Death by Desire (Caribbean Murder Series, Book 4) (2 page)

Cindy and Mattheus stepped out of the plane,
into a different world than she’d ever been in before. Exquisite beauty
surrounded her on every side.  The azure waters, stretched out endlessly,
rippling softly in the sun. Palm trees boarded the airport and the intense scent
of flowers rose up to greet her, welcoming her to a place in which it seemed she
would never have a care.

A man dressed in khaki pants and a light,
striped shirt walked over to the plane and held out his sun tanned hand. 

“Cindy and Mattheus?” he asked. “Welcome.”

Mattheus stepped forward, and extended his hand
in return.

“The boat to take you to the Senator’s yacht is
straight ahead.” 

The man was official, but also calm. He picked
up their luggage and carried it to the boat. The rest of their luggage had been
sent ahead to the hotel they were staying at, where the Senator had reserved
rooms for them.

Mattheus and Cindy followed the man to the edge
of the landing strip, where a small motorboat was waiting for them. They
climbed in and sat down as the soft, salt air surrounded them. Cindy breathed
deeply as the boat took off, heading to their destination. It was wonderful to
be down in the Caribbean again.  For a moment, Cindy relaxed completely,
forgetting why she was here and where they were headed. As she looked around,
there was nothing to see but water on every side. She let herself drift into
the sense of utter well-being and oneness with life that always engulfed her on
the water.

“Incredible day,” she whispered to Mattheus.

He moved closer to her and she felt the
strength and warmth of his body besides her, for a moment reminding her how she
had felt with Clint when they came down for their Caribbean honeymoon.

“We’ll be approaching in about ten minutes,”
the man who was driving broke into her thoughts.

As the motorboat got closer to the yacht, the
waves became higher, the waters rougher, and a breeze stirred. Then, suddenly,
as if from out of nowhere, Cindy spotted the yacht. It was huge, white,
magnificent, towering in the ocean, water gently lapping against the sides. The
yacht rose up as a testimony to man’s grandeur, his domination of nature and
attempt to override the simple beauty of the sea. Cindy looked up at it,
knowing that it contained a world of its own that they would have to infiltrate
and dive down to the bottom of.

“Here we are,” said Mattheus, excited.

Cindy snapped out of her reverie, as she
climbed up out of the motorboat and walked along the plank that led to the
Senator’s yacht, where she knew their arrival was eagerly awaited.   

She and Mattheus entered the yacht from the
front deck. They walked straight into the main hallway, which was lined with
Christmas wreaths and decorations. Cindy was right. The yacht contained a world
of its own. The place was crowded, and the sound of voices greeted her as she
walked in. Over to the right was a large, wooden room, open to the sea. The
room was mostly filled with young people, between eighteen and twenty five,
dressed in expensive shorts, shirts and mini dresses, wandering back and forth,
talking. A sense of disbelief and anxiety filled the air. Some had glasses in
their hands, others were looking out into the sea. A few sat on the couches
that lined the edge of the deck, their long, suntanned legs spread out in front
of them. A winding, wooden staircase in the center of the room lead to the
second floor.

“They’re here,” someone called out loudly, as
Cindy and Mattheus walked in, causing a flurry of excitement.

Then, at that very moment, the Senator walked
down the wooden, winding staircase to greet them.  He was a handsome man in his
late fifties, with thick, pepper and salt hair, strong blue eyes and a lean body
that he seemed to have taken very good care of. Dressed in white linen slacks,
an expensive shirt, there was nothing to show how distraught he had to feel.

“Thank you for coming so quickly,” the Senator
extended his hand as he approached Cindy and Mattheus.

Mattheus gave him his hand and the two of them
looked into each other’s eyes. The Senator focused his attention entirely upon
Mattheus. Cindy felt unnecessary, almost as if she wasn’t there.

 “We need all the help we can get,” the Senator
continued quickly to Mattheus, in a commanding tone.”

“I realize that,” said Mattheus.

