Death by Request (Caribbean Murder #11)

Nina started crying and Cindy stepped fiercely between her and Owen, separating them.

“If you know something that you’re hiding,” Cindy flung out to Nina, “you’re an accessory to a crime. You’ll be arrested and charged with murder, too.”

“Oh no, no,” Nina became terrified.

“If you tell us the truth, you’ll be free,” Cindy said.

“She doesn’t know the truth, she doesn’t know anything,” Owen tried to edge back in beside her.

“I do know things,” Nina kept whimpering.

“Shut your mouth, idiot,” Owen demanded.

Nina’s eyes opened painfully. “What did you call me?” she gasped.

Owen stepped closer threateningly, “I said shut up, idiot,” he thundered at her.

Trembling, Nina crept closer to Cindy.

“It’s alright, Nina,” Cindy said, “tell us the truth and you’ll be protected in every way.”

“It was planned, it was planned,” Nina started sputtering, “Owen did it to be with me. And not only that, he wanted the money, too.”

“From the insurance policy?” Cindy demanded.

“Yes, he said he needed all the money he could get. And he needed Tara gone, and me in his life,” Nina’s body was trembling.

The police yanked Owen’s arms behind him then and locked the cuffs on.

Owen’s face grew red and his eyes started glaring. “You’re a fool now and you’ve always been,” he practically spit at Nina.

“Did Owen put the stuff into Tara’s IV?” Cindy continued grilling Nina. This was a perfect time to get every ounce of truth out of her.

“Yes, he did,” Nina breathed. “But I pushed him to do it. I couldn’t stand waiting so long for Tara to die.”

“You couldn’t stand waiting?” Cindy was horrified.

“Neither of us expected Tara to live after Owen pushed her into the water and rode the boat into her head,” Nina couldn’t stop talking. “Tara had no right to live then, but she did. Then Owen just sat there day after day in that chair by her side. I told him to get out of the chair and finish it off. I couldn’t stand waiting. We had a new life ahead for us.”

Owen glared at Nina as she spoke, then suddenly lurched again as the cops cranked the cuffs tighter.

“Alana was innocent all along?” Cindy breathed painfully.

“She was,” Nina looked at Cindy, alarmed.

“You killed not only Tara, but Alana as well,” Cindy stared at her. “Two beautiful women dead because of both of you.”

“But you said I’d be free, you’d keep me safe if I told you everything,” Nina was quick to cry out. “You need me for a witness, too.”

“Yes, I do,” Cindy acquiesced.

Mattheus stepped over to Cindy then as one policeman carted Owen away and the other came over to Nina.

“I offered her immunity. We need her for a witness,” Cindy muttered.

“Got it,” the other policeman said, taking Nina’s information down, “I’ll advise the courts of that.”

“Well at least they’ve got Owen,” Mattheus replied, as Nina stood there shaking like a ragged leaf in the wind.





Chapter 22



Once again the headlines announced that Cindy was a hero. Because of her unwillingness to leave any stone unturned, Tara’s true killer had been apprehended! At the very last minute Cindy had turned things on their head once again.

Cindy and Mattheus sat close to one another on the small, velvet settee in their hotel suite watching the news on TV.

“The hospital administrator, Konrad has been re-instated in his job,” the reporter continued. “Devastated to have lost Alana, Konrad is setting up a foundation in her name.”

“So many victims of one crime,” breathed Cindy.

“And some who will grow because of it, as well,” said Mattheus, comfortingly.

That was an interesting thought to Cindy. “Who?” she asked.

“I received two calls from Loretta who couldn’t get through to your phone,” Mattheus continued. “She said you’ve saved her life, turned her into another person. One day she wants to be a detective like you.”

Cindy smiled. “That’s good hear,” she moved closer to Mattheus, hoping to stay beside him like this for the rest of the afternoon.

Mattheus got off the settee suddenly though, fell down to his knees, and looked up at Cindy.

“What’s wrong?” Cindy asked alarmed, not knowing what was going on.

Out of nowhere and with the full force of his heart, Mattheus suddenly cried out,

“Cindy, I love you. The time has come.”

Then Mattheus dug down into his pocket, pulled out a small velvet box. He flipped it open, put the open box on the palm of his hand, and held it up towards Cindy. An incredible diamond, engagement ring, sparkled magnificently like a thousand suns.

“Will you marry me, Cindy?” Mattheus’s voice dropped to an echo. “I need you at my side forever, I want to live my whole life with you. I want to make you happy, give you everything.”

Cindy stared at the ring, stared into Mattheus’s eyes which were filled with endless hope and devotion.