Death by Obsession (17 page)

“Bala! I can’t really hear you,” said Cindy.

“My brother’s been set up,” Bala whispered more
loudly. “I saw the picture of the eye witnesses on TV. Listen to me, those guys
work for Raina’s company.”

 Cindy was shocked. “Are you positive?”

“Positive,” said Bala. “They were also eye witnesses
when someone else connected with the company went missing a few years ago.”

“That’s not possible,” said Cindy.

“But it’s true,” said Bala. “I remember them. “

“Where are you now, Bala?” Cindy asked frantically, “I
want to see you right away.”

“I’m not on the island anymore,” Bala’s voice dropped
to a hoarser whisper. “I’m hiding with my son. For all we know he could be in
danger now, too. Don’t tell anyone I called you.”

“You’re not in danger,” Cindy tried to comfort her.

“How do you know?” Bala shot back. “Don’t give me
false security! That’s worse than anything.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” Cindy realized. “I won’t,
I promise.”

“Please check on these witnesses, please help my
brother!” Bala voice grew thin and tinny.

“I’ll do my very best,” said Cindy, “I promise you. Please
stay in touch.”

Bala hung up quickly then and Cindy felt a sharp stab
in her heart. “My God, my God, Mattheus,” she uttered, “we never should have
dug up the dirt and opened up this trail of pain.”

Mattheus put his fork down and stared at her. “Why? Who
was that on the phone?”

“It was Bala. She said Dawl’s been set up, the
witnesses work for Raina. They were also witnesses in another case connected to
the company where someone went missing.”

“Hard to believe,” said Mattheus. “The police would
know that. It could disqualify them.”

“But the police don’t want to disqualify them,” said
Cindy. “And who else would remember a detail like that? I told you it was too
convenient.”

“Where’s Bala now?” asked Mattheus.

“In hiding, afraid for her son,” Cindy said.

Mattheus saw the obvious distress on Cindy’s face. ““Okay,
okay,” he said, “I’ll finish breakfast and we’ll go right away to talk to
people at the casinos who can tell us more about Dawl.”

“After that I’m going to talk to Raina,” said Cindy.

Mattheus looked disconcerted. “Not the best idea,” he
said, “let sleeping lions rest.”

“Who said she’s resting?” said Cindy. “Mattheus,
these witnesses work for her company! For all we know Raina’s bought everyone
off so she can protect her precious son.”

“Wait a minute,” Mattheus reigned Cindy in. “You’re
jumping way ahead. It’s possible, but farfetched.  First let’s see what else we
can find out about Dawl.”

    
Even at this early hour in the morning
the Casino Royale was busy and hopping. Some people there looked as if they’d
been up at the tables all night long.  Others were at the slot machines, bleary
eyed, still trying their luck.

Rodney had told Mattheus to go to the edge of the
first long table on the main floor and ask for the dealer, Kent. It would be
easy to find him, he was there night and day.  He’d know all the folks to talk
to about Dawl.

“Kent?” Mattheus asked a thin, wiry guy looked like
he was in charge.

“You got to be Mattheus?” Kent replied. “Rodney told
me to be on the lookout for you.”

Once again Cindy was struck with the how on top of
things Rodney was. He never missed a beat, didn’t let a moment escape him.

“I need to find out about Dawl Lemmings,” Mattheus
went on, “talk to folks who know him.”

A thin smile played at the edge of Kent’s mouth. “Talk
to me,” he said. “I’ll give you the low down. Nothing happens here that I don’t
hear about, sooner or later.”

Cindy smiled. She liked Kent’s strange, slick way.

“It’s common knowledge that they’re putting the
finger on Dawl,” Kent went on confidentially.

“Doesn’t surprise anybody. That guy refuses to keep
his mouth shut.  Drunk or not, whatever he thinks he blurts right out. The
idiot prides himself on talking big. Nothing stays inside.”

