Death by Temptation (15 page)

Santos stopped smiling and looked at Cindy, his
small eyes narrowing.

“You came for Kara or for the other one?” he asked,
his voice thickening.

“I heard the other one, Shane, was a regular down
here at the casino,” said Cindy, taking the opportunity to include her.

“Yeah, she was.” Santos nodded slowly. “She was a
good girl, too, didn’t do anything wrong.”

“They found lots of drugs in her body,” Cindy
continued.

Santos took a heavy step forward. “Of course.” His
voice grew even thicker. “What do you think people look for down here? The
drugs aren’t what killed her though, are they?”

Cindy was at a loss. “Not directly, maybe,” she said
finally. “But I’m looking for a connection to what happened to her and Kara.”

Santos now leaned against the edge of the desk he’d
been sitting behind.

“And why exactly are you looking for that?” he
asked, clearly finding Cindy interesting.

“Just looking,” said Cindy, suddenly gazing into his
eyes and feeling indescribably sad. She knew he could give her something that
would help, but she had no real idea what could be in it for him or what he
might want in return.

“You know, you’re a beautiful woman, Cindy.” Santos
rubbed his chin, changing the topic. “Why are you doing something like this?”

Cindy was surprised by his comment. “Why do I work
as a detective?”

Santos nodded, seeming almost fatherly for a moment.

“I like it,” said Cindy.

“That’s a good reason,” he answered. “And where’s
this partner you mentioned before?”

Cindy felt at a sudden loss.

“You shouldn’t have come down here to see me without
your partner,” Santos said, sounding oddly concerned about Cindy.

“I’m just hoping you’ll tell me something, anything
that will help me understand things better,” Cindy replied.

“The best thing I could tell you,” Santos went on,
“is not to come to places like this alone.”

Once again Cindy had the odd sensation that he was
looking after her. “I need more than that,” she replied. “Please give me a
lead.”

Santos let out a long sigh. “Like what?” He seemed
fascinated.

“Do you know anything at all about Kara or Rowley?”
Cindy started.

“I know everything about everyone who comes down to
the island.” Santos grinned, displaying an uneven row of short teeth. “Whatever
goes on, I know about it.”

“Did Kara or Rowley use drugs?” she asked quickly.

Santos laughed. “Of course they did, why wouldn’t
they?” he spoke languidly.

“Both of them?” Cindy felt distressed. Rowley had
told the police they didn’t.

“What are you asking me, Cindy?” Santos pressed.

“Are you aware of who sold drugs to them?” Cindy dug
in.

“I’m aware of everything,” Santos drawled. “Do you
actually expect me to tell you who?”

Cindy was stopped. “Just tell me how you know either
Kara or Rowley. How you heard of them.”

“And where does that get me, Cindy?” Santos smiled.

“I’ll be forever grateful,” Cindy replied. “So will
her family.”

“Grateful,” Santos laughed. “When people are
grateful to Santos for a favor, there’s a big price to pay for it.”

“What kind of price?” Cindy stood up and looked at
him directly.

Santos was mesmerized, seemed to love Cindy’s
spirit. “If I had a daughter like you, I would be a proud man, Cindy,” he
replied.

Cindy felt touched by his comment. “Thank you,” she
said, “please tell me more.”

“Well, for one thing, whatever I tell you is
personal,” Santos continued. “You swear to me that you won’t tell the police.”

Cindy wasn’t sure she could swear that.

“Because if anybody goes behind Santos’s back, it
just takes a minute and they end up dead on the beach. I wouldn’t want that to
happen to you, Cindy. Never.”

Cindy shuddered. “Is that what happened to Shane?
Did she go behind your back, Santos?”

“That’s not what we’re talking about, is it?” Santos
replied. “You asked me how I heard of Kara or Rowley.”

“How?” asked Cindy.

Santos’s eyes began to squint. “The husband is a
surgeon back in the States,” he started. “The bride works for a shelter for
abused, crazy women, who could turn on anyone in a second flat.”

That news was public; it didn’t prove that Santos knew
them personally.

“Everybody knows that,” said Cindy, irritated. “It
doesn’t mean you know them.”

“I like you, Cindy,” Santos blurted out then, “and
I’m gonna help. Your partner isn’t with you, so I’ll be your partner for now.
How about that?”

Cindy had no idea what he meant exactly, but she was
willing to find out. “Good,” she said.

“Just be a little patient,” Santos continued, “I
have to talk to someone.”

“Then what?” asked Cindy hurriedly.

