Death by Seduction (11 page)

After
the waiter left Eric poured a glass of sangria for Cindy from the pitcher on
the table. “Go ahead, ask me anything you want,” he smiled

“Did
you know Pete personally?” asked Cindy. “Tell me about him.”

“I
saw him in passing once or twice,” Eric replied, “but I didn’t know him at all.”

 “You
saw him where? At the brothel?” asked Cindy.

“I
saw him taking Charma out once or twice,” Eric continued. “Why? Is that a
problem?”

“No,
not really,” said Cindy, “it’s just that his wife doesn’t believe Pete was
Charma’s customer. She believes he was killed elsewhere and dumped him in
Charma’s room.”

“That’s
right, I think I heard that she’d said that,” Eric slowly mused.

“But
now you tell me you saw them together with your own eyes,” said Cindy, probing
for more.

“That
doesn’t mean the wife isn’t right too,” said Eric. “Sure Pete was a customer,
no question. Some of the customers take the girls out and then bring them back.
But it’s also

possible
the guy was killed somewhere else and brought here.”

It
didn’t seem very likely to Cindy, though. “Brought here by who?” she asked. “And
why  left in Charma’s room?”

“Charma’s
got a record,” Eric answered quickly. “She was accused of stabbing another
John, when she worked somewhere else.”

Cindy,
scrutinized Eric closely.  Didn’t this bother him? He spoke about it casually
as though she were someone he barely knew.

 “It
seems that Charma could be dangerous.” Cindy ventured on. “Isn’t it possible
she could turn on a dime and do damage?”

“Sure,
it’s possible,” said Eric, smiling slowly, “that’s what makes her so exciting.
Guys love women like that, you know.”

Cindy
felt shaken.

“They
love all kinds of danger and challenges,” Eric went on. “The guys who come down
here have had it with packaged relationships that are as boring as hell.  Those
kinds of women do nothing for them. Not one of them can hold a candle to
Charma.”

Cindy
felt a wave of nausea and fear rise up in her. Eric was obviously talking about
himself. Was Mattheus one of those guys as well? Cindy wondered. Had their
relationship grown routine and packaged?

“Charma
always has a bunch of guys hovering around her,” Eric added slowly.

“That
doesn’t bother you?” Cindy finally asked, incredulous.

“Why
should it bother me?” Eric replied. “I like it, it’s exciting. There’s one guy
though, that’s creepy.”

Although
she didn’t know why, it pained Cindy to hear this from Eric.

“What’s
the matter? What’s wrong?” Eric leaned closer over the table.

Cindy
opened her eyes and stared at him. “I don’t understand why it doesn’t it bother
you that Charma has other guys besides you,” she couldn’t help ask.

Eric
pulled back swiftly, and shook his head. “I told you, this would be beyond you.
You promised not to try to understand me.”

“You’re
right, I’m sorry,” said Cindy suddenly. “I’m just baffled.”

“Yeah,
I know you are,” Eric replied. “I know you’re baffled, but put that to the
side. It’s not about me. Listen to what I have to tell you. If you want to know
more about Charma, there’s a guy John Burnd you have to look into. He’s one of her
Johns. This guy  became obsessed with her, started sending her texts all day
long, calling and hanging  up just to hear her voice.”

“He
was stalking her?” asked Cindy, nervous.

“We
don’t call it stalking down here,” Eric broke in. “We just say a guy popped his
lid, which means he’s become obsessed with a girl. I’ve been thinking that Burnd
could have had a motive to get rid of Pete.”

“What
about the other guys Charma does business with?” asked Cindy. “Why doesn’t
Burnd go after them as well?”

Eric
smiled broadly at that. “I like the way you think,” he responded.

“What
about you, even?” Cindy wouldn’t let go. “If this guy Burnd killed Pete, why
wouldn’t he go after you next?”

“Good
question,” Eric agreed. “Anything is possible, of course.”

“My
God,” Cindy shivered. “You wouldn’t care? You’re not afraid for your safety?”

