Death by Jealousy (Caribbean Murder #6)

Thankfully, Mac picked up immediately.

“Someone almost ran me over,” Cindy breathed into the phone. “They came right at me.”

Mac’s voice grew taut. “Where are you? Don’t move a muscle. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Hurry,” Cindy barely said.

*

Mac appeared in what seemed like an instant and rushed to the bench where Cindy was sitting, edging others out of the way.

“Are you hurt?” he was agitated.

“She’s fine, she’s fine,” the cool British man remarked.

“Let’s get out of here,” Mac said to Cindy. “Can you get up, are you dizzy?”

“I’m fine,” Cindy said, letting him help her stand and leaning against his strong body, as he led her to his car.

Once in the car, she felt her body trembling from the shock of what had almost taken place. There was no question that someone wanted to kill her, the car had a purpose, it was coming straight at her.

“We need to talk,” Mac said, turning to her. “Do you want me to take you back to the hotel? Are you up to going to a quiet spot and having lunch?”

Cindy didn’t want to go back to the hotel at the moment.

“A quiet place for lunch is fine,” she said. She was hungry and it would be grounding to be somewhere else, have something to eat, and speak to Mac openly.

Mac started the car and drove very slowly then, not saying a word. They drove through a little village and then up a hill and round a bend. The low, wooden restaurant was nestled in a cove of trees, near a waterfall. As they approached the sound of birds filled the air.

“You’ll love it here,” said Mac, opening the car door and ushering Cindy out of it, solicitously and into the restaurant.

They were seated at a small table near the window with flowers on it, a tumbler of Sangria, and two glasses. Mac poured the Sangria slowly. Cindy took her glass and drank some. Cindy was aware that it was Mac she’d turned to. She hadn’t called Mattheus in her time of need.

“I want to hear every detail of what happened,” Mac said solemnly, sounding like a detective himself. Cindy smiled. She felt better, away from the center of town.

“Someone was out to mow me down,” Cindy said simply. “From out of nowhere an old car ripped around the corner and came right at me.”

Mac whistled between his teeth. “Damn idiots,” he muttered.

“You know who they were?” Cindy asked.

“Green car?” Mac asked, “scratched up?”

Cindy hadn’t time to look at the details. “It happened fast,” she said. “Someone told me it was an old, green car. I just saw a bullet out of hell suddenly coming at me.”

Mac drank his whole glass down fast. “I’m very sorry about this,” he murmured. “Not kidding.”

“Sorry?” Cindy thought that was an odd way to put it, as though he could have done something to prevent it.

“Of course I’m sorry,” Mac said. “I should never have left you alone after I took you back to the hotel. What were you doing in town?”

“Does that matter?” asked Cindy.

“It could,” he said.

“I was taking a walk to clear my head, buying a gift for my sister. Why?”

“Listen, you stepped into uncharted territory this morning, and you did it alone. The guys down there have no idea what you’re looking for. They probably found out that you’re a detective. That’s all they needed to know. Those guys are goons, they can be dangerous. They’re protecting their turf.”

“Dealing? Smuggling? What?” asked Cindy.

“I told you gangs are spreading,” Mac said.

The waiter came over with menus, but Cindy didn’t have the energy to glance at them.

“Let’s have the lunch of the day,” Mac said, “everything here’s delicious. Crab cakes, soup, salad.”

“Fine,” said Cindy.

“Cindy,” Mac said then, in a low, deliberate tone then, “there’s no reason for you to stay here on the Island. Allie’s body was found, the autopsy’s in. In a day or two the police will declare it an accident. Case closed. What’s left to do?”

“I don’t like being bullied,” said Cindy grimly. “I don’t like being driven out of town.”

Mac smiled. “You’re amazing, you’re spunky. But no one’s personally bullying you. It’s just the way things work. These gangs eliminate whatever feels like danger to them. You made those guys uneasy.”

“So they run me over?” Cindy said, “and the police won’t care?”

“They can’t do a thing about it,” said Mac. “Besides, nothing actually happened, you weren’t hurt.”

“And if I was?”

“You weren’t,” said Mac. “Let’s stay with the facts.”

For a strange second Cindy felt as if she were sitting here with Mattheus, going over their day, encouraging each other to stay focused on the facts. It was eerie.

The food came and Cindy and Mac both ate hungrily. It was delicious and filling, and particularly comforting for Cindy to be eating with someone she felt at ease with.