Death by Jealousy (Caribbean Murder #6)

“I’m here to help, Allie,” Cindy repeated.

“Too late for that,” he rubbed his foot on the floor then, as if putting out an old cigarette.

“What else can I do for you? You want some hash?”

“I’m not here for drugs,” Cindy said plainly then. She wanted to be straight with him, see where it took her.

He shook his head up and down, taking her in. “You want to know why this happened?” he said, “who had something against Allie, why she’s dead?”

“Exactly,” said Cindy, her heart pounding, feeling as though she’d found a compatriot, someone who could truly help her, who deep down, wanted to.

“I have no idea,” said Carlos, “and I mean it. This shit took me for as much surprise as you. Allie was a beautiful, sweet girl who did everything anyone wanted from her, especially Peter.”

“Did Peter kill her?” Cindy asked in a hushed done.

“Absolutely not,” Carlos shook his head hard at that and shut his eyes.

Then he opened his eyes swiftly and looked out the back window. A car was pulling up along the other side of the house.

“Okay, get the hell out of here,” he said, swiftly, as the car screeched to a halt, parked, and three shifty looking guys got out.

Cindy was riveted to the spot, watching them approach the house.

“Get out,” Carlos shouted at her, “now.”

But it was too late. The guys pushed open a back door and swarmed inside. They stopped cold when they saw Cindy.

“Who’s that?” one spit out, looking her up and down, as though she were booty.

“She came for her stash,” Carlos muttered.

The guys didn’t buy it, edged closer to Cindy. One in particular looked at her threateningly, leering and rolling his tongue over his teeth. Cindy felt he could wipe her out in an instant, if Carlos gave him the word.

“Cut it out, Flandro,” Carlos said to him.

“Where’s her stash?” Flandro pointed to Cindy’s empty hands.

“Just about to get it,” said Carlos, when the other guy slithered up behind Cindy.

“Never saw this customer,” the other guy said, standing too close, smelling of filth and sweat.

“Back off, Pedro,” Carlos warned him, “there’s no time for this. She’s a friend of the family.”

Pedro took a few steps back, grinned, and shook his head.

“Nah, she’s lying to you. They’re coming themselves to pick the stash up.”

The tension in the room increased as Cindy felt the guys closing in around her.

Thankfully, the next moment, they all looked up and out the front window as a long, black car pulled up in front of the house.

“Alright, alright,” Carlos muttered. “They’re here themselves.”

Cindy looked as hard she could through the cracked, dirty, front window as someone got out of the car and began walking towards the house. She couldn’t make out who it was right away, but was able to see two other guys, like shadows, sitting in the back seat.

Carlos turned to Pedro abruptly. “You got the packages for them?”

“In the car,” Pedro said, as the man walking closer to the house moved out of the shadows and into the light.

Cindy suddenly grew cold and stared. Mac was strolling up to the front door, as if he’d been there a hundred times.

“Mac,” she breathed.

“You know the guy?” asked Carlos.

“Of course I know him.”

Mac pushed the front door open, walked into the room, and suddenly, completely stunned, stopped on a dime.

“Cindy?” he said bewildered. “Who told you to come here?” The muscles in his face grew taut.

“I came for Allie,” Cindy muttered.

“The girl’s dead,” Pedro grumbled, his face growing heated.

“Maybe,” said Cindy, “maybe not?” She liked saying that, liked watching the fear that flashed over their faces at the idea that it was possible that Allie might still be alive. Or, at the very least, that her spirit was here with them right now, watching them all.

“What are you doing here, Mac?” Cindy asked, feeling suddenly empowered.

“I’m going to drive you back to the hotel, we’ll talk it over,” said Mac, softly. Then he looked at the guys in the room. “My boys are in the car. You’ll give it to them and drive them where they need to go.”

Cindy shivered. Was Mac in on a drug dealing scheme? Who were the boys waiting in the back of his car?

Mac went to the front door the and out to his car.

Cindy watched him lean in the back window and say something to whoever was waiting back there. She rushed out the front door of the house after Mac just in time to see the back door of the car open and two young men duck out. As they made their way out of the shadows, towards the back of the house, Cindy could have sworn she saw Jared and Tad.





CHAPTER 15