Death by Betrayal (Book #10 in the Caribbean Murder series)

by Jaden Skye

  “I’ll do it,” Cindy shot out quickly.

  “Okay,” said Mattheus, “and the police also want to grill Frank again, immediately. They’re looking for him now, as we speak.”

  Cindy’s heart began fluttering. “Frank’s in hiding?”

  “Call it what you want,” Mattheus went on. “No one knows where he is, do they?”

  Fear gripped Cindy’s heart. If they didn’t find Frank fast the police could stage an all-out manhunt for him. For all Cindy knew there’d be a shootout and she’d find Frank dead, too. She couldn’t bear the thought of that. Despite everything, Cindy knew deep inside that Frank hadn’t killed Ann.

  “The evidence is mounting,” Mattheus said carefully.

  “Circumstantial, that’s all,” Cindy breathed. “Nothing specific, nothing direct.”

  “Cindy, face it,” Mattheus insisted then. “The police are on it full out now. They’re talking to everyone, including Grenfield. The pieces are coming in, they’re going to fit together.”

  “None of this would have happened if we hadn’t been amping up the investigation,” Cindy suddenly exclaimed.

  “That’s right,” Mattheus replied. “Frank might have slipped through the cracks, be sent home and gone on to kill again.”

  “Don’t call him the killer! It’s not been proved!” Cindy was insistent.

  “Cindy,” Mattheus got into her face, “Frank’s in hiding, he defriended someone who lied to us about knowing him.”

  Just then the phone rang again sharply. Mattheus quickly picked it up and then put his hand over the phone. “It’s the police, calling with more information,” he whispered.

  Cindy thought of her mother and uncles. How were they going to handle a double blow?

  “Right, okay, thanks,” said Mattheus. “Cindy will be there tomorrow. Yeah, and I’ll join you with the search.”

  “What was that?” Cindy asked completely alarmed by now.

  “The cops put pressure on Grenfield. He protected himself, cracked and talked. Frank’s had a shifty off shore account with Beggio. Nothing important, but he has one. Frank laid about that and so did Beggio. Things are piling up – they’re not looking good for Frank.”

  Cindy took a deep, bitter breath. “Some of these off shore accounts are illegal, everyone lies about them,” she said.

  “Cindy,” Mattheus yelled now. “Open your mind. Stop protecting Frank. There’s nothing left to

  protect. Ronnelle will be at a big Cricket Match tomorrow. You’ve got to go and talk to her there.”

  “What is it? Where? Give me details,” said Cindy, gearing herself up for the worst.

  “The Cup Match is a two day midsummer festival where the entire island shuts down,”

  Mattheus went on quickly. It takes place between the Somerset and St. George’s Cricket Club. Even I’ve heard about it. The place will be packed.”

  “How will I find Ronnelle there?” Cindy felt confused.

  “The cops will be tracking her and keep you informed. You’ll stay in touch with them constantly and they’ll record everything the two of you say. You’re going to grill her about her relationship with Frank from top to bottom. For all we know, he’ll be there with her.”

  “I doubt that,” Cindy didn’t believe it.

  “The island turns into a carnival atmosphere during the Cup Match,” Mattheus went on. “Right now, I’m joining the cops to help track Frank down. The sooner we find him the better.”

  Cindy started shaking. Even though she knew it wasn’t so, she felt as though Mattheus was abandoning her, betraying her, joining with the other side.

  “Why would you join them?” she asked Mattheus, bewildered.

  Mattheus seemed to be bewildered by her question as well. “Why would I? You called me down here to help find the killer, didn’t you?”

  Cindy understood the words Mattheus was saying in her mind, but in her heart, she felt alone and adrift.

  “We have such different views of this,” Cindy tried one last time in a small voice.

  “I know,” Mattheus spoke strongly and gently. “But ultimately, it doesn’t matter what our views are, we’ll find the facts and let them speak for themselves. That’s what we do, Cindy. We find the truth.”

  “I know,” she said quietly, “but right now it hurts like hell.”

  “I’m sorry Cindy, really, I’m sorry,” Mattheus walked closer to put his arms around her, but she involuntarily pulled away.

