by Jaden Skye
“Fatal hours.” Mattheus grimaced. “Sparks died on their watch.”
Cindy was taken aback by Mattheus’s comment. Was he holding them responsible?
“Gregg and Bat aren’t to blame,” she uttered.
“So, who is?” asked Mattheus.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out, isn’t it?” asked Cindy.
Mattheus sat up a bit straighter then. “The lousy cops have built a fence around them and are dead set on keeping us out. They talked to Bat for about ten minutes, that’s all. That’s crazy. Bat was Sparks’s personal bodyguard. He and Gregg have to be gold mines. Both of them know every move Sparks made and the people he made them with. There’s a reason for the police blackout and I’ve got to find it.”
Cindy didn’t have any sense of Gregg being a gold mine.
“I talked to Bat about this,” Mattheus continued, “and he said he’ll lead us to the killer, if it’s the last thing he does. How about you? What did you find?”
“I spoke to Gregg and also Benita,” said Cindy.
“Good.” Mattheus was pleased.
“Gregg’s wasn’t exactly a gold mine. He only had good things to say about Sparks, but also told me that a bunch of employees Sparks had just fired were defaming him online.”
“Yeah, I saw that,” said Mattheus. “They’re a bunch of low-life creeps.”
“Think they’re involved with his death?” asked Cindy.
Mattheus shook his head. “No. It doesn’t rise to that level. This is just their cowardly way of getting revenge. We have to look further.”
“Where?” asked Cindy.
“What else did you find?” asked Mattheus.
“Benita’s a mess. She’s confused, upset, and angry. Gregg said she and Sparks had a great relationship. From listening to her, it sounded like she had to be in charge. She’s a rich debutante who introduced Sparks to all these high-profile celebrities.”
“Yeah, I know,” said Mattheus. “Sparks told me that he loved the new life Benita had brought him. He wasn’t like this when I knew him before. Years ago he was just a regular guy, happy to have a beer after work with a buddy.”
“Well, those days are long gone,” said Cindy.
“And maybe they’re not,” remarked Mattheus, dryly.
“What do you mean?” Cindy felt confused.
“Maybe Sparks was the same guy as ever, only a bunch of people took him over and he got star-struck and fell into their traps. Maybe he even saw his own death coming and couldn’t fight it off.” Mattheus was rambling.
It all sounded farfetched to Cindy. “What makes you say that? What did Bat tell you?” she asked just as the phone rang, jarring them both.
Mattheus reached over for it instantly. “Yeah,” he answered. “Sure, we’re here.” Mattheus stood up swiftly. “Of course, we’ll meet you downstairs in a minute.”
“Who is it? What’s going on?” asked Cindy.
“It’s the chief’s right-hand man, Nat. He said he’s down in the lobby and wants us to come down right away and have a little talk,” said Mattheus.
Cindy stood up quickly. “Doesn’t sound good,” she muttered.
“Every new step is good,” Mattheus answered, ready for whatever was coming next. “If the police want to play games with us, bring it on.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nat, a thin, wiry, nervous guy in his forties, was waiting for Cindy and Mattheus in the lobby, a few steps from the elevator. The minute they stepped off he rushed over to them. Cindy had seen him at the police station and recognized him immediately.
“Good, you’re here,” Nat said urgently. “Let get out of the lobby and find a place to talk.”
Cindy and Mattheus followed him through the crowds that had formed in the lobby, out through the front door and down along the white stucco path.
“I heard there’s a place to talk at the back of the hotel,” Nat informed them. “We can stop in a pub there for a drink or talk outside on one of the benches.”
“Better to go to a spot where no one can see us,” Mattheus answered quickly.
“Good idea, I agree,” said Nat.
Cindy said nothing, just followed the two of them as they meandered through an arbor and quickly turned to the back of the lush hotel grounds. A bunch of empty benches were placed under low-hanging trees that would definitely hide them.
“Great spot,” Mattheus said when they arrived at the benches. “Let’s sit here in the shade.”
