Death by Desire (Book #4 in the Caribbean Murder series)
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DEATH BY DESIRE
(book #4 in the CARIBBEAN MURDER SERIES)
Jaden Skye
About the Author
Jaden Skye is author of the #1 Bestselling CARIBBEAN MURDER series, which includes eight books (and counting). The first book in the series, DEATH BY HONEYMOON, was a #1 Bestseller, and is now available as a FREE download on Amazon!
Also in the series are DEATH BY DIVORCE (#2), DEATH BY MARRIAGE (#3), DEATH BY DESIRE (#4), DEATH BY DECEIT (#5), DEATH BY JEALOUSY (#6), DEATH BY PROPOSAL (#7) and DEATH BY OBSESSION (#8). She is also author of the romance A PERFECT STRANGER.
Jaden has always been fascinated with mystery, wrongful death, lies, deception and the power of the truth to prevail. Her romantic suspense/mystery novels feature strong female protagonists who must overcome insurmountable obstacles, and through them, she seeks to get to the very heart of the nature of justice and love.
Please visit www.jadenskye.com to find links to stay in touch with Jaden via Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, her blog, and a whole bunch of other places. Jaden loves to hear from you, so don't be shy and check back often!
Books by Jaden Skye
THE CARIBBEAN MURDER SERIES
DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)
DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2)
DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3)
DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4)
DEATH BY DECEIT (Book #5)
DEATH BY JEALOUSY (Book #6)
DEATH BY PROPOSAL (Book #7)
DEATH BY OBSESSION (Book #8)
THE TOM’S RIVER SAGA
A PERFECT STRANGER (Book #1)
Tap here to download Jaden Skye books on Amazon now!
Copyright © 2012 by Jaden Skye
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
PROLOGUE
In the midst of great natural beauty, hidden beneath lush growth, intensely scented poppies, bougainvillea, lilies of the valley, a snake slowly crawls on its belly, back to the sea. And, the body of a young woman lays twisted hopelessly, torn and disposed of, the day after a lavish party on her family’s yacht, celebrating her engagement to be married and to live in happiness the rest of her life.
“Find me,” she cries silently, as her spirit departs from the land of the living, the yacht rocks in the ocean, and the snake stops at the water’s edge, raises its head and hisses loudly into the sun, before it slithers away.
CHAPTER 1
Cindy’s stomach fell as she looked out of the plane window and saw the narrow landing strip at the St. Bart’s airport. It ran right to the edge of the ocean and seemed as if it would take a miracle not to miss the strip and sink in the water. As she reached for her life vest and Mattheus put his hand over hers.
“We’re doing just fine,” he said, “the pilot does this all the time.”
Cindy took a deep breath as the plane quickly descended. The trip had gone so quickly. There hadn’t been nearly enough time to go over all the reports the Senator had faxed about the gruesome murder of beautiful Tiffany O’Connell, his daughter. Tiffany had been found at sunset, mauled at the beach, the day right after her huge engagement party on her father’s yacht. Half of St. Bart’s had been there to celebrate.
The Senator’s wife, a frail woman, beside herself with shock and grief, had heard about Cindy and demanded a woman on the case. The Senator had faxed sheet after sheet to them just before they boarded the flight. The reports were sent secretly, along with photos of Tiffany, both at her engagement party and then of her mangled body on the beach.
Nothing like this ever happened at St. Bart’s, he told them, especially during the Christmas season, when the place was packed with visitors, the rich and famous, coming from all parts of the United States and Europe to celebrate and be seen at the glittering parties for those on the A list. During this week, huge, magnificent yachts would be arriving, lining the coast, jockeying for the best position. People planned for a glorious Christmas vacation at St. Bart’s all year long. And so did the residents, who thrived on the island’s reputation for being beautiful, pristine, totally safe and unspoiled. The island was a unique mixture of ravishingly beautiful natural habitats along with elegant shops, restaurants, clubs, and spas. The food was exquisite, the service supreme. It was a place people could come and be cared for magnificently, protected, free of the pressures and dangers that haunted other vacation spots in the world. This one place still remained as a sanctuary for celebrities who could unwind without being gaped at by the rest of the hungry world. The police on the island were doing their best to keep it quiet.
Cindy felt strange to be going on Christmas, which always been her favorite holiday. She loved the wonderful music, food, smells, candles, lights. She loved wrapping presents, receiving cards, connecting with those who’d been far away. A special feeling of peace and love always surrounded her, a sense that the world could be a haven, always filled with everything good. The image of this young woman’s mangled body now rose up and filled her mind. She had to go, no matter what the season.
Cindy had looked over the photos and reports during the flight, but there wasn’t much in them. The police on the island hadn’t found any evidence at the scene of the crime.