  “Is there anything else?” Cindy looked Mattheus directly in the eyes then, “even one thing you haven’t yet told me?” she asked. “Tell me now, get it over with.”

  Mattheus looked down at the floor, “Yes, there is,” he said quietly.

  Cindy felt her stomach clench. “Tell me quickly, please. Get it over with.”

  “The medical examiner’s report came in,” Mattheus went on.

  A shock of horror ran through Cindy then. “Yes?”

  “Ann died of strangulation,” Mattheus reported methodically. “But she fought a good battle. They checked the scratches on her throat carefully. If someone other than Frank did it, they knew what they were doing, wore gloves, covered all traces. The only DNA found on her body belonged to Frank.”

  “That doesn’t mean a thing,” Cindy insisted. “Ann and Frank slept together, they were together all the time. Was his DNA in the scratches?”

  “No,” said Mattheus quietly, “it wasn’t.”

  “So, that’s something, isn’t it?” asked Cindy, feeling woozy now and weak in her knees.

  “It’s something,” Mattheus agreed, “but who knows what? The killer could have worn gloves when they committed the crime.”

  Suddenly the room grew paler and Cindy felt herself swooning backwards onto the couch.

  Mattheus quickly rushed over, caught her and held her in his arms. “Cindy, Cindy,” he whispered, “it’s okay, I promise. You can handle this, you’re not alone.”

  Cindy opened her eyes slightly.

  “It’s okay,” Mattheus repeated, “I love you, believe me. I’m here with you forever.”

  In the midst of her swoon, Cindy took a deep breath.

  “You’ve got to be brave, you’ve got to be strong,” Mattheus continued. “You’ll rest tonight and I’ll stay here with you. Then, first thing tomorrow morning, we’ll go forward and you’ll go and speak to Ronnelle.”

  Chapter 18

  As Mattheus had warned, the Cricket stadium was packed to the gills and the festivity was overwhelming as the hot sun beat down on everyone. Dressed in Bermuda shorts and a light T shirt, Cindy fit in perfectly with the crowd. As the players came running out onto the field, the cheers that went up were deafening. It was a good thing the police were keeping track of Ronnelle or Cindy could never have found her amidst the noise and swirling people that drifted up and down in the stands.

  Cindy put her cell phone close to her ear to hear instructions.

  “Cindy, are you there now?” It was Trage on the other end.

  “Right here,” Cindy answered promptly, trying to stay alert and in touch.

  “Good,” he replied. “Target is seated in the fourth row of section B. Has a blue shirt on and is waving a flag.”

  “Got it,” Cindy replied.

  “Go to the left and ease down the middle row,” Trage continued guiding her step by step. The place was packed to the rafters and it would be easy to get lost. Cindy was relieved to have such careful directions.

  “You’re almost there now,” Trage commented as Cindy got closer to section B. “A few more steps and you turn down the left row.”

  Cindy followed his guidelines, struck by the fact that the police were able to watch her every move.

  “Okay, turn now,” Trage continued as Cindy practically pushed her way through the maddening crowds. The crush against her body was terrific, but the urgency of the assignment overwhelmed everything else. “There are a few openings near her on the bench Ronnelle’s sitting on,” Trage continued
. “We arranged that carefully. Quickly take one of the spots. Some of her friends are coming a little later. This has all been orchestrated.”

  Why so much attention to this and care? Cindy wondered. Then it struck her. The police probably thought Ronnelle could lead them to Frank. Cindy would probably look like the most innocent person to Ronnelle; she’d have no idea who was backing Cindy up.

  “You’ll be recording my interview, right?” Cindy checked as she drew closer to where Ronnelle was seated.

  “Absolutely,” Trage answered deftly. “And we’ll be watching both of you. If there’s a minute of trouble, we’ll surround you both.”

  Cindy was surprised by his intensity. She didn’t expect trouble of that magnitude. “Can’t see how this could be dangerous,” she responded.

  “Just being careful,” Trage responded routinely. “Sometimes we can’t see anything until it happens. For all we know Beggio’s a few steps away.”

  Cindy slipped down the row, and as Trage said, easily found a spot close to Ronnelle on the bench. Ronnelle was riveted to the field, and didn’t notice Cindy’s arrival.