“Then you’ll see what will happen all by yourself,”
Santos mumbled. He got up and went back to the seat he’d been sitting on,
indicating that the interview was over for now .

Cindy turned to go.

“And come back in a little while,” Santos called out
after her. “And don’t think I don’t feel bad about what happened to Shane
either, because I do.”

*

 Cindy drove back to the hotel feeling elated. She
liked Santos and he liked her. Their connection was totally unexpected but
somehow she felt he was good for his word. He was going to help.

As the cab got closer to their destination, her
phone suddenly rang. Once again Cindy hoped it would be Mattheus, longing to
share the exciting news. Instead, Alfred was on the other end.

“We just got a call from a woman named Holly.”
Alfred sounded fitful. “She said that you were at the casino, sniffing around
the drug ring.”

Cindy was totally stunned. How could Alfred have
heard the news so quickly?

“Holly and I are good friends,” Alfred went on
quickly. “When anyone goes to see Santos, she calls me right away. When she
described you, I knew who it was.”

“That’s right, Alfred,” Cindy said, actually glad to
be talking to someone about it.

“You should have checked with me first.” Alfred
sounded indignant.

“Excuse me,” said Cindy, “but I happen to be the
detective on the case.”

“This wasn’t a good idea, Cindy,” Alfred continued.
“You could be creating more trouble, sniffing around. We’re getting close to
something, very close.”

“Who’s we?” asked Cindy. “You and Vinny?”

“Right,” Alfred quipped. “No one else is doing a
damn about things, so we’ve taken

it in our own hands.”

Cindy felt half terrified by that and half relieved.
“What have you found? Is there anything you can tell me?”

“If there was I would have told you already,” Alfred
breathed. “But we’ve got to keep things quiet now. I can tell you one thing,
though.”

“What?” asked Cindy, on edge.

“Check Shane’s Facebook page right away. No one’s
bothered to do that thoroughly yet.”

“That’s it?” asked Cindy.

“That’s a lot,” Alfred said. “Just do it, you’ll be
happy.”

As soon as Cindy returned to the room she
immediately went to her computer to do what Alfred suggested, check Shane’s
page. By now evening had fallen and Mattheus still hadn’t returned. To her
surprise, Cindy was actually pleased to have the time to explore Shane’s page
alone. First she called downstairs for dinner to be brought up, then flipped
open her computer.

When Cindy got to Shane’s page, she shivered. The young
woman staring out at her was beautiful and there was also a striking
resemblance between her and Kara. They could have been sisters. Shane had
large, daring eyes, perfect features, and a dazzling smile. It was startling to
realize that, in the prime of her youth, she was gone. Even more disturbing was
that no one in particular, with the possible exception of Alfred and Vinny,
seemed to be concerned with what happened to her. Was this case really being
investigated? Cindy knew how negligent the police down in the islands could be.

Cindy scrolled down Shane’s page carefully. The
usual photos of friends, events, invitations, and messages rolled along. Only
one or two small photos of Vinny were included, making Cindy wonder how
important he had truly been to her. One other photo seemed to dominate the page
though, a red-headed young woman named Jenna. From the looks of it Jenna
appeared to be one of Shane’s best friends. Was this what Alfred was talking
about?

Cindy looked through the many messages between Jenna
and Shane. Most of them were lighthearted enough. One message stopped Cindy
cold. It was from Jenna to Shane.

I know you
refuse to listen to anybody, Shane, but please listen to me. When you didn’t
listen last time you were sorry. Do you remember? Jenna.

What had
happened last time that Shane was sorry about?
Cindy wondered. She
scrolled further around trying to find out more. Soon another message struck
Cindy.

Shane, be
careful. Open your eyes, this isn’t a game! There are real people’s lives at
stake here. Jenna
.

What wasn’t a
game? Cindy definitely had to know. She wondered whether anyone beside Alfred
had even seen these messages. Did Jenna know that Shane’s body had been found
dead on the beach? If she knew, it seemed certain that she would have turned up
here by now. Cindy wasn’t going to spend another moment wondering. I was time
to find out for herself.

Immediately,
Cindy sent a message to Jenna.
Have you heard the news about Shane?
Cindy
wrote.
Please contact me immediately.
Then Cindy included her personal
email address.

After she sent
the message, Cindy put the computer aside, stood up, and started walking
aimlessly around the room. This message was probably only the tip of the
iceberg. There had to be much more information about Shane available that no
one was looking into. Cindy really had to talk to Mattheus about this. She
could be on the verge of finding out something that might stop the family from
leaving right now.

