by Jaden Skye
That was definitely so. Cindy had never been able to work a case and take time off to return to her own life and socialize. It split her focus, made her shaky. Usually she entered the world of the crime completely, lived and breathed it until it was solved.
“This time it has to be different.” Frank held nothing back. “Lots of people have come down here for you. You have to be there for them, as well.”
Even though Cindy knew what Frank said had merit, she was rattled by their conversation. He had no right to put pressure on her right now to be the perfect hostess when their best man had just been brutally killed. Of course, the reality of that awful fact could take a long time to settle in for most people. For Cindy, however, it was clear as day. Doing the work she did, she knew the dangers lurking. She knew she had to be vigilant and on top of what each moment could bring.
After a few pleasantries, Cindy hung up the phone feeling torn and out of sorts.
“I want to see Sparks again,” Mattheus was mumbling.
Cindy closed her eyes. Of course, she knew it would take time for Mattheus to come out of the shock he was in. She had to be the calm and balanced one now.
“You’re not going to see Sparks again, Mattheus,” said Cindy, trying to help the reality seep in.
Mattheus looked disconcerted. “Of course I know I won’t see Sparks alive again,” he shot back. “I mean I want to go down to the coroner and inspect his body. A killer always leaves signs behind, it never fails.”
Cindy shivered. “This is your good friend we’re talking about, Mattheus. It could be too much for you right now. I think you should leave inspecting the body to police and forensics.”
Mattheus shook his head vigorously. “If we’ve learned anything by now, we know we can’t leave everything to the police down on the islands. There’s only one thing they want; to close the case, get it out of the news as fast as possible. It’s bad for them to let a case go on for too long. Their main focus is to have tourists feel safe on the island.”
There was nothing Cindy could say. Both she and Mattheus had gone through this predicament again and again in their work in the Caribbean.
“We’ll stay on top of everything they do,” Cindy replied. “We’ll join the investigation, talk to anyone involved, comb the evidence carefully. But to actually go to the coroner and inspect Sparks’s corpse, don’t do it! It’s too much.”
Mattheus stood up swiftly. “I am doing it. Nothing is too much when it comes to a friend. Say what you like, I’m going right now.”
“All right, so go if you have to.” She stood up straighter. “But I’m going with you, every step of the way.”
*
Without saying much more, Cindy and Mattheus changed, went downstairs, hailed a cab, and took it off the beautiful, sprawling hotel grounds, straight to the coroner’s office. The cab drove quickly through the crowded downtown streets to a low, flat building at the end of a narrow block on a dead-end street.
“Shouldn’t we have called and told them we were on the way?” Cindy asked quietly as the cab approached the low, gray building.
“Not necessary,” said Mattheus flippantly, his mind obviously a million miles away.
Cindy knew Sparks’s gruesome death had to have had a life-changing effect upon Mattheus and that it would take time to sort it all out. Truthfully, this was the last thing they expected or needed now. There had been so much they’d had to put behind them before they were even able to plan a wedding. And now this! Was it just too much? Was it a sign that the force was against them and that they were truly not meant to be married after all?
The cab stopped abruptly, practically screeching to a halt. As Mattheus leaned over to pay the fare the driver looked up at Cindy.
“I heard about this latest victim. It’s all over the news.” The driver looked troubled.
Cindy nodded as Mattheus counted out his cash.
“There’s been too many of these killings in too short a time,” the driver continued, half under his breath. Something in his tone caught Cindy’s attention.
“What do you mean too many, exactly?” she quickly countered.
“It’s become an epidemic.” The driver shrugged. “We get a rash of bloody killings, it calms down for a little while, then starts up again. Now, here again, there’s another body found.”
“Not good for Belize,” Cindy replied.
“Not good is an understatement if I ever heard one.” The driver was upset. “Why don’t people do some research before they come down here?”
Mattheus stopped cold; he’d obviously been listening. “And if people did some research, what would they find?” he joined in.
The driver seemed to need to talk. “We’ve got the highest homicide rate here of all the islands,” he grumbled. “There’s all kinds of gangs floating around, hitting on rich tourists. By now, it’s become a national sport. And the police know all about it. How come the world doesn’t? There should be travel advisory warnings all over the place. They warn folks about hurricanes, don’t they? This is worse than a hurricane. It’s a flood.”
This driver had his wits about him and Cindy liked him. “Do you drive people to the coroner’s office often?” she asked.
“More than I want to,” he said, as he took the fare from Mattheus and dug into his pocket for change.
“Which is the worst gang around?” asked Mattheus quickly.
“Check the Tortinnos,” the driver said quickly. “But don’t tell the cops I told you to do it. Lots of the guys in the Tortinnos just happen to be buddy buddy with the cops.”
Mattheus nodded, getting the whole picture.
“The cops are going to blame it on the Weelies,” the driver mumbled then. “Don’t fall for it. Check into the Tortinnos.”
“Thanks, buddy,” Mattheus said, patting the driver on his shoulder before he drove away.
*
After the driver left, Cindy and Mattheus looked at each other strangely for a long moment.
“I should have known about this.” Mattheus shook his head.
