Death by Betrayal (Book #10 in the Caribbean Murder series) (9 page)

Cindy
felt relieved to hear that, but also wondered how Mattheus could have come to
such a strong conclusion so quickly.

“Trage
opened the books to me,” Mattheus continued, “showed me everything they had.”

“That’s
good,” said Cindy, standing up then, and smoothing out her dress. She’d
purposely put on a special, golden summer dress, for the memorial that was
coming.

“You
look lovely,” Mattheus took a step closer.

“We’ve
got to leave now for the memorial,” Cindy said.

“I’m
glad we’re going,” said Mattheus. “This will be a good chance for me to learn
lots of things.”

Cindy
hadn’t thought of it that way. But it was true, Mattheus knew little about Ann,
just that she was close to Cindy. He also knew that Ann had always encouraged her
to end their relationship, come home to the States and live a normal life.

“You’ll
also meet two of my uncles,” said Cindy, “and naturally, see Frank.”

“I’m
looking forward to all of it,” said Mattheus.

“Before
we go, just one thing,” said Cindy, apprehensive.

“What?”
asked Mattheus.

“I
want you to know that I’ll never forget what you’re doing for me. I’ll never
forget how you got here so quickly.”

Mattheus
pulled her to him then, grimacing. “Of course you’ll never forget,” he grumbled
lovingly, “how could you forget? I’ll never let you forget. All our life long,
I’ll always remind you.”

*

Cindy’s
mother, uncles and Frank were all sitting in the lobby when she and Mattheus
got downstairs. Her mother jumped up the moment Cindy approached and so did her
uncles. Frank kept sitting where he was, looking glum.

“I’d
like to introduce Mattheus,” Cindy said to all of them at once.

“Nice
to meet you,” Uncle Charlie was the first to step forth and extend his hand.

Mattheus
took it and the two of them smiled warmly.

“So,
we finally meet,” Cindy’s mother looked Mattheus up and down.

“I’m
pleased to meet you,” Mattheus said to her, formally.

“And
I don’t expect this moment would ever have happened if we weren’t faced with
tragedy,” her mother replied coolly.

“Not
true,” said Mattheus, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for awhile.”

Mattheus’s
words silenced her mother and Frank stood up and joined the group. Although
Frank and Mattheus had met on another occasion, Frank seemed unsettled by the
sight of him.

“What
are you doing here with us, now?” Frank asked him blatantly.

 “I’m
down here to help Cindy solve the case,” Mattheus replied.

“The
case, the case! That’s all you two can think of.  You’re just down here as a
detective, that’s all?” Cindy’s mother quipped.

“I’m
here as a detective and as a friend,” Mattheus replied calmly, unaffected by her
onslaught.

“What
kind of friend?” her mother went on, skeptically.

“Please
forgive this harsh treatment,” Charlie interrupted Cindy’s mother, “this is a
tough time for everyone.”

“I’m
well aware of that,” Mattheus replied kindly.

“Aware
of what? What are you aware of?” Cindy’s mother seemed to be agitated by Mattheus’s
presence. “I’ve lost one daughter and Cindy’s the only one left. What are your
intentions with my only surviving child?” she exclaimed haughtily.

“I
plan to marry Cindy,” Mattheus remarked stalwartly, as though it were an
accomplished fact.

A
stunned silence descended over the entire group, including Cindy. She’d never
seen Mattheus like this before, standing up to everyone, refusing to be
intimidated, declaring his love for her publicly.

“That’s
the first I’ve heard of anything about this,” Cindy’s mother eyes opened wide.
“Why hasn’t Cindy told me? She hasn’t said a word about an engagement.”

Frank
ran his hand through his hair and joined the fray. “Maybe because Cindy didn’t
know? From what I’ve seen, these two are always getting together and breaking
up. One day she’s engaged, the next she’s home on a plane by herself. It drove
Ann crazy!”

“Really?”
Cindy’s mother swiveled around to Cindy.

Cindy
couldn’t say a word. Mattheus’s firm declaration had swept over her suddenly, and
she felt as if she’d been engulfed by a warm, soothing wave.

“This
is hardly the time to go into the details of our relationship,” Mattheus put
his arm around Cindy. “Let’s tend to matters at hand, first.”

“Yes,
Ann is waiting,” Cindy’s mother suddenly sniffled. “It’s
her
time now.”

Cindy
breathed deeply and moved closer to Mattheus. Her mother seemed half mad to
her. How was this Ann’s time? Ann’s time was over – she’d been cut down flat.

“We’ll
talk about the engagement later,” her mother continued. “This is no time to
plan a wedding. Ann’s waiting for us now, on the beach.”

Altogether,
as one person, the group turned and walked out the front door a few blocks down
to the beach. The afternoon was warm and balmy and the light breeze which
drifted across Cindy’s face felt oddly soothing.  As they walked Cindy reached
out for Mattheus and he took her hand in his right away. Cindy felt nervous
about what was to take place and it was wonderful to have Mattheus beside her.
Finally, they reached the beach, took off their shoes, and, following her
mother’s lead, walked quietly along the sand.