“Twelve stab marks,” Cindy had said to Mattheus. “It’s a crime of passion.”
Mattheus wasn’t sure.
“No evidence anywhere? Could be a setup.”
Cindy loved tossing ideas back and forth with Mattheus; they each always saw another aspect of what was going on.
Mattheus looked out the plane window now, and tapped his fingers on the edge of his seat. Cindy felt how eager he was to get there already, dig in, uncover suspects. She took a deep breath. This was the fourth case she’d been on in a row. She hadn’t had time to catch her breath or regroup. It was actually startling to her to see how enormous the need was for a woman detective down on the islands. Cindy was troubled to see the danger women lived in, and how unprotected they felt. It was also comforting to have Mattheus besides her doing the work. They balanced each other wonderfully and were quickly becoming a well-known team. More quickly than Cindy wanted. Some days
it felt as if they’d always be together, chasing after one killer or another. It was as if they’d fallen into an unknown destiny that swept them along unfailingly.
Cindy paused and wondered where they were really headed, and what kind of life she could ever have again?
The photos of Tiffany were terrible, haunting. Cindy could see that she’d been a beautiful young woman, and that whoever did it, was violent, possessed with hate. They took great pleasure in destroying her beauty, twisting and stabbing her mercilessly. And the fact that it happened the day after her engagement party was doubly troubling to Cindy. It reminded her of the loss of her own husband of Clint, murdered right on their honeymoon.
“There’s something about times of happiness,” Cindy said to Mattheus, “they’re dangerous.”
Mattheus looked at her directly. “They can be,” he said softly.
“People can’t stand the happiness of others,” Cindy murmured. “It brings out the worst.”
“Not always,” Mattheus responded. “It’s just that in our business we’re called to see the darkness.”
Cindy shivered.
“And to help with it,” Mattheus’ strong, warm voice grew deeper. “To make sure it doesn’t happen again to someone else.”
“But it does,” said Cindy.
“But at least we stop this particular killer and save others he might have been killed,” Mattheus was resolute in his determination.
“We’ve still got a lot to learn about details of this case,” Mattheus went on. “That’s good. We’re going with open minds. Everything I’ve researched on the Senator and his family looks interesting. I’m looking forward to meeting the guy. His constituents love him. He has a fantastic record of fighting for the environment, supporting the underdog. He makes plenty of time to be with the people, listens to their concerns. This guy has worked long and hard. He won his seat from the ground up. It’s disgusting that something like this happened to him.”
Cindy nodded in agreement. “It’s disgusting no matter who it happens to,” she said. “No one deserves this. No family deserves to live in this kind of pain.”
“But we don’t always get what we deserve. Do we?” said Mattheus.
Cindy had no idea how to answer that. Of course, it didn’t seem so. She herself had been a victim of crime when Clint was murdered, and she had to endure pain that felt like it would never go away. Doing this work helped, though. With each case they solved Cindy felt as though she was rectifying what happened to Clint. His senseless death was serving a good purpose; she was using the impetus from it to save others.
Cindy wondered more about Tiffany’s murder now. There were no articles published it in the local papers and Mattheus had been only able to research the Senator and his family thus far.
“What about the Senator’s wife?” Cindy asked, trying to round out the picture.
“They were childhood sweethearts,” Mattheus said.
Cindy smiled. It wasn’t what she’d expected to hear.
“Solid marriage, three kids, all girls. The one who was killed, Tiffany, has a twin sister, Rori. And there’s an older sister, Winnifred, who’s twenty one. The wife, Meryl, got sick pretty soon after the twins were born. Never really recovered completely. Records say she’s frail, hired a housekeeper to raise the family. Wasn’t always at her husband’s side during government functions. There’s nothing in the records to show that the Senator took up with anyone else.”
Cindy was surprised again. She hadn’t thought that would have been something Mattheus would focus on, or that it would have much bearing on the case.
“A rough time for it to happen,” Mattheus sighed. “A week before Christmas. The island is packed. The killer could easily get lost in the crowds, commotion, parties. For all we know he could even have his eye on someone else.”
They approached the tarmac, and Cindy felt herself trembling.
Mattheus lay a reassuring hand on her wrist.
“You OK? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
Cindy nodded.
He was right. She felt unusually nervous arriving on the island. She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was the image of Tiffany that stuck in her mind, casting a long, dark, shadow.
“You’re becoming an old hand at this by now,” Mattheus went on. “You should be taking it all as a matter of course.”
