Death by Jealousy (6 page)

“Have
some soup first,” Mac said gently, lifting it off the tray and handing it to
her.

For
an inexplicable moment, Cindy wanted to cry.  She had no idea why, probably
tired and shaken by the details of the case.  She hadn’t had enough time
between cases, to rest up, either.

“Soup
good?” Mac asked softly.

“Delicious,”
she said, drinking it quickly. “Thank you.”

Mac
ate his crabs slowly. “I like you,” he said.

Cindy
wondered what was coming next.

“And
I don’t want you to go off in the wrong direction,” Mac continued, slowly.

For
a second Cindy felt like a young girl in school, being guided by a teacher. Was
he trying to make her feel she couldn’t handle things on her own, that she
needed him? It was a tactic that would confuse her judgment.

“What’s
the wrong direction in this case?” Cindy asked quickly, staying on point as she
felt the warmth of his body beside her.

“I
don’t know what these girls said to you,” Mac responded, “but you’ll be wasting
your time if you focus on Allie’s relationship with Peter.”

“Where
does the focus belong?” Cindy took him up on it.

They
both stopped talking a moment and looked at each other. Mac’s beautiful eyes
pierced hers deeply.

“Focus
on me,” he said and smiled.

Cindy
could not think for a moment.

“What
about you should I focus on?” she finally said, trying to keep centered and
clear minded.

“Run
your information by me,” Mac continued. “Not only am I interested in what you
discover, I can help you separate the wheat from the chaff. There’s a lot of
loose wires at this wedding, little time bombs waiting to go off. Most of them
mean nothing.”

Like
who, Cindy wanted to ask, Vivien? But she kept quiet.

“There’s
always a lot of drama with these folks. Most of it amounts to nothing. They
live off it. It gives them a high.”

“A
lot of drama in your life as well?” Cindy suddenly asked, curious. Mac was
daunting, sensual, provocative, and seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

“There
used to be a lot of drama in my life,” Mac said softly, “now I’m single and
free from it all. I’ve one daughter who lives with her mother on the other side
of the world. Me, I come and go as I choose. The world is my oyster.”

“Quite
an accomplishment,” said Cindy.

He
laughed. “You can say that again.”

“A
world traveler?” she asked.

“When
I choose to be,” Mac replied. “I like it down here, though.”

“I
can see why,” said Cindy. “It’s beautiful, luxurious, with great weather. Your
company’s doing fabulously, too, I imagine. What’s not to like?”

“Exactly,
I’m a man who has impeccable taste and can have whatever he wants. And what I
want most is to help with this case. Edward and Dana have been my best friends
for years. They look fine on the outside but they’re spinning inside. I want to
be a rock for all of them.”

“You
are a rock,” said Cindy softly.

“Thank
you,” Mac replied, pleased.

“And
what can you tell me about Allie’s disappearance?” Cindy went on.

“I
felt something bad was coming for a long time,” Mac said, “not this, of course,
but something. Allie got too upset about little things, would go off into a
spin. Now, don’t get me wrong, I liked the girl – very much.”

“Did
you think she was good for Peter?”

“I
did in the beginning,” said Mac, “at the end I began to have my doubts. She was
unstable.”

“Did
you say that to Peter?”

“No,
never. You don’t say something like that to a guy who’s in love. I’m not going
to tell you I didn’t hope he’d reconsider, at times. Peter’s a bright guy, he’s
got a good head on his shoulders. Does great work at the company. He’s
important to all of us.”

“Did
he reconsider?” Cindy asked plainly.

“Not
that I ever heard,” said Mac.

“What
do you think happened to Allie?” Cindy looked at Mac directly.

“I
think she went into one of her panics,” Mac said softly. “She and Peter got
separated under water, she couldn’t find him and must have gone crazy. They
found her vest and tank. It looked like she ripped them off in desperation.
People do that when they panic, when they can’t get enough air.”

“You
think Allie drowned?” Cindy wanted specifics.

“Seems
obvious,” said Mac.

“Where’s
her body?” asked Cindy.

“Who
knows? But it’s unlikely that she swam to the surface and is alive, lost on the
Island. Come on now, that’s some kind of dream.”

“Unlikely,
but possible,” said Cindy, testing.

