Death by Seduction (9 page)

“You
have an alibi?” Cindy was startled. “Did you tell the police?”

“Of
course I did,” said Charma, “I said I was out with another John and didn’t get
home until late. They just laughed in my face.”

“Didn’t
you ask the police to have Eric confirm it?” Cindy urgently needed to know.

“No,”
Charma’s eyes closed quickly. “I didn’t tell the police who the John was. Eric
and I got an arrangement, I don’t let anyone know about him and me.”

“Eric’s
married?” Cindy asked, guessing that was the reason.

“He’s
not married,” whispered Charma, “though if he was, what difference would that
make? I told you, Eric’s a big time lawyer down here. It wouldn’t be good for
him if people found out what he did on the side.  I just told the police I was
with another John, and that Sanya saw me come home about three in the morning. 
Pete’s time of death was listed as around two a.m.”

A
long chill passed up Cindy’s shoulders. This was crucial information. If it was
true, Charma couldn’t have killed Pete.

“Will
Eric agree to testify that he was with you?” Cindy asked softly.

“I
don’t know if he can do that,” Charma’s hands crawled closer to Cindy across
the steel table, “but I know he can help you find the killer. Once you find the
killer, I’ll be free.”

Cindy’s
stomach dropped as she wondered if Charma would ever be free, would this kind
of thing happen to her over and over? What she in the grip of a life that could
only bring  disaster?

“I’ll
get hold of Eric as soon as I can,” Cindy whispered.

“Oh
God, thank you,” Charma lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “God, thank you, thank
you for bringing Cindy to me and getting me out.”

*

Cindy
was agitated as she left the interview room and walked down the narrow corridor
back to where Ron was stationed, waiting for her.

“Sit
down a second before you go,” Ron said, coming out from behind his desk. “You
look like you saw a ghost. Let me get you a cup of coffee.”

Cindy
was actually delighted by the offer. Not only did she need a cup of coffee, she
needed to talk this over with someone.

As
soon as Ron brought the coffee, Cindy started talking. “Charma has an alibi,”
she said quickly. “She said Shanya, the older woman in the house saw her come
back that night from  a date at around three a.m.  She came back after Pete was
killed.”

“They
all say something,” Ron yawned. “We got her prints on the knife and his body.”

“It’s
possible someone else did it though,” said Cindy. “It’s possible they got her
prints later on and set it all up.”

“Everything
is possible,” Ron drank his coffee down slowly. “Maybe my mother will turn into
an eagle and start flying in the sky? But is it probable?”

 “Maybe
Charma slept with Pete earlier in the night?” Cindy mused, “that’s why her
prints were on him.”

“You
want to prove that Pete came to see her before she left with another customer?”
asked Ron.

“I’m
sure people at the house saw who came in and who went out,” Cindy replied.

“Yeah,
of course, people at the house see everything, but if they open their mouth and
tell you what they see, their work is over and so is their life.”

“A
code of silence?” Cindy whispered.

“People
get killed for snitching every day, especially in this line of work,” Ron said
matter of factly. “I told you in the beginning, it’s better for you to spend a
few days here, go to the beach, comfort your friend and book a one way flight
home.”

Despite
herself Cindy liked Charma immensely. She admired her honesty and raw energy. She
was also troubled that not a word had been said about Charma’s alibi. Could it
be stabbings and killings were the order of the day in the brothels? Of course Cindy
wouldn’t go along with that.  Now she was more determined than ever to get to
the bottom of what had happened to Pete. Clearly, there was a very real possibility
that Pete had actually been Charma’s customer. Could be he’d been living a
double life, as lots of the guys who hung around at the brothels did? Loretta
had been blinding herself to the reality and of course, Cindy could understand
why.

Cindy
was eager to meet Eric and find out more.  But first she wanted to speak to
Pete’s brother Taylor. Even though he was Pete’s closest blood relative, he’d
been laying low. As far as Cindy knew he hadn’t contacted either the police or Cindy
so far, even though he had a room in the same hotel. Cindy wondered how Taylor
had been spending his time and why he came at all?

Cindy
finished her cup of breakfast coffee, picked up the phone and called him.

Taylor
answered immediately and mumbled something Cindy couldn’t understand.

“I’m
Cindy Blaine, private detective,” she repeated slowly, hoping to get through to
him.

“I
was sleeping,” Taylor grumbled, more coherently then.

“I’m
sorry to bother you,” Cindy continued, “but I need your help.”

After
a long pause, the voice on the phone grew more solid. “This is the first time
anyone’s asked for my help,” he responded.

“I’m
sorry about that,” murmured Cindy.

“Seems
like I’m persona non gratis,” Taylor went on. “No one’s even bothered to say
they’re sorry my brother’s gone.”

“That’s
awful,” Cindy agreed.  “I’m sorry, Taylor.”