When
they reached a spot down near the water, close to a large palm tree, her mother
stopped and stood still, and the group gathered in a circle around her. Without
any provocation she started speaking as if it were the most natural thing to
do. It seemed as if this moment had been rehearsed for years.

“Perhaps
it seems odd to conduct this memorial so quickly,” her mother began, “but I
know that Ann is nearby and listening to every word we say. She needs this, she
wants it. We’ll have other services back home, but this is where she took her
last breath.

Cindy
felt her heart fluttering and tears fill her eyes.

“Some
of us who are here have been close to Ann,” her mother went.

 Frank
cleared his throat and looked devastated. This wasn’t going to be easy for
anyone. It was too soon, there were too many loose threads. They were all going
along with it to pacify Cindy’s mother. In a strange way it was fitting. This
was the way Ann had lived her life, Cindy thought, pacifying her mother. Cindy
had refused to do it and had refused to pacify Ann as well. Ann was different
from their mother though, she’d truly wanted the best for Cindy. Over and over
Ann told her that she wanted Cindy to live her own life, but happily and fully.

“I
believe it’s best for Frank to speak first,” Cindy’s mother turned towards him.
“He has lost his life partner, his dearest friend.”

This
was more though, than Frank could bear. “What do you want me to say, Claudia?” his
lips were quivering. “I loved Ann my whole life long. She was a fantastic
woman, a treasure, a gift.”  His head fell as he started rubbing his foot in
the sand.

Cindy’s
Uncle Ben, moved closer to her mother then and put his arm around her shoulder,
as her mother wept softly at Frank’s words.

 “Say
more Frank,” her mother’s voice was uneven now. “I know how much you meant to
Ann – everyone knows.”

“Ann
only wanted the best for everyone,” Frank gathered himself together. “We were
childhood sweethearts, we loved each other, our feelings never changed.”

Cindy
thought about that for a moment. It did seem that over the years that the bond
between Frank and Ann had remained constant. Ann had never said a bad thing
about him to Cindy, nor had he ever seemed upset with her. In fact, Cindy had
marveled at it from time to time. From her perspective Frank had never seemed
suited to her sister. Cindy had thought of asking Ann about her relationship
with him from time to time, but could never bring herself to. It wasn’t something
Ann ever seemed to want to discuss.

“Ann
will always be with you,” Charlie broke into the uneasy silence. “A love like
you had keeps going forever, even after the person’s gone.”

Frank
closed his eyes very tightly.

“I
had a love like that with my wife, Bella,” Charlie went on. “After I got over
her passing, I got strength from her love for years.”

That
was interesting to Cindy. She’d known almost nothing about her Uncle Charlie’s
life. It was beautiful to learn that he’d had such a fulfilling marriage. Cindy
wondered again why her mother had rejected him so completely and kept him out
of their lives. Cindy looked at Mattheus out of the corner of her eyes. He was
gazing out into the ocean, listening intently to everything that was being
said. Cindy wondered how Mattheus was taking all this, if he thought her family
was strange?

“How
about you? What have you got to say, Cindy?” her mother turned towards her
then.

Cindy
felt a wave of oppression and sorrow come over her as she opened her mouth to
speak. All she could think of was how much she wanted to know what had happened
to her sister and why? It was almost impossible to talk about their
relationship when everything else hung in the air. Ann’s passing was still
unreal to Cindy. She had no idea at all what it said about Ann’s life. Was
there a secret aspect to Ann that she never knew about? Was this memorial
service and all these praises a grand cover up?

“Go
ahead, talk Cindy,” her mother demanded.

“Ann
was the most incredible sister anyone could have wanted,” Cindy mouthed the
words reflexively. “I told her that many times, too. I told her I loved her, I
thanked her for everything. Ann was a cornerstone of my life.”

Charlie
turned and fastened his eyes upon Cindy, listening deeply to what she was saying.

“Ann
didn’t want much back from me, either,” Cindy went on. “She gave
unconditionally.”

“That
was her mistake,” Frank mumbled loudly.

“She
gave everything and never really asked for anything,” Cindy went on.

“Except
that you come home,” Cindy’s mother interrupted sharply, as a breeze from the
ocean blew up. “She told me she wanted you back in the States.”

“No,
Ann’s main wish was for me to be happy,” Cindy became defiant. “She wanted me to
be my own person, not to follow along in anyone’s footsteps. She told me that
many times.”

“That’s
hard to believe,” her mother uttered. “Ann often told me she missed you and
wanted you home.”

“No,”
Cindy voice rose above the din of the waves which were lapping more loudly on
shore. “You know how I knew that Ann really cared for me and not just for
herself?  She wanted for me what I wanted for myself. She just was concerned
that I be careful!”

“Not
true!” Frank interrupted Cindy gruffly. “Your sister wanted you to settle back
home, take that job on the paper, get a real life. She didn’t want you
traipsing around the Caribbean always putting yourself in danger.”

Cindy
felt Mattheus shiver beside her, as he gripped her hand.

