Death by Seduction Read online

  “You specifically ignored my requests,” Loretta lashed out, “you spent time with Taylor, who I detest and who detests me. I’m sure he’s filled your head with all kinds of lies about me. You also met with, that guy Eric, a lawyer, without saying a word to be about it.” Loretta was getting herself more and more upset as she spoke.

  “My goal was to help you,” Cindy tried to calm her. “And Taylor didn’t fill my head with lies. He just said that things always were tense between the two of you.”

  “Tense isn’t the word for it,” Loretta shot back. “He always tried to turn Pete against me, couldn’t stand me, thought I was weak. What kind of brother in law would do that?”

  “Not a very good one,” Cindy agreed.

  “You can say that again,” exclaimed Loretta. “And, there’s more. You said you were working for me, but not with me!” Loretta was savoring every moment that hurt.

  “I put that wrongly,” Cindy acquiesced, “I just meant that although I cared about you and was working for you, I couldn’t allow you to direct the investigation.”

  “Why not?” Loretta didn’t understand.

  “That’s just routine procedure,” replied Cindy.

  “You say over and over it’s routine procedure, but it doesn’t mean a thing to me,” Loretta insisted.

  “It means that when you’re on an investigation, it’s important to walk down all kinds of strange roads and meet unexpected people. When you do, you have to keep quiet about what you’re looking for,” Cindy explained.

  “Even from me? Why?” Loretta wasn’t getting it.

  “Say I told you something about the investigation that bothered you,” Cindy replied, “it’s possible you might repeat it to someone else. You would do it because you were upset and in a vulnerable position, but you never know who that person would comment to. Before you know it things get distorted, others find out and doors begin to shut in your face.”

  “That’s crazy,” Loretta finally took it in. “Why in the world would you even do a job like this, Cindy?”

  “I do it to help people who are in the same situation you’re in right now,” Cindy said so deeply that Loretta felt it.

  “Well, you shouldn’t stay in it forever,” Loretta took a step back. “You deserve a better life, you really do.”

  “This work is meaningful to me,” Cindy responded.

  “But it’s weird and dangerous,” Loretta insisted, looking over at some tourists who were about to embark upon the hike. “You weren’t like this in college. No one would ever have thought your life would turn out this way.”

  Cindy followed her glance. Despite the conversation they were having, the day was normal, with happy tourists lining up to have a good time.

  “Want to take a walk up to the top of the waterfalls now?” asked Cindy, taking a moment to breathe the delicious, salty air and listen to the wind in the trees below.

  “Yes, of course I would like to, let’s go,” said Loretta.

  They got up then and walked over to the foot of the trail. It was good to be back in nature, walking. It felt good that Cindy and Loretta had also cleared the air between them..

  “Thank you, Cindy,” Loretta said as they stepped onto the bumpy road. “I love it here, it’s beautiful. And I’m grateful to have you back as a friend.”

  *

  The walk up to the top of the falls was exhilarating and life giving. Endless birds accompanied them, as the series of spectacular waterfalls roared with majesty.

  “Once people get to the top, they jump in, slide down, swim their way back down,” Loretta repeated. “Some also just stand there and watch.”

  “Rather watch,” said Cindy as Loretta laughed.

  Once at the top they watched a few people jump in, calling out with delight once in the rolling water.

  “When we get back to the states,” Loretta called to Cindy, “I’m taking you under my wing.”

  Cindy smiled at that comment, wondering what Loretta had in mind.

  “I know at least three great guys to introduce you to,” Loretta continued. “You may have come down here to help me, but I’m going to help you right back.”

  Cindy felt grateful for Loretta’s thoughtfulness. It was also a perfect moment to seguey into Loretta’s relationship with Pete.

  “That’s kind of you, Loretta,” said Cindy. “If anyone knows a good guy it’s got to be you. All of your work revolves around marriage.”

  “That’s true,” Loretta felt proud of it. “I meet all kinds of fantastic people, too, through the boutique.”

