by Jaden Skye
Cindy got out of the shower, put on a robe, dried and blew out her long, full hair. Tonight it looked better than usual, shiny and golden from being out in the sun. She stopped a moment and looked at herself in the mirror. The woman who looked back out at her looked young, alive, exciting. Her eyes were sparkling and she had a great suntan. For the first time in a long time, Cindy felt like a beautiful, desirable woman again. She was thrilled to be dressing up, going out to a fabulous party. It was a welcome break from days and days of investigation and concern.
Cindy knew the party would be filled with magnificent women from all over the world, exquisitely groomed, dressed to the nines. There was no way she was going looking like a dowdy detective from New York. Mattheus was a great looking guy and Cindy had to get ready for those women to flock to him in droves.
Cindy chose a very short, black, silk, low cut, sleek dress, high heel shoes, and long, silver earrings. Mattheus would be shocked when he saw her, and she was looking forward to that. A surge of confidence burst through her. She could and would compete with the best. To top off the outfit she put on a long, string of pearls, and a couple of sprays of her most exotic perfume.
While she was getting ready, Cindy’d left her door half open, so when Mattheus came to get her, he walked right in.
“Anyone here?” he called out, as Cindy was putting on the last touches of make up in the bathroom.
“I’ll be out in a second,” Cindy called back.
A moment later, when Cindy walked into the room, Mattheus had his back to her, looking out at the ocean.
“Merry Christmas,” Cindy said softly.
He turned around quickly, and stared, dumbstruck.
“Whoah, you look amazing!” He could barely get the words out.
“Thanks,” Cindy smiled.
“No, wait a minute. I mean you’re breath taking,” he said.
The two of them stared at each other.
Cindy took in his warmth in deeply. She needed it, appreciated it.
“I’ve never seen you look like this,” Mattheus murmured.
“It’s my secret self,” Cindy whispered, “coming out for the grand party.”
“That’s some secret self! I’m thrilled to be going with you.”
Cindy liked that. She liked everything about the way the evening was going.
“It’s great to be going with you, too,” Cindy said. “Now, let’s go.”
Mattheus laughed. “Yeah, we’d better not spend the entire evening here- looking at each other, ordering in champagne, drinking.”
Cindy flushed. Their relationship lived on the edge. There were a few moments of closeness and then one or the other of them re-focused on what they were here to do. It was a built in safety mechanism and made these fleeting moments all the more precious.
“We’re headed for the wild time tonight,” Mattheus said, as they got into a taxi. “The party will be loaded with all kinds of leads. The best thing to do will be to split up soon as we get there, so we can work the room.”
“Definitely,” Cindy agreed.
But then Mattheus turned and looked at her, disconcerted, as if he wasn’t so sure he wanted her out there alone.
“You sure don’t look like a detective,” he said.
“All the better,” said Cindy.
“Yeah, I guess,” said Mattheus, as the taxi wound its way along the crowded roads to the brightly lit, sprawling, noisy villa, bursting with people, music, laughter and drinks.
*
“Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas,” a large, hefty, handsome, man came right up to them the second they walked in, and threw his arm around Mattheus’ shoulder.
It had to be Sasha Petrovich, Cindy thought. He was extremely buoyant, as though he’d been drinking since earlier that afternoon. At the same time, he was sharp and clear as day.
Petrovich looked over Cindy admiringly, his eyebrows raised. ““And this has to be the beautiful partner of Mattheus,” he said. “I must say, I am amazed! With a partner like this, my dear Mattheus, what in the world are you doing here? If she was mine, I would keep her all to myself.” And he laughed loudly.
Cindy felt Mattheus flinch.
“Of course there are all kinds of partner to be had in this life,” Petrovich went on, plopping his other arm over Cindy’s bare shoulder.
She didn’t like it, edged away.
Petrovich looked at her, put off. This was not the response he was used to from women.
He turned entirely to Mattheus then.
“Come, let me introduce you to someone I know who will be helpful to you,” he offered.
“Great,” said Mattheus.
“And, you still have to let me know your decision about the offer I made you,” Petrovich didn’t miss a beat.
“I’m working on it,” said Mattheus.
Cindy wondered what offer he was working on. If Petrovich was trying to make her uneasy, he was succeeding.
Petrovich turned to Cindy then and smiled intensely.
“I offered your wonderful partner a terrific job with me,” he said unabashedly. “He’d be a fool not to take it. Triple the income and plenty of other delightful perks.”
Cindy smiled calmly. Petrovich was trying to play her, make her squirm. She pulled herself together instantly, was way too smart to go for it.
“How generous of you,” she said lightly.
Petrovich raised his eyebrows, impressed. He seemed to like that he couldn’t bait her.
“And how about you, Cindy?” he went on, “there are all kinds of jobs in my world.” His laugh had a coarse edge to it.
Cindy disliked him intensely. She could see why the Senator would take him on. Someone had to. Petrovich was the kind of guy who felt everything and everyone was for sale. He thought there was nothing he couldn’t get his huge hands on.
“Not for me,” Cindy said, flippantly, “there are some of us who walk other pathways.”
