Death by Temptation

by Jaden Skye

  At that Abe gave Cindy a long, strange glance. “You never know, you just don’t,” he murmured. “She could come walking back into the hotel any minute and tell us that she got lost. Or, for all we know she could have decided this marriage wasn’t for her and took off on her own. Stranger things than that have happened down here. I hear about them all the time.”

  “She didn’t take off on her own,” Mattheus corrected him emphatically.

  “How do you know?” Abe looked startled again.

  “We know the couple.” Mattheus’s voice became ponderous. “Cindy and I spent time with them this morning. They were happy, rejoicing.”

  “What?” Abe’s eyes opened wide. “Oh my God. We’re gonna need to talk to you guys more about this.”

  “Sure,” Mattheus agreed, “and Cindy and I are gonna have to talk to the cops, too. You’re going to have to let us help out. This isn’t just some woman, it’s personal.”

  Abe looked confused. “That’s not up to me. You’ll have to talk to the chief, Darrin Frank.”

  “We’ll talk to anyone we have to,” said Mattheus. “Has the family been notified?”

  “Not sure,” said Abe.

  “Where’s Rowley now?” Mattheus dove right in.

  “He’s out on the streets, looking for his wife,” Abe whispered. “We told him to stay put, that we were putting together search teams. But he’s crazed right now, out there searching.”

  “He’s got to be going crazy. This is a terrible shock for him,” Cindy murmured.

  “Yeah,” Abe agreed. “Look, the best thing you could do now would be to go out there and find him. Talk to him, calm him down. Last I heard he went to the beach she was at. It’s right down from the hotel.”

  “He’s not going to find her there,” Mattheus muttered.

  Abe looked taken aback. “How do you know that?” He sounded suspicious.

  “My gut tells me he won’t,” Mattheus replied.

  “Oh yeah? What else does your gut tell you?” asked Abe, his eyes narrowing.

  Cindy put her hand on Mattheus’s arm. “I like Abe’s suggestion,” she said. “Let’s go out there and try to find Rowley. It’ll help him to see us again.”

  Cindy and Mattheus gave Abe their contact information, took his, and got the direct number for Darrin Frank.

  “You go look for him,” Abe encouraged, “and stay in touch. We need to know any little thing you discover.”

  “Absolutely,” said Mattheus, turning to Cindy. “You’re sure you want to come, too?”

  Cindy felt incredulous. “Of course I’m coming,” she responded, “where else in the world could I be at a time like this?”

  *

  Except for the sound of the ocean lapping on the shore, the beach was silent and dark. The light of few scattered stars shone here and there, creating glowing streaks on the sand. Other than that, the beach seemed deserted.

  “Rowley,” Mattheus called out, his voice quickly taken up by the wind, echoing. “Rowley, Rowley.”

  Except for the crash of the waves, there was no response.

  “Rowley, if you’re here, answer me,” Mattheus called out again.

  “He’s not here,” Cindy murmured.

  “He could be,” Mattheus replied. “We can’t see him yet, but where else would he go?”

  “He could be anywhere, looking for her,” said Cindy.

  “Rowley,” Mattheus cried out once again, as the lapping out of waves grew louder. “It’s Mattheus and Cindy, we’re here to help you.”

  The screeching cry of a passing bird responded.

  Cindy left Mattheus’s side and began walking down to the craggy jetties which rose out of the water unevenly. She looked around the beach which was on the eastern part of the island. The tides were definitely harsher here. Cindy wondered if Kara had gotten caught in an undertow while swimming, or if the tide had pulled her out. Would the ocean return her to her loved ones? There was no way to know.

  “Rowley,” Cindy heard Mattheus calling behind her.

  Cindy took a step closer to the water when she suddenly saw a shadow move on the sand. As Cindy turned toward the shadow, to her amazement, she saw someone curled up near the jetty a few feet away. For a quick instant Cindy prayed it might be Kara. Had she been tossed in the water and thrown back onto the rocks? Was she waking up now, coming to herself?

  “Kara?” Cindy called, in a raspy tone.

