Death by Invitation Read online

  “All of you?” asked Cindy.

  “Most of us,” answered Marge. “There’s one girl at the party we don’t know well, she’s Dale’s friend, Willow. But no one here’s a total stranger.”

  No one slipped in the back door, thought Cindy. No one had descended upon their celebration with ill intent.

  Lance returned with a tray of lemonades, and put a drink in front of each of them.

  “Thanks for that, Lance, thanks so much,” said Kimberly, gazing at him longingly. “You’re sweet, very sweet.”

  Lance couldn’t help but smile. “It’s my pleasure,” he said. “Now, if anyone needs me, you’ve got my phone number and email.”

  The girls nodded in unison as he waved to them all, turned, and left.

  “What was Fern’s idea of fun?” Cindy wanted to return to that point. In order to close in on the killer, she needed to know Fern better.

  Kimberly and Marge threw each other a quick glance.

  “Fern liked extreme sports and extreme men,” Kimberly started.

  “That’s a funny way of putting it,” said Marge. “Are you blaming her, are you blaming the victim?”

  “Of course not.” Kimberly was hurt. “I’m just being frank.”

  “Fern was complicated,” Carrie echoed. “She went through all kinds of moods and phases. That’s what Dale enjoyed so much about her. She challenged him all the time and he liked it.”

  “Fern got bored easily,” Kimberly added emphatically. “For as long as I knew her, she had wild boyfriends.”

  “I wouldn’t call Dale wild, exactly,” Marge corrected Kimberly. “Dale’s successful, settled, and loyal. He never cheated on Fern, like her other boyfriends.”

  Cindy took a deep breath. “Fern had a rough time in relationships?”

  “She gave it and took it,” said Marge. “Fern was definitely not a victim.”

  “Dale enjoyed it though. He’s a tough customer,” Kimberly interrupted. “And since Dale came into Fern’s life, things were different. She told me many times that both of them were loyal to each other and that it was a huge relief.” Kimberly looked Cindy pleadingly, as if trying to tell her something else.

  “You liked Dale?” Cindy asked Kimberly directly.

  “I didn’t like him or hate him. He made Fern happy, that was good enough for me,” Kimberly replied.

  “You saw what happened at the party, didn’t you, though?” Cindy demanded.

  “I saw them fight like that many times,” Kimberly replied.

  “Dale’s the main suspect, right?” Marge chimed in.

  “So far,” said Cindy. “But the case is far from over. We don’t have real evidence yet.”

  Another young woman came to the poolside then, spotted them and walked over.

  “That’s Gina,” said Carrie. “She was supposed to be Fern’s matron of honor.”

  Gina was a bit older than the others, beautifully groomed, and looked more experienced. Her long, wavy, black hair was tied back with a tortoise shell clip.

  Carrie stood up when Gina got to the table. “Cindy, this is Gina,” said Carrie.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Gina,” Cindy replied.

  Gina nodded briefly, distracted and distraught. “Any more news yet?” she asked Cindy fitfully.

  “Soon,” Carrie tried to soothe her.

  “What do you mean, soon?” Gina asked. “How soon is soon? We’re not staying down here forever.”

  “Law enforcement is doing everything possible to collect evidence,” Cindy reported. “Is there anything you might want to tell us, too?”

  “Me?” Gina looked put off. “Please, not right now. It’s all too shocking. I’ve known Fern for years and years. I’ll tell you this much. Whatever happened to her, she didn’t deserve it.”

  All the girls at the table shook their heads and murmured in agreement.

  “Sit down and join us, Gina,” Marge offered.

  “Thanks so much,” said Gina, “I would if I could. But I can’t sit still. I’ll feel better walking. I’ve finally gotten in touch with Hank, and I’m going to take a long walk at the beach now.”

  “Is Hank coming down?” asked Kimberly.

  “He’s in the middle of a big case and can’t right now,” said Gina. “But at least phone lines are open and we’re communicating.”

  The girls nodded as Gina smiled briefly and then turned to go for her walk.

