Death by Jealousy Read online

  “So Allie’s mother couldn’t be pleased,” Cindy needed to know more, “What about her father?”

  “When you meet him you’ll see, he’s quiet,” said Elizabeth, “goes along with the mom. He’s moderately successful, but not successful enough for his wife. Never will be.”

  “I need to know something that may sound harsh to you,” Cindy prepared the girls for what she had to say next.

  A silence fell over all of them and the sound of the waves on the shore grew louder.

  “Was Allie in love with Peter? Or was she in love with the jewels?” Cindy asked.

  Nora gasped, and Laura flushed beet red.

  “That’s a horrible question to ask,” said Laura. “Why would you want to put her down, just like her mom did?”

  “I’m not putting her down,” said Cindy, “my job is to search out the truth. The truth can save her, or at least, find out what happened. She deserves that, doesn’t she?”

  “Of course she deserves it,” said Elizabeth, “but I told you, I never saw Allie as happy as when she and Peter met.”

  “Their happiness lasted?” Cindy wouldn’t let go.

  “Their high times came and went,” Robyn jumped in. “Of course Allie and Peter had their conflicts, like everyone else. But basically, they were good.”

  The girls were presenting a united front, but Cindy had the strong feeling there was something else going on. She couldn’t get at what and decided to try a different tack.

  “How about Allie’s other interests, her job, the people in her life?”

  “Allie was an account manager at an ad agency,” Elizabeth spoke up. “She liked her job, and had lots of friends. The gals in the wedding party are the ones she was closest to. We’ve all known her for years. She had different sides to her, too. She loved shopping, fashion, dancing. Allie was a terrific dancer. Peter loved that about her, how she loosened him up. Her other real hobby was diving.”

  “That’s odd,” said Cindy. Scuba diving didn’t really fit the picture of the woman they were painting.

  “What’s odd it?” asked Robyn. “She’d been a model and liked posing underwater, loved the scenery down there. Most of all, being close to Peter. I’ve seen lots of photos of the two of them underwater.”

  Cindy wanted to see those photographs. “Are there photographs of the two of them down there the night she disappeared?”

  The girls looked at each other surprised. “I doubt it,” said Elizabeth.

  “Allie also liked danger, if you ask me,” Nora piped up then.

  That comment hit a chord with Cindy, “How so?”

  “Anyone who goes diving at night is asking for trouble,” Nora’s voice grew high. “I told Allie many times not to do it. She said I was totally paranoid and that’s what she loved about me. I said I can be paranoid and still be completely right. Why does someone in their right mind go diving in the night with poor visibility? You tell me!”

  All the girls took a deep breath and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

  “Nora is overly cautious,” said Elizabeth.

  “You can’t be overly cautious when your life is at stake,” said Nora. “Look where we are! Sitting at the beach with a detective and Allie has disappeared. Now she’ll never have a chance to be a bride.”

  That stopped all of them cold, took the energy right out of the conversation. They all grew silent and looked out at the evening sky, which slowly grew darker.

  It was definitely getting late and Cindy glanced back towards the hotel, wondering how long they should continue talking. To her surprise, she saw a man standing at the edge of the beach, watching them. The wind blew his shirt and hair. Startled, Cindy realized it was Mac.

  The girls followed Cindy’s glance to where he was standing.

  “That’s Mac,” Elizabeth commented. “He’s like an uncle to Peter, and also Peter reports directly to him at the company.”

  “What does the company do, exactly?” asked Cindy.

  “Trading, finance, worldwide banking,” Elizabeth responded. “Mac is great, he brings a fun touch to everything. Right now he’s probably wondering what we’re all talking about down here. He doesn’t like to be left out of anything.”

  Cindy looked over at him once again. He waved to her and she waved back.

  “He’ll be a good person to talk to,” Robyn offered, “he’s extremely involved in Peter’s life and knows everyone on the Island.”

  Cindy took a deep breath then, and the girls all followed suit. This seemed like a suitable breaking point for now.

