Death by Deceit (Book #5 in the Caribbean Murder Series) (19 page)

“Shelly talked to you about
her first husband?”

Katrina burst out laughing in
a raucous tone. “Honey, people say everything to each other in the Shelter.
Shelly hated her husband’s guts. He trapped her. That’s why she liked it down
here. But she made a big mistake going after Flan.”

 It definitely seemed that Katrina
was paranoid.  It was hard to imagine that the staff would allow Shelly to work
at the Shelter if she’d behaved that way. It didn’t add up.

“Flan’s gorgeous and sexy and who
the hell can resist him?” Katrina breathed hard. “He acts good for a while, but
then, just like the sharks he goes after, he turns violent himself. He’s got a
weakness for the women too, so he was good prey for Shelly at first. But what she
didn’t realize was that once Flan gets them under his spell, he knocks them
around, twists their arms, chokes, pummels. I’ve seen it happen time and
again.”

“You’ve seen it first hand?”

“Yeah,” Katrina became
defensive, “I got used to his being with other women, too. That was part of it.
He insisted.”

“He loved torturing you?”
Cindy felt a wave of nausea coming over her, wondering if this all could be
true.

Yes, he did,” said Katrina.

“And you’re back with him
again?  Cindy zeroed in.

“I know how to handle the
bastard,” said Katrina, smirking, “and besides, he can’t take it when I’m away.
If I’m gone for too long, he gets worse and I’m in more danger then. Who the
hell can really protect me, then? Idiots like you?”

 Katrina felt her only safety
was in taking Flan’s abuse. But there was more to it and Cindy felt it. If Flan
made her watch when he was with other women, was it possible that Katrina saw
Flan murder Shelly? Could she be an eye witness to the crime?

“What happened when Shelly get
between you and Flan?” Cindy asked quickly.

Katrina stopped in her tracks.
The memory of it agitated her. She smacked her hands against her thighs, as if
she were getting a slow horse to run.

“When she found us together
near the Shelter, first the bitch flirted her ass off with him,” Katrina said,
“she acted all charming and coy. He liked it, too, I could see it. She was
getting to him, so, I told her to back off. After all, she was my counselor! Then
Flan turned on me, all nasty, about to give me hell. That’s when Shelly got
between us physically and told Flan to leave me alone. He grabbed her arms and
gave her one of his famous looks, scary and sexy. Then he shouted at her that
no lady in her right mind tells him what to do!”

Cindy shuddered. “Shelly was
risking real trouble for you.”

Katrina’s eyes spit fire. “It
wasn’t for me! She wanted my man all to herself. She had the hots for Flan. Any
idiot could see it.”

 “I can’t believe that,” Cindy
defied her.

“Believe it, baby, because
it’s true.”

Cindy shook her head, egging
Katrina on.

“Please believe it,” Katrina’s
voice was suddenly sad, like a little girl, pleading.

“I’m sorry you have to go
through this, Katrina,” Cindy said then and meant it.

“Really? You are?” Katrina
quieted down for a moment, then got up and started pacing around. She was a
loose wire, easily agitated, the way lots of the women in the Shelter were.
Cindy would have to talk to Flan herself about Shelly. It was amazing that no
one had done it so far.

“I’m going to talk to Flan
about Shelly myself,” Cindy said.

Katrina guffawed and stopped
pacing.

  “I wouldn’t do that. It’s
the last thing you need. He won’t cop to a thing, just charm your ass off. Listen
to me, I’m sure he killed Shelly. Why wouldn’t he?”

“Why would he?” Cindy
countered. “Has he killed anyone else before?”

“Almost,” Katrina whimpered.

“Who?” asked Cindy alarmed.

“Me,” said Katrina, thrown off
balance. “And you’d better get out of town before he hears about you. Flan
doesn’t take well to women snooping around on him. You won’t be safe here for
long either.”

Cindy stood up, her face full
of perspiration. Not only had it grown hot and stuffy, but Katrina’s anxiety was
overwhelming. Cindy was eager to get out of there, under the trees, into a cool
breeze and have time to sort all this out.

