Death by Seduction Read online

  “What in hell do you mean by that?” Loretta began to grow furious.

  “I mean maybe finding his killer depends upon my speaking to Charma,” Cindy shot back.

  “Oh, I thought you were going to tell me that Pete’s life depended on seeing Charma, that she told you that!” Loretta’s voice grew raspy. ”But nobody can ever say that to me. If they do ’ll never believe them or listen to them again.”

  “I wasn’t going to say any such thing,” Cindy quickly defended herself, hoping Loretta wouldn’t ask the next inevitable question, whether or not Charma knew Pete at all, whether he was her customer? Thankfully, Loretta didn’t go there. That would obviously have been more than she could handle.

  “I’m so sorry I missed dinner with you and Angela,” Cindy tried to lighten the conversation. “I’d love to meet her.”

  “You will,” said Loretta. “Right now she’s having desert with my dad. She’s almost like another daughter to him, they’ve known each other for the longest time.”

  “Good,” said Cindy.

  “Who did you have dinner with?” Loretta asked carefully then.

  Once again Cindy didn’t like Loretta’s probing. “I had a bite with someone from law enforcement,” Cindy lied. But it was only a half lie as Eric was a lawyer. Of course there was no way Cindy could say a word about Eric to Loretta or anyone.

  “What was the point of that? The police are against us, anyway,” Loretta became pouty again.

  “Loretta, you’ve got to trust me and let me do my job,” Cindy insisted.

  “Of course I trust you,” Loretta replied, “but why don’t you go and talk to someone who can help. Go talk to Val at the real estate company. He’s the guy Pete had his dealings with. That’s where I’ve told you to look. I don’t know why you’re putting it off. Frankly I think something about the whore fascinates you. Maybe there’s something going on with you that I don’t know anything about? That gives me the creeps, if you know what I mean.”

  “Your husband’s body was found in her room,” Cindy answered in a clipped tone.

  “That’s not just why you talked to her, I don’t believe that for a minute,” Loretta went into a rant. “It’s something else, and I can’t even think what. Believe me, Cindy, none of the women I come in contact with would ever step a foot in a whorehouse and wouldn’t go talking to Charma either, behind my back.”

  Cindy felt side swiped by Loretta’s bitterness. “I do believe that, Loretta,” Cindy retorted. “But I’m not a Midwestern socialite who’s coming to shop for a custom made wedding gown.”

  “Are you implying there’s something wrong with that?” Loretta was horrified.

  “No, I’m not, of course,” Cindy backtracked. “I’m just pointing out that my life is different from the women you come into contact with.”

  “That’s for sure,” Loretta grumbled. “Those women would never do the things you do and they wouldn’t do them alone. They’d have a man at their side every step of the way.”

  For a second Cindy felt like slamming down the phone, packing up and getting out. But the case had become bigger than Loretta by now. A young woman with an alibi was being held for a crime that she very well may not have committed. Cindy felt an obligation to her as well.

  “So, when you are going to talk to Val?” Loretta tried to repair the damage between them.

  “First thing tomorrow,” replied Cindy coolly.

  “I’ll call up front and tell him you’re coming,” said Loretta.

  “Fine,” said Cindy, “’ll be there at ten a.m.”

  *

  Loori Inc., was located in a modern, high rise glass building in the main part of town. As Cindy entered the main lobby she felt as if she were back in the States. She stepped onto the slick elevator and arrived at the tenth floor quickly.

  “I’m here to see Val,” Cindy said to the well-dressed receptionist, sitting behind the expensive wooden desk.

  “Oh yes, Cindy Blaine, right?” the lovely young woman looked right up.

  “Right,” said Cindy.

  “I’ll let him know you’re here,” she said and then looked at Cindy confidentially. “We were all very close to Pete Twain,” she said in a soft tone, surprising Cindy. “I’m so glad you’re here to help.”

  “Thank you,” said Cindy, pleased by the acknowledgment.

  “I was terrified when I found out what happened,” the receptionist went on. “I always thought Mr. Twain was such a family man, getting that beautiful condo for himself and his wife.”

