Death by Request (Book #11 in the Caribbean Murder series)

Chapter 1

As the plane zigzagged across the sky, Cindy gripped Mattheus’s hand and closed her eyes. It was incredible being back with him again on their trip down to Jamaica. It was also shocking to be on a new case so quickly after her own sister Ann’s murder. Cindy’s head spun as the plane rocked back and forth. It was amazing to Cindy that she’d been able to jump in, mobilize, take Ann’s case and actually find the killer. Cindy wondered what Ann would think about her going forward so quickly now with another case. But, what else could she do? Cindy had thought of returning to her cottage in Oyster Bay with Mattheus, but the place was drenched in memories. She and Ann had spent so much meaningful time there together that Cindy couldn’t bear being there without her now. She wasn’t ready to face either the memories or the visitors that would crowd in. She couldn’t stand the thought of receiving endless condolences, looking at sad faces or trying to make sense of something that was senseless at its core. Oddly enough, Cindy felt stronger and safer here on the plane with Mattheus, focusing on how she could help the next victim of crime who was suffering as much as she had.

“We’ll be landing in about half an hour,” Mattheus leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Are you awake? Are you ready?”

Cindy smiled. Mattheus was being extra solicitous. She liked it. He couldn’t get over the fact that the second Cindy heard that Ann had been killed she’d jumped on the case. Most women couldn’t have done something like that.

“You’re different, you’re special, you have a gift for this work”, Mattheus had said to her over and over.

Cindy had enjoyed hearing that. It was wonderful having Mattheus at her side again, validating who she was and what mattered to her. Cindy also had to admit that she did have a gift for the work; she loved investigating crimes, digging the truth out, putting an end to dangerous deceptions. The work was healing for her. When Cindy was on a case it soothed the endless ache inside her heart that had ever gone away after Clint was killed. Now, Ann. How else could she live through this?

“Cindy, do you hear me?” Mattheus whispered a bit louder now. “I asked if you were ready?”

Cindy stirred in her seat. It felt lovely hearing Mattheus whisper to her.

“I’m ready,” she replied, opening her eyes and looking at him. He was leaning over her, his handsome rugged face close to hers. His beautiful eyes looked at her lovingly.

“Were you sleeping?” Mattheus gently brushed her moist hair back from her forehead.

“I’m awake,” Cindy replied. “Just mulling over the details of the new case.”

“You never stop, do you?” asked Mattheus.

“No, I don’t, I can’t,” Cindy replied.

“There’ll be plenty of time for going over the case,” he stroked her forehead slowly.

“There’s never plenty of time, and you know it,” Cindy answered playfully, sitting up.

“Sometimes there is,” Mattheus replied. “This new case is different. The suspect’s already been arrested.”

“So what?” That didn’t mean much to Cindy. So many times the main suspect was just a convenient cover for the real culprit. “Besides, “she went on, “the main suspect’s the one who called us down to help. We’re working for him, remember?”

“Of course I remember,” said Mattheus. “But I’m not so sure what we can do. The Chief of Police told me it’s a clear case cut of euthanasia. Owen helped his wife die. For all we know he could have thought it was an act of mercy.”

“Let him speak for himself,” warned Cindy. “He may have a completely different take on it. Besides, when have we ever believed any Chief of Police?”

“This time is different,” Mattheus continued. “There’s clear cut evidence. And, it’s not like we have to hunt down a killer on the loose.”

“You never know,” Cindy murmured. Usually Mattheus didn’t have as much contact with the police up front as he’d had this time. As soon as the Jamaican police discovered that Owen Danden, the main suspect, had hired C and M Investigations, they’d called Mattheus to fill him in. This was a high profile case and the last thing the police wanted was more lurid publicity. Owen was a rich, powerful, well connected real estate developer and mogul. The police clearly wanted Cindy and Mattheus on their side.

“The police are trying to disarm you,” Cindy told Mattheus as he took a few calls from them before they left for Jamaica.

“Nah, they’re saving us time, filling us in,” Mattheus protested.

It didn’t feel good to Cindy right from the start. She didn’t need the police to call and go over details that had already been made public. The case had garnered lots of attention, was all over the papers and TV. As soon as Cindy and Mattheus were hired Cindy read all about it carefully. Two months ago, Owen Danden was on vacation in Jamaica with his beautiful wife Tara, of twenty years. They were celebrating their anniversary on the water in a boat, happy and laughing, when huge gusts of wind blew up from nowhere. According to the papers, the boat went crazy, started shaking, tipping, and suddenly Tara fell overboard. As Owen tried desperately to steer the boat away from his wife, the gears locked and the edge of it hit her in the head, again and again. Owen shouted for help, but by the time he’d pulled her out of the water, Tara was alive, but not responding. An all-out SOS call went forth and both Owen and Tara were soon airlifted to the Ranges Hospital.

