Free Death by Divorce by Jaden Skye Page A

professional detective. ”
    Cindy felt stunned. He was purposely withholding information from her. He didn’t give her much credence.
    “I’m offended,” she said.
    Mattheus reached out his hand on the table. Cindy did not take it.
    “Please don’t be offended,” he said. “The law is the law. I like helping you. I’m doing all I can. ”
    “Then give me something to go on about the Captain,” Cindy pressed harder.
    Mattheus leaned closer, as did Cindy for a moment. “You’ll probably find this out anyway,” he said. “Ames fired him about one week before he disappeared.”
    Cindy was shaken. “That’s huge,” she said.
    “Yes, it is,” said Mattheus. “It was a lifelong relationship that suddenly broke. We’re not exactly sure why. If you could find that out, it would be terrific. Sometimes a lady could have a better chance of getting a rough guy like the Captain to talk. ”
    “This helps tremendously,” said Cindy. “And what about Ames’s partner, Dale? Was he also involved in firing the Captain? ”
    “I don’t think so,” Mattheus said. “He’s a rich playboy who supports the company, mostly with dough. He spends his time mainly floating around the water on his Yacht, partying and having fun. ”
    Cindy wrinkled her nose, and Mattheus laughed again. “You’re a pretty prim lady for a detective,” he said.
    Cindy certainly didn’t consider herself prim. “Now you’re judging me,” she said.
    “You’re right,” said Mattheus, “I am.”
    “Well, don’t,” said Cindy. “I’m far from prim.”
    At that Mattheus lifted his eyebrows. “Time will tell,” he said.
    Cindy wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that. But she wouldn’t let herself be sidetracked. “I accept that you can’t tell me some details about the investigation,” Cindy went on, “but you can tell me what your take on it is. What do you think happened, Mattheus? ”
    He sat up straighter when she asked that, and looked her directly in the eye.
    “There’s a web surrounding this island,” he said, “it’s invisible to the eye. Powerful forces are at work here, laundering money, trafficking drugs and sex. It’s a world you don’t want to interact with, Cindy. It would swallow you in and spit you out, in no time at all. You’re not equipped to handle it. That’s our job. Leave it to us. ”
    “Was Ames involved in that web?” she asked.
    “Nobody knows anything for sure,” he said. “But look at it this way: he ran a fleet of cargo ships. On the surface, he traded spices and rum. Need I say anything more? Who knows what he really traded, and where it finally landed him? ”
     

CHAPTER 10
    Thankfully, Cindy returned to the villa before Dalia came home, so she didn’t have to answer questions about where she’d been. Cindy didn’t like withholding information from Dalia, but now it became obvious that there was no other way of proceeding. Dalia had no real i notion of what was going on, and seemed to have some magical idea that Cindy would make everything all right.
    Cindy sat down on the patio outside her room, and looked out over the beach. It was a beautiful day, the temperature just right, the warm, blue waters lapping the shores, little sandpipers skipping along the sand. It was hard to imagine that this magical island was surrounded by a dangerous web that pulled people off into darkness and pain. For a moment Cindy wondered if Mattheus had been overly dramatic, making his life and work seem more exciting and dangerous than it was.
    Cindy went over her talk with him in her mind. From what he said, it was clear that the Chief of Police was coddling Dalia by letting Cindy speak to the police. Her presence had no real weight here. Whatever time and information Mattheus gave her, was gratis. She should be grateful for it.
    Cindy smiled as she thought of him. He was quite a character, complicated, in his own way-- rough and outspoken, and sensitive at the same time. Cindy wondered briefly why