Death by Wedding (Book #16 in the Caribbean Murder series)
Page 5
Cindy felt squeamish as the chief spoke. “There won’t be any wedding until the killer is found,” she announced without hesitation. “Neither Mattheus nor I can take this sitting down.”
The chief shook his head. “That’s a mistake,” he said. “You can’t let this wreck your life.”
Mattheus stood swiftly, his hands in fists. “My friend’s life isn’t wrecked. His life is over. He was killed violently on your island.”
The chief stood up as well then. “I’m sorry about that, I really am. And we’ll do everything we can to find the killer. Take a step back. Give us a chance.”
A little bell rang down the hall then and the chief quickly turned and walked to the door. “The mayor’s here,” he announced. “If you still want to come to the meeting room and hear what he has to say, you’re invited. After that, go home.” Then he left his office and headed down the hall.
Mattheus was furious. “Let’s go and hear what the mayor has to say,” he said. “I don’t know what in hell this chief is hiding, but he’s crazy if he thinks he’s getting rid of us so fast.”
*
The mayor stood in front of a long, narrow room filled with police officers sitting lined up in rows of metal chairs. Cindy and Mattheus took two seats in the last row. Dressed in brown pants and a beige summer jacket, the mayor looked imposing and in charge.
“I want to thank you all for your quick response to the awful events that have just taken place,” he started. “Once again our island has been stained by the brutal killing of a tourist.”
“Sparks wasn’t a tourist,” Mattheus whispered to Cindy, irate.
“It’s easy to become numb to these murders when they happen so often,” the mayor went on. “As this killing is connected to the high-profile wedding of two well-known detectives, there’s going to be more news coverage and general publicity than usual.”
A few cops stirred in their seats. One, sitting in front of Cindy and Mattheus, shook his head and rubbed his feet on the ground.
“We have to wrap this case up fast.” The mayor wasn’t pulling any punches. “The more the news spreads the worse it is for everyone concerned. At the same time, we have to offer press conferences regularly. There’s no way around that. Things have gotten so bad, the public demands it.”
A cop in the audience scraped his throat and the chief of police turned around in his seat and glanced at Cindy and Mattheus furtively.
“They’re worried about business and their reputation, as usual,” Mattheus grumbled to Cindy. “Probably couldn’t care less about what happened to Sparks.”
“This killing has all the markings of several others we’ve recently seen.” The mayor’s voice rose in frustration. “Close in on the Weelies quickly. Find out which one of them was in the area when this happened! One of them always is somewhere when there’s trouble. The Weelies are running wild and we have to stop them!”
Cindy recalled the cab driver mentioning the Tortinnos to her. He’d said the police were going to blame the Weelies. Cindy realized that she and Mattheus would have to talk to the Tortinnos themselves.
“Whatever you do, and however you do it,” the mayor continued, speaking his final words with a flourish, “get on it fast! I want the case closed as soon as possible! Orders from above.”
The mayor stepped away then, signaling that he had nothing further at the moment. The chief of police got up, went over to him, and the two spoke heatedly.
Mattheus and Cindy got up too, left through the open door, went back downstairs, and out of the station onto the street.
*
Outside it was sunny and warm with a light, beautiful breeze. It was a perfect day for vacationers, and also for the wedding that was supposed to have taken place tonight. People walked in the streets, carefree and smiling, enjoying the perfect weather. Most were untouched by the horrible killing that had just taken place.
“This is our wedding day, Mattheus,” Cindy said as she leaned closer to him while they walked along. “It would have been a beautiful day and a perfect evening. And there’s going to be a full moon tonight and a sky full of stars.”
Mattheus slowed down, became silent and sad. “How can I ever make this up to you, Cindy?” he asked.
“We’ll solve this quickly and the wedding will go on,” Cindy answered, trying her best to stay upbeat.
Mattheus took a deep breath. “It’s hard to even imagine celebrating,” he said under his breath. “How could we bear people laughing and dancing while Sparks is lying dead on a slab?”