“What should have stayed hidden?” asked Cindy.

Kent turned and looked Cindy over slowly. “Such a
pretty woman, a detective?” he grimaced, as confused.  “There’s better jobs for
someone as classy as you.”

“Cindy and I are partners,” Mattheus interjected,
irritated.

Kent laughed. “Yeah, Rodney told me. But why in the
world would such a beautiful woman want to poke around in garbage?”

“You’re saying that Dawl is garbage?” asked Cindy,
enjoying the banter despite herself.

“You got me wrong,” Kent shrugged his shoulders. “Dawl’s
a great guy, we all love him. He just can’t keep anything to himself. I mean
one thing everyone knows is -don’t mess with Dawl. So, I heard that this dame
who got killed went straight to his house to talk to his boy.  Please! That kid
is Dawl’s life. What did she think she was doing, trying to take him away?”

“Dawl killed her for it?” Mattheus asked matter of
factly, as if it would have been natural.

“How the hell do I know if he killed her?” said Kent.
“Sure the cops would like to say that, tie the case up and get out.  I have my
doubts about it. But one thing I do know is that Dawl told lots of people over
and over that he wanted her dead.”

“Jesus, that guy’s a goner!” said Mattheus, “that’s
all the police need to hear.”

“I’m sure they heard it,” said Kent. They got motive
on him, for sure, but, who in hell dug up those witnesses? Give me a break.”

“I heard they work for Raina’s company,” Cindy
murmured.

Kent tapped his mouth with his fingers. “Mums the
word. You hear all kinds of things down here on the islands. Who told you that?”

Cindy paused, not wanting to mention Bala or that she
was in hiding. “Just heard it,” said Cindy.

“Well, you got good ears,” Kent answered.

“Those witnesses really work at the docks, packing
and loading?” Mattheus asked.

“They do,” said Kent.

“It normal behavior for them to take a walk to the
Cove after work?” Mattheus continued.

“Sure, it’s normal,” said Kent. “They do it all the
time. So do others. The Cove’s a tourist trap.”

“Did anybody else see Dawl at the Cove around five o’clock?”
Cindy joined in.

“You got to ask the police that, honey,” said Kent. “I
have no idea.”

“What’s the upshot of all this?” Mattheus asked
firmly.

“The upshot is that it makes perfect sense they’d
finger Dawl.  He’s been blabbing for days. The guy’s got a record, but he’s
also got an alibi, isn’t that right?” said Kent.

“Dawl’s alibi is for later that night, when he was at
the clubs. That’s when they found the body. But the autopsy put the time of her
death earlier, around five,” said Mattheus.

“Hell, Dawl’s always home around five with the kid,”
said Kent. “I never saw him anywhere else then.  Why the hell would he go to
the Cove?”

“Unless he killed her,” said Mattheus.

“Talking’s one thing, doing’s another,” Kent mused. “The
guy’s done stuff, he’s messed up, but killing’s something else. No question
Dawl’s a loud brute, but if you asked me, he doesn’t have a killer’s heart.”

“Could they have mistaken someone else for him?”
Cindy asked sharply.

“Both guys identified him,” said Kent.

“And both could be lying,” said Cindy. “But there are
still the fingerprints to check.”

“Oh yeah?” Kent looked surprised.  “Hadn’t heard
about them.”

Cindy remembered then that the police had said they
were keeping the fingerprints quiet. “I mean I think there must be some kind of
evidence like that,” said Cindy.

Kent looked at her closely. “It’s okay, the news is
secret with me.”

Cindy liked him and he liked her. She felt he was
savvy and only wanted the best outcome.

“Listen, who else should we talk to?” asked Mattheus.

“Talk to any of the regulars at the tables,” Kent
said. “But there’s nothing else you’re going to find out. Dawl told lots of
folks that Tara would take his kid over his dead body, and it would be better
if she were dead first.”

“He dug his own grave,” said Mattheus.