“All the islands can be rough, we know that, Mattheus,” said Cindy. “We know there are gangs. This isn’t our fault.”
Mattheus kept shaking his head as he turned then and walked up the narrow pathway to the steel front door of the coroner’s office. He pulled the door once and it didn’t open. He yanked it harder then and it flew open in his face.
Cindy and Mattheus then walked in and stopped at the front desk.
“CM Investigations,” Mattheus said to the woman at the desk, pulling out his ID. “I’m here to see my friend Sparks’s body.”
The lovely, young Caribbean woman at the desk looked startled a moment, quickly checking a sheet in front of her.
“I’m not on the list,” Mattheus spoke roughly. “But I’m a detective with clearance to go inside. And, as I said, the victim is a good friend of mine.”
The young woman nodded nervously. “The victim was supposed to be the best man at your wedding, right?” she questioned. Obviously she’d heard the news.
“That’s right,” said Mattheus, all business now.
The young woman glanced over at Cindy then.
“This is Cindy Blaine, bride-to-be, and partner in CM Investigations.” Mattheus added a few pertinent facts.
“I’m so sorry,” the young woman said and looked over at Cindy. “Do you want to go in as well?”
“I do,” said Cindy as Mattheus threw her an odd glance. “It’s important,” Cindy reassured the young woman, “and it will only take a little while.”
The young woman nodded quickly. “Of course, I understand. I’ll have someone come down and accompany both of you inside,” she said as she reached for the phone.
*
The room where the corpses were kept was, of course, colder than the rest of the building. The far wall was filled with slabs where the bodies were held. Cindy closed her eyes briefly as they walked in. This was the last thing she wanted to see, but she co
uldn’t leave Mattheus in here alone. The shock had unbalanced him enough as it was.
A young Caribbean man, Dan, who had come downstairs to accompany them, walked over to the far wall before them, checking the slabs. Then he motioned for Mattheus to join him. As Mattheus came closer, Dan slid out a long, metal tray on which a body was lying, carefully covered.
“Have the police inspected the corpse yet?” asked Mattheus.
“The usual forensics have been taken from the body,” Dan replied. “There are also photos of the body on file now.”
“We can look at the photos carefully,” Cindy chimed in then, hoping for a quick second that Mattheus would go for it. “We don’t have to spend a long time with the body itself.”
“The photos are one thing, the body another,” Mattheus answered in a somber voice. Then he turned back to Dan. “Have the police actually scrutinized the body?”
Dan seemed a bit confused. “What do you mean exactly, scrutinized the body? They took the forensics, I told you.”
Mattheus didn’t say anything further, as he lifted the sheet that carefully covered his friend’s body.
Despite herself, Cindy gasped, held her breath, and trembled. Sparks’s face had been slashed heartlessly and was disfigured. It exuded the pain and horror of what he had gone through. It was awful to be standing in the presence of that.
“All the slashes seem to come from the left to the right,” Mattheus mumbled after a while. “They’re all about the same size.”
Cindy didn’t know what he was getting at. What exactly was he looking for? What did he hope to see?
“The killer was most likely left-handed,” Mattheus went on. “This was not a crime of passion. These slashes were carefully done, methodically. This was all planned out.”
There was nothing emotional in Mattheus’s tone now. He was right on target; his laser-like clarity had returned. Cindy was grateful for that.
“Since you’re here, take a look, Cindy.” Mattheus was taking charge. “What else do you see?”
Cindy leaned further forward toward the ravaged body and let it speak to her.
“I see Sparks twisting and turning, pleading for his life,” she replied, hesitantly.
“How do you see that?” Dan became nervous.
“I see it from the way the slashes landed,” said Cindy.
“Not just that. Cindy sees, she knows,” Mattheus whispered. “She’s been through this many times. What else, Cindy?”
“I see that the killer came on him unaware, he didn’t expect it. He wasn’t ready, couldn’t defend himself,” Cindy went on.
“Sounds like the killer could have been someone he was close to,” Mattheus wondered out loud.
“Or it was a stranger who took him totally unaware,” Cindy offered.
“Where were his bodyguards when he was killed?” Mattheus suddenly jumped back in. “Sparks brought them to the hotel with him. Someone mentioned he always had at least two around him.”
“Good question,” said Cindy. “We’ll check into it as soon as we can. I believe Gregg and Bat were down at the station being questioned last night.”
“Could it have been one of the bodyguards?” Mattheus whistled.
“I don’t know,” Cindy murmured. “But we have to go now, Mattheus.” She was eager to get out of here and on with the investigation.
Mattheus wouldn’t leave his friend’s side so quickly, though. “Who the hell are those bodyguards, anyway?”
“We’ll find out more in a little while,” Cindy went on. “Let’s go.”
“Not yet,” Mattheus replied, turning closer to the body. “I’m not leaving so fast, buddy, don’t worry,” he said to Sparks. Cindy realized then that being here was Mattheus’s way of saying good-bye to his friend.
She shivered once again. “Mattheus, we have work to do. It’s better if we go do it.”
“What’s the hurry?” Mattheus refused to be rushed. “Did they find the weapon?” he asked Dan.