  “I really appreciate the time you’ve spent with me here,” Cindy said, “and I hope we can talk more as things go forward. If there’s anything else anyone of you remembers, or wants to tell me privately, I’ll give you my cell phone and hotel room phone number.”

  “Great,” the girls seemed relieved.

  As Cindy wrote out the information to give to each them, she felt Mac approaching on the sand.

  “Hi gals,” he said light heartedly, “hope this has been useful for all of you.”

  “It’s been terrific, “said Robyn. “I feel so much better now that Cindy’s on the case.”

  “We love her,” Elizabeth added.

  “You’ve got good taste,” Mac chimed in.

  “Thanks,” said Cindy, finished writing and started handing her contact information to the girls.

  “I’d like a copy of the contact information myself” said Mac, giving Cindy a sidelong glance. “Sure,” said Cindy, professionally. “Anything you want to say to me, anything you can think of -.”

  “That’s quite an invitation,” Mac smiled. “There’s plenty I’d like to talk to you about. How about right now?”

  At that Laura stood up, shivering. It had grown much cooler and she only wore a thin shirt.

  “I need a few minutes alone with Cindy first,” Laura broke in, about to burst into tears again. “I need to talk to her badly.”

  Cindy stood up and stepped closer to her.

  “Is that alright?” Laura asked.

  “Of course it is,” said Cindy, throwing a glance over her shoulder to Mac.

  “Absolutely,” Mac agreed, “take your time. I have all night.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Mac and the girls went back up to the hotel, as Laura huddled closer to Cindy.

  “Thank you for giving me your time,” Laura murmured, “I really need it.”

  “Thank you for talking to me,” Cindy replied “Here, take my jacket,” Cindy, took her jacket off and put it over Laura’s trembling shoulders.

  “Are you sure?” asked Laura.

  “Of course, I’m sure,” said Cindy. “Come on, let walk a little near the ocean and you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

  Although it wasn’t that cold, Laura pulled the jacket tight over her shoulders. She and Cindy started walking towards the edge of the beach, as the fading light of the day cast long shadows on the sand.

  “Sunsets are beautiful here,” Laura started, “but it’s been mostly overcast these past few days. That’s not unusual for this time of year. Not only can it be cloudy, but it gets very windy suddenly.”

  That was interesting, but they weren’t here to discuss the weather. Cindy knew that Laura was nervous about what she was about to say.

  “What is it you want to tell me?” Cindy interrupted gently.

  Laura stopped walking as they got to the water. “I was afraid of saying this in front of the girls,” she started. “They all talk about each other and I don’t want them talking about me!

  “I understand,” said Cindy.

  “Yes, you really do,” said Laura, tears filling her eyes. “That’s why I’m talking to you now.”

  “Whatever you tell me will be in complete confidence,” Cindy assured her.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t want to create the wrong impression or say something that will lead you astray.”

  “Don’t worry, say what you have to,” Cindy persisted. It was h
ard for Laura to get going but instinctively Cindy sensed that Laura had something vital to tell her. “Jump right in.”

  “Allie was always clinging to Peter, and it got worse and worse as time went on,” Laura finally started, her voice getting husky.

  A strange chill went through Cindy. “What do you mean clinging to Peter? Was she insecure about his feelings for her?”

  “Worse than that,” Laura’s voice blended with the sound of the waves, and Cindy had to listen intently. “Rather than feel more and more grounded in the relationship, Allie felt less and less. She would call Peter all day long, check what he was doing, where he was going, what he was thinking about. She felt he could take off at any moment.”

  Cindy shuddered. “How awful. How did he take that?”

  “He hated it,” Laura whispered. “She talked to me about it every day, wasn’t proud of what was happening.”

  “Of course not,” said Cindy.

  “No girl wants to have to cling to their guy for dear life!” said Laura.

  “No guy wants to be clung to like that, either,” Cindy replied. “How did Peter handle it? Did Allie tell you?”

  “He didn’t like it,” Laura’s voice got louder, as a wave came rushing in, almost splashing them as they spoke.

