Death by Marriage

by Jaden Skye

  “I liked her,” said Cindy.

  “Liking her and believing her are two different things,” Mattheus said. “Could be she’s sending you on a wild, goose chase. Some people enjoy creating confusion. Others get a payoff by sending you in the wrong direction. The worst thing is to expect one lead to solve all your problems. That clouds your vision, creates disappointment. Takes you off your game.”

  If Mattheus knew anything, it was how to stay on his game. Cindy enjoyed listening to his observations, absorbing what he’d learned.

  “You’re right,” said Cindy. “Heather May seems to live on the edge. She could just be having an island fantasy. I’ve got to find out more about her, as well.”

  “Okay,” said Mattheus. “First we’ll check in on Nell. Before we do, I want the address of the woman you’re going to interview later, in case you need cover.”

  Cindy gave him the address reluctantly. “I won’t need cover,” she said.

  Mattheus didn’t like that. “You never know,” he said. “I should know where you are at all times.”

  “Should I know where you are as well?” Cindy asked, playfully.

  Mattheus grimaced. “You plan to cover me in case of danger?” he asked off handedly.

  “I’d contact the police immediately,” said Cindy.

  The idea amused him. “Let’s play it one step at a time,” he answered simply, and pulled his chair out to go. Cindy didn’t seem eager to go anywhere though, just sat there looking at him and then out at the gardens spread out before her. The flowers were waving slightly in the wind that was beginning to blow up. Mattheus had a sudden urge to sit back down with her, take some time. But he could feel the winds changing and realized the storms weren’t far behind. There was a lot to do be done before then.

  “Come on, let’s get going,” “ he said. “There’s a lot to be covered. We don’t have time for just looking at the sky.”

  Cindy got up. “I’m going to the lady’s room for a second, and then we can be on our way,” she said.

  *

  Mattheus sat back down and watched her walk to the lady’s room. She had an easy grace as she moved, like a tree swaying in the breeze. He was amazed at how good it had been to sit there with her after returning from St. Croix. He’d expected all kinds of repercussions about his not being in touch. They didn’t come. He was also surprised how relieved he felt to be doing his part of the investigation alone. He had no intention of letting her know where he’d be every minute. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a right to know, it was that it made him feel too closed in. He needed space and privacy, always had, even during his marriage. He flinched now as he thought of those years married to Shelly. She’d complained all the time about not knowing where he was, or when exactly he was returning. He’d always returned though, been happy to see her, and taken good care of her. Except on that fatal afternoon. Mattheus tried to wipe it out of his mind again. Now. That was one time he should have been closer. One time that changed everyone’s life.

  CHAPTER 9

  Before they jumped into the cab Cindy called Kendra and said they’d be coming for an hour or so. They wanted to talk to Nell. Kendra said she didn’t much see the point in that, but it was as good a time as any to do so. Nell was home for the day, up in her room.

  They got the cab in front of the hotel, and as they drove to Kendra’s, Cindy looked out of the window. She’d known Mattheus was coming back to St. Thomas that day, but hadn’t expected him to show up at breakfast like that. Since they’d arrived on the island, Mattheus had shown so many different sides to him, she didn’t know what to expect next. Back on Grenada he felt like a rock to her, constant, caring, dependable. Now he seemed skittish at times, even eager to get away from her. She couldn’t help compare him to Clint, who had been fully available when he was around. Cindy’d never felt he wanted to run away. The sense that Mattheus was unsettled, made her feel insecure. Of course, their company didn’t have to last forever. If it didn’t work out, Cindy could always go home.

  When Cindy and Mattheus arrived and rang the doorbell, Kendra opened the door immediately. She wore beige slacks and a linen shirt, with a matching necklace and bracelet. Her long hair was tied back from her face. It struck Cindy as odd that a woman whose husband had been murdered such a short time ago, would be so perfectly groomed.

  “Come in,” said Kendra somewhat officially.

