Death by Wedding (Book #16 in the Caribbean Murder series)

by Jaden Skye

“Good attitude, Bat.” Mattheus perked up. “You’re a man after my own heart.”

  Bat liked that comment and calmed down a bit. “These cops down here are as rotten a bunch as you can find,” he muttered. “They can make your life miserable, but if you grease their palms things will go fine. Sparks told me there were lots of payoffs going on down here.”

  “Did Sparks grease their palms?” Mattheus was disturbed.

  “Not that I know of,” mumbled Bat. “He didn’t have to, wasn’t down here much. But he knew lots of people who worked and lived here. He knew the lay of the land.”

  “Who did he know who lived and worked down here?” Cindy jumped on it.

  Bat shrugged. “Some of the celebs, but what difference does it make?”

  “It makes a big difference.” Cindy was flustered. “The cops are refusing to work with us. Is someone bribing them to keep us away? What’s in it for them? Is one of the celebs involved with Sparks’s death?”

  Bat tossed a quick glance at Cindy. “You’re not considered one of the best detectives in the Caribbean for nothing,” he acquiesced. “So, how about you? Did you find out anything yet?”

  “Cindy talked to Gregg and Benita,” Mattheus replied.

  Bat seemed surprised to hear that. “I didn’t think Gregg would let anyone near the grieving fiancée,” he said sarcastically. “That woman’s a piece of cake. She sure knows how to control the people around her.”

  “Really?” Cindy was interested in the insinuation.

  “Benita’s definitely not my favorite,” Bat went on, encouraged by Cindy’s response. “I frankly never knew what Sparks saw in her, and once I said that to Gregg. Gregg warned me to never say it again. Now, I’ll say it all I want. I mean, there’s something definitely creepy about Benita. And Sparks had his choice of the most beautiful and best women around.”

  “Why did he chose Benita?” Mattheus was quick to ask.

  Bat shrugged harshly. “Why does anyone choose anyone?” he said. “Hell if I know. But in this particular case, Benita has plenty of connections and bucks.”

  A look of outrage flashed across Mattheus’s face. “Sparks wouldn’t sell himself like that. It wasn’t him,” Mattheus uttered.

  “Sure it was,” said Bat. “Benita introduced Sparks to all kinds of high-flying people and places. As far as I saw, he really dug in, got used to it pretty fast.”

  “Sparks got addicted to the high life?” asked Cindy.

  Bat gave Cindy a sullen glance. “I wouldn’t put it that way. Sparks wasn’t the kind of guy who got addicted. He knew what he was doing, planned his every move.”

  “When I knew him, Sparks was low key and direct,” Mattheus chimed in.

  “Low key is not how I would describe Sparks.” Bat chuckled. “He was revved up, thrilled by his success, wanted more and more of it. Once he said to me, Bat, if there’s anything in the world you want, set your mind to it and you got it.”

  “So, Sparks wanted Benita and he got her?” Cindy wanted to get back to the main point. She needed to learn more about their relationship with Benita. Something about it made her uneasy.

  “I’d say Benita wanted to catch Sparks,” countered Bat. “Sparks was a prize among the ladies and having him at her side made Benita everyone’s envy.”

  Both Cindy and Mattheus paused for a moment to take it all in.

  “We heard that one of the women Sparks guarded died recently,” Mattheus continued then, eager to see Bat’s response.

  “Yeah, a rich dame, April,” Bat muttered. “Sparks took it hard. But he caught the culprit, her fiancé, Ron, and helped land him in jail. That soothed things a bit for everyone.”

  “I bet it did.” Mattheus was impressed.

  “Sparks had a hand in putting a bunch of folks in the clinker,” Bat went on, “particularly white collar criminals; guys who embezzled from their firms. He and the police were tight in Los Angeles, if you know what I mean. One hand washed the other.”

  Cindy wished that the police he was tight with could lend a hand with the force here. She wondered how much they knew about what had happened. She wondered why no one had heard a word from them yet.

  “Was there anyone Sparks put in jail who recently got out?” Mattheus asked, hooked on Bat.

