Death by Marriage

by Jaden Skye

  *

  When Cindy returned to the hotel Mattheus was waiting for her in the dining room, sitting at a table in the front. Cindy sat down without a moment’s hesitation and Mattheus looked pleased to see her.

  “Whew,” he said, you look shot from cannon. Did you tell Kendra the new?”

  “Yes, I did,” said Cindy.

  “She reacted badly to it?” He was tapping his fingers on the table, taking every word in.

  “That’s putting it mildly,” said Cindy. “She screamed and yelled about it, but something worse happened.”

  “What?” Mattheus sat up straight.

  “Kendra lied to me.”

  He let out a long slow breath. “About what?” he said.

  “She told me she never spoke to Heather. Then, after Kendra left, Nell came in and told me her mother and Heather spoke frequently.”

  “Upsetting,” said Mattheus.

  “That’s only half of it,” Cindy was speaking quickly, heatedly. She hadn’t processed any of it yet, and had enough to handle without having her head twisted around by Kendra. “I then called Heather right after I left to find out if Kendra and Margot knew about each other. Heather was a completely different person. Wouldn’t say a word, just brushed me off.”

  “Par for the course,” said Mattheus. “People fluctuate. Sometimes you catch them at an open moment, or you have to get them to that place. Then they get scared and close up again.”

  ““Scared of what?” asked Cindy.

  “Heather’s probably afraid of being implicated. No one wants to get too involved. Especially when it’s murder.”

  “This tells me that there’s more going on between Kendra and Heather than I thought.”

  “Probably,” said Mattheus.

  “Do you think Heather told Kendra about Margot?”

  “Good chance,” said Mattheus, “but that won’t do us any good. We need solid evidence. Gossip between women has a way of turning into smoke. It’s Kendra’s lie that I don’t like.”

  Cindy suddenly felt exhausted. She pushed her hair back off her face, which was moist with perspiration.

  “If Kendra knows about Margot it’s a whole new ball game,” Cindy said.

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Mattheus said. “There can be lots of reasons why she might know and never say a word. Or why she might lie to you.”

  Cindy liked that. She liked the way Mattheus stepped back and let the process have sway. He didn’t jump to conclusions like she did. Cindy admired the way he’d give up a theory on the spot as soon as he got evidence that was contrary.

  “You’re a scientist,” Cindy said slowly.

  Mattheus laughed. He seemed to like that. “You could say that,” he said, “scientist of the mind and heart.”

  Cindy felt more at ease, just sitting here with him, knowing she didn’t have to deal with all that was happening alone.

  “Let’s go over it all again from the beginning,” he said quietly. “If Kendra lied about Heather we’re on a whole new path. You know, the police are pretty convinced it’s her.”

  “I know,” said Cindy, “but I’m not. When I finally told her about the second wife, she really freaked out. Told me to get out of the house. I don’t think she had the slightest idea.”

  “No one seems to,” said Mattheus. “I mentioned it to Roomey and his eyes bulged out of his head. This is shocking to everyone.”

  “Heather May knew though,” Cindy went on. “She sent me to Margot’s house.”

  “Right,” said Mattheus. “And the police are taking the tack that Paul’s death is related to his having two wives. They feel that Kendra found out.”

  “They have no evidence.”

  “Not yet,” said Mattheus.

  Cindy and Mattheus looked at each other, as Mattheus shook his head. “It’s amazing that you found out that Kendra lied, though. This is big. Look at that, you did it again.”

  “Beginner’s luck,” said Cindy.

  “No,” said Mattheus, “It’s more than luck. You drew this to you. That’s how all good detectives work. The information they need pulls them to it. There’s a force out there looking after you.”

  Cindy loved the way Mattheus put things, she loved sitting here with him, the cool breezes from the ocean, wafting across them as they spoke. But it was painful going through this situation. Even though things looked awful for Kendra, deep within Cindy didn’t believe she’d killed Paul. There was something else, floating around in Cindy’s mind, though she couldn’t yet say just what.

  “I feel terrible adding to this suspicion about Kendra,” Cindy said to Mattheus.

  “We’re here to find the truth,” he said.

