Death by Betrayal (Book #10 in the Caribbean Murder series)

Chapter 1

Cindy boarded the plane home from Anguilla alone. She didn’t want Sean accompanying her back now, it was too much. Someday, maybe? She also realized that Mattheus had to remain in the Caribbean with his daughter and her mother to keep them safe. How long would that last? No one knew. The time had come to make important decisions and Cindy wanted to make them alone. She was through with being influenced by circumstances or passing emotions.

Dressed casually in khaki slacks and an azure blue sweater, her long, auburn hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, Cindy stepped onto the plane. She walked down the aisle, found her seat and then she placed her old familiar carryon bag in the overhead compartment. It was hard to believe this moment had actually come. She and Mattheus were actually separated. He would be staying with Andrea, his daughter and Petra, the mother and former girlfriend. Even though Mattheus had said Petra was just a friend now, the three of them were still a family. And where did Cindy fit in? She really wasn’t sure. How in the world would she explain this turn of events to her sister, Ann? Ann would be waiting for Cindy in the airport as usual to pick her up. Undoubtedly, Ann would barrage Cindy with questions about her relationship with Mattheus right away.

Cindy took her seat at the window, put her head back and closed her eyes. A thousand thoughts toppled over one another, each demanding attention. This visit back to the States was going to be different from the others. Cindy’s life had come to a shifting point. This was a definite juncture in the road and Cindy wasn’t sure which direction to take. Should she hit the pause button on her work as a detective and take the cushy job waiting for her as a crime reporter on a top paper in New York? It was an amazing opportunity and Cindy realized it. Yet, calls to solve murder cases kept coming in, and each call stirred her, made her feel alive. By now Cindy knew the Caribbean like the back of her hand. She had developed rare skills in sniffing out killers wherever they hid. When she was on a case she felt was needed and wanted. She was able to get justice in cases that would otherwise go cold and protect innocent people who’d been falsely accused. That made her feel wonderful. But could she take on these cases alone? Would she and Mattheus ever work together as a team again? These questions hung in the air like smoke.

Cindy’s thoughts were rudely interrupted as the flight attendant began announcing instructions for takeoff. Cindy pulled the seat belt on around her and smiled. She was ready for takeoff, ready to go home. She definitely needed something new.

The flight went easily and to her surprise, Cindy slept lightly through the trip. There would be plenty of time for thrashing things out when she got home. She wanted to feel fresh and rested when she landed. It was important to start off on the right foot.

As they’d arranged, Ann was right there at the airport waiting when Cindy walked off the plane. As they ran to each other and embraced Cindy wondered how she would ever have gotten along all these years without her wonderful sister. It made such a difference to be welcomed home, to know there was somebody waiting for her who really cared.

“I can’t thank you enough for being here,” Cindy said to Ann as they started walking towards baggage claim. “You’re always here for me, don’t miss a thing. You’re an angel, Ann.”

Ann grimaced slightly, “Hardly an angel,” she replied. Then she sighed and looked at Cindy out of the corner of her eye. “What choice do I have, anyway? You’re my little sister, you’re important to me.”

Cindy knew it was so.

“I’m hoping that maybe this time you’ll stay for a while,” Ann continued, “that we won’t have to keep meeting at airports like this.”

Cindy smiled. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, looking over at Ann. Ann looked more tired than usual, as if she’d been under a strain. “I’m afraid I’ve become a bit of a burden.”

“Of course you haven’t,” Ann replied quickly. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that this visit is a bit different. Believe it or not, I have to go back to the airport tonight. I’m leaving on the seven p.m. plane for Bermuda.”

Cindy was surprised. Ann hadn’t mentioned a thing about trip before. “Really?” Cindy said, “how come?”

Ann shrugged lightly, “Frank and I are taking a much needed vacation. He’s been promising me one forever, as you know. This one was actually planned very recently. It’s a spur of the moment thing.”

“Lovely,” said Cindy. Spur of the moment vacations were not like Ann, but it was a good thing, thought Cindy. Everyone needed their time in the sun.

Both Cindy and Ann fell silent driving home to Oyster Bay in the cab. Cindy waited for Ann to start asking about Mattheus, but, to Cindy’s surprise, she didn’t.

Ann finally broke the silence lightly. “Glad to be coming home?” she asked.

“Very,” said Cindy so definitively that Ann looked up at her, surprised.

“Good,” Ann remarked, “very good. I hope you take the job, Cindy. It’s still waiting for you.”

“I know it is,” said Cindy.

“I hope you stay, plant a root, build a new life, either in Oyster Bay or in Manhattan,” Ann continued. “I know Clint’s family wants you to sell the house to them. What’s so bad about that? It’ll force you to make a new start.”

“I plan to keep the house,” Cindy replied.

“You plan to stay and live here?” Ann jumped in.

“I didn’t say that,” said Cindy. “But this house is important to me. I’m not ready to part with it.”

“Keep it if you want to then,” Ann replied, “but don’t keep running back to the Caribbean. Don’t keep running after Mattheus.”

Cindy felt stung. “I’m not running after Mattheus. We’re a team – we work together. I go back to solve cases.”