“And we need it fast. I don’t want anything
covered up – not one clue lost.”

“Nothing will be lost, I assure you,” said
Mattheus.

The Senator looked at him approvingly.

“And this is my partner, Cindy Blaine,”
Mattheus motioned towards Cindy, trying to include her.

The Senator threw Cindy a quick glance.

 “Thanks for coming,” he said perfunctorily, “my
wife is looking forward to seeing you.”

“And I her,” Cindy responded.

The Senator looked at Cindy directly then. He
seemed a bit taken aback by her heartfelt reply.

“My wife is not in a good state of mind,” the
Senator said then, looking down.

“That’s understandable, Cindy replied.

To her surprise, her response irritated him.

“Right now, nothing is understandable,” he
replied in a clipped tone. “That’s why both of you are here.”

Cindy knew it was par for the course for family
members to be filled with sudden anger and exasperation. She tried to take it
in stride.

At that very moment, a tall, lanky, beautiful
young woman with long, chestnut hair, dressed in white shorts and a T shirt,
walked up to the Senator and put her arms around him.

“Mom heard that they’re here, dad,” the young
woman said.

“This is my elder daughter Winnifred,” the
Senator commented.

“Mom wants to see Cindy immediately,” Winnifred
threw Cindy a glance.  She seemed calm and poised, like her father.  Her
younger sister had been killed three days ago, Cindy thought, and she’d had
some time to take it in. Now she was probably trying to give the family
strength, to normalize things.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Winnifred,” Cindy
said.

“Wynn,” the young woman replied, tossing her
long hair back over her well framed shoulders. “Thanks for coming.”

A tall, slender, very handsome young man walked
over to join them, then. He had a shock of blonde hair, piercing hazel eyes, an
aquiline face and was dressed impeccably in shorts and an expensive T shirt.
The young man had an intelligent air about him as he stood there looking deeply
at both Cindy and Mattheus.

“This is Tad,” the Senator said, “Tiffany’s
fiancée.”

Tad nodded silently.

Cindy had seen photos of him, but it was
shocking to see him in person.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” said Cindy.

 “That’s good of you,” said Tad. “We’re all glad
you’re here.”

The Senator took a deep breath. “This has been
a total nightmare for Tad,” he said slowly.

“I can only imagine,” said Mattheus.

“Tad was the last to see Tiffany alive,” the
Senator quickly filled them in. “Inevitably, he’s become the main suspect. It’s
routine, of course. They look always look at those closest to the victim. As of
now they have no idea who did it, so, they grab onto whatever seems logical.”

“Murder is never logical,” said Mattheus.

“So true,” the Senator warmed to him. “And
there’s absolutely no reason to suspect Tad. He and Tiffany were together for
almost two years. He’s become a part of our family. We all love him.”

“We’ll go over this in great detail,” Mattheus
said, taking every word in. He also gazed at Tad, who seemed like the very last
person in the world who could ever commit such a crime.

“Dad,” Wynn broke in then, “mom is waiting.”

“Of course,” the Senator snapped to attention. “Show
Cindy to mom’s cabin right away. We don’t want to keep her waiting another
minute.”

Cindy noted a condescending tone creep into the
Senator’s voice when he mentioned his wife, as if he were talking about a
difficult child.

“You take Cindy to see mom,” he said to Wynn, “and
in the meantime, I’ll fill Mattheus in, introduce him to family and friends.”

“Fine,” said Wynn, motioning for Cindy to
follow her.

Cindy looked over at Mattheus, who nodded.

“I’ll be waiting for you here,” he said.

The Senator looked at Cindy piercingly for a
moment before she left.

“Remember, you can’t take everything my wife
says literally,” he said. “She’s not in a normal state of mind.”

“How can you say this in front of Tad?” Wynn
murmured to her father, blushing.

Tad stood there expressionless though, as if he
could not absorb what was going on. He seemed to be in shock as he looked
intermittently at Cindy, then Mattheus. Finally, he simply stared over their
shoulders, out to the ocean, then way beyond that to the sky.

