Death by Devotion (Book #9 in the Caribbean Murder Series) by Jaden Skye

Cindy spoke up definitively. “He
and I were about to get engaged and I didn’t want this hanging over our heads. First
I wanted him to find his daughter, meet her, and get things straightened out. Who
knew what would have happened if she turned up one day and we were married and
had a family of our own?” Cindy felt she owed them a swift and honest
explanation.  It was easy to get lost in a maze of suspicions and she needed to
clear the air right away.
    Both
August and Sean listened to her intently.
    “So,
you’re the one who wanted him to meet her?” August’s eyes narrowed. “Are you
telling me that basically, he didn’t give a damn?”
    “I’m
not saying anything of the kind,” Cindy was exasperated.  “Of course Mattheus
cared.”
    “Prove
it to me,” August demanded.
    “Mattheus
searched for Andrea and found her,” Cindy shot back. “Once he met her, he even
ended our relationship in a second so he could be a dad to her.”
    All
the men in the room grew silent and Sean took a deep breath.
    “What
do you mean ended your relationship?” August asked stiffly. “You’re right here.”
    “When
Andrea met me she didn’t want anything to do with me,” said Cindy. “She didn’t
want anyone getting in the way between her and her dad. She needed him though,
and asked him to come and visit. On one condition only - he had to leave me
behind.”
    “And
he agreed?”  Sean asked, fascinated.
    “In
a second,” Cindy responded, once again meeting Sean’s eyes.
    “I
wasn’t leaving forever,” Mattheus jumped into the fray, “just for however long
needed to get to know her.”
    “But
who knew how long that would be?” Cindy continued briskly. “And, Mattheus did
it without a second of consultation with me.  There was no hesitation, no
decision. That’s how much he cared.” Cindy stared at Sean, who was transfixed
by her now.
    “That
must have hurt like hell,” Sean commented.
    “Yes,
it did,” Cindy replied.
    “So,
what are you doing down here now?” August leaned in closer.
    “I
came down on a professional basis to help by old partner out,” Cindy responded.
“I’m not going to let him get waylaid by rumors and suspicion. I live for the
truth, I find it at all costs and then and let the truth speak for itself.”
    August
took a deep breath and shook his head slowly. “Honey, you’re really something.  Now
I see why they wrote all these articles about you. Mattheus was one lucky guy
to have had a partner like you.”
    Mattheus
looked out of the window, distressed as August spoke. “I still am one lucky
guy,” he responded.
    August
turned back to him in a flash. “Not as lucky as you think. Your daughter’s in big
trouble, and for all we know, you may be too.”
    Sean
walked over and put his hand on August’s shoulder. “Let’s take it slow before
we jump to conclusions. One step at a time.”
    August
nodded, he seemed to really like Sean. “Okay, my boy, you take over here. Do
what you can with these two.”
     Sean
reached into his pocket then, and gave Cindy his card. “You can reach me at
this number,” he said. “We need to stay in touch.”
    Cindy
was grateful to have a link to the police. And she was particularly pleased to
be able to work with someone from her own country, like Sean.
    “Thanks
so much,” she answered.
    “First
settle in,” Sean continued, “then give me a call.”
    Mattheus
looked out of the window during the exchange, the muscle in his jaw clenched.
     

Chapter 7
     
     
    Mattheus
was sullen as he and Cindy left the police station. Cindy knew her interaction
with Sean had upset him, and to top it off, Sean had kept him out of it. It was
probably due to the Police of Chief’s instructions. Cindy realized that she had
a lot more to learn about what Mattheus had done to cause the distrust the
police felt towards him.
    “Where
to now?” Cindy asked as they walked down the street, looking for a cab. “It
wouldn’t hurt to get into my room