  Still no response. There was definitely someone there though. Cindy tried again.

  “Rowley?” she called to the figure, who was actually starting to move. “Is that you? Are you there?”

  The shadow grew larger on the sand. As Cindy saw the figure begin to uncurl, she walked over toward it carefully. “Rowley?” Cindy asked in a louder tone.

  “I’m waiting for her,” he responded.

  Cindy recognized the voice immediately and moved quickly to Rowley’s side. “Do you remember me, Rowley?” Cindy asked softly.

  “I’m waiting for Kara to come back,” he replied in a chilling tone.

  “Kara may be somewhere else right now,” Cindy suggested softly.

  “Where?” he asked nervously.

  “I’m not sure yet, but there are plenty of places on the island to search,” Cindy replied.

  Rowley stood up for a moment and then lurched back down. “I’m waiting right here,” he insisted.

  “Did you have a fight before Kara left?” Cindy was prompted to ask gently.

  “No, not at all.” Rowley seemed put off by the question. “Why would you ask something like that?”

  “Just trying to understand what might have happened,” Cindy replied. “Even when things are going wonderfully, honeymooners can argue at times.”

  “We didn’t argue, we were happy, it was perfect,” Rowley murmured. “She told me there was nothing more she could have ever dreamt of in a honeymoon.”

  “That’s good to hear,” said Cindy.

  “So, where is she now?” Rowley’s voice rose to a chilling pitch. “Why didn’t she come back from her swim?”

  The sound of the waves crashed harder on the rocks at that moment, as if to answer his helpless question.

  “Tell me why she didn’t return. Tell me,” Rowley pleaded. “Wherever she went, whatever happened, Kara always came back home before.”

  CHAPTER 4

  By the time Cindy and Mattheus got Rowley back to the hotel most of the police were gone. Fortunately, to his credit, Abe had remained at the hotel, waiting to see what Cindy and Mattheus had found. He was especially pleased to see Rowley walk in with them.

  “So glad to see you.” Abe ran over to them, reaching out for Rowley, who jumped away. “We’re picking up the search first thing in the morning,” Abe went on. “And I’ve arranged to have someone stay with you, Rowley , during the night.”

  “That’s presumptuous.” The idea bothered Rowley. “I don’t want anyone staying with me. I’ve got calls to make, things to do.”

  “Both families have been notified,” Abe filled him in. “From what I hear they’re all on their way down and will probably arrive sometime tomorrow.”

  Now Rowley became irate. “It was my job to tell them, not yours,” he insisted.

  “We’re just trying to help out,” Abe spoke softly.

  “What did you tell them?” Rowley was beside himself. “That Kara was gone forever? That I’d never see her again?”

  “Of course not,” said Abe. “There’s no reason to assume something like that yet.”

  Cindy was relieved to see that the police down here seemed to be handling things well.

  “Abe is right,” Mattheus chimed in, “it’s not a good idea for you to be alone tonight, Rowley.”

  “Would you like to stay in our suite?” Cindy offered. “You can sleep on the couch in the main room.”

  Rowley seemed touched by the offer and quieted down. “I have no intention of sleeping,” Rowley replied, “but thanks anyway. There are important things for
me to do. I have to find Kara tonight. I’m not leaving her alone out there in the dark.”

  Chills ran through Cindy’s body at the thought of Kara alone in the dark. Where was she? Could she actually still be alive somewhere out there?

  “We have a team out already searching for her,” Abe reminded Rowley. “They know just where to look. It won’t help for you to become overtired. It’s better for you to rest tonight.”

  Rowley stared at Abe strangely. “How can I rest until Kara comes home?”

  “You might want to take something to help you sleep tonight,” Cindy suggested. “This way you won’t be exhausted and you’ll be able to help tomorrow.”

  “I’m not exhausted,” Rowley remarked in a strange tone. “I’m ready for anything, and I’m going to search all night long.”

  Cindy and Mattheus looked at each other. “I don’t know what you plan to do, Rowley,” said Mattheus, “but you could inadvertently make things worse without wanting to.”

