Death by Jealousy (Caribbean Murder #6)

“Why don’t you call this Edward guy and tell him we’ve arrived?” said Mattheus briskly.

“Don’t you want to change from the trip or shower?” asked Cindy.

“No, I’m ready to go right to work,” Mattheus said.

Cindy could see he was getting revved up again. It saddened her for a moment. She’d hoped they’d have even a little time together, even just to stand on the balcony and look out at the sea.

“Okay,” she said in a clipped tone, and picked up the phone to call Edward McPharlen and tell him they were ready to go.





CHAPTER 3


Edward McPharlen sounded startled when the call came from Cindy, telling him that they had arrived.

“That’s fabulous,” he said, “we’ve been counting the hours. Thank you so very much.”

“It’s our pleasure,” said Cindy, “where would you like to meet?”

“How about the back veranda of the hotel, it’s quieter there and more private,” he said in a hushed tone, leading Cindy to wonder who he feared might be listening to their conversation. “How soon can you come?”

“Immediately,” said Cindy, not missing a beat.

“Really?” He sounded impressed. “You don’t need some time to settle in and catch your breath?”

“We’re ready,” said Cindy, “and thank you so much for the flowers and basket.”

“It’s the least we could do,” he said, ever the gentleman Cindy remembered him to be. “We’ll be down there in five minutes then.”

“We’re on,” said Cindy to Mattheus, “let’s go.”

Cindy and Mattheus easily found their way to the back veranda. They took the elevator to the main floor, turned towards the back of the sprawling hotel and stepped outside along a narrow walking path that led through groves, down an incline, to a beautiful, thatched, outdoor veranda.

Almost empty, the veranda was situated underneath a large straw roof, where the late afternoon sun could filter through. Only a few tables had guests at them, talking to each other, drinks in their hands.

Cindy and Mattheus arrived at the entranceway and were shown to a table at the side, nestled out of view, besides vines of bourgenvallias.

The Maitre D’ held out Cindy’s seat and she slipped in gracefully.

“We’ll both have Sangria,” Mattheus said, as he took his seat.

Cindy looked at Mattheus, uneasy. In the beginning of their relationship, he used to order her food without checking with her, but that had longed ceased. She had no idea what led him to believe that she wanted a glass of Sangria now.

As if reading her mind, Mattheus said, “You once told me Sangria was your favorite drink. Just wanted to let you know I didn’t forget.”

Cindy sighed and decided not to make more of this. Mattheus was just being considerate and besides, they had much more important matters at hand. In a moment or two Edward and Dana would be arriving. She wanted to create a calm, settled atmosphere for them.

True to their word, a few minutes later, Cindy looked up and saw Edward and Dana McPharlen walk into the veranda and over to their table without a moment’s hesitation. Edward was tall, with salt and pepper hair, impeccably groomed, and dressed in casual linen slacks and a conservative, blue sport shirt. Dana, who seemed pale and drawn, looked a bit more disheveled, her hair drifting down along the sides of her face in some disarray.

Mattheus stood up as they approached and so did Cindy.

Before Cindy could say a word, Dana rushed over and hugged her. It was almost as if Dana were a little girl holding onto her mother. Cindy felt Dana’s fear wash through her.

Mattheus introduced himself to Edward and they all sat back down and pulled their chairs a bit closer to one another.

“I’m so sorry,” Cindy kept saying to both Dana and Edward, looking back and forth between them.

“This is not our son’s fault,” Dana started shaking her head, “Peter didn’t do a thing. This is a nightmare we can’t wake up out of.”

Edward was calmer, more deliberate. “We wanted to meet you in the back of the hotel because police and plain clothes men are all over, watching and listening to everything. They’ve got cameras and videos hidden everywhere. For all we know some are seated right beside us.”

Cindy looked around briefly, but most tables were empty.

“The police have to make sure that nothing escapes them, of course,” said Edward.

“They don’t think it was an accident?” Mattheus asked plainly.

“They’re on the fence about that,” Edward answered, clearing his throat. “At least that’s what they tell me. I, for one though, have no idea why they feel that way. These scuba diving accidents are not unusual from what I understand.”

“And Peter is a certified diver,” said Dana, her voice faltering. “He’s done all kinds of dives, has been diving since high school.”

“He’s not the one who’s missing though, the bride is,” said Mattheus plainly. “Was she an experienced diver, too?”

Both Edward and Dana grew silent.