Death by Jealousy (2 page)

The
ride to the hotel in the Cayman Islands was breathtaking. The taxi wound its
way along perfect roads, bordered by palm trees, groves, sweet-smelling
flowers. As they drove Cindy looked out the window at some of the most diverse
flora and fauna of the world.

“That’s
the national tree, the Silver Thatch Palm,” the driver, an old Jamaican guy, announced
proudly, “ever see anything like it?”

“It’s
gorgeous,” Cindy murmured approvingly.

“Not
only that,” he quickly added, “We’ve got mangrove forests, banana orchids, and
our fantastic Cayman Parrots to please you.”  Then he turned around, looked at
them and grinned, displaying a few missing front teeth.

“We’ve
got a regular tour guide here,” Mattheus said in a low tone.

“You’re
gonna love the sugar and sand beaches,” the driver continued. “And, your hotel
is right on Seven Mile Beach – some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in
the world.”

“Thanks
for the run down,” said Mattheus.

“My
pleasure,” he went on. “You guys are sweet. I saw that the minute you got into
my cab. Nothing like those slick business guys I usually get. I said to myself these
two got to be honeymooners, for sure.”

Cindy’s
heart stopped a second when he said that. She’d been down to Barbados with
Clint for her honeymoon. This was far from that.

“We’re
down here for work,” Cindy quickly made the correction.

The
old driver turned back to look at them again. He raised his eyebrows,
surprised.

“Sure
fooled me with that one,” he exclaimed. “Thought for sure I had two honey birds
in the car.”

He
turned back to the road and drove slowly along winding roads, which became more
and more manicured as they approached their destination, the Grand Hotel. The
hotel was one of the best resorts on the island. As they drew close, Cindy
could see the sprawling buildings that were surrounded by trees, verandas, and
a long, walking path leading directly to the ocean. The light breeze that blew
in through the taxi window had the delicious smell of warm, salty water. Cindy
took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It felt so good to be back down in the
Caribbean again.

“Great
spot,” the driver commented. “Lots of rich folks come here for weddings, too.
Not usually during the Batabano Carnival though.”

“What’s
the Batabano Carnival?” Mattheus was interested.

The
driver started laughing, “Wait and you’ll see for yourself.  It starts a couple
of days from now and the place fills up like you can’t believe. Thousands of
locals and visitors pour into town to see the parades and be in them. There’s music,
floats, costumes, dancing, singing!  It’s a party you’ll never forget.”

“Sounds
like Mardi Gras,” Mattheus commented.

“The
hotels are all gonna start filling up, too,” the driver went on, excited.

If
all had gone well, the wedding would have been over before the festival, Cindy
thought. Perhaps the family expected the guests to stay on and enjoy themselves
afterwards. What a crazy time for the bride to go missing.

The
taxi pulled up to the front door of the hotel and Mattheus and Cindy got out as
a bellman came for their luggage. They tipped the driver and walked the few
steps into the hotel. 

The
lobby was a vast, open space filled with designer sofas, chairs, cocktail
tables and large paintings of the Island on the walls.  Suntanned guests, elegantly
dressed in expensive pastels, sat at the cocktail tables, sipping drinks, and
charming one another. Cindy, dressed in a beige linen summer suit, shook her
long hair loose over her shoulders, trying to fit into the décor.

As
they entered Cindy immediately saw a few policemen standing at the desk. She
and Mattheus both stopped at the same moment, and looked over at them. It
seemed as if the police had been waiting for them. One of the cops nodded at
Mattheus, who went right over to greet him.

Cindy
stayed where she was and took it all in. The calm of the afternoon had not been
ruffled. There was no sign that something awful had happened here. There was no
crime scene cordoned off, or sense of danger. Cindy looked over the guests in
the lobby carefully to see if anyone else seemed to be aware of their arrival.
No one was. Everything went on as usual, as if it were simply another beautiful
day to luxuriate in on the balmy Island.  

Cindy
turned and watched Mattheus speaking with the policemen at the desk. Mattheus
was especially good at connecting with law enforcement. He had a way of
becoming one of the boys immediately, privy to their information. Cindy had
seen him do this before. It usually helped if she stayed back at first. When
Mattheus introduced Cindy as his partner, it often created a sense of discomfort,
having a woman detective appear on the scene. That would probably be even more
true here than other places, thought Cindy.

