by Jaden Skye
“That’s not evidence,” said Cindy. “But tell me more about Clay, I’m interested.”
“Thank God someone’s interested in finding out the truth, not just jumping all over me. They’re never going to be able to lock me up, because I didn’t do it,” said Sean. “Talk to Clay’s family. Find out more about him.”
“That’s a good suggestion, thanks for it,” said Cindy.
Sean let out a long jagged breath. “Kate got with Sean much too quick. It had to be on the rebound. That’s where the problem is, between her and him. What has it got to do with Riva?”
For a second Cindy wanted to mention that Riva had been emailing Clay, but stopped herself instantly. If what Mattheus thought about Sean was true, that could put Riva in danger.
“We need to talk to Riva, just to cover all bases,” said Cindy.
“Yeah, I heard that before,” Sean quipped. “How’s she involved in all this?”
“No one said she’s involved,” Cindy said. “Riva knew Kate though, didn’t she?”
“A little,” said Sean. “Kate didn’t usually socialize with the girls from Riva’s crowd.”
“What kind of crowd was that?” asked Cindy.
“Poorer, a little on the edge. So what?” said Sean.
“Are you and Riva are tight?” asked Cindy.
“We’re friends – friends with benefits,” he chuckled. “Ever hear of that? I was never as tight with her as I was with Kate.”
“Kate was the one for you?” Cindy said.
Sean became silent. Cindy felt his hurt over the phone.
“I realize that you loved her,” Cindy continued.
Sean could not speak. Finally, he recovered himself. “So, what else do you want from me?” he muttered.
“What do you think happened to her, Sean?” Cindy wanted to hear more of what he thought.
“That’s just it, I’m not sure,” Sean’s voice deepened and hardened. “I don’t know, but I don’t think Kate killed herself. Not Kate, no way. Not only should you dig into Clay’s family, but also talk to Kate’s Uncle Carl. Kate and Carl were way too close, always. She told him every little thing. He’s the one who can give you a lead, if he wants to. He probably won’t want to exposure the family dirt, though. That family keeps everything looking pretty. Their lives are based on it.”
“What dirt?” asked Cindy, alerted.
“Dirt, dirt, dirt,” said Sean. “Ask Carl, he knows.”
Cindy hung up the phone, shaken. True Sean was rough, but there was also something plain and direct about him that Cindy resonated with. And, clearly, Sean loved Kate. Cindy felt certain of it. No matter how hurt Sean had been, Cindy didn’t feel he’d push her to her death.
*
Cindy and Mattheus caught up with Riva in Monte’s, a trendy bar in a nook. People started gathering there in the afternoon, and the bar was hopping all through the night. When they spotted her, Riva was sitting at the bar with a bunch of girls, drinking Marguerites, as if everything was fine with the world.
Cindy and Mattheus made their way over to her easily, recognizing her photo. She was slim with long, chestnut brown hair, dark eyes, too much make up and a great figure. She was dressed in very tight jeans and low shirt
“Riva?” asked Mattheus, standing beside her.
Riva looked up, startled. “Who are you?” she asked.
Mattheus moved in closer, “I’m a private detective working on the case,” he said in a hushed tone.
Riva squinted her eyes. “It’s terrible, awful, isn’t it,” she breathed, putting her drink down on the bar.
As Riva put her drink down, Cindy moved in as well. As she did, to Cindy’s amazement, she saw a beautiful amber bracelet that Riva was wearing that looked incredibly familiar to her.
Riva turned her head and looked over at Cindy then. “Who are you?” she asked, defensive.
“I’m working with Mattheus on the case,” Cindy said.
“You guys cornering me or something?” asked Riva.
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” said Cindy, remembering Riva from the dinner that night.
Riva’s eyes squinted further. She didn’t seem to like Cindy, looked back over at Mattheus, far more comfortable.
“What do you both want from me?” Riva asked him pointedly.
“We’d just like to talk to you alone for a few minutes,” said Mattheus.
“Alone? I’m here with a tour.”
“It’ll only take a few minutes,” Cindy interjected, “how about we go to a quiet table in the back.”
