Death by Devotion (Book #9 in the Caribbean Murder Series) (13 page)

“What?”
Cindy flinched, “I never heard that.”

“He
never told you?” Sean looked astonished.

Cindy
could barely believe what she was hearing now.

“He
was exonerated,” Sean continued, “the case was dropped, but he was charged with
assault and battery.”

Cindy
was both profoundly horrified that Mattheus hadn’t told her, and irritated that
Sean had.  “It’s hard to believe this,” she uttered.

“But
it’s true,” Sean insisted.

“He
probably didn’t tell me because he was exonerated. It didn’t amount to
anything.”

“Where
there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Sean replied.

“That’s
not fair,” said Cindy, “and you know it.”

“Ever
think Mattheus could be using you as a foil?” Sean dug in at that moment.

“Never,”
said Cindy, “why would he? A foil for what?”

“Must
be pretty nice for him working with a woman detective who gets so much
attention. Then he can operate from behind the scenes then, in the shadows,
like he is doing now.”

“I
resent that,” said Cindy, arching her back and raising her voice.

“No
offense, meant, Cindy,” Sean spoke more emphatically, “but I don’t trust Mattheus
one bit. Even as we speak he’s consorting with a bunch of low lives. How the
hell did he get to know them so quick?”

“I
told you Mattheus has contacts all over,” Cindy replied.

“That’s
a laughable answer,” Sean refused to buy it. “I’ve heard he’s even about to
speak to Pedro Ranchez. Nobody speaks to Pedro Ranches.  No one can get close
to him. And Mattheus can? Tell me how come?”

“Listen,
Mattheus’s a great detective,” Cindy answered. “He’s helped a lot of people and
he’s got a lot of favors due him. He’s calling them in.”

“That
doesn’t cut it,” Sean was uncompromising. “And it’s not gonna help us figure
out who beat up his daughter in jail.”

“What?”
The hair on Cindy’s neck bristled.

“Andrea
was found bruised in her jail cell. Someone who came to see her gave her some
punches she won’t forget.”

Cindy
was stunned. “Will she be alright?”

“Yeah,”
said Sean. “And for all we know she did it to herself, to take suspicion off
her.

But
in my opinion, someone else came in and knocked her around.”

Cindy’s
heart fell to the floor. She felt terrible not only for Mattheus, but for
Andrea.

 “I
heard Andrea’s into all kinds of things,” said Cindy, thinking someone in her
world could have come in and done it.

“Yeah,
we know,” Sean replied, “drugs and prostitution. These kids on the island who
do it bring in a lot of money for their families.”

This
was nightmarish and heart wrenching. “Oh God, I wish I could talk to her,”
Cindy cried.

“You
can, why don’t you?” Sean replied.

“She
doesn’t want to talk to me. She thinks I’m coming between her and Mattheus.”

“You
can talk to her anyway,” Sean said more softly. “If you want I’ll go with you.”

Cindy
liked that idea. Cindy’s coming with Sean would make Andrea think Cindy had
someone else she cared for, not her father.

“It’s
a good idea,” said Cindy, “but she’ll obviously talk more, if there aren’t any
policemen around.”

“So,
I can go with you and stay for a few minutes and then leave the two of you
alone,” Sean responded.

Sean’s
response comforted Cindy. Obviously he wanted more information as well. He wasn’t
looking the other way.

“Do
you think one of Andrea’s John’s might have killed her stepfather?” Cindy
suddenly turned straight to Sean.

“Doubtful,
why would they?” Sean replied. “They don’t care what happens to their girls. When
one goes, they get another.”

“When
did her beating take place?” Cindy asked then.

“After
her mother visited,” Sean replied.

Cindy
stopped in her tracks and stared at him. “Is it possible?”

“No,
it isn’t Petra or her friend,” Sean seemed certain.

“Anyone
else visit her in the jail?” Cindy was insistent.

“I
checked the ledger carefully,” Sean replied. “Andrea had a visit from a rich
dame from the other side of the Island, and her companion. The woman’s an ex
patriot from California, too.”

“Why
did they visit Andrea?” Cindy was truly taken aback.

“We’re
looking into it,” Sean said laconically. “She and her companion are probably
from one of the groups over there that do volunteer work for trafficked girls. We
have a few groups like that on the island, mostly filled with rich, white
ladies who have nothing better to do with their time.”

