Death by Marriage by Jaden Skye

bag, as Andrea wrote something down on a paper
cocktail napkin. She wrote it in a sprawling, slightly shaky handwriting. Cindy
looked at the letters carefully. It was the name of a woman, Heather May. The
writing was similar to the note she’d found -- similar, but not a match.
    “Who
is she?” Cindy asked.
    “You’ll
find out soon enough,” she said, tossed her hair back and got up to leave.   “It’s
been a pleasure meeting you.”
    “The
pleasure’s all mind,” Cindy said.
    Cindy
folded the napkin and put it in her pocket book. She wanted to get going. It
was hot in here, the place was packed and the noise of the band was too loud by
now. Then, just as she was about to stand up, Cindy turned towards the doorway.
Nojo, was standing there, staring, blocking the door. Cindy stopped cold.
     Then
she walked towards the door, squeezing through the crowd. A few guys smiled at
her as she wound her way through. When she got to the entrance, Nojo was
blocking it.
    “Hot
out on the town?” he muttered under his breath, as Cindy stood in front of him.
    Cindy
pretended not to hear.
    “Too
bad your friend isn’t here to watch over you now,” Nojo spoke louder, chewing
gum loudly.
    Cindy
tried to maneuver by.
    “If
there’s one thing I hate,” Nojo mumbled loudly, his voice louder, “it’s snooty
ladies who won’t give you the time of day.”
    Cindy
stopped in her tracks and stared him right in the eyes. “You’re blocking my
way,” she said her voice edgy and rough, a fierce anger suddenly rising in her.
    Nojo
wiped the grin off his face fast and moved to the side.
     “See
you later, doll,” he drawled ominously, as Cindy slid past him out onto into
the turbulent night.

CHAPTER
7
     
     
    Mattheus
wasn’t due back until later that evening and Cindy was eager for him to return.
She enjoyed going over plans for the day with him and filling him in on what
had happened. Of course she could have called him in St. Croix, but something
stopped her. This was a new chapter for both of them and it had barely started.
She didn’t want to muddy the waters. She knew they needed distance between them
that it would give them both room to breathe. They also needed time to get to
know each other.  They’d jumped into an intense situation far too quickly, and
above all, Cindy dreaded being suffocated or suffocating him.
    When
she woke up in the morning, she showered, dressed in a lime green, linen dress
and sat out on the patio of her hotel room. She’d have breakfast brought up,
read the paper, and decide how to spend the day. Cindy put her legs up on a
chair near the table and threw her head back, looking up at the sky. This work
was certainly fascinating, if not tricky at times.  She loved hunting down
clues, meeting new people, following her gut instincts. So far, she’d put
everything she’d gathered into a carved wooden box she’d found on the bureau of
her room.  Now she stuck Andrea’s card in it and the napkin with the name of
the woman she was to meet next. She also wanted to return to Kendra’s and meet
her daughter Nell.  Like separate pieces of a broken puzzle, they would all
come together when the time was right.
    There
was a knock on her door and breakfast was carried in on a tray.  Cindy signed
for it and thanked the waiter. Then she took her plate with her out onto the
patio and ate slowly, enjoying the clear, salty morning air. The heat didn’t
start to come into until a little later, thick, muggy, humid weather at this
time of year. It was lovely to take a few moments to enjoy the early morning
breezes. She didn’t have much time though. Clearly, her next move was to find
the woman Andrea told her about, Heather May.
    Cindy
finished breakfast, picked up the phone and asked for information. It could be
just as simple as that. Heather May could be listed.
    She
wasn’t.
    Next
Cindy called the police station and asked for Fred Brayton. After a few minutes
he picked up the phone.
    “Hi,
this