Nat looked relieved. For a moment they all stopped and just looked at one another.
“This feels like a top-secret briefing,” said Cindy, eager to break the ice.
“Well, the case isn’t secret by a long shot,” said Nat, as they all sat down. “That’s exactly what I’m here for.” And he rubbed his hands along his thighs.
“What are you here for?” Mattheus asked bluntly.
“Listen.” Nat’s head hung down for a second before he began. “I know this was your buddy who died and I’m sorry about that.”
That seemed to calm Mattheus. “Thank you for that,” Mattheus responded. “Sparks was more than my buddy. We worked as cops together on the force.”
“I didn’t realize that.” Nat was taken aback.
“Well, it’s true,” said Mattheus gruffly.
Nat paused. “We realize you and your partner want to jump on the case, and that’s understandable,” he continued.
Even though Nat was saying all the right things, Cindy didn’t like his grim tone. She felt something difficult coming. Cindy looked up at the beautiful tree that shielded all three of them with its long, flowing branches. A tiny bird fluttered back and forth chirping loudly in the branches, as if trying to get Cindy’s attention.
“Of course we want to jump into the case,” Mattheus responded. “Not only do we want to, there’s nothing that’s going to stop us! That’s the least I can do for my buddy.”
At that Nat turned swiftly toward Mattheus. “You’re not helping your buddy by doing that.” His voice became firmer. “In fact, you’re getting in the way. You’re making it harder for us, stirring up all kinds of low-lying nut jobs who heard you guys are on the scene.”
“Who?” asked Mattheus, pleased.
“Plenty of people,” Nat continued. “Listen, the gangs on this island are getting bigger and stronger. They’re banding together like a network from hell.”
“I heard that,” muttered Mattheus.
“These gangs love nothing more than throwing up detours, confusing our searches, creating lousy potholes for us to fall in.”
Nat was making sense and Cindy listened to him closely. She knew how dangerous it was to get waylaid by the wrong leads, hunt down false suspects. Not only was it a waste of time and resources, but it created a way for the true culprit to camouflage their tracks and get away. Cases went cold all the time that way.
“Nat’s making sense,” Cindy commented softly.
“Thank you for that,” Nat answered. “I am making sense and I need you guys to hear me.”
Mattheus stood up though, abruptly. “Nothing makes sense except finding the killer and finding him fast!” he retorted. “How long can the piers and airports stay shut down on the island? Not long and we both know it! Right now the killer’s here among us. In a little while he’ll be gone. You guys need all the help you can get.”
“We don’t!” Nat fired back. “We’ve got our eyes on the target. We know what we’re doing.”
“What target?” asked Cindy, chilled.
“This killing has all the earmarks of a few that have just taken place,” Nat continued. “The MO of the killer is exactly the same. It’s the MO of a gang down here. Not only that, one of the main members of the gang, Angua, just got out of jail less than a week ago, a few days before the murder. We have no doubt it’s him. It’s his sick way of letting us know he’s active again, on the prowl.”
Cindy was stunned by Nat’s certainly. “You know this for a fact?” she a
sked.
“Listen.” Nat spun around in her direction. “Just take my word for it.”
“Your word’s not enough,” Mattheus burst in. “In our business we depend on facts.”
Nat spun toward Mattheus and grimaced. “Our word’s all you’re getting, though. You guys are not part of the investigation. And we’re telling you to get out of our way. Stop poking around. Get the hell off the island as soon as you can.”
Rather than scare Mattheus off, Cindy watched Mattheus smile.
“Cindy and I are licensed detectives,” Mattheus replied slowly. “We’ve been hired by the victim’s family to work the case.”
“That’s a lie,” Nat shot back. “The family didn’t hire you.”
“They will, though,” said Mattheus, “in a flash!”
“Who’s the family exactly?” Nat was irate. “Benita? The fiancée?”
“Yes,” said Mattheus.
Nat’s face grew tight. “Listen, she’s part of that cluster of rich celebrities who hang around on their yachts and hole up in their mansions. They’re one of the gang’s main targets.”