Cindy felt awful. Of course at this moment it would be impossible, but once the killer was found things turned around. Yet, Cindy also couldn’t help wondering whether the ghost of Sparks would leave so quickly. Would it haunt their entire marriage?
“I want you to go back and spend time with the guests now.” Mattheus slipped his arm around Cindy’s shoulder. “We can’t leave everyone stranded.”
“No one is stranded,” Cindy replied quickly. “And I intend to stay with you and work right at your side.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Mattheus was hesitant.
“But I am,” Cindy insisted. “For starters, I want you to tell me all about Sparks. I know very little
about him, have barely heard you talk about him before.”
“Sparks was a great cop and a wonderful guy,” Mattheus started. “We always had a great connection. If something went wrong on a case, we got it worked out right away and then talked until late at night. He was one of the few guys you could really talk to. Everyone gravitated to him, especially the ladies.” Mattheus was enjoying fond memories of his friend.
Cindy was interested to hear that the ladies gravitated to him. “Was he a ladies’ man?” she asked.
Mattheus made a face. “That’s a peculiar question,” he said. “A ladies’ man has a bad connotation. He wasn’t a player, but Sparks was a great-looking, single guy. Of course he had fun with the ladies. So what? Does that make him a ladies’ man?”
“Maybe,” Cindy replied.
“Sparks certainly appreciated women, and they appreciated him,” Mattheus retorted. “Why shouldn’t they?”
“Was he ever engaged or married before Benita?” Cindy realized she’d hit a sore spot and wanted to learn more. She also realized that neither she nor Mattheus had thought much about Benita. Cindy wondered how Benita was handling this nightmare, decided to check in with her as soon as possible.
“Sparks was engaged once,” Mattheus slowly recalled. “The marriage got called off at the last minute, though. I’m not sure why.”
“That’s upsetting.” Cindy was surprised to hear that.
“As I recall, he had some random fight with his fiancée. Later, he said he was glad he got out at the last minute. Things would have gotten much worse if they’d actually tied the knot.”
“Why?” Cindy was alerted. “What was their relationship like?”
“What difference does that make? It was years ago,” said Mattheus. “He and Benita were very happy now. He told me she was the best thing that ever happened to him, everything he’d always wanted.”
“When did he tell you that?” asked Cindy.
“When I saw him again here.” Mattheus was becoming irritated. “Why?”
“I’m curious,” said Cindy. “It seems you knew Sparks very well years ago, but didn’t exactly know who he’d turned into now.”
At that, Mattheus stopped walking and stared down the block, way into the harbor. “I was looking forward to our reconnecting so much,” Mattheus said quietly. “I badly wanted to find out how his life had turned out. I knew Sparks had built a very successful security company. That must have opened a whole new world to him.”
“It definitely did,” Cindy agreed, “and fortunately for us, a bunch of people from that world are down in Belize right now on their yacht. They’re all in one place, we can speak to them there.”
“I guess we can.” Mattheus seemed unenthusiastic.
“Someone on that yacht is bound to know more about why Sparks got killed,” Cindy said swiftly.
“They probably do.” Mattheus seemed strangely disinterested now.
“Don’t you want to go there and find out?” Cindy pushed it.
“Not particularly,” said Mattheus. “I’d rather start by talking to Sparks’s bodyguards and Benita. Those fancy folks on the yacht don’t know what’s going on. They live in their own fantasy world which they will protect with the last ounce of their being.”
“We’ve got to penetrate their world and get the truth out,” said Cindy.
“Okay, let’s split up the tasks,” said Mattheus. “I’ll start with the bodyguards.”
“I’ll talk to Benita,” Cindy jumped in.
“Then you can go to the yacht and talk to the people Sparks was friends with,” Mattheus added. “I’ll go online and do research about him and his company. I also want to go back to the police station and build a bridge with the guys there. There’s no reason to have bad blood between us. We are going to need their help and they’ll need ours as well.”
