Death by Temptation (19 page)

Cindy contacted Alan immediately. After speaking to
him and receiving detailed instructions on how to send the photo, she went back
to the hotel to follow his directions. While waiting to hear what he had to
say, Cindy quickly put in a call to Alfred. She had been truly impressed by
Tracy and wanted to thank Alfred again for putting them in touch. She also
wanted to know more about Alfred and Tracy’s relationship. How had they met?
What had he told Tracy about the case? Was Tracy helping in other ways as well?
It actually seemed likely that Tracy was working with Alfred behind the scenes.
Otherwise how could he know so much about Santos? How could he even have been
able to locate him at all?Alfred’s phone rang and rang, but he didn’t pick up.
Cindy left him a quick message.

“Call me when you get this,” she said. “You’re
right, I love Tracy. She’s wonderful. Want to talk.”

Then Cindy hung up and put a call into Mattheus.
Thankfully, this time he picked right up.

“I’ve got a fantastic lead,” Cindy said the minute
Mattheus said hello.

“What?” asked Mattheus, sounding preoccupied.

“I’ve got a photo of a girl curled up in a room that
I believe is Kara,” Cindy breathed.

“You’ve got what?” said Mattheus, incredulous.

“I think I have a photo of Kara curled up in a
room,” Cindy went on.

“You
think,
or you
know?
” Mattheus
became disconcerted.

“Her face isn’t clear, she’s curled up,” Cindy
continued, “but I’m sure it’s Kara.”

“Cindy, what’s the matter with you?” Mattheus grew
irritated. “Right now I’m here working with the police, digging out
confidential information about Kara and Shane’s relationship.”

“Information from the shelter?” asked Cindy,
fascinated.

“Exactly,” said Mattheus. “They both were there at
the same time.”

“I know,” said Cindy.

“And we’re digging to see if it’s possible that
Shane and Rowley ever met.”

“Keep digging,” said Cindy, “it’s important.”

“So, if you’re telling me you can’t see the woman’s
face in the picture, but just feel that it’s Kara, that’s not enough for me to
stop what I’m doing and pay attention to that.”

Cindy understood. Put that way her lead didn’t seem
at all consequential.

 “Where did you get this photo from, anyway?”
Mattheus relented.

Cindy didn’t want to go into it any further. If she
told Mattheus she’d gone down to see Santos again, he’d be upset. And if she
told him about Tracy or Alan, that would sound like a wild goose chase to him.
He would also be upset that she hadn’t let him know about all of it sooner.
There was no way to win here.

“The photo just turned up,” Cindy responded.

“Where?” Mattheus asked.

“Mattheus, you’re right, it isn’t important,” Cindy
backed down. “But it’s very important to find out if Shane ever met Rowley.
Please keep going.”

“Thank you,” Mattheus replied. “You plan to track
this photo down further?”

“I do,” said Cindy lightly. “But It’s just a gut
feeling, that’s all.”

“Okay, follow your gut and keep in touch,” Mattheus
said, not lending much credence to any of it at all.

“I will, and you keep in touch, too, Mattheus,”
Cindy said as both of them hung up the phone.

*

The call back from Alan came much sooner than Cindy
expected. Without even a second’s hesitation Alan told her exactly where the
photo had been taken and how to find the room.

“I can give you the general vicinity,” Alan reported.
“The actual room will be within a one-mile radius from that vicinity, either
north or south. We’ve worked with the lighting, shadows, and the flora and
fauna seen through the window when the photo is greatly magnified. In my
estimation you’ll find a hut there. The room is inside a broken down hut.”

“Is the woman in the photo alive?” breathed Cindy.

Alan stopped a moment. “That’s a big question,”
replied Alan. “But from the look of things when the photo was taken, she was
living. I can’t say for now.”

“No one can,” said Cindy, “but I’m tremendously
grateful. Thank you.”

“Get back to me after you go there,” Alan insisted.
“And please, don’t go alone. Pay someone to accompany you if you have to. The
place won’t be hard to find. But it’s located in the basin of the rain forest,
about as far away from civilization as you can get.”

 “Okay,” agreed Cindy. Everything Alan said made
sense to her. Speaking with him, a tremendous surge of confidence ran through
her veins.

“Go with someone who knows the territory,” Alan went
on. “There are plenty of locals who can you take you right there. And don’t
forget to call me as soon as you return. I’m interested.”

As Tracy had said Alan was terrific. His directions
were not only specific, they were wise in all respects.

“Thank you so much,” Cindy said once again.

“It’s my pleasure,” Alan replied, and meant it.

“I’ll call you as soon as I can,” Cindy replied and
hung up feeling hopeful. She would find someone to take her and go right away.

Cindy wondered who she could go with. Mattheus was
out for now, and she hadn’t yet heard back from Alfred. Cindy liked Alan’s
suggestion of going with a local and suddenly Holly flashed through her mind.
Holly would know someone who could take Cindy there safely. And, as Alan
suggested, Cindy would certainly make it worth his while.

*

Cindy immediately took a cab to the casino. After
she arrived and milled around it was only a few moments before Holly came over
to her.

“Santos isn’t here today, honey,” Holly told her
immediately.

“I actually came to see you this time,” Cindy
whispered in return.

“To see me? Why?” A look of fear flashed across
Holly’s face. “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, something’s right,” said Cindy. She trusted
Holly and knew she could speak to her freely. “I have to go down to the rain
forest basin and need someone to go with me.”

“The rain forest basin?” Holly looked at Cindy
closely.

“For a few hours,” Cindy continued. “I’ll make it
worth the person’s time. I need someone who knows the area.”

Holly paused a moment and thought. “Felix knows
every inch of the island like the back of his hand,” she whispered. “In fact, I
think he was a guide down there once. And he could sure use some money right
now.”