He
seemed to perk up. “Well, thanks for that at least,” he mumbled.

“Can
we talk downstairs in the hotel lobby?” Cindy ventured onwards.

“No,
we can’t,” he replied instantly. “I don’t like hotel lobbies. If you want to
see me, come to my room.”

Cindy
had no desire to be in a room alone with him.

“Come
right now,” he continued.

Even
though Cindy felt uneasy she had no choice but to go.

“And
don’t tell anyone you’re coming,” Taylor shot out next. “I don’t like my
business broadcast all over.””

“I
understand that,” said Cindy.

“Good.
Then get to room 232 as soon as you can,” he grunted and hung up the phone.

*

Cindy
wondered for a moment if it was a good idea for her to go to Taylor’s room without
letting anyone knowing where she would be. She thought of calling Ron and
telling him, but she’d promised Taylor she wouldn’t say a word. Sooner or later
lies had a way of getting found out and breaking a promise certainly wasn’t the
way to start a new relationship.

As
Cindy was wondering what to do, her cell phone beeped letting her know she’d  received
a text. She opened the phone and looked down at it.

Where
are you now? Where are you going
?

Ironically,
it was from Mattheus. How strange, thought Cindy, arriving at a moment like
this. Cindy put the phone down, her hands a bit shaky. If Mattheus were here it
would be a simple matter to interview Taylor. Mattheus would know where she was
going and would cover her back.  It was difficult not to grab the phone and text
back, telling Mattheus what was happening right now. But Cindy resisted doing
that. Taylor was only a few steps down the hall, and she couldn’t imagine any
reason he’d want to do her harm. Without waiting another moment, she decided to
go right to Taylor’s room, and see what she could find.

*

When
Cindy walked into Taylor’s room it was dark, messy and filled with smoke and
half used coffee cups.  The blinds were shut closed and all kinds of papers
were strewn across the floor. Piles of notebooks lined the table adding to the
disarray.

“I
heard there was a detective on the case,” Taylor said as soon as Cindy walked in
the door.

Cindy
looked at him and was surprised. Despite the fact that Taylor was rumpled and dressed
in old clothes, her was strikingly handsome with large, intense, blue eyes that
followed her every move.

“I’m
truly sorry about your loss,” Cindy started, wondering where the rest of Pete’s
family was?

“Sit
down,” Taylor motioned to a chair, that was covered with magazines.

He
accompanied Cindy to the chair and before she sat down, tossed the magazines onto
the floor. Then he pulled up a chair close by.

“My
brother didn’t deserve to die,” he said heavily.

“Of
course not,” Cindy murmured.

“He
gave the bitch everything she ever wanted,” Taylor’s eyes narrowed as he spoke.

“You mean
Loretta?” Cindy was taken aback by the vehemence with which he spoke. “Who
else?” asked Taylor. “You think Pete was a ladies man? He was not. The  little
wife  

spun
him around her little finger, like a toy.”

Obviously
Loretta’s distaste for Taylor was completely mutual.

“Did
you ever talk to Pete about Loretta?” Cindy was curious to hear more.

“Sure
I did, all the time,” Taylor mumbled. “But the guy couldn’t hear a thing I
said. “A woman can do that to you,” he grimaced.

“You’re
not married yourself, are you?” asked Cindy.

“What’s
that got to do with anything?” Taylor became immediately offended.

Cindy
had wondered if Taylor was basically a woman hater, though she wouldn’t say
that to him.

“Tell
me more about your brother’s marriage?” Cindy tried to get the conversation
back on track.

“I
couldn’t stand her, ever,” Taylor started, rubbing his hands on his legs. “Pete
fell for Loretta the minute he saw her. Maybe it was because he never had much
luck with girls. Other than that, I never could understand why.”

“That’s
rough,” said Cindy. “It’s hard to have someone in the family marrying a person
you don’t like.”

“Yeah
it’s rough,” agreed Taylor, “but to his credit, Pete was strong. He never let
it get between us. A weaker guy might have though. Lots of wives break up
family relationships.”

“That’s
true,” agreed Cindy. “How else was Pete strong?”

“In
the long run it didn’t matter that he was strong,” Taylor went on, “a  lousy
marriage can take a toll on anyone.”

“It
certainly can,” Cindy agreed, “it took a real toll on your brother?”

“Did
it ever,” Taylor pronounced.

Cindy
wondering if Taylor was referring to the fact that Pete went to see
prostitutes.

“It’s
awful where they found him,” Cindy tried to get closer to that question.

“Everything’s
awful about this lousy story,” Taylor got up suddenly and went to the get a can
of beer. “Who cares where they found him though? The awful part is that he’s
gone. He didn’t deserve to die.”

Cindy
wanted to ask Taylor what he thought happened, but he didn’t seem stable enough
to take on that question directly, yet.