“I don’t know about that,” Dan replied. “I just help with the bodies.”
“It’s okay,” Mattheus reassured him, “you’re doing a fine job. Cindy and I will be at the police station in a few minutes and we’ll get all the facts.”
Then Mattheus turned abruptly back to Sparks’s body. “I’m gonna find out who did this, buddy, if it’s the last thing I do in this world,” he said to Sparks loudly. “I promise you that.”
CHAPTER FIVE
As soon as they got out of the coroner’s building, Cindy and Mattheus headed straight to the police station. Once in the cab it took only a few minutes to get there. It was clear to both of them that they had to find out everything the police had so far. There was no point in doubling their efforts.
As they walked in, to Cindy’s surprise the police station was relatively empty and quiet, given all that was going on. Mattheus introduced both himself and Cindy to the person at the desk.
“I want to speak to the chief immediately,” Mattheus told the person at the desk.
“I’m not sure he’s available at the moment,” the clerk replied, picking up the phone and calling upstairs.
Mattheus’s face grew red. “Tell the chief who is here,” he practically growled. “We’re working on the case with him and have to see him right now.”
Flustered, the clerk quickly hung up and dialed another number. “Two detectives on the case are down here want to talk to the chief, ASAP,” he muttered into the phone. The clerk listened for a moment and then glanced over at Cindy and Mattheus surreptitiously. “Yeah, from the States.”
Cindy saw the muscles in Mattheus’s jaw clenching.
“You guys can go upstairs,” the clerk then said, hanging up the phone. “Take the staircase over there to the second floor. The chief will see you. His office is down the hall to the right.”
Cindy was pleased they could see him so quickly. She followed close behind Mattheus, who practically ran up the flight of steps. When they got to the second floor Police Chief Mark Watson’s office door was open, and he was standing in the doorway.
“You got here just in time,” was the first thing the chief said when he saw Cindy and Mattheus. “What do you mean just in time?” Mattheus was on edge.
“The mayor will be here in a few minutes,” the chief went on, looking at Cindy and Mattheus strangely. “The mayor’s scheduled to give a speech to the force in the meeting room at the end of the hall.” He pointed his large arm in that direction. “You can listen in, if you like.”
“Sure, of course we’d like,” Mattheus replied promptly, disarmed. “We want to do everything you guys are doing, find out all we can.”
The chief took a few steps back then. “Come into my office first,” he said, holding the door open further. “We have a few minutes.”
Cindy and Mattheus walked into a clean, sparse office with an old wooden desk in the middle of it and photos of some of the guys on the force hanging on the walls. A few files were thrown on the top of the desk and one drawer was half open.
“Sit down,” said the chief, doing his best to be cordial.
Cindy and Mattheus sat down in chairs across the desk from him.
“I need copies of whatever you have on the case so far,” Mattheus started. “There’s no point in doubling our efforts. Of course we’ll also share whatever we find with you.”
“Whoa, hold on there.” The chief put his large hand up. “We’ve got a terrific force here and we’re on it. We’ll take care of the investigation just fine. You can take it easy.”
Cindy was startled.
“You can always use a few more hands.” Mattheus wasn’t buying it. “There are a lot of people down here who need to be talked to,” Mattheus continued. “And a lot at the hotel where Sparks was staying.”
“Including you.” The chief tipped his head up and looked up at Mattheus from beneath heavy eyebrows.
“Me? Are you crazy?” Mattheus was startled.
“Listen, you’re the one who
found the body,” the chief went on. “You know we always look into that person. But we know the rest of your story, too. The victim was down here to be the best man at your wedding. You were at your rehearsal dinner and Sparks didn’t show. You were concerned and went looking for him after the dinner was over. So, you have plenty of witnesses and your alibi computes. There’s nothing for you to worry about. All we need is the exact time of Sparks’s death and we’ll have that in a little while. After that you can relax.”
“Relax?” Mattheus almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing and he wasn’t taking it sitting down. “Listen, Cindy and I have worked plenty of cases in the Caribbean. Our reputation goes far ahead of us and we have no intention of relaxing. We intend to be full participants in this case as well. You can talk to me as much as you want about anything. And I’m going to talk to you, too!” Mattheus’s face grew beet red.
“Listen, buddy.” The chief stood up then. “No need to get hot under the collar. I’m talking to you nicely. I’m taking you off the hook.”
“I never was on the hook,” Mattheus replied, irate.
“The case has already been assigned to two of our top officers, Nat and Frank. We don’t want anyone else on it.”
“Well, want it or not, we’re on it,” Mattheus shot back angrily. “This is my buddy lying there on a cold slab and I’m going to find out who killed him.”
The chief turned slowly to Cindy then. “It’s never a good idea to work a case of someone you’re close to. Emotions run too high, mistakes are made.”
“I understand that,” said Cindy calmly. Whether or not they were on the same page as the police, Cindy knew she and Mattheus had to keep a working relationship going with them. “But Mattheus has made up his mind to get involved.”
The chief smiled a crooked smile at Cindy. “Maybe you can change his mind? Why not suggest that your fiancé let us do the work? After all, you’re down here for your wedding.”
