Death by Engagement

by Jaden Skye

  Kate’s comment unnerved Cindy. She was about to defend Mattheus when she abruptly stopped herself. Better to just be quiet, Cindy thought, and let Kate say what she had on her mind. Kate had trouble with her own father. For all Cindy knew, she had trouble with all guys and was just projecting it onto Mattheus now. It would be interesting to find out.

  The taxi drove quickly and arrived at Veneto Lane in no time at all. Cindy and Kate got out and stepped onto a cobbly road that wound down near the water. Veneto Lane stretched out behind a strip of simple shops, restaurants and places to get fishing supplies. The area, which was not well known in Aruba, attracted mostly locals, and a few tourists who wanted a simpler taste of life.

  “I like it down here,” Kate started as they got out of the cab and began to walk. “Whenever I’m in Aruba I come down here and walk.” Kate seemed to feel better when she was off the beaten path, more able to be who she was. For a second, in a strange way, Kate reminded Cindy of Deidre.

  “This place is interesting,” Cindy said, looking around. The road they were on was basically a dirt road with scraggly trees on either end. It was easy to walk on and oddly relaxing.

  “Do you come down to Aruba often?” Cindy asked Kate.

  “Often enough,” Kate replied. “My family likes it here and so does Shari’s family.”

  “Have your families vacationed here together?” Cindy asked, interested.

  “Definitely not,” Kate was quick to reply. “Our families are cordial to each other, but not that close. Certainly not close enough to vacation together.”

  Kate’s vehemence about it took Cindy aback. Was there friction between the families?

  “I don’t know if you realize it,” Kate went on heatedly, “but Shari’s father, Edward, is definitely off. People say he’s paranoid and no one feels really comfortable around him. He always thinks the worst.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” said Cindy, wondering what Kate was really trying to say. “Was your family unhappy about Doug’s upcoming marriage?” Cindy felt an opening to dig in now. Could there have been trouble between the two families? Did that have to do with Shari’s death?

  Kate turned and looked and Cindy directly. “My family was not thrilled about the marriage,” she plainly said. “They’d never tell you that, though. They have a grin and bear it mentality. But my mother urged Doug to think twice about this marriage over and over again.”

  “She was worried about it?” Cindy was surprised.

  “Of course she was. Why wouldn’t she be?” Kate snapped.

  “And how did Doug respond?” asked Cindy.

  “Doug will never let a woman tell him what to do,” Kate pouted. “That’s what makes him feel like a man. When my mother asked him to reconsider, she was basically just pushing him closer to Shari.”

  “Really?” Cindy was taken aback. She hadn’t seen that aspect of Doug at all. He’d seemed open and receptive to her.

  “Lots of guys have that pattern,” Kate continued confidentially. “My father’s like that, and probably Mattheus, too.”

  Cindy thought about it. She’d never experienced Mattheus that way. Now she began to wonder if Kate wasn’t a bit paranoid herself.

  “Anyway, my father wasn’t particularly thrilled about the marriage either,” Kate continued, “but he couldn’t bring himself to say that to Doug.”

  “Why not?” asked Cindy.

  “It’s a guy thing. In my family the guy’s stand together,” Kate explained. “My father has a thing about trusting his son’s decisions. I tried to talk to both my father and Doug about his marrying Shari, but neither would listen to a thing I said.”

  “You said you were definitely against the marriage.” Cindy wanted to hear her say more.

  “Absolutely, and I let it be known that Doug was definitely getting into trouble marrying her.”

  Cindy was startled by Kate’s certainty. “Why? Because of Shari’s depression?”

  Kate made a sour face. “You can call it anything you like. A lot of lousy behavior gets excused by calling it depression. But depression or no depression, Shari had lots of boyfriends. If she was so depressed how did she manage that?”

  “Good question,” said Cindy.

  “And none of her relationships turned out well,” Kate added. “She tired of guys easily. If you asked me, they were her toys.”

  “I thought she and Doug met in college and were together for a long time.” Cindy was confused.