“Tad’s part of the family,” the Senator,
replied to his daughter, “and I don’t want Cindy misled. Your mother is not in
her right mind now.”

“Who is?” said Wynn.

“That’s enough for now,” said the Senator,
curtly.

 “I’m sorry dad,” Wynn replied, “this is excruciating
for us all.”

“Excruciating,” Tad murmured then, his head
dropping down. Then he looked up slowly staring up at the sky, which was filled
with clouds drifting peacefully, on what otherwise could be called a beautiful
day.

Cindy followed Wynn up the narrow, winding
staircase to the second floor of the yacht. The wooden floors were polished,
the freshly walls painted white, and the door to each cabin along the hallway
trimmed in beautiful, ivory molding. Cindy felt as though she could have been
walking along a hallway in an exclusive hotel.

“My mother’s cabin is at the far end,” Wynn
said as they walked in that direction. Cindy wondered if her mother and father
had separate rooms.

They got to the mother’s door and Wynn knocked on
it tentatively.

“We’re here, mom,” she said.

“Come in.”

Cindy heard a soft voice call back, as Wynn
opened the door.

Inside, the cabin was different from what Cindy
expected. It was large, airy and well appointed, with a double bed covered with
a crocheted bedspread, comfortable chairs, a white wooden bureau, little
tables, and large windows overlooking an outdoor balcony, which stretched out
over the ocean. Clearly, Wynn’s mother had lived a grand life, beautifully cared
for.

She did not get up as Cindy and Wynn walked in.
Instead, she, sat in one of the chairs, wrapped in a silk, burgundy bathrobe.
Her dark hair was pulled back tightly and she wore no makeup at all. Her face
was expressionless and she seemed older than the Senator, but it could just have
been her state of grief.

“Close the door,” she said, as they walked in. 
“Now you can go downstairs with your father,” she said to Wynn. “Leave me and
Cindy alone.”

Wynn seemed surprised. “I’d like to stay,” she
said softly.

“There’s no reason for you to stay,” her mother
ordered. “Your father needs you. Rori needs you. Go, right now.”

Wynn shrugged and walked to the door, casting a
long glance at Cindy over her shoulder.

 “Rori doesn’t need me now or ever,” she
replied as she walked out the door.

“This has all fallen on her head and I’m sorry
about it,” she said as soon as Wynn left the room. “But she’s always been the
strongest of all. Everything falls on her head and she manages it.”

Cindy walked closer, took a chair and pulled it
closer to where she sat.

“How do you do, I’m Meryl O’Connell,” she said.

“I’m pleased to meet you and your husband,”
Cindy replied.

“My husband -,” Meryl smiled, “Don’t let him
fool you. He makes a terrific impression, but it’s just a front.”

“What do you mean?” asked Cindy.

“Richard pretends to be strong,” Meryl
continued, “He’s strong in the Senate, he’s strong in his views. He’s tough
with negotiations, but otherwise, he’s dying inside.”

“I’m very sorry,” said Cindy.

Meryl stopped a moment and truly looked at her.

 “I’ve heard wonderful things about you.  You
worked wonders in those other cases.”

“I did my best,” said Cindy. “And I was
fortunate.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Meryl asked. “If
you’re not fortunate this time? Are you putting me on warning? Taking my last little
bit of hope away?”

“That’s not what I meant,” said Cindy.

“Failure is not an option here,” Meryl said,
suddenly a strict taskmaster. “I need to know what happened to my daughter.  I
need to know who did it and why!”

“Of course you do.”

“I refuse to go on without it.”

“I understand full well,” said Cindy.

“Don’t pacify me,” said Meryl, “Treat me with
respect. I deserve it.”

Despite her sharp tongue, Cindy liked her, felt
badly for her. Unlike the others on the boat, Meryl seemed to be coming undone.
There was nothing she was hiding inside.

“Do you want a drink before we start talking?”
Meryl turned and reached for a bottle of cognac that was on the table besides
her. When Cindy looked at her closely, she realized that she’d been drinking
since early that day. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy.