“Nothing
would make me happier,” said Mac, “but I wouldn’t count on it. Actually, this
wouldn’t be anything more than a missing person case, if they hadn’t found that
her air gauge was broken, that someone could have tampered with it.”

“That’s
a big if,” said Cindy.

“Equipment
breaks all the time. There’s no reason to suspect Peter,” said Mac
emphatically.

“Who
else could have been involved in tampering with the air gauge?” Cindy needed to
know.

“What’s
the point in speculating?” Mac went on. “I doubt anyone will ever see her again,
and without the body, even though the gauge was broken, this can never become a
criminal case.”

Cindy
wondered why he wanted things closed so quickly.

“Take
the pressure off yourself,” Mac continued. “Take it easy, take it slow. There
are people at this wedding who will drive you crazy, if you let them.  And it
will all be for nothing.”

That
was a strange way to put it. Body or no body, the case was more than a
disappearance. The air gauge had possibly been tampered with, someone could
have interfered with Allie’s supply of air. Whether or not they found the body,
there might be plenty of circumstantial evidence laying around. Cases like
these were always put together one piece at a time.

“Our
efforts are never for nothing,” said Cindy. “A life has been lost. Allie
deserves a thorough investigation.”

 “Lives
are lost all the time,” said Mac grimly, “especially when people go diving at
night.”

Cindy
went back up to her hotel room to wait for Mattheus. It was dinner time and
they also had to fill each other in on what they’d found so far. She opened the
door, entered, took a moment to bask in the luxury that surrounded her. The
room was magnificent and spacious, designed to invite its guests to relish the
incredible nature surrounding them, be free from all cares. It was soothing to
be here by herself for a few moments. There was so much to digest, so many
unanswered questions drifting around in her mind.  

Cindy
walked to the patio and stepped out on it, letting the evening breezes wash
over her. It was Allie who should have been standing here, looking out at the
ocean, filled with the joy of a new bride, about to start her life with a man
she adored. Where was she? What had really happened to her? Little by little a
picture of Allie was forming in Cindy’s mind. She was beginning to sense the contradictions
in Allie’s life, her loneliness, struggles, longings. Was there a chance she
could still be alive? Had she made it to the surface, landed somewhere, lost on
the shore, hoping someone would find her? It was a very, very long shot. Most
likely the tides had pulled her far out to sea. As Cindy stood and listened to
the ocean, she could almost felt Allie crying out for help.

As
Cindy stood there, she heard the door to the hotel room open, and someone come
in.  She turned around quickly.

Mattheus
stood in the middle of the room, looking around, not seeing Cindy standing out
on the patio. He looked rumpled and tired, but handsome as ever. It had been a
long day for both of

them.
Cindy watched him rub his hands over his face slowly and was seized with a
desire to rush over, embrace him, tell him how glad she was they were here together.
She wanted it to be the way it had been when she used to put her head on his
shoulder and he would whisper to her. She needed it at the moment.

This
was no time to follow her impulses, though. Before they got closer again, Cindy
had to feel safe and certain. She stood still watching, as Mattheus ambled over
to the desk in the corner of the room, opened the computer that was on it, and
began writing something.  After collecting herself for a few moments, Cindy walked
in from the patio.

 Mattheus
looked up, startled. "Jesus, I thought you were downstairs, somewhere. You
scared me half to death.”

Cindy
smiled, “Am I so terrifying?”

“You
can be when you want to,” Mattheus smiled. “Terrifying’s a good word for it.”

Cindy
felt herself grow tight and grim.

“I
just got in a few minutes ago,” she answered, pulling away. “What are you
writing?”

“Notes
to myself,” said Mattheus. “We’ve got quite a cast of characters here. If we
map everything each one tells us, we’ll find all kinds of tiny contradictions
which will lead us to straight into the arms of the killer.”

Cindy
walked over to the computer and threw a quick glance at it. Mattheus was sending
an email to someone. She wondered why he didn’t just send it from his phone.

“Who
are you emailing?” she asked lightly.

Mattheus
looked up at her put off. “That’s all I get? A quick question?”

“What’s
wrong with that?” asked Cindy.

Now
I’m part of your investigation, too?” Mattheus remarked.

Cindy
laughed, “Should you be?”

He
finally looked directly at her.