  “Hank is Gina’s husband,” said Marge. “They’re newly married, about a year. He’s a really terrific guy.”

  “I’m sure it’s hard for her to be separated from him at a time like this,” said Cindy.

  “Very hard,” said Carrie. “This is very hard for us all. No one knows what’s coming next.”

  “You never do,” said Kimberly.

  “You all loved Fern?” Cindy wanted the big picture.

  “Some more than others.” Kimberly looked at Cindy oddly, once again.

  “You all have to talk to me honestly if you want to help Fern,” Cindy replied.

  “Help her? What are you talking about? How can we help her now?” Kimberly became agitated. “Fern’s gone, she’s dead.” Then she started crying.

  Cindy wanted to get closer to Kimberly. “I’m sorry for your loss, Kimberly,” she said.

  “Thank you, thank you. Fern meant a lot to me,” Kimberly mumbled. “She was a good person even if she was wild. She was fun, she was loyal.”

  “Did Dale threaten to harm her?” Cindy suddenly asked.

  The girls all became totally silent.

  “Did he?”

  “Not harm her, but he’d get plenty mad when Fern drove him to it,” Marge replied. “Fern had a way of finding your sensitive point and toying with it. I told her plenty of times she was playing with fire when she did it with Dale.”

  “Not smart,” Cindy murmured.

  “It was a game between them,” Kimberly defended her friend. “They got off on it.”

  Cindy sighed. There were all kinds of ways couples tortured each other. Then it went over the edge. What happened next could often be shocking, worse than anyone ever imagined.

  “I believe Dale killed Fern in a fit of rage,” Marge uttered. “And if you want the truth most of the girls think so, as well.”

  “Not all of us.” Kimberly held back.

  “What else could have possibly happened?” Marge confronted Kimberly. “This was one of the happiest times of Fern’s life.”

  Carrie looked distressed. “I’ve seen all different sides of Dale,” she broke in. “They’re not all bad. I believe he loved Fern.”

  “Who else could have done it?” Cindy wanted to shake up the conversation. “Fern’s father used to be a detective, he runs a security company, could it have anything to do with that?”

  “Nothing at all.” Carrie was definite. “Her father adored Fern. He was her staunch supporter her whole life long.”

  “Was there someone who was jealous of Fern’s upcoming marriage?” Cindy went on. “Did Dale have an ex who gave her trouble?”

  “Not that I’ve heard.” Carrie was apparently startled by the idea.

  “Has anyone else heard something like that?” Cindy pressed it.

  None of the others had.

  “People weren’t jealous of Fern ever,” Marge broke in then. “She was too edgy and far out for that. Fern wasn’t exactly someone you wanted to be like. You liked her, she was fun to be with. You cared about her, but jealous of her? No.”

  Cindy took a deep breath.

  “Of course it could be something completely different,” Kimberly broke in. “Maybe it’s someone from the gangs on the island? I’ve heard that lots of them stalk the rich young women who come down here and flaunt what they got. People disappear down here all the time and no one hears about it.”

  Sadly, Cindy knew that was true. “Did you see someone like that drifting around?” she asked. “Anyone? Think about it.”

  “No one,” Kimberly had to admit.

  “I almost wish it was that simple,” Marge said then. “That farfetched scenario wouldn’t be as bad as Fern going through the torment of having the man she loved choke her to death.”

  Cindy was startled. How did Marge know that? Was it just a wild guess?

  “What makes you think Fern might have been strangled?” Cindy asked abruptly.

  Marge’s hands fluttered in front of her face. “Dale once threatened it,” she suddenly remembered, in a small voice.

  Cindy was dumbfounded. “What was Fern’s reaction?” she asked.

  Marge suddenly looked tremendously sad. “Fern told me she laughed in his face. But, for all we know, he got the last laugh now.”

  Chapter Nine

  After leaving the women Cindy contacted Mattheus immediately.

  “It was a good meeting, very useful,” she said to him over the phone. “These are interesting young women, and I’m starting to get to know them. Now I’m going to check Fern’s Facebook page.”

