Death by Jealousy (Caribbean Murder #6)

“You heard me,” Edward growled.

Mattheus face grew taut. “You never told me,” he breathed to Cindy.

“I didn’t have a chance,” she replied. “You were too busy elsewhere.”

“You were in danger and didn’t call me? Are you crazy?” Mattheus was dazed.

“She called Mac instead,” Edward filled him in. “Highly inappropriate in my opinion.”

“Absolutely,” Tad agreed.

The color drained from Mattheus’s face. “Is that true?” he asked Cindy after a long moment.

“You were too busy with Vivien,” she replied.

“Jesus Christ,” Mattheus called out in a strangled tone. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

At that moment, Tad quickly stood, and to everyone’s shock, Vivien herself approached the table.

“I was tired of waiting in the lobby for you,” Vivien said to Tad, brushing by Mattheus and totally ignoring him.

“We’re just finishing up here,” Tad said softly, putting his arm around her.

“Let’s get out of here,” Vivien said in a raspy tone. “We definitely need some time alone.”

“Hold on a minute,” said Mac, going over to her suddenly, lifting her hand and looking at the glimmering emerald bracelet on it.

“Where did you get this?” Mac’s brow creased.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” said Vivien lightly.

“Very beautiful,” Mac repeated, “where did you get it? And when?”

“Tad gave it to me,” she went on, proudly. “What’s the big deal?”

“It’s a very big deal,” Mac retorted. “That’s the bracelet I personally gave Allie for her wedding gift.”





CHAPTER 18


Cindy stood beside Mattheus in their hotel room as he wrangled with the police over the speaker phone.

“You’re making a big deal over nothing,” the police officer said to Mattheus, “there’s absolutely no reason to explore this further. There are all kind of emerald bracelets floating around down here. There’s no way to prove that Vivien has the one that belonged to Allie.”

“You’re glossing things over,” Mattheus responded, upset.

Even though he was right, the sound of Mattheus’s voice was grating to Cindy. She wondered if she should start packing, as Edward insisted when they’d parted in the restaurant. But Cindy agreed with Mattheus on that point completely. It was their decision about when the case was over and it was time to go. Something was obviously amiss here or they all wouldn’t want them out so fast.

After the conversation downstairs ended, Tad and Vivien left together quickly. Edward said he needed to talk more to Mac alone. After that, Cindy and Mattheus went up to their room without saying a word. They hadn’t had time to de-brief either, and Cindy hadn’t spoken to her sister yet, either. It had been a bad idea to call Ann and Frank down for dinner. Cindy was very sorry that she had. There was no way she could spend time with them while all of this was going on.

Mattheus finally banged the phone down and start pacing back and forth in the room. Cindy had no idea what to say to him. It seemed as if they occupied spaces at the opposite ends of the world right now.

Cindy walked out onto the balcony, to wait for Mattheus to calm down. After what seemed like an eternity, his footsteps quieted down and Mattheus came outside and stood beside her. It was a dark night out, with few stars, nothing but the sound of the surf and cool wind from the sea blowing on them.

“I’m trying to make sense of this all,” Mattheus finally said, when he could speak.

Try harder, Cindy thought, though she didn’t say a word.

“I fail to understand how you could have been in grave danger and not called me, or told me about it. That boggles my mind. Obviously you and Mac have developed some kind of attachment to one another.”

“Not at all,” said Cindy succinctly. “‘I’d just seen him a few minutes before it happened, and he was close by.”

“That’s hard to believe,” Mattheus uttered.

“Believe what you want,” said Cindy, running her hands through her hair. If they’d reached the point where they could no longer believe one another, what was there left to say? “I can’t believe you, either,” she continued, “so exactly where does that leave the two of us?”

“What do you mean you can’t believe me?” Mattheus became overwrought again.

Cindy turned and faced him point blank. “You told me you were working late at the office tonight. Then I learned you were out having dinner with Vivien.”

“It was part of the investigation,” Mattheus mumbled in a hoarse tone.

“Spare me that,” said Cindy. “Our agreement is to tell one another exactly where we will be and what we have found, step by step. You said nothing at all about Vivien. Not a word.”

“I could say the same about you and Mac,” Mattheus retorted. “Are you going to tell me your time with him was part of the investigation as well,” Mattheus replied.

“I am,” said Cindy.

“And, either I believe you or I don’t,” said Mattheus.