  “But I don’t think she did it,” Cindy said. “She lied for another reason. Maybe, even though she suspected it, she was ashamed that Paul actually had an affair, and was covering it up.”

  Mattheus reached over and put his hand over hers briefly. “You’re doing a wonderful job. You can’t feel bad about what you find. I’m going to check in with the police and let them know what we’ve found.”

  Cindy felt agitated. “Don’t tell them that she lied, yet. Give it some time. After all Kendra hired us.”

  “We can’t conceal evidence,” said Mattheus. “You have to trust that what is right will happen.”

  Cindy knew that he was right, but she couldn’t trust anything with the police. They were dying to grab Kendra and string her up. Cindy felt herself sinking at the thought of it. Then she looked up into Mattheus’ beautiful eyes. He had a way of lifting her spirits that she hadn’t experienced for a long while.

  Cindy tried one more time, though. “Listen, Mattheus,” she said, “before you tell the police that Kendra lied to me, finish checking on Paul’s clients. The answer to his murder could be there. It’s not fair to keep piling on suspicion about Kendra until you’ve cleared that up.”

  Mattheus smiled at her broadly. “I love how loyal you are,” he said. “I love that you don’t give up.”

  Cindy’s heart lifted again. “If you find just one guy who had a strong motive to kill him, that could turn things around. Otherwise we’re only tightening the noose around Kendra’s neck.

  “We’re not tightening the noose, she is!” said Mattheus. “At a time like this, what the hell right does she have to lie?”

  CHAPTER 18

  The minute Mattheus walked into the police station, a low cheer went up.

  “Great work, Mattheus,” Brayton called out. He was sitting at the desk with Nojo, going over stacks of papers. “Come on over, sit down. This is a damn treasure chest.”

  Mattheus went over and joined them.

  “Who could ever have imagined the guy had a second family? You would think one would be enough for any man,” Brayton said as Mattheus sat down.

  Brayton and Nojo laughed.

  “The other wife, Margot, is a good woman, too,” Brayton continued. “She opened her home to us, let us go through all the papers we needed. Looks like she’s a great mom to the son, too.”

  “Can’t be sure about that,” Mattheus interjected. These guys made up their minds much too fast.

  Nojo shook his head. “No, this woman is different from the others. You can see it right away. Not about to twist you and turn you.”

  Brayton laughed again. “Looks like Nojo’s got a shiner for this dame.”

  Nojo grunted uncomfortably.

  “Well,” said Mattheus “glad you like her, but whatever you see at first, it’s usually upside down. Here we thought this guy Paul was a regular chap and it turns out he’s crazier than the rest.”

  “You can say that again,” said Brayton. “Who the hell needs two wives when women around here are a dime a dozen?”

  “Must have enjoyed the con,” asked Mattheus.

  “Big time,” said Brayton. “Can’t say the guy wasn’t smart though. Did a great job with the hoods he defended. Got most of them off, too. I always thought he enjoyed it too much, though.”


  Nojo snorted. “Don’t know how he got himself a wife like Margot, either. Boy, she’s gonna help us nail the other one – and good.”

  That jogged Mattheus’ memory. He’d made a promise to Cindy he wanted to keep.

  “Don’t be so sure about Kendra,” said Mattheus. “I need more time to find out about Paul’s clients. I’m not done with my search.”

  “Search all you want,” Brayton said, “from the looks of things now, Kendra’s the one. And, what did your other search come up with? Roomey Burke, who everyone knows and Silbert Hours, of all people!”

  All the guys started laughing.

  “The best known pimp in these parts. And, where was he when Paul was killed? In bed with his ladies, all afternoon. We got one after another to vouch for him.”

  The guys laughed harder.

  “Alright, you guys, “Mattheus grinned, moving away. “I’m going to see what I can dig up now about Paul’s clients.”

  “Won’t be much better than that,” Brayton said.

  “Man, this is a huge waste of time,” Nojo grumbled.

  “Time’s one thing I can’t waste,” Mattheus grinned.

  “You want to make the boys look bad?” Nojo looked at him under a crinkled forehead.