“I’ll skip the drink for now,” said Cindy.

“Well, I’m taking some,” Meryl poured the
cognac into a glass.

“I need to know whatever you can tell me,”
Cindy jumped in. “Maybe you can drink that later on, after we talk?”

“I’ll drink it now and also tell you whatever
you need to know.”

“Fine,” said Cindy, “let’s start with your
telling me exactly what happened. We only have bare bones information so far.”

“Because the police are trying to keep it
secret,” Meryl snapped. “They’re more worried about terrifying the tourists
than protecting them from a killer on the loose, or getting justice for my
daughter, who’s lying on the beach, cold.”

Cindy stared at her. Did she truly believe
that? Of course the body had been removed from the crime scene days ago. But
time hadn’t passed for the mother.

“Can you tell me some details about the crime,”
said Cindy, trying to keep her focused.

Meryl shook her head. She didn’t seem to be up
to much.

“My husband has all the details of the case. He’ll
tell them to your partner. I heard you have a handsome partner, Mattheus, and
that the two of you make a dashing team.” Meryl lifted her hand to her hair and
brushed it lightly. “You’re creating quite a sensation, you know. People have
been looking forward to seeing who the two of you are. There have been quite a
few articles about both of you.”

Despite herself Cindy flushed. It was strange
to think of herself as a couple or part of a team. She viewed herself as a
widow, a single woman with a working partner at her side.

“There are many questions I have about the
crime,” Cindy wanted to stay on course.

“Don’t worry, my husband will tell your partner
whatever you need to know.”

 “I also want to hear what happened from your
point of view. Everyone sees it differently,” Cindy said.

“So, suddenly I matter now?” said Meryl.

“You don’t matter usually?” asked Cindy.

“Not to my husband, not anymore,” Meryl’s jaw
jutted out as she raised the cognac glass to her lips.

“He got what he wanted from me, beautiful
daughters, a wonderful home. After that, he lost interest, left me alone most
of the time.”

“Is there some way this is connected to your
daughter’s death?” Cindy asked quietly.

“Of course not,” said Meryl. “It’s just
background information. Something the world out there has no idea of.  Everyone
thinks we’re the perfect couple, a wonderful family. Not one blemish to be
found. People scrambled to be invited to the engagement party. An A list event,
I’m sure you know.”

“That’s what I heard,” said Cindy.

Despite herself, Meryl smiled, remembering the
evening.

“The party was beautiful, fantastic. Everyone
was invited,” She seemed breathless at the memory of it. “People came from all
over. We brought many of Tiffany’s friends with us down on the yacht. That’s
why we did it over Christmas vacation, when everyone would be around. Many of
her friends have families with homes down here. They come to St. Bart’s
regularly, especially during the Christmas holidays. These kids have grown up
together, year after year.”

Cindy got the picture of an entire world
gathering to celebrate this glorious event.

Meryl continued, her eyes shining briefly, “this
engagement was a long time in coming. We were all hoping for it. Tad’s
wonderful, was top in his class in Princeton.”

“What about Tad’s parents?” Cindy suddenly
thought of them.

“Tad’s parents have a villa down here as well.
Tad came down on the yacht with us, and then he and Tiffany were planning to
spend a few days at his parent’s home after the party.”

Cindy made a note to meet and interview them.

 “They must be going through hell,” she said to
Meryl.

“Definitely high anxiety,” Meryl responded. 

“Have you spoken with them? Are you all in
touch?” Cindy asked.

“Briefly,” said Meryl. “They’re not exactly the
chummy kind. They prefer staying alone with each other and their daughter,
Cissy. Of course I can understand that. You don’t share your sorrow with
everyone.”

“Of course not,” said Cindy. But something
about the relationship between the two families sounded distant.

 “Seems your families were not very close?” Cindy
probed gently.