Sean’s
sudden bitterness surprised Cindy.

“You
don’t like rich, white women?” she suddenly asked.

Sean
looked at her surprised and laughed. “Not particularly,” he answered. “I
happened to know a few of them personally, and they systematically broke my
heart.”

“I’m
sorry to hear that,” Cindy answered, but by now it seemed inevitable that
anyone settling down here, away from their country, doing law enforcement, had
had their heart broken, more than just one time. Still Cindy, was sorry to hear
that. She liked Sean and suddenly wanted to reach over and take his hand. But
she held back. Who knew where that would lead to, or what he would make of it?

“Where
are you off to next?” Sean asked then, regaining a more professional manner.

“I’m
going to drop in on Petra,” Cindy said, “and find out more about her.”

Sean
hung his head a moment, as if wanting to say something. “What are you looking
for, Cindy?” he finally asked.

“I’m
looking for the key to finding out who killed Cain, and why they did it,” she
replied forcefully. “I’m looking for just one word, one phrase, one piece of
information. I could find it anywhere.”

“I
know, I know,” said Sean, nodding, “that’s why none of us can stop. It’s hook
for us all.”

Cindy
and Sean had a brief lunch before she left to visit Petra.  The time she’d
spent with him had been both pleasant and unnerving. It was incredibly
upsetting to have learned that Mattheus had been brought up on charges and hadn’t
told her about it. But, perhaps it was just part of a detective’s life and he
hardly thought anything of it. He had been exonerated, after all. Was Sean
systematically trying to drive a wedge between them, create doubt in Cindy?
Certainly, Mattheus was doing that, making Cindy suspect Sean and the entire
police force.

Cindy
took a cab straight to Petra’s home. As she drove back into that neighborhood
she began to feel constricted and tense. It wasn’t pleasant coming here alone.
She wondered how Mattheus was doing now, talking to the guys in the gang. Was
it possible he’d actually get to talk to Pedro, the leader of the whole thing?

The
taxi stopped in front of Petra’s home and Cindy got out, paid him, and walked
up the narrow front pathway. What if Petra were out for the afternoon? What if
her visit was for nothing? Perhaps she really should have called. When Cindy got
to the door, she rang the bell and then knocked loudly.

To
Cindy’s delight, in a few minutes, Petra came to the door and flung it open.
She actually looked beautiful, wearing loose, silk, printed slacks and a
fitting tunic, with her hair loose around her face. Cindy wondered if she had a
visitor?  It was clear that Cindy was definitely barging in.

Petra’s
eyes opened wide the minute she saw Cindy.  “What are you doing here now?” she
exclaimed.

“I
just happened to be in your neighborhood,” Cindy lied, “and was hoping we could
have a few words.”

“Ever
hear of the phone?” Petra snapped back. “Why didn’t you call and ask before you
arrived?”

Cindy
had no decent answer to that. “Just a spur of the moment thing,” she replied.

Petra
didn’t like it, but couldn’t close the door on Cindy, either. “Well, you’re
here, come in,” she murmured.

Grateful,
Cindy walked through the narrow hallway and into the living room. The windows
were all open and it was breezy. Cindy looked around a moment and then couldn’t
move, just stood staring. Mattheus sat there, on the couch.

“Mattheus?”
Cindy finally murmured when she could catch her breath.

Mattheus
quickly stood up from the sofa. “What are you doing here now?” he replied,
equally startled.

“You’d
have thought she’d call,” Petra came up behind Cindy. Then she walked over to
Mattheus, put her hand on his shoulder and pressed slightly, so he would sit
back down. He did and Petra quickly took her place beside him.

“I
thought you were down talking to the guys,” Cindy barely mumbled.

“I
had business to finish with Petra first,” Mattheus was caught between them.

Cindy’s
voice got louder. “You came down here to tell her I was going to come and talk
to her?”

“Exactly,”
Petra crooned, a little smile creeping over the edge of her mouth. “He was
being a gentleman, looking after me.”

“And
now I’m the enemy?” Cindy shot back.

“I
wanted to give Petra time to prepare to see you,” Mattheus haltingly replied.

“Prepare
in what way?” Cindy grew more irate with each passing moment. Was Mattheus actually
working against her? Was what Sean said true? Had he called her down here to be
his foil?