  “Sure, they met in college, but Shari and Doug were on and off,” Kate quickly added. “When they were off, they both dated other people. I always thought Shari felt better when they were off and she was with someone else. She was popular with guys and it gave her a high to be out there dating.”

  “So why did she always end up back with Doug?” Cindy asked.

  “I’m not really sure.” Kate’s eyes narrowed. “She and Doug said they missed each other, or something. At least that’s what we heard. Doug said nobody made him as happy as Shari.”

  Cindy stopped walking and looked at Kate. “Could that have been so?” asked Cindy. “It makes sense to me, it’s possible.”

  Kate rubbed her hands on her face. “Sounds good, doesn’t it? But I never bought it. You know, the last time the two of them broke up, Doug was dating a terrific girl, named Cayenne.”

  “Yes, I heard about her,” said Cindy.

  “From who?” Kate seemed surprised.

  “Just basic information,” said Cindy. “Was Cayenne still involved with Doug after they broke up?”

  “No, not really,” said Kate. “Doug wanted to stay friends, of course, but she didn’t. Doug always stayed friends with the women he broke up with.”

  “Really?” said Cindy. “How did Shari deal with that?”

  “The funny thing,” said Kate, “is that it didn’t seem to bother her much.”

  Cindy and Kate looked at each other silently then.

  “Was Shari really in love with Doug?” Cindy asked softly.

  “Exactly my point, exactly my question!” Kate looked appreciatively at Cindy. “That’s what I kept wondering all the time. When I once said that to Doug, I thought he’d go crazy. He told me never, ever to say that again.”

  “If Shari didn’t love Doug, why would she marry him then?” Cindy felt unclear.

  “Let’s take this turn here and get something to eat,” said Kate then. “I’m hungry and they have my favorite fresh fish sandwiches with delicious cole slaw.”

  Cindy and Kate turned through a narrow, bumpy path which led out onto Veneto Lane. The street was filled with shops, eateries and local people lounging around the streets. A delicious smell of both ocean and cooking wafted over them.

  Kate chose a little restaurant nearby. “I love it here, I’ve been here before,” she said as she and Cindy entered and took seats at a bar.

  The restaurant was small, but clean and open to both the water and sky. There was a big, old wooden bar and a few tables here and there. Right now the place was almost empty.

  “Two fresh cod sandwiches and Cokes,” Kate called out to no one in particular. “The guy who brings the food is back there now, but he’ll hear me,” she explained. “It’s not noon yet, but it’s still open. They’re getting things ready.”

  Cindy was glad to be sitting down. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was as well. Once they were settled, to Cindy’s surprise, Kate reached out and gave her hand a squeeze.

  “I’m really grateful to you for listening,” said Kate. “There’s no one else I can really talk to.”

  “I’m grateful to you for talking to me so honestly,” Cindy replied.

  “Everyone’s so devastated by Shari’s death,” Kate went on. “And I’m not saying my family isn’t horrified also. When he first heard my father couldn’t sleep the whole night. He kept pacing back and forth.”

  “Of course,” said Cindy. “And how about you?”

  “That’s what I want to tell you.” Kate stopped talking th
en and suddenly grinned at the waiter who emerged from the back, carrying two, huge sandwiches with cole slaw, French fries and Cokes.

  “Boy, that was fast,” said Cindy as he slapped the sandwiches down in front of her and Kate.

  “They have a bunch of these sandwiches ready at lunch time,” Kate informed Cindy, giving the waiter a thumbs-up.

  The sandwiches looked delicious, but Cindy didn’t want to lose track of what she and Kate had been talking about.

  “Kate, are you horrified by Shari’s death, too?” Cindy repeated.

  “No, I’m not horrified,” Kate responded, grabbing the sandwich and taking a huge bite of it. “In a strange way, I’m not even surprised.”

  Kate’s comment stunned Cindy and stopped her from biting into her own sandwich, which was almost in her mouth.

  “You’re not even surprised? Why not?” The wheels in Cindy’s mind began turning. Was Kate inferring that she wasn’t surprised Shari killed herself because she was so depressed? But that wasn’t the picture Kate had presented of Shari. “I thought you said Shari was happy when she was dating,” Cindy pressed Kate further. “She couldn’t have been all that depressed.”