  Cindy and Mattheus came in and looked around for Nell.

  “Nell’s in her room,” said Kendra. “She’s studying. The kids have off from school for a few days for exams. The police spoke to her quite a bit in the beginning. I don’t know what she can possibly add now.”

  “We just wanted to meet the whole family,” said Cindy. “It won’t take long.”

  Kendra sighed. “It all adds up, though. Half an hour here, an hour there.”

  It sounded as if she resented their being there. “We want to do a thorough job, “said Cindy.

  Kendra interrupted, “thorough or not is one thing. Finding the killer is something else. How in the world can Nell lead you to that?”

  “You never know what one off handed comment leads to,” said Mattheus, “especially from someone close to the victim.”

  “Do what you have to,” said Kendra. “Nell,” she called loudly then, her voice bouncing off the high walls. “Come downstairs.”

  No answer.

  “She’s probably deep on her Facebook page,” Kendra smirked. “That’s about all these kids study these days, who’s saying what to who? Nell -” her voice rose with a sharp timber.

  Cindy heard a door open upstairs. She looked up and saw a young, tall, slender woman come down. She had long, dark hair, a sculpted face and extremely intense eyes.

  When the young woman got down the stairs, she paid no attention to her mother, but came right over to Cindy and said “Hello, I’m Nell.”

  “Glad to meet you Nell,” said Cindy.

  “I’m glad to see you finally managed to extricate yourself and come downstairs,” Kendra quipped. “Whenever she’s home, Nell practically lives in her room these days. She never has a second to spend with me.”

  “This has been a horrible strain on our mother,” Nell said to Cindy abruptly. “You have to help the authorities realize that she’s had absolutely nothing to do with this crime.”

  Kendra looked at her oddly. “I’ve told them that already,” she said. “That’s why they’re here. I believe they’ll help.”

  Cindy looked over at Nell, who suddenly turned sullen. “Nothing I say makes any difference,” she said.

  “We’d love to hear more from you, Nell,” Cindy said, breaking into the thick tension that had formed. “Let’s sit down a moment.”

  Nell shot her mother a quick look and then went with Cindy and Mattheus to the couch. Kendra started to join them as well.

  “We’d like to talk to Nell alone,” said Mattheus.

  Kendra was offended. “Why?”

  “People can talk more easily when they’re alone,” he said. “It won’t take very long.”

  “This is not a matter of time,” said Kendra. “What could Nell possibly say that I can’t hear? You’re working for me, after all.”

  Nell looked down at the floor.

  “Would you like me to join you?” Kendra asked Nell pointedly.

  Nell did not respond.

  “It’s better this way,” Cindy said gently.

  “Have it your way,” said Kendra, irritated, and stalked out of the room.

  When she left Nell took a deep breath. “My mother has moods, she always had. And now it’s particularly tough for her.”

  “You don’t get along so well?” asked Cindy.

  “Up and down. She’s hard to take. I was closer to my father.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Cindy. “You must miss him very much.”

  Nell’s eyes suddenly closed.

  “Is there anything at all you can tell us?” Cindy asked in as gentle a voice as she co
uld. Nell was odd and interesting. At moments she was extremely alert, and, then, at other moments remote, as if a cloud had descended upon her.

  “I have no idea who killed my father, “said Nell, finally, opening her eyes slightly. Her face flushed as she spoke. Just saying those words were painful for her. “I don’t even want to know who did it. I want to wake up and find out it was all a bad dream.”

  “It wasn’t a dream,” said Cindy.

  “How do you know?” said Nell. “People can live their whole lives and then something happens and their whole life turns into a dream.”

  “That’s what happened to you?” asked Mattheus.

  “None of it’s real,” said Nell.

  Cindy and Mattheus looked at each other. Cindy didn’t want to push too hard. This was so new and fresh for Nell, it would take months for her to make sense of it. And clearly, she didn’t have the kind of relationship with her mother that would support her through the process. Yet, oddly enough, she didn’t seem so alone. There was a strange strength about her.

