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

“Women don’t come here alone?” Cindy was curious.

“Some do, of course,” Eric muttered, “if they’re looking for a quick fix. They usually hit up guys at the bar then, and go with them into a back room.”

Cindy closed her eyes. This was the last place she wanted to be. How did it happen that she was here, alone with Eric, hunting down an obsessed guy who could possibly be the murderer? It was a question Cindy rarely asked herself, but in the dark hush of this evening the thoughts swirled in her mind. Starting to feel despondent, Cindy looked out of the cab widow and saw a sliver of a new moon trying to burst out from behind the clouds. How did she know she could even trust Eric? Suddenly, nothing about her life made any sense at all.

Eric gave her arm a little squeeze suddenly, as if he’d picked up her desolate thoughts.

“You’re a heroine, Cindy,” he whispered. “I don’t know one other woman who would do what you’re doing, alone here on a murky night.”

“A heroine or just a blind fool,” Cindy responded, pulling a little away from him.

*

Rattlesnake Gin was hidden away inside a shanty building with low ceilings, peeling walls and all sorts of insects crawling along the dirt floor. It was dark inside with red lights hanging from the ceiling and noisy music creating a din over the sound of voices laughing at nothing.

The bar at the front was packed when they walked in. Eric nodded to the guy dishing out large mugs of beer.

“Burnd here yet?” Eric asked.

“In the back,” the guy answered, obviously knowing Eric.

“You’ve been here before,” Cindy commented as Eric led her towards the back of the place.

“Yes, I have,” answered Eric, but keep your priorities straight. It’s not me you’re investigating, it’s Burnd.

“My priorities are absolutely straight up,” Cindy remarked, as they grew closer to a table in the corner at the back. A guy, who looked half drunk, sat at it, leaning over, as if he were about to fall face down on the top.

“Burnd!” Eric said as they got to the table.

“Yeah? Huh?” Burnd mumbled to himself, not bothering to look up.

Eric pulled out a chair for Cindy next to Burnd and then sat down close beside her, too close.

“I brought someone to see you, Burnd,” Eric tried to rouse him.

“Who the hell is this?” Burnd peered up without raising his head.

“She’s here to help Charma,” Eric continued.

At that, Burnd suddenly raised his head and flung it towards Cindy.

“Get Charma out right away. She doesn’t belong in jail. She didn’t do anything,” his eyes began to bore into Cindy’s face.

“I’m doing the best I can,” said Cindy strongly. “You got to help me, too.”

At that Burnd’s eyes opened further. “Me, help?” The idea took him by surprise. Cindy wondered if anyone had ever asked for his help with anything?

“Sit up straight,” Eric chimed in.

Burnd sat up straighter then. Cindy could smell the liquor reeking from his breath and in the dim light saw his red, bleary eyes.

“Charma’s mine,” Burnd muttered as he sat up straighter, “I want her out of the coop. I need to see her. I can’t go on like this without her. I miss her like hell.”

Cindy wondered what how Eric could bear to hear Burnd speaking like this. To Cindy’s amazement, Eric took it as a matter course. It didn’t seem to bother him at all.

“Tell me about Pete, the guy who was murdered,” Cindy dove in, hoping to get whatever she could from Burnd while he was coherent.

Burnd’s lips curled. “Yeah, Pete, the pretty boy.”

“Did Charma like him?” Cindy leaned in closer, confronting him. She had to see if Pete had gone too far with Charma and Burnd wanted to get rid of him?

Burnd’s mouth turned into an ugly grin. “Charma didn’t like anyone but me,” his words rolled out heavily. “She told me that a lot of times. The rest of the guys were just money for her. Including him!”

“Including Pete?” asked Cindy.

“Nah,” Burnd rolled his head around, “including your date for the night, Eric!”

Eric laughed out loud at that remark.

“Laugh all you want,” Burnd’s eyes creased back closed, “Charma told me lots of times. You weren’t her kind, man, she just needed the money.”

“Only you were her kind,” Cindy repeated.

“Yeah,” Burnd liked that. “Now you got it straight.”

“So, why did Charma kill Pete?” Cindy’s voice dropped to a rough whisper, trying to trip Burnd up.

“She didn’t kill him, bitch! Don’t you even dare think that,” Burnd eyes rolled back and forth in his head. “Some idiot did it and dropped the guy in her room. She wasn’t even there when he was killed.”

Even though Cindy realized that Charma was out with Eric at the time she still wanted to goad Burnd into telling her more.

“You didn’t like that she was out with someone else, did you?” Cindy went on.