Cindy extended her hand.  “Thank
you, Katrina,” she said, “I’m really grateful for all you’ve told me.”

 Katrina didn’t take Cindy’s
hand, seemed offended.  

“You brushing me off just like
that?” Katrina blurted out. “You think you decide when our talk’s over, when
you had enough of me? How do you know I don’t have more to say?”

“Do you?” asked Cindy.

“Yeah,” Katrina snarled.
“You’re even more of an idiot than Shelly. And it looks like you’re gonna get
whatever you deserve, too. I’m sorry I let you into my house!”

After leaving Katrina, Cindy
called for a cab and went straight to the Hemingway House to meet Mattheus. Nestled
in the heart of Old Town Key West, the house itself had the flavor of a
Southern mansion, painted dark gold, sprawling and gracious, with outdoor
porches and large shutters painted white.

The fantastic estate was
surrounded by lush gardens, incredible trees and home to more than forty cats.
It was now a museum for tourists, a main attraction in Key West, and a venue
that people came to from all over the world for their weddings.

 As she walked on the grounds,
Cindy could hear a band playing in the background, and chair set up for a
wedding that very afternoon.  Soon the bride and groom would be arriving,
photographers would flash photos, friends and family would gather to watch the
couple start a new, beautiful life.

Cindy walked around back past
Banana Trees and Coconut Palms, was brushed by Bougainvillea. The breathtaking
landscape spread out around her. All kinds of flowers, hibiscus, bleeding
hearts, angels trumpets, made a path for the wedding guests who were beginning
to arrive. Cindy watched them wandering hand in hand, ready to celebrate love.  What
a contrast, she thought, from the world she’d just come from, the disarray
Katrina was living in.

Mattheus said he’d meet her
near the famous pool in the back. Cindy went there and looked around.  The huge
pool was filled with fresh running salty water and had a mystical quality to it,
surrounded by gardenias. Cindy sat down at bench, enchanted, breathing the sweetness
deeply.

In just a few minutes Mattheus
arrived and came right to the bench Cindy was sitting at. He looked handsome,
strong and happy to see her.

“What an incredible spot,”
said Mattheus, sitting close, and taking her hand.

It was truly intoxicating
being here and Cindy wanted to let herself drift in the beauty of it and forget
the horrors she’d just been bathed in. Cindy left her hand in Mattheus’s though,
not wanting to spoil the mood of the moment. She couldn’t leave it there for
long, though. She had to remember what they were doing there and decided to go
right into the details of her meeting with Katrina.

“Katrina believes her husband
killed Shelly,” Cindy announced immediately.

“Whoah,” said Mattheus, “how’s
that a way to start a conversation in paradise?”

Cindy smiled. It was as if her
old Mattheus was back.

“Backtrack, please,” Mattheus
continued. “Let’s take it point by point.”

“Fair enough,” said Cindy
moving a bit closer to him on the bench.
“Shelly was Katrina’s counselor at the Shelter. Katrina’s married to a violent,
abusive guy, Flan -.”

Mattheus stopped her swiftly. “Who?”

“What’s the matter?” Cindy was
surprised.

“Say the name again,” Mattheus
spoke intensely.

“Flan,” Cindy repeated. “He’s
Katrina’s husband.”

“Oh God, it’s true,” said
Mattheus.

“What’s true?” Despite the
warm sun that was pouring down on them, Cindy began to feel a chill.

Mattheus was quiet a long time.

“Do you know Flan?” Cindy
pressed him.

“I heard about him from Tommy,”
said Mattheus. “Up until now, I wasn’t sure what Tommy said was true, though.”

Cindy began to feel alarm.
“What did he tell you?”

Mattheus clenched his jaw hard
and looked straight at Cindy. Whatever he’d heard, it was hard for him to say.

“You have to tell me,
Mattheus,” Cindy demanded.

“I know I do,” he capitulated.
“Tommy told me that Shelly and Flan were a regular item at the bar, dancing,
drinking, making a scene.”

“Oh God, Katrina was right,”
Cindy echoed.

