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

“That’s right,” yelled Loretta, suddenly irate. “And you’re next.” She turned and ran to lock the door and then started pushing furniture around to create a blockade. “Nobody gets in until I let them,” she yelled.

Cindy ran after her to restrain her, but Loretta was on a tear now, running back and forth like a madwoman, pushing chairs back and forth, throwing vases to the ground.

Cindy quickly put a call into Mattheus. “Get over here instantly. Get the cops,” Cindy shouted.

“I’m on it, I’m here, right down the hall,” Mattheus was all over it.

“Calm down, Loretta,” Cindy yelled to her above the din then. “You won’t get away with this, ever. Game’s up.”

“Game’s just beginning,” Loretta’s eyes shone darkly at Cindy.

“Mattheus knows I’m here. I told him about the evidence,” Cindy tried to frighten her.

Loretta seemed fearless. “So, I’ll get the bracelet from you after you’re dead, and bury it where no one will find it,”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. “Open up,” called Mattheus, fiercely.

“You’re not coming in, no one is,” screeched Loretta.

Mattheus knocked harder one more time and in a few seconds there was the sound of a crash as the door fell from its hinges and Mattheus stormed in.

“I have Loretta’s bracelet that was found under Charma’s window,” Cindy yelled to Mattheus. “She’s confessed to arranging to have Pete killed. It’s all here on my recorder.”

“Your recorder?” Loretta tore at Cindy then. “You’ve betrayed me in every way!”

“You betrayed yourself, Loretta,” Cindy said as she watched Brad and a couple of cops now storm into the room.

The moment Loretta saw them, she raced out on the patio.

“Hold up there, you’re under arrest,” Brad announced fiercely, rushing after her.

“I’m not under arrest,” Loretta couldn’t catch her breath. “I haven’t done anything wrong, just had a man killed who hurt me. He deserved to die, it’s better this way.”

Cindy ran out after them to intervene, but all she could do was watch as Brad tried to grab Loretta. Loretta whirled around him like a tornado, yanked away and in a sudden flash of terror, threw herself off the patio onto the ground.

Cindy lunged towards her and screamed as the loud splatter of Loretta’s body hitting the pavement resounded.

“My God, my God,” Cindy yelled as Mattheus flew beside her.

The other cops dashed onto the patio and in a few moments both Angela and Henry burst into the room.

“What’s happened? What’s going on here?” they yelled, looking around at the wild disarray.

“Loretta, Loretta,” Cindy called from the patio.

Angela ran to the patio and looked down.

“What happened? What happened?” Henry called, as he tried to make his way out there.

“Don’t come out here and look,” Angela called back, stopping him. “Loretta’s jumped.”

“Jumped? She’s gone?” Henry sounded as though he would faint.

“We don’t know that yet,” said Mattheus, desperately trying to calm things. “Could be she’s just unconscious. It’s entirely possible. Give it time, she’s had a bad fall, but she could still be alive.”





Chapter 26


Killer in a coma fighting for her life, the papers screamed, as they blew open the story of what had happened to Pete. Once again, against all odds, Cindy Blaine, of CM Investigations is responsible for finding the true culprit.

Cindy knew that soon the phones would ring off the hook with more cases to take on, but for now as she held the newspaper, her hands were trembling. The sight of her former friend, splattered out on the ground had shaken her to the core. The fact that Loretta was still alive was a miracle. Being alive could be more painful for her in the long run, though, Cindy thought to herself. Now Loretta would have to stand trial and every part of her life would become public.

“This is a nightmare,” Cindy said, over and over. “Believe me, I never expected it to end this way.”

“This is Loretta’s nightmare, don’t make it your own,” Mattheus replied. “She was the one who decided to have Pete killed. It was her choice to jump.”

“But she didn’t die,” whimpered Cindy.

“She still may,” Mattheus replied. “It’s not in our hands anymore, Cindy.”

“Oh God, I should have never come down here and taken the case,” Cindy was devastated.

“None of this is your fault,” Mattheus tried to comfort Cindy as they sat close to each other on the couch in her hotel room.” Loretta was out of control, in the grip of madness and who knows what else?”

Cindy’s phone rang once again. It had been ringing since they’d returned and Mattheus hadn’t let her pick it up. “Not yet,” he kept saying, “you need to rest a bit first.”

This time, Cindy picked up the phone reflexively. “You never know who’s calling” she said, “I want to see who it is.”

“Loretta’s gonna make it,” Angela, agitated, was on the other end. “She’s gonna live a long and good life even though you tried to bring her down.”