Death by Betrayal (Book #10 in the Caribbean Murder series) (19 page)

 “The
Cup Match is a two day midsummer festival where the entire island shuts down,”

Mattheus
went on quickly. It takes place between the Somerset and St. George’s Cricket
Club. Even
I’ve
heard about it. The place will be packed.”

“How
will I find Ronnelle there?” Cindy felt confused.

“The
cops will be tracking her and keep you informed. You’ll stay in touch with them
constantly and they’ll record everything the two of you say. You’re going to
grill
her about her
relationship with Frank from top to bottom. For all we know, he’ll be there
with her.”

“I
doubt that,” Cindy didn’t believe it.

“The
island turns into a carnival atmosphere during the Cup Match,” Mattheus went
on. “Right now, I’m joining the cops to help track Frank down. The sooner we
find him the better.”

Cindy
started shaking. Even though she knew it wasn’t so, she felt as though Mattheus
was abandoning her, betraying her, joining with the other side.

“Why
would you join them?” she asked Mattheus, bewildered.

Mattheus
seemed to be bewildered by her question as well. “Why would I? You called me
down here to help find the killer, didn’t you?”

Cindy
understood the words Mattheus was saying in her mind, but in her heart, she
felt alone and adrift.

“We
have such different views of this,” Cindy tried one last time in a small voice.

“I
know,” Mattheus spoke strongly and gently. “But ultimately, it doesn’t matter
what our views are, we’ll find the facts and let them speak for themselves.
That’s what we do, Cindy. We find the truth.”

“I
know,” she said quietly, “but right now it hurts like hell.”

“I’m
sorry Cindy, really, I’m sorry,” Mattheus walked closer to put his arms around
her, but she involuntarily pulled away.

“Is
there anything else?” Cindy looked Mattheus directly in the eyes then, “even
one thing you haven’t yet told me?” she asked. “Tell me now, get it over with.”

Mattheus
looked down at the floor, “Yes, there is,” he said quietly.

Cindy
felt her stomach clench. “Tell me quickly, please. Get it over with.”

“The
medical examiner’s report came in,” Mattheus went on.

A
shock of horror ran through Cindy then. “Yes?”

“Ann
died of strangulation,” Mattheus reported methodically. “But she fought a good
battle. They checked the scratches on her throat carefully. If someone other
than Frank did it, they knew what they were doing, wore gloves, covered all
traces. The only DNA found on her body belonged to Frank.”

“That
doesn’t mean a thing,” Cindy insisted. “Ann and Frank slept together, they were
together all the time. Was his DNA in the scratches?”

“No,”
said Mattheus quietly, “it wasn’t.”

“So,
that’s something, isn’t it?” asked Cindy, feeling woozy now and weak in her
knees.

“It’s
something,” Mattheus agreed, “but who knows what? The killer could have worn
gloves when they committed the crime.”

Suddenly
the room grew paler and Cindy felt herself swooning backwards onto the couch.

Mattheus
quickly rushed over, caught her and held her in his arms. “Cindy, Cindy,” he
whispered, “it’s okay, I promise. You can handle this, you’re not alone.”

Cindy
opened her eyes slightly.

“It’s
okay,” Mattheus repeated, “I love you, believe me. I’m here with you forever.”

In
the midst of her swoon, Cindy took a deep breath.

“You’ve
got to be brave, you’ve got to be strong,” Mattheus continued. “You’ll rest
tonight and I’ll stay here with you. Then, first thing tomorrow morning, we’ll
go forward and you’ll go and speak to Ronnelle.”

As
Mattheus had warned, the Cricket stadium was packed to the gills and the
festivity was overwhelming as the hot sun beat down on everyone. Dressed in
Bermuda shorts and a light T shirt, Cindy fit in perfectly with the crowd. As
the players came running out onto the field, the cheers that went up were
deafening. It was a good thing the police were keeping track of Ronnelle or
Cindy could never have found her amidst the noise and swirling people that
drifted up and down in the stands.

Cindy
put her cell phone close to her ear to hear instructions.

“Cindy,
are you there now?” It was Trage on the other end.

“Right
here,” Cindy answered promptly, trying to stay alert and in touch.

“Good,”
he replied. “Target is seated in the fourth row of section B. Has a blue shirt
on and is waving a flag.”

“Got
it,” Cindy replied.

“Go
to the left and ease down the middle row,” Trage continued guiding her step by
step. The place was packed to the rafters and it would be easy to get lost. 
Cindy was relieved to have such careful directions.

“You’re
almost there now,” Trage commented as Cindy got closer to section B. “A few
more steps and you turn down the left row.”

Cindy
followed his guidelines, struck by the fact that the police were able to watch
her every move.

“Okay,
turn now,” Trage continued as Cindy practically pushed her way through the
maddening crowds. The crush against her body was terrific, but the urgency of
the assignment overwhelmed everything else. “There are a few openings near her
on the bench Ronnelle’s sitting on,” Trage continued. “We arranged that
carefully. Quickly take one of the spots. Some of her friends are coming a
little later. This has all been orchestrated.”

