Death by Temptation (18 page)

Mattheus immediately put in a call to hotel security
to find him. “If he’s on the premises, we’ll know it quickly,” he said.

“If not, he could be in town?” Rod continued.

“Not likely,” Cindy murmured.

Mattheus turned to Cindy with the urgency in his
eyes she’d been so familiar with.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him, we have to,” said
Mattheus.

“Of course we’ll find him,” Rod thundered.

“Maybe?” said Cindy.

Rod’s hands clenched into fists. “How is it possible
that we couldn’t find him? Where would he be?”

“That’s the question now, isn’t it?” Cindy replied.

The word was out, the search was on. The police
returned to the hotel, fanning out into all corners. Photos of Rowley were now
being shown to the guests. Once again the family was detained, could not leave
the island. Mattheus linked up with the police, determined to find Rowley
himself.

“Everyone has to calm down,” Mattheus said to the
family over and over. “Rowley’s taken off on his own. He’s still definitely
alive.”

Rowley’s mother, Bea, would not speak to anyone and
Pete did his best to remain calm, to provide an anchor in the storm. Several
times Cindy caught Pete’s glance looking at her, silently asking what had
happened?

After Mattheus left, Cindy walked over to Pete,
wanting to address the unanswered fear in his eyes.

 “I believe Rowley is fine,” she started. “The photo
must have come as a shock to him. It might have made him suddenly realize that
Kara was gone. He missed her, he was alarmed. For all we know he’s out there
searching for her himself.”

“I wouldn’t put that past him,” Pete answered
quietly.

“Rowley would probably be amazed that his sudden
absence has caused such a stir,” Cindy continued. She could see that her words
meant a great deal to Pete.

“You know a lot about these kinds of situations,
Cindy,” Pete replied.

“It’s what I do, it’s my work,” said Cindy.

“And you do it wonderfully, you really do,” he
responded.

“Thanks,” said Cindy. “Your appreciation means a
lot. And please don’t worry, we’ll find your son. I’m sure of it.”

“Be careful, be safe,” said Pete.

“I am safe,” said Cindy, and suddenly felt it
deeply. All at once, she felt looked after and protected, no matter where she
went, and what she might have to face.

After a few more words with the family, Cindy
decided to leave. She wanted to go straight down to see Santos again. If anyone
might know more about this, it would be him. If anyone could help her, perhaps
he would.

*

When Cindy arrived at the casino, it was almost as
if Santos had been waiting for her. Holly came up to her a few seconds after
she walked in, put her hand Cindy’s shoulder, and said, “What took you so
long?”

“He’s waiting for me?” asked Cindy.

Holly smiled. “Yeah, he is. I don’t know how you did
it, but you got a friend over there. And when Santos is your friend, it’s
forever.”

Cindy smiled. She’d felt that the first time she’d
met Santos, a familiarity and congeniality between him and her.

 “Okay, let’s go,” Cindy said as Holly led her through
the crowded spaces to Santos’s room in the rear.

*

Santos got up the minute Cindy walked in, waved
Holly out, and smiled broadly.

“You sure took your time about coming back to see
me,” he said as he reached for Cindy’s hands and gave them a quick squeeze
hello.

“I’ve been busy trying to track Kara down,” Cindy
replied.

“And also finding out who killed Shane.” Santos
tapped his foot on the ground lightly.

“The cases are definitely connected,” Cindy spoke to
him confidentially, as if he were her secret partner.

Santos laughed. “You think you’re telling me
something I don’t know?”

“You knew all along?” Cindy’s eyes opened.

“Santos knows everything that happens down here,” he
answered in a gruff whisper. “I even know about what happened with you and your
husband, Clint. He was killed down in Barbados on your honeymoon and since then
you’ve become a crazed Caribbean detective, going after all kinds of killers.”

Obviously, Santos had investigated her as well.
“That’s right,” said Cindy. “What else can I do?”

Santos paused and looked at her kindly. “There are
lots of things a person could do, but you haven’t found that out yet, have
you?” Santos looked completely taken by Cindy and also disturbed by the path
her life had taken.

“What kind of things could I do?” asked Cindy,
wanting to know what was on his mind.

 “You could put what happened in the past and let it
go. You could build a new life of your own,” Santos chided Cindy, as if he were
talking to his own daughter.

Cindy was both touched and startled. “This is my
life now,” she replied.

“Right now, yes. But always, Cindy?” he asked.

Cindy had no idea why it mattered to him. “What
difference does it make to you?” she asked, curious.

“Everything makes a difference to Santos,” he
quickly replied. “Everything. Otherwise, how could I keep a grip on my place
and people and make sure things don’t get out of hand?”

Cindy found him fascinating. “You do a fantastic job
down here,” she remarked.