  Cindy lurched backwards and pulled Laura away from the water.

  “My God, I hope and pray she’s not dead in there,” Laura looked out into the ocean. “I hope he didn’t do something to her,” she started sobbing again.

  Cindy put her arms around Laura’s shoulders. “I know how hard this is,” Cindy said softly, “but you’re helping her by telling me this.”

  Laura stopped speaking a moment. “Helping Allie? Why? Do you think Peter did it, that it was the only way he could get away?”

  Cindy felt jarred. “No, I didn’t mean that,” she said crisply. “I meant that you’re helping me get a fuller picture, which will give us a better chance of finding her.”

  “Do you think they’ll ever, ever find her?” Laura gasped.

  Cindy and Laura paused and looked straight at each other.

  “I don’t know if we’ll find her,” Cindy said, quietly, “but we’ll do our best to learn what happened. If someone harmed her, we’ll bring them to justice.”

  “There’s no justice,” Laura said quivering. “Allie didn’t deserve to die like this.”

  No one deserves to die like this, thought Cindy. But these deaths did happen, and Cindy felt a longing to make them right. As best she could.

  “Laura,” Cindy suddenly called out, as a poison thought flew through her mind. “Is it possible that Allie couldn’t stand the pain, that she took her own life?”

  “No, no!” Laura called loudly, “Never. Not her. Allie loved life. She wanted to live. She told me so a thousand times. You’re on the wrong track!”

  “She told you over and over that she wanted to live?” That seemed odd to Cindy. “Was she worried about it?”

  “Sometimes she was worried about it,” Laura’s voice dipped down. “Two of her cousins died young, in accidents. Her mother used to say it was the family’s destiny. That would scare anyone, wouldn’t it?”

  “Of course,” Cindy shivered. “Did Allie believe it was her destiny, too?”

  “She didn’t know,” Laura whispered. “But she felt better about it after she met Peter. She thought he would make everything right. That’s why she clung to him so much.”

  “What did Peter do when Allie clung to him like so much?” Cindy asked swiftly.

  “He told her to cut it out, give him space,” Laura spoke quickly. “One day he even said she was suffocating him! Allie laughed when she told me, but I said that was a horrible, horrible thing for him to say, and she’d better be careful.”

  “Careful of what?” Cindy felt a moment of alarm.

  “Of pushing him away” Laura breathed. “Who knows what a guy will do when he feels suffocated?”

  “It’s not unusual for guys to crave space, especially when they get closer to their wedding,” said Cindy, “most don’t kill to get it, though.”

  “Most women don’t cling the way Allie did either,” said Laura. “At first Peter loved that she needed him so much, it made him feel special. He’s used to having women around him who dote on him. But as time went on, the noose tightened. Then he started to spend more and more time away with his friends and Allie got upset. She felt rejected. Soon she didn’t even want him talking to old college friends, like Vivien.”

  “Who’s Vivien?” Cindy was startled.

  Laura put her hand to her head, seeming suddenly exhausted.

  “Let’s sit down on the sand,” Cindy suggested.

  “Good idea,” said Laura as they both sat down on the sand that was moist and cool.

  “Who’s Vivien?” Cindy repeated softly, as they looked out into the horizon and past the horizon into the unknown.

  “Vivien was Peter’s first girlfriend in college,” Laura continued. “She and Peter were an item for a couple of years and then split. But they always stayed really good friends. Allie didn’t like it.”

  “Lots of girls would find that difficult,” said Cindy.

  “Allie told Peter she didn’t like it, right from the start. He said he and Vivien were good friends and would always be. She was like a sister to him – the relationship was non-negotiable.”

  “Pretty tough talk,” said Cindy.

  “He felt strongly about it,” Laura said. “Allie went along with it, then it bothered her, again and again. She kept trying, but it never felt right. She thought Peter and Vivien had a weird bond.”

  “That’s rough,” said Cindy.