  “Hey, it’s my job, to look in the corners you guys don’t have time for,” Mattheus said. If something comes up, it’ll make you look good.”

  Nojo laughed. “Want to make me look good? Find me a broad I can take home to mamma.”

  Mattheus laughed out loud. It was hard to imagine that Nojo had a mother who would want to see his girlfriend. “One of these days it’ll happen, Nojo.”

  “Yeah, when Paul comes back from the dead.”

  Mattheus went to the computers in the back of the room, sat down at the desk, and opened one up. He had the password to Paul’s professional files and it wasn’t hard bringing everything up. Mattheus searched for a list of the clients who’d lost their cases in the past two years. Surprisingly, there were only a few of them. Paul had been a hell of a defense lawyer.

  Mattheus took down the names, addresses and histories of the clients who’d lost. They’d all been sent to jail. He then looked further at their sentences. Mattheus wondered again why in hell anyone would defend low lives like these? What did it say about guys who defended them? Mattheus could never come to terms with it. Once he said that to some cops in Grenada and it didn’t go over well.

  “What in hell are you suggesting?” they’d said. “Everyone’s got a right to a defense. It’s the law.”

  Mattheus didn’t say anything, but deep down, he didn’t agree. There was a natural law too, that got rid of poison, knew how to wipe it away. Mattheus could smell a killer a mile away, especially someone who could slit his girlfriend’s throat. A bastard like that deserves to die.

  Mattheus scanned the list of Paul’s cases. Seemed he only lost about five per cent of them. The rest went off scott free. Clearly, Paul had good relationships with the cops and judges. Mattheus wondered about the cases he lost. What had happened? Most of guys were still sitting in jail. One wasn’t! He popped out immediately – Salmon Abels, released on probation two weeks before Paul’s murder. Mattheus let out a long, slow whistle. This was hot - something to explore. He dug in further, looking up a record of the trial. Abels had been accused of slitting his girlfriend’s throat a couple of years ago and went to jail. Mattheus was shocked that he’d be let out on probation now. The case was entirely circumstantial, there was not one piece of evidence linking him to the crime. And, the case didn’t go to court. Paul had arranged a deal for a lesser sentence. There’d been lots of questions about what had happened.

  Once the deal was made, the guy kept saying he’d been hoodwinked into it because he was scared. He was completely innocent. He blamed his rotten luck on Paul right from the start. Once in jail he created a little stir, yelling that he was innocent, gathering a few public supporters, demanding an appeal.

  Mattheus read further. The case only seemed to have had nuisance value for Paul. He’d responded to the guy’s pleas a few times, refusing to do the appeal. Paul told Abels he’d gotten a great deal and would be out with good behavior in a few years. Paul seemed to know something the guy didn’t know, and something that didn’t make sense to Mattheus either. He wondered about it. When Paul kept refusing to appeal, the guy finally found someone else, who got him out on probation. And, Noles had been let out on probation two weeks before Paul was killed!

  “Sweet Jesus,” Mattheus breathed. “It isn’t possible!” Mattheus let out a long, slow whistle. He couldn’t believe his eyes. This could be the missing link. These guys got crazy in jail with nothing to do but dwell on the people they thought did them wrong.

  “Hey guys,” Mattheus let out a holler. “Get over here this second!”

  The shrill urgency in his voice pulled Brayton and others right to him.

  “Salmon Noles,” Mattheus uttered, “convicted killer of Paul’s, let out on probation two weeks before he died.”

  “Coincidence,” said Brayton, “nothing to get excited about.”

  The guy talked in jail - blamed Paul for it,” said Mattheus.

  “They all got to blame someone,” Nojo said. “That’s why they end up in jail.”

  “I’m going to check out this dude, face to face,” said Mattheus, eager to get to him.

  Mattheus saw Nojo’s eyes turn to slits as he looked at Mattheus. He probably feels my hate, thought Mattheus. Probably knows how badly I’d like to get my hands on this guy - teach him a lesson. Mattheus wasn’t ashamed of any of it. Justice comes with different faces, he thought. Best when it happens naturally, like a tiger, stalking its prey.