“That’s right, I do,” said Santos proudly. “And,
believe it or not, part of my job is dividing right from wrong. Some people
should be detectives, others shouldn’t. Some people deserve to die, others to
live.”

Cindy was startled. Was he the arbiter of who lived
and died? “Is that up to you?” she asked plainly.

“It’s up to someone.” Santos laughed again.

If everything was in his hands, Santos had to have
Cindy’s answers. “Who killed Shane?” she asked him bluntly then.

The smile left Santos’s face instantly. There was
nothing more he had to say.

The truth of the situation suddenly flickered before
Cindy. “Shane wasn’t supposed to die, was she, Santos?” Cindy blurted out.

Santos threw up his head and rubbed his face with
his palms. “You ask these kinds of questions to Santos? Sometimes you don’t
know when to stop. But you’re a brave woman, Cindy. No one can say you’re not.”

“You like me and I like you, Santos,” Cindy replied.
”And we’re both after the same thing.”

That took Santos by surprise. “What?”

“We both want what’s fair,” said Cindy, meeting his
eyes directly. Maybe what they thought was fair was different, but Cindy knew
that if something wasn’t fair in Santos’s eyes, he wouldn’t allow it. “It
wasn’t fair that Shane died, was it?” Cindy went on. “It wasn’t fair that Kara
disappeared!”

 Santos’s lower lip jutted out.

“You didn’t want it to happen, you didn’t approve
it!” Cindy was on a roll.

Santos held up his hand then to stop her. “You’re
not only beautiful but you’re smart,” he uttered. “Too smart. That’s what I
like, a very smart woman. But don’t be too smart. Too smart gets you in
trouble. You hear me?”

“Help me out, Santos,” Cindy pleaded again.

“I will, I am.” The smile on his round face returned
slowly. “I have to go now, but a friend of mine, Felix, is coming in a few
minutes. I gave Felix a present for you.”

Cindy’s heart began to pound. Who was Felix? What
kind of present?

“Remember, this is a present from Santos,” he
repeated, as he turned and walked to the door.

“Thank you, Santos, thank you,” Cindy murmured,
wanting to run after him and give him a hug.

Santos spun around suddenly. “It’s okay, you deserve
it,” he said. “But no matter what you do, don’t tell anybody where it came
from. Nobody! Understand?”

“I understand,” Cindy promised.

“Good,” said Santos. He turned and threw her a quick
glance. “I’ll see you later then,” he said and left.

Cindy stayed in the empty room a few minutes,
wondering when Felix would arrive and what Santos had given him for her. She
didn’t have to wonder long. Suddenly the door opened and an extremely thin
Caribbean man slipped into the room, disappearing into the shadows in the back.

“Felix?” Cindy asked.

He nodded quickly and remained silent, looking at
her strangely in the dim light.

Cindy decided to remain silent and let him make the
next move.

Felix seemed to appreciate that. After a few
moments, when he felt comfortable, he took a few quick steps toward Cindy and
thrust a large piece of glossy paper in her hand.

Cindy took it quickly and moved into the light. On
the paper was a photo of a young woman, doubled over, in a small room.
Immediately, Cindy knew that it was Kara! She was still alive.

“It’s Kara, it’s Kara, isn’t it?” Cindy called out.

Felix remained totally silent.

“Speak to me, Felix, tell me the truth. Is this
Kara? Is she being held somewhere for ransom?”

Felix eyes stayed glued to Cindy, though he did not
utter a sound.

“Is her husband, Rowley, involved in this?” Cindy
kept plying him with questions. But no matter how much she begged for an
answer, Felix had nothing further to say. Finally, Cindy grew quiet and soon
after, Felix left.

Cindy stood there alone with the photo staring at
it. It was impossible to make out the young woman’s features or where the room
possibly could be. Cindy decided to wait for Santos to return and see if he
would tell her. In the meantime, she sat dwelling upon the photo, practically
begging the young woman in it to get up and speak to her. Please, Cindy said to
her silently, tell me where you are and how I can set you free.

A long while passed and no one came back into the
room. Cindy finally realized that she had the gift that Santos was going to
give her. There was nothing further she was going to get from him now.

*

After she left the casino, Cindy immediately put in
a call to Alfred, to tell him about the photo she’d received. To Cindy’s
amazement, Alfred took it in stride.

“Great,” he said as if he’d been expecting it.

“You’re not surprised? You’re not amazed?” Cindy
couldn’t believe it.

“I know all about Santos.” Alfred’s voice grew
lower. “I know you went to see him. And I know Santos likes who he likes.”

“I’m not calling you about Santos, I’m calling about
the photo,” said Cindy, exasperated. “I’m sure it’s Kara. I’m sure she’s alive
and being hidden.”

Alfred grew very silent.

