Death by Seduction Page 6

  “That’s right,” said Cindy.

  “Well, he’s completely wrong,” Loretta began pacing back and forth. “What does my father take me for? A patsy? Does he think I’m the kind of woman who would have a husband who’d do something like that?” Her eyes spit fire.

  “Yes, he does,” said Cindy, wanting more.

  “Well, my father’s crazy, he’s wrong,” Loretta got into Cindy’s face. “He’s imagining it. You’ve got to believe me, Pete would never cheat. My father always hated all of my boyfriends. He always thought every one of them was doing me wrong.”

  “Really?” Cindy was taken aback .

  “Yes,” Loretta zeroed in. “Since my mom died, my father’s whole world revolved around me. He’s super protective and in his eyes no one can measure up to him, if you know what I mean?” Loretta winked at Cindy oddly.

  “I know what you mean,” Cindy replied, feeling uneasy.

  “I was afraid my father would say all kinds of bad stuff about Pete,” Loretta continued. “He did, didn’t he? I have to know the truth.”

  “He said there were good things in your relationship,” Cindy wanted to break it to her slowly.

  “But he bad mouthed Pete?” asked Loretta, as if her father had committed the ultimate wrong.

  “Your father feels certain that Pete visited Charma and that she killed him,” Cindy repeated evenly. “He said all guys cheat.”

  “That’s disgusting,” Loretta eyes were flashing. “I’ll always hate my father for saying that to you. Maybe he’s talking about himself? Ever think that? Who knows if he stepped out on my mom or not? I don’t know and don’t want to know. But I know that never happened in my marriage, not once.”

  Cindy was stunned by Loretta’s fierce determination not to let this point go by.

  “Well, if you’re so positive, then I believe you,” said Cindy.

  “You don’t have to just believe me,” that wasn’t good enough for Loretta. “I called Andy and asked him to come over and talk to you. He’s one of Pete’s co-workers down here and friends.”

  “Good,” said Cindy, “I’d love to talk to him.”

  “He’ll give you a better picture,” Loretta went on. “It’s awful enough that Pete is dead, I don’t want people thinking that he died at the hands of a whore. I couldn’t live with that, Cindy.”

  “I understand,” Cindy said. “Tell me where else should I look for answers, Loretta?” Cindy was glad that they finally they were dealing with the reality of Pete’s death.

  “Check the real estate company Pete was buying the condo from,” Loretta’s eyebrows arched. “There are definitely guys down there that are shady.”

  “Shady in what way?” asked Cindy.

  “I don’t know exactly how,” said Loretta. “But I know that Val, the guy Pete dealt with there, definitely had an eye for me.”

  “Val came on to you?” Cindy tuned right in.

  “No, not blatantly, of course,” said Loretta. “But I saw him look me over a few times. Pete saw it, too. He mentioned it.”

  Cindy wondered if that was what Loretta meant as shady, that a guy came onto her? It seemed strange.

  “Did it bother Pete that Val looked you over?” asked Cindy.

  “Actually, no, not at all,” Loretta laughed a bit. “Pete knew I belonged to him completely. He trusted me and I trusted him. We just laughed about it, that’s all. But look into the real estate company anyway. Pete left them a huge down payment on the condo. You never know. Could be they wanted more money and he refused to cough it up?” She shrugged.

  “Were you aware of all Pete’s finances and activities?” asked Cindy.

  “Absolutely,” Loretta replied. “We hid nothing from each other. Nothing at all.”

  “Okay, I’ll look into the real estate company” Cindy replied, “right after I talk to Charma.”

  Loretta’s face flushed again. “Talk to who? The whore?”

  “Yes, the woman’s who’s accused of killing Pete,” Cindy replied.

  “Why in hell would you bother to go and talk to her?” Loretta didn’t get it.

  “Right now she’s the number one suspect,” Cindy replied. “It’s routine procedure.”

  “So what?” snapped Loretta. “Don’t waste your time. It’s obvious, she’s being framed.”

  “It’s important to hear her side, as well,” said Cindy.