“Right about what?” Mattheus
snapped.

“Katrina said Shelly went
after her husband, big time. And that he liked her, too.”

Cindy’s eyes locked with Mattheus’s
and did not part. She saw the depth of horror in them.

 “This isn’t the woman you
knew, Mattheus,” said Cindy.  “Some things are so hidden, you never suspect.
You avoid all signs, brush warnings under the rug. You desperately want your
life to be normal.”

“My life was normal,” Mattheus
whispered.

“Not really,” said Cindy.

“Flan killed Shelly?” Mattheus
suddenly echoed, unbelieving.

“Katrina said Flan’s a violent
guy, who tortures women in all kinds of ways. She’s seen it firsthand.”

“Jesus Christ,” Mattheus
whistled under his breath. “An eye witness?”

“I don’t know,” said Cindy,
“could be.”

 “What was the attraction
Shelly had for a guy like that?” Mattheus was trying to make sense of the
nightmare he was in.

Cindy didn’t want to tell him
what Katrina said about his marriage. But there was no point keeping the rest
from him. He had to know the truth, ultimately it would heal.

“Katrina said Shelly went
after all kinds of guys, flirted with them, had to have them.”

Mattheus stared at her
blankly. “The longer we were married, the colder she became – finally I had to
beg her for whatever I got.”

“I’m sorry, Mattheus.”

Mattheus started gnawing on
his lip. “Tommy said the same thing about her,” he muttered, “that Shelly came
to his bar all the time and had a grand time – carried on like a wildcat.”

“When enough people confirm it,
you have a fact,” Cindy replied.

“Okay, okay,” Mattheus was
starting to get upset again. “So, I’m a complete jackass and cuckold! One thing
I do know for sure, though, is that Anthony didn’t kill her. They got the wrong
guy locked up.”

“Did you find out more about
that?” Cindy was relieved to change the subject for a second.

“Yeah, I went to visit his
cousin’s neighborhood, where he moved in. It’s a ratty place where people don’t
easily surface.  So, I spent time scouring the neighborhood, talking to folks
who stay under the radar. I found two people who actually saw Anthony right
around the time Shelly was killed, before he went to sleep that night. They saw
him out at the corner shop, getting beer. The time these folks saw him made it
impossible for him to have killed her. The shopkeeper at the place confirmed
it, too. Anthony probably forgot all about it. They said he was stoned.”

“Why didn’t they come
forward?”

“Nobody got to them. They
didn’t know the information was needed.”

Cindy took Mattheus’s hand and
held it close to her.  

“You’ve done a wonderful job,
Mattheus. You’ve saved a guy’s life.”

Mattheus smiled and looked at
her deeply. “Thank you.”

“But it’s not over yet,” Cindy
went on.  “We’ve got to close in on the killer. I’m going to speak to Flan
right away.”

“You mean
we’re
going
to speak to him,” Mattheus bristled.

“No,” said Cindy, definitely.
“If this guy’s got so much going on with women, there’s a better chance of
cracking him if I go alone.”

Mattheus stopped and
considered for a moment. “You’re right,” he said, “you can do the talking, but
I’m going to be hanging close behind.”

“Not too close though,” Cindy was
insistent. “I’ll see Flan out in the open, out on the pier near his ships.
There’ll be plenty of people around. If you’re too close by, he’ll smell it. It’s
better for me to go alone.”

Mattheus’s eyes grew narrow. “I
need to see the monster myself,” he breathed. “I’m gonna wring his neck with my
very own hands. I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time.”

Yes, I know you have,
Mattheus,” said Cindy, shaken. “That’s why I have to go alone.”

*

The pier Flan’s boats were
docked at was about two miles away, not far from the Police Station. Cindy got
there easily, in a taxi and promised to call Mattheus as soon as she was done.

 The second she got out of the
cab, Cindy saw a large sign, Flan’s Shark Fishing. It was late-afternoon, but
the sun was still warm, shining down on the boats, the glistening water and the
people milling around.  Cindy walked down the runway to one of his boats to
find out when Flan was expected in.