“Let’s hope he didn’t dig hers too,” replied Kent.

*

Kent was right. Word had spread like wildfire over
the casino that Dawl had been taken in by the cops. Lots of people shook their
heads, said he was a goner and should have kept his big mouth shut. 

Cindy and Mattheus left the casino and decided to
wander down to the dock, to sit on a bench near the water, take in the sun and
talk. It was wonderful being near the water with the fresh salty air, listening
to the boats rocking in the waves.

“Looks like the case is practically tied up,” said
Mattheus, as they sat down close to each other and lifted their faces to the
sun. “Not much left to do.” 

“They haven’t matched the fingerprints with Dawl’s
yet,” Cindy said, not wanting to let go.

“They will,” said Mattheus, “or they’ll blame the
condition of the body. They’ll say that the fingerprints are not in good enough
shape to match.”

“So, Lynch just walks?” said Cindy.

“Seems like you’ve decided he shouldn’t, that you’ve
convicted Lynch in your mind,” Mattheus responded.

“I haven’t convicted him, but I’m not positive either
that he’s had nothing to do with it,” said Cindy.

Mattheus turned to Cindy and stroked her shoulders
with his warm hands. “Doesn’t it feel good to unwind like this?” he murmured. “Maybe
it’s time to just let things be.”

It did feel wonderful being close to Mattheus in the
sun, with him stroking her. But it would feel better if this lingering doubt
wasn’t in the back of Cindy’s mind.

“If the fingerprints they have don’t match Dawl then
I’m going to see Raina” Cindy announced, leaning back against Mattheus.

“I actually never met a more tenacious woman,” said
Mattheus. “You just don’t give up, do you?”

Cindy laughed. “This work has brought the tiger out
in me. I was never like that before.”

“Hard to believe,” said Mattheus.

“No, really,” said Cindy. “If you’d known me when I
was with Clint, you would never have recognized me at all.”

Mattheus stopped rubbing her shoulders then. “Really?
What were you like?”

“I believed everything Clint told me,” Cindy spoke in
a soft voice. “I adored him, was just happy to spend whatever time I could at
his side.”

Mattheus sighed.  “Sounds fantastic to me. Clint was
one lucky guy, if you asked me.”

“There was no way in the world,” Cindy went on, “I
had any inkling of his hidden life.”

“Hidden or private?” Mattheus interjected.

“Both hidden and private,” said Cindy. “He was
involved in stuff with his company that had him killed – on our honeymoon!”

“I know,” said Mattheus, stroking her shoulders
again. “I know how much you loved him and what a horrible loss it was.”

“I’ll never let that happen again,” said Cindy.

“Let what happen?” asked Mattheus, “adoring someone,
believing them, just being happy to be at their side?”

Cindy took Mattheus’s hands off her shoulders. “That’s
not what I’m saying and you know it.

I’ll never let myself be so naïve again, just go
along with what people say.”

“Okay, that’s fine,” said Mattheus. “That’s what
makes you a great detective now. But, stop a minute and listen to me. There’s
more to life than being a detective. Loving someone again like that, believing
them, trusting completely, that’s the icing on the cake.”

Cindy stopped and looked into Mattheus’s gorgeous
eyes. She knew he was right and wished she could give him the kind of love and
trust he was asking for.  At times she felt that way towards him, other times
fear and suspicion arose.

“It’s okay,” said Mattheus slowly then. “We’re doing
great. We’ve been through a lot and we’re still here, aren’t we?”

Cindy smiled. Mattheus had a charm about him that was
irresistible. It usually surfaced at the end of a case, when they were winding
down like this.

“You know, Cindy,” Mattheus said then, looking out at
the boats and sea, “I feel about you the same way you felt about Clint.”

Cindy stopped and listened, really taken aback.

“I adore you, I believe in you, and I’d trust you
with my life,” Mattheus went on.