 “No,
I shouldn’t. We should trust each other completely! Even when we disagree –
even when we disappoint each other. We still should never take our trust away!”

“I
do trust you,” Cindy replied swiftly, “I was just curious who you’re emailing?”

“My
mother,” Mattheus grumbled. “I’m telling her that I’m down here at the
beautiful Cayman Islands, in the super deluxe honeymoon suite, with a gorgeous
woman who says she trusts me, but doesn’t really.  Not only haven’t I gotten
one hug since I’ve been here, I even had to make sure the room had two single
beds.”

Cindy
knew Mattheus was joking, but the truth beneath his comment hit her hard. He’d been
hoping she’d run over and give him a hug when he came in. He obviously felt she
didn’t trust him enough to go back to the way things used to be.

There’s
all levels of trust, Cindy wanted to tell him, but this wasn’t the time to delve
into their relationship. This trip wasn’t about them, and no matter how
beautiful the room was, it wasn’t a honeymoon suite. They were here together to
track down leads and find out why a beautiful young woman, about to become a
bride, disappeared the night before her wedding in the murky sea.

“We’re
not exactly on our honeymoon right now,” Cindy reminded him.

“We
could be though,” Mattheus turned to her fervently. “After the case is over we
could stay on and have our honeymoon here. We could find a justice of the peace
to marry us. It doesn’t have to be so complicated.”

Cindy
didn’t know where all this was coming from. She drew a long, sharp breath. Mattheus
was mixing everything together, refusing to acknowledge that they needed time
to work things through, get to know each other better.

“But
maybe you don’t want to ever have another honeymoon?” Mattheus said, suddenly
flippant. “Maybe one lousy experience was enough for you?”

Cindy
felt her face flushing. That was unnecessary. Mattheus was blaming her for not
wanting to get closer to him right now. Was he blaming it on the fact that
Clint had been killed on her honeymoon? Cindy absolutely refused to say another
word about it. It was unfair and this was not the right moment.

“Fill
me in on what you found out this afternoon,” she said in a clipped voice,
determined to take things in a different direction.

“Do
you still want to go to the Dive Shop with me and the police first thing in the
morning?” asked Mattheus.

“Yes,
I would, said Cindy, wondering why he thought she would change her mind.

“Good,”
Mattheus liked that. He seemed to ease up. “This afternoon was busy,” he went
on. “Most of the groomsmen are freaked out about this. They’re a tight little
bunch, who adore Peter. No chink in their armor, all have the same story. They
say Peter’s a great guy and was happy with Allie. Seems like Peter makes a pile
of money working for his father, and a couple of the groomsmen work with him. His
best man Tad’s his right hand guy at work. Peter’s got a cushy deal if anyone
ever had one. He works directly under Mac, the sleazy partner.”

Cindy
was offended. “What’s sleazy about Mac?”

“That
guy’s a player if I ever saw one.”

“Where
do you get that?” Cindy defended Mac.

“How
could you miss it? It’s written all over him,” Mattheus looked at Cindy
strangely.

“Mac’s
a great friend to the family and also to Peter,” Cindy said.

“That
guy’s got his nose in everything,” Mattheus insisted. “There’s not a thing that
happens that he doesn’t know about. He plays people, figures the odds. It gives
him pleasure.”

“A
control freak?” Cindy was curious about Mattheus’s feelings.

“More
than that,” Mattheus was adamant. “This guy’s after a piece of the action for
himself.”

There
was no way Mattheus could know that. And it was unusual for him to take such a
dislike to someone so quickly. Basically, he was just going with a hunch and
taking it to the furthest possible degree. Cindy hadn’t seen him so bitter
before, either. Must be because there was so much money and influence here, she
thought. Could be making Mattheus feel inadequate.

 “Not
only did I speak to the groomsmen,” Mattheus went on, “I got to meet a few
women who aren’t in the wedding party.”

Cindy
was surprised, “Like who?”

“Vivien,”
Mattheus filled her in quickly. “A close friend of Peter’s.”

Cindy
made a sour face. “There’s bad blood between Vivien and Allie.”

“Vivien’s
gorgeous,” Mattheus breathed.

“What
has that got to do with it?” asked Cindy.

“Well,
I can understand why Allie might not have liked her. I’m sure lots of women
would be threatened by Vivien,” said Mattheus. “She’s the kind of woman you
definitely keep away from your man.”