Why
so much attention to this and care? Cindy wondered. Then it struck her. The
police probably thought Ronnelle could lead them to Frank. Cindy would probably
look like the most innocent person to Ronnelle; she’d have no idea who was
backing Cindy up.

“You’ll
be recording my interview, right?” Cindy checked as she drew closer to where
Ronnelle was seated.

“Absolutely,”
Trage answered deftly. “And we’ll be watching both of you. If there’s a minute
of trouble, we’ll surround you both.”

Cindy
was surprised by his intensity. She didn’t expect trouble of that magnitude.
“Can’t see how this could be dangerous,” she responded.

 “Just
being careful,” Trage responded routinely. “Sometimes we can’t see anything
until it happens. For all we know Beggio’s a few steps away.”

Cindy
slipped down the row, and as Trage said, easily found a spot close to Ronnelle
on the bench. Ronnelle was riveted to the field, and didn’t notice Cindy’s
arrival.

“Okay,
you’re there now,” Trage mumbled into Cindy’s ear. “Go for it. You’re good at
this. We’re thrilled to have you on board.”

Trage’s
expectations seemed over the moon and Cindy felt ill at ease. She had no sense
that this would be a defining moment.

“Shut
off the phone and put it away,” Trage instructed. “You’re on your own now.”

Relieved
to be through with the voice in her ear, Cindy’s slammed her phone shut and
stuffed it in her pocket. Then she lifted her face and looked out at the field.
The players were in position and the game had already started. Cindy knew
little about Cricket but was fascinated to see how the crowds were mesmerized
by it.

Once
she settled a bit on the bench, Cindy slid over a little further and turned her
attention to Ronnelle, who was standing and cheering now. Cindy stood up as
well and eased over to her.

“What
a great game,” Cindy shouted at her side.

Ronnelle
quickly tossed a look at her, and went back to cheering with the fans. A second
later, she stopped and threw Cindy a glance.

“You
look familiar,” Ronnelle then shouted to Cindy above the noise.

“I
met you at Beggio’s,” Cindy shouted back.

Ronnelle
stopped then and really looked at her. “Oh yeah, that’s right,” she finally
said. “Funny that we’re sitting together.”

“Yeah,
isn’t it funny,” replied Cindy.

They
stood together for a while longer, until things simmered down and then took
their seats.

“Gonna
be a great afternoon,” Ronnelle told Cindy, the wind blowing her hair in her
face.

Cindy
put her hand on Ronnell’s arm lightly. “I need to talk to you, Ronnelle” Cindy
said.

Ronnelle
got quieter. “What’s this about?” She shrugged Cindy’s hand off.

Cindy
leaned close to her to make sure Ronnelle could hear every word she said and
that the police could record the conversation. “Do you remember who I am?”

“Not
really,” said Ronnelle, trying to move away, looking at Cindy strangely.

“I’m
Ann’s sister,” Cindy said right in her face. The words didn’t seem to register
with her, however.

“Who?”
Ronnelle curled her face, puzzled.

“Can
you come with me to the back of the stadium where it’s quieter, for just a few
minutes,” Cindy asked.

“Of
course I can’t. The game’s just started,” Ronnelle looked annoyed.

“This
is really important and I need to talk to you,” Cindy demanded.

“So,
talk to me here. I can hear what you’re saying. It’s only extremely noisy when
something happens in the game.”

Cindy
took a moment to consider forcing her to the back of the stadium, but decided
against it. Ronnelle seemed innocent enough to Cindy, and they really had
nothing on her except that she’d been defriended by Frank on Facebook. And that
she’d lied, Cindy suddenly remembered. Ronnelle had said she had no idea who Frank
was.

“Look
Ronnelle,” Cindy decided to go forward from where they were sitting, “I’m the
sister of the woman who was murdered at the Greenstone Hotel a short while
ago.”

Ronnelle
looked at her for a long moment. “I’m really sorry about that,” she said.
“People get killed for all kinds of crazy reasons down here. No one should ever
have to go through something like that, though.”

“Thanks,”
said Cindy, feeling the sincerity of her response.

“What
can I do for you?” Ronnelle was suddenly wide eyed, and Cindy felt badly.

“I’m
also a private detective,” Cindy finally said.

At
that Ronnelle stepped away a bit further.

“I
need to talk you to about Ann’s husband Frank,” Cindy dove right into the
center of the matter.

“Who?”
Ronnelle looked puzzled again.

“My
sister’s husband Frank,” Cindy urged quickly. “You know who he is.”

“I
know lots of people down here,” Ronnelle shrugged, looking perturbed suddenly. “His
name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“What
do you do down here?” Cindy asked.

“I’m
a consultant for a firm back in the States. I come down a lot for business,
that’s all. I’m a link between my company’s division in the States and their
division down here. It’s a great job. I love it down here, know lots of
people.”

Suddenly
a cheer went up from the crowds again. Ronnelle tried to get a quick look at
what was happening on the field, but Cindy drew her attention right back to
their conversation.

“You
work with Toni Beggio?” Cindy asked loudly, right in her ear.

“No,
not at all,” Ronnelle stared at Cindy. “I know him. Everyone knows him. I go to
his parties, like everyone else. I’ve never worked with him for a second.” Ronnelle
seemed apprehensive about being tied to Beggio. She obviously knew his
reputation.