“I know all that,” said Ann, her voice dipping down, wearily. “I’ve heard it over and over. It’s true and it’s not. I’ve always believed it’s Mattheus that draws you back down there. You run down there to be with him.”

“That’s insulting, Ann,” Cindy replied. “It invalidates the work I do.”

“I have no desire to invalidate the work you,” Ann replied wearily. “Just do it here, help crime victims in a big way. Write about them in the paper, take the bad guys down. Don’t go running around in the Caribbean, putting yourself in constant danger. You deserve more, Cindy. You really do.”

Cindy didn’t want to get into a fight about this now, especially after Ann had gone to the trouble to come to New York and prepare her home for her. Ann arrived a couple of days early, aired the place out, filled the cabinets and fridge with food, and taken the trouble come to the airport to pick Cindy up, even though Ann herself had a flight to board tonight. Cindy knew Ann only wanted the best for her. What Ann never understood though was how wonderful it felt to solve a case, the meaning and power it brought to Cindy’s life. Sure there was danger in the Caribbean, thought Cindy. But there are all kinds of dangers in life, the danger of not doing what you’re meant to do, the danger of taking the easy way out, just marking time instead of really living.

“I’ve arranged for a few people to drop in tomorrow afternoon to see you,” Ann changed the topic as the cab took the familiar exit off the highway and turned towards the street Cindy’s home was on. “I let some folks in town know you were returning and they’re excited to come by and say hello. I prepared finger sandwiches and cookies for them and plenty of fresh lemonade.”

There was never a detail that Ann overlooked. Cindy hadn’t expected her sister to be gone so quickly though after she came home. It would be nice to have a few visitors then come over the next day. Ann was right, being with others would help Cindy acclimate to her new environment.

The cab pulled up to the cottage Cindy had lived in with Clint. It was always there, a haven to return to. Now Clint’s family suddenly wanted to buy it from her, or claim it as their own. But as Cindy got out of the cab and walked up to the front door, she knew the place belonged to her. It always would. Clint’s spirit was there and would always welcome her, give her a place to call home.

A cool breeze greeted Cindy as she entered and looked around the fresh, cheerful space she so loved. As soon as they entered Ann went into the kitchen to prepare something to eat and Cindy brought her bags to her room. It was early spring and Ann had opened Cindy’s bedroom windows and placed a fresh bunch of daffodils in a slim blue vase on a table beside her bed. It was good to be here, better than she’d imagined. Ann was probably right about everything. Cindy should probably settle awhile and take this opportunity to start again.

“Dinner’s ready,” Ann called from the kitchen.

It was only four o’clock in the afternoon, but Cindy was hungry, hadn’t eaten a thing on the plane.

“Coming,” Cindy called back, going to the familiar, pine wood kitchen.

Ann had placed two egg salad sandwiches and small bowls of salad on the rectangular table, along with glasses of fresh lemonade.

Cindy sat down, surprised. Usually there was a warm dinner waiting.

“It’s all I had time for today,” said Ann, noticing Cindy’s reaction. “It’s been so hectic getting ready for the Bermuda trip.”

“Of course, of course,” Cindy suddenly remembered. “Where’s Frank? Is he meeting you down there?”

“Yes,” Ann replied. “Frank goes down to Bermuda from time to time these days to do a little business. So he got down there a day or two earlier and I’m going to meet him tonight.”

“That’s wonderful,” Cindy was happy for her sister. “It’s good to get away.”

“It’s crucial,” Ann echoed as she bit into her crunchy sandwich.

“Yup,” Cindy agreed, biting into her sandwich as well. “Crucial to go and also crucial to come home again.”

They ate quickly and Cindy cleaned up, to free her sister to get ready to leave. Suddenly, Cindy felt upset by her sister’s departure. “I have an idea,” she said, as Ann rolled her suitcase into the living room. “Why don’t I drive you to the airport?”

“There’s no reason for it,” Ann seemed touched. “You’ve just taken a long trip yourself.”

“But I’d really like to,” Cindy objected. Ann had driven her so many times, she wanted to return the kindness.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” Ann replied, “but I’ve ordered a car to take me. It’s simpler.”

It was simpler, and it made perfect sense, but Cindy felt sad at the thought of her sister leaving so abruptly. They usually had more time together to catch up on things. Cindy needed those few extra moments.

“I’ll do it anyway,” Cindy insisted.

“No, really, it’s better this way,” Ann repeated. “I’ll feel better thinking of you settling back down, unwinding, taking the time you need. You run around too much as it is already.”

Cindy couldn’t bring herself to tell her sister that she just wanted a little more time with her now.

“And besides,” Ann said in a lighter tone, “Frank and I can stop back in New York after our trip on our way home. He always enjoys being here. It will round out the vacation. You and I can catch up then.”

“That sounds good,” Cindy agreed and hugged Ann as the car arrived. Ann spotted it through the window and waved at the driver. Then she turned around, blew Cindy a kiss and rolled her suitcase out the front door.

After Ann left the house felt strangely silent and empty. Cindy unpacked slowly, looking at the photos of her and Clint that were still up on the walls. Their arms were around each other, they were happy, carefree, looking forward to a bright life together. It was as if no time had passed, as if everything stayed the same forever, the way you had hoped it would be.