  “Yes, there was, and that’s what I wanted to tell you.” Bat walked away a moment first, took a few steps closer to the whirling ocean. Then he walked back to Cindy and Mattheus again.

  “Tell me.” Mattheus walked up behind Bat and pulled him closer.

  “There’s a guy from Los Angeles, Wess, who was recently released from jail,” Bat started slowly. “No one really thought Wess should have been put away. The evidence against him was sketchy. Actually, Sparks helped engineer his conviction. But Wess had plenty of connections of his own and served only about six months. That was six months too many. Wess has been trailing Sparks since he got out. The word is he’s down here now on the island.”

  “Whoa,” said Cindy. “That’s huge! Why didn’t we hear about him before? Where is he?”

  “It is huge,” said Bat. “Wess is laying low, definitely not part of the festivities. I got word about him, though.” Bat’s voice lowered.

  “From who?” asked Mattheus.

  Bat grinned strangely. “It doesn’t matter who,” he said. “And if you want the whole truth, I even think I saw Benita talking to Wess at the airport.”

  “What?” Cindy was startled. “She didn’t mention him either.”

  “Wait a minute, back up,” said Mattheus, moving closer to Bat. “This is mind-boggling, actually. A guy just released from jail who’s been trailing Sparks?”

  “Yes, it is,” said Bat.

  “Are you sure he’s here?” asked Mattheus.

  “Almost positive,” Bat grumbled, “but not one hundred percent. Benita talks to lots of people when she’s traveling. Wherever she goes there’s someone she knows close by.”

  “What would she be talking to Wess about?” asked Cindy, alerted.

  “That’s for you to find out,” said Bat. “Go talk to her right away.”

  “How did Sparks feel about Benita talking to everyone?” Mattheus quipped.

  “He felt fine about it, why not?” asked Bat. “Sparks knew Benita was his. She could talk to anyone she wanted. It didn’t faze him.”

  “He was so secure?” asked Cindy.

  Bat backed a few steps away then. “No one could get between Sparks and Benita, believe me.”

  “Did anyone try?” Cindy continued.

  “Not really,” said Bat. “Of course there were the usual women hanging around, flirting with him as if their lives depended on it. Sparks didn’t take the bait, though. He wouldn’t do anything to upset Benita or make her look bad.”

  “Benita had her man tied up in a vise,” Mattheus mumbled under his breath.

  “No one had Sparks in a vise.” Bat didn’t like that. “Who knows what he did when she wasn’t around?”

  “You do,” said Cindy, staring at him. “Tell us.”

  Bat grinned oddly. “I don’t know. I wasn’t exactly with him twenty-four/seven.”

  “What did Sparks do when he was on his own?” Cindy pushed it. “Where did he go?”

  “If you want to know that, you’ll have to ask Benita,” Bat mumbled. “Go talk to her about Wess and her relationship with Sparks. I heard she’s at the spa right now, getting a beauty massage.”

  *

  After Bat left, Cindy and Mattheus took his advice and headed right to the world-famous spa located in their hotel. The spa was open way into the night for those who wanted massages, saunas, and pampering of all kinds. Mattheus looked forward to speaking to Benita, but Cindy wondered what state of mind she would be in.

  As Cindy and Mattheus approached the hotel, the winds blew harder and the sky became even more overcast.

  “The storm will pass quickly,” Mattheus assured Cindy, looking up at the sky. “The weather forecast guarantees it.”

  “
When has the weather forecast ever guaranteed the course of a storm?” Cindy responded. “Rain and wind patterns change in a second. In the flash of a moment everything can flood.”

  “Can, but not likely,” said Mattheus.

  Cindy felt a moment of fear strike her then, both about the storm and their life up ahead. But she quickly let go of it. She had to stay centered on what she could actually handle right now. Conjecturing about the course of the storm, the case, or her relationship with Mattheus would only distract Cindy from what was truly at hand.

  As they arrived at the spa, Cindy and Mattheus walked through a glittering front door made of hand-painted glass and stepped onto a gently warmed soft marble floor. The place was even more beautiful, elegant, and luxurious than she had imagined. A young, beautifully groomed woman greeted them, a seemingly permanent smile set on her face.

