Death by Temptation

by Jaden Skye

  She’d be fine alone, Cindy finally concluded, pulling on a pair of navy linen slacks and a nondescript shirt. Then she made her way out of the room, down the elevator, and out the front door of the lobby to hail a cab and get to the casino as soon as possible.

  *

  As the late afternoon light filtered through the window, the taxi wove down to a casino situated in a little traveled, dark part of town. This wasn’t a safe place for women to come to, and she asked the cab to wait for her to be sure to have a ride back. Cindy’d been to dangerous parts of the island before and had worked her way through them. She was amazed by the agility she’d developed to weave in and out of rough spaces, with or without Mattheus at her side.

  Cindy leaned back on the seat and rested as she watched the streets narrow through the window of the cab. Finally, the taxi screeched to a halt.

  “Back there,” the driver motioned through a clump of trees to a dip in the road.

  “Thanks,” said Cindy, getting ready to get out.

  “Be careful, miss,” he added. “I’ll be waiting here.”

  *

  The casino was long, flat, and half empty when Cindy pulled open the huge, brass doors. People were sitting at machines, pulling the levers, and staring straight ahead of them. Cindy walked around a bit, drifting here and there, waiting to spot someone who looked like they would know who Santos was. A bunch of tough guys huddled at different tables, and didn’t bother to look over at Cindy at all.

  Finally, a middle-aged woman with bleached blonde hair, dressed in a silvery dress that fit too tight in all the wrong places, ambled over.

  “Looking for someone, honey?” she asked.

  “I’m here to see Santos,” Cindy remarked.

  The woman ran her hands up over neck and across her thick silver necklace that made her outfit complete. “I thought so,” she said.

  Cindy wondered how she knew. Had Abe possibly called ahead giving them a heads-up? Did someone else?

  “I’m Holly, follow me,” said the woman swiftly, putting her hand on Cindy’s arm and leading her. Cindy noticed her long, purple fingernails that were perfectly manicured and wondered what her role was here.

  “You know Santos well?” Cindy quickly asked as they wove their way through the center of the casino to a dingy section in the rear.

  “Everyone knows Santos well.” Holly winked, obviously taking a liking to Cindy. “You from the police department?”

  Cindy was startled, wondering what made her think that. “Why do you say that?” she asked.

  Holly smiled, her face lighting up. “The way you dress, honey,” she answered.

  “Nobody else looks like this in St. Lucia on a beautiful day. It’s okay, we’re used to it. The cops send people down to check up on us every few months. It’s nothing.”

  Cindy liked her very much. Something about Holly was refreshing. “What do they check up on?” Cindy asked.

  “Everything, you name it. And we got it covered. We got the right answers. They come down, they check, and then they leave us alone.”

  “You got it all figured out,” Cindy commented.

  Holly liked that. “Yeah, Santos does, to the last drop.”

  Clearly the police made routine, spot checks down here and then left them alone to do as they pleased. Holly thought that was what was going on now. Cindy decided to play along.

  “We had to come down now after you know what happened,” Cindy spoke in an overly confidential manner, hoping to get some response.

  “You mean what happened with Tomas?” asked Holly,

  Cindy had no idea what she was talking about, but pretended to anyway. “Yeah, yeah,” she continued, “Tomas, and other things.”

  “I get it,” Holly whispered. “They’re idiots, all of them.”

  “Sure are,” Cindy agreed.

  “We’re almost there.” Holly turned and looked at Cindy, and her tone grew hushed.

  “Don’t say anything to Santos about Tomas,” she warned. “He doesn’t like it one bit.”

  “Okay, okay,” Cindy promised as they approached a little, dark room.

  “He’s in there,” she whispered to Cindy then, pulling her closer. “Make it quick this time, please, honey. Santos is a busy man, and he’s a little on edge today.”

  “Of course, of course, I understand,” said Cindy, smiling at her as if Holly were an old friend.

