Jaden Skye - Caribbean Murder 07 - Death by Proposal
Page 2
“You’re saying that I’m wonderful?” Mattheus’s eyes creased into a warm smile.
“Yes, I am,” Cindy replied. “More than wonderful.”
Mattheus took it in and then engulfed her in another long kiss.
As they kissed, the fleeting image of the young ash blonde woman flickered before Cindy’s mind. Somehow she reminded Cindy of herself years ago. Was she also having a beautiful night? Did her boyfriend want to give her everything she needed or was there struggle between them? Cindy thought of all the nights she had struggled with relationships. It had never been easy for her, things had never flowed this way before. There had always been unwanted surprises.
“What are you thinking?” Mattheus asked. He was always too sensitive to Cindy’s feelings, could always tell when she was drifting away.
Cindy couldn’t tell him she was thinking of the young woman at the table next to theirs. He would be insulted. And he had a right to be. All her thoughts should be focused on him and their beautiful time together now.
“I’m thinking of how you’ve planned so many wonderful touches,” said Cindy, “the rose petals, the candles, the beautiful music.”
“No you’re not,” Mattheus laughed. “I know when you’re here with me and when you’re far away.”
“I’m not far away, Mattheus,” Cindy smiled, pulling him closer.
“Then, prove it to me,” he said, his arms clasped tightly around her, pulling her back down with him onto the bed.
CHAPTER 2
The early morning light shone on Clay as he slept in the king size bed in the deluxe suite he’d reserved for himself and Kate. This was a special vacation, a time they’d remember their whole life long. He wanted it to be perfect in every way.
Clay stretched slowly and then reached out to pull Kate close to him. His arms swept her side of the bed, but no one was there.
Clay opened his eyes wider, quickly rolled over and gazed at the empty space. Kate’s pillow was rumpled and the beautifully embroidered quilt on her side was tossed aside. She’d probably woken up a few minutes earlier and was in the bathroom, showering. Kate had told him she was an early riser. There was nothing to feel uneasy about.
Clay rubbed his hands over his face and got out of bed. He’d surprise her in the bathroom, jump into the shower with her and cover her with hugs. Kate would love that.
As Clay went to the bathroom he looked around at the beautiful suite. It was perfect for the occasion, elegant, spacious and stocked with wine, crackers, cheese, fruit and chocolates for both of them.
“I’m here, sweetheart,” Clay said, as he flung open the bathroom door.
To his surprise the room was quiet, the shower not running. No one was there.
“Kate?” Clay called out, nervously.
No answer. Damn.
“Kate!” his voice got louder, as he slammed the bathroom door closed and went rummaging through the suite. She must be playing some kind of game with him, thought Clay. Women did that. They thought it was cute. Clay never fully understood women, but when he met Kate it had been different. He felt comfortable with her right away. She never seemed like someone who would play these silly games. He was wrong about that. She was doing it now. He had no idea why.
“Kate, Kate,” he kept calling.
It was early, only seven in the morning. Had she woken up early, been unable to sleep and gone downstairs for breakfast? He doubted it, but who knew? This was a life changing week-end for her and maybe she couldn’t sleep. Maybe she needed a little time on her own.
“Kate, Kate,” Clay kept calling as he scoured every corner of the suite. Nothing had been moved or changed in any way. Her beautiful, blue dress still lay draped over the back of the beige velvet chair, exactly where she’d left it last night. Wouldn’t she have hung it up if she’d gotten up, dressed for breakfast and gone downstairs alone?
Clay pulled open the closet doors. Kate’s clothes were hung perfectly, as when she unpacked. He ran his hand across them. They were elegant, too, just like she was. Everything about her was perfectly coordinated. He had no idea why she was doing this now.
“Damn,” Clay grumbled, as he reached for his khakis and T shirt. He’d have to go downstairs to find her. Before he did, one more thing crossed his mind. Could she be out on the patio? Had she woken up, gone out to rest on the lounge out there and fallen back to sleep? That had to be it. Suddenly Clay remembered Kate saying that she loved sleeping under the stars. Immediately, he felt better.
“Kate,” he called as he stepped out on the patio. But the lounge was also empty. No one there either.
Before he left the patio to find her, Clay thought of looking downstairs. Could Kate be outside taking a walk, enjoying the incredible scenery around the courtyard? By now he couldn’t put anything past her. Obviously, there were sides to her he never knew about. Clay walked to the edge of the patio and looked down.
Suddenly, his entire body froze and grew numb. Someone was laying on their back, spread out on the courtyard. They weren’t sleeping, they weren’t moving. Clay leaned further to see who it was.
“Kate!” a fierce scream suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart up through his lungs out through his throat. Clay’s eyes blurred and his heart pounded as his desperate shouts got wilder, echoing through the sleeping hotel. Windows and doors began opening. Guests began stepping out on their patios, looking down. Clay barely heard other screams in the background, or the rustle of people rushing downstairs. He barely heard the sound of the police sirens approaching.
“Kate! Kate!”
Frozen, he just held onto the patio railing for dear life. He could hardly breathe.
It was her. It was Kate.