  “What can be worse than this?” Rowley suddenly called out in an awful, broken tone.

  Things could be worse, thought Cindy. Hope could be entirely gone. You could find your wife’s body up on the shore, mangled by the ocean. Or you could find she ran away on her own, had no other way to say good-bye. Worst of all, you could find that someone harmed her and then live in the grip of revenge for the rest of your life.

  “Do me a favor,” Abe interjected softly, “just give us tonight for the police to search on our own. Trust us for a little while. Cindy and Mattheus are right, get some rest for yourself. Everything will look different tomorrow.”

  Rowley suddenly dropped his head into his hands and cried out, “Tomorrow? There’s no tomorrow for me until Kara walks in the door.”

  Just at that moment a middle-aged woman, sedately dressed with her hair pulled back, approached.

  “I’m here to help,” she spoke in a soothing tone. “I’m on staff at the hotel, and trained to take care of emergency matters.”

  “Are you a nurse?” asked Cindy.

  “A trained practical nurse,” the woman replied, putting a kind hand on Rowley.

  Rowley jerked away from her abruptly.

  “Dr. Flynn,” she said softly, “I have warm tea for you, pastries, anything you need.”

  At the sound of his name, Rowley looked up quickly. Her addressing him as doctor seemed to spark something in him.

  “Yes, yes, of course,” he replied, in a somewhat professional tone.

  “Let me accompany you to your room and make you comfortable,” she went on. “Whatever you need, we’re here for you.”

  *

  Cindy watched with surprise as Rowley allowed the woman to walk him away, back to his room.

  “They’re good here,” Abe mumbled, “they’ve got it all covered. We’ll have police in his room first thing in the morning. As it is, they’re watching everything carefully now.”

  “Go easy on him,” Cindy murmured. She knew that the last one to see someone alive was always the main suspect. Obviously the police planned to question Rowley tomorrow.

  “No one’s jumping on his back,” Abe quickly replied. “We have no idea yet what happened. It’s awful when they go missing out of nowhere and you have no idea why.”

  “There’s always a reason and we’ll find it fast.” Mattheus’s jaw set firmly.

  “You think so?” asked Abe, startled.

  “Absolutely,” said Mattheus. “Cindy and I have been up against worse than this before. There’s no case that doesn’t have an answer. Nobody goes missing for no reason at all.”

  Abe wasn’t jumping on the bandwagon, though. “Well,” he spoke slowly, “I like to look at what is obvious first. To me simple answers make the most sense. The ocean can be rough down here on this part of the island, especially at this time of year. The simplest explanation is that she went swimming and got caught in an undertow. From what we see so far, it seems unlikely that someone wanted to do her or her husband harm.”

  “Murders always seem unlikely,” Mattheus gruffly replied. “The most surprising people get killed, but there’s always a way to trace it. If she drowned, hopefully her body will surface. Dead bodies give up a lot of information.”

  “It’s the best-case scenario, that the body will surface,” Abe answered methodically. “Most of the time it doesn’t. The body gets pulled out into the ocean and that’s that.”

  “That happens a lot in St. Lucia?” Mattheus asked in a heavy tone. “People just get sucked into the water and never surface?”

  Abe took exception. “It doesn’t happen here more than anywhere else in the Caribbean, but it does happen. And in a situation like this, we can’t rule it out. She went swimming alone as the tides were changing.”

  “We can’t rule anything in or out yet,” Cindy agreed, trying to soothe the jangled nerves that were developing. It was late, and they were all tired and on edge. “It’s good that the family’s coming down tomorrow. You guys go out and search for all you’re worth and first thing in the morning Mattheus and I will start investigating. Once we know more about Kara and Rowley’s lives and what went on behind the scenes we’ll have a better idea of where to look.”

  “Great,” Abe murmured. “I already called Darrin and told him about you guys. He’s happy to have you on board. We can use all the hands we can get. Crime has risen on the island these past few years.” Abe’s voice lowered. “It’s like a cancer that spreads from island to island.”