  Loretta stamped her foot on the floor. “I’d rather you didn’t talk to the whore.”

  “Her name is Charma,” Cindy couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “Who cares what her name is? She’s a whore, isn’t she?” Loretta demanded.

  “So what?” said Cindy, “it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a name.”

  At that Loretta shook her head vigorously, “Whores are the dregs of the earth, believe me,” she retorted. “They draw men down into hell and wrap their tentacles around them. They wreck marriages, eat up all the money. I can’t imagine why in the world you’re standing up for her?”

  Well, they certainly don’t come to your wedding boutique, Cindy wanted to answer, but kept her mouth shut. There was no point in upsetting Loretta further, getting side tracked on this point.

  “Do what I say,” Loretta continued forcefully then, “talk to Andy, Pete’s coworker, and then investigate the real estate company.“

  “I plan to do both,” Cindy complied.

  “And forget about talking to the whore,” Loretta threw in for good measure.

  Cindy felt no need to respond. She had no intention of reporting to Loretta who she

  Would or would not interview. Of course she would speak to Charma . In fact, Loretta’s adamant protests made Cindy want to do it all the more.

  “When can I speak to Andy?” Cindy turned the conversation in a direction that Loretta could tolerate.

  “He’ll come and meet you downstairs in the lobby any time you’re ready,” Loretta said, seemingly relieved.

  “Okay, I can see him in a few minutes,” said Cindy.

  At that Loretta’s eyes closed. “Thank you so much Cindy, really, thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you respect my wishes and respect me.”

  “Of course I respect you,” Cindy went over to Loretta and gave her a hug. “What happened to Pete doesn’t reflect upon you.”

  “It could though,” Loretta surprisingly began to whimper. “How would you feel if the man you’d lived with and loved for years ended up killed by a whore?”

  “Horrible,” Cindy whispered.

  “You got it, then,” Loretta breathed. “Horrible, humiliated.”

  “And I’d be mad at him, too,” Cindy continued. “Deep down I’d feel scared that all along he’d been cheating on me when I thought we were so in love.”

  “Deceived to the core!” breathed Loretta

  “Exactly,” Cindy responded.

  “Well, that’s not my situation,” Loretta’s manner shifted. “I’m not mad at Pete, I’m not scared he cheated. I trusted him completely and I was right. Something else happened to him and that’s why you’re here. You have to help me find out.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Cindy promised, “And you’re lucky you trusted Pete so much. That’s rare these days.”

  At that Loretta’s eyes filled with tears. It was the first time Cindy had seen her even close to crying. It relieved Cindy, made Loretta more human.

  “Pete and I had a rare relationship,” Loretta’s bottom lip started to tremble. “And I needed it to be that way, precious and rare. Maybe Pete’s gone now, but I’m not going to lose my memory of him. I won’t let anyone take that away from me, ever! Not anybody, even my father!”

  “I understand,” Cindy said softly.

  “I know you do,” said Loretta, “that’s why you’re here. You always were special. I never forgot you, ever Cindy. That’s why I called you to help.”

  Thank you for calling me,” said Cindy.

  Loretta looked up at her directly then. “Did you t
rust your partner too? Were you sure you could trust him and then found out he was cheating on you? Is that why the two of you broke up?”

  Cindy was startled by Loretta’s question. “No, that’s not what happened,” she said. “Mattheus would never have cheated on me.”

  Loretta sighed, “Wonderful,” she said. “So you really do understand how I feel then?”

  “Yes, I understand,” Cindy repeated.

  “What happened between you and your partner?” Loretta grew curious.

  “Mattheus and I saw important things differently,” Cindy slowly said, strangely glad to

  be talking about him. “He was upset that I wouldn’t take time off from cases just to be with him.”

  “He wanted you to put him first?” remarked Loretta as if it were the most obvious thing on earth.

  “Over everything else,” replied Cindy, surprised that Loretta got the picture so quickly.

  “Well, of course, he was right,” Loretta looked puzzled, “everyone knows that. You have to put your man first and spend lots of quality time alone together.”

  “The work we do is different though,” said Cindy.