  “I’m more like my dad,” Nell said then from out of nowhere. “We understood each other very well.”

  “How wonderful that you had that,” said Cindy.

  “He didn’t let anything knock him down,” her eyes opened wider and she seemed to get strength, just thinking about him. “Once he said, Nell, no matter what the world dishes out, remember one thing, honey. You can always find a way out of a tough spot. There’s always another street to walk down, there’s always an answer waiting.”

  Mattheus seemed impressed. “Quite a guy,” he said.

  Nell’s face lit up briefly. “He was a great guy – he was different,” she said.

  “It must have been a powerful force that took him down, “said Mattheus.

  Nell recoiled. “I don’t know what happened,” she shook her head.

  Cindy got up from the couch and walked over to her. It was enough. She didn’t want Mattheus crashing through Nell’s defenses all at once. She needed them now.

  “In a little while the storm season’s starting,” Nell went on, out of nowhere.

  “And?” asked Cindy.

  “All the tourists leave the island. Only the hard core remain. We board up our homes and get ready to wait out the storm inside. My dad always loved hurricane season. He and I boarded up the house together, year after year.”

  “Who’s going to board it up this year?” asked Mattheus.

  “No one,” said Nell, smiling oddly. “Maybe this year the storm will just tear the whole house apart.”

  *

  “There was no reason to grill her like that,” said Cindy, when she and Mattheus had left the house. “You were too tough on her.”

  “I had to be,” said Mattheus. “when they’re rattled they say things they wouldn’t otherwise say. Things just come out.”

  “What about her?” said Cindy. “She’s a kid who’s lost her dad.”

  “I’m sorry for her,” said Mattheus, but I don’t forget what I’m here to do. I wasn’t hired to be a therapist. Neither were you. We have a big job to do and not much time to do it. Beyond all that, there’s a murderer on the loose. You never know when they’ll strike again, or who?”

  The way he said it gave Cindy a chill. She hadn’t taken in the fact that right among them, close by possibly, the murderer could be lurking, waiting to pounce.

  “You’re right,” she said to Mattheus then. “Right and wrong at the same time.”

  He looked at her quizzically.

  “We’ve got to find the killer, but we’ve got to take care of the others too. Paul wasn’t the only victim. His whole family was as well.”

  “Point well taken,” said Mattheus, as he looked at Cindy, his eyes filled with respect. “That’s why it’s good to have both a male and female on the case. Nothing gets overlooked.”

  “I’m going to spend some more time here with Kendra,” Cindy said.

  “Great,” said Mattheus. “In the meantime, I’ll run over to the police station and look up some information I need. Then we can meet up and take a look at Paul’s office, in about an hour. Okay?”

  “Okay,” said Cindy. Everything was okay and not okay. Not only was she finding out more about the case, but also about Mattheus. There were definitely moments when he scared her. Who had she really ended up here with?

  CHAPTER 10

  Before Mattheus went to the police station, he called some of his buddies back on the force in Grenada, to check in and let them know what was going on. They were thrilled to hear from him, as usual, and suggested he check out Roomey’s alibi before taking another step. Guys who hung around casinos needed to be vetted right away. Mattheus agreed. And, when was he coming back to Grenada, they wanted to know? It wasn’t the same place without him.

  The calls to the guys back home gave Mattheus energy, boosted his spirits and resolve. They’d become like a little family, and Mattheus missed having them around. But he also enjoyed the adventure of starting his own enterprise. And he enjoyed doing it with Cindy, who surprised him over and over with her keen intelligence and strength.

  After he hung up he headed to the police station, to use the computers there to check on Roomey further. There was no one at the back desk yet, and he had his pick of places to work at. He quickly opened a computer and brought up what he could find on Roomey. The more he read, the more impressed he was. Not only did everything about him seem legit, but he was a well-respected architect, with big clients to his name. Easy to see why the guy could afford to lose at a high stakes poker.