  “Holly,” a loud voice suddenly boomed from inside the room.

  Holly jumped. “He’s calling for me.” She looked back at Cindy as she leapt toward his door. “I’m right here, right here,” she called back to him.

  “What are you doing?” the voice continued booming. “Why are you here?”

  “They sent someone down.” Holly walked over to the door and without opening it, shouted back in.

  “Who’s they?” the voice called back.

  Holly pushed the door open, slipped inside, and disappeared as if into a deep cavern.

  In a few seconds she emerged.

  “Go on in, honey.” She pushed Cindy by the shoulders. “I told him you’re here and that you’ll make it quick. You’re lucky he’ll see you. He wasn’t expecting anyone.”

  “Thanks,” said Cindy, giving her a quick hug. “You’ve been great, thank you.”

  “Hurry up now,” Holly reminded her, as Cindy ducked and walked through the low entranceway into Santos’s room.

  “You’re here from the police?” was the first thing Cindy heard as she entered the room, which was so dark it was hard to make out who was in it.

  Cindy wanted to play along, but she also knew that if Santos found out that she was tricking him all bets would be off.

  “Cindy Blaine from C and M Investigations,” she said frankly.

  At first there was a heavy silence. Then Santos piped up, “What in hell are you talking about?”

  “I got your name from Abe at the department.” Cindy started talking quickly. “I’m a private detective. I need your help.”

  “Need my help with what?” Santos sounded as if this was the last thing in the world he expected.

  Cindy saw a figure get up out of the shadows and walk toward her. The figure was a short but stalwart Caribbean man in his mid-fifties, who moved like a little volcano.

  “I’m here with my partner, Mattheus,” Cindy continued as he came closer. “We’re investigating the disappearance of Kara Flynn, the bride who went missing on her honeymoon.” Cindy decided to play it straight. It was the only way to go with someone like him.

  First Santos looked relieved, then he laughed. “You’re so pretty,” he said, taking his time to look Cindy over. “Very pretty, why are you dressed like that?”

  Cindy looked down at her slacks briefly. “Can you help me out?” she asked, paying no attention to his comment.

  Santos laughed once again, harder. “This is so silly, it’s cheering me up. I’m glad you came to see Santos.”

  “What’s silly about it?” asked Cindy.

  “How do you expect me to help you? And why are you coming to me?” Santos went on quickly. “Do you know how scared people are to come to Santos?”

  Thankfully, Cindy didn’t.

  Obviously, he’d taken a liking to her though, and laughed again. “Why did you really come to see me?” he asked, this time curious.

  Cindy had no choice but to be straightforward. “We have no leads at all in Kara’s disappearance and then this other young woman, Shane, turned up dead on the beach.”

  Santos stopped smiling and looked at Cindy, his small eyes narrowing.

  “You came for Kara or for the other one?” he asked, his voice thickening.

  “I heard the other one, Shane, was a regular down here at the casino,” said Cindy, taking the opportunity to include her.

  “Yeah, she was.” Santos nodded slowly. “She was a good girl, too, didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “They found lots of drugs in her body,” Cindy continued.

  Santos took a he
avy step forward. “Of course.” His voice grew even thicker. “What do you think people look for down here? The drugs aren’t what killed her though, are they?”

  Cindy was at a loss. “Not directly, maybe,” she said finally. “But I’m looking for a connection to what happened to her and Kara.”

  Santos now leaned against the edge of the desk he’d been sitting behind.

  “And why exactly are you looking for that?” he asked, clearly finding Cindy interesting.

  “Just looking,” said Cindy, suddenly gazing into his eyes and feeling indescribably sad. She knew he could give her something that would help, but she had no real idea what could be in it for him or what he might want in return.

  “You know, you’re a beautiful woman, Cindy.” Santos rubbed his chin, changing the topic. “Why are you doing something like this?”

  Cindy was surprised by his comment. “Why do I work as a detective?”

  Santos nodded, seeming almost fatherly for a moment.