“Cindy
has a real life,” Mattheus broke in, as all eyes turned to him.

“This
is about Ann, not about me,” horrified Cindy spoke over him. “Let’s use the
time to remember her.”

Cindy’s
mother moved down towards the ocean , opened her arms widely and spoke into the
wind that blew on her face.

“Ann
was the daughter I always wanted, everything a mother could have hoped for. She
married a good man, lived close by. She respected my wishes, stayed at my side,
especially when her father died. Ann never left me; would never have left on
her own. I was blessed to have had her.”

Cindy
felt the pit in her stomach grow deeper as her mother spoke and as the wind
blew more strongly on all of them.

“I
want Ann to know how much she means to me,” Cindy’s mother continued, her voice
raw with emotion. “I want her to hear every word I’m saying.”

Suddenly,
Uncle Ben suddenly started to sob.  “Ann hears you, Claudia, she hears you,” he
managed between sobs.

Charlie
took a step closer to them and Frank stepped back and put his face in his
hands.

Cindy
held Mattheus’s hand tighter. Was Ann’s spirit there with them? Did she hear what
they were saying? If she was there, what Cindy wanted more than anything was
for her sister to tell her how she died. I need justice for you, Ann, Cindy
spoke to her sister in her mind. I need you to help me understand.

Ben
pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket then and started reading aloud.

“The
good we do lives after us. It is never forgotten, lives on for eternity. The
good Lord is watching over dear Ann and watching over all of us now.”

“Is
there anything else to be read?” Cindy’s mother’s voice rose shrilly, like the
sound of a seagull flying by.

“Yes,”
said Cindy, as she stepped forward, remembering a passage that had guided her
life these past years. “
For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and
whatever is concealed is meant to be brought into the open.  If anyone has ears
to hear, let him hear.”

“What
is that supposed to mean?” Frank’s head shot up as he stared at Cindy pitifully.

“It
means we’ll definitely find out what happened to Ann,” Mattheus chimed in. “The
truth can only remain hidden for a little while.”

*

They
all spent a little while longer on the beach, prayed for Ann’s spirit, and then
returned somberly to the hotel.

“That
was beautiful, Claudia,” Ben kept repeating, guiding Cindy’s mothers footsteps
off the sand, back onto the streets. “Would you like us all to have a meal
together now?”

“Not
now,” her mother seemed discombobulated. “I need to rest now, Ben.”

“Of
course, we all understand. We’ll get together again later on.” Ben’s voice rose
as he announced to everyone, “Right now Claudia needs to rest.”

Cindy
was relieved to be free to be alone with Mattheus, and everyone else seemed
relieved as well.

*

Back
up in her room, Mattheus insisted that Cindy lay down on the lounge for a
little nap. He would get his computer from his room, bring it here and continue
investigating beside her while she slept.

Cindy
lay down, her palms cupping the sides of her head. She felt woozy and upset.
“What was the point of all that? What was the point?” she asked Mattheus.

“There’s
a point to everything,” he calmly replied. “It’ll become clear later. Don’t
think about it now.”

“What
do you think of my family?” Cindy couldn’t help asking as her eyelids grew
heavy. Her mother had just made it clear to Cindy again, how much she loved
Ann, and had no real regard for her. It was an old story, but became fresh
again now and hurt all over.

“They’re
an interesting bunch,” Mattheus said softly, “not what I expected. But go to
sleep now, Cindy, we’ll talk more later. A little nap will do wonders.”

Despite
herself, Cindy fell into a restless sleep. She tossed back and forth on the
lounge as she suddenly dreamt of her sister. Ann was standing at the edge of
the beach they’d been on, waving to her.

“Ann,
Ann,” Cindy went running towards her in the dream, but the closer she got, the
further Ann receded. “Don’t go away, Ann,” Cindy called. “Wait a second, talk
to me.”

But
Ann couldn’t stay. “Help me, help me,” Ann finally called to Cindy as her form
faded into the waves.

“Ann!”
Cindy yelled, sitting bolt upright on the lounge and Mattheus ran over and put
his arms around her.

“It’s
a dream, it’s only a dream, Cindy,” he tried to calm her down.

“No,
she was there, I saw her,” Cindy was panting.

“You
dreamt that you saw her,” Mattheus’s voice was soothing.

“No,
I really saw her. She said help me, help me!” Cindy’s jaw was quivering.

“We’ll
do our best,” Mattheus responded calmly.

“But
we can’t help her now,” Cindy’s eyes opened wide with panic.

“There’s
all kinds of ways to help,” Mattheus replied. “We’ll find out what happened.
We’ll bring her killer to justice. That will give everyone some peace of mind.”

Cindy
got up off the lounge then, smoothed her dress out, and stroked Mattheus face.
“You’re a good man, Mattheus, you’re a kind man, too.”

“What
can I do now to make you feel better?” he asked.

“Let
me get up a minute and then we’ll get to work. That’s the best medicine. I want
to hear whatever you’ve discovered.  We have to make a plan of attack.”