Death by Wedding (Book #16 in the Caribbean Murder series) Read online

  “You haven’t heard about the party there?” Benita was definitely surprised.

  “The Gemi is a celebrity yacht, with an end-of-summer bash on it every year,” Sparks quickly explained. “Everyone scrambles to get invited, but only top celebs are on the guest list. I thought the whole world knew about it.”

  “Not my world,” Cindy replied.

  Mattheus stepped in quickly. “Cindy and I have been working hard, our noses to the ground,” he said to Sparks.

  “That’s right, that’s right,” Sparks remarked. “You’re still hunting down criminals. I almost forgot.”

  Mattheus and Sparks laughed as Cindy nodded and turned back toward her friends and family who were waiting for her. She was not exactly sure how she felt about Mattheus’s long-lost friend.

  “There’s so many people to meet and welcome,” Julia whispered to Cindy when she came back to the group.

  “I know,” said Cindy, feeling pressure suddenly. Her first wedding was nothing like this. Just the families and a few close friends.

  “It’ll all be fine, it will all go well,” Julia assured her.

  “I’m sure it will,” said Cindy. “People will get to know each other during the rehearsal dinner this evening. By the time it’s over, we’ll all be good friends.”

  “Absolutely.” Julia smiled. “And just remember one thing, this is your time, Cindy. This celebration is for you and Mattheus. Don’t let anyone else take center stage. Don’t let anyone else take your joy from you.”

  “No, of course I won’t,” replied Cindy, wondering what Julia had in mind.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Upstairs, in their magnificent, spacious wedding suite overlooking the perfect beach and azure ocean below, Cindy and Mattheus were dressing for the rehearsal dinner. It was scheduled to start in less than half an hour. So far all had gone according to plan, with almost nothing upsetting their careful preparations. The wedding party had had time to meet one another this afternoon. They’d swum together in the pool, walked the grounds, and had cocktails at the outdoor bar under the tall cove of palm trees. Of course, tense moments arose, but thankfully, passed quickly. As Cindy expected, her mother had become irritable from time to time, still expressing doubts. And, of course, some of Mattheus’s groomsmen had bit too much to drink and created a small stir.

  More guests were scheduled to arrive for the rehearsal dinner shortly, including Cindy’s uncles Ben and Charles. Cindy especially looked forward to seeing Uncle Charles, who had been like a father to her for years. The general wedding guests were expected to begin arriving early tomorrow, the day of the wedding. Cindy was surprised to suddenly find out that Mattheus’s long-lost daughter, Andrea, was coming, along with her Caribbean mother, Petra. Neither had responded to their invitations or been on the guest list.

  “They must have made up their mind at the last minute,” said Mattheus, pleased to hear they were on their way. “I didn’t want anybody to feel hurt or left out by our marriage. I’m glad they’ll be here.”

  Of course, Cindy felt the same way. She didn’t want anyone left out, though she hadn’t thought that Andrea or Petra would be part of their future. Andrea was difficult and so was her mother, who had wanted Mattheus to come back and be her boyfriend again.

  “You agree, don’t you?” Mattheus pushed Cindy a bit, sounding a little nervous.

  “Certainly, I agree,” Cindy said softly.

  “I hear hesitation in your voice,” Mattheus replied.

  “I just didn’t expect Andrea and her mother to be at the wedding.” Cindy didn’t equivocate.

  “Even though I didn’t see Andrea for the first fifteen years of her life, she is my daughter.” Mattheus’s voice firmed up. “She deserves to be here. She has to know she’s wanted.”

  “Of course she does,” said Cindy, deciding to let it all be. Andrea and her mother lived tucked away on a small Caribbean island. Mattheus had hardly seen his daughter again after he’d reunited with her over a year ago. Cindy didn’t expect that to change. There was no point to make a fuss about it now or create a stumbling block.

  Cindy went into the bathroom then to put her dress on and also the finishing touches on her makeup. After she did her makeup and slipped into a long, glittering, blue-sequined dress with a slit up the side and high sandals, she felt beautiful and ready for the night.