  “Well, he was, wasn’t he?” asked Cindy.

  “Yes, but look where they found the body,” the young woman’s eyes opened wide. “I can only imagine how his wife’s feeling now.”

  At that moment a tall, slender, guy in his forties, dressed in slacks and a shirt, with sandy hair, walked into the waiting room smiling, interrupting the conversation.

  He extended his hand to Cindy. “Val Donalds,” he said. “You must be Cindy Blaine.”

  “Yes I am,” said Cindy, pleased to see him. Val seemed direct and forthright and certainly inspired confidence, thought Cindy.

  “Let’s go into my office and talk,” Val offered, as he turned back to where he came from.

  Cindy followed him, but turned first to offer a smile of thanks to the receptionist, who watched both Cindy and Val closely.

  *

  Val’s office was large, well-appointed and beautifully decorated with designer furniture, plush leather chairs, and incredible posters on the walls which proudly displayed the beauty and wonders of the Dominican Republic. Cindy couldn’t help gaze at them before sitting down. Her eyes turned to a huge poster of a gigantic, colorful poster. It vividly displayed a dazzling, joyous festival where everyone was in wild costumes, singing and dancing in the streets.

  “Carnival, carnival,” Val uttered. “Not only do we have incredible beaches, restaurants, dancing, entertainment in the Dominican Republic, but the poster you’re looking at is of Carnival. It’s the highlight of our Festivities, the biggest and most amazing event, going on since 1867. You’ve never seen anything like it, the festivities and celebrations get so wild people even hit each other with inflated cow and pig bladders as part of the fun.”

  “A wild time,’ Cindy murmured.

  “We have an incredible country here,” Val commented, “the perfect place to live, vacation and certainly invest in a second home.”

  Cindy looked over at him. This was obviously a sales pitch he made many times and he said it again now automatically Did he know who Cindy was, she wondered for a moment? Did he think she was a tourist, coming to buy a vacation condo from him?

  “It looks extraordinary,” Cindy agreed. “I can see why Pete Twain loved it down here so much.”

  At that, Val’s smile faded. “Yes, Pete did love it here,” he replied. “He was excited about buying the condo.”

  “Did you know Pete well?” Cindy asked.

  Val only paused for a moment. “I did know him somewhat, of course,” Val spoke more thoughtfully. We had business dealings.”

  “Pete was in the process of buying a condo that your company developed and offered, is that correct?” asked Cindy.

  “Yes, that’s right. As you can see we’re real estate developers on this beautiful island,” Val responded.

  “Why was Pete buying the condo?” Cindy asked in a clipped tone, trying to throw Val off guard.

  “Why?” Val looked surprised. “Isn’t it obvious? Wouldn’t anyone want one? The unit he chose was right on the ocean and a few steps from one of the most famous golf courses.”

  “Was this an investment property?” Cindy asked.

  “Of course our homes are incredible investments,” Val’s replied, “not only in enjoyment and well-being, but financially as well.”

  For a moment Val sounded like a well rehearsed robot, saying all the right words with the perfect inflections.

  “Val,” Cindy tried to break through his well constructed p
erformance, “I need to know exactly why Pete was buying the condo?”

  Val quieted a moment. “I checked all the records before our meeting carefully,” he looked at Cindy plainly. “I have a bit of a surprise for you actually. Certainly, Pete and I were in negotiations, and even though his name is all over the papers, I’m sorry to say that he hadn’t yet left a down payment. So, officially, he hadn’t bought the condo. So, I really can’t stay why he wanted to buy it, or if he even was going to complete the deal.”

  “Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Cindy held up her hand. “I heard that Pete left a huge deposit on the condo, one hundred thousand dollars.”

  Val looked startled. “Where did you hear that from?”

  “It doesn’t matter here, said Cindy. How can it be you don’t have a record of that?”

  Val quickly flipped open the folder on the desk and began rummaging through the pages.