“All the more reason for us to investigate them,” Mattheus replied.
“But you don’t know who you’re investigating.” Nat took a step closer to Mattheus then. “These are all self-involved druggies, who think they’re God’s gift to the world. They’re not. Their lives are lived in a maze and despite all their money, most of them are creeps. Any one of them would cut your throat in a second.”
Cindy felt horrified. “How do you know that?” she asked. Could be Nat was expressing the natural jealousy that many on the island had for the rich and famous.
Nat turned to Cindy. “Listen, I’ve been living and working here for a hell of a long time. You’ve just arrived. Trust me on this one.”
Mattheus stepped further into Nat’s space. “But we don’t trust you. That’s the point. “We need to meet these folks and find out for ourselves.”
Cindy wanted to bring some reality in and see how much Nat and the police actually knew about the world Sparks lived in.
“Are you aware that one of the people that Sparks guarded in the States was killed recently by her fiancé?” she asked.
Nat stopped cold and listened. “Who?” he asked, surprised.
“Her name was April,” Cindy reported, “and her sister Kiera is down here now. Sparks invited her down, as a way to make it up to the family.”
“I didn’t know that,” Mattheus commented.
“I just found out,” said Cindy.
“Neither did I know it,” said Nat, “and what difference does it make?”
“It makes a huge difference,” Cindy insisted. “Sparks helped put April’s fiancé in jail. For all we know someone involved with the fiancé is down here, looking for revenge.”
“Who the hell knows?” Nat flung back. “It’s all conjecture.”
“It’s worth checking out, though,” said Cindy.
“How are you gonna check it out?” Nat went on. “Talk to the people on the yacht?”
“For starters,” said Cindy.
Nat shook his head strongly. “You’re gonna stir up a hornet’s nest,” he warned. “These idiots feel threatened enough as it is. Who knows what they’ll do then? Who knows who they’ll blame or what story they’ll concoct? Leave this case to us. We’ve got it covered. Let sleeping dogs sleep on that lousy yacht.”
Cindy realized that Nat didn’t mean to sound as crude and offensive as he did. He was genuinely concerned about Cindy and Mattheus disturbing their investigation.
Cindy couldn’t stop, though. “How come you’re so convinced it’s Angua? If the folks on the yacht are so rotten, couldn’t the killer be one of them?”
“That’s exactly what Angua wants us to think,” Nat shot back. “That way we’ll create a lot of static that will divert us from taking him in and throwing the book at him again.”
“Why not work together with us?” asked Cindy. “This way we’ll keep each other informed and make sure that we’re all on the same page.”
Nat stared at her, his eyes flickering. “No, forget it. Believe me when I tell you, there’s absolutely no chance of that.”
He turned swiftly and stormed off then, practically running back down the path they’d all walked on to get to this point.
Cindy and Mattheus quietly watched him depart.
“The cops are threatening us,” Mattheus finally said. “They have something up their sleeve. I’m positive of it. And whatever it is they’re hiding is connected to Sparks’s death.”
Cindy couldn’t help but agree. “Let’s take some time to ourselves now, Mattheus,” she said. “We need to debrief and unwind. Let’s go down to the beach for a walk. The beach is beautiful at this time of day. And it’s beautiful before the storm comes in, in a day or two.”
“I guess you’re right,” said Mattheus, glumly.
“You don’t want to go?” asked Cindy.
“I don’t know what I want to do now,” Mattheus replied, turning away.
Cindy felt pushed away forcibly. “You don’t want to spend time alone with me?”
Mattheus looked up at her then sadly. “Of course I do, sure,” he replied, less than enthusiastically.
“So, let’s go,” said Cindy, determined not to let Sparks’s death and its aftermath unravel their relationship completely.
*
When Cindy and Mattheus got to the beach the waves were already higher and wilder than she’d imagined.
“Storm’s just on the edge of breaking.” Mattheus looked out into the horizon, visibly disturbed.