  “And your marriage to Pete meant so much to you,” Cindy said then softly.

  “Yes, of course, it did,” Loretta talked faster. “A good marriage defines a woman. It’s who she is. It’s how people see her. Starting with the wedding, of course.”

  Cindy smiled then, thinking of the wedding venues she and Mattheus had been looking at.

  “You had a good marriage to Clint after all, didn’t you?” asked Loretta.

  “Yes, I did,” Cindy responded, startled by the mention of it. “Even though our time together was so brief.”

  Loretta stretched a bit and sighed then. “Brief or not, at least you were married. Some marriages are great at the start and then things start to dwindle.”

  That was an interesting way of putting it, thought Cindy. “Did that happen with you and Pete?” she asked quickly.

  Loretta plopped down on the ground then, hugging her arms around her legs. Cindy quickly joined her.

  “Pete and I adored each other,” Loretta started, “we respected each other so that was fantastic. We didn’t exactly have the same interests though, and that was hard sometimes.”

  This was the first time Loretta had suggested there had been any difficulty between them. “I’m sorry,” said Cindy.

  “Nothing to be sorry about,” Loretta quickly backtracked. “We ended up having a good marriage anyway because we gave each other lots of space.”

  Cindy quickly wondered how much space Loretta and Pete had to give each other? “A lot of space?” asked Cindy.

  Loretta laughed at Cindy’s tone. “Well, yes, I gave Pete tons and tons of space and he gave it to me. I was very busy with the boutique and he not only loved exotic travel, but worked down here on the island a lot. More and more as time went by, really.”

  “Did that bother you?” asked Cindy.

  “Sometimes,” Loretta mumbled, “that’s why we were buying a condo down here for the two of us. We needed more quality time together, I won’t hide that. But when Pete went away, I know he missed me.”

  “How do you know that?” Cindy asked.

  “He always brought me back the most beautiful bracelets,” she said, thrusting out her arm proudly, displaying a ruby bracelet she was wearing at the moment.

  “It’s gorgeous,” said Cindy, impressed.

  “Yes, it is,” said Loretta proudly, “and he got me a few like this one, one in amber and one in pearl. They all have my names engraved on the inside.”

  “That must have made you very happy,” said Cindy.

  “Of course it did,” Loretta tilted her head back. “It showed me how much he loved me.”

  “So, there was no worries when he travelled then?” Cindy quickly picked up on it. You trusted him completely?”

  “Definitely,” Loretta insisted, the wind blowing her hair around. “Pete swore to me that he would never make me ashamed. He swore it.”

  Cindy shivered, thinking of what she knew about Pete’s life. Of course she could not mention it to Loretta right now, Loretta would feel Cindy was attacking her and see her once again as an enemy.

  “How did you handle so much time alone?” Cindy asked instead.

  “Well, if truth be told, a glass of wine now and then did wonders,” said Loretta.

  “Now and then?” asked Cindy playfully, wondering if it were true that Loretta had developed a drinking problem.

  “What else does one do on lonely nights?” Loretta
mused. “A good marriage doesn’t mean everything’s perfect, that you’re together twenty four seven.”

  “No, of course not,” Cindy went along. “You just have to learn how to deal with the times of loneliness, I guess.”

  “Right, you got it!” agreed Loretta. “You have to learn how and I did. And then Pete would always return with those gifts, saying he loved me. And I trusted him completely.”

  “No question about that,” Cindy echoed and Loretta seemed happy that Cindy understood.

  The sound of the waterfalls became almost deafening then. As Cindy listened to them and watched the floods of water relentlessly pour to the ground, she was struck with great sadness for Loretta. Loretta seemed so helpless sitting there, hugging her arms around her knees, completely lost in her dream.

  *

  By the time Cindy and Loretta returned from the falls, evening was almost approaching and Loretta suddenly became listless and sad.

  “I was supposed to have dinner with Angela tonight,” she said to Cindy, “but I’m tired now. I just want to go to bed. Will you fill in for me?”