  Then Mattheus dug up the name of the organizer of the design show Roomey said he was at to give him a call and find out exactly when Roomey arrived, and how long he stayed.

  Roomey’s alibi checked out completely. Not only was he at the show, he got there early and stayed until it closed. Something he did every year, apparently. After it was over, he went out with a few people for a light dinner. He went with a group of old timers, who came to the show year after year. Some of the people at the dinner included Andrea from Salon B, a couple of guys who sponsored the program, and Heather May. Mattheus found it interesting to see her name pop up again. But, of course, this was a relatively small island and the people who lived here had to know each other. He wondered briefly what kind of relationship Roomey had with Heather, and made a note to ask Cindy to explore it. Mattheus also wanted to see Roomey again, catch a drink with him, find out more about Kendra and about Paul.

  Okay, thought Mattheus, one down and another to go. He now wanted to check out the guy in the high stakes poker game. Just as he was about to go back into the computer, the door to the station opened and Brayton came in and immediately spotted Mattheus in the rear.

  “Hey, what you doing back there?” Brayton hollered, as he came over to join Mattheus.

  “Checking out Roomey and some other guys.”

  “You don’t let up, do you?” Brayton said, approvingly. “Too bad we don’t have you on our force, down here.”

  Mattheus grinned. It felt good having the team around him, surrounded by guys who valued him. Mattheus was one of a twin, and his brother had been the star in everything, got all the attention, growing up.

  “No reason to bother checking out Roomey,” Brayton said as he sat down. “Could have told you about him before you started to look. He’s an old timer on the island. There’s no reason to suspect him of anything. Roomey and Paul had been friends for years.”

  “Was there was ever anything floating around about Roomey’s relationship with Kendra? Mattheus asked.

  Brayton laughed. . “Roomey’s not exactly a lady’s man. The furthest thing from it. The guy keeps to himself around the ladies. They don’t like him much, and he doesn’t really take to them.”

  “Did he take to Kendra?” Mattheus pushed on.

  “What are you dreaming up?” Brayton looked at Mattheus as though he were a little crazy. “We’ve got enough on Kendra, we don’t need this. When you get desperate
for clues you can fish in places where nothing bites,” he said. “Doesn’t do any good to make up crazy stories. In fact, it’s downright dangerous.”

  “You’re right,” Mattheus agreed. “Then he told him about the high stakes poker game Paul had been involved in.

  Brayton was taken aback. “Now, that’s something to chew on. Don’t know how we didn’t hear about that. Find the guy who was indebted to Paul and bring him in to talk.”

  Mattheus had his name; it would be an easy matter to check him out right away.

  “What else you got?” asked Brayton.

  “That’s it for now,” said Mattheus. “More on the way.” He was looking forward to hearing what Cindy would bring him next as well. . Mattheus realized how much he trusted her ability to tune into unexpected clues and run into people who were able to steer them where nobody else had thought to go.

  “Well, it’s great to have you around,” said Brayton, scraping his chair back on the floor to get up. “Feel free to use anything you need here to help, and let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

  “Appreciate that,” said Paul, really meaning it.

  Brayton went back to his office, and Mattheus dove back into the computer, searching for information on Silbert Hours, the guy in the poker game. His photo came up right away, a sleazy looking fellow with long curly hair, wearing a few gold chains. His records said he owned a massage parlor on the south side of town. Mattheus wondered if it had anything to do with Andrea, and Salon B. He read further and saw that Silbert’s place was far away. The guy looked so scraggly Mattheus wondered where he got his money from. His massage place was probably a front for something, Mattheus thought. Nothing else much came up about him. He had no police record, no bankruptcies. Mattheus quickly wrote down his address and the phone number of the parlor, and planned to pay him a visit there.

  Just as he was writing down the information, Mattheus felt someone come and stand behind him, looking over his shoulder. Mattheus turned and looked up. It was Nojo.