Death by Marriage (8 page)

“You
loved him tremendously, you adored him,” Heather May breathed softly.

“I
did,” said Cindy.

“That’s
why you’re here now, tracking down crimes. Oh my dear, I’m honored to meet you.”

Cindy
was surprised by her reaction. “Thank you.”

“Ask
me anything you want. I’ll be happy to tell you.”

“Well,
I need to know where you were the day Paul was killed?

Heather
smiled. She was too smart not to realize what Cindy was asking. “You’re
wondering about my alibi?” she said. “I gave it to the police already. It
checked out, thank God, because I’m often here alone. That particular afternoon
there was a design show down at the museum. I was part of the planning
committee, so I went. A lot of people from town were there, furniture
designers, painters, architects. We have it once a year. It attracts lots of
tourists. In fact, Kendra usually came as well. She woke up that morning,
feeling ill.”

Cindy
enjoyed speaking with Heather, but realized that there was still an important
question she hadn’t answered. “Were you and Paul still a couple when he was
killed?” Cindy asked again softly.

“No,
we weren’t,” said Heather, resigned to being questioned. “It was over for a
couple of years by then.”

 “How
come?”

Heather
looked away, out into the woods that surrounded her small home. It was clear
she hadn’t come to terms with it, yet.

“Lots
of reasons?” Cindy prodded her.

“No,”
said Heather, “just one. One reason that ended it suddenly.”

The
sound of a lone Mackay pierced the afternoon.

“Those
birds always act up before the hurricanes come. We have a week or two to get
ready,” Heather said. “Not long now. You can feel the winds stirring in your
veins in the early morning down here.”

“Are
you with someone else now?” Cindy couldn’t let go.

“I’ll
never be with someone else again,” Heather said, suddenly stern, staring at
Cindy, her eyes full of pain.

“I’m
sorry,” said Cindy.

“Don’t
be,” said Heather. “What Paul and I had was worth it. The years we had together
will hold me a whole lifetime.”

Cindy
was moved. She wondered if she felt that way about Clint. Could the memory of
the time they had together last her a lifetime and beyond? She didn’t think so.
Already, she felt the loneliness tug at her.

Cindy
didn’t want to intrude, but she had to know more. “Did Paul break it off?”

“No,
I did,” said Heather.

Cindy
was surprised. “Can you tell me why?”

“I
could if I wanted, but I don’t want to,” Heather said. “Actually, I’ll do
better than tell you. I’ll give you the address of someone to see. Go there and
see her. And you’ll find out everything you need to know.

Heather
grabbed some paper that was lying on a small table and quickly wrote a name and
address on it. Then she handed it to Cindy.

Cindy
inspected the paper carefully. Her handwriting was bold, fierce, unstoppable.
It took Cindy back. All the lines for the future sloped upwards, filled with
confidence and promise. It didn’t fit with the story she told.

“This
is powerful hand writing, “said Cindy.

Heather
lifted her head, proudly.

“It
shows that you’re not afraid of anything,”

“I’m
not,” said Heather in a deeper tone. “I’m not alone because I’m afraid. I’m
alone because I refuse to have another broken heart. These things can destroy
you.”

“How
well I know,” said Cindy.

“Then
keep your eyes wide open,” said Heather. “It’s easier than you think to let
yourself get ripped apart.”

Mattheus
couldn’t get Roomey Burke out of his mind all during the flight home. The guy
had a compelling way that got under your skin. The fact that he considered
himself part of Paul and Kendra’s family interested Mattheus tremendously. The
guy had influence over Kendra. Maybe she didn’t need the two million from the
insurance, but he could sure use some of it. First thing back, Mattheus would
check his alibi.  It wasn’t enough to find out whether or not Roomey was at the
show, he’d have to find out how long he’d actually stayed. Mattheus had also
gotten the names of the guy in the high stakes poker game, Silbert Hours, who
was indebted to Paul. As soon as he checked out Roomey’s alibi, he’d find out
about him.

The
plane landed easily and Mattheus took a quick cab back to the hotel. It was
good getting away, but he was glad to be back, too. As the cab pulled up to the
hotel, he realized he hadn’t let Cindy know what time he’d be returning. He got
out of the cab and suddenly felt curious about where she was now and what she’d
been up to.

Mattheus
walked into the lobby, half expecting her to be sitting there, waiting for him.
She wasn’t. He went up to the front desk and asked them to ring her room. As he
took the phone his palms felt a little sweaty. This new arrangement between
them would take some getting used to. He’d spent the last three years on the
police force, dealing with guys and set schedules. The phone rang in her room
several times. No one picked up. Mattheus looked at the phone, disconcerted.

“Happen
to see Cindy Blaine this morning?” he asked the guy at the desk.

“Who?”
the guy didn’t recognize the name.

“Beautiful
blonde woman in her thirties, from the states.”

The
guy at the desk raised his eyes. “Oh, of course,” he said, “how can you miss
her?” I think the past day or two she had breakfast on the patio restaurant
over there.” He pointed to one of the hotel restaurants. “She’s expecting you?”