CHAPTER 3
The sound of desperate shouts rang through the morning air waking Cindy and Mattheus abruptly. They jumped out of bed, ran to their patio and looked down into the courtyard below. A crowd had gathered surrounding something. It was impossible to see what from here.
Cindy looked around at the other patios in the hotel. Each one was filled with guests craning their necks, talking and calling to one another.
A middle aged couple stood on the patio next to theirs. The woman leaned towards Cindy and called out, “Do you know what’s happened?”
“I don’t,” said Cindy.
“I heard someone’s laying dead down there. Looks like they jumped.”
“My God,” Cindy said, her heart pounding.
Mattheus drew closer, putting his arms around Cindy.
“When did it happen?” Cindy called back to the woman.
“Let’s go back inside,” said Mattheus.
“No one knows yet,” the woman responded. “The police just arrived on the scene. It’s horrible.”
“Who was it?” asked Cindy.
“A guest at the hotel,” the woman called over the sounds of the birds that had flown into the trees and stood on the branches chirping loudly.
“Cindy, let’s go back inside,” Mattheus insisted.
“But something terrible has happened,” Cindy felt shaky.
“We don’t know what,” Mattheus said softly, “and we can’t see anything from here.” Then he took her arm and led her off the patio back into their room.
Cindy sat down on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. It was awful to wake up like this, the cries had cut through her like a call to battle.
Mattheus went over to the refrigerator and poured her a glass of orange juice.
“It’s incredible that something like this would happen right under our nose, when we’ve come to get away,” Cindy murmured.
Mattheus handed her the juice and Cindy took it gratefully.
“Thanks,” she said. It was cool and refreshing and helped her wake up.
“Suicides are happening everywhere in the world,” Mattheus said as he sat down beside her. “This is a place for the rich and famous. Makes sense they’d come down here and decide to end it all. This has nothing to do with us.”
Cindy remembered Mattheus’s old bitterness towards rich people. It had no place here and now. She looked up at him and despite his comment, he looked wonderful. There was a strength and peace about Mattheus she hadn’t seen in a long time. It actually surprised Cindy to see him so planted in himself again. Their night together had been marvelous too, more than either of them could have ever hoped for. Cindy remembered that Mattheus always was more centered and giving after they’d been happy together. He was a truly a man who needed a woman, though he never would have said so himself.
Cindy smiled and stroked his face. “Our night together was amazing,” she said.
He smiled broadly, nodding. “And I don’t want anything to spoil it, ever.”
Cindy got up to put the glass away. “Do you want me to get you some juice, too?”
Mattheus got up and walked beside her. “No, you’ve already given me everything I’ve ever needed.”
Cindy stopped and looked at him surprised. It was wonderful to be on the same page again, fulfilling each other so deeply.
“Let’s go back to bed now,” he whispered.
Cindy turned and looked at him stunned. “Now? After something terrible has just happened down there.”
“But we don’t know what, and it’s not even our business,” Mattheus replied. “This is bum luck to have happened here on our vacation, but we can’t let it get in the way.”
“In the way of what?” Cindy was confused.
“Of us, of our time together,” Mattheus answered quickly.
“It won’t get in our way, but something has happened, Mattheus. We can’t just pretend it hasn’t. We have to find out more,” said Cindy.
“Why?” asked Mattheus, put out.
Cindy was startled by his response. “Are we just supposed to go through our day as though someone didn’t die under our window?”
“It wasn’t under our window,” Mattheus insisted. “It’s the hotel’s window. We’re just guests. We’re here to be together, enjoy each other, make plans for our life.”
“Of course, I understand,” said Cindy, “but don’t you want to at least find out what happened?”
“If you want the truth, I do not,” said Mattheus firmly, “I want to lay back down in bed with you and hold you in my arms.”
Cindy couldn’t do it. “I want that too, but not this second,” she said.
“Cindy,” Mattheus looked at her firmly, “this second is all we’ve got.”
“This second and then the next one,” said Cindy.
“But anything can spoil our time together,” Mattheus replied, petulantly. “It’s so great between us now.”
“Mattheus, someone just died under our window. I can’t lay back down with you right this moment in bed.”
Mattheus shrugged and walked away. Cindy absolutely refused to get into a fight with him about this. He was right, she saw how quickly life could change and spoil whatever they’d found. But still, the howl of pain that had woken her up couldn’t be disregarded. It kept ringing through Cindy’s mind.
“Let’s get dressed and go downstairs for breakfast,” Cindy suggested. “We’ll find out what happened, take a few moments, then we can roam around the island. I always wanted to visit Aruba, see the Lighthouse, and snorkel at Baby Beach.” It seemed like a good balance to Cindy. They weren’t pretending nothing had happened, and they weren’t getting stuck in the middle of it.
Mattheus’s face brightened. “Thanks, that’s great,” he said softly.
Cindy stepped closer to him. “Don’t thank me,” she said, “you’re right, Mattheus. We have to remember what we can down here for.”
“It’s not always easy,” he agreed. “I feel antsy, too.”
Cindy was relieved to hear that.
“But you come first to me now,” Mattheus continued and I have to come first to you too.”