“I’ve
been through enough shocks for one lifetime,” Petra quickly broke in. “He was
just letting me know you were going to come and grill me again.”

“I
never said that,” Mattheus interrupted.

“No,
but you said something like it,” crooned Petra.

Mattheus
swallowed hard.

“What
exactly did you say to Petra?” Cindy asked, furious.

“I
simply said you’d be coming over to talk to her about her life with Andrea. I
said the discussion wouldn’t be easy and that she should get ready for it.”

“Is
it supposed to be easy, Mattheus?” Cindy drew a step closer to him. “A man has
been killed and your daughter is in jail for the murder.”

Petra
stood to her feet and snapped, “It’s far from a done deal, believe me. The
medical examiner’s report isn’t in it. The time of death hasn’t been
determined. Andrea said she was with a friend during most of the day and people
were with her.”

“Do
you know that for a fact, Petra?” Cindy zeroed in on her.

“No,
I don’t,” she said. “I don’t know anything.”

“It
should be easy enough to find out,” said Mattheus, also standing. “The people
who saw her will tell us.”

“And
maybe they won’t?” Cindy couldn’t look at him. “When I spoke to one of them,
she said the kids had made up their minds not to talk to me.”

“Not
to you, maybe?” said Petra, “but they’ll talk to Mattheus.”

“Oh
really? How do you know that?” Cindy moved in on her.

“I
don’t for sure,” Petra’s head shook. “But they’ll talk to someone, they’ll talk
to me.”

“Why
should they talk to you, Petra?” Cindy felt enraged. “Do you know something I
don’t about them?”

“Jesus,
you bitch, I’m her mother, after all,” Petra eye’s flashed with anger.

“Are
you really?” Cindy flung back at her.

Petra
flinched at the barb and the atmosphere grew thick with pain. Mattheus tried to
calm it.

“Wait
a minute, you two,” he stepped between Petra and Cindy. “You’re both on the
same side. There’s no reason for this animosity.”

“Your
Cindy hates my guts,” Petra proclaimed. “You told me so yourself. You said she
thought I was a terrible mother, that I let Cain beat Andrea.”

“Did
you?” Cindy swerved away from Mattheus and looked Petra right in the eye.

“Women
get beaten down here all the time,” Petra was practically frothing at the
mouth. “All the time. If I got between them when he beat her, I might even end
up dead. It’s happened to others before.”

“So,
why did you marry a monster like that?” Cindy shot back at her.

“He
wasn’t like that when I met him,” Petra said in a suddenly shaky tone. “He was
good to me, he was good to Andrea. And he was strong. I thought he would
protect us.”

“How
about your other husbands?” Cindy would not be mollified.

“They
haven’t been killed, it’s Cain we’re talking about,” Mattheus broke in then.

“But
they beat Andrea, too!” Cindy’s voice got high.

“That
has nothing to do with the case now,” insisted Mattheus.

“And
what about the guy who went with you to visit Andrea in jail?” Cindy continued
like a steam engine, barreling along. “Was he the one who gave her a good
beating in jail?”

At
that Mattheus finally looked shocked. “What the hell are you talking about?” he
said.

“Oh,
you hadn’t heard?” Cindy stepped back, “someone came and beat Andrea up in
jail.”

Mattheus
got dead quiet. “Is that true, Petra?” he asked.

“I
heard some rumor like that,” said Petra, off handedly. “How does Cindy know
about it?”

“I
heard it from the police,” said Cindy.

“From
who, Sean?” Mattheus became incensed.

“Who’s
Sean?” asked Petra, fascinated.

“A
policeman on the force who’s got a thing for Cindy,” murmured Mattheus.

A
big smile broke out on Petra’s face then. “So the little lady isn’t as pure as
she looks,” she said gleefully.

“Sean’s
the point man assigned to this case,” Cindy replied methodically. “He gave me
the news and we have to explore it. You know more about Andrea’s life than I
do. Could the beater have been one of Andrea’s Johns?”

“One
of who?” Mattheus grew pale.

“Your
daughter dealt drugs and was into prostitution,” Cindy reported factually, as
if she were giving him the time of day.

“Go
to hell,” Mattheus practically spit at Cindy.

“Hate
me all you want,” said Cindy. “The facts are the facts.”

“I
don’t believe them,” Mattheus’s voice grew louder.