  “Okay, you’re there now,” Trage mumbled into Cindy’s ear. “Go for it. You’re good at this. We’re thrilled to have you on board.”

  Trage’s expectations seemed over the moon and Cindy felt ill at ease. She had no sense that this would be a defining moment.

  “Shut off the phone and put it away,” Trage instructed. “You’re on your own now.”

  Relieved to be through with the voice in her ear, Cindy’s slammed her phone shut and stuffed it in her pocket. Then she lifted her face and looked out at the field. The players were in position and the game had already started. Cindy knew little about Cricket but was fascinated to see how the crowds were mesmerized by it.

  Once she settled a bit on the bench, Cindy slid over a little further and turned her attention to Ronnelle, who was standing and cheering now. Cindy stood up as well and eased over to her.

  “What a great game,” Cindy shouted at her side.

  Ronnelle quickly tossed a look at her, and went back to cheering with the fans. A second later, she stopped and threw Cindy a glance.

  “You look familiar,” Ronnelle then shouted to Cindy above the noise.

  “I met you at Beggio’s,” Cindy shouted back.

  Ronnelle stopped then and really looked at her. “Oh yeah, that’s right,” she finally said. “Funny that we’re sitting together.”

  “Yeah, isn’t it funny,” replied Cindy.

  They stood together for a while longer, until things simmered down and then took their seats.

  “Gonna be a great afternoon,” Ronnelle told Cindy, the wind blowing her hair in her face.

  Cindy put her hand on Ronnell’s arm lightly. “I need to talk to you, Ronnelle” Cindy said.

  Ronnelle got quieter. “What’s this about?” She shrugged Cindy’s hand off.

  Cindy leaned close to her to make sure Ronnelle could hear every word she said and that the police could record the conversation. “Do you remember who I am?”

  “Not really,” said Ronnelle, trying to move away, looking at Cindy strangely.

  “I’m Ann’s sister,” Cindy said right in her face. The words didn’t seem to register with her, however.

  “Who?” Ronnelle curled her face, puzzled.

  “Can you come with me to the back of the stadium where it’s quieter, for just a few minutes,” Cindy asked.

  “Of course I can’t. The game’s just started,” Ronnelle looked annoyed.

  “This is really important and I need to talk to you,” Cindy demanded.

  “So, talk to me here. I can hear what you’re saying. It’s only extremely noisy when something happens in the game.”

  Cindy took a moment to consider forcing her to the back of the stadium, but decided against it. Ronnelle seemed innocent enough to Cindy, and they really had nothing on her except that she’d been defriended by Frank on Facebook. And that she’d lied, Cindy suddenly remembered. Ronnelle had said she had no idea who Frank was.

  “Look Ronnelle,” Cindy decided to go forward from where they were sitting, “I’m the sister of the woman who was murdered at the Greenstone Hotel a short while ago.”

  Ronnelle looked at her for a long moment. “I’m really sorry about that,” she said. “People get killed for all kinds of crazy reasons down here. No one should ever have to go through something like that, though.”

  “Thanks,” said Cindy, feeling the sincerity of her response.

  “What can I do for you?” Ronnelle was suddenly wide eyed, and Cindy felt badly.

  “I’m also a private detective,” Cindy finally said.

  At that Ronnelle stepped away a bit further.

  “I need to talk you to about Ann’s husband Frank,” Cindy dove right into the center of the matter.

  “Who?” Ronnelle looked puzzled again.

  “My sister’s husband Frank,” Cindy urged quickly. “You know who he is.”

  “I know lots of people down here,” Ronnelle shrugged, looking perturbed suddenly. “His name doesn’t ring a bell.”

  “What do you do down here?” Cindy asked.

  “I’m a consultant for a firm back in the States. I come down a lot for business, that’s all. I’m a link between my company’s division in the States and their division down here. It’s a great job. I love it down here, know lots of people.”

  Suddenly a cheer went up from the crowds again. Ronnelle tried to get a quick look at what was happening on the field, but Cindy drew her attention right back to their conversation.

  “You work with Toni Beggio?” Cindy asked loudly, right in her ear.