  “What can we offer you this evening?” the young woman asked in an overly silky tone. “Couple’s massage?”

  Cindy smiled and looked at Mattheus briefly. Under normal circumstances that would have been lovely. Tonight that kind of intimacy between them seemed further away than ever.

  “We are here to see Benita.” Mattheus stepped in.

  The woman looked startled. “You mean the woman whose fiancé has just been murdered?” Her eyes opened wide.

  “That’s right.” Mattheus was all business now.

  “Oh my!” The woman put her hand up over her mouth. “So sorry, but Benita is otherwise occupied.”

  “This comes first, it’s important,” Mattheus went on.

  “No, it’s impossible,” the young woman exclaimed. “And it’s out of order. Our guests’ time here is private. They come here to relax. There’s no way we can intrude upon that. How do you even know Benita’s here at the moment?”

  Cindy took her ID out of her pocket slowly and held it. “C and M Investigations,” she said quietly. “We’re here to help.”

  The woman looked at the ID for a long time. “Well, I suppose I could ask Benita if she’d like a visitor. I’ll tell her that you’re here.”

  Mattheus interrupted swiftly. “It’s not about if Benita would like a visit,” he said bluntly. “We have to see her as soon as possible.”

  The young woman looked alarmed. “I believe Benita’s in the middle of a lavender oil massage right now,” she crisply replied.

  “She can go back and conclude her massage after our conversation.” Mattheus obviously couldn’t care less.

  The young woman shot Cindy a confused, troubled glance, as if asking how to proceed.

  “It’s okay,” said Cindy, reassuringly, “Benita will be happy to hear that we’re here. Tell her it will only take a few moments. Or if she prefers, we can wait here until her massage is over.”

  That soothed the woman a bit. “Well, I can try,” she said, looking down at the ground.

  “Not try.” Mattheus’s voice grew harsher as Cindy put her hand on his arm to quiet him down.

  “We’d appreciate that,” Cindy interrupted Mattheus. “Most likely Benita will gladly leave her massage and come out to talk to us,” she added.

  The woman stepped back and nodded at Cindy. “I’ll speak to her now,” she said.

  “Thank you very much,” said Cindy. “I’m sure Benita will understand that time is of the essence and we can’t delay.”

  The woman turned suddenly and left. Cindy and Mattheus stood together in the plush lobby, looking around. It was mostly empty with only a few people drifting here and there.

  “This place is practically deserted,” said Cindy. “I wonder why.”

  “Probably because of the upcoming storm,” said Mattheus.

  “Maybe,” said Cindy. “Let’s sit down here and wait.” She pointed to a burgundy velvet settee. “It could take a little while until Benita comes out.”

  “This place is way overdone,” said Mattheus as he followed Cindy to the settee.

  “You’re going to have to take all this slow and gentle,” Cindy replied, as they sat down. “It won’t do any good to jar nerves further.”

  “I’m not jarring anyone’s nerves.” Mattheus took exception.

  Cindy closed her eyes. Mattheus couldn’t really hear her right now. And he wasn’t as sensitive as usual to those around him, either. That was normal, given the state he was in, but it wasn’t going to help.

  *

  In a surprisingly short time the woman who greeted them returned with Benita, who was walking shakily beside her. Looking frightened, Benita was dressed in a gold paisley dress with fringes on the sleeves. Her hair was pulled off her face and she hadn’t put back on any makeup.

  “What’s happened? What’s the emergency?” Benita said as soon as she saw Cindy and Mattheus.

  “Benita, this is Mattheus,” said Cindy, trying to calm her down.

  Benita nodded at Mattheus perfunctorily. “What’s the emergency?” she repeated.

  “The whole situation is an emergency,” Mattheus responded in a gravelly tone. “We have to solve it fast.”

  Benita stared at Mattheus uncomprehendingly.

  Cindy broke in then, wanting to put Benita at ease and change the focus.

  “A storm’s coming and whatever other evidence that may have been left outdoors will be washed away,” she said.

  It was a lame excuse and Benita knew it. “I believe the police and forensics gathered up all evidence,” she replied.