Cindy couldn’t possibly imagine how the violent loss of life could become a matter, or being responsible for hunting down the one who did it. Cindy had been raised to see the world as orderly, filled with beauty and decency. It unnerved her deeply to look into the chaos that lurked beneath the careful cover of what seemed to be social correctness, stable relationships, and perfectly manicured homes.
The plane bumped on the ground a few times as it landed. Then it stopped at the very edge of the strip, its nose practically hanging over the water.
“We’re here,” Mattheus said.
CHAPTER 2
Cindy and Mattheus stepped out of the plane, into a different world than she’d ever been in before. Exquisite beauty surrounded her on every side. The azure waters, stretched out endlessly, rippling softly in the sun. Palm trees boarded the airport and the intense scent of flowers rose up to greet her, welcoming her to a place in which it seemed she would never have a care.
A man dressed in khaki pants and a light, striped shirt walked over to the plane and held out his sun tanned hand.
“Cindy and Mattheus?” he asked. “Welcome.”
Mattheus stepped forward, and extended his hand in return.
“The boat to take you to the Senator’s yacht is straight ahead.”
The man was official, but also calm. He picked up their luggage and carried it to the boat. The rest of their luggage had been sent ahead to the hotel they were staying at, where the Senator had reserved rooms for them.
Mattheus and Cindy followed the man to the edge of the landing strip, where a small motorboat was waiting for them. They climbed in and sat down as the soft, salt air surrounded them. Cindy breathed deeply as the boat took off, heading to their destination. It was wonderful to be down in the Caribbean again. For a moment, Cindy relaxed completely, forgetting why she was here and where they were headed. As she looked around, there was nothing to see but water on every side. She let herself drift into the sense of utter well-being and oneness with life that always engulfed her on the water.
“Incredible day,” she whispered to Mattheus.
He moved closer to her and she felt the strength and warmth of his body besides her, for a moment reminding her how she had felt with Clint when they came down for their Caribbean honeymoon.
“We’ll be approaching in about ten minutes,” the man who was driving broke into her thoughts.
As the motorboat got closer to the yacht, the waves became higher, the waters rougher, and a breeze stirred. Then, suddenly, as if from out of nowhere, Cindy spotted the yacht. It was huge, white, magnificent, towering in the ocean, water gently lapping against the sides. The yacht rose up as a testimony to man’s grandeur, his domination of nature and attempt to override the simple beauty of the sea. Cindy looked up at it, knowing that it contained a world of its own that they would have to infiltrate and dive down to the bottom of.
“Here we are,” said Mattheus, excited.
Cindy snapped out of her reverie, as she climbed up out of the motorboat and walked along the plank that led to the Senator’s yacht, where she knew their arrival was eagerly awaited.
She and Mattheus entered the yacht from the front deck. They walked straight into the main hallway, which was lined with Christmas wreaths and decorations. Cindy was right. The yacht contained a world of its own. The place was crowded, and the sound of voices greeted her as she walked in. Over to the right was a large, wooden room, open to the sea. The room was mostly filled with young people, between eighteen and twenty five, dressed in expensive shorts, shirts and mini dresses, wandering back and forth, talking. A sense of disbelief and anxiety filled t
he air. Some had glasses in their hands, others were looking out into the sea. A few sat on the couches that lined the edge of the deck, their long, suntanned legs spread out in front of them. A winding, wooden staircase in the center of the room lead to the second floor.
“They’re here,” someone called out loudly, as Cindy and Mattheus walked in, causing a flurry of excitement.
Then, at that very moment, the Senator walked down the wooden, winding staircase to greet them. He was a handsome man in his late fifties, with thick, pepper and salt hair, strong blue eyes and a lean body that he seemed to have taken very good care of. Dressed in white linen slacks, an expensive shirt, there was nothing to show how distraught he had to feel.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” the Senator extended his hand as he approached Cindy and Mattheus.
Mattheus gave him his hand and the two of them looked into each other’s eyes. The Senator focused his attention entirely upon Mattheus. Cindy felt unnecessary, almost as if she wasn’t there.
“We need all the help we can get,” the Senator continued quickly to Mattheus, in a commanding tone.”
“I realize that,” said Mattheus.
“And we need it fast. I don’t want anything covered up – not one clue lost.”
“Nothing will be lost, I assure you,” said Mattheus.
The Senator looked at him approvingly.
“And this is my partner, Cindy Blaine,” Mattheus motioned towards Cindy, trying to include her.
The Senator threw Cindy a quick glance.
“Thanks for coming,” he said perfunctorily, “my wife is looking forward to seeing you.”
“And I her,” Cindy responded.
The Senator looked at Cindy directly then. He seemed a bit taken aback by her heartfelt reply.
“My wife is not in a good state of mind,” the Senator said then, looking down.
“That’s understandable, Cindy replied.