Death by Jealousy (Caribbean Murder #6)

“You did the right thing, Nora,” Cindy said.

“What’s right about it?” Nora’s eyes were filled with tears.

“You’re helping the truth come to light. For all we know you could be leading us to Allie’s killer.”

“Oh God,” Nora started sobbing. “I can’t believe she’s really dead.”

A fierce wave of distress suddenly overtook Cindy when she thought of Allie going to the drug dealer. There was a web on the island they hadn’t yet uncovered. The police hadn’t said a word about it, either. Maybe that’s where the answers were waiting. Suddenly, a startling thought struck Cindy.

“Nora,” Cindy suddenly blurted out, “Could Allie have gone diving high on pot?”

“I don’t know about that,” Nora whispered. “But I think there’s a killer loose, running around.”

“What kind of killer, someone who knew Allie? Did she have enemies? Cindy couldn’t stop questioning her.

“Vivien hated Allie’s guts,” Nora was trembling and her head fell into her hands. “Who else? I don’t know if I’m crazy or not. People tell me I’m paranoid, but I also always thought how weird it was that Allie was so close to Tad.”

Cindy’s brain started whirling. “Tad, the best man? Close in what way?”

“Tad and Allie would talk on the phone all the time,” Nora whispered. “Peter had no problem with it, though. He said he was glad they were friends. Tad helped a lot with the wedding arrangements.”

“So, there’s nothing off about that,” said Cindy.

“To my mind there was,” Nora’s eyes opened wide. “Allie knew Tad and Vivien were hot and heavy. So, why would Allie make a point of calling him every day? The girl I knew years ago would never have done that. It was only after Allie met Peter that she started to change. If you want the truth, I agree with her mother. I never thought the relationship was so great for her. Something about Peter started to drive her crazy, make her act in strange ways.”

“Did you think Tad was better for Allie?” Cindy was fascinated. There was an intricate web in the relationships between these people. You pulled the web at one point and all of it began to fall apart.

“Tad was much better for Allie,” Nora went on in a hushed tone. “He would be better for anyone.”

“Did Allie think so? Did she want him?” asked Cindy.

“No, not that she ever said. She was obsessed with Peter. Completely obsessed.”

Nora was a fine young woman and Cindy appreciated talking to her. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate talking to you, Nora.”

Nora looked surprised. “Me? Why? Everyone knows I’m crazy. Please take everything I say with a grain of salt. I always see the worst.”

*

After Nora left, Cindy felt suddenly exhausted. Mattheus came into the room and sat down beside her, and Douglas stepped in two steps behind.

“Every word of your interview was recorded,” Douglas said curtly, shocking Cindy. “Actually, we were listening outside in our earphones.”

Cindy had a moment of horror, she’d betrayed Nora’s confidence.

“You should have let me know,” she said to Douglas.

“We’ve got a dead body, could be looking at homicide. Right now, anything goes. Next step you get Laura in here and find out where they got their pot. All kinds of gangs and drug dealers are spreading on the Island. We’ve got to wipe all of them out,” Douglas said.

“Seems unlikely the dealer would be involved in Allie’s death,” said Mattheus.

“Unlikely, but you never know.”

Laura was called down next, and came almost immediately, trembling and sobbing. She also ran over to Cindy and sat down at her side.

“Do you mind if we all talk to you together?” Cindy asked softly.

Laura shook her head and kept sobbing. “Ask me anything you want,” she said.

“We understand that you accompanied Allie to get drugs,” Cindy started.

Laura stopped crying instantly, looked up, scared.

“Just a little pot,” she said in a high voice. “I wouldn’t exactly call it drugs.”

“Marijuana is considered a drug,” Douglas said in a stiff tone.

Laura looked at Cindy desperately. “Am I in trouble now?”

“That’s not what this is about,” said Cindy, “but we need to know where you went for it.”

“Carlos Ramanos,” Laura gave him up fast. “I’ll write his address down on this paper.” She grabbed a pad that was in front of her and wrote the information down. “He’s a nice guy. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“Drugs kill,” Douglas reiterated.

Laura looked at him out of the corner of her eye and then turned back to Cindy.

“It was just a little pot, nothing else.”

“Does this guy deal other drugs, too?” asked Mattheus.

“I don’t know,” said Laura. “We never asked for anything else.”