A small, heavy man, drinking a
beer was squatting on a low stool outside the entrance. It looked like it was
his job to direct people to the boats, to sign up for the next fishing
expedition.

Cindy went up to him. “Where
can I find Flan?”

Without even looking up, he
answered, not missing a beat.

“Hell, Flan’s right inside that
boat over there,” he pointed. “He’s been in for two hours now. Boats leave
early in the morning and get back late afternoon. If you want to sign up for
the next day, you come early that morning.”

Cindy’s stomach clenched. Flan
was right there where she needed him. The timing was perfect, everything was
lining up. When things lined up like this, it was usually a sign of a big find.

Cindy brushed her hair back
off her face and walked up to the boat, went right onto the deck and let the
cool breezes wash over her.  It was hard to believe that she hadn’t even heard
this guy’s name until that morning. It was amazing how quickly things could
turn around, in a second a case that was sealed tight could flash open. That’s
what she loved about the work so much.

“Anyone here?” Cindy called
out along the boat’s deck. No answer. Could be that guy drinking beer was
wrong, she thought. This might not be as easy as she thought. She tried again,
“Hello, anyone there?” Then she heard a noise and spun around quickly.

An absolutely gorgeous,
suntanned, powerful, guy with wavy blonde hair, green eyes, and no shirt, was
staring at her. She’d barely heard him come out on deck.

“Looking for someone?” his
mouth curled into a slow smile as he looked her up and down.

“Looking for Flan,” Cindy
said, trying to avoid his leering gaze.

“Well, you found him, honey,” Flan
sauntered over, “and for all we know, might have found even more than you
expected.” As he got closer, Cindy felt the heat from his body and magnetic
energy, pulling like an undertow.

Involuntarily, she took a step
back.

“What can I do for such a
beautiful lady?” Flan asked, moving in closer, not taking his eyes off her for
a second. “For all we know this could be the best day of our lives.”

He wasn’t wasting a minute,
out for the grab, thought Cindy, flustered, and Shelly dead only a little over
a week. Cindy gathered herself together and  saw how women could easily fall
for him. This guy knew just what he was doing. If ever there was a player, this
was him.

“I’m here investigating
Shelly’s death,” Cindy said, trying to sound professional.

It only half worked. He leaned
back on one leg, cocked his head to the side, and looked at her with amusement.
“
You’re
investigating the murder?”  

He made Cindy feel foolish,
childish, as though she were playing games.

“Cindy Blaine,” she said,
crisply, “private detective.”

“You don’t say,” his grin
widened. “We get everything down here, from people thinking they’re movie
stars, famous musicians, detectives -.”

Cindy by passed his
disparaging comment.

“You were seen in public with
Shelly quite a bit,” she moved right on with her questions.

“That’s right,” Flan agreed, “she
was a hell of a dame. I liked her, so what?”

“So, she turned up dead,” said
Cindy.

Flan began to get irked. You
could see he wasn’t used to being spoken to like that.

“I’m talking to everyone who
knew her,” Cindy went on in a clipped tone, hoping to irk him more, get him to
spill. “Did you know Shelly well?”

He threw back his head then,
and sauntered closer, taking charge.  Cindy could almost feel his warm breath
on her face.

“Don’t play games with me,
honey,” he said. “You know I knew Shelly well, so don’t try to lead me on with
stupid questions.”

Cindy said nothing for a
moment.

“Exactly how did you find out
about the two of us?” he was turning the tables on her now.

Cindy didn’t want to tell him
that she’d learned about it from Katrina. God knows what he would do to her
then.

As Flan waited for her to
answer, the smile left his face and his manner turned oppressive.

“My partner and I heard about you
and Shelly from Tommy at Rancher’s Bar,” Cindy said. She was grateful that
Mattheus had made that connection. She also wanted to let Flan know she was
part of a team, not alone.

 Flan looked contemptuous for
a second, then he gathered steam and looked at her cagily, “who’s
We
?”
he asked, zeroing in.

“I’m here with my partner, Mattheus
-,” Cindy started.