  “I like it,” said Cindy.

  “That’s a good reason,” he answered. “And where’s this partner you mentioned before?”

  Cindy felt at a sudden loss.

  “You shouldn’t have come down here to see me without your partner,” Santos said, sounding oddly concerned about Cindy.

  “I’m just hoping you’ll tell me something, anything that will help me understand things better,” Cindy replied.

  “The best thing I could tell you,” Santos went on, “is not to come to places like this alone.”

  Once again Cindy had the odd sensation that he was looking after her. “I need more than that,” she replied. “Please give me a lead.”

  Santos let out a long sigh. “Like what?” He seemed fascinated.

  “Do you know anything at all about Kara or Rowley?” Cindy started.

  “I know everything about everyone who comes down to the island.” Santos grinned, displaying an uneven row of short teeth. “Whatever goes on, I know about it.”

  “Did Kara or Rowley use drugs?” she asked quickly.

  Santos laughed. “Of course they did, why wouldn’t they?” he spoke languidly.

  “Both of them?” Cindy felt distressed. Rowley had told the police they didn’t.

  “What are you asking me, Cindy?” Santos pressed.

  “Are you aware of who sold drugs to them?” Cindy dug in.

  “I’m aware of everything,” Santos drawled. “Do you actually expect me to tell you who?”

  Cindy was stopped. “Just tell me how you know either Kara or Rowley. How you heard of them.”

  “And where does that get me, Cindy?” Santos smiled.

  “I’ll be forever grateful,” Cindy replied. “So will her family.”

  “Grateful,” Santos laughed. “When people are grateful to Santos for a favor, there’s a big price to pay for it.”

  “What kind of price?” Cindy stood up and looked at him directly.

  Santos was mesmerized, seemed to love Cindy’s spirit. “If I had a daughter like you, I would be a proud man, Cindy,” he replied.

  Cindy felt touched by his comment. “Thank you,” she said, “please tell me more.”

  “Well, for one thing, whatever I tell you is personal,” Santos continued. “You swear to me that you won’t tell the police.”

  Cindy wasn’t sure she could swear that.

  “Because if anybody goes behind Santos’s back, it just takes a minute and they end up dead on the beach. I wouldn’t want that to happen to you, Cindy. Never.”

  Cindy shuddered. “Is that what happened to Shane? Did she go behind your back, Santos?”

  “That’s not what we’re talking about, is it?” Santos replied. “You asked me how I heard of Kara or Rowley.”

  “How?” asked Cindy.

  Santos’s eyes began to squint. “The husband is a surgeon back in the States,” he started. “The bride works for a shelter for abused, crazy women, who could turn on anyone in a second flat.”

  That news was public; it didn’t prove that Santos knew them personally.

  “Everybody knows that,” said Cindy, irritated. “It doesn’t mean you know them.”

  “I like you, Cindy,” Santos blurted out then, “and I’m gonna help. Your partner isn’t with you, so I’ll be your partner for now. How about that?”

  Cindy had no idea what he meant exactly, but she was willing to find out. “Good,” she said.

  “Just be a little patient,” Santos continued, “I have to talk to someone.”

  “Then what?” asked Cindy hurriedly.

  “Then you’ll see what will happen all by yourself,” Santos mumbled. He got up and went back to the seat he’d been sitting on, indicating that the interview was over for now .

  Cindy turned to go.

  “And come back in a little while,” Santos called out after her. “And don’t think I don’t feel bad about what happened to Shane either, because I do.”

  *

  Cindy drove back to the hotel feeling elated. She liked Santos and he liked her. Their connection was totally unexpected but somehow she felt he was good for his word. He was going to help.

  As the cab got closer to their destination, her phone suddenly rang. Once again Cindy hoped it would be Mattheus, longing to share the exciting news. Instead, Alfred was on the other end.

  “We just got a call from a woman named Holly.” Alfred sounded fitful. “She said that you were at the casino, sniffing around the drug ring.”