“What
about Frank?” Cindy continued, “did he work for Beggio?”

“Frank
who?” Ronnelle called out over the din.

“My
sister Ann’s husband’s name was Frank,” Cindy yelled back.

“But
I have no idea who he is,” Ronnelle called back again.

At
that Cindy put her hand on Ronnelle’s arm again. “I think you do,” Cindy said
emphatically.

“Why?”
Ronnelle looked momentarily alarmed.

“Frank
just defriended you on his Facebook page - the day before my sister was
killed,” Cindy wasn’t pulling any punches.

“I
didn’t even know I was defriended,” Ronnelle exclaimed. “I hardly know who all
my friends on Facebook are. Everyone’s on everyone else’s page. Who the hell is
this guy Frank, anyway?”

Cindy’s
stomach fell. Ronnelle seemed entirely plausible. Perhaps Frank had become her
Facebook friend and developed some strange fantasy about her. Ronnelle could
have offended him without her ever knowing it. When she’d said she didn’t know
Frank, Ronnelle could have been telling the truth.  Was it possible Frank was
some kind of sick stalker? Could it be that nothing had gone on between them,
that he’d only dreamt about it?  Horrifying as that thought was, it somehow
seemed more in keeping with the Frank that Cindy knew. She couldn’t imagine him
as a ladies man, as hard as she tried.

Ronnelle
then broke out into a lovely smile and took Cindy’s hands. “Listen, I’m
terribly sorry about your sister,” she said, “but I have no idea about any of
this. I’m sorry this guy Frank defriended me, but it never even registered.
There are so many guys on the island, each one looking for something else.”

“I
can only imagine,” said Cindy. Cindy felt strange listening to Ronnelle. She
had a forthright charm about her that was delightful. It was hard to believe
she was lying.

Cindy
suddenly feeling the weight of the heat and the crowds and the terrific noise
bearing down upon her. She also felt the weight of the loss of her sister and
confusion about what had really happened to her. Maybe it would be better for Cindy
to leave the stadium now. Ronnelle’s story seemed impenetrable. There was no
reason to doubt it, actually. She was probably down here playing the field,
having a good time, a respite from her life back home.

Cindy
turned to go. “Thanks for talking to me, Ronnelle,” she said in parting. “I can
see it would be fun for you down here. Where are you from anyway?”

“Wisconsin,”
Ronnelle answered lightly as Cindy began to slide away.

Cindy
stopped in her tracks. “Wisconsin?”

“Yes,
why?” Ronnelle’s attention had turned back to the game.

“My
sister and Frank are from Wisconsin,” Cindy’s voice deepened as she stared at Ronnelle.

“Really?
What a coincidence,” Ronnelle remarked lightly.

Cindy
took a step closer again. “I don’t believe in coincidences,” she said, suddenly
threateningly.

Ronnelle
took a few steps away. “Get away from me,” she exclaimed sharply. “What are
you, a nut or something?”

“You’re
from Wisconsin and so was my sister and so is Frank,” Cindy repeated heatedly.

“So
what the hell?” Ronnelle flung her words out loudly. “Lots of people are from
Wisconsin. Get a grip, honey! It’s a big world.”

Cindy
made her way out of there like a bat out of hell. Suddenly, she’d wanted to
grab Ronnelle, pin her down and force her to admit that she knew Frank – force
her to tell her why she’d been defriended. Only thing was Ronnelle might not
have known him and thankfully, despite her suddenly flare of rage, Cindy
recognized that. The fact that both Ronnelle and Frank were from Wisconsin, was
nothing more than circumstantial. Cindy could get in big trouble for pushing
too hard. And more trouble was the last thing she needed now. She ran all the way
out of the stadium sweating and heading for the safety of her hotel room.

*

A
few minutes after she got into her room and flung herself on the sofa, Cindy
heard a knock on her door. Expecting Mattheus, she got up quickly and opened it
up. To Cindy’s amazement, her uncle Charlie stood there waiting.

“What’s
wrong? Come in,” Cindy mumbled quickly.

“You
look hell warmed over,” Charlie said kindly as he closed the door behind him.

Cindy
felt happy to have him here with her now. “Sit down Uncle Charlie,” she said.

“Cindy,
sweetheart, is this too much for you?” Charlie asked without moving.

“Yes,
it is,” Cindy remarked, “but I have to do it anyway.”

 “Your
friend Mattheus is a good man,” Charlie went on, “let him do the brunt of it.”

“Ann
was my sister, Charlie,” Cindy remarked, her eyes suddenly filling with tears.
“You can’t pass something like this off on others.”

“No,
you can’t,” Charlie agreed, slowly. “You’ve been a wonderful sister, in life
and in death,” he continued slowly.

The
simple sincerity in his tone touched Cindy deeply. “Why did you come here now,
Charlie?” she asked.

“I
know where Frank is staying,” he said plainly then.

Cindy’s
heart started beating wildly.

“I
know they’re out looking for him, too,” Charlie went on. “I don’t want the
police to catch him and pull him in like a dog.