“You don’t say?” said Petrovich, making a sour face. He wasn’t used to be spoken to that way.
“Actually, most of the people here work for me and are very grateful for it.”
They hadn’t even walked into the main room or joined the party, and Cindy felt as though she wanted to leave.
Mattheus stepped between them quickly though, interrupting the growing friction.
“Who is the person here you said you wanted me to meet?” Mattheus asked Petrovich.
“Not necessarily that I want you to meet,” Petrovich corrected him. “In fact, I think you’ve already met her here already. She’s someone the Senator insists you hook up with, feels she has something important to tell you,” and Petrovich smiled at Cindy.
Cindy was on the alert. Petrovich was trying to make her insecure, feel that he was privy to the Senator’s secret wishes. She could see that he enjoyed getting between people, seeding suspicion and fear. In order to survive in his glitzy world, people had to out maneuver one another. Cindy wondered if Petrovich could have feared or disliked the Senator so much that he’d actually kill his daughter. It was too extreme. It didn’t make sense. But, she’d have to explore the possibility anyway.
Mattheus caught Cindy’s glance.
“I’m going to go with Sasha to meet the person the Senator wants me to talk to,” Mattheus said calmly.
Cindy nodded. She understood. “Fine,” she said, “I’ll drift around.”
Petrovich laughed. “Don’t drift too much, it could be dangerous. We have fantastic guests in every corner. For all you know, someone could take a fancy to you and you’ll lose your way back to Mattheus.”
Now he was trying to unnerve Mattheus as well. Cindy saw that he was succeeding.
“Stay in this room,” Mattheus said to Cindy.
“I’ll be fine,” Cindy smiled and threw her hair back over her shoulders. “I’ll meet you at the main entrance in a couple of hours.”
“A couple of hours?” Petrovich looked amused, “the party will have barely begun. A coup
le of days are more like it.”
Mattheus’ jaw clenched. He gave Cindy a firm look and she nodded again. They were here to do a job and weren’t going to lose sight of their time frames, no matter what Petrovich said.
Mattheus turned and disappeared into the crowded room with Petrovich. For a second Cindy felt stranded, but then she stopped and took the place in. It was staggering. The huge room was filled with guests, wave upon wave of beautiful people. It was decorated for Christmas with mistletoe, sparkling angels hanging on the walls. A giant Christmas tree stood in the center, almost reaching to the ceiling. Holiday music was playing, waiters walked around serving hors d'oeuvres and champagne. A long table along the side was lavishly filled with anything anyone could want to eat.
Cindy turned to the table to get something to eat. Before she even walked a few steps, she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” a man’s voice said.
Cindy turned. A tall, slender guy, in his late thirties, stood there looking at her with anticipation. He had tousled hair, tight slacks and a custom tailored, perfectly fitting shirt.
“Andy Granite,” he smiled.
Cindy smiled back. He was charming with soft, grey eyes.
“Cindy Blaine,” she replied.
“Attorney from Manhattan,” he offered.
Cindy’s eyebrows raised. “I’m here from Manhattan as well.”
“Lucky for me,” said Andy. “How’d you get into this party? A friend?”
Cindy paused. She wasn’t sure how much she should tell him.
“I saw you were headed to the table over there,” said Andy. “May I join you?”
“Sure,” said Cindy. “The food looks wonderful.”
“Everything here is wonderful,” he answered. “People scramble for months to get an invitation for tonight.”
“High expectations,” said Cindy as they approached the table and took a couple of plates.
“You can say that again. Everyone wonders who they’ll meet.”
Andy didn’t take his eyes off Cindy for a second as they began filling up their plates. He was a lovely guy and Cindy didn’t want to waste his time or lead him on.
“I didn’t even know I was going to be here until a few days ago,” Cindy said.
He looked surprised. “Really?”
I’m a detective, “Cindy quietly. “Here on a case.”
Andy stopped cold. “No kidding, what kind of case?” He stared at her.
Cindy said nothing.
“I can understand not talking about it,” he went on quickly. “In fact, I didn’t think detectives let it be known who they were at all.”
“I’m not undercover,” Cindy said simply.
“I appreciate your honesty,” Andy said, looking at her softly. “It’s rather unusual here.”
“So, I gather,” said Cindy.
“Well, do you want to sit down and talk anyway?” He was a little confused about what to do next.
“Sure,” said Cindy, “for a little while. I’m also here with my partner. “
He looked at her quizzically.
“My partner in crime, another detective,” Cindy smiled.
“Well, even detectives get hungry,” Andy said. “Let’s eat our dinner, and then you can go.”
They sat down in the corner.
“I noticed you the minute you walked in,” Andy said quickly, “saw you and another guy talking with Petrovich. I didn’t know who the other guy was, but when he walked off, I wouldn’t let the chance go by.”
“That was my partner,” said Cindy.
“What’s the crime you’re investigating?” Andy asked again.
“Murder,” said Cindy.
He grew quiet.
“It’s a U.S. Senator’s daughter.”
Andy’s eyes opened, shocked. It seemed as if he knew nothing about it, but Cindy couldn’t be sure. He could have been directed to come over and speak to her.
