Death by Request (Caribbean Murder #11)

It was a good answer and made Cindy feel better. Mattheus’s love for her had kept her floating during her sister’s loss and was keeping her uplifted now. It was a powerful, sustaining, palpable force

The cab got to the Villa in no time. As Cindy expected it was huge and sprawling, practically covering the hill it perched upon. As she and Mattheus walked up to the main gate they were immediately greeted outside by a slender a woman in her early forties. Dressed in a cotton print dress, with brown, stringy hair that hung down to her shoulders, her eyes looked bleary and red.

“I’m Jenna, Tara’s sister,” she said, her voice raspy. “Come right in, we’ve been waiting for you.”

“Please accept our condolences,” Cindy replied immediately.

“Thank you,” Jenna mumbled. “No one expected Tara’s life to end like this. It’s been one horror after another.”

“I can certainly understand,” Cindy murmured as the three of them walked up the path to the door, which was open, waiting for them to come in.

As soon as Cindy and Mattheus entered, they walked into a gracious living room, where to their surprise, the entire family had gathered. All of them were sitting in silence expectantly, waiting for the visit. An older, heavy, balding man, wearing a once expensive blue shirt, stood up from the settee he was seated on to greet them.

“No, please sit down, be comfortable,” said Cindy.

“Be comfortable?” the older man replied. “Are you kidding? I’m Ralph Eddings, Tara’s father.”

“How do you do, Ralph,” Mattheus stepped forward and shook his hand. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss.”

“Enough pleasantries,” Ralph snapped. “You can be sorry all day but what good does it do?”

A stunning woman in her early sixties, dressed in a long, black linen dress stood up then.

“Please forgive my husband,” the woman said to Mattheus. “He’s hasn’t slept for a few nights in a row and is completely distraught.”

“Nothing to forgive. It’s understandable,” said Mattheus.

The woman glanced over at Cindy briefly. “I’m Isabelle Eddings, Tara’s mother,” she continued.

“This is Cindy, my partner,” Mattheus interjected.

Cindy stepped closer, struck by Isabelle’s unusual composure. “Hello,” said Cindy, joining in.

“We’re very grateful that you’ve come to see us,” Isabelle went on. “Owen called and told us the two of you would be coming. He said you’re the very best private detectives working in the Caribbean.”

“Thank you,” said Cindy, struck by the fact that Isabell and Owen had been in touch. Owen hadn’t mentioned it. Clearly, Isabelle was pleased that Cindy and Mattheus were here, she didn’t believe her son in law was guilty.

Cindy glanced around the room quickly. Along with Tara’s mother, father and sister, a younger man, in his early thirties, sat in the corner, looking glum.

“Is this the entire family?” Cindy asked, motioning to the young man as well.

Isabelle paused for a long moment. “Jenna’s husband had to return home for a short while for business. He’s going back and forth. We expect him back in time for the cremation, in a day or so.”

“I see,” Cindy nodded.

“And Tara’s younger brother Hank, is there in the corner,” Isabelle continued.

Hank did not look up or acknowledge anything that was going on. He just stared at his lap.

“Hank is in complete distress, hasn’t said a thing to any of us,” Isabelle added.

“It’s understandable,” said Cindy gently.

Isabelle tossed her head back. “Yes, from one perspective everything is understandable, from another it’s not,” she said.

“Okay, okay, enough of all the small talk,” Ralph broke in, irritated. “These two are not here for a party, they want the facts.”

“What are the facts, Ralph?” Mattheus jumped in.

Ralph edged closer to Mattheus. “From the time she was little Tara never listened to a thing I said. I never liked Owen, warned Tara about him years ago when they still were dating.”

“You blame Owen for this?” Mattheus seemed startled.

Isabelle took a deep breath, and shook her head slowly, as if to deny what her husband was saying. “Owen has had nothing to do with it, nothing at all,” she murmured loudly.

“You can’t say that,” Ralph was up in arms. “He was driving the boat with Tara in it.”

“One thing has nothing to do with the other,” Isabelle exclaimed.

“It was his job to keep her safe,” Ralph wouldn’t quiet down. “I warned Tara about lots of things,” he went on.

“What did you warn her about?” Mattheus was quick on the draw.

“As soon as Tara met Owen, I told her that he was a hungry guy, after money, status, the works.”

“Is something wrong with that?” Jenna got up now and joined the little cluster that had formed in the middle of the room. “Most fathers are happy when their daughters marry an ambitious man who can take good care of them.”