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

Then, to Cindy’s surprise, she quickly sent the text. There was no reason Mattheus should keep wondering if she were safe. A decent closure was the best for everyone. Mattheus had his problems, but he’d also been wonderful to her in so many ways.

Cindy stood up, walked around in the room a few times and then promptly called Loretta. Loretta had a right to know what happened with the down payment and Cindy had to find out what happened to it?

“What happened with Val?” was the first thing Loretta said when she picked up the phone.

Cindy thought it might be better for her and Loretta to meet in person to talk things over. Everything could feel harsher and more disturbing over the phone.

“Why don’t we take a walk,” Cindy suggested, “and I’ll go over the meeting with you.”

A sour silence greeted her. “I can’t right now, I’m having lunch with Angela,” Loretta replied in a somewhat snippy tone, “but please let me know what happened.”

Loretta was probably still upset about their past conversation and was keeping her distance. She certainly wasn’t someone who got over things quickly, Cindy recalled from their college days. For all Cindy knew, Loretta had been complaining to Angela about her.

“Val told me something surprising,” Cindy started.

“What?” asked Loretta, taken aback. “You have to tell me everything. You said you would and you must.”

“Val said that Pete never left a down payment on the condo,” Cindy reported carefully.

“What?” Loretta’s voice rose two octaves. “That’s ridiculous, it’s impossible!”

“That’s what Val said,” Cindy repeated.

“Well, he’s wrong, he’s lying, he doesn’t know what’s what!” Loretta grew nervous, “there’s no reason in the world for him to say that to you.”

“Do you want to speak to him yourself?” asked Cindy.

“I certainly do not, Loretta replied. “That’s what I hired you for. Val is messed up. Pete left a substantial down payment. The condo was ours. What are they doing now, trying to sell it to someone else?”

“I have no idea about that,” said Cindy.

“Well, they can sell it if they want to,” Loretta began to calm down. “There’s no way I want it now. But I do want our down payment back.”

Cindy was seized with a need to know the whole truth and plunged forward directly.

“Loretta, did the money for the down payment come from Pete or did your father provide it?”

“What a horrible question,” Loretta’s voice grew lower. “What are you insinuating?”

“I’m not insinuating anything,” Cindy defended herself. “Your father told me he gave you guys money for the down payment. These are important facts.”

“I have no idea why my father told you that,” Loretta’s voice began to quiver. “He’s getting things all confused. It’s understandable to get confused when something terrible

happens. Once in a while my dad gave us gifts, of course. Any father would. But Pete made his own money and took good care of me. We had no need to turn to my father. It’s actually humiliating to even suggest something like that.”

“I’m very sorry, I really am,” said Cindy. “I know this isn’t pretty.”

“Isn’t pretty?” Loretta could barely speak. “Every bit of it is disgusting and awful and shameful, through and through. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.” Then she slammed the phone down, as if all was Cindy’s fault.

Cindy stood there holding the phone in her hand, wondering what to do next. She didn’t have to wonder long though, as her phone rang even before she took another step. Probably Loretta calling back to apologize, thought Cindy. It was understandable that she should be volatile right now. She was probably calling to make it right.

To Cindy’s surprise though, Taylor was on the other end. “Taylor here,” he started.

“Yes, hello,” said Cindy, pleased to hear from him.

“Got an hour or so?” he replied in a gruff tone.

“Sure,” said Cindy.

“You have?” Taylor seemed surprised. “When?”

“Right now,” Cindy offered.

“Swell,” he said. “I’m going down to the Ranken Gardens, want to come with me and

talk?”

“Absolutely,” said Cindy, delighted that Taylor was ready to talk and wondering where the Ranken Gardens were?

“I’ll meet you in the front of the hotel right away,” he replied. “We can even walk there, if you’re up to it.”

“I’m up to it and I’m on the way,” Cindy responded, delighted to have the chance to talk to Taylor.

*

The Ranken Gardens were down three hills, under an arbor of heavy trees. Wild and uncharted, the moment you stepped inside, you were entwined within sprawling branches, wild flowers and the sound of birds. The pungent scent of the flowers was so intense it made Cindy feel as if she’d been transported into another world.

“I like it here,” said Taylor as they waked in. Dressed in jeans and a clean T shirt, he looked more put together than before.

“Do you come down to the Dominican Republic regularly?” asked Cindy as they walked along the dirt paths that seemed to lead nowhere at all.