Death by Seduction (Book #13 in the Caribbean Murder series)

“I mean I raised her to be a good girl,” Henry continued. “I’m actually glad that you and I are alone now so that I can speak to you frankly.”


Cindy was glad as well. “Please do speak frankly,” she said. “Whatever you say will help me.”

“Help you with what?” Henry retorted. “Finding the killer? Forget that, the killer’s been found. You’re basically here to support Loretta, help her get through this rotten ordeal.”

Cindy was shocked by his comment. “That’s not how I see my role here,” she replied.

“Well, I’m glad to be setting things straight for you then,” Henry picked up his own cup of coffee then and swallowed every last bit. “I don’t want you stirring up any more pain for my daughter.”

“I’m a private detective, not a counselor,” Cindy held her own. “It can be very painful for families to find out about posthumously about their loved ones and I’ll do my best to ease that for Loretta. But I came down here to find the killer. That’s my job and it’s what Loretta hired me to do.”

Henry thrust his head up, looking at Cindy harshly. “I told you that Loretta refuses to see most things as they are,” he repeated emphatically. “She always has, this is nothing new.”

“What exactly does she refuse to see?” Cindy was surprised by Henry’s antagonism.

“Listen,” his voice got lower and gruff, “Pete wasn’t exactly the husband Loretta cracked him up to be. This guy had his problems, if you know what I mean?”

“What do you mean?” Cindy wasn’t relenting.

“Pete was a sex addict from day one, if you asked me,” Henry’s voice dipped so low it was hard to hear what he was saying at first.

Cindy was startled. “That’s quite an accusation. What do you base it on?”

“Come on, honey,” Henry became too familiar. “In the beginning I saw how he used to look at Loretta, couldn’t keep his hands off her. Then after they were married and time passed there were those long trips alone down to the Dominican Republic.”

“I thought he came here for business,” Cindy interjected.

“Yeah, what kind of business? Monkey business, Henry spit out. “Then there also were adventure vacations with the guys and plenty nights back at home when he didn’t get home until way too late. He told Loretta he was working and she went along with everything. But a father gets the picture. Pete was hungry for sex and adventure and out on the prowl to get it wherever he could. I thought that the minute I met him, but became convinced as time went on.”

“Did you ever tell that to Loretta?” asked Cindy, distressed.

“Not in so many words, of course,” said Henry. “Sure I asked her where he was all those time she was by herself, and she always found a reason. I had to leave good enough alone. She said was happy with him, he was everything she wanted. I wasn’t going to be the one to crush her dream.”

“That must have been hard on you,” Cindy remarked.

“It was hard, it was lousy, but most guys aren’t so different. How many husbands do you think are faithful?”

Cindy immediately thought about Clint. Clint had been faithful to her and she was sure Mattheus also would have been.

“In other ways Loretta had a good deal in life,” Henry continued. I helped her get her wedding business going, and it took off like wild fire. People look up to her. I’m proud to see that.”

“How did you help her with her business?” Cindy was interested.

“I funded the business from top to bottom,” Henry announced proudly, “gave her every penny she needed to get the boutique going and keep it growing the way it is.”

Cindy didn’t know why she was so disturbed to hear that. She thought Pete had helped Loretta with her business.

“What about Pete?” Cindy asked

“Pete couldn’t have paid for it like I did. No way in the world,” Henry sneered. “Yeah, he made some money one month and then lost it the next. His company speculates on everything, a perfect job for him. You think a guy like that could ever give Loretta the stability and backing she needed?”

“You don’t sound as if you respected Pete,” Cindy had a sinking feeling.

“You got that right,” Henry was emphatic. “So if you wonder why I’m not sitting here crying in my soup, it’s because I always knew something like this would happen. It was only a matter of time. When you play in the gutter, you get pulled down the drain.” Henry’s intense dislike for Pete was palpable.“So, I’m sure the whore did it,” he continued, “and if I were you, I wouldn’t bother myself looking any further. You’ll only stir up bad publicity for Loretta and her boutique. Let’s keep this quiet, it will all blow over. She’ll get over it and find somebody better down the road. I’ll make sure of that, believe me.”

Cindy wished it were that simple, she wished she could go along with Henry, but she couldn’t. There were too many questions unanswered and leads left unexplored.