The
Cayman Islands were a British overseas territory and there was a formal sense about
the place.  Even though the Islands were considered a low crime environment,
that had been changing the past few years.  Gang crime had been increasing
dramatically, and this was a well-known haven for money laundering and tax evasion
shelters. Blue collar crime was the hardest to pin down, thought Cindy. She
remembered how confusing it had been when she’d discovered who her husband’s
killers were.  It was the last thing she’d expected.

Finally,
Mattheus looked up and saw Cindy watching him. He motioned her over, and she
walked slowly to where they were.

“This
is my partner Cindy Blaine,” Mattheus introduced her to the two cops who seemed
interested to meet her. “Cindy, this is Douglas and Lance.”

Cindy
nodded to both of them. They were tall, clean shaven, nice looking and professional.

“Very
pleased to meet you,” said Lance.

Douglas
quickly turned to Mattheus. “We’ll catch up with you later, after you get
settled. You can meet us in Room 3 - Mezzanine. The hotel has given us the room
to use to interview the wedding party, family and friends. Kind of them.”

“Convenient,”
Mattheus nodded.

“We
heard that you’re holding the groom,” Cindy interjected.

Both
policemen looked at her surprised.

“Heard
that from whom?” asked Douglas.

“His
mother,” said Cindy.

“The
woman who called you in on the case, no doubt?” Douglas bit his thin upper lip.
“Of course we can’t officially hold Peter, “he quickly continued. “We can,
however, bring him in daily for questioning and strongly recommend that no person
of interest leave the hotel.”

Cindy’s
eyebrows raised. “It’s still a missing person case though, isn’t it?”

Douglas
threw her a hostile glance and turned on his heel away.

Lance
quickly stepped into the conversation, “Of course, formally, we have a missing
person’s case.  At the moment the body has not been recovered. But by now, that’s
just a formality.  No one expects to find her alive. What are the chances that the
victim swam up from the depths and landed safely on shore? Highly unlikely, I’d
say. And the bigger question would then be, where did she escape to, from whom
and why?”

Cindy
was interested to hear them refer to Allie as a victim.  Did the police feel
she was the victim of an accident or of a crime? 

“Authorities
have scoured not only the waters, but every inch of the Island by now,” Lance continued.
“It’s common not to find the body in a scuba diving accident. There are all
kinds of predatory fish that live under the waters, tangled plants, moss, reefs.
Parts of the body could have gotten separated, something stranded here or
there. I don’t mean to be graphic -,” and he gave Cindy a narrow smile.

Cindy
did not smile back. She felt uneasy listening to him.

“Of
course the families are grieving and frightened,” Lance continued. “That’s to
be expected. It’s a bit unusual to call private detectives in, though. We have
the best reputation for police work in all of the Caribbean.”

“It’s
not personal,” Cindy said directly to him. “I know the groom’s mother.”

“Interesting,”
replied Lance. “Well,” he said to Mattheus, “we’re glad you’ve arrived.  I’m
going back up to the Interrogation room now. Come and join us when you’ve
unpacked.”

“We
will,” said Mattheus, “and thanks for everything.”

*

The
hotel room was unexpectedly beautiful, luxurious, a super deluxe suite. There
were burgundy silk bedspreads with gorgeous hand painted throw cushions on it.
Under the marble tables were exquisite rugs, and large open windows overlooked
the sand. Their luggage had already arrived and was neatly placed in one
corner. On a large table in the center of the room, was a bouquet of fresh
flowers and a gift basket awaited them filled with fruit, wine and candies. The
only thing missing was rose petals on the floor. Except for the two single
beds, they could certainly have been entering a honeymoon suite.

“To
what do we owe this honor?” asked Mattheus letting out a low whistle as he took
it all in.

Cindy
went over to the gift basket. There was a small note besides it and she opened
it up.

We
cannot thank you enough for joining us here and helping. We’ve done all we can
to make your stay pleasant. Please make yourself comfortable and then let us
know when you have arrived.  We are most eager to have you meet everyone here.  Edward
McPharlen.

Edward
McPharlen was Dana’s husband, Peter’s father. Clearly he’d arranged all of this
.
A well-known financier, who worked both in the States and down here on the
Islands, he would certainly know just who to contact to arrange the perfect
amenities.

“How
well do you know this McPharlen guy?” Mattheus asked, taken aback by their
quarters.

“The
McPharlens were good friends of Clint’s family for years,” said Cindy. “I met
them a few times in passing.  They were actually guests at our wedding. Edward,
the father has a fine reputation. As I recall he’s an upstanding guy, sponsors
one of the biggest charities on Long Island.”