  “You could take off between cases, couldn’t you?” Loretta didn’t want to let go.

  “Sometimes you can,” Cindy replied disconsolately. “But then there can be a rash of emergencies.”

  “Mattheus didn’t want you to take my case?” Loretta suddenly got it.

  “Your case and others,” said Cindy.

  “Is that why you broke up? Because of me?” Loretta’s eyes grew wider.

  “No, of course not,” said Cindy. “You had nothing to do with it. It was a pattern we had. Mattheus could be volatile, wonderful one minute and selfish the next. Very selfish.”

  “Does he still love you?” Loretta’s became calmer.

  Cindy felt jarred by the question. “I don’t know, I don’t care. Why should I?”

  “Of course you care, dear,” Loretta replied.

  “No, I don’t,” Cindy insisted. “Or, even if I care, I’m not taking this roller coaster ride with him.”

  Suddenly Loretta turned into a consummate professional. “Cindy, I’ve seen this happen over and over at the wedding boutique. The gown is chosen, invitations have been sent, then comes the last minute fights between the couple. It happens over and over. They call me frantically to stop alterations, tell me the wedding’s being called off. I never pay any attention to any of it, just ask if they still love each other. If they do, they can get over last minute nerves.

  I tell everyone it’ normal. Just remember why you decided to get married in the first place.”

  Cindy shivered. Loretta was giving her heartfelt guidance just after her own husband had died. “Thank you for that, Loretta,” said Cindy quietly.

  “Do you love Mattheus? Does he love you?” Loretta asked again, repeating a tried and true formula. “If you love each other, take my advice. Don’t let anything get in between you. Not lies, not rumors, not families or disappointment. There’s nothing more important than having a beautiful marriage, like the one Pete and I had.”

  *

  After Cindy and Loretta spent a little more time together, Loretta went back to be with Angela, and Cindy went downstairs to the hotel lobby to meet Pete’s friend and colleague, Andy.

  As Cindy sat in the lobby, she thought about what Loretta had said. It was strangely comforting to know that many couples wanted to call the wedding off at the last minute. It made Cindy feel better about herself for getting this far down the road with Mattheus. But, on the other hand, she had no intention of going back. Even though she missed him, it was freeing to be here taking the case on her own, made her feel strong and independent. Although she missed going over evidence together and hearing his views, Cindy also liked not having to check in with him about her choices.

  Cindy sat drumming her hands on the edge of the sofa as she waited. Soon a lovely looking, suntanned man, dressed in slacks and a blue shirt, came walking towards her. It had to be Andy.

  “Cindy?” he asked, stopping where she sat.

  “Andy?” replied Cindy as they both smiled at exactly the same moment. “Please sit down.”

  “You’re a doll for coming down here to help with this,” said Andy, sitting down beside her.

  “I’m sorry about the loss of your colleague,” Cindy started.

  “Not just my colleague, my friend,” Andy insisted. “Didn’t Loretta didn’t tell you that?” The smile left his face and his voice betrayed the pain he was feeling.

  “Loretta said you and Pete were close,” Cindy corrected herself. “You knew him a long time?”

  “Pete and I worked together for almost five years,” Andy remarked. “He came down here regularly. I run the division he worked in, live down here.”

  Cindy liked Andy’s forthright manner. “What happened to Pete?” she asked directly. “How did he end up with Charma?”

  Andy’s voice got caught in his throat. “Listen, it’s a nightmare,” he murmured. “Nobody knows how this happened.”

  “Loretta’s convinced someone else killed him and dumped his body in the brothel,” Cindy reported.

  “I heard that,” replied Andy. “But why would they do that? Why?”

  “Did Pete spend time with prostitutes?” Cindy honed in directly.

  “Look, he and I never talked about it,” said Andy. “I knew him as an upright guy.”

  “You guys hung out together, he was down here alone a lot and he never said a thing?” Cindy asked.

  Andy grew silent.

  “What about the company you two work for?” Cindy asked then.

  “What about us?” Andy was startled.