  “Good, check all you can,” said Mattheus. “Fern’s cell phone and other social media are being gone over at the police station right now, as we speak.”

  That was fine. Cindy liked looking through the social media pages herself as well. There was often a connection or person she noticed that usually slipped by others.

  Mattheus was now on his way to spend time with Stan. “We’ll debrief a little later, when I’m done,” he said. “From what I’m hearing up front from Stan, it looks very much like Dale is our man.”

  It was too early to make a statement like that and Cindy didn’t pay attention it. She decided not to say a word to Mattheus yet either about the comments Marge had made about Dale. It was too easy for early evidence to turn into a tidal wave of suspicion that drowned out the possibility that someone else might have committed the crime. The hardest part of Cindy’s job was staying neutral and objective no matter how much others disagreed.

  Cindy got to their hotel room and was happy to be in it alone for a while. So much was happening all at once that she needed quiet time to absorb it. The strong sun of the day had faded and heavy clouds were drifting in the sky. It would be a little cooler out on the patio and that was good. And fortunately, the rest of the guests wouldn’t be arriving until late tomorrow. Right now the hotel was still partially closed.

  Cindy changed quickly into casual shorts and a T-shirt and brushed her long auburn hair for a while before tying it loosely behind her shoulders. Then she got her computer and took it outside to see what turned up about Fern’s life.

  Much as Cindy had expected there were many beautiful, lively photos of Fern splashed all over her page. In most of them she was with Dale or her friends. There were also photos of other young men scattered about. Cindy supposed these were friends of Fern’s as well.

  One young man’s photo was posted many times in different situations. Cindy guessed he and Fern knew each other well. He had longer hair than the others, forlorn eyes, a hesitant smile, and looked slightly out of place. Cindy wondered who he was. Everyone else looked exceedingly beautiful and happy, as if their lives had been one long party which prepared them for their glittery lives.

  Fern’s page was also filled with endless messages of congratulations when she had become engaged. There were also good wishes now for the trip to St. Thomas for the bachelorette party.

  Cindy scanned the page carefully to see if the video of the stripper that had upset Dale had been posted here. Oddly, it hadn’t. Perhaps only on Instagram, Cindy supposed. Once again, she wondered who had posted the video. Everyone assumed Fern did it. But perhaps she hadn’t? It would definitely be crucial to find out who did.

  Curious to see the guilty video for herself, Cindy quickly switched to Fern’s Instagram account, located it, and turned it on.

  The video began playing immediately. The tall Caribbean stripper was dancing wildly for Fern, who looked enrapt and excited. He leaned over then and grabbed her to him as the rest of the girls loudly cheered. Agitated, Cindy wanted to snap it off. She could only imagine how it must have made Dale feel to view this. It definitely looked as though the stripper and Fern were on the edge of falling into one another’s arms. This video was definitely justification for Dale’s anger, or even evidence of motivation for the crime.

  Strangely, Cindy’s phone rang then, and she was relieved to go get it.

  “Cindy, it’s Frank,” the voice on the other end said. Cindy was both happy to hear from her brother-in-law and distracted. She had to stay focused on the investigation right now.

  “Hi, Frank,” she answered lightly. “Busy at work for the moment.”

  “That’s fine,” he said warmly, “just checking in. I was hoping your mother didn’t upset you too much with her comments this afternoon.”

  Cindy had actually pushed the entire meeting with her mother into the back of her mind. Most of what her mother said could no longer affect her and didn’t really matter in the long run. Cindy had come to peace with all of it by now.

  “No, her comments are routine, Frank, thanks for asking,” said Cindy. “I hope you guys are okay on your own for now until Mattheus and I are freer.”

  “We’re fine, of course,” Frank replied, “although naturally, we miss you.”

  “I wish I could be there with all of you,” she replied. “Just a little while longer.”

  “There are lots of good people down at the hotel, though,” Frank went on quickly. “I’m actually having a very nice time down here.”

  “Great,” said Cindy, delighted to hear it, pleased that Frank had been able to move on since the loss of her sister.