“How long?” Riva’s eyelids fluttered.
“Just a few minutes,” Mattheus interjected, going closer to her and calming her down.
“Okay,” she said, blocking Cindy out, and smiling at him.
Riva took her drink with her as the three of them walked to a table in the rear. Fortunately, it was still early and the back of the place was relatively quiet.
As Cindy watched Riva sway her hips and glide to the back table, Cindy kept wracking her brain to remember where she’d seen the bracelet Riva wore.
After they were seated, Riva still focused exclusively on Mattheus. “Shoot,” Riva said “Ask me any questions you have.”
“You knew Kate well?” Mattheus started.
Riva shrugged. “I knew her a long time,” she answered. “Not that well. We traveled in different circles.”
“How about Sean?” Mattheus continued.
Riva sighed and looked at Cindy out of the corner of her eye, uneasy.
“Sean and I were an item,” Riva started, “at least I thought so.”
“What do you mean an item?” Cindy couldn’t help asking.
“We had it going,” Riva said flippantly. “It was nice between us, great chemistry.”
“I heard Sean was Kate’s boyfriend for a long time,” Cindy commented.
“Yeah, he was,” Riva crossed her legs and picked up her drink. “When they broke up, Sean and I got together.”
“They broke up a lot, didn’t they?” asked Mattheus.
“From time to time,” said Riva.
“I heard they were about to get engaged,” Cindy broke in.
“You always hear all kinds of things about them,” Riva shot back. “They’re together, apart, in love, in hate, getting engaged, getting separated for life.”
“When were they in hate?” asked Mattheus, excited to hear that.
“When they broke up, when it was over and done, Sean would tell me how relieved he was, that Kate was a huge drag on him.”
“How so?” asked Cindy, fascinated.
“Kate was fancy, demanding, used to having every little thing her heart desired. It became a big strain on Sean.”
“Maybe he didn’t want to give her everything her heart desired?” said Mattheus
Riva smiled at him, “Maybe not. Why would he?”
“Did Kate tell Sean he didn’t give enough to her?” asked Cindy.
“Not in so many words,” said Riva. “But there’s all kinds of ways of making a person feel lousy. Sean always felt much better about himself when he and Kate were broken up. I was much better for him, ask anyone. He was a different guy when he was with me. He laughed more, stopped fighting so much.”
So why was he about to become engaged to her?” Cindy probed. She didn’t like Riva or trust her for a second.
“I didn’t hear that until recently,” Riva said to Cindy then, in a smaller tone. “After Kate met Clay, I really thought that Sean and I would be finally together.”
“It didn’t work that way, though, did it?” asked Cindy.
“No, it didn’t, but so what?” Riva said, flipping her hand up and tossing her hair back over her shoulders. As she did her amber bracelet tossed up in front of Cindy again.
“That’s quite a bracelet you have there,” Cindy commented.
“Something wrong with my bracelet now?” Riva asked, rolling her eyes and looking to Mattheus for help.
“Nothing w
rong at all,” said Cindy, “it’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” said Riva, smiling.
Then it hit Cindy hard, like a flash from nowhere. That was the bracelet Kate wore at dinner that night in the hotel. Cindy had noticed it then as well.
Riva put her wrist down then, as if to hide it.
“That’s Kate’s bracelet, isn’t it?” Cindy said flippantly.
Riva stared at Cindy unabashed. “No, it’s mine now.”
“Now?” asked Cindy.
“Sean gave it to me,” Riva uttered.
Cindy and Mattheus stared at each other in shock.
“How did Sean get Kate’s bracelet?” asked Mattheus.
“I have no idea,” said Riva, “I didn’t ask him. I was just happy when he gave it to me.”
“You were happy to be wearing a dead girl’s bracelet?” Cindy asked, horrified.
“Sean gave it to me, it was mine, now,” Riva’s voice got louder.
“So, you had her guy and her bracelet,” Cindy flung back at her.
“Clay was Kate’s guy,” said Riva, growing more nervous. “Didn’t you see on her Facebook page? They’d gotten engaged.”