  “Could that have something to do with what happened to Pete? I know you guys make financial investments. Were Pete’s accounts in order? Was he speculating on something dangerous?” asked Cindy.

  “Absolutely not,” Andy was emphatic. “Our company’s above board about everything. You can come check the books, check the records. We speculate in real estate mostly, sometimes gold and precious jewels.”

  “You’re aware of the real estate company Pete was buying the condo from?” Cindy continued.

  “Yes, of course. We’ve helped fund other sales they’ve made,” replied Andy.

  Cindy needed to get a grip on things, wanted to get right to the point. “Who would want Pete dead?” she demanded again.

  “I have no idea, I really don’t,” exclaimed Andy. “Why not ask Pete’s brother, Taylor? He might know more. I heard he just got down here. He and Pete were close. Pete spoke to me about him many times.”

  “What did he say?” asked Cindy.

  “He said Taylor was the smartest guy around, but once he got an idea in his head he could never get rid of it. Taylor could be hard on everyone, but Pete loved him to death. He looked after him. I’d talk to Taylor if I were you. He’s your best bet.” said Andy.

  “I will,” said Cindy making a mental note of it. “And what about the real estate company Pete was buying the condo from?”

  “What about them?” It didn’t compute for Andy. “Why in hell would they want Pete dead? He was just buying a big, beautiful condo. Gave them a huge down payment, too, from what I heard.”

  “Where did Pete get the money for the down payment?” Cindy was fishing for something, anything.

  “Pete had plenty of money of his own,” Andy looked surprised. “He made great deals down here, was fantastic at flipping things quickly. Didn’t you know that?”

  Loretta had said that but Cindy wasn’t sure. Loretta’s father told her something different, also said that he’d funded Loretta’s business completely.

  “Pete made enough to put down that down payment on the condo?” Cindy asked.

  “Hell, the guy could have bought ten condos,” answered Andy. “He could buy anything he wanted.”

  “Did Loretta and her father know how successful Pete was?” Cindy plunged forward.

  “I don�
�t know what they did or didn’t know,” Andy began growing restless.

  Cindy swiftly changed gears, needed to hold Andy’s attention. “Did Pete love Loretta?” she asked.

  Andy looked at Cindy lamely, “Now how would I know that?” he replied.

  “Guys know how each another feel,” Cindy suggested.

  “Hell, I can’t agree with that,” said Andy. “As far as I can see most guys don’t even know how they feel. It changes one minute to the next anyway, doesn’t it?”

  Cindy appreciated Andy’s frankness, but she also felt he was holding something back.“Can we talk again later?” Cindy asked, sensing Andy growing restless.

  “Why do we have to talk again later?” Andy looked perturbed. “I’ve told you everything I know.”

  Cindy wanted to believe him, but didn’t. “I’ll need to check Pete’s accounts, look into the books, track the deals he made,” Cindy repeated. “Will that be alright with you?”

  “Yeah, sure, it’s fine,” Andy heaved a loud sigh. “And look, I got to go now.”

  “Absolutely,” said Cindy, standing along with Andy, as he reached out his hand to shake hers, in a quick good bye.

  Chapter 8

  “Did you like Andy? Was it a helpful conversation?” Loretta called a minute after Andy walked away.

  “It was okay,” said Cindy, nondescriptly, not really wanting to share everything with Loretta yet. “How’s it going with Angela?”

  “Fine, but tell me more about Andy,” Loretta seemed on edge.

  “He had only good things to say about Pete,” Cindy reassured her. Cindy thought for a moment about speaking to Loretta about Pete’s financial status, but this wasn’t the time or way.

  “That’s what I thought Andy would say,” Loretta seemed to quiet down. “There was nothing else to say about Pete, only good things. He was a fine, upstanding, upright guy. Who would want to put him down?”

  “Who would want to take him down?” Cindy took the opportunity to ask again.

  “What are you doing next?” Loretta asked quickly. “Checking out the real estate company?”

  Cindy had no intention of giving Loretta a blow by blow description of her plans. “I’ll be talking to the real estate company soon,” she replied evasively.