Cindy picked up
her phone and called, but Mattheus’s voice mail came on. Cindy refused to leave
a message. She hung up instead and called Rowley’s room. Most likely Mattheus
was there with Rod.

The phone rang
awhile and then to Cindy’s surprise, Pete answered.

“Hi, Pete,”
Cindy started, “it’s Cindy.”

“Yes, I
recognize your voice,” Pete replied. “It’s wonderful to hear from you again.
How are you doing?”

“I’m good, I’m
fine,” said Cindy, “just trying to track down Mattheus. Is he there?”

“Not at the
moment.” Pete’s voice deepened. “I believe he and Rod are downstairs

in the bar. Is
there something I can do for you?”

Cindy smiled at
Pete’s graciousness. “I wish there was,” she answered. “I just have details I
need to go over with Mattheus.”

“Sorry he’s not
here,” Pete replied sadly. “Is there someone else on board, helping you out?”

“Yes, of
course,” said Cindy brightly, not wanting to let him know how stranded she

really felt.

“Who?” asked
Pete, unwilling to let it go at that.

Cindy quickly
thought of Santos and his offer to help. Naturally she couldn’t tell

Pete anything
about that. She couldn’t even let herself think that one of the bosses in

the ring would
turn out to be someone she could count on.

“Wish I could
tell you, but I can’t,” Cindy said in a lighthearted tone.

Pete grew quiet.
“Whatever you tell me will always be held in the utmost confidence,” he
replied.

“Thank you,
Pete, I’m sure it would,” said Cindy. “And I’ll keep that in mind for the
future, I really will.”

“I hope you mean
that,” Pete added, before the two of them hung up.

*

Cindy called
down for dinner and to her surprise a few minutes after it arrived, Mattheus
walked into the room. She hadn’t seen him for so long, it was the last thing
she expected.

“Pete came down
to the bar and said you were looking for me,” Mattheus said as he entered.
“Something wrong?”

Cindy looked at
Mattheus in amazement. “Is something wrong? We’re working a case, all kinds of
things are happening.”

“What case are
we working, Cindy?” Mattheus took a step back at the sound of her voice.

“Your friend’s
daughter has gone missing,” Cindy reminded him, “and another young woman also
turned up dead on the beach. At the moment I’m trying to see if the cases are
interconnected.”

Mattheus walked
over to where Cindy was standing. “I thought we decided that they were not,” he
declared.

“Who decided?”
asked Cindy. “There were plenty of drugs found in the dead woman’s body and I
told you I was going to poke around in the drug ring down here.”

“And I told you
not to,” Mattheus exclaimed.

“Why not,
Mattheus?” This was almost more than Cindy could bear.

“Because we’re
not working Shane’s case, we’re here for Kara,” he repeated.

Cindy had
nothing further to say. She had been going to tell him what she’d found on
Shane’s Facebook page, but given his attitude decided to say nothing at all.
She wasn’t even going to tell him about her meeting with Santos. As far as she
was concerned, Mattheus didn’t deserve to hear anything.

Instead, Cindy
turned to the table her dinner was sitting on.

“Did you order
some dinner for me, too?” Mattheus looked over her shoulder at the delicious,
steaming food.

“Why would I?”
asked Cindy. “As far as I knew you were having dinner with Rod. When exactly
was the last time we had dinner together?”

“You sound more
and more jealous of Rod,” Mattheus replied. “It’s an old story, women getting
jealous of their guy’s friends. Lots of them do all they can to break up the
friendships completely.”

“What world are
you living in, Mattheus?” Cindy was stung. “We’re down here on a case—”

“I heard that a
million times,” said Mattheus, “and I don’t want to hear it anymore. This case
is over. You can’t put it down so you’re going round and round in circles.”

“Really? How do
you know that?” asked Cindy, inflamed. “I haven’t told you even one thing that
I’ve found so far.”

Mattheus’s brow
curled and he looked confused for a second.

“If you asked
me, you’ve been taken over by Rod,” Cindy continued. “I’ve never seen you like
this before. Has he been filling you with all these crazy ideas?”

 “Taken over by
Rod?” Mattheus had a strange look on his face.

“He’s affected
you, Mattheus, he’s influencing your mind,” Cindy added.

“That’s entirely
nuts,” said Mattheus. “Who suggested that to you, Alfred?”

There was no
point in continuing the discussion. “Look, I’m going to have my dinner, check
my emails, and get to bed early,” Cindy shot back at him.