  “It stinks,” said Laura. “I told her that this relationship was going to go on their entire life. If she couldn’t live with it, she should get out now.”

  Cindy thought that was wise advice.

  “But Allie couldn’t leave,” said Laura, “she was way too attached.”

  She left now, Cindy thought, like it or not, one way or the other, Allie had to go.

  “Do you know Vivien?” Cindy asked.

  “Sure I know her,” said Laura, “not only that – you’ll meet her soon, too. She’s right here at the hotel, a guest at the wedding.”

  Cindy was surprised. This was the first she’d heard anything about her at all.

  “Peter insisted that Vivien be at the wedding. He even wanted her to be one of the bridesmaids,” Laura went on. “That’s where Allie drew the line. She wouldn’t have it.”

  “Did Vivien know how Allie felt?” Cindy was troubled.

  “Of course she knew and she couldn’t care less! Vivien couldn’t stand Allie. Allie was sure she was saying bad things to Peter, trying to get between them. Some women are like that, their biggest pleasure is getting between a guy and a gal – seeing who he chooses!” Laura’s mouth began quivering again.

  “Did Peter actually tell Allie that Vivien was trying to get between them?” Cindy asked cautiously. It sounded as though Allie were unstable, it would be easy for her to start imagining things and pull Laura into her fantasies, make Vivien the bad guy.

  “I don’t know,” said Laura, suddenly tremendously sad.

  “Is Vivien single?” Cindy went on, “does she have a boyfriend of her own?”

  “Vivien always has a boyfriend, she’s had a whole string of them. She’s absolutely drop dead gorgeous,” said Laura bitterly. “Tad’s her most recent guy. He’s Peter’s best man.”

  Cindy remembered Tad clearly. He’d made a strong impression.

  “How is Vivien dealing with Allie’s disappearance?” Cindy asked methodically.

  “She’s horrified,” said Laura. “The minute the news came, she wanted to go right home. The police wouldn’t let her though, they wouldn’t let anyone. Mac spent a lot of time with Vivien right afterwards, calming her down.”

  “Mac, not Tad?” asked Cindy.

  “Tad was busy with Peter, wouldn’t leave his side. It was natural for M
ac to step in. He likes to play uncle to us all. He’s divorced and his wife and daughter live on the other side of the world. I heard he was quite the ladies’ man -.”

  Cindy was fascinated, but decided not to pursue it now. She had to stay on track.

  Laura started crying softly, leaned over, and began drawing circles in the sand.

  “Allie,” she called out suddenly, “What happened to you? Where are you? Help us out here, please. Give us a sign!”

  There was no sign from Allie though, just the sounds of the waves rushing in and out.

  *

  When Cindy and Laura got back up to the hotel lobby, the groomsmen were gone. Instead, Mac was sitting on the sofa waiting.

  “I’m tired,” Laura said hastily as she saw him there. “I’m going up to my room now.”

  “Fine,” said Cindy, “thank you so much.”

  “Thank you,” said Laura and dashed off.

  Mac stood up, smiled and motioned to Cindy to come and join him.

  It felt good to be indoors and Cindy was glad to sit down for a moment.

  “Can I order you a drink?” Mac asked immediately.

  “No thanks,” said Cindy.

  “How about dinner?”

  “I appreciate that, but Mattheus and I usually have dinner together,” Cindy said. She was looking forward to going over the findings with Mattheus at dinner.

  “When Mattheus returned from the police station he started interviewing the groomsmen,” Mac replied. “He’s in their rooms as we speak. It’s going to take a while. For all you know he’s eating with them, and you’re probably hungry.”

  Cindy smiled, “I am,” she confessed. Mac had a wonderful, craggy strength about him. Being near him was comforting, like sitting near the jutties at the ocean.

  “It’s impressive to see the way you’re handling the case,” Mac went on. “But you’ve got to stop and take a bite for yourself as well.”

  It was odd having someone be concerned about her needs. It seemed like a long time since that had happened. Cindy felt looked after.

  “I’ll have an appetizer, to take the edge off,” she agreed.