“That’s horrifying,” he said, “when did it happen? I haven’t heard a thing about it.”
“It’s being kept quiet,” Cindy said.
“You’re playing with fire,” Andy said after a few moments. “A Senator’s daughter – that’s complicated. If you asked me, I would advise you to stay clear of things like that.”
Cindy looked at him closely. He seemed concerned.
“It’s my job,” she said.
He picked up his plate and started eating.
“There’s all kinds of cases out there to investigate,” he said, “marital infidelity, corporate theft, find something else. Politics can be nasty business, especially down here.”
The holiday music got louder, Christmas Carols rang out, surrounding them. People were drinking and laughing a lot. Cindy thought how Tiffany would never again here these Carols, or celebrate anything at any party anymore. Cindy was glad to be here, standing in for her.
“What do you do?” asked Cindy, to lighten the conversation.
“Corporate law,” said Andy. “Mergers and acquisitions. Simple and direct.”
Cindy thought of how Clint had been taken down by a corporation.
“It’s odd that a beautiful woman like you would become a detective,” Andy looked at Cindy with fascination.
“I like it,” she said directly. “There’s lots of people out there in big trouble. It feels good to step in and help. Do you know anything about Senator O’Connell?”
Andy looked grim. “Oh my God, it was his daughter that was murdered?”
“You know them?”
“Of course. He’s been coming down here for years with his family,” said Andy. “I’ve been coming down regularly, too. Which daughter?” His face grew ashen.
“Tiffany,” said Cindy.
“Oh no,” Andy murmured.
“What do you know about the family?” asked Cindy.
“Not much,” he said. “Everyone knows he’s a Senator. Once in a while he shows up at these parties.”
“Alone?” asked Cindy.
“Yes, alone.”
“Ever notice any other woman he spent time with?”
Andy looked uncomfortable. “Not really,” he said. “He talks to people, we all do.”
“I don’t mean to grill you,” said Cindy.
“It’s okay,” Andy said quickly, “grill me all you like.”
“Does Petrovich have something on the Senator? Cindy asked bluntly then. “Is he in Petrovich’s pocket?”
“I have no idea,” Andy said. “Really, I just come down and have a good time, then go back up to New York and work. I’m a pretty boring guy, basically. Not as exciting as the people you must meet.”
“You’re just fine the way you are,” Cindy said, appreciatively.
“Well, you made my night,” Andy grinned boyishly.
Cindy suddenly felt what a relief it could be to have a life like Andy’s, where things went routinely and people could be counted on. After work you went out for dinner, met with friends, took in a movie. You weren’t always on the search for secret clues to the mind of killers.
“Now it makes sense,” Andy muttered half to himself. “I noticed some police from Guadeloupe down on the island these past few days, was wondering what they were doing here. In fact I saw some at this party tonight.”
Cindy was startled. “Where?”
“In the back,” said Andy. “I didn’t know why they were here. Heard said they were waiting for someone to show up.”
Cindy had chills. “Doesn’t Petrovich have his own security guard?”
“These cops are not down here to guard Petrovich,” Andy answered. “They’re looking for someone else. Now I know who.”
“The killer?” asked Cindy.
“Who else would it be?” said Andy as he leaned towards her. “Maybe they think he’s going to show up here.”
That thought had never even occurred to Cindy.
“Look, this is tricky business,” Andy went on. “There a
re lots of people here you can talk to and find out more than you can from me. I don’t want to waste your time.”
“You’re not wasting my time. It’s lovely talking to you,” said Cindy.
Andy smiled again.
“I hope I can see you again when the case is solved,” he said tentatively.
Cindy was touched by his sweetness.
“When the case is solved I leave the island,” she said, wondering when and if it would ever be closed.
“So, maybe we can see each other back in New York?” Andy suggested, “that is, if your partner lets you.”
Cindy smiled. “I have my own life. It’s not up to my partner.”
Cindy wondered then how Mattheus was doing, where he actually was, if he might need her for something. She stopped and took a moment to scan the room. At first he was nowhere to be seen. Then, finally she spotted him, or at least someone who looked like him, nestled in a corner. Cindy stood up and walked a few steps closer, to make sure she was seeing correctly. Mattheus was against the wall, with a beautiful, tall red headed woman close up to him, hanging all over him. He had an odd smile on his face, as if was thoroughly enjoying it.
Stunned, Cindy shuddered and turned back to Andy.
“I’d love to have more time to talk to you,” she said, trying to block out what she’d seen.
“I can only imagine how busy you are,” said Andy.
Cindy paused, he was right. She was totally busy. Every moment of her life was consumed with finding another piece of evidence. And when one case was over, the next one came along. How much time did she have for a life for her own? Her time with Mattheus wasn’t real either. It revolved around tracking killers, digging up suspects, figuring the next moves. Cindy took a deep breath. It was a strange relief to be simply sitting here, talking to a regular guy who wanted to be with her just because of who she was. Cindy suddenly felt homesick, not only for Christmas with her family, but for friends she could relax with and a man she could build a real life with again. The life that she was living now, made it impossible. And seeing Mattheus like that, made everything worse.
