Free Death by Temptation by Jaden Skye Page A

had enough. “Careful of me?” She was appalled,
turning to Mattheus quickly to see how he was taking it. Why hadn’t he
intervened?
    Mattheus didn’t meet Cindy’s glance though, was
focused instead on Rod and Rowley, looking disturbed.
    “Wait a minute.” Cindy’s voice grew edgy as she walked
over to Rod. “Exactly what do you mean when you say that Rowley has to be
careful of me?”
    Rod just glared at Cindy, refusing to say a word.
    “Rod’s heard that you’ve been talking to Alfred,”
Mattheus finally intervened. “That didn’t sit well with him. Rod thought you
should have cleared it with the family before you brought Alfred into it.
Kara’s relationship with Alfred is a sensitive topic.”
    Cindy was horrified. “Rowley’s mother gave me
Alfred’s contact information,” she quickly defended herself. “Rowley’s mother
originally suggested that I talk to Alfred.”
    “Rod didn’t like it, though,” Mattheus continued.
“He thought you should have gotten permission from Rowley first.” It felt to
Cindy as though Mattheus was siding with Rod.
    “What is this really about, Mattheus?” Cindy took a
few steps away. “Is there some family feud I’ve inadvertently stepped into?”
    Cindy saw Rod throw Mattheus a knowing look. “See
that, she’s trying to drum up trouble between all of us now,” Rod muttered.
“That’s what women do, make things complicated, look for ways get under your
bones.”
    Mattheus put his hands on Rod’s shoulders. “It’s
okay, pal,” he uttered.
    “There’s nothing okay about it, Mattheus,” Rod
mumbled. “Open your eyes and take a good look. You want to know why things
haven’t worked out between you and Cindy so far? Take a good look.”
    Mattheus said nothing and Cindy was appalled.
Obviously Rod had taken a dislike to her and was trying to get in between their
relationship. It wasn’t unusual for a grieving family member to thrash around
for someone to take out their anger on. Obviously Cindy had become the butt for
Rod’s upset now. But why wasn’t Mattheus setting him straight, standing up for
her? That was more upsetting than anything else.
    Cindy turned away, flushed and angry. She wasn’t
going to get pulled into this, or let Rod’s distress derail her from the job
she had to do. Her first priority was finding Kara, no matter how many
obstacles came along, trying to get in her way.
    “I think it’s a good idea for you go to our room
now, Cindy,” Mattheus said quietly, trying to defuse the situation.
    “Fine,” Cindy agreed. She was thankful that she’d
had some time alone with Rowley before Rod returned, but wanted more. “I’ll be
back though,” she added, flinging a quick warning glance at Rod, who had his
back toward her and would not turn around.
     
    *
     
    Back in the room, Cindy waited fitfully for
Mattheus. Although she could give herself plenty of reasons why Mattheus hadn’t
stood up to Rod for her, it was hard to believe any of them. Certainly, family
members had a right to go crazy when someone went missing or was harmed. It was
also expected for them to lash out at others. But it was also necessary for
them to be put in their place. They had to be made to understand that law
enforcement wasn’t the enemy. Someone had to set things straight and Mattheus
had always done it before. Cindy was agitated and eager to talk to him about
it.
    As she waited for Mattheus to return the phone rang
suddenly. This had to be him, she thought, asking her to come downstairs and
meet him in one of the exquisite restaurants in the hotel for dinner. He
probably hoped they could unwind and dine there together. It would be a perfect
way to clear things up.
    “Yes?” Cindy answered hopefully as she picked up.
    “Cindy, this is Frank,” the male voice on the other
end answered. It was Cindy’s brother-in-law, her dead sister’s husband.
    “Frank?” Cindy was stunned. “Why in the world are
you calling me here? Is something wrong? Is