The Ranges Hospital was a beautiful, private, international hospital, located nearby on top of a nearby cliff. Tara was immediately placed in the ICU, in a special section for coma patients. The prognosis was guarded, they all had to wait and see now how she would progress. Would she wake up? Would she live the rest of her life in a vegetative state? Beside himself, Owen stayed glued to his wife’s bedside for two months, attending to her every need, waiting for her to open her eyes and speak to him. Cindy read the story in the paper over and over.

“The paper said that Owen never left Tara’s bedside,” Cindy reminded Mattheus now. “How did he get from that to being suspected of killing her at the end?”

“He got tired, exhausted,” Mattheus answered bluntly. “That kind of vigil takes an incredible toll.”

Cindy’s nose wrinkled. “Too simple,” she replied.

“Euthanasia is complicated,” Mattheus insisted. “In some places it’s not even considered a crime.”

“But it is in Jamaica,” Cindy reminded him, “and Owen was smart. He had to realize that. Besides, how can we be sure it was euthanasia?”

Mattheus shook his head slowly. “So far as I’ve read nobody has questioned the way Tara died. She died by a lethal substance put into her IV.”

Cindy didn’t go for that, either. “If Owen wanted to kill her,” Cindy said quickly, “he could have just had them pull the plug. That’s involuntary, passive euthanasia, withholding treatment or life support. It’s not as serious as actively killing someone.”

“But a lethal substance could be quicker, less painful,” Mattheus disputed it. “Maybe Owen didn’t want to see his wife suffer dying slowly like that.”

“But if Tara was in a coma,” Cindy mused, “she wouldn’t feel anything anyway.”

“You never know,” said Mattheus. “I’ve read all kinds of things about people in comas.”

Cindy had read a great deal about it as well. Some claimed that people in comas could hear everything being said. There were even cases of people coming out of comas and reporting conversations around them, word for word. The idea of that frightened Cindy, made her think of her sister, Ann. Had Ann been aware that she was dying, what was the last thing she’d heard before she died?

“There are too many unknown variables,” said Cindy. “We’re going to have to stay very grounded and careful with this case.” She ran her hands through her hair then, tying it neatly at the bottom of her neck. Cindy wanted to feel pulled together as they’d be landing soon. Owen had sent a car to the airport to meet them. Cindy and Mattheus would take the car, go to their hotel, check in and then immediately head to the scene of the crime at the hospital. The police were there already, expecting them.

“I love our being back together,” Mattheus said as he watched Cindy straighten her hair. “I love tackling new cases with you.”

Cindy leaned towards Mattheus. “Me, too, I love it,” she said.

“I can see us doing this forever and ever,” Mattheus whispered.

“So can I,” Cindy answered. “And, hopefully, we can do other things, too.”

“Lots of other things,” Mattheus grinned. “We have our whole life before us.”

A loud voice over a microphone interrupted them then. “Prepare for landing, buckle your seat belts.”

Cindy caught her breath. “My God, we’re here already?” The flight had taken no time.

“It’s good, it’s all good,” Mattheus smiled. “Let’s go for it, let’s go for everything.”

Cindy felt a wave of warmth and appreciation for Mattheus as they leaned back, buckled up and got ready to descend. Where in the world would Cindy be without him now? She had no idea.

The plane glided to an easy landing. Cindy and Mattheus got off, picked up their luggage and walked to the front of the airport where the car Owen had sent was waiting for them. As they walked, Cindy breathed the sweet, balmy air, and enjoyed the beautiful palm trees that welcomed visitors from near and far. To her surprise, Cindy was relieved to be in Jamaica, felt at ease here. As she and Mattheus got into the car and drove off to their hotel, she felt ready to start on a new case again.

Mattheus’s mind was not on the case right then though. “Great place for a honeymoon,” he said, edging close to her.

Cindy couldn’t respond. The idea of having another honeymoon was startling. And the realization that her sister Ann would not be at her second wedding felt like a terrible blow.

“Jamaica looks like a great place for everything,” Cindy replied simply.

“I took the liberty of getting just one room for us at the hotel this time,” Mattheus said softly as the car sped quickly along the highway. “Is that okay?”

Cindy smiled at the boyish look in his eyes. “Yes, it’s okay,” she said softly, relieved at the thought of being close to Mattheus and sleeping in his arms all night long. At this point, she wouldn’t have it any other way.