“So
ask Andrea’s precious mother,” said Cindy.

Mattheus
turned to Petra, his eyes flaming. “Is this true, Petra?” he thundered. “Was
Andrea into drugs and prostitution?”

“Yes,
it’s true,” Petra replied boldly, suppressing a little smirk that rose at the
edge of her mouth.

“It
is?” Mattheus seemed to be reeling.

“You
think I had such an easy time with the slut?” Petra continued.

Mattheus
looked as if he were going to faint. “The slut?”

“The
beating happened after you and your friend visited Andrea,” Cindy swung the
conversation back to Petra. “Did your friend beat her the way the rest of your
husband’s did?”

The
horror of Cindy’s question seemed to revive Mattheus. He shot to attention as
if he’d had an electric shock.

“Who
was that guy with you when you visited Andrea?” Mattheus suddenly asked.

“He’s
an old friend from the neighborhood,” Petra replied. “I’ve known him for years.
He doesn’t mean a thing, just a neighbor.”

“Why
was he with you when you came to visit Andrea?” Mattheus kept it up.

“Heck,
I needed support,” said Petra. “Give me a break, I’m not the bad guy here. I’m
the victim, remember?”

“Some
victim,” breathed Cindy, as she stared at Petra heartlessly.

“Who
beat Andrea?” Mattheus kept focused on Petra.

“I
have no idea, honey,” she said. “Andrea had a way of getting herself beaten.
She had a life of her own and some real creeps in it.”

“A
life filled with Johns?” Mattheus asked, alarmed.

“Yeah,
some Johns, and also kids she hung out with.”

“Kids
she dealt drugs with?” Mattheus went on. “Is that why they were afraid to talk
to Cindy?”

“It’s
not easy down here, Mattheus,” Petra took a step closer to him and put her hand
on his shoulder.

He
took if off immediately. “Who else did Andrea hang out with?”

“Was
she in love with someone?” Cindy broke in, suddenly remembering how nervous
Natalie had become when the topic came up.

“Andrea,
in love?” Petra threw back her head and laughed. “She’s fifteen years old,
doesn’t know what the word means.”

“Was
there someone she had a special relationship with?” Cindy took a step closer to
Petra, speaking in a threatening tone.

“Why?”
asked Petra, ill at ease.

“Because
I need to know,” Cindy said. “I heard there was someone else in her life and I
want to know who.”

Petra
put her hands on her hips, outraged. “Oh yeah? Who’d you hear that from?
Natalie? You can’t believe a damn word that kid says. She’s got a big mouth and
she runs it.”

Cindy
was afraid to let Petra think Natalie had told her that, didn’t want to put
Natalie in danger. “No, Natalie didn’t say that,” Cindy went on, “someone else
told me.”

“Who?”
Petra began to look alarmed as well now.

“It’s
a well known fact,” Cindy lied.

The
thought of it seemed to make Mattheus feel better though. “If there was someone
Andrea loved, you’ve got to tell me, Petra,” he said to her. “It’s important,
we need to know.”

“She
didn’t love him, she didn’t love him,” Petra’s voice got more shrill. “She just
hung out with some white guy to hurt me. That’s the kind of kid she could be.”

“How
could it hurt you that Andrea hung out with someone she loved?” Cindy jumped
in.

“He
was a white guy,” said Petra. “Andrea made that point to me over and over. It
made her feel like she was better than me.”

“What
are you talking about?” asked Mattheus, horrified.

“Andrea
told me about some white guy who loved her, then she wouldn’t say another word,”
said Petra reluctantly. “I have no idea who.”

“What’s
so bad about that?” Mattheus continued. “Her father was a white guy. You dated
me.”

“For
one night,” Petra spit out.

“Who
is this guy? Where does he live?” Mattheus demanded.

“I
truly have no idea,” Petra was shaken, “and frankly, I couldn’t care less.”

“This
information could help us get Andrea out of jail,” Cindy, pulled herself,
turning into the consummate professional.

“Who
said she should get out of jail?” Petra lashed out at Cindy.

“You
don’t want Andrea out of jail?” Cindy was breathless.

“For
all we know she’s safer in there,” Petra insisted.

“Is
that why you don’t want her out?” Cindy dug further. “Or, is there another
reason? Someone else you’re protecting?”