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

Just as Cindy suspected, when they opened the door not only was a large policeman outside, but Mattheus stood beside him, waiting to be let in.

“What do you want? What are you doing here?” Taylor began trembling.

Eric stepped in front of him, “Come in,” he said strongly. “It about time we had your help.”

“They’re not here to help,” Taylor whispered loudly to Eric, “they came uninvited. Who knows what they want?”

Eric moved Taylor to the side and let them in.

As Mattheus stepped through the entranceway, he threw Cindy a strange glance.

“How did you found out where we were?” Eric didn’t take his eyes of Mattheus for a second.

“This is Chief Officer Brad Rolfson,” Mattheus responded, introducing the large, Caribbean cop who was beside him. “Brad’s an old friend of mine. We’ve worked together before.”

“Did Cindy tell you we were here?” Taylor suddenly threw a pained look at her, as though she had betrayed him.

“Actually, Cindy didn’t tell me a thing,” Mattheus responded slowly, clenching his jaw. “Brad and I have been working the case for a while, even when I wasn’t on the Island. As soon as I heard about the death threat to Taylor, I had it tracked and found out where he was hiding. Smart move, to come down here.”

Cindy was shocked by the whirlwind manner in which Mattheus had gathered crucial information and done what needed to be done.

“So the police knew where Taylor was for awhile?” asked Cindy.

“The police who work with me have,” Mattheus responded. And I’ve made sure the hideout was covered. I’ve had the police waiting to see if the guy who threatened Taylor would find out where he was and show up? Then it would have been a piece of cake to nab them.”

“Incredible,” Eric murmured.

“No one’s showed up though,” Taylor mumbled, shaky. “Only Eric came once or twice and today he brought Cindy with him.”

“Why did you bring Cindy here for?” Mattheus zeroed in on Eric.

“Cindy wanted to know what Taylor dug up, needed the information from him first hand,” Eric replied.

“That was a dangerous move,” Mattheus didn’t like it. “As soon as the people I have watching Taylor found out that Cindy was here, they let me know immediately.”

Eric let out a long sigh. “You’ve done a great job, Mattheus,” he exclaimed. “I’m surprised, I’m impressed. I’m grateful to you.”

Both Cindy and Mattheus were taken aback by Eric’s heartfelt response.

“We had a hell of a time getting the cops involved,” Eric continued, “and you did it in a second.”

“I realize that,” Mattheus took a step closer to Eric, seemingly impressed with him as well. “You’ve done a great job taking care of Taylor as well.”

“Why thank you,” Eric replied.

“It’s all very nice, all very good,” Brad interrupted them, turning to Taylor. “Now we’re gonna need the paper trail you say you got,” he demanded, “every single page.”

“I’ll be glad to hand it over,” said Taylor. “I’ve actually been begging for you guys to pay attention it.”

“If it all holds up, if everything Mattheus tells me you found is so, we have to reconsider everything,” Brad continued.

“There’s no reason then to hold Charma, either. Is there?” Eric burst out.

“Charma’s got Pete’s fingerprints all over her,” Brad repeated.

“There’s a million ways she could have gotten them, too,” said Eric.

“True,” Brad relented a second,” but we need solid proof implicating someone else.”

“Charma wasn’t even there when Pete died,” Cindy burst in. “Sanya, a woman in the house, saw her coming back from a date a couple of hours later.”

A ragged silence fell over the entire room.

“I heard that rumor” Brad finally managed, “but it’s uncorroborated. Unless we know who Charma was with that night, unless they come forth and tell us, it’s not a real alibi. That woman in the house could have made up anything.”

“Can’t you find the person she was with?” Taylor suddenly became insistent. “Why is it so difficult?”

“Charma won’t tell us,” Mattheus turned to Taylor. “She’s hiding something, hiding someone.”

“Got to be someone at the real estate company,” Taylor insisted. “Maybe they paid her to keep her mouth shut.”

“Conjecture,” Brad insisted. “It doesn’t do us any good.”

“Charma has a real alibi,” Eric spoke out suddenly. ”She was with me.”

The entire room fell into an icy silence again.

Taylor finally caught his breath as his eyes darted back and forth frantically. “What are you talking about?” he demanded.

“I was with Charma the night Pete died. She was my date for the evening,” Eric repeated, breaking the deep wall of silence and shame he had been living behind.