  “Sure is,” replied Mattheus. “I’m glad we’re down here to help now.”

  *

  Cindy and Mattheus went up in the elevator to their room silently.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Mattheus said as they got out and walked down the hallway to their room. “The timing is nuts.”

  “Thank God we’re here,” said Cindy.

  Mattheus opened the door to the room and they walked inside. Cindy, exhausted, practically fell down on sofa, limp. So much had happened in such a short time, she hardly knew where she was. The day went from being incredibly beautiful and filled with joy to the shock of what greeted them when they came back to the hotel.

  Mattheus came over, sat down beside Cindy, and put his arm around her.

  “Listen, Cindy, I don’t know what to say about this.” He sounded fretful. “I know this is our time, but—”

  Cindy shook her head. “Time doesn’t belong to anyone, Mattheus. I wish it did. I wish we could grip it and plan it, but we can’t.”

  Mattheus relaxed a bit then. “This is my friend’s daughter,” he went on.

  Cindy lifted her hands to his face. “Mattheus,” she whispered, “there are no explanations needed. This is a beautiful young woman who’s suddenly gone. This is a young man who’s facing a night of agony that could go on his whole life long.”

  “We are gonna have our honeymoon after this is all over.” Mattheus’s jaw set again.

  “Do you see me complaining for one minute?” asked Cindy.

  “No, but I wish you would,” he said. “I wish you were more upset that our time together has been cut short like this.”

  Cindy understood what Mattheus was saying, but didn’t feel as though anything had been cut short, except possibly Kara’s life. That was more important than anything else right now.

  “It’s all working out the way it has to, Mattheus,” Cindy whispered. “I love working on cases with you.”

  I love it, too,” he answered.

  “And there’s nothing more important than finding Kara right now,” Cindy continued. “It’s possible she’s still alive.”

  “You’re right, nothing’s more important,” agreed Mattheus, “but this one’s gonna be rough. I feel it in my bones.”

  *

  Cindy and Mattheus got into bed then and said nothing further, just slipped comfortably into each other’s arms.

  “I’m exhausted,” Mattheus whispered finally.

  “Me, too,” agreed Cindy.

&nb
sp; They lay there silently, breathing together as Cindy closed her eyes.

  “Do you think there’s something working against us, Cindy?” Mattheus finally asked.

  Cindy opened her eyes slowly. She’d almost been asleep and didn’t quite get what he meant. “What did you say?” she asked, her voice hushed.

  “Do you believe there are forces out there that are determined to keep us apart?” Mattheus asked more forcefully.

  Cindy’s eyes opened wide suddenly. “That’s a strange question to ask,” she said. “What kind of forces? What are you talking about?”

  “I’m not sure,” he mumbled, “just wondering. Every time we get closer, it seems, something comes and gets in the way.”

  Cindy felt distressed by that. “This case isn’t getting in the way,” she said emphatically.

  “It is though,” Mattheus insisted. “We’re back as working partners again.”

  “We’re everything, Mattheus,” Cindy responded. “We’re fortunate to be down here at this moment and if it’s time for us to solve another case, what choice do we have? There’s no way I can step aside from this, can you?”

  “Of course not,” Mattheus quietly admitted. “But I hope you know I love you, too.”

  “I know that,” Cindy murmured softly as she closed her eyes, and exhausted, immediately fell into a deep sleep.

  CHAPTER 5

  Both Cindy and Mattheus awoke at the crack of dawn and jumped out of bed. The reality of what lay ahead flashed upon them mercilessly. Kara’s dad, Mattheus’s friend Rod, would be arriving soon along with his wife. Rowley’s family was also on their way. Not only did Cindy and Mattheus have to speak with them, they had to go online and spend time finding out more about Kara and Rowley, see if anything lingered in their backgrounds that could explain Kara’s sudden disappearance.

  “We have to take the time to eat a good breakfast first before we get going,” Mattheus called out as Cindy dashed to the bathroom to wash up.

  “Absolutely,” Cindy called back. “Order up in the room, so we can plan our day while we’re eating.”