“Accessory to a crime and you go to jail too,” Mattheus broke in, somberly.
“I didn’t do anything to go to jail for,” Riva’s voice grew teary and scared.
“If Sean took this bracelet from Kate, it means he was with her when she died,” Mattheus said in a no nonsense manner. “You knew he was with her that night, didn’t you?”
Riva began shaking. “No, I didn’t, I swear it. I knew he was upset and needed to see Kate just one more time. That’s what he told me. He said he was going to talk to her. When he came back he said he couldn’t get into her room.”
“So, how’d he get the bracelet?” Mattheus demanded.
“I have no idea about that,” said Riva, trembling, “truly I don’t.”
“Did you think it was an engagement present for you from Sean?” asked Cindy.
“No, I didn’t,” Riva practically spit out. “I’m not that stupid. Yeah, I thought Sean loved me for a long time and that we’d be together someday. He told me that and I believed him. But when I saw how crazy it made him to lose Kate, I realized it wasn’t true. He couldn’t stand being away from her for a long time - let alone forever. He was so furious when he heard Kate found someone else that I told him to go talk to her Uncle Carl. Carl was the only one who could influence Kate. Believe it or not, I tried to help Sean and Kate get back together.”
“You loved him that much?” said Mattheus.
“I don’t know anymore,” Riva’s mouth pursed shut. “The more I think about it, the more mad I get.”
“What happened when Sean went to see Kate’s Uncle Carl?” asked Cindy, wanting to stay on track.
“Carl told Sean that Kate was going down to Aruba with a guy named Clay. It was over between them. That was the first time Kate had ever been with another guy. It flipped Sean out. It was mean of Carl to tell him that.”
“You knew that Carl hated Sean though, didn’t you?” asked Cindy. “Didn’t you realize he’d tell Sean to back off?”
Riva looked furious. “Sean didn’t deserve to be treated that way by Carl. Who the hell did Carl think he was? Always getting between Sean and Kate, always making Sean feel like dirt. And stupid Kate always listened to her Uncle. It was all pathetic if you asked me.”
“Pathetic or not, it upset Sean a lot, didn’t it?” asked Mattheus.
“That’s putting it mildly,” said Riva. “Sean begged me to come down to Aruba with him so he could stick it to her.”
“He wanted to upset Kate by having her meet you?” asked Cindy.
“He wanted to even things out,” said Riva, “regain his lost pride.”
“Why did you agree to go if you knew he didn’t love you?” asked Mattheus.
“I just did,” said Riva. “He and I were friends at least. You do things like this for your friends when they’re hurting. But I didn’t really want to go, I felt trouble coming. Believe me, I never thought it would come to this.”
“To someone killing Kate?” asked Cindy.
Riva’s eyes opened, terrified. “I thought police were saying suicide? Did they prove someone killed her?”
“Pretty close to proving it,” said Mattheus.
Kate put her hands over her face. “I’m sorry, it’s awful. It’s terrible.”
“And you’re wearing her bracelet,” Cindy repeated.
“So, what does that mean?” asked Riva, trembling now.
“You’re implicated,” said Mattheus.
“But I didn’t do a thing, nothing,” Riva’s body was shaking harder now. “I’ll talk to the police about Sean, if you want me to. I’ll tell them he was out of control at the end.”
“You’ll turn on him, just like that?” said Cindy.
“I’m not turning on anyone,” Riva insisted, “I’m just telling the truth.”
CHAPTER 17
Mattheus called the news in to the police immediately. As soon as they heard that Riva was wearing Kate’s bracelet, and that she got it from Sean, they had enough to arrest him. It was the final piece of evidence they needed.
“They’re arresting him,” Mattheus said to Cindy as he hung up the phone. “That does it. Case is closed.”
“Just based on a bracelet?” asked Cindy, startled.
“Not just a bracelet,” Mattheus was annoyed. “It was Kate’s bracelet. Obviously Sean took it from her. That places him with her on the night of her death. Then, after the creep took it from Kate, he gave it to his girlfriend. What’s worse than that?”