  “This is a detour and waste of time,” said Brayton. “There’s plenty you can help us do to finish nailing Kendra.”

  Mattheus loved man hunts, circling a trapped criminal, weaving a web, drawing him in. He especially loved the moment they got him close, so he could look into the guy’s eyes as he knew his time was up. The blood in Mattheus’ veins began to boil. He thought of the hunts he’d been on for his wife’s killer, and how they’d come to nothing. Mattheus had gone round and round again in circles trying to track the killer down. The guy was sure footed and tricky though, knew each step of his way, disappeared into thin air. Some said he was hiding in plain sight. Mattheus didn’t accept any of it. It took Mattheus a year to stop tracking him. The guy was still out there, though. Mattheus knew he’d never rest easy until he was found.

  Brayton scraped his throat and looked at Mattheus, long and hard. “Connecting this convict to our case is a long shot,” he said. “If you ask me, it’s a waste of time.”

  “Don’t agree,” Mattheus shook his head hard. “It’s something you got to clear up before you nail Kendra. Otherwise there’s reasonable doubt.”

  “What kind of doubt?” Brayton snarled, and started tapping the floor with his foot. “It’s as clear as day. Kendra had to have found out about the other wife. How could she not have? She’s one shrewd broad. And there’s got to be evidence out there proving it. In fact, I’m sure there is.” He looked long and hard at Mattheus.

  “Maybe there is and maybe there isn’t,” said Mattheus, non-committal. If he told them that Kendra had lied to Cindy, it would be all over in a second. Mattheus wasn’t ready for the case to close though, and neither was Cindy. There was more to dig up. They both felt certain of it. And, this escaped convict could be the missing link.

  “I’m going to talk to Salmon Noles,” Mattheus said.

  “You’re one stubborn dude,” said Nojo.

  “Better off staying here, “said Brayton. “We could use anything else you could find on Kendra. We’re setting up a meeting between her and Margot and having it recorded. They’re going to lunch.”

  Mattheus wrinkled his nose. “I’m more interested in Salmon then listening in on two ladies at lunch.”

  Nojo laughed out loud, but Brayton wasn’t having any part of that.

/>   “We’ve already talked to Margot. She’s willing to do it, even though it’s not going to be easy for her.”

  Mattheus was surprised. Margot hadn’t seemed like a woman who’d be willing to go out of her way.

  “She’s working with us - wants to find her husband’s killer as bad as we do. She’s agreed to wear a tape during her lunch with Kendra.”

  “Well, Cindy can step in and handle the ladies,” said Mattheus. “Me,– I want to look this killer straight in the eye.”

  “You and Cindy each know your place?” said Brayton, edgy.

  “That’s right,” said Mattheus.

  “Quite a team, aren’t you?” said Brayton.

  “The best on the islands,” Mattheus grinned.

  *

  Mattheus’ heart was beating as he went to the hotel to meet Cindy. He wanted to tell her about Salmon Noles in person. She was the one who’d pushed him to do it, and once again, she’d been right.

  He got to the hotel and went out to the veranda, where she was waiting. It was cooler than usual, closer to the time the storms were coming. There were moments when Mattheus saw Cindy with fresh eyes. Right now she looked especially lovely, her hair blowing in the wind. He rushed over and sat down at her side.

  “Get ready,” he said.

  Cindy’s eyes opened wide.

  “I found a client of Paul’s who’d been sent to jail for murder who was let out on probation two weeks before Paul was killed.”

  Cindy gasped.

  “Not only that he talked a lot in jail, said he blamed Paul for what happened.”

  “My God,” breathed Cindy, “this could be it.”

  Mattheus watched her tremble as he spoke. It was touching to see how important it was to her to help Kendra.

  “I’ve told the guys about it,” said Mattheus and I’m going myself to check him out.

  “Thank God,” said Cindy again.

  But Mattheus stopped her. “Not yet,” he said, “don’t get your hopes up. It’s only a possibility.” He knew from long experience, it was dangerous to pin your hopes on anything too soon. And it was easy to do. Too easy to focus in on someone you thought should be guilty and block everything else out.