  “I know you’d want me to have a good time,” Frank said then, in a suddenly wobbly tone.

  “Of course I do, Frank,” Cindy assured him. “I’m grateful that you’re here, and I want you to be as happy as you can.”

  “Thanks, Cindy.” Frank sounded relieved. “You’re the best sister-in-law a guy could have.”

  Cindy hung up the phone wondering what Frank was doing, why he was having such a good time. She brushed it out of her mind quickly though, as she continued to scan through whatever she could find out about Fern online.

  *

  Mattheus walked to Stan’s room filled with trepidation. But the minute he walked in, Stan grabbed him by the shoulders and hung onto him for dear life.

  “Why God is doing this to me, I’ll never know,” Stan began muttering. “I’ve been a good person, lived a good life.”

  Mattheus put his hands on Stan’s arms to balance him. “You’ve been a great guy, Stan.” “Now I’m cursed,” Stan muttered.

  “We’ll put Fern’s killer in jail, fast.” Mattheus breathed hard. He couldn’t think of anything else to say in such a moment. Even that wouldn’t do much good, but it was something at least. Something.

  “They locked Dale up but he’s getting out if they don’t find his fingerprints on the body,” Stan muttered.

  “They won’t let him go far,” Mattheus assured him.

  “The monster should never again see the light of day.” Stan’s face grew contorted. “If Dale’s prints aren’t on her, believe me, he got someone else to do his dirty work. He’s that kind of guy, tricky, sleazy.”

  “You’re positive?” Mattheus felt some alarm.

  “I’ve known this idiot now for the past two years,” Stan insisted. “I warned Fern over and over, but she wouldn’t listen. Since Carole and I broke up, Fern’s world fell apart. My word meant nothing to her anymore.”

  Mattheus’s heart wrenched; it was always like that. When one tragedy came, it drew another. Stan had been through an avalanche. Mattheus looked around at Stan’s room, which was still incredibly messy and stuffy.

  “How about taking a walk outside?” said Mattheus. “We can talk better near the ocean. It’ll clear our heads.”

  “I haven’t been outside a second since my baby died.” Stan was on the verge of tears.

  “It’s okay,” Mattheus assured him. “We’ll take a walk and make a plan of action. Once we’re outside, we’ll be able to figure out better what to do.”

  Mattheus remembered how Stan was the one who had taught him how to make strategic plans. And he’d taught Mattheus to stick to the plan no matter what happened, until the case was solved. The plan of action got you through everything, one step at a time.

  Stan agreed now and the two of them left the hotel, Stan still leaning on Mattheus’s arm. By now the day had grown overcast and they walked down to the beach silently, not saying a word.

  “Dale’s the killer,” Stan muttered again when they finally got close to the water. The sound of the waves seemed to give extra force to his ramblings.

  “Do you have evidence, Stan?” Mattheus asked as they turned and walked along on the sand.

  “I’ve got so much evidence, Mattheus,” Stan spoke gruffly. “For starters, Dale didn’t want Fern having this party at all. He warned her about it a hundred times, said parties like these were only for sluts and things always got out of control. The guy was crazy jealous and possessive of her. At the end, she didn’t have a chance.”

  “What did she say about the party?” asked Mattheus.

  “Fern fought him on it, good.” Stan looked up as little pieces of foam from the waves rolled around their feet. “Fern asked me what to do about it. I told her if she wanted the party she should have it, and he could go to hell.”

  Mattheus was stunned. “She didn’t care that you felt that way about Dale?”

  “I told you,” Stan repeated sadly, “once Carole and I split, Fern lost her respect for both of us. Carole cheated on me, and Fern found out about it.”

  Mattheus drew a deep, painful breath. “So sorry about that, brother,” he said. “You, of all people, didn’t deserve that.”

  “No one does,” said Stan. “Carole cheated a lot of times, but I only found out about it towards the end.” Stan suddenly looked like he would crumple again. “Finally, I confronted her about it and she admitted to everything.”

  “Lousy, rotten luck,” said Mattheus.

  “It made all our years together mean nothing,” Stan said under his breath.