  When Cindy walked out of the bathroom into the main room, Mattheus let out a long, low whistle, stood up, and held out his arms. Dressed in a well-fitted beige linen suit and custom-made blue silk shirt, he looked dashing himself.

  “You’re magnificent,” Mattheus uttered, taking Cindy in. “More beautiful than I’ve ever seen you.”

  Thrilled, Cindy went into his arms.

  “You’re glowing, radiant,” Mattheus whispered in Cindy’s ear.

  “I’m happy, Mattheus,” Cindy murmured in return. “I’m deeply happy and completely ready for this next step.”

  “Thank God,” he replied. “So am I.”

  *

  The rehearsal dinner was being held on the main floor of the hotel, in a private room overlooking a winding lagoon. In the center of the room a long table was set with the finest china, huge bouquets of pink and red flowers, and bottles of sparkling champagne. Soft lights shone from the ceiling and in the background, love songs from years ago were being played. The moment you walked into the room you were transported to another time and place.

  Cindy watched in awe as the guests drifted in, dressed in their finest. This could be the wedding itself, she thought, taken aback by the lush extravagance. But Mattheus had insisted. Using a large part of an old inheritance, he had been determined to finance every aspect of their celebration to the hilt.

  Cindy looked at Mattheus now talking to Nick and Lanny, two of his groomsmen. Both were his longtime favorite buddies, whom he had worked with on the police force for years. She was also happy to see that her Uncle Charles had arrived, and she went right over to him. As expected, he gave her an enormous hug.

  “I’m so proud of you.” Charles’s eyes lit up. “You’re doing it, you’re moving on. Your Uncle Ben will also be here soon.”

  Cindy noticed her mother already seated at the table beside Frank, who had taken on the job of accompanying her to family events. Uncle Charles and Ben were to be seated beside them.

  Julia rushed over to Cindy then, her eyes wide open. “You look incredible! Fantastic!”

  Cindy gave Julia a quick hug. “Thanks.”

  “Are you terrified?” Julia went on.

  Oddly enough, Cindy wasn’t. “I’m ready,” she said.

  Julia laughed. “Don’t sound so grim. I meant are you ready for the speeches at the rehearsal dinner tonight? I’ve been preparing my speech for days. How many of us are speaking?”

  Cindy wasn’t sure. That was something Mattheus had taken care of. “A few.” Cindy shrugged.

  “How about Sparks?” Julia went on. “I can’t wait to hear him. I’m sure he’s speaking. After all, he’s the best man.”

  “I’m sure he is,” Cindy agreed.

  “Sparks is something, isn’t he?” Julia looked carefully at Cindy. “He’s a powerful guy. He’s dynamic.”

  “Seems so,” Cindy replied. She wanted to make light of it and not let Julia know that she hadn’t met Sparks before.

  “Seems so?” said Julia. “He’s the kind of guy any woman would go crazy for. What’s his fiancée like? They look really happy together. If Paul and I weren’t so good together, I’d be downright jealous of her.” Julia flashed a wide smile.

  It had been a few years since Cindy had engaged in this kind of banter and it felt odd. Since Clint died Cindy had spent most of her time solving murders down in the Caribbean. The conversation with Julia began to make her queasy.

  “Where is Sparks anyway?” Julia was looking around.

  “He’ll be here any minute,” Cindy replied.

  “He’ll probably be seated by Mattheus, wouldn’t you say?” Juli
a added. “After all, he’s the best man.”

  “Most likely,” said Cindy. “Julia, why do you really care?”

  “Why not?” Julia laughed. “We’re here to have fun, after all. Aren’t we?”

  After more greetings and light conversation, the guests took their appointed seats. Julia and Paul were seated next to Cindy. On the other side, beside Mattheus, two seats were reserved for Sparks and Benita, who hadn’t arrived as yet. As the guests took their seats, the waiters lit long candles that lined the table, giving the room a warm, magical glow.

  In a few moments the waiters began serving the food. The lively mood in the room intensified as the guests chatted, ate, and seemed to enjoy one another and the evening completely. Uncles Charles came over then and said something to Julia.

  Julia looked at her watch and leaned closer to Cindy. “Isn’t it time to start the speeches soon?” she asked. “Where’s Sparks and Benita?”