  “Of course,” said Cindy, delighted for the opportunity to talk to Loretta’s friend and find out more.

  “Thanks,” said Loretta, “I appreciate that. I wouldn’t want to leave Angela stranded, and besides, she’s told me she’s looking forwarded to talking to you.”

  “No problem at all,” said Cindy. “I’m looking forward to meeting Angela, as well.”

  Chapter 18

  Cindy met up with Angela at a little park in the center of town. By the time Cindy arrived, Angela was already waiting under a gazebo, near a water fountain. Fortunately, Cindy had seen her once before and knew who she was right away. To Cindy’s surprise, Angela seemed delighted when Cindy approached.

  “Thanks so very much for meeting me,” Angela reached out and gave Cindy a quick hug. Angela was beautiful and bubbly, a true friend to Loretta’s, and seemed thrilled to have Cindy on board.

  “Thank you for your time,” Cindy countered, liking Angela immediately.

  “Isn’t it lovely here?” Angela pointed to the charming park. “When I first came down to the Dominican Republic Loretta and I came here often. Now, it’s harder to get her to leave her room. I’m so glad she went with you to the waterfalls.”

  “Yes, so am I,” Cindy agreed, wondering if the reality of Loretta’s situation was finally dawning on her. “Sometimes reality sets and the person freezes,” Cindy commented. “It can become hard to do anything.”

  “Absolutely,” Angela agreed, “I thought that from the beginning, wondered when Loretta would actually realize that Pete was gone.”

  “Let’s take a walk around the park,” Cindy suggested, “and you can fill me in.”

  “Absolutely, I know you must have a million unanswered questions,” said Angela as she and Cindy stepped onto a beautiful, old cobblestone path that wound through the old park that was filled not only with flowers and ponds, but statues of Saints lining the walks. “I love it here,” Angela continued, “I love having the Saints around me, watching me along the way.”

  Cindy glanced up at the statues of the imposing figures that were looking down at them. At that moment they were standing in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary.

  “Isn’t she beautiful?” Angela murmured. “It’s Our Lady of Altagracia. She’s the protector and queen of the hearts of the Dominicans.”

  “Beautiful,” Cindy couldn’t help but agree.

  “People here have such devotion to her that January 21 is a national holiday in her honor. Actually, I’ve always wanted to attend the celebration.”

  Cindy was moved not only by the kind glance of the statue, but by Angela’s warmth. This was such a different moment from the one’s Cindy had been experiencing so far, and she relished it.

  “We all have to fight the darkness in our own ways,” Angela spoke softly, as they continued walking.

  “Yes, indeed we do,” Cindy agreed as they soon stood in front of another towering statue.

  “This is another Patron Saint of the Dominicans,” Angela pointed to the statue before them of Saint Dominic. “The legend about him is that Mary pointed out two figures to him to show him who would help save the world. One was Dominic himself, the other a stranger. The stranger, who turned out to be a ragged beggar, went up to Dominic, embraced him and said, you are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us.”

  Cindy felt chills go up and down her entire body. It was indeed true, she felt, that no dark power could contend with those united in standing for truth.

  “The beggar turned out to be Francis of Assisi,” Angela continued. “The meeting of these two men is commemorated twice a year on their feast days.”

  Cindy couldn’t help wonder why Angela was telling her about this now.

  “There’s plenty of darkness down here in the Dominican Republic,” Cindy responded. “We certainly need all the help we can get.”

  There’s darkness everywhere,” Angela murmured.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Cindy chimed in. “And it’s wonderful you’ve come down to help your dear friend.”

  “Well, so have you,” said Angela. “Loretta needs both of us here badly,” Angela’s voice then dropped. “It’s been a terrible road for her.”

  “You mean losing her husband?” asked Cindy.

  “Even before that,” Angela stopped walking, and walked over to a fence and leaned against it. “Pete hurt and humiliated Loretta over and over again.”

  Cindy was stunned. This was entirely new information. “Loretta told me their marriage was good,” Cindy replied, “how did Pete hurt her?”