Cindy smiled. Mattheus always took the high road, was always the one to make things right with people working together on a case. She loved that about him.
“You’re great, Mattheus,” Cindy whispered to him then. “I’m proud to be working this with you. And I’m proud to soon be your bride.”
Mattheus looked at Cindy, startled, as if their upcoming wedding was the very last thing on his mind.
CHAPTER SIX
Cindy called Benita to make sure it was all right for her to come to her room and speak with her.
To Cindy’s surprise, a male voice answered the phone.
“Benita’s indisposed right now,” he said in response to Cindy’s question.
“This is Cindy Blaine of CM Investigations,” Cindy stated strongly.
“The bride-to-be?” The male voice grew quieter.
“Yes, that’s right,” Cindy informed him. “I’m working the case along with Mattheus.”
“No one told us that,” he responded quietly. “I’m so sorry about all you’re going through.”
“Who am I talking to?” asked Cindy, quickly.
“I’m Gregg, one of Sparks’s bodyguards,” the man replied. “I’m staying here with Benita. It’s not safe for her to be alone. Who knows if the killing is over? Sparks’s other bodyguard, Bat, is at the police station again, trying to help the cops out.”
“I’m glad you’re with Benita, Gregg.” Cindy breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s the right thing to do. Can I come over right away?”
“Of course, come to room 404,” he answered. “I’m looking forward to talking to you.”
*
Room 404 was located one floor down from Cindy and Mattheus’s wedding suite. Gregg opened the door instantly, the moment Cindy knocked. In his late thirties, tall, suntanned, and muscular, he looked as though he belonged on the cover of a magazine. He also looked deeply distraught. Gregg immediately ushered Cindy into the room, which was beautifully decorated in lavender silk with pink flowers everywhere. Cindy looked around hastily and wondered where Benita was.
“Benita will be out in a little while,” Gregg said, watching Cindy closely. “She’s in the side room, curled up on the chaise lounge. This has hit her like a ton of bricks, needless to say.”
“Of course,” said Cindy. “Did you tell her I was coming?”
“No, I didn’t, to be honest,” Gregg replied. “I wanted to talk to you first alone. I figured there would be a lot for you to be filled in on. I didn’t want Benita to have to go through hearing every little detail.”
Cindy appreciated Gregg’s frankness and also his consideration.
“Good idea,” she said. “Where are Benita’s friends from the yacht?”
“They were here before, but it was too much for her,” Gregg answered.
“Of course,” Cindy agreed.
Gregg smiled for the first time then, and motioned for Cindy to sit down in a plush comfortable chair near a small marble table.
“Before I say anything else,” he began, “I’m so sorry about your wedding being cancelled.”
Cindy had a moment of sorrow then, realizing that if it all had gone as planned, the wedding would have taken place in only a few hours.
“We can’t have a wedding until we find the killer,” Cindy murmured, trying to brush it aside.
“You’re absolutely right,” Gregg agreed, sitting on a stool across from Cindy and running his hands through his thick, dark hair.
Cindy didn’t want to waste any more time with pleasantries. “I have a question, Gregg.” She jumped on it. “It’s an obvious question.”
Gregg looked up at her directly. “Yes, what is it?”
“Why did Sparks need to have two bodyguards?” she asked. “What kind of danger was he in?”
Gregg took a long, ragged breath. “That’s the same question the police have. Sparks wasn’t in any imminent danger, but in his business there was always someone with bad intentions lurking around. He liked having us keeping him covered. It also kept a lot of jerks away.”
“Tell me more,” said Cindy.
“Sparks ran a fantastic operation,” Gregg went on, “he protected all kinds of high-profile people, and he also found out plenty of secrets about them and their lives. Sparks also worked closely with the police in Los Angeles, where he was based. The leads he gave the cops put quite a bunch of people in jail.” Gregg gave Cindy a long, slow look, as if trying to decide how much he could say.