  “There’s no sign of any deposit here,” he insisted, “nothing at all. As far as I heard we’ve been waiting for it.”

  Something was deeply amiss here and Cindy was alerted. Loretta’s father had said he’d given Loretta and Pete one hundred thousand for the deposit. Where did that money go? Who had it?

  “Can you check one more time, please,” Cindy asked abruptly. “I have to be absolutely certain about this.”

  “Of course you do,” Val replied, tapping his knuckles on the desk as he scanned the papers carefully once more.

  Cindy wondered if the hundred thousand had been passed to someone secretly under the table. Was there a silent deal going on? Is that why Pete turned up dead?

  “Do you recall hearing anyone in the company say anything about Pete or what happened to him?” Cindy asked swiftly.

  At that Val closed the folder on his desk. “Everyone said it was a damn, rotten, lousy shame,” he answered. “We were all shaken. Val ran his hands up along his temples then. “There’s always trouble at those rotten pit stops.”

  “The brothels?” asked Cindy.

  “Yeah, call it that if you like,” Val stood up. “Most of the folks who come down and buy our homes aren’t headed there, believe me. They don’t need them, do they?”

  “You never know, do you?” said Cindy bluntly.

  “No, you’re right,” Val met her eyes directly. “You never do know who you’re really dealing with.”

  Val suddenly seemed uneasy with this aspect of the conversation. He shifted in his chair nervously, obviously, ready to go. But Cindy wasn’t finished though.

  “Has anyone else interviewed someone at the company about Pete’s death?” Cindy pushed on.

  “You mean have the cops spoken to us?” asked Val.

  “Or anyone in law enforcement,” said Cindy.

  Val closed his eyes a second, trying to remember. “The cops did not speak to us, “he finally said. “But I heard that Pete’s brother Taylor came down here once, asking questions and rummaging around.”

  “When was that?” asked Cindy startled.

  “A couple of days ago, I think,” said Val. “He spoke to a guy I work with Frank. Frank mentioned that Pete’s brother was nothing like him, kind of a messy guy who just kept asking one question after another. He wanted to know everything about the condo Pete was buying, the price, financing arrangements, the works.”

  “Why did he want to know that?” asked Cindy.

  “Beats me,” said Val. “Seems like he was trying to get a feel for his brother’s life here. Frank mentioned to me that he asked the brother if he wanted to complete the purchase? I don’t know exactly what the brother said. Why don’t you go speak to him about it yourself? He’ll tell you what he’s thinking.”

  “Good idea,” said Cindy, “I will. And thanks for your time.”

  “Sure, no problem,” said Val. “If you need to know anything more, just give a call.”

  Chapter 13

  You’re not answering my texts or emails, or even letting me know that you’re alright. Is this some kind of weird punishment? Doesn’t what we had together deserve more respect than that? Just let me know you’re okay. Is that too much to ask? Mattheus.

  The text from Mattheus arrived at a low point for Cindy, just after she returned from speaking to Val. Cindy was about to call Loretta to tell her about the missing down payment, something she was definitely not looking forward to doing. The message from Mattheus was a welcome distraction and she read it a few times more, mulling it over. Was she trying to inflict some kind of punishment on him? She never thought of it that way, just felt that she’d been respecting herself, protecting her own boundaries.

  I have no desire to punish you, Cindy texted back. I am fine, in the midst of the case. What we had does deserve respect. I can’t say I respect the way it ended though, how you just took off and fled.

  Then, to Cindy’s surprise, she quickly sent the text. There was no reason Mattheus should keep wondering if she were safe. A decent closure was the best for everyone. Mattheus had his problems, but he’d also been wonderful to her in so many ways.

  Cindy stood up, walked around in the room a few times and then promptly called Loretta. Loretta had a right to know what happened with the down payment and Cindy had to find out what happened to it?

  “What happened with Val?” was the first thing Loretta said when she picked up the phone.

  Cindy thought it might be better for her and Loretta to meet in person to talk things over. Everything could feel harsher and more disturbing over the phone.