“My God, Mattheus,” Cindy responded, taken completely
unaware. Then she put her hands on his face and turned it towards her. “That
was so beautiful, thank you so much,” she whispered.

“But you’ve got to feel the same way about me, too,” Mattheus
went on softly.

“I know I do,” said Cindy.

 “Is it possible?” Mattheus asked.

“Everything is possible,” Cindy replied.

“You can let go of this stuff with my daughter?” Mattheus
continued hopefully.

Cindy pulled  back. “What has one thing got to do
with another? Your daughter’s part of you, Mattheus, and I want to meet her so
much.”

Thankfully, just at that moment, Mattheus’s phone
rang. He picked up and it was Rodney.

“Fingerprints on the corpse don’t match Dawl’s,” was
the first thing Rodney said.

“Oh boy,” said Mattheus. “I really hoped for definitive
results. This just adds to the confusion.”

“Well, there’s evidence for Dawl and against him,”
Rodney continued. “And, since the actual murder took place around five, his alibi
for later in the evening doesn’t mean a thing.”

 “So, where do we go from here?” asked Mattheus.

“You go home and call it a day,” said Rodney. “You’re
done. Let the system takes over.”

“Thanks for your help,” said Mattheus, “it’s meant a
great deal.” Then he hung up the phone.

“He feels it’s all over?” asked Cindy.

 “He’s right. That’s about it,” replied Mattheus.

 Cindy shook her head. “But I’m not going home without
talking to Raina one more time.”

“What do you think you’re going to get from her?”
Mattheus seemed irritated. “You think she’s going to confess that these goons work
for her company, that she called them on board to cover for her son?”

Cindy thought about it a moment. “No, that’s not what
I think,” she said. “I actually think Lynch got caught in the cross hairs.  But
there’s more information we need from Raina. And, I’m not going to go about it
directly. I’m going to go in from a side angle, going to set her up.”

“Come on, now you’re going off the deep edge,” said Mattheus.
“Obsessions are contagious.  Everyone’s prone to them at any time.”

“This is not an obsession,” said Cindy. “I need one
more try.”

“Try for what?” Mattheus was irritated.

“I want to probe the corners,” Cindy demanded. “If
these witnesses work for Raina’s company, we have no other choice.”

“Listen,” said Mattheus. “From what I understand, a
large part of the island works for Raina’s company, in one way or another.”

“Like it or not, I’ve got to do it, Mattheus,” Cindy
insisted.

“Why?” He seemed adamant.

“Because an innocent man’s life could be at stake,” said
Cindy.

“Dawl doesn’t look like such an innocent man,”
Mattheus shot back at her. “He told a million people he wanted Tara dead.”

“Having a big mouth is one thing, going to jail for
murder is another,” Cindy replied.

“Okay, so do what you want,” said Mattheus, “but I
don’t want any part of this.”

“Fine,” said Cindy. “I can handle it on my own.”

*

After they returned to their hotel room, Cindy went
out on the patio, and let the soft wind blow through her hair. She didn’t know
exactly what she was fishing for, but she knew she couldn’t get it from Raina directly.
She’d have to unnerve her, set her up, if there would be any possibility of her
spilling something important.

Mattheus walked out onto the patio as Cindy stood
there, leaning on it.  “I just called Raina to set up an interview for you,”
Mattheus said softly. “She said it’s out of the question. In fact, she’s
packing to leave as we speak. Her plane takes off in the morning.”

Cindy shivered. “She and Lynch have clearance to
leave already?”

“She does,” said Mattheus.  “I didn’t ask about
Lynch.”

“It’s not happening,” said Cindy, turning around
swiftly.

“What’s not happening?” Mattheus looked nervous.

“She’s not taking a step off this island without
speaking to me first,” Cindy said.

“That’s a little grandiose, wouldn’t you say?” asked
Mattheus. “Are you having trouble because the case didn’t go your way? Not all
of them do, we have to accept it.”