“Not good,” Cindy agreed.
“Well, it’s good for someone,” said Mattheus. “At least Clay and his family will be off the hook and allowed to return home.”
Cindy felt a wave of uneasiness wash over her at the thought of it. She didn’t want them to leave yet. Not any of them. She felt unsettled.
“When will they go?” she asked, petulantly.
“The police said they’ll tell them they’re free to go,” said Mattheus, victorious. “My guess is they’ll leave tomorrow.”
Cindy grew pale and faced Mattheus directly. “You’re so sure about Sean? This is enough evidence to lock up a guy for life?”
“The bracelet and Riva testifying against him are a knockout punch,” said Mattheus. “You did a great job spotting that bracelet and recognizing where it came from.”
Cindy felt upset that she had.
“Come on,” said Mattheus, “let’s walk back to the hotel.”
Cindy and Mattheus started walking slowly. It was late afternoon, but had grown very cloudy and the winds that were really blowing up.
“Crazy weather for this time of year,” Cindy commented.
“Could be that storm about to hit,” said Mattheus. “I’ve got to go over to the police station to file a report on this. Why don’t you go back to the room and check the news on TV. I’ll catch up with you there, later.”
“Fine,” said Cindy, relieved to have some time alone to think about what to do next.
*
Back in the room Cindy turned on the TV. “Out of season storm, headed our way, about to hit,” the news reported. “Coast lands will be affected. No evacuations as yet. Better to stay indoors for now.”
At that moment the hotel phone rang sharply. Cindy picked up. “
“Hear there’s been breaking developments on the case,” Carl was on the other end.
“News travels fast,” said Cindy. “How do you know?”
“I was talking to Clay’s father in the lobby. Police called and told him they could all go home,” said Carl.
“There’s been progress for sure,” said Cindy, disheartened.
“I want to hear all about it,” said Carl, “how about meeting me downstairs in the café and filling me in?”
“Good idea,” said Cindy. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Before she went
down, Cindy decided to freshen up. It had been a long day. She changed quickly into a yellow, silk summer dress, brushed her hair and put on new makeup. Feeling more like herself, she then went downstairs to meet Carl in the café which overlooked the main beach.
When Cindy got there, she was surprised to see that the sky had quickly gotten so much darker and filled with threatening clouds. And, the winds which were tossing wildly by now, seem to be shaking the outside of the hotel. As she walked further in, she immediately saw Carl who had arrived before she did and was sitting at a table waiting for her.
“I love storms,” Carl said, getting up to pull her chair out. “They’re beautiful. Usually they pass quickly on this island.”
Cindy smiled. She loved storms as well, the raw energy of it. She sat down and Carl pushed her chair back in gently and then went back to his seat, opposite her, looking more worn that before.
“It’s good to be here with you, Cindy,” Carl started. “You’ve done a fantastic job.”
“The job’s not over yet, either,” breathed Cindy.
“Looks like it will be shortly,” said Carl. “The police obviously feel they’ve got their man if they’re going to let Clay and his family leave.”
“They’re convinced it’s Sean,” said Cindy, hesitantly.
“I know, I heard,” said Carl, looking into Cindy’s eyes. “It makes sense to me.”
“It makes sense because you never could stand him, right?” asked Cindy.
“I didn’t like him and he didn’t like me,” said Carl doggedly. “He moved in on Kate when she was very young, got her addicted to him. It was a hell of a struggle after that. I did whatever I could to get her away, but nothing worked.”
“So, Sean won the battle?” said Cindy, “he got the final say?” She wanted to egg Carl on, see what else she could get from him.
“You could put it that way,” Carl’s eyes narrowed in pain. “But who won? Nobody. And who lost everything? Kate.” Carl’s breath became jagged as he spoke.
Cindy suddenly felt very badly that she’d pushed him so far.
“I’m really sorry, Carl,” she said and put her hand on his.
He covered her hand with his other one. “You’re amazing, you’re fantastic, you’re beautiful,” the words poured out by themselves. “We couldn’t have gotten through any of this without you.”