The
question took Mattheus back. Even though he’d told her generally when he’d be
back, he’d been purposely vague.  There was no reason for her to be expecting
him, to be hanging around, waiting.  That was a mistake on his part, Mattheus
realized instantly. They needed to fill each other in and make plans about who
would do what next.

Disconcerted,
Mattheus walked towards the restaurant the guy had pointed out. It was only
9:30 in the morning. He hoped, by luck, she’d still be there.

The
restaurant was down at the end of the lobby, overlooking a large garden, filled
with wild flowers, plants, little iguanas and island birds chirping all day
long.  To Mattheus’ delight, the minute he walked in, he saw Cindy seated at a
front table, drinking coffee and reading the local paper. His heart stopped a
second, and he held back.  She looked beautiful sitting there in the sunlight,
dressed in a soft, blue and green printed cotton dress. She seemed strangely
comfortable and at ease, as if she fit right into the lush tropical landscape.

Mattheus
walked over and she suddenly looked up, startled.

“My
goodness,” said Cindy, “I had no idea you’d returned.”

Mattheus
pulled out a chair for himself at the table.  “Mind if I join you?”

Cindy
smiled. She was confident and more than a little sun tanned.

“Of
course, join me,” she said.

Mattheus
sat down. He’d had breakfast on the plane, but could easily eat more now. The
beautiful weather, trees and fresh air constantly sparked his appetite. He
ordered scrambled eggs and coffee, as the waiter re-filled Cindy’s coffee cup.

“Tell
me about your trip,” she started, putting the paper down. “Useful?”

“Very,”
said Mattheus. “Checked the records at the casinos --  Paul played in a high
stakes poker and a guy in the game was badly indebted to him.  A great reason
to take him out. I’m going to check into hm.  Beyond that, I met a gambling
buddy of his, Roomey Burke. Strange character who said Kendra talked to him a
lot. Told him she was lonely, towards the end of their marriage.”

Cindy
raised her eyebrows slightly, as if that wasn’t such a surprise. “Not so
unusual,” she said softly.

Mattheus
agreed. “True, except that it’s interesting to notice that Kendra spoke about
it to him.”

Cindy
nodded. “Or so he says.”

Mattheus
smiled. Cindy was getting tougher by the day, not taking anything at face
value. “Okay,” said Mattheus, “but why would he make it up? What’s in it for
him?”

“Sometimes
a guy enjoys feeling that he holds a special place in a woman’s life,” she said
“even when he doesn’t. Guys blow things up in their mind. It can make them feel
important.”

Mattheus
didn’t like that. This was a part of Cindy he hadn’t yet seen. “You sound
bitter,” he said.

“Not
at all. Just realistic.  There’s lots of characters here, floating on the fringes.
Who knows what they had to do with the murder? I don’t want to jump to
conclusions, just keep my mind open.”

Mattheus’
breakfast came and he ate it quickly.

“You’re
starving,” said Cindy, “didn’t you eat on the plane?”

“I
did,” said Mattheus, wolfing it down.

Cindy
suddenly looked concerned about him and extended her hand for a moment. Then
she quickly took it back.  “I’d like to meet this Roomey Burke,” she said.

“You
will,” said Mattheus, between mouthfuls. “What about you? Who did you find?” It
was great being with her, but it also made him nervous.

“I
had a great two days,” said Cindy. “Met a couple of fascinating women. One owns
the Spa in town, Salon B. She gave me the name of another woman, Heather May,
who claims she had a romance with Paul for about three years. Said it was over
for a long time before the murder happened, though.”

Mattheus
put his fork down, startled and impressed. “That’s important information. The
guy had a mistress -whew. The police didn’t mention anything about it. Are you
sure she’s not fantasizing?”

“I
wondered about that myself at first,” said Cindy, “but the more we talked the
more solid her story seemed. She said their time together was incredible, gave
him something he never had anywhere else.”

Mattheus
smiled at that. “Guess women like to think that, as well.”

“Heather
May wasn’t angry with him either, seemed to be suffering because of his death.”

“So,
the guy played around,” mused Mattheus. “Not so good for Kendra. It could be
more fuel for her motive to get rid of him.” 

“Or,
it could implicate the mistress,” said Cindy.

“Could,”
said Mattheus, “but that’s farfetched if the relationship was over. Why would
she want to get rid of him now? This goes more to Paul’s character.  A cheater
lies. Usually they’re good at it. Especially if they’ve had a long relationship
on the side. For all we know this guy could have gotten caught in a web of lies
that finally drove someone crazy. Crazy enough to kill him for it.”

Cindy
was fascinated, listening to Mattheus spin a web, construct a theory from
nothing much. “You’re good at this,” she smiled.

Mattheus
smiled back. “So, tell me more,” he said, “how did you meet the gal who owns
the Spa?”

“Went
to the bar where Paul was a regular.”

At
that Mattheus looked up at her keenly. “At night? Alone?”

“Sure,”
said Cindy.

“You
must have created quite a stir,” Mattheus felt uneasy.

“Just
business,” Cindy said. “It was crowded and noisy. I have the woman’s card. Her
name is Andrea. She seems to know what’s going on in town.”

“Talk
to any guys?” he asked rather casually.