“Predictions are that the weather will be manageable,” said Cindy.
Mattheus rubbed his foot in the sand. “Maybe,” he said disconsolately, “and maybe not.”
Cindy reached out for Mattheus’s hand, which he inadvertently pulled away.
Once again, Cindy felt rebuffed. It wasn’t fair and she didn’t like it.
“We can’t let Sparks’s death destroy us, Mattheus,” Cindy said quietly. “You’re become more and more distant from me.”
Mattheus looked over at her, surprised. “I don’t mean to,” he said quietly. “I can’t help but wonder if I deserve to be married, though.”
A huge wind flew over both of them and Cindy shivered. “What are you talking about?” She could barely speak. “Are you blaming yourself for Sparks’s death?”
“In a way,” said Mattheus sadly. “I mean he wouldn’t have been down here if it weren’t for my invitation.”
“Our invitation,” Cindy replied. “And for our wedding, to be more precise.”
“Yes, that’s right,” said Mattheus as the wind blew harder.
“So are you blaming our wedding for Sparks’s death?” Cindy was adamant in her questioning. She had to discover what Mattheus was truly thinking and what was waiting ahead for them.
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” Mattheus whispered. “I never thought of it that way at all.”
“But that’s what you’re saying, that’s what you’re doing,” Cindy insisted, trying to wake Mattheus up out of the fog he had inadvertently slipped into. “It isn’t our fault that Sparks was killed.”
Mattheus looked at Cindy gravely. “If he weren’t here it wouldn’t have happened,” he repeated.“So, it’s our job to find out why it happened.” Cindy had to raise her voice to speak over the thunderous waves. “We have to find out who wanted Sparks dead. It was his destiny, Mattheus, and if it didn’t happen here, it would have happened elsewhere.”
“Who knows about destiny?” Mattheus responded. “I’m not that wise. I only know that destiny brought a strange warning to us. My best man was killed right under my nose.”
“What are you telling me?” Cindy’s voice rose, nervously.
“I don’t know what I’m saying,” Mattheus replied tentatively. “If the killer is Angua, and the police can prove it, then it wasn’t destiny, it was a random event.”
C
indy said nothing.
“And then the case will be closed soon,” Mattheus went on.
“And what happens then?” Cindy demanded. “Will we be able to take the next step?”
Mattheus turned and gazed openly into Cindy’s eyes. “Cindy, please forgive me, but right now, I’m totally confused,” he said.
CHAPTER NINE
Cindy and Mattheus stood looking at each other as the sky grew overcast and the thunderous waves crashed along the shore. Where would she and Mattheus go from here? Possibly nowhere, Cindy had to consider, as a lone seagull cawed in his flight across the darkening sky.
As Cindy and Mattheus stood silently at an impasse, Cindy saw a figure in the distance running toward them. At first it was hard to make out who it was, but as the figure got closer, it was clear to see that it was Bat. By the time he was beside them, Bat was breathing heavily, obviously distressed.
“I’ve been looking for you all over,” Bat said quickly to Mattheus.
Mattheus seemed glad he was here. “How did you find us?”
“Something just told me to take a look down here,” Bat replied. “This spot is actually not far from where Sparks was killed. Do you realize that?”
“I didn’t,” said Mattheus, his face falling, as he glanced down the lonely beach to where Sparks’s life had been brutally ended. Cindy hadn’t realized it either, and the thought of it sent a shiver through her spine.
“I thought you might have wanted to come down here to be with Sparks,” Bat went on.
Cindy and Mattheus remained silent.
“He’s still with us,” Bat insisted. “He’s waiting for us to get this solved. I feel him around.”
Cindy was jarred by Bat’s frantic energy. “We’ll solve this, Bat,” she said calmly, trying to quiet him down.
“I’ve been poking around, talking to people,” Bat went on, ignoring her.
“The cops don’t want us doing that,” Mattheus replied.
“To hell with those jerks.” Bat ground his foot on the sand. “No one’s gonna stop me from finding Sparks’s killer.”