Cindy
felt her blood boil.  “Vivien was Peter’s ex-girlfriend. Even after they broke
up, they stayed very close.”

“What’s
wrong with that?” Mattheus wasn’t impressed.

Cindy
became more heated. “Peter and Allie fought a lot about it. It was a big bone
of contention between them.”

Mattheus
had no reaction. “Seems like most women need to find something to have a bone
of contention about,” he finally said. “It makes their day.”

Cindy
recoiled, felt insulted, but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of showing him
that.   

“What’s
Vivien like? What did you find out from her?” Cindy continued.

“She’s
got long red hair, groomed to the hilt, sensuous,” said Mattheus.

Cindy
felt as if Mattheus were throwing little barbs in her direction, trying to make
her feel shaky.

“Vivien
told me that Allie’s mother hated her,” Mattheus continued, “and that her
mother was incredibly jealous of Allie’s relationship with Peter. Vivien urged
me to talk to the mom.”

“Vivien’s
suggesting that Allie’s mother killed her daughter?” Cindy was horrified. “That’s
pretty ridiculous. Makes me wonder more about Vivien.”

“You
never know,” said Mattheus.

“There
are some things you do know though, “Cindy responded. “You know not to go off
on wild speculations. You taught me that, Mattheus. You taught me to keep a
sense of balance, or things can get de-railed pretty fast.”

“Right,”
Mattheus conceded, “but getting pulled into wild speculations is an
occupational hazard. But every good detective’s been there. You’ve got to be
willing to get de-railed sometimes, go after wild speculations.”

That’s
how Cindy used to feel, but Mattheus had grounded her, taught her to stay with the
facts. For the moment it seemed as though they’d switched places. Maybe it was
still the shock of having found his wife’s body so recently.

“I
think someone killed Allie,” Mattheus said flatly then.

Cindy
was stunned. This wasn’t like him either. He never jumped to conclusions like
this.

“There’s
no real evidence of that,” Cindy responded.

“A
tampered air gauge speaks loud and clear.”

“What
was the motive?” Cindy shot back.

“Jealousy,”
Mattheus responded without thinking. “It oozes all over this place.”

Cindy
hadn’t seen any evidence of jealousy, except between Allie and Vivien.

“Jealousy’s
a powerful, rotten emotion,” Mattheus spoke under his breath.

Cindy
couldn’t help feeling that Mattheus was talking about himself.

“Why
would these people be jealous?” Cindy probed further. “They all have what they
need.”

“But
it’s never enough,” Mattheus whispered, “don’t you know? The more you have the
more you want.”

The
discussion had taken on a strange tenor and despite herself, Cindy’s heart began
pounding.  She wanted to change the mood between them, take a break.

“Did
you have dinner yet?” she asked, determined to take things in a different
direction.

“Hungry
as hell,” said Mattheus, relenting, when suddenly, their hotel phone rang.

They
both looked at the phone as though an intruder was pushing its way between
them.

“Take
the call,” Mattheus grumbled, “looks like the day isn’t over yet.”

Cindy
picked up. “Yes, we’re both here,” she said professionally.

Mattheus
perked up and listened.

“Let
me ask Mattheus if he’d like to do that?” she said. “Well, I don’t know. Let me
ask him.”

Then
she turned to Mattheus. “Mac wants to know if you and I would like to join him
for dinner downstairs in the restaurant?”

“Not
particularly,” said Mattheus, tapping his foot on the floor.

“He
said he wants to talk to both of us, “said Cindy.

 “We
don’t have much choice then, do we?” said Mattheus. “Tell him we’ll be down in
a few minutes.”

Before
going down to dinner, Cindy slipped into the bathroom to freshen up and changed
into a silk, flowing, mauve dress. She brushed her long, wavy hair, and let it
loose over her shoulders. Then she chose a lovely coral necklace, and sprayed
on some of her favorite lilac perfume for a finishing touch. When she walked
out of the bathroom, Mattheus looked up and his eyes opened wide.

“Wow,”
he said, “you grow more beautiful day by day. You come more and more into your
womanliness.”

Cindy
flushed.

“I
wish we could erase what happened and start fresh,” his voice now had that
boyish quality Cindy so loved.