  Cindy was totally stunned. How could Alfred have heard the news so quickly?

  “Holly and I are good friends,” Alfred went on quickly. “When anyone goes to see Santos, she calls me right away. When she described you, I knew who it was.”

  “That’s right, Alfred,” Cindy said, actually glad to be talking to someone about it.

  “You should have checked with me first.” Alfred sounded indignant.

  “Excuse me,” said Cindy, “but I happen to be the detective on the case.”

  “This wasn’t a good idea, Cindy,” Alfred continued. “You could be creating more trouble, sniffing around. We’re getting close to something, very close.”

  “Who’s we?” asked Cindy. “You and Vinny?”

  “Right,” Alfred quipped. “No one else is doing a damn about things, so we’ve taken

  it in our own hands.”

  Cindy felt half terrified by that and half relieved. “What have you found? Is there anything you can tell me?”

  “If there was I would have told you already,” Alfred breathed. “But we’ve got to keep things quiet now. I can tell you one thing, though.”

  “What?” asked Cindy, on edge.

  “Check Shane’s Facebook page right away. No one’s bothered to do that thoroughly yet.”

  “That’s it?” asked Cindy.

  “That’s a lot,” Alfred said. “Just do it, you’ll be happy.”

  CHAPTER 16

  As soon as Cindy returned to the room she immediately went to her computer to do what Alfred suggested, check Shane’s page. By now evening had fallen and Mattheus still hadn’t returned. To her surprise, Cindy was actually pleased to have the time to explore Shane’s page alone. First she called downstairs for dinner to be brought up, then flipped open her computer.

  When Cindy got to Shane’s page, she shivered. The young woman staring out at her was beautiful and there was also a striking resemblance between her and Kara. They could have been sisters. Shane had large, daring eyes, perfect features, and a dazzling smile. It was startling to realize that, in the prime of her youth, she was gone. Even more disturbing was that no one in particular, with the possible exception of Alfred and Vinny, seemed to be concerned with what happened to her. Was this case really being investigated? Cindy knew how negligent the police down in the islands could be.

  Cindy scrolled down Shane’s page carefully. The usual photos of friends, events, invitations, and messages rolled along. Only one or two small photos of Vinny were included, m
aking Cindy wonder how important he had truly been to her. One other photo seemed to dominate the page though, a red-headed young woman named Jenna. From the looks of it Jenna appeared to be one of Shane’s best friends. Was this what Alfred was talking about?

  Cindy looked through the many messages between Jenna and Shane. Most of them were lighthearted enough. One message stopped Cindy cold. It was from Jenna to Shane.

  I know you refuse to listen to anybody, Shane, but please listen to me. When you didn’t listen last time you were sorry. Do you remember? Jenna.

  What had happened last time that Shane was sorry about? Cindy wondered. She scrolled further around trying to find out more. Soon another message struck Cindy.

  Shane, be careful. Open your eyes, this isn’t a game! There are real people’s lives at stake here. Jenna.

  What wasn’t a game? Cindy definitely had to know. She wondered whether anyone beside Alfred had even seen these messages. Did Jenna know that Shane’s body had been found dead on the beach? If she knew, it seemed certain that she would have turned up here by now. Cindy wasn’t going to spend another moment wondering. I was time to find out for herself.

  Immediately, Cindy sent a message to Jenna. Have you heard the news about Shane? Cindy wrote. Please contact me immediately. Then Cindy included her personal email address.

  After she sent the message, Cindy put the computer aside, stood up, and started walking aimlessly around the room. This message was probably only the tip of the iceberg. There had to be much more information about Shane available that no one was looking into. Cindy really had to talk to Mattheus about this. She could be on the verge of finding out something that might stop the family from leaving right now.

  Cindy picked up her phone and called, but Mattheus’s voice mail came on. Cindy refused to leave a message. She hung up instead and called Rowley’s room. Most likely Mattheus was there with Rod.