  Cindy turned to look at the seats beside Mattheus, where Sparks and Benita were supposed to be sitting. To Cindy’s surprise they were still empty.

  “I have no idea where they are,” she said to Julia. “They should be here any minute.”

  “Are we waiting for them to begin?” Julia continued. “We don’t want to delay the speeches much longer.”

  Cindy pointed Mattheus to the empty seats. “Where’s Sparks and Benita?” she asked.

  Mattheus smiled a crinkly smile, unconcerned. “Who knows?” he said. “Sparks always has lots of things going on. They’ll be here in a second. Sparks would never miss the rehearsal dinner.”

  “Can we start the speeches without them?” Cindy whispered.

  “Of course,” Mattheus replied. “They’ll just jump in and take their turn when they arrive. It’s time. Let’s go.”

  Cindy nodded at her Uncle Charles, who stood up then and clinked a fork to his glass.

  “In honor of this beautiful couple, the most important part of the evening will now go on,” he announced. “Not only will we toast their upcoming wedding, but we will all have the privilege of hearing talks by some of the guests.”

  The room grew quiet.

  “I for one,” Charles continued, “would like to be the first person to say a few words. Naturally, I have had the pleasure of knowing Cindy since she was a child and have watched her grow into the amazing, courageous woman she is today.”

  Soft applause scattered across the room.

  “Cindy’s life is a testament to the power of bravery, kindness, and the refusal to take life lying down,” he went on. “She has plowed through difficulties of all kind and turned her suffering into a gift for all. Due to her own loss, she’s helped so many others with the same kind of pain. Due to her refusing to take no for an answer or go along with the way things seem to be, she has found killers hiding where no one expected them to be.”

  Again, applause sounded, this time growing stronger.

  “I am proud to be Cindy’s uncle and stand-in dad,” Charles went on. “And I am thrilled to offer my blessing to her marriage to Mattheus.”

  Some people at the table stood up.

  “Mattheus has been at Cindy’s side both as a beloved and work partner for a long time now. This relationship has surely been tested, and thankfully, it has won!”

  The applause grew louder and Cindy looked over at her mother, whose face was set in her usual mask of disapproval and pain. That’s the way her mother always felt, though, thought Cindy, reconciled to it. There was nothing she could ever do to make her mother happy or proud of her. It probably even pained her mother to hear Charles speaking so highly of her now.

  Charles lifted his glass and offered a toast, and the guests followed along.

  After Charles returned to his seat, one of Mattheus’s groomsmen, Nick, stood up abruptly.

  “Mattheus baby”—Nick lifted his glass—“I didn’t prepare a thing to say. I didn’t have to.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “You have been a real brother to all of us on the force, even after you left to start your detective company with Cindy.”

  Cindy looked at Mattheus, who flushed with pleasure.

  “There wasn’t one day we couldn’t all count on you. There wasn’t one email you didn’t answer right away, or one call you didn’t take. Even after the tragedy in your life with your first wife, Stella, you kept going, refusing to stop.”

  Applause rang out for Mattheus as well now.

  “You’re one hell of a guy and we’re all happy for you! We want you to be happy. You deserve the best.”

  Mattheus stood up then as well. “Thanks, buddy, thanks so very much.”

  “Is he the best man?” Cindy heard her mother ask Frank loudly.

  All eyes drifted over to the empty seat next to Mattheus then. Julia poked Cindy, pointed to the seat, and shrugged, as if to ask where Sparks and Benita were.

  “Every man is the best man,” Mattheus replied happily. “Something unexpected must have come up. Sparks will be here soon.”

  *

  The speeches continued, more champagne was poured, and more toasts offered. Cindy felt like a queen sitting on a throne. Mattheus thanked the guests over and over. Cindy saw how badly he needed to feel like part of a larger family that was here for him and wished him well.

  Slowly the evening drew to a close. Dessert was brought to the table with after-dinner liqueur. Cindy was glad it was almost over. Tomorrow was a big day and she wanted to retire earlier rather than later and get a good sleep. As guests stood up from their seats and got ready to go, Cindy noticed a few glance over at the seats which had remained empty beside Mattheus.

