Death by Proposal (Caribbean Murder #7)

Cindy thought about having seen Sean briefly at Kate’s table the night before she died. She realized that the girl he’d brought with him was Riva, the one he’d cheated on Kate with. Sean had seemed agitated that night and now Cindy realized why. But why would be bring Riva along to talk to Kate? It seemed unnecessarily heartless, shoving their relationship in Kate’s face. It certainly didn’t bode well for Sean. As Cindy thought dwelt upon it, she felt uneasy about seeing him again.

As soon as she walked into the hotel, Cindy checked for messages at the desk. The clerk tapped his hands on the counter and then pointed to a couple sitting on a settee a few feet away.

Cindy turned and saw a striking, middle aged couple, sat on the edge of their seats, eagerly.

“They’re waiting for you,” the clerk said in a hushed tone, “Mr. and Mrs. Peters over there.”

Cindy looked over. The minute the couple saw her looking at them, the two of them got up, smoothed out their clothing, and walked to the desk. The woman was svelte, with a perfect figure, dressed in a mauve linen summer suit and the man was attractive, and well groomed, with thick, sandy, wavy hair. The two of them looked as though they’d traveled the world together.

“Cindy Blaine?” the woman reached out to shake Cindy’s hand. There was a stony composure about her that made Cindy feel as though she were in disarray.

“Yes?” asked Cindy, at first not realizing who they were, “can I help you?”

“I certainly hope so,” the man said without hesitation. “Margaret and Dan Peters here, Clay’s parents. Our plane just arrived a little while ago.”

Cindy felt oddly startled. “So glad to meet you,” she said.

The two of them stood before her unswerving, like a granite mountain.

“Our son is totally innocent,” Dan pronounced immediately, staring at Cindy pointedly. “The police will not give us any confirmation of this, or anything.”

“Your son hasn’t been charged with anything,” Cindy answered professionally, feeling put on the spot.”

“Let’s not play with technicalities,” Dan spoke intensely. “My son’s been through a horrendous nightmare. He doesn’t deserve this. He’s an incredible young man.”

“I’m sure he is,” Cindy said promptly, “no one has suggested otherwise.”

“He’s the focus of the investigation though, isn’t he?” Margaret said, taking her husband’s stiff hand in hers.

“It’s routine to focus on the person who last saw the victim alive,” Cindy said softly.

“Supposedly,” said Dan abruptly, the muscle under his eye twitching. “There’s no evidence that Clay was the last person to see her alive, though, is there? How can they be certain that someone didn’t break into the room while Clay was asleep?”

“We have no idea how it even happened that the two of them were sharing a room,” Margaret said, her face growing paler. “That is not Clay’s typical behavior.”

Cindy was taken aback. Were Clay’s parents living in their own world? Clay was over thirty.

“It’s not unusual for young men and women to go away for the week-end and share a room,” Cindy said gently.

“We knew nothing at all about this young woman, nothing,” Margaret spoke without taking a breath. “Then we learn that Clay was away in a hotel with her and they became engaged? After that she fell to her death the very next morning? The whole thing is preposterous. The paper said Clay met her over the internet. I don’t believe it. It never happened. It’s a setup, a complete scam. Someone is framing Clay.”

“It’s not hard to see why our son would be prey to scams like this, either,” Dan went on. “Clay hasn’t ever dated much. He isn’t the kind who’s familiar with women and their schemes. He’s always been close to his mother.”

“Too close perhaps,” Margaret said through pursed lips, “but there certainly hasn’t been anyone else in his life.”

“Have the police researched our son carefully?” Dan stepped in. “He’s always been a complete gentleman, had the best grades in school, graduated top of his class, amazing writer, editor of the school paper. He’s quiet and thoughtful - and now this! Here he is in the middle of a sordid situation with a young woman we never even knew. I doubt he even knew her.”

“Oh, he knew her alright,” Margaret chimed in. “I’ve seen the photos of them together on the web.”

Dan scraped his throat roughly. “Well, they may have gotten together in this hotel for a few hours for nefarious reasons. But that’s it.”

“Like what?” Margaret resented that.

“Sex, dear,” he said. “The girl probably lured Clay in for reasons of her own, a romp in the sack. With a high price to pay.”

“Not Clay,” Margaret said bitterly as two red spots rose on her face.

“Clay and Kate just became engaged,” Cindy said quietly. “They were planning a life together. She announced it to all her friends.” Cindy felt a need to protect Kate’s memory, to keep her from being reviled from those who would have become her new family, her future in-laws.

“Engaged?” Margaret’s voice grew shrill. “Clay would never have become engaged to someone without asking what I thought of her. He just wouldn’t. That’s not Clay.”