Mattheus
kept looking around, taking it all in. Cindy was surprised that it made him so
uneasy.

“They’ve
sure got lots of money to spread around,” Mattheus murmured. “These guys can
have weddings wherever they like, invite hundreds of guests - it doesn’t mean a
thing to them.”

“Yes,
they’re wealthy,” said Cindy, “but they’re also generous. His money helps many
people.”

Mattheus
clicked his tongue a few times and turned to Cindy, “We really don’t know
anything about how he operates,” he said.  “For all we know somebody got
jealous of him – very, very jealous.”

Cindy
watched Mattheus’s eyes roam around the room and wondered if it was himself he
was talking about. Was he was jealous of this wealth?

“Do
you begrudge Edward his success?” Cindy asked directly.

Mattheus
looked over at her, stung. “I wouldn’t say I begrudge anybody anything,” he said
abruptly. “But there are plenty of people out there who could live for years on
half of what this wedding  cost – the wedding that never took place, after all.”

Cindy
didn’t like Mattheus’s comment. She felt strangely unnerved by it. Her wedding
to Clint had taken place, but they’d never had a chance at their marriage
either. Mattheus himself had come from more modest circumstances than she had,
but none of it meant a thing to her. Cindy hadn’t seen this side of Mattheus
before so clearly. But then again, they’d never been faced with this kind of lavishness
before.

“Why
don’t you call this Edward guy and tell him we’ve arrived?” said Mattheus briskly.

“Don’t
you want to change from the trip or shower?” asked Cindy.

“No,
I’m ready to go right to work,” Mattheus said.

Cindy
could see he was getting revved up again.  It saddened her for a moment. She’d
hoped they’d have even a little time together, even just to stand on the
balcony and look out at the sea.

“Okay,”
she said in a clipped tone, and picked up the phone to call Edward McPharlen
and tell him they were ready to go.

Edward
McPharlen sounded startled when the call came from Cindy, telling him that they
had arrived.

“That’s
fabulous,” he said, “we’ve been counting the hours. Thank you so very much.”

“It’s
our pleasure,” said Cindy, “where would you like to meet?”

“How
about the back veranda of the hotel, it’s quieter there and more private,” he
said in a hushed tone, leading Cindy to wonder who he feared might be listening
to their conversation. “How soon can you come?”

“Immediately,”
said Cindy, not missing a beat.

“Really?”
He sounded impressed. “You don’t need some time to settle in and catch your
breath?”

“We’re
ready,” said Cindy, “and thank you so much for the flowers and basket.”

“It’s
the least we could do,” he said, ever the gentleman Cindy remembered him to be.
“We’ll be down there in five minutes then.”

“We’re
on,” said Cindy to Mattheus, “let’s go.”

Cindy
and Mattheus easily found their way to the back veranda. They took the elevator
to the main floor, turned towards the back of the sprawling hotel and stepped
outside along a narrow walking path that led through groves, down an incline,
to a beautiful, thatched, outdoor veranda.

Almost
empty, the veranda was situated underneath a large straw roof, where the late
afternoon sun could filter through. Only a few tables had guests at them,
talking to each other, drinks in their hands.

Cindy
and Mattheus arrived at the entranceway and were shown to a table at the side,
nestled out of view, besides vines of bourgenvallias.

The
Maitre D’ held out Cindy’s seat and she slipped in gracefully.

“We’ll
both have Sangria,” Mattheus said, as he took his seat.

Cindy
looked at Mattheus, uneasy. In the beginning of their relationship, he used to
order her food without checking with her, but that had longed ceased. She had
no idea what led him to believe that she wanted a glass of Sangria now.

As
if reading her mind, Mattheus said, “You once told me Sangria was your favorite
drink. Just wanted to let you know I didn’t forget.”

Cindy
sighed and decided not to make more of this. Mattheus was just being
considerate and besides, they had much more important matters at hand. In a
moment or two Edward and Dana would be arriving. She wanted to create a calm,
settled atmosphere for them.

True
to their word, a few minutes later, Cindy looked up and saw Edward and Dana
McPharlen walk into the veranda and over to their table without a moment’s
hesitation. Edward was tall, with salt and pepper hair, impeccably groomed, and
dressed in casual linen slacks and a conservative, blue sport shirt. Dana, who
seemed pale and drawn, looked a bit more disheveled, her hair drifting down along
the sides of her face in some disarray.

