Death by Jealousy (Caribbean Murder #6)

After insisting upon paying the taxi driver, Mac drove Cindy away, back up the incline, through the rocky, dirt roads, to civilization. Cindy was amazed at how relieved she felt to be in the car with him, returning to the hotel.

As they took off, Cindy looked out the window, and neither of them said a word for quite a while. Finally, Mac broke the silence.

“Don’t ever go back there alone, again,” he said.” You’re playing with fire.”

Cindy knew he was right.

“There are parts of this Island you just don’t belong in,” Mac spoke calmly and definitively. “There’s no reason for you to be there, either. What goes on down there has nothing at all to do with the case. It’s a side bar.”

“Everything could have something to do with the case,” Cindy replied. “You never know what will blow it all open.”

Mac switched on the radio, and once again, Cindy felt the bristling energy between them.

“There’s nothing to blow open anymore,” Mac said as a slow song came on. “You got the autopsy report. There’s nothing irregular, just what would be expected in a Scuba drowning accident.”

“So why don’t I belong down here?” Cindy wanted to hear more.

“How’d you find out about Carlos, anyway?” he went on, “through one of the girls?”

“Yes,” said Cindy.

“So? Allie liked pot. Some of us knew it, some looked the other way. Is that such a crime?” Mac was undaunted.

“It’s quite a crime down on this Island,” Cindy replied, “especially if you’re dealing.”

“Allie wasn’t a dealer,” said Mac. “I promise you that.”

“So, what was she doing visiting Carlos regularly?”

“She just went there to pick up stuff for herself. She and Carlos knew each other for a long time. He was good to her, gave her all she wanted, plus a nice discount.”

Cindy was surprised that Mac took is so casually.

“Seems like you knew all about her dealings,” said Cindy, turning sharply to him.

“Of course I knew,” Mac continued, matter of factly. “It’s my job to know whatever goes on with anyone connected to the company. I keep an eye on things.” Then he flashed her a charming smile. Too charming, thought Cindy, as she trembled.

“So, what brought you here?” Cindy continued, as the cool, salty air came through the car window, blowing over their faces.

“I’ll tell you if you promise we can have more time to talk, later on,” Mac said.

“We can have more time to talk, of course,” said Cindy.

“And, if you promise,” Mac continued, “that you’ll never go down there again, alone.”

“I was actually planning to go down with Mattheus today,” said Cindy.

“Mattheus is going to be tied up at our office all day,” Mac replied. “That guy’s like a dog gnawing on a bone.”

“He’s going through your records,” Cindy replied, “that’s a normal part of an investigation.” She was interested to hear what Mac would say.

“He’s obsessed, if you asked me,” Mac went on, “scrambling for whatever he can find.”

Cindy smiled. “It’s a detective’s job to be obsessed,” she said lightly. As they drove she felt more and more at ease with Mac and felt the connection between them grow stronger.

An old Spanish love song came on and Mac slowed the car down. Cindy was glad, she was in no rush to get back to the hotel and be in her room alone right now.

“It seems like you could have a much better life than running around in the Caribbean, with an obsessed detective, hunting for killers,” Mac said quietly.

He was right, thought Cindy suddenly, feeling a wave of sadness engulf her.

“You’re a special woman, Cindy,” Mac turned and looked at her. “I really mean that.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Mac saw them. “Is something wrong? What’s going on in your life?”

Cindy wiped her eyes quickly. Once again he’d shifted the focus to her.

“You’re the one who’s supposed to be telling me about yourself, remember?” she said.

Especially what you were doing down there with Carlos?”

“I remember,” said Mac, as he pulled off the road, under a huge, old tree with branches that

seemed to extended forever, creating a little world of its own beneath them. Cindy felt as if the two of them had entered a natural arbor where they were totally safe and apart from the world.

“I’m a man of my word and I’ll answer your questions, if you’ll answer mine,” Mac spoke in a throaty tone, as the branches waved slightly in the wind.

“You first,” said Cindy.

“The drug regulations are rough on this Island, and stupid, if you asked me,” Mac went on. “Everyone who comes down here on vacation wants a little pot now and then. And the people who live and work down here enjoy some, too. Parties and dinners go on all the time. It’s part of the natural course of business.”

Mac spoke in such a matter of fact tone that Cindy felt herself getting lulled in, drawn into his scenario.