“Not
at all,” Eric became tough. “It’ll take a hell of a lot more than a lunatic to
bring me down. Besides, right now it’s Charma I’m worried about. For all we
know, Burnd could get to her in jail. He’s probably getting agitated with her
being gone so long. Probably desperate for his fix.  You’re working with the
police on this, right?”

“Not
really,” said Cindy. “I mean the police know I’m around,  but I wouldn’t say
we’re working the case together. From their point of view, it’s all sewed up.”

“For
them it’s Charma!” Eric became indignant.

“Yes,
 it’s Charma,” said Cindy. “They don’t see a reason to look anywhere else.”

“So
who are you working on the case with?” asked Eric, his antennae’s up.

“No
one,” said Cindy.

“Wait
a minute,” Eric held his hand up. “Just say that again, slowly.

“Right
now I’m on this case, alone,” said Cindy.

“No
way,” Eric shook his head back and forth. “That’s crazy, it’s nuts. You’re
walking straight into danger. There are a lot of lunatics down here, circling
around.

Cindy
breathed out slowly.

“Oh
boy, what the heck am I into?” Eric muttered as he looked directly at Cindy again.
“Okay, I get it. Maybe you don’t have Mattheus around. But right now I’m on
your team.  I’ll help all I can. I’ll come with you when you go to see Burnd
and hang in the background.”

“Thank
you,” said Cindy, enormously grateful.

“What
else have you got lined up?” Eric asked.

“I
need to check into the real estate company Pete just bought a condo from,” she filled
him in.

“You
mean Loori Inc.?” asked Eric.

“How
did you know?” asked Cindy.

“The
company’s well known down here,” Eric spoke slowly. “People come from all over
to buy vacation condos.”

“Have
you heard of trouble with them?” asked Cindy.

“There’s
trouble with everything down here,” Eric muttered. “Just scratch the surface of
our beautiful Island and you’ll slip into quicksand wherever you go.”

So
why do you stay down here, Cindy wanted to ask him? What’s the pull on you? What
went wrong in your life, Eric? But she remembered the promise she made to him
though, not to find out more about what made him tick.

“I
plan to talk to some people at the company tomorrow,” Cindy continued.

“Good,
and let me know what they tell you,” Eric replied.

“I
will,” Cindy was glad she could bounce it off him.

“Any
other suspects at the moment?” Eric leaned in closer.

Cindy
scanned her mind quickly. “Nothing yet,” she replied.

“Is
the wife being helpful?” Eric asked.

“Of
course,” Cindy replied. “She hired me and she’s determined to find out who
killed Pete. The last thing in the world she wants is for people to think he
was killed by a whore.” The word slipped out of Cindy’s mouth inadvertently.

“By
a sex worker,” Eric broke in.  “Charma’s an incredible woman, if you want to
know the truth. I don’t like hearing her referred to as a whore.”

“I’m
sorry,” said Cindy simply. “I liked Charma too when I met her. But you also
have to understand that they’ve got all kinds of evidence against her.”

“That
means nothing,” Eric insisted. “Evidence gets manufactured down here in the
flash of an eye. Charma would never actually kill anyone.”

“She
stabbed a John before,” Cindy remembered..

“That
was self defense, it was different,” said Eric.

“How
do you know Pete didn’t come after her in some way?” Cindy asked.

“Because
he wasn’t one of those guys you worry about,” Eric chimed in. “He was a regular
trick that came now and then. His whole life didn’t center around Charma.”

“How
do you know? Does Charma tell you about all her customers?” Cindy got the whole
picture.

“Yes,
she does,” Eric smiled slowly again. “Every one of them. I make her tell me and
she doesn’t leave a thing out.”

“Why
did you make her tell you?” Cindy demanded.

“Because
I care about her,” Eric spoke more softly. “I don’t want anything bad happening
to her. I told her I’d take care of her forever, and I meant ever word.”

Cindy
sat quietly taking in his fervor and devotion. “I get it,” she said quietly.

“Good,
then let’s order dinner and eat it in peace,” said Eric. “After that we can
both go back to our safe, little worlds.”

