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

“What else have you got lined up?” Eric asked.

“I need to check into the real estate company Pete just bought a condo from,” she filled him in.





“You mean Loori Inc.?” asked Eric.

“How did you know?” asked Cindy.

“The company’s well known down here,” Eric spoke slowly. “People come from all over to buy vacation condos.”

“Have you heard of trouble with them?” asked Cindy.

“There’s trouble with everything down here,” Eric muttered. “Just scratch the surface of our beautiful Island and you’ll slip into quicksand wherever you go.”

So why do you stay down here, Cindy wanted to ask him? What’s the pull on you? What went wrong in your life, Eric? But she remembered the promise she made to him though, not to find out more about what made him tick.

“I plan to talk to some people at the company tomorrow,” Cindy continued.

“Good, and let me know what they tell you,” Eric replied.

“I will,” Cindy was glad she could bounce it off him.

“Any other suspects at the moment?” Eric leaned in closer.

Cindy scanned her mind quickly. “Nothing yet,” she replied.

“Is the wife being helpful?” Eric asked.

“Of course,” Cindy replied. “She hired me and she’s determined to find out who killed Pete. The last thing in the world she wants is for people to think he was killed by a whore.” The word slipped out of Cindy’s mouth inadvertently.

“By a sex worker,” Eric broke in. “Charma’s an incredible woman, if you want to know the truth. I don’t like hearing her referred to as a whore.”

“I’m sorry,” said Cindy simply. “I liked Charma too when I met her. But you also have to understand that they’ve got all kinds of evidence against her.”

“That means nothing,” Eric insisted. “Evidence gets manufactured down here in the flash of an eye. Charma would never actually kill anyone.”

“She stabbed a John before,” Cindy remembered..

“That was self defense, it was different,” said Eric.

“How do you know Pete didn’t come after her in some way?” Cindy asked.

“Because he wasn’t one of those guys you worry about,” Eric chimed in. “He was a regular trick that came now and then. His whole life didn’t center around Charma.”

“How do you know? Does Charma tell you about all her customers?” Cindy got the whole picture.

“Yes, she does,” Eric smiled slowly again. “Every one of them. I make her tell me and she doesn’t leave a thing out.”

“Why did you make her tell you?” Cindy demanded.

“Because I care about her,” Eric spoke more softly. “I don’t want anything bad happening to her. I told her I’d take care of her forever, and I meant ever word.”

Cindy sat quietly taking in his fervor and devotion. “I get it,” she said quietly.

“Good, then let’s order dinner and eat it in peace,” said Eric. “After that we can both go back to our safe, little worlds.”

There wasn’t anything so safe about Cindy’s world or Eric’s either she realized. But sitting here together, drinking wine in this lovely restaurant, there was also no way in the world that anyone would guess that the two of them lived teetering on the edge.





Chapter 12


Cindy left dinner with Eric feeling both fascinated and relieved. He was certainly a complex guy. If Cindy forced herself to ignore the fact that Eric was Charma’s number one customer, he seemed like a terrific, solid, caring man. He was good to be with, made her smile.

“You’re one heck of a special woman,” Eric had commented in passing after dinner as they parted, going their separate ways.

“Thanks,” Cindy replied, off handedly, deciding to keep her promise and not try to figure him out at all.

*

When Cindy returned to the hotel she quickly checked her phone, half expecting another message from Mattheus. There was nothing from Mattheus, however, just a few messages waiting from Loretta.

“Where are you? Call immediately! I need to hear what’s going on?” Loretta sounded a bit frantic.



Even though it was late Cindy decided to call and put Loretta’s mind at ease.

“Where’ve you been?” Loretta’s voice had a raw edge to it as she picked up the phone. “I’ve been trying to reach you and take you out to dinner with Angela and me.”

“I’ve been working the case,” Cindy answered simply, feeling for a moment as if she were being tracked down by an overly protective mother.

“You have to check in with me, tell me where you’re going,” Loretta became more strident.

“That’s not how I work,” Cindy answered carefully, realizing how important it had become to establish firm boundaries between the two of them. “I’m here as a detective, not a friend,” Cindy continued. “I am working for you, but not with you, Loretta. I don’t need to check in about every step I take.”