Mattheus
stood up as they approached and so did Cindy.

Before
Cindy could say a word, Dana rushed over and hugged her. It was almost as if
Dana were a little girl holding onto her mother. Cindy felt Dana’s fear wash
through her. 

Mattheus
introduced himself to Edward and they all sat back down and pulled their chairs
a bit closer to one another.

“I’m
so sorry,” Cindy kept saying to both Dana and Edward, looking back and forth between
them.

“This
is not our son’s fault,” Dana started shaking her head, “Peter didn’t do a
thing. This is a nightmare we can’t wake up out of.”

Edward
was calmer, more deliberate.  “We wanted to meet you in the back of the hotel
because police and plain clothes men are all over, watching and listening to
everything. They’ve got cameras and videos hidden everywhere. For all we know
some are seated right beside us.”

Cindy
looked around briefly, but most tables were empty.

“The
police have to make sure that nothing escapes them, of course,” said Edward.

“They
don’t think it was an accident?” Mattheus asked plainly.

“They’re
on the fence about that,” Edward answered, clearing his throat. “At least that’s
what they tell me. I, for one though, have no idea why they feel that way.
These scuba diving accidents are not unusual from what I understand.”

“And
Peter is a certified diver,” said Dana, her voice faltering. “He’s done all
kinds of dives, has been diving since high school.”

“He’s
not the one who’s missing though, the bride is,” said Mattheus plainly. “Was
she an experienced diver, too?”

Both
Edward and Dana grew silent.

“Yes,
she was very experienced,” Dana finally answered, sadly.

 “That’s
what the police keep asking,” said Edward growing somber. “They’re wondering how
it happened, if both of them were so experienced. Or, why at the least, Peter
couldn’t protect her. How did he allow the two of them to become separated underwater,
knowing all he did?”

“It’s
not a fair question though,” Dana interjected, “it just isn’t.”

The
waiter brought the Sangria over and Cindy lifted it to her lips, but couldn’t
drink it.

Mattheus
drank his in almost one, long gulp.

“It
was an evening dive,” Dana began whimpering. “Visibility wasn’t great. The two
of them swam in different directions for a little while, they got separated.”

Obviously,
that was her son’s story, thought Cindy.

“How
do you know they swam in different directions?” Mattheus asked her bluntly.

Dana
seemed startled by his briskness.  “Peter told us. There’s no reason he would
lie.”

Edward
reached out and put his hand over his wife’s.  “Of course there isn’t,” he
soothed her.

“There
has to be a presumption of innocence,” Mattheus responded. “They need hard
evidence to prove anything different.”

“Of
course they do,” Edward bristled. “And it’s also only a presumption that she
died, anyway. There’s no trace of her body. All that they found was the
equipment that she must have pulled off.”

Cindy
was surprised. It was the first time she’d heard that detail.

 “The
question is why she got rid of her equipment?” said Cindy softly. She wanted to
stay grounded, soothe the anxiety that was circling around the table.

Edward
sat up straighter. “Actually, a report just came in an hour ago,” he looked
straight in Cindy’s eyes, “they found something wrong with the equipment. A
faulty air gauge. They’re wondering if it had been tampered with.”

“That’s
huge,” Mattheus exclaimed, picked up his Sangria glass and drained the last
drops dry. “That speaks to foul play!”

 “I
hadn’t heard that,” said Dana, trembling.

“I
just found out,” Edward answered, “I was going to tell you.”

“Does
it make it look worse for Peter?” Dana turned to Cindy imploringly. “Does it?
Tell me?”

“Not
necessarily,” said Cindy.

“They
seem to be focusing on him entirely, though,” Dana’s eyes filled with tears.

“That’s
because he was the last to see her alive,” said Cindy quietly. “It’s a matter
of routine.”

“Who
else was on the dive with them?” Mattheus interjected. “Did they rent their
equipment? Who was the Captain of the boat?”  

“They
had their own equipment,” Edward spoke methodically. “It was kept in their
hotel room and they brought it with them for the dive. Nobody else went down
underwater with them.”

“It
was a romantic evening dive before the wedding,” Dana spoke fitfully. “I told
Peter not to go, there were so many details still to be taken care of.  But he
and Allie both loved evening diving, it relaxed them. He said they needed a
break. Besides, they’d done it so many times. In fact, it was scuba diving that
brought them together. They met at a group dive three years ago.”