Cindy
smiled.  “A couple, here and there. Why?”

Mattheus
shrugged and put his fork down.

“There
was one guy who troubled me though,” Cindy said, suddenly uneasy. “That cop at
the station, Nojo, was there.  He kept staring at me, was rude, threatening.”

Mattheus’
jaw clenched. He felt agitated by the story. 

“I
don’t recommend you go to those places alone,” he said in a strained tone. “Wait
for me to go with you. That’s what I’m here for.” The thought of her drifting
around alone in these bars, made his skin crawl.

“Other
than Nojo, I had a good time. It was useful, meeting Andrea.”

Let’s
make a plan right now,” Mattheus said.  “He wanted to set up a structure
between them that would make them both comfortable, that would work. “For
starters, I’ll handle the bars and night spots.”

Cindy
put her coffee cup down.  “If I need to go there, you can come with me, too,”
she acquiesced. “More importantly though, you handle the cops. I’ll speak to
the women, friends and family.”

“Good,”
said Mattheus. “l will check out Roomey’s alibi today, contact the poker player,
and also get in touch with the police about the cases Paul lost. I’m going to
the police station first thing.”

“Great,”
said Cindy, “I can’t shake the feeling that someone Paul defended could be
involved in this. How about you?”

“Anything’s
possible,” said Mattheus. “That’s what’s so fascinating about our work. What
are your next steps?”

“Before
I go to see the woman Heather May suggested, I want to meet the main players in
the case, particularly Kendra’s daughter, Nell. Kendra mentioned that she’d be
home from school this morning.  How about running over there with me for an
hour, then we’ll go our separate ways.”

“Sounds
good to me,” said Mattheus. “After that, I also think we should take some time
to visit Paul’s office, meet some colleagues, look around. That’ll give us both
a fuller backdrop of his life.”

 “Great,”
said Cindy. “I want to be completely prepared before I go see that woman. “Heather
May told me that when I met her, I’d find out all I needed to know.”

Mattheus
pulled back at that one. It was a red light signal. “That’s quite a claim, “he
said. “Don’t get your hopes up too high. When people promise me the moon, I
usually take a few steps back.”

Cindy
looked sad suddenly and Mattheus wondered why.

“Sounds
like you’re afraid to trust,” she said.

 “I
trust when trust is earned,” he said. “It takes time. That’s smart.”

“I
trusted Heather May,” said Cindy.

“I’m
not sure why,” said Mattheus. “It sounds to me like Heather May has her own
agenda, her own reality.”

“I
liked her,” said Cindy.

“Liking
her and believing her are two different things,” Mattheus said. “Could be she’s
sending you on a wild, goose chase. Some people enjoy creating confusion.
Others get a payoff by sending you in the wrong direction. The worst thing is
to expect one lead to solve all your problems. That clouds your vision, creates
disappointment. Takes you off your game.”

If
Mattheus knew anything, it was how to stay on his game. Cindy enjoyed listening
to his observations, absorbing what he’d learned.

“You’re
right,” said Cindy. “Heather May seems to live on the edge. She could just be
having an island fantasy.  I’ve got to find out more about her, as well.”

“Okay,”
said Mattheus. “First we’ll check in on Nell. Before we do, I want the address
of the woman you’re going to interview later, in case you need cover.”

Cindy
gave him the address reluctantly.  “I won’t need cover,” she said.

Mattheus
didn’t like that. “You never know,” he said. “I should know where you are at
all times.”

“Should
I know where you are as well?”  Cindy asked, playfully.

Mattheus
grimaced. “You plan to cover me in case of danger?” he asked off handedly.

“I’d
contact the police immediately,” said Cindy.

The
idea amused him. “Let’s play it one step at a time,” he answered simply, and
pulled his chair out to go. Cindy didn’t seem eager to go anywhere though, just
sat there looking at him and then out at the gardens spread out before her. The
flowers were waving slightly in the wind that was beginning to blow up.
Mattheus had a sudden urge to sit back down with her, take some time. But he
could feel the winds changing and realized the storms weren’t far behind. There
was a lot to do be done before then.

“Come
on, let’s get going,” “ he said. “There’s a lot to be covered.  We don’t have
time for just looking at the sky.”

Cindy
got up. “I’m going to the lady’s room for a second, and then we can be on our
way,” she said.

*

Mattheus
sat back down and watched her walk to the lady’s room. She had an easy grace as
she moved, like a tree swaying in the breeze.  He was amazed at how good it had
been to sit there with her after returning from St. Croix.  He’d expected all
kinds of repercussions about his not being in touch. They didn’t come.  He was
also surprised how relieved he felt to be doing his part of the investigation
alone. He had no intention of letting her know where he’d be every minute. It
wasn’t that she didn’t have a right to know, it was that it made him feel too
closed in.  He needed space and privacy, always had, even during his marriage.
He flinched now as he thought of those years married to Shelly. She’d
complained all the time about not knowing where he was, or when exactly he was
returning. He’d always returned though, been happy to see her, and taken good
care of her. Except on that fatal afternoon. Mattheus tried to wipe it out of
his mind again. Now. That was one time he should have been closer. One time
that changed everyone’s life.