“Do what you
want. No one’s stopping you,” said Mattheus. “I’m going to take a shower and
get ready for bed, too. It’s been a long few days for both of us.”

Soon Cindy heard
the water running in the shower. She finished what was left of her dinner
quickly, wondering what was happening to them. None of it was good and Cindy
felt devastated to see their relationship unraveling. She had no idea how to
stop it either, or why it was really happening. Was Mattheus just grabbing at
Rod as a convenient excuse for backing away?

Cindy sat at the
table until she heard Mattheus leave the bathroom and go into the bedroom.
There was no way she could go in there with him now. Instead, she went to the
couch to lie down with a tired and heavy heart.

As she lay
there, Cindy thought of the day, of her odd meeting with Santos and brief
conversation with Pete. Both Pete and Santos realized that Cindy was alone.
Neither of them felt good about it. Would Santos intervene and help in some
way? Miracles did happen. It definitely seemed as though there was something
about the case that bothered him, as well. Before long, Cindy closed her eyes
and drifted into a hazy, light sleep.

In what seemed
like just a few minutes Cindy was awakened by the ringing of her phone. Half
asleep, half awake, she groped around for it.

“Yes?” Cindy
mumbled when she found the phone.

A woman’s voice
on the other end was even more muffled than Cindy’s.

“Help me,
please,” Cindy heard.

Cindy’s eyes
shot open, fully awake. “Who is this?” she exclaimed, her heart beating wildly.

“Please,” the
dim voice barely continued. “Under four trees and a fence, circle the corner,”
then all grew silent.

“Who is this?
Tell me, please!” Cindy was gripped with a sense of horror. “Is it Kara?”

“Begging,
begging,” the jumbled voice managed.

“Don’t give up,
I’m here.” Cindy started shaking. “I won’t leave you alone.”

“Promise,
promise,” the voice tried to echo, before all went silent again.

“Kara, Kara,
talk to me, Kara.” Cindy kept calling into the phone long after there was no
further answer.

Finally, Cindy
jumped up, ran into the bedroom, and shook Mattheus, who was asleep on the bed.

Mattheus jumped
up, alarmed. “What?” he shouted.

“The call came.”
Cindy was breathing with difficulty.

“What call? From
who?” Mattheus yelled.

“A woman just
called, Mattheus. It was Kara,” Cindy continued.

“What are you
talking about?” Mattheus asked, completely disheveled. “Did she say she was
Kara?”

“Not quite.”
Cindy was having trouble catching her breath.

Mattheus put his
arms around her. “It’s okay, be calm, Cindy,” he said.

It felt
wonderful having his arms around her again. Cindy wanted to put her head on his
shoulder, but wouldn’t.

“Did the person
say she was Kara?” Mattheus repeated.

“She said, help
me please, I’m begging,” Cindy continued. “Her voice was garbled.”

“It could be
anyone,” Mattheus responded.

“No, it was
Kara, I’m positive of it,” Cindy insisted. “She tried to give me a clue where
to find her. She said under four trees and a fence, circle the corner.”

That could
anywhere,” Mattheus went on, “and it also could be someone playing with you,
sending you off on a wild goose chase.”

“That’s not how
it felt.” Cindy pulled back a moment and looked into Mattheus’s eyes. He now
looked as he used to now, present, caring, completely available.

“I’m not making
this up, Mattheus,” Cindy went on. “We have to have the call traced.”

“No one said you
were making it up.” He pulled Cindy to him more closely then and led her to the
edge of the bed. “Let’s sit down a minute and talk,” he said. “Of course we’ll
try to have the call traced. But fill me in, what don’t I understand?”

“I went down to
the drug ring this afternoon,” Cindy whispered, “and spoke to a guy named
Santos.”

“Oh no,” said
Mattheus. “I told you never to go there alone.”

“It was a good
meeting, really,” Cindy continued.

“How did you get
his name?” Mattheus was wide awake now.

“From Abe,”
Cindy continued. “He said Santos would help me out.”

“Help you out
how?” Mattheus looked alarmed. “This is totally nuts.”

“I told Santos I
was trying to find out whatever I could about both Kara and Shane,” Cindy
continued. “I also met a woman down there who seemed to be close to him,
Holly.”

“You had a busy
day.” Mattheus started stroking Cindy’s hair.

“I had an
interesting day, a fascinating one. Santos wasn’t thrilled that Shane was dead,
either. He said he’d help me and I’d see how. Is that why this call came,
Mattheus? Did Santos arrange it somehow?”