“Perfect,” said Cindy. “Where is he?”

“Hanging around in the back,” Holly continued. “When
are you going?”

“Right now,” said Cindy.

Holly’s eyes grew wide. “Just like that?”

 “Why not? asked Cindy.

“People usually prepare,” Holly said quietly.

“I don’t have time,” Cindy responded.

“This is okay with Santos?” Holly wanted to check
every angle.

“Yes, of course,” Cindy replied.

“You’re positive?” Holly had to be certain.

Cindy couldn’t see how Santos could object. After
all, it was he who had arranged for her to have the photo. Santos had wanted
her to know where Kara was. Of course Cindy couldn’t say that to Holly.

“I’m positive it’s fine with Santos,” Cindy
continued, as if she knew it for a fact.

“Okay then,” Holly agreed, “I’ll go get Felix right
now. You wait here.”

*

Holly was right, Felix was thrilled to go and in no
time at all they were on their way.

Felix seemed to know every inch of the forest. In
fact, the more deeply they entered the winding paths, the more at home he
became. Cindy was amazed to see the change in him as he slithered through the
dense, tropical trees, humming to himself. As the early evening light faded
Felix almost seemed part of the flora and fauna himself.

“The Jacquot Trail is in that direction,” he said in
a silvery voice, holding out his long, bony hand and pointing in the opposite
direction from the one they were headed in. “The trail’s named for our national
bird, the Jacquot Parrot. It’s beautiful, beautiful.”

It was strange listening to Felix speak, and oddly
comforting. It made Cindy feel as though she too were a part of the forest and
knew exactly where she was going, every step of the way. With just enough light
left to see, they crossed a ravine and passed giant ferns and plant life Cindy
had never dreamed possible.

“Those are elephant ears trunked chestnut trees,”
Felix announced as they walked along. “See the lianas climbing on them.”

Cindy looked at the thick climbing vines. They crept
to the top of the tree, looping up and down, looking as though, they, too, were
trying to catch the last glimpses of the day’s light.

 “Those vines are used to make baskets,” Felix added
proudly. “Everything here in the forest is important, has a use. Everything
helps each other live.”

“Beautiful,” Cindy murmured, in awe of the
incredible interconnection of all life down here.

 Felix, encouraged by her response, continued. “If
we’re lucky we’ll see the Green Iguana. It lives in these trees and grows to
six feet long. Keep your eyes open, maybe we’ll see the Zadoli, our lizards.
It’s possible. The Zadoli’s eyes are covered by membranes instead of eyelids so
they can see at night,” he added.

Although she was intrigued, Cindy would have liked
to have seen this at another time. Right now she truly couldn’t focus on any of
the surroundings, just kept thinking of the hut they were headed to. Alan had
described it carefully, but was it really here? Would they find it? Was it
truly possible that Kara was still inside alive? Cindy also thought of the
strange phone call pleading for help she’d received a while ago. The garbled
directions in it oddly echoed exactly where they were now.
Under four trees,
around a fence, circle the corner.

“Let’s hope we don’t see the gecko though.” Felix
was completely in his element, thoroughly enjoying himself. “Gecko has a bad
reputation. Nothing stops them. When geckos fight an enemy they leave parts of
their tails behind. You see pieces in the enemy’s paws.”

The image was disturbing to Cindy.

“We call geckos
Mabouia
, evil spirits,” Felix
was quick to add. “Geckos attach themselves and don’t let go, just like evil
spirits.” He grinned at the thought of it.

“How far are we from the hut, Felix?” Cindy asked
then. The last thing in the world she wanted to do now was dwell on evil
spirits. Had one attached itself to Kara? Cindy couldn’t help wonder. Was Kara
in the grip of something far more than Cindy could even begin to understand?

Felix kept grinning. “Don’t worry, I’ve been down
here before. I’ll take you right there. Santos knows we’re coming?”

That was the first time Felix mentioned Santos. It
made Cindy uncomfortable.

“How far away are we?” Cindy wanted to change the
topic.

“Close enough, I told you,” Felix laughed, “unless
we step on a boa by mistake. They’re all over.”

 Cindy had a moment of alarm and looked down at the
ground for the giant snake. The ground was strewn with rocks, leaves, fallen
branches. It would be easy to miss a boa who might be silently crawling
underfoot.

“Don’t worry.” Felix suddenly touched Cindy’s arm
lightly. “I have my eyes open. We won’t step on a boa, not tonight. Besides,
we’re almost there. See that dip behind those trees? We go to those trees and
follow the dip.”

Cindy’s heart sank. “What’s behind the dip, Felix?”

But suddenly Felix clammed up. As they got closer he
was becoming more vigilant. The only sound now was the crunching of the leaves
under their feet. Alone in the dark with Felix, Cindy suddenly decided to put
in a quick call to Mattheus and let him know where she was. She took out her
phone and dialed. No answer.

“There’s no reception in some parts of the forest.”
Felix turned and was watching her closely. “Who are you calling, anyway?”

Cindy fell silent. She was completely dependent upon
Felix now.

“You calling Santos?” Felix wanted an answer.

Cindy shook her head.

“Nobody fools around with Santos,” Felix continued.

“I’m not fooling around with anyone. Santos knows
exactly where I am,” Cindy lied. It would definitely be safer if Felix believed
that.

“And Santos knows I’m here with you?” Felix pressed,
a tinge of anxiety making its way into his voice.

 Cindy forced herself to be lighthearted. “Santos
told me he knows everything,” she replied, “so he must know that you’re here,
too.”

Relieved, Felix grinned. “You can say that again,”
he muttered. “I never saw one thing that passed Santos by.”