“I’m
down here checking the records,” Taylor offered on his own as he sat back down
beside Cindy.  “I’m going over the books.”

Cindy
was surprised. “You have access to Taylor’s private finances?” she asked.

Taylor
looked Cindy up and down harshly. “Pete was my best bud, not just my brother. I
got his passwords, his diaries,  everything.  Right now I’m checking the money
trail.”

“Is
that why you came down?” Cindy asked promptly.

“Right,”
Taylor shot back. “I wanted to be at the scene of the crime, and a few steps  away
from the little lady. Pete’s all I got. Our mother and father died years ago in
a car accident.”

“Like
Loretta’s mother,” Cindy echoed.

“Yeah,
sometimes  I thought that’s what made them close to each other. But it wasn’t
enough. The marriage was bad.”

Cindy
wondered if any marriage would seem like a good marriage in Taylor’s eyes.

“It’s
good of you to be here,” Cindy answered. “Have you spoken to Loretta at all?”

“Not
a word,” Taylor grimaced. “I called her a few times, but she never called back.
Nothing new, but at least I tried.”

“You’re
doing this for Pete?” asked Cindy.

Taylor
gritted his teeth. “I’m doing it for myself. What kind of brother would stay
away when something like this happened? Loretta always wanted to keep me away,
make me look bad. But this time, I won’t let her.”

“What
exactly was wrong with Pete’s marriage?” asked Cindy, desperately wanting

specifics.
 “I heard he made lots of money.”

“You
think that makes a good marriage?” Taylor sneered. “It doesn’t. Besides, he lost
plenty of money, too.”

“But
Loretta’s boutique must have helped out,” Cindy added. “I heard it’s hugely well-known
and successful.”

Taylor’s
eyes narrowed again. “You’d think it would help their marriage, wouldn’t you?

You’d
think she’d give some of the money to my brother if he needed it?”

“Of
course,” said Cindy.

“But
there’s lots you don’t know,” Taylor grinned.  “Loretta’s stupid father funded
that business. It’s not hers at all. Basically, it belongs to him.”

Cindy
was startled to hear that.

“And,
there was no love lost between her father and Pete,” Taylor’s bitterness
intensified. “Henry’s always one upping everyone, especially his daughter’s
husband.”

“How
did Loretta take that?” asked Cindy.

“Why
not ask her yourself?” Taylor quickly drank what was left of his beer.  “Her
life wasn’t so easy, either. You didn’t know Loretta was a boozer, did you?”

“A
drunk?” asked Cindy, startled.

“You
can call it that,” Taylor shot back. “She covered it up by drinking at parties
and all the stupid events at that boutique.”

“I
had no idea,” Cindy murmured.

“So
do your job then, check it out,” Taylor stood up then, impatient.

“Of
course, I will,” Cindy exclaimed, disturbed. “But tell me one thing before I
go. Did your brother visit prostitutes?”

At
that Taylor’s hands clenched until his knuckles grew pale. “Instead of digging
up dirt about my brother, go check out his lousy, selfish wife.”

“Why
should I do that?” Cindy retorted. “Are you suggesting she had something to do
with the crime?”

“Of
course I’m not suggesting that,” said Taylor. “But if dirt is going to be
flung, fling it at her, first. If he did stupid things in his life, she drove
him to it. A rotten wife can ruin a man’s life. I’ve seen it before and I’ll
see it again.”

“This
isn’t about flinging dirt, Taylor,” Cindy stood up tall before she walked to
the door.

“It’s
about gathering evidence. I’ve got to find out what really happened to Pete.”

“Who
cares about gory details?”  Taylor cried out suddenly. “We know what happened. He’s
gone, he’s dead and nothing’s bringing him back.”

“If
you don’t care what happened, why are you here then?” Cindy flung out
stridently.

Taylor
cocked his head to the side.  “I want  to go through his records and see if his
lousy wife ever helped him out, or if someone was stealing from him?”

“Who
would be stealing from Pete? Charma?” asked Cindy, breathless.

“No,
maybe Loretta or her dad,” Taylor flung back.

                                                                             
*
When Cindy left Taylor’s room, she couldn’t decide if he were just trying to
get revenge for the past, or if he was actually trying to follow the money
trail to his brother’s death. Taylor obviously hated and distrusted women, and
Loretta was clearly part of that.  Cindy wondered if it was also actually true
that Loretta drank too much? That certainly didn’t fit what Cindy knew of her
friend or the way Loretta was behaving.  Even if it were true, Cindy didn’t
know how it would fit into the case. It would be easy to track that information
down. And, if  Cindy found it wasn’t so, that would invalidate everything
Taylor said.

Cindy
felt disheartened as she went back to her room.  The next step would be to
change quickly, get down to the brothel and have the girls tell her how to
contact Charma’s main customer, Eric. Maybe Eric somehow knew more about Pete
and could shed light on both him and Charma.