Death by Seduction (25 page)

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.”

The
extent of Angel’s fury took Cindy’s breath away. “That was not my intention,”
Cindy tried to interrupt, but Angela wouldn’t let her.

“No
sane jury will find Loretta guilty,” Angela went on, “not after all the bastard
put her through. And no sane friend would have pushed things the way you did. Loretta
called you down to keep the dogs at bay.”

“She
called me down to find out who killed Pete,” Cindy answered, in pain. “And it
was Loretta who arranged for the death of her husband. Those are the facts.”

“Pete
wasn’t her husband, he was her tormentor,” Angela shot back, “and I will
testify in court to that.”

“It’s
out of my hands now, Angela,” said Cindy softly.

“That’s
convenient, isn’t it?” Angela replied. “We all thought you were so terrific and
now we’re sorry we ever met you. Get the hell off this island as soon as you
can.” Then she hung up quickly on her.

Cindy
wondered if that constituted a threat. She began to cry as she hung up and
Mattheus put his arms around her.

“There’s
no reason to take any more calls right now,” he said.  “There’s some out there
who will lift you up to the moon and others who want to drown you. We’re gonna
leave this place soon Cindy and take our time alone together. Not one person
will know where we’re headed to, either.”

“Yes,”
agreed Cindy, “it’s time.”

“Once
we’re out of here we’re gonna unwind and shut off our phones,” Mattheus added.

Though
it sounded good, Cindy wondered if it were possible.

“What
else did the paper say?” asked Cindy, not ready to shut the world out yet.

“It
said that Charma’s an accessory to a crime and being taken back in for
questioning,” Mattheus reported.

Cindy
was stunned. “How did they find that out?”

“Through
Burnd, strangely enough,” Mattheus added. “Seems he was upset after he gave you
the bracelet and went to the cops to get it back. When he was there, he spilled
the whole story, including that Charma knew Pete was going to be killed.  He
had no idea what that really meant or what the consequences would be.”
“My God,” breathed Cindy, “how the wheels of justice turn on their own.”

“Not
exactly their own,” Mattheus said softly. “It was due to your persistence and
bravery that this all came out.”

“And
what about Eric?” the thought of him suddenly flashed across Cindy’s mind. “He
must have found out that Charma knew Pete was going to be killed.  How did he
take it?”

“He’s
devastated,” said Mattheus softly. “Last I heard, he’s leaving the island with
Taylor shortly.”

Cindy’s
stomach dropped. “Where’s he going? What will happen to him, Mattheus?”

“I
have no idea,” replied Mattheus. “But in the long run, you’ve saved him as
well.  Now he’s free of Charma and can start his life over again.”

Cindy
felt dizzy.

“And
we can start again as well, Cindy,” Mattheus held her closer. “You still want
to, don’t you?”

Cindy
trembled in his arms. “Yes, I do Mattheus,” she whispered. “Definitely.”

“Great,”
his voice grew stronger. “Once we’re out of here, we’ll look for a wedding
venue again, not the kind we looked for before, something entirely different.”

“What
kind?” she asked, curious.

“Something
you’ll feel comfortable inviting your friends and family to,” he answered, “a
place that fits us all.”

Cindy
wondered in passing if her family would even come.

“I’ve
been in touch with your family,” Mattheus said softly then. “We’re working
things out from both sides.”

“In
touch with my family?” Cindy was stunned.

“I
couldn’t leave any stone unturned here, could I?” Mattheus answered, “not if I
want things to really work out.”

“That’s
amazing, that’s wonderful,” Cindy replied.

“Yes,
it is,” Mattheus agreed, “and I’m grateful for all of it, every last bit.”

The
phone rang  one more time then, as they held each other close. Cindy looked at
it from the corner of her, as Mattheus pushed it out of sight.

“Let
it ring all it wants, Cindy, it’s our time now,” he whispered.

COMING SOON…

Book #14 in the Caribbean Murder Series

Now
Available: Jaden’s Skye NEW romance series!

A PERFECT STRANGER
(Book #1 in the Tom’s River Saga)

Nestled among trees
and hills, set alongside a winding river, the small town of Tom’s River,
Wisconsin, so beautiful and protected, is a place where everybody knows each
other, a place where nothing ever changes and where people can feel safe. But
one day, all that changes. Megan’s husband has gone missing, and no one can
find him.
As the search deepens, Megan discovers the truth not only about her husband,
but also about the secrets he’s been hiding in their marriage. Her world is
shook as she realizes she’s been living a lie, has been in a relationship with
a man who’s been living a secret life, a man she never really knew.
Some months after his disappearance, as the snows of winter melt, Hunter, a
handsome, magnetic stranger, arrives in Tom’s River. A loner with a mysterious
past, he is content with his solitary job at the lumber yard. But as a tornado
ravages the town, he is destined to cross paths with Megan, as she seeks help
to repair her damaged home.
Once Hunter and Megan meet, nothing is ever the same again. As he repairs the
roof that blew off her home, the two cannot hold back their feelings for each
other. They fall madly in love. Yet Megan cannot, once again, live with a man
who is keeping secrets from her: she needs Hunter to open up about who he is,
about what he’s running from. And that is not something Hunter may be ready to do.
As they face a crucial crossroads in their affair, a shocking and dramatic
twist hits the town: one that will test their love, and will test the town.
Nothing will be the same in Tom’s River again.

Please
visit Jaden’s site, where you can join the mailing list, hear the latest news,
see additional images, and find links to stay in touch with Jaden on Facebook,
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Also
by Jaden Skye

THE CARIBBEAN MURDER SERIES
DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book
#1)
DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2)
DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3)
DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4)
DEATH BY DECEIT (Book #5)
DEATH BY JEALOUSY (Book #6)

DEATH
BY PROPOSAL (Book #7)

DEATH BY OBSESSION (Book #8)
DEATH BY DEVOTION (Book #9)
DEATH BY BETRAYAL (Book #10)
THE TOM’S RIVER SAGA
A PERFECT STRANGER (Book #1)