  “No, not at all,” Ronnelle stared at Cindy. “I know him. Everyone knows him. I go to his parties, like everyone else. I’ve never worked with him for a second.” Ronnelle seemed apprehensive about being tied to Beggio. She obviously knew his reputation.

  “What about Frank?” Cindy continued, “did he work for Beggio?”

  “Frank who?” Ronnelle called out over the din.

  “My sister Ann’s husband’s name was Frank,” Cindy yelled back.

  “But I have no idea who he is,” Ronnelle called back again.

  At that Cindy put her hand on Ronnelle’s arm again. “I think you do,” Cindy said emphatically.

  “Why?” Ronnelle looked momentarily alarmed.

  “Frank just defriended you on his Facebook page - the day before my sister was killed,” Cindy wasn’t pulling any punches.

  “I didn’t even know I was defriended,” Ronnelle exclaimed. “I hardly know who all my friends on Facebook are. Everyone’s on everyone else’s page. Who the hell is this guy Frank, anyway?”

  Cindy’s stomach fell. Ronnelle seemed entirely plausible. Perhaps Frank had become her Facebook friend and developed some strange fantasy about her. Ronnelle could have offended him without her ever knowing it. When she’d said she didn’t know Frank, Ronnelle could have been telling the truth. Was it possible Frank was some kind of sick stalker? Could it be that nothing had gone on between them, that he’d only dreamt about it? Horrifying as that thought was, it somehow seemed more in keeping with the Frank that Cindy knew. She couldn’t imagine him as a ladies man, as hard as she tried.

  Ronnelle then broke out into a lovely smile and took Cindy’s hands. “Listen, I’m terribly sorry about your sister,” she said, “but I have no idea about any of this. I’m sorry this guy Frank defriended me, but it never even registered. There are so many guys on the island, each one looking for something else.”

  “I can only imagine,” said Cindy. Cindy felt strange listening to Ronnelle. She had a forthright charm about her that was delightful. It was hard to believe she was lying.

  Cindy suddenly feeling the weight of the heat and the crowds and the terrific noise bearing down upon her. She also felt the weight of the loss of her sister and confusion about what had really happened to her. Maybe it would be better for Cindy to leave the stadium
now. Ronnelle’s story seemed impenetrable. There was no reason to doubt it, actually. She was probably down here playing the field, having a good time, a respite from her life back home.

  Cindy turned to go. “Thanks for talking to me, Ronnelle,” she said in parting. “I can see it would be fun for you down here. Where are you from anyway?”

  “Wisconsin,” Ronnelle answered lightly as Cindy began to slide away.

  Cindy stopped in her tracks. “Wisconsin?”

  “Yes, why?” Ronnelle’s attention had turned back to the game.

  “My sister and Frank are from Wisconsin,” Cindy’s voice deepened as she stared at Ronnelle.

  “Really? What a coincidence,” Ronnelle remarked lightly.

  Cindy took a step closer again. “I don’t believe in coincidences,” she said, suddenly threateningly.

  Ronnelle took a few steps away. “Get away from me,” she exclaimed sharply. “What are you, a nut or something?”

  “You’re from Wisconsin and so was my sister and so is Frank,” Cindy repeated heatedly.

  “So what the hell?” Ronnelle flung her words out loudly. “Lots of people are from Wisconsin. Get a grip, honey! It’s a big world.”

  Cindy made her way out of there like a bat out of hell. Suddenly, she’d wanted to grab Ronnelle, pin her down and force her to admit that she knew Frank – force her to tell her why she’d been defriended. Only thing was Ronnelle might not have known him and thankfully, despite her suddenly flare of rage, Cindy recognized that. The fact that both Ronnelle and Frank were from Wisconsin, was nothing more than circumstantial. Cindy could get in big trouble for pushing too hard. And more trouble was the last thing she needed now. She ran all the way out of the stadium sweating and heading for the safety of her hotel room.

  *

  A few minutes after she got into her room and flung herself on the sofa, Cindy heard a knock on her door. Expecting Mattheus, she got up quickly and opened it up. To Cindy’s amazement, her uncle Charlie stood there waiting.