CHAPTER 4
It felt strange to Cindy to come first to someone. She wasn’t used to it, hadn’t really felt that before, not even with Clint. It felt more natural and comfortable for her to put work first and have her partner do the same.
“Let’s go, let’s get dressed,” Mattheus was excited about embarking upon their day.
Cindy put on blue linen shorts and a hand painted yellow T shirt and packed a beach bag with a bathing suit and swimming gear. She brushed her hair until it was shiny and felt refreshed and excited as they left their room to go downstairs together.
Breakfast was served in several places, the main coffee shop, the outdoor terrace in front of the hotel and in the back garden, down under a hill, nestled under hanging trees. The terrace in front was easiest to get to.
When Cindy and Mattheus stepped out of the elevator, into the lobby it was packed with guests, reporters and police. A sense of fear and shock pervaded the atmosphere. You could see it on all the faces and hear it in the hushed conversations taking place.
“Oh God,” Cindy whispered, “we have a radar for trouble, run into it wherever we go.”
“This is not our trouble, we’re guests, “Mattheus repeated as they started to walk to the front terrace. But, like everyone else, they were soon stopped by hotel security.
“Guests are being asked not to leave the premises until we interview them,” a tall, lanky guard said. “Sorry about this. It’s a matter of routine. The front entrances are blocked off.”
Mattheus nodded. “We were headed to the front terrace for breakfast,” he said.
“Blocked off for now,” the lanky guard said. “Better go to the coffee shop. Once they speak to you, you’re free to leave.”
Cindy and Mattheus nodded and headed towards the coffee shop, making their way through the uneasy crowds, who looked at each other furtively. They had to be wondering if the killer was here among them, Cindy guessed.
“Nervous crowd,” Mattheus remarked, picking up the edgy vibes.
“They’re obviously wondering who was found dead and how it happened,” Cindy commented.
“Question is - was it a suicide or murder?” said Mattheus.
Cindy stopped walking and looked at him. “Why do you say that?”
Mattheus shrugged, “At first glance it looks like suicide with victim lying splattered on the ground. When someone could have jumped, the police usually consider it suicide in the beginning. But it’s an assumption. The death has to be investigated.”
A slow chill ran up Cindy’s arms. She knew that what Mattheus was saying was correct. She also knew it was possible that the person was murdered and that the murderer was roaming among them right now.
“Are the police any good on this island, Mattheus?” Cindy asked quickly.
“Same as any island,” he remarked. “Overworked, underpaid, probably sick to death of foreigners.” Then he took her arm and moved her along. “Come on, let’s go get breakfast, it’s our vacation, remember.”
*
A few minutes after they were seated near the window in the hotel coffee shop, Cindy saw two, tall, heavy Caribbean cops making their way towards their table.
“C and M Investigations?” the larger cop asked, grinning at them, pulling out some chairs to sit down.
Cindy was taken aback.
“We’ve been checking all the people here at the hotel,” the larger cop said, matter of factly. “You guys are pretty famous down in the Caribbean. We spotted you in a second.”
“Right now we’re here as guests,” Mattheus interjected.
The large cop scratched his head and nodded. “Dumb, rotten luck,” he said, “the girl who died thought she was here as a guest, too.” Then he threw a searching look at Mattheus, who did not respond.
“This comes at a bad time for us,” the cop went on, “we need all the help we can get. Crime is up on the Island, more lousy gangs floating around. We’re working on busting one of them and Carnival is coming up. We need our guys for all that. Don’t have time to waste on a suicide.”
The waiter came and poured them all coffee.
Spike just nodded when his name was mentioned, and drank his coffee in one gulp, the second it came.
Despite their lackadaisical manner, and Rod’s taking the liberty of ordering for them, Cindy liked both of them. Their unpretentiousness was refreshing. She enjoyed that Rod shot straight from the hip.
“You guys are sure it’s a suicide?” Cindy quickly intervened. She knew that the police hoped it was; wanted to get things tied up fast.
“When you find them dead under their window, ninety nine per cent of the time, they’ve jumped,” Rod spoke fast. “Of course this could be that other one per cent. You never know. That’s why we’ve got to talk to the people at the hotel. Someone could have seen or heard something, a fight, a threat, too much alcohol?”
Cindy knew well what they were up against. Hours of interviews to be conducted with guests who felt upset enough as it was. The police didn’t want to make it worse. It was bad for business, bad for PR, bad for the island generally.
“Cindy and I are on vacation now,” Mattheus repeated, “We’re sorry to hear this.”
Rod interrupted coarsely, filling them in as if they were already part of the team.
“The beautiful young lady found dead was twenty six years old,” Rod started. “She was here with her boyfriend for a long week-end. People saw them at the hotel last night, dining, having fun. Most said they looked like they were in love. No sign of trouble. But, when we talked to guests on their floor, they said they heard loud voices around midnight and someone banging on their door.”
Cindy was startled. “Did anyone open their door to see who it was?”
“No one,”“ Rod snickered. “Of course it’s not that no one looked, but no one wants to get involved. Why would they? They’re on vacation,” and he threw Mattheus a long side glance.