There
wasn’t anything so safe about Cindy’s world or Eric’s either she realized.  But
sitting here together, drinking wine in this lovely restaurant, there was also
no way in the world that anyone would guess that the two of them lived
teetering on the edge.

Cindy
left dinner with Eric feeling both fascinated and relieved. He was certainly a
complex guy.  If Cindy forced herself to ignore the fact that Eric was Charma’s
number one customer, he seemed like a terrific, solid, caring man. He was good
to be with, made her smile.

“You’re
one heck of a special woman,” Eric had commented in passing after dinner as
they parted, going their separate ways.

“Thanks,”
Cindy replied, off handedly, deciding to keep her promise and not try to figure
him out at all.

*

When
Cindy returned to the hotel she quickly checked her phone, half expecting
another message from Mattheus. There was nothing from Mattheus, however, just a
few messages waiting  from Loretta.

“Where
are you? Call immediately! I need to hear what’s going on?” Loretta sounded a
bit frantic.

Even
though it was late Cindy decided to call and put Loretta’s mind at ease.

“Where’ve
you been?” Loretta’s voice had a raw edge to it as she picked up the phone.
“I’ve been trying to reach you and take you out to dinner with Angela and me.”

“I’ve
been working the case,” Cindy answered simply, feeling for a moment as if she
were being tracked down by an overly protective mother.

“You
have to check in with me, tell me where you’re going,” Loretta became more
strident.

“That’s
not how I work,” Cindy answered carefully, realizing how important it had
become to establish firm  boundaries between the two of them. “I’m here as a
detective, not  a friend,” Cindy continued. “I am working for you, but not with
you, Loretta. I don’t need to check in about every step I take.”

Loretta’s
stony silence in response was jarring.  “Are you hiding something from me,
Cindy?” she finally asked.

This
was becoming annoying. “What would I be hiding? I’m taking slow, careful,
methodical steps, putting together a picture of everyone involved.” Cindy tried
not to sound as exasperated as she felt.

“Who
exactly are you trying to get a picture of?” asked Loretta quickly.

Cindy
decided it wouldn’t hurt to give her the information she was so hungry for.
Hopefully it would calm her down.

 “I’ve
spoken to Taylor, Charma, and visited the brothel again.”

“You
what??” Loretta’s voice became paper thin and piercing. “You actually spoke to
the whore? Why in the world would you go slumming like that? And I told you up
front not to meet Taylor. He hates women, he always hated me.”

“It
doesn’t matter who a person hates or loves,” Cindy’s voice took on an edge as
well. “It’s my job to speak to everyone. That’s what you do when you’re
investigating a crime.”

“I
can’t believe you spoke to Taylor after I asked you not to,” Loretta became
fitful. “I’m hurt, Cindy, very hurt.”

“I’m
sorry you’re hurt, but I’m trying to help,” Cindy wouldn’t go along with it.

“And
to top it off you also spoke to Charma,” Loretta went on. “Now I actually feel
like throwing up.”

“Why?”
Cindy began to feel angry now. “Charma’s a person, too, and for the moment  she’s
being held in custody for a crime you tell me she didn’t commit.”

“I
know,”” hissed Loretta, “and I know she didn’t do it. But I can’t stand her
anyway. I wouldn’t visit her if my life depended on it.”

“Your
life doesn’t depend on it,” Cindy flung back at her. “But maybe Pete’s life
did.”

“What
in hell do you mean by that?” Loretta began to grow furious.

“I
mean maybe finding his killer depends upon my speaking to Charma,” Cindy shot
back.

“Oh,
I thought you were going to tell me that Pete’s life depended on seeing Charma,
that she told you that!” Loretta’s voice grew raspy. ”But nobody can ever say
that to me.  If they do ’ll never believe them or listen to them again.”

“I
wasn’t going to say any such thing,” Cindy quickly defended herself, hoping Loretta
wouldn’t ask the next inevitable question, whether or not Charma  knew Pete at
all, whether he was her customer?  Thankfully, Loretta didn’t go there. That
would obviously have been more than she could handle.