“You can trust me, this is all confidential,” Cindy promised him. “I’ll keep it quiet, except for Mattheus, of course.”
“Of course.” Gregg looked Cindy over slowly. “It’s amazing that you and your husband-to-be work together.”
“Yes, it is,” said Cindy. “Please tell me whatever you know. The sooner we get a person of interest the better it will be for everyone. You can only imagine what Mattheus is going through now.”
“I can,” said Gregg, suddenly looking downhearted. “Bat and I are going through hell, too. We’re both devastated and Bat is blaming himself.”
“And you’re not?” asked Cindy, interested.
“Absolutely not.” Gregg’s eyes bristled. “We did a great job for Sparks, everything he could have asked for. The responsibility for this does not fall on us.”
Cindy was impressed with Gregg’s clarity and strength.
“Where were you guys when Sparks was killed?” Cindy asked then. “Of course, I realize you couldn’t be with him twenty-four/seven.”
“Of course we couldn’t,” said Gregg. “But we had a room at the hotel across from him and Benita. If they needed us after we finished our shift, we would have been there in a second for anything. The night he was killed, everything seemed fine. Bat and I had finished our shift for the day. Sparks said he and Benita were going to a rehearsal dinner for your wedding party and we could take a few hours to ourselves. Bat and I went down to the club in the hotel for dinner and a couple of drinks. People saw us there. Everything was going smoothly.”
“Yes, it was,” Cindy agreed.
“And, by the way, Sparks was really excited about your wedding. He felt tremendous being asked to be the best man,” Gregg added.
It felt comforting to hear that. Cindy would definitely tell Mattheus. She knew it would mean a lot to him.
“We heard about Sparks’s death like everyone else,” Gregg went on, a look of pain crossing his face now. “It blared across the news.”
Both Cindy and Gregg grew silent for a moment, remembering the awful night.
“Bat went into shock and shouted and cursed for about ten minutes straight,” Gregg went on. “I just repeated the news over and over in my mind, trying to make sense of it.”
Cindy listened intently. “Tell me about the clients
Sparks had,” she asked. “Who had he guarded that might have wanted to kill him?”
“Sparks guarded top executives who worked for big companies, and also quite a few high-profile celebrities, actors, sports people, writers. He totally loved working with them. Seemed to enjoy every minute of it, like a little kid in a candy shop.”
“How did he meet the celebrities?” asked Cindy.
“His fiancée, Benita, is a rich debutante with fabulous connections. She introduced Sparks to every one of them. Benita opened the door and he walked right through, into a whole new world for him. A celebrity’s image is their life blood. They need to keep their privacy intact, be protected from press and anyone else who’ll do anything to barge into their lives. The paparazzi can invade their lives, destroy everything they’ve worked to build up.”
Cindy found this all fascinating. “Who are these people? Tell me more,” she asked.
“You’ve got big-time actors, actresses, publishing people, financiers, and some political figures in the crowd,” Gregg continued. “Word spread fast about Sparks’s company. He kept on top of every detail, did a fantastic job.”
“I’m sure he did,” said Cindy softly.
“I bet you do a great job yourself,” said Gregg in return. “You’re no-nonsense and I can feel it.”
Cindy was taken aback. “Thank you,” she replied.
“Do you usually do these interviews alone?” asked Gregg then. “Where’s your husband?”
“Not yet my husband.” Cindy smiled wanly.
“Well, where’s Mattheus now?” asked Gregg.
“Mattheus is probably at the police station,” said Cindy. “He wants to work side by side with the force. After that he’s going to research Sparks online.”
Gregg grimaced. “Sparks wouldn’t have liked that. He was a private guy.”
“It’s natural to research a victim completely,” Cindy commented. “You never know where a lead is hiding.”
“All kinds of things about Sparks will come up online,” Gregg warned her. “Most of them are blown out of all proportion. People can say anything they want to online and no one checks the facts.”