  “There’s always more,” said Mattheus, taking a step too close to her.

  “Like what kind of evidence?” Benita stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

  “We only need to find one little piece to crack the case open,” Mattheus replied.

  “You can help us with this,” Cindy broke in softly, getting between Mattheus and Benita then.

  “We have some questions we’d like to ask you.”

  “Here? Now?” Benita began to get angry. “You come to a spa and interrupt my massage for that?”

  Cindy and Mattheus threw each other a quick glance. Benita seemed quite volatile, and both of them recognized that.

  “I’ve already told the police everything I know.” Benita stepped back, apparently threatened.

  “I’m sure you have,” Cindy continued, “and I’m truly sorry to have to pressure you at a difficult time like this.”

  Benita calmed down a moment. “Thank you.”

  “There are so many people down here who Sparks knew,” Cindy spoke to Benita confidentially. “I know that you know many of them.”

  “Of course I do,” Benita said. “I introduced many of them to Sparks. And they all loved him just as much as I did.”

  Cindy was pleased that Benita was talking. “We have to speak to every one of them and we were hoping you could help us screen them before we did,” Cindy added.

  Benita breathed more calmly for a moment then, as if the flashlight were being taken off her. “Of course I can,” she uttered, “but every single person does not have to be screened. Some are just down here for a party, barely knew Sparks at all. They’re irrelevant.”

  “No one is irrelevant,” Mattheus broke in.

  Benita threw a nasty, cursory glance at Mattheus, indicating she didn’t feel comfortable with him at all. “Do the two of you always work together?” she asked Cindy.

  “We run the same company,” said Cindy. “But we talk to people separately if they prefer.”

  Benita sighed. She obviously did prefer that. Clearly, Mattheus had gotten under her skin.

  “You and I can talk more extensively together later,” Cindy went on, “but right now we have an important question for you.”

  “What?” Benita was curious.

  “It’s about Wess,” Cindy continued casually.

  A startled glance flitted across Benita’s face. “What about Wess?”

  “You know who Wess is, of course?” asked Cindy.

  Benita nodded. “Sort of,” she said.

  “Did you speak with Wess at the airp
ort during your trip down to Belize?” Mattheus burst in again, unwilling to remain on the sidelines any longer.

  “No, I didn’t.” Benita bristled. “What makes you even ask that?”

  Before Mattheus had a chance to answer, at that very moment, a striking blonde woman, Benita’s age, dashed over to them, out of breath. She was dressed in a flowered summer dress with open sandals and long hanging earrings.

  “My goodness, here you are, finally!” the young woman breathed.

  Benita didn’t take her greeting well. “What do you mean finally?” Benita was irritated.

  “I’ve been trying to reach you. Nobody knew where you were,” the young woman replied.

  “Why does everybody have to know where I am?” Benita became edgy. “Is there some kind of other emergency going on?”

  “People are concerned about you, Benita,” the young woman answered evenly. Cindy liked this young woman, found her engaging.

  “I could ask you the same thing, Kiera.” Benita took the offensive now. “What in the world are you doing here right now before the storm?”

  “I’ve been looking for you,” Kiera repeated, becoming rattled.

  “And you found me,” Benita quipped. “But, actually, I was just on my way out of here at the moment.”

  “Everyone wondered if you were safe.” Kiera grimaced.

  “I’m safe, I’m safe,” Benita shot back, pulling the tie out of her hair and letting it fall down over her shoulders. “Tell everyone I’ll see them in a little while. I have to be somewhere now.”

  “Where?” asked Kiera, upset.

  “Is every step I take news? I’ll tell you later,” Benita answered, as she tossed her hair over her shoulders and exited.

  CHAPTER TEN

  After Benita dashed off, Cindy, Mattheus, and Kiera stood looking at one another, startled by Benita’s rudeness.

  Finally, Kiera took a long breath. “She can be like this, it’s nothing new,” she said. “I’ve seen it before and I’ll see it again.”

  “You know Benita well?” asked Cindy.

  “Well enough,” said Kiera, a bit off her game. “I’m the sister of a young woman who Sparks guarded and was killed. “Her name was April. She was a year younger than me.”