“Have
the police spoken to the Captain of the boat?” Mattheus turned his attention to
Edward.

“Yes,
his name is Jared Flay,” said Edward. “He owns one of the one of the best Diver
Shops on the Island. He’s taken hundreds of people out. He and Peter have known
each other for a long while. They’ve been out together many times before.”

“It
was a routine dive, routine, that’s all,” Dana said emphatically.

“I
get it,” said Mattheus.

“Get
what?” Edward bristled for a moment. “What is there to get?”

“I
get that this is complicated,” said Mattheus. “There are lots of factors to
consider when someone disappears.”

Cindy
suddenly realized that this scenario had to be re-kindling Mattheus’s fresh
memory of his wife going missing and the years of torture that went with it.

“These
things are never what they seem to be,” said Mattheus bluntly. “These cases can
twist and wind you in a thousand directions before you find out what really
went on.”

Dana
sat up straighter at that. “Find out now!  We don’t have time to twist and wind
in a thousand directions. Our family and closest friends are here at the hotel
for the wedding. Speak to them all, and to those on the bride’s side as well.”

It
struck Cindy that this was the first time they’d mentioned anything about the
bride. Their entire concern so far had been for their son’s safety. That was
normal enough, she guessed. Everything had happened so quickly, they all still
had to be in shock.

“How
are the bride’s parents doing?” Cindy asked quietly then.

Both
Edward and Dana looked away. “They’re extremely private people,” said Edward
finally. “If truth be known, we haven’t seen them at all since this all
happened. We tried to offer condolences but they wouldn’t have any part of it.
They’re just holed up in their room.”

“They’ve
got to be devastated,” said Dana. “Can you only imagine how you would feel if
this happened to Peter?”

“I
cannot,” said Edward, “and I don’t want to. I also don’t want Peter to take the
punishment for a crazy accident right before his wedding.”

Mattheus
and Cindy shared a sudden glance. Peter’s parents were convinced of his innocence,
but who knew what had actually gone on - not only under the water, but also
between Peter and Allie.

“Have
the bride’s family and wedding party been interviewed?” Cindy asked.

“Yes,
they have,” said Edward, “the police here pride themselves on being thorough.
Naturally, they haven’t told us what her family said.”

“Tell
us a little about the relationship between Peter and Allie,” said Cindy.

  
Allie was an only child,” Dana looked at Cindy knowingly. “She was extremely
attached to Peter almost from the start.  Peter always felt that it was up to
him to take care of her. That’s why this has to be particularly devastating for
him as well.”

“What
do you mean very attached?” asked Mattheus.

Edward
stood up at that moment and then sat down again. He didn’t like what he’d heard
being said.

“Peter
and Allie were very compatible,” Edward insisted. “I don’t know why Dana says
they were overly attached! Peter always seemed happy when I saw him with Allie. 
I said that to Dana, again and again.”

“Did
Dana feel otherwise?” Mattheus asked.

“It’s
not that,” Dana burst in, “mothers see things one way, fathers another. Edward
is simply saying that he admired Allie, was looking forward to having her as a
daughter in law. Allie was quite different from me. It might have been a relief
for him. I can be a very strong woman at times, perhaps a bit overwhelming.”

 “Did
I ever say you were overwhelming?” said Edward, irritated.

“Not
in so many words, of course,” Dana replied.

“How
else were you and Allie so different?” Cindy asked Dana, alerted.

“Allie
went along with whatever Peter wanted,” Dana replied. “I wondered about it at
times and so did others. Some people thought she didn’t have a mind of her own,
or was too malleable. But she did well in school, had a good job in advertising.
Everyone who knew her liked her a lot.”

“Did
you like her?” asked Cindy.

“Of
course Dana liked her,” Edward jumped in quickly. “We all loved her. Would we
have made a wedding like this and paid for every bit of it, if we didn’t?”

“Quite
a shindig,” Mattheus said, reprovingly.

“My
son works in my company and has been down on the Island all through his life. He
loves it here and so do I. Peter completely deserves this wedding.”

“Did
I ever say he didn’t?” Dana gasped.

  
“Not you,” Edward was growing heated, “but Mattheus is suggesting something -.”

Cindy
wanted to immediately cut into the tension between them. 

“And
the bride’s family?” she asked Dana, “were they happy about the wedding?”
“They couldn’t care less where the wedding was held,” Dana said emphatically.

“That
seems odd,” Cindy replied.