  “Yes, that’s right.” Kate chomped on her food avidly. “Shari felt good when she was dating other guys, but she wasn’t dating now, was she? She was back with Doug again, and about to commit to him forever. No more dating then.”

  “You think that’s why she killed herself?” Cindy was astonished.

  “Maybe?” said Kate.

  “That sounds a bit extreme,” Cindy replied.

  “I know it does,” said Kate. “But Shari was a confused girl.”

  “What did Doug love so much about her?” Cindy needed to know.

  “That’s the best question you’ve asked all morning,” said Kate, eating the rest of her lunch in a flash. “I think he loved that he was better than her, smarter than her, more in charge. And, of course, Shari was beautiful, too, don’t get me wrong. It made him look good to have her on his arm.”

  “That doesn’t speak well of Doug, though, does it?” asked Cindy.

  “Maybe not,” said Kate, “but he’s not that much different from a thousand other guys. Maybe Cayenne was too much of a woman for him. Guys don’t like that, really, do they?”

  “Some do,” said Cindy, thinking of Mattheus, who had helped her grow strong.

  “Oh yeah, tell me who?” asked Kate.

  “Haven’t you had boyfriends like that yourself?” Cindy turned it back to her. “Guys who appreciate the strong, honest, gutsy young woman you are?”

  Kate looked away. “I haven’t found someone like that yet,” she replied.

  “He’s there waiting, Kate,” Cindy encouraged her. “Don’t give up expecting him to come.”

  *

  After lunch was over, Kate wanted to go back home. She’d said all she had to at that point and seemed suddenly washed out.

  “I hope I’ve helped the investigation,” Kate murmured about halfway back.

  “You’ve helped a lot,” said Cindy. “I have a much better picture of Shari’s life.”

  “So, where does this all lead then?” asked Kate, looking confused herself for a moment.

  “I’m not sure yet,” said Cindy, hesitantly.

  “You said before that you weren’t sure that it was a suicide,” Kate remarked. “You’re the only one who’s said that.”

  “Except for Shari’s father, Edward,” Cindy mentioned.

  “Yes, but nobody takes him seriously,” Kate remarked.

  “Who else should I talk to?” Cindy turned to Kate wholeheartedly then. “You know more about the people involved.”

  “I would definitely talk to Cayenne,” Kate said slowly, “and also Tad.”

  Cindy was surprised that Kate knew about Shari’s former boyfriend. “You know about Tad?”

  “Of course, everyone does. He and Shari dated the last time she and Doug broke up. I heard he’s devastated and coming down to the island now as we speak.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” said Cindy. “Seems he had strong feeling for Shari.”

  “That’s what I always thought,” said Kate. “Tad seemed right for her, too, more emotional. And she seemed happy with him when I once saw them together.”

  “So, why did she get back with Doug then?” asked Cindy intently.

  “That’s the question, isn’t it?” Kate echoed her thoughts. “But whatever the answer is, one thing is sure. It was a stupid decision for both of them.”

  Chapter 15

  After she dropped Kate off a few blocks from the hotel, Cindy felt ill at ease. The time with Kate brought up more questions than it answered. Kate seemed driven to speak the truth as she knew it, wasn’t backing off from anything. Cindy respected her a great deal, and yet also wondered if Kate’s feeling so disempowered in her family was not causing her to make waves that would ultimately lead to nothing.

  Cindy got off at the hotel, paid the driver and slowly went back up to the room. As she walked down the hallway, she wondered if Mattheus would be there waiting for her, and what he had been doing.

  “I’m back,” Cindy called the moment she walked in.

  “Out on the balcony,” Mattheus’s voice echoed back.

  Cindy was relieved that he was still there. She hadn’t realized how nervous she’d felt about it. The case was taking longer than planned and now there was definitely more to look into. Cindy wondered how Mattheus would take that.