  “I know Loretta says that,” Angela continued in a hushed tone. “She says that to everyone, and she may still even believe it herself. Some of us just can’t face the truth, especially about a man we love and look up to.”

  “No, we can’t,” Cindy agreed softly.

  “It’s too hard, it’s too painful,” Angela spoke quickly. “No matter how many times I tried to get Loretta to face things about Pete back home, she had an excuse for everything he did.”

  “Like what?” Cindy felt herself growing cold.

  “Pete was involved with other women,” Angela started. “It was obvious to everyone, except Loretta.”

  “Many of them?” asked Cindy.

  “Who knows how many?” Angela shrugged. “Does the number matter?”

  “Of course not,” Cindy agreed.

  “Pete was gone at all the important times. Towards the end of the marriage he barely even touched Loretta anymore,” Angela went on.

  “I’m so sorry,” Cindy caught her breath.

  “If you asked me, at the end Pete couldn’t stand her,” said Angela.

  “Why not? What happened?” Cindy felt devastated for Loretta.

  “Who knows what exactly?” said Angela. “If you asked me, first he got addicted to porn and then took the next step to the prostitutes. Loretta even found porn on his website one time, saw it for herself with her very own eyes. But when she asked him about it he told her it was just someone spamming him. She actually believed him.”

  “She couldn’t have believed him completely,” Cindy jumped in. “If she had why would she have mentioned it to you?”

  “Maybe some part of her realized something was strange,” Angela had to agree, “but she kept that part in darkness. Soon after Loretta found the porn on Pete’s website though, she started drinking a lot more than before. What a nightmare! Here was a fabulously successful woman who ran the most elegant, expensive salon for brides and even helped plan top A list weddings. If word ever got out that her husband visited prostitutes, do you know what it could do to her business?”

  Cindy could well imagine. Loretta had been very proud even in college, extremely sensitive to what people thought.

  “But Loretta said she and Pete were buying a condo together down here to have more quality time tog
ether. I guess they were trying make things better,” Cindy mused.

  “That’s what she told herself and me, too,” said Angela. “But from the start I felt funny about it. I even told her father, Henry, I didn’t think it was a wise move.”

  “Why would you tell that to her father?” Cindy was startled.

  “Loretta’s father and I have been close for years,” said Angela. “He’s a wonderful man, he adores Loretta, would do anything in the world to help her.”

  “Did Henry know that Pete was involved with other women?” Cindy asked bluntly.

  “Of course he knew,” said Angela. “He was in the same bind I was in though, scared of saying it to her straight out. Scared the facts would destroy her, or that she just wouldn’t believe them and cut him out of her life. Her father couldn’t bear being cut out of Loretta’s life. She’s everything to him.”

  “He must have hated Pete a lot,” whispered Cindy, wondering if there were any way Loretta’s father could be involved in this?

  “Yeah, he hated him, but he didn’t do this,” Angela answered quickly. “He wasn’t on the island when it happened. And, Henry gave Loretta the money for the down payment on the condo, too. He wanted things to straighten out between them.”

  Cindy was startled that Angela had such intimate information. It was even more disturbing because Loretta had said the money for the down payment came from Pete.

  “Why did her father give money to her?” Cindy needed to know more. “Couldn’t Pete afford it? Loretta said he could.”

  “Pete’s money flowed through his fingers like water,” Angela began whispering now.

  “Come on, let’s walk more.”

  Cindy started back down the cobblestone path with Angela.

  “Pete had money but he wasn’t stable,” Angela kept talking as they walked. “Loretta knew it and it humiliated her.”

  “So she took money from her dad?” Cindy asked.

  “She took everything she needed from her dad,” Angela continued.

  “Didn’t she make plenty of money on her own with her boutique?” asked Cindy.

  “Yeah, she made money, but her business was in both her name and Pete’s. Who knows what happened to the money she made? For all we know, he siphoned it off.” Angela looked at Cindy slyly.