“Close enough,” Meryl bristled. “What
difference does it make? Tiffany and Tad were marrying each other, not the
families. He and Tiffany had an incredible future together. They’d been going
together for two years. We were all waiting and hoping. They finally did it,
and now, this!”

“What was their relationship like?” asked
Cindy.

“In the beginning they were on and off, like
most kids. It took Tiffany time to realize how wonderful he was. But I realized
it right away. And I always knew that they would get married.  I felt it the
day they first met. So did her twin sister, Rori.”

“Tell me more,” Cindy said quietly.

“Richard and I have three daughters,” Meryl
went on. Tiffany has a twin sister. Did you know that?”

“Yes, I heard it, but I haven’t met her yet,”
said Cindy.

“You will. You’ll meet her, you’ll meet
everyone. But Rori is nothing like Tiffany. I’ll tell you that up front.”

Meryl stood up. To Cindy’s surprise she was
taller than she appeared in the chair. She walked over to the photos on the
wall and motioned for Cindy to come look at them.

“This is Tiffany,” she said, pointing to a
large photo in the middle.

Cindy saw a dazzlingly beautiful, blonde young
woman smiling out at her. She wore a gorgeous Calypso, silk, midnight blue,
original gown, with shimmering sequins.

“We shopped for that dress for a long time,”
Meryl said. “It made her eyes more blue, if possible.”

In the photo Tiffany’s long hair fell around
her shoulders and her eyes shone unsuspectingly. Tiffany stood there at the
peak of her beauty, at a day which heralded the beginning of a glorious new
chapter in her life. Her piercing blue eyes almost looked alive now.

“She has her father’s eyes,” Meryl went on. “Tiffany
was his favorite. Of course I would never say that to anyone else.”

Beside the photo of Tiffany on the wall, hung
another photo of an identical twin. Cindy stared at it. It would have been hard
to tell the difference between them, except that the other twin was dressed in
a short red satin, halter dress. She wore her hair exactly the same way as
Tiffany, but her eyes had a different, defiant look.

“That’s Rori,” said Meryl. “As different from
Tiffany as night from day.  I always told them apart easily, but now everything
has changed. When I look at Rori, I see Tiffany.”

“That must be very difficult,” Cindy said.

“They’re opposites actually. And of course,
they were never really close enough. Not like I’d hoped twin sisters would be.”
Meryl took another long sip of her cognac. “Don’t hate me,” she said then. “You’re
looking at me as though you hate me.”

“Why would I hate you?” said Cindy.

“What kind of mother lets her daughter die?”

“How did you let her die?”

“I don’t know,” Meryl started sobbing. “I
should have stayed with her every minute. They found her at the beach, you
know, stabbed.” It was more than Meryl could bear. She started sobbing heavily.
“Nobody is supposed to know about the condition of the body,” she managed
between sobs. “They’re keeping it secret. It’s all the evidence they have so
far.”

Cindy got up and brought her some tissues that
were on the small table near her bed.

“There’s only one real link to the crime,” Meryl’s
eyes opened wide. “It’s the necklace I gave her when she was sixteen. It was
beautiful, amber, with a special design I made just for her, set in the middle
in red rubies. They ripped it off her after she was killed. She never took it
off. The murderer did it. I’ll show you a picture of it later.”

“Did you show the police?” asked Cindy.

“Yes, I did. They’re searching for it.”

“Did Tiffany have on anything else on that was
valuable?”

““It wasn’t because of theft,” Meryl started
sobbing again. “The monster stabbed her over and over before she died. What a
horrible way to die. Why? And right after her engagement to Tad.”

It was horrible. Cindy shuddered.  “They didn’t
find any DNA under her fingernails? She didn’t fight back.”

“That’s the most awful part,” Meryl got quiet
suddenly. “There was no sign of a struggle at all.”

“How could that be?” asked Cindy.

“You tell me,” Meryl’s eyes flashed. “She let
him kill her. She just succumbed.”

Cindy’s mind started spinning. What would cause
someone not to fight back? Was Tiffany on drugs, was she in her right mind?