  “Why don’t we take a walk,” Cindy suggested, “and I’ll go over the meeting with you.”

  A sour silence greeted her. “I can’t right now, I’m having lunch with Angela,” Loretta replied in a somewhat snippy tone, “but please let me know what happened.”

  Loretta was probably still upset about their past conversation and was keeping her distance. She certainly wasn’t someone who got over things quickly, Cindy recalled from their college days. For all Cindy knew, Loretta had been complaining to Angela about her.

  “Val told me something surprising,” Cindy started.

  “What?” asked Loretta, taken aback. “You have to tell me everything. You said you would and you must.”

  “Val said that Pete never left a down payment on the condo,” Cindy reported carefully.

  “What?” Loretta’s voice rose two octaves. “That’s ridiculous, it’s impossible!”

  “That’s what Val said,” Cindy repeated.

  “Well, he’s wrong, he’s lying, he doesn’t know what’s what!” Loretta grew nervous, “there’s no reason in the world for him to say that to you.”

  “Do you want to speak to him yourself?” asked Cindy.

  “I certainly do not, Loretta replied. “That’s what I hired you for. Val is messed up. Pete left a substantial down payment. The condo was ours. What are they doing now, trying to sell it to someone else?”

  “I have no idea about that,” said Cindy.

  “Well, they can sell it if they want to,” Loretta began to calm down. “There’s no way I want it now. But I do want our down payment back.”

  Cindy was seized with a need to know the whole truth and plunged forward directly.

  “Loretta, did the money for the down payment come from Pete or did your father provide it?”

  “What a horrible question,” Loretta’s voice grew lower. “What are you insinuating?”

  “I’m not insinuating anything,” Cindy defended herself. “Your father told me he gave you guys money for the down payment. These are important facts.”

  “I have no idea why my father told you that,” Loretta’s voice began to quiver. “He’s getting things all confused. It’s understandable to get confused when something terrible

  happens. Once in a while my dad gave us gifts, of course. Any father would. But Pete made his own money and took good care of me. We had no need to turn to my father. It’s actually humiliating to even suggest something like that.”

  “I’m very sorry, I really am,
” said Cindy. “I know this isn’t pretty.”

  “Isn’t pretty?” Loretta could barely speak. “Every bit of it is disgusting and awful and shameful, through and through. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.” Then she slammed the phone down, as if all was Cindy’s fault.

  Cindy stood there holding the phone in her hand, wondering what to do next. She didn’t have to wonder long though, as her phone rang even before she took another step. Probably Loretta calling back to apologize, thought Cindy. It was understandable that she should be volatile right now. She was probably calling to make it right.

  To Cindy’s surprise though, Taylor was on the other end. “Taylor here,” he started.

  “Yes, hello,” said Cindy, pleased to hear from him.

  “Got an hour or so?” he replied in a gruff tone.

  “Sure,” said Cindy.

  “You have?” Taylor seemed surprised. “When?”

  “Right now,” Cindy offered.

  “Swell,” he said. “I’m going down to the Ranken Gardens, want to come with me and

  talk?”

  “Absolutely,” said Cindy, delighted that Taylor was ready to talk and wondering where the Ranken Gardens were?

  “I’ll meet you in the front of the hotel right away,” he replied. “We can even walk there, if you’re up to it.”

  “I’m up to it and I’m on the way,” Cindy responded, delighted to have the chance to talk to Taylor.

  *

  The Ranken Gardens were down three hills, under an arbor of heavy trees. Wild and uncharted, the moment you stepped inside, you were entwined within sprawling branches, wild flowers and the sound of birds. The pungent scent of the flowers was so intense it made Cindy feel as if she’d been transported into another world.

  “I like it here,” said Taylor as they waked in. Dressed in jeans and a clean T shirt, he looked more put together than before.

  “Do you come down to the Dominican Republic regularly?” asked Cindy as they walked along the dirt paths that seemed to lead nowhere at all.

  “No, of course not, why would I?” Taylor looked at her strangely, with an edginess that made Cindy uneasy.