  Cindy walked out onto the balcony, under the sky which had had grown darker. Heavy clouds had drifted in and cool breezes were blowing unrestrainedly. Cindy saw Mattheus lying stretched out on a chair with an empty lunch tray beside him. He’d obviously called up for food and eaten alone.

  “So good to see you.” Cindy went over to him, leaned down and gave him a warm hug.

  “A ticking time bomb,” Mattheus commented, not responding to the hug at all.

  Cindy came around the chair and sat down beside him. “What do you mean?” she asked, slightly upset at not getting a hug in return.

  “I mean Kate’s a ticking time bomb,” he repeated. “She’s the kind who thrives on trouble, enjoys dissension.”

  Cindy was surprised at the vehemence in his tone. He and Kate truly disliked one another.

  “I actually learned a lot from her,” Cindy said slowly. “Got a lot of good information.”

  Mattheus reached out his hand for Cindy’s then. It relieved her greatly.

  “Kate told me that both Shari and Doug dated other people regularly when they broke up,” Cindy went on.

  “On again, off again,” Mattheus mused slowly. “When have I heard that refrain before?”

  His voice sounded half bored, half cynical.

  Cindy wanted to get to the heart of it, though. “The question is why they got back together this time. It sounded like Shari was a lot happier with other guys.”

  “Cindy”—Mattheus turned to her swiftly—“I’m not really that interested in the ins and outs of Shari and Doug’s love life. It’s our love life that concerns me right now.”

  Cindy flushed from head to toe. “I’m so sorry, Mattheus,” Cindy started.

  “Sorry doesn’t do it,” he cut her off short. “I miss you, Cindy. I’m not happy like this.”

  “I miss you, too,” Cindy breathed, feeling suddenly dizzy.

  “And to top off our glorious vacation, I got another call from your mom and Frank,” Mattheus went on.

  Cindy felt herself get pale. “What now?” she asked.

  “They’re taking an early evening plane out of Aruba tonight,” Mattheus said, “and asked for one more chance to meet with us.”

  “Oh my,” said Cindy, “I didn’t know they were still here. When did they call?”

  “Right after you left with Kate,” said Mattheus. “Frank was the one who called, he sounded uptight. I’m sure your mother’s making it awful for him.”

  “When do they want to see us? There’s not much
time left,” Cindy breathed, feeling suddenly forlorn.

  “No, you don’t get it, Cindy,” Mattheus interrupted. “I told them it was out of the question.”

  Cindy’s mind began whirling. “What?” she replied. “You said that without asking me?”

  “I said I had no desire to meet with them again right now,” Mattheus repeated.

  “What did Frank say?” Cindy was aghast.

  “He said then they’d like to meet with you alone,” Mattheus answered crisply.

  “Fair enough,” said Cindy, breathless.

  “No, you’re not getting the point.” Mattheus’s voice sounded grim. “There’s nothing fair about it at all. I told Frank we were a couple now and we would meet them together, or not at all.”

  “That’s harsh, Mattheus.” Cindy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “This is my family,” she exclaimed.

  Mattheus stood up swiftly from his chair then. “No, I’m your family now,” he replied. “You’re engaged to me, remember?”

  “Are you saying I have to choose between you and them?” Cindy stood up swiftly as well, standing toe to toe with him.

  “I’m saying how could you even want to go to dinner with people who treated me so badly, who bad-mouth me and want to break up the relationship?” Mattheus was appalled.

  “They’re not people, they’re my family,” Cindy replied. “I have a right to talk to them and work the problems out.”

  “Are you going to work out the problems between them and me, too?” Mattheus spoke heatedly.

  “They invited both of us to dinner,” Cindy retorted.

  “But I don’t want to see them again,” exclaimed Mattheus. “I have no desire to sit down at a table with them.”

  “Not ever?” asked Cindy.

  “Not now,” Mattheus breathed. “Especially the way things have been between us.”

  Tears stung Cindy’s eyes and her heart began pounding. “Because I’ve been working on the case?”

  “We came down here to celebrate our engagement,” said Mattheus, “and look how things have turned out.”