was great at hiding it and people looked the other way. Mostly everyone pretended it wasn’t happening.”

Cindy was nonplussed. “Everyone?”

“Yes,” said Nora, “except me, Allie’s mother and one other friend. Her mother was revolted. She even told Allie that if she didn’t cut it out she was going to report her to the police.”

“What did Allie say about that?”

“She just laughed,” said Nora. “She told me her mother couldn’t do anything to her anymore, so now she was threatening to go to the police.”

“That’s quite a threat,” said Cindy. “Did her mother make good on it?”

“I have no idea,” said Nora, looking away. “But her mother meant the best by it, she wanted to protect Allie, not only from drugs, but from everything. Her mother wasn’t happy about her relationship with Peter either, she said he was stealing Allie away from her.”

“Was that true?”

“How could it be true? Allie fell in love. She deserved to be happy, didn’t she?” asked Nora.

“Of course she deserved to be happy,” said Cindy, “everyone does. But was he getting between her and her mother?”

“No, it wasn’t Peter. It gave Allie a thrill to get back at her mother,” Nora went on. “It gave her a thrill to have jewels from Peter and show them off. Allie finally felt she was worth something.”

“Finally?” asked Cindy.

“For years Allie couldn’t do anything right,” Nora went on heatedly. “Whatever she did her mother criticized her. But her mother just wanted to make her a better person. I told her that time and again.”

A new picture of Allie was emerging, but Cindy felt as if she could sympathize with the struggles Allie had gone through. She’d just gone about it all the wrong ways. She thought jewels would make her important and depended on drugs to ease her relentless pain.

“I told Allie to give up pot during the wedding. But she couldn’t,” said Nora.

“Did she bring it down to the Island with her?” Cindy asked.

“No. There’s a guy down here she got it from.”

Cindy’s back arched. Now there was a drug dealer was in the picture. This was important information! They should have been aware of it before.

“Who was dealing drugs to her? I have to know.” Cindy demanded instantly.

“I have no idea,” said Nora, “I really don’t. Allie wanted to tell me but I told her it was more information than I needed to have. I begged her to stop.”

“I have to find out who he is,” Cindy insisted, “we should have known about him long ago.”

“Ask Laura then,” Nora whispered.

“Laura, her Maid of Honor?” Cindy was shocked.

“Laura went with her to get the stuff because Allie was scared to go there alone,” said Nora.

“What about Peter?” Cindy was amazed.

“He wouldn’t go,” Nora continued. “He didn’t want any part of it. Peter’s an upright guy, kind of stiff if you asked me. A lot like his father.”

“Did Peter know that Allie smoked? “asked Cindy, “was it a bone of contention between them?”

“Maybe in the beginning, but I don’t think he realized how much the habit grew,” said Nora. “There’s lots of things Peter doesn’t realize. He’s the kind of guy who blocks out what he doesn’t like, looks for the best in everybody. If he doesn’t find it, he’s usually shocked. For instance, Peter thought Allie should accept his friendship with Vivien. Nothing Allie said could make him think differently. He wants life to be the way he wants it to be. He believes what he believes.”

“Not an easy guy to be in a relationship with,” Cindy murmured.

“Very easy if you’re the person he thinks you should be,” said Nora.

Cindy shook her head. “I’ve got to talk to Laura, find out more about who was dealing drugs.”

“Please don’t tell Laura I told you,” Nora started trembling.