“I’m
so sorry I missed dinner with you and Angela,” Cindy tried to lighten the
conversation. “I’d love to meet her.”

“You
will,” said Loretta. “Right now she’s having desert with my dad. She’s almost
like another daughter to him, they’ve known each other for the longest time.”

“Good,”
said Cindy.

“Who
did you have dinner with?” Loretta asked carefully then.

Once
again Cindy didn’t like Loretta’s probing. “I had a bite with someone from law
enforcement,” Cindy lied. But it was only a half lie as Eric was a lawyer. Of
course there was no way Cindy could say a word about Eric to Loretta or anyone.

“What
was the point of that? The police are against us, anyway,” Loretta became pouty
again.

“Loretta,
you’ve got to trust me and let me do my job,” Cindy insisted.

“Of
course I trust you,” Loretta replied, “but why don’t you go and talk to someone
who can help. Go talk to Val at the real estate company. He’s the guy Pete had
his dealings with. That’s where I’ve told you to look. I don’t know why you’re putting
it off.  Frankly I think something about the whore fascinates you. Maybe
there’s something going on with you that I don’t know anything about? That gives
me the creeps, if you know what I mean.”

“Your
husband’s body was found in her room,” Cindy answered in a clipped tone.

“That’s
not just why you talked to her, I don’t believe that for a minute,” Loretta went
into a rant. “It’s something else, and I can’t even think what. Believe me,
Cindy, none of the women I come in contact with would ever step a foot in a
whorehouse and wouldn’t go talking to Charma either, behind my back.”

Cindy
felt  side swiped by Loretta’s bitterness. “I do believe that, Loretta,” Cindy retorted.
“But I’m not a Midwestern socialite who’s coming to shop for a custom made wedding
gown.”

“Are
you implying there’s something wrong with that?” Loretta was horrified.

“No,
I’m not, of course,” Cindy backtracked. “I’m just pointing out that my life is
different from the women you come into contact with.”

“That’s
for sure,” Loretta grumbled. “Those women would never do the things you do and
they wouldn’t do them alone. They’d have a man at their side every step of the
way.”

For
a second Cindy felt like slamming down the phone, packing up and getting out.
But the case had become bigger than Loretta by now. A young woman with an alibi
was being held for a crime that she very well may not have committed. Cindy
felt an obligation to her as well.

“So,
when you are going to talk to Val?” Loretta tried to repair the damage between
them.

“First
thing tomorrow,” replied Cindy  coolly.

“I’ll
call up front and tell him you’re coming,” said Loretta.

“Fine,”
said Cindy, “’ll be there at ten a.m.”

*

Loori
Inc., was located in a modern, high rise glass building in the main part of
town. As Cindy entered the main lobby she felt as if she were back in the
States. She stepped onto the slick elevator and arrived at the tenth floor
quickly.

“I’m
here to see Val,” Cindy said to the well-dressed receptionist, sitting behind the
expensive wooden desk.

“Oh
yes, Cindy Blaine, right?” the lovely young woman looked right up.

“Right,”
said Cindy.

“I’ll
let him know you’re here,” she said and then looked at Cindy confidentially. “We
were all very close to Pete Twain,” she said in a soft tone, surprising Cindy.  “I’m
so glad you’re here to help.”

“Thank
you,” said Cindy, pleased  by the acknowledgment.

“I
was terrified when I found out what happened,” the receptionist went on. “I
always thought Mr. Twain was such a family man, getting that beautiful condo
for himself and his wife.”

“Well,
he was, wasn’t he?” asked Cindy.

“Yes,
but look where they found the body,” the young woman’s eyes opened wide. “I can
only imagine how his wife’s feeling now.”

At
that moment a tall, slender, guy in his forties, dressed in slacks and a shirt,
with sandy hair, walked into the waiting room smiling, interrupting the
conversation.

 He
extended his hand to Cindy. “Val Donalds,” he said. “You must be Cindy Blaine.”