  “It was a fantastic evening,” Julia said to Cindy, as she and Paul were planning to go to their room.

  “Thanks so much for being here,” said Cindy.

  “Of course,” said Julia. “Where else in the world would I be? And thank goodness Mattheus seems to be okay about his best man not showing up.”

  Cindy didn’t want to get into that now. “There was an outpouring of love here for Mattheus,” said Cindy. “He got what he needed.”

  “Yes, he did,” Julia agreed. “Mattheus is a good man, Cindy. He’s a big person. You’ve definitely got yourself a prize.”

  Cindy smiled, appreciating Julia’s comment. “Thanks so much,” she said, “I’m so grateful he and I have come to this moment.”

  “I can only imagine,” said Julia. “And me too, I’m so grateful for you.”

  *

  After the guests were gone, the smile left Mattheus’s face abruptly. He ran his hands through his hair and looked around the room nervously.

  “Where is he?” Mattheus muttered.

  Cindy saw how disturbed Mattheus was that Sparks had not come to the dinner. “Call him and ask,” she said quickly.

  “I called twice during the evening,” Mattheus responded. “No answer. I texted three times.”

  “Oh God,” Cindy murmured.

  “This isn’t like him.” Mattheus’s jaw clenched.

  “You haven’t seen Sparks in a long time,” Cindy said. “You don’t really know who he is now.”

  Mattheus looked confounded. “Of course I know, we went through thick and thin together.”

  “Years have passed,” Cindy shot back.

  “Years don’t mean anything with a real friend,” Mattheus insisted.

  Cindy suddenly felt sad for Mattheus. “Sometimes they do,” she murmured.

  “I made Sparks a promise he’d be my best man,” Mattheus continued. “I kept my word. He accepted the invitation. He was thrilled to hear from me again.”

  “Which doesn’t mean you know who he is now,” Cindy repeated forcefully.

  Mattheus turned away abruptly and walked to the other end of the room. “This isn’t like him. I’ve got to find him.” Mattheus tapped his foot on the ground. “I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t know why he didn’t show. It doesn’t make sense. It’s creepy.”

  Cindy could certainly un
derstand that. “Go up to his room and see if he’s there,” she suggested. “Could be he and Benita just fell asleep?”

  “Doubtful.” Mattheus made a sour face.

  “Could be they were drinking or drugging?” Cindy continued.

  Mattheus held both hands up. “Enough! Stop it. You’re right, I will go up to his room. For starters, that is.”

  Cindy flinched. She didn’t know Sparks at all and had no idea what Mattheus would find there.

  “Why not call downstairs from the desk first?” Cindy quickly added. “Or send a bellboy up instead? He can even open the door if needed and see what’s inside.”

  Mattheus stopped a moment. “Good idea,” he agreed. “I’ll have the desk call up first. If there’s no answer, I’ll go myself.”

  Cindy felt the anxiety building in both of them. She wanted to normalize things a bit.

  “It could be as simple as that he’s at one of the bars or clubs on the ground. Sparks had a bunch of guys here with him. Something could have come up with one of them. Do you want me to come looking for him with you?”

  “No.” Mattheus was emphatic. “More guests are arriving tomorrow. You go back upstairs, take a long bath, get some rest. Sparks is my friend, he’s my responsibility.”

  “He’s not your responsibility, Mattheus. Sparks came down here for you, not the other way around,” Cindy insisted.

  Mattheus looked at Cindy strangely. “What’s the difference? With a friend you’re there for each other, no matter what happens. Right?”

  Cindy certainly couldn’t dispute that point. One of the reasons she loved Mattheus so much was exactly because he felt that way.

  “Please let me come look for him with you,” Cindy offered one more time.

  “Definitely not,” Mattheus repeated. “Whatever it is, he’s going to have to tell me what’s really going on. My guess is it’s not going to be pretty. This is something I’ve got to do alone.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Cindy went back upstairs to their suite alone, nervous. Mattheus promised to keep in touch with her step by step about the search. Still, she had an uneasy feeling about this. What could keep a best man from showing up at his friend’s rehearsal dinner? It was disturbing that Mattheus had to go searching for him, and even more upsetting that he was set on doing it alone.