“Should I come right over and show the photo to you?”
Cindy asked.

“No,” said Alfred, “not right now.”

Cindy was completely startled. “Why not? What’s
going on?”

“Didn’t Santos tell you to keep this quiet?” Alfred
asked then in a very hushed voice.

“Yes, he did,” Cindy suddenly remembered, “but how
do you know that?”

“I told you, I know about Santos,” Alfred spoke more
definitively then. “If he gives you a hand and he tells you to keep it quiet,
then that’s what you do! You do what he says. That’s how it works.”

Cindy felt chilled to the core. Alfred knew more
about Santos than she did. For all Cindy knew Alfred had even spoken to him.

“Santos gave
you
the photo, not me,” Alfred
went on, grudgingly.

“I have no idea how I’ll find out where this room is
located.” Cindy was floundering. “How can I get her out?”

“Listen to me,” Alfred continued quickly, “there’s a
detective who specializes in cases of missing persons, Tracy Wrenn. She’s based
in the States, and I have her personal number. She’ll pick right up. Call her
immediately and tell her what you have and she’ll help you.”

Cindy breathed more easily. “That’s wonderful, thank
you so much, Alfred,”

“It’s my pleasure,” said Alfred. “You’re doing a
great job. And I know you and Tracy will definitely like each other. I know it
in my bones.”

   “Wonderful,” Cindy agreed. She took Tracy’s
number and hung up the phone.

*

Cindy immediately put the call in to Tracy. As
Alfred said, she picked up immediately.

“Tracy Wrenn,” a woman’s voice answered directly.
“How can I help you?”

Cindy was moved by the forthrightness in her tone.
“Cindy Blaine here, private detective,” Cindy replied. “Alfred gave me your
number.”

“Yes, he told me.” Tracy was ready to talk. She was
probably used to emergencies, Cindy figured. Time was always of the essence in
missing person’s cases.

“I’ve been working on a missing person’s case down
in St. Lucia,” Cindy began. “Now we find that it’s tied to the murder of
another young woman who was found dead on the beach a few days later.”

“How much time has passed?” Tracy responded
immediately, her voice becoming concentrated.

“How much time since the murder or the other woman
going missing?” asked Cindy.

“Both,” answered Tracy, quick and sharp.

 “All in all about week for both of them,” Cindy
replied.

“Good.” Tracy picked up on it. “All the players are
around, nothing has gone cold.”

“The police said the missing woman’s case has gone
cold,” said Cindy.

Tracy laughed for a second. “Gone cold? In a week?
Welcome to the Caribbean. You don’t know how many times I’ve heard that
before.”

Cindy liked her immensely. She was right on top of
things, got the big picture immediately and didn’t need to be filled in on all
the grimy details. And, although she was fully on board, Tracy didn’t seem
emotional. Just completely present to what was going on. Cindy felt both a
strange relief and exhilaration talking to her.

“I’ve just been given a photo of a woman I believe
is the one we’re searching for,” Cindy went on, her voice growing lower. “She’s
curled up alone in a room.”

 “Who gave you this photo?” Tracy shot right back.
“It could be a ploy to lure you in.”

Cindy had a moment of fear about telling Tracy where
the photo actually came from.

“I received it from a reliable source,” said Cindy,
not entirely sure if that were so, but not wanting to get sidetracked either. Cindy
didn’t believe that Santos was trying to lure here anywhere, but she knew how
it might easily look that way.

“What looks like a reliable source is often a
camouflage, especially in missing person’s cases,” Tracy went on. “Before you
use a lead to track down a person, you’ve got to be sure who the lead came
from.”

“I need to find Kara immediately.” Cindy was
unwilling to back away. “And I need to know where the room she’s being held in
is.”

“Okay, got it,” Tracy replied. “You need a forensic
photographer and I’ve got a great one, Alan Dain. He can take a photo you give
him and pull information off it that could practically solve any crime. Get
this photo to him and he’ll let you know just where the room is, in no time
flat.”

“Fantastic,” said Cindy, excited.

“I’ll give you Alan’s contact information. He’ll
tell you exactly how to scan the photo to the computer to send to him. There’s
also a certain way to fax it. You do what he says and you’ll get your answers.”

“What do I owe you?” asked Cindy, thrilled to have
met her, feeling wonderful talking to another woman detective.

“Nothing,” said Tracy. “It’s great talking to you.
I’ve known Alfred for years and he thinks the world of you. He’s a fantastic
guy and I’m happy to help both of you.”

Cindy was amazed that Alfred knew someone like
Tracy. How in the world could they have met? It seemed such an unlikely
connection.

 “Alfred’s lucky to have you as his friend,” said
Cindy.

“No,” answered Tracy, her voice buoyant, “you got
that wrong. I’m the lucky one.”