 “Yes
I am,” said Cindy, pleased to see him. Val seemed direct and forthright and  certainly
inspired confidence, thought Cindy.

“Let’s
go into my office and talk,” Val offered, as he turned back to where he came
from.

 Cindy
followed him, but turned first to offer a smile of thanks to the receptionist,
who watched both Cindy and Val closely.

*

Val’s
office was large, well-appointed and beautifully decorated with  designer
furniture, plush leather chairs, and incredible posters on the walls which
proudly displayed the beauty and wonders of the Dominican Republic. Cindy
couldn’t help gaze at them before sitting down. Her eyes turned to a huge
poster of a gigantic, colorful  poster. It vividly displayed a dazzling, joyous
festival where everyone was in wild costumes, singing and dancing in the
streets.

“Carnival,
carnival,” Val uttered. “Not only do we have incredible beaches, restaurants,
dancing, entertainment in the Dominican Republic, but the poster you’re looking
at is of Carnival. It’s the highlight of our Festivities, the biggest and most amazing
event, going on since 1867. You’ve never seen anything like it, the festivities
and celebrations get so wild people even hit each other with inflated cow and
pig bladders as part of the fun.”

“A
wild time,’ Cindy murmured.

“We
have an incredible country here,” Val commented, “the perfect place to live,
vacation and certainly invest in a second home.”

Cindy
looked over at him. This was obviously a sales pitch he made many times and he
said it again now automatically Did he know who Cindy was, she wondered for a
moment? Did he think she was a tourist, coming to buy a vacation condo from
him?

“It
looks extraordinary,” Cindy agreed. “I can see why Pete Twain loved it down
here so much.”

At
that, Val’s smile faded. “Yes, Pete did love it here,” he replied. “He was
excited about buying the condo.”

“Did
you know Pete well?” Cindy asked.

Val
only paused for a moment. “I did know him somewhat, of course,” Val spoke more
thoughtfully. We had business dealings.”

“Pete
was in the process of buying a condo that your company developed and offered,
is that correct?” asked Cindy.

“Yes,
that’s right.  As you can see we’re real estate developers on this beautiful
island,” Val responded.

“Why
was Pete buying the condo?” Cindy asked in a clipped tone, trying to throw Val
off guard.

“Why?”
Val looked surprised. “Isn’t it obvious? Wouldn’t anyone want one? The unit he
chose was right on the ocean and a few steps from one of the most famous golf
courses.”

“Was
this an investment property?” Cindy asked.

“Of
course our homes are incredible investments,” Val’s replied, “not only in
enjoyment and well-being, but financially as well.”

For
a moment Val sounded like a well rehearsed robot, saying all the right words
with the perfect inflections.

“Val,”
Cindy tried to break through his well constructed performance, “I need to know exactly
why Pete was buying the condo?”

Val
quieted a moment. “I checked all the records before our meeting carefully,” he
looked at Cindy plainly. “I have a bit of a surprise for you actually.
Certainly, Pete and I were in negotiations, and even though his name is all
over the papers, I’m sorry to say that he hadn’t yet left a down payment. So,
officially, he hadn’t bought the condo. So, I really can’t stay why he wanted
to buy it, or if he even was going to complete the deal.”

“Wait
a minute, wait a minute,” Cindy held up her hand. “I heard that Pete left a
huge deposit on the condo, one hundred thousand dollars.”

Val
looked startled. “Where did you hear that from?”

“It
doesn’t matter here, said Cindy. How can it be you don’t have a record of
that?”

Val
quickly flipped open the folder on the desk and began rummaging through the
pages.

“There’s
no sign of any deposit here,” he insisted, “nothing at all. As far as I heard
we’ve been waiting for it.”

Something
was deeply amiss here and Cindy was alerted. Loretta’s father had said he’d
given Loretta and Pete one hundred thousand for the deposit. Where did that
money go? Who had it?

“Can
you check one more time, please,” Cindy asked abruptly. “I have to be absolutely
certain about this.”