Death by Proposal by Jaden Skye Page A

was killed, “said Dan. “And our poor son had
to be the one to find her like that in the morning. But what else does it have
to do with him? They were strangers, absolutely strangers.”
    “Strangers
who became engaged,” said Cindy.
    “No
one has proved that yet,” Dan insisted, “a few messages on Facebook doesn’t
prove anything.”
    “The
girl was obviously seriously disturbed,” Margaret continued. “She created some
kind of web around Clay, sucked him right into it. He was helpless to say no.”
    “Clay
doesn’t seem like the helpless kind,” Cindy responded, “and they weren’t
strangers. Seems they had quite an internet correspondence going, and they’d
also met in person a few times.”
    “Have
you read their correspondence?” Dan asked quickly.
    “Not
yet,” said Cindy.
    “Well,
you don’t know him then,” Margaret’s voice became more strident. “Clay could
become helpless at times, he’s so trusting, poetic, only wants to see the best.
Sometimes he becomes terribly disappointed with the way this world is. He and I
have talked about it.”
    Dan
then took a step closer to Cindy. “Back away from Clay,” he said. “He’s having
a hard enough time enough as it is now.”
    “What
makes you think I’m moving in on Clay?” Cindy shot right back at him.
    “I
didn’t say you were moving in on him, I just said back away,” Dan corrected
himself. “We’re going to have a long talk with Clay tonight and get straight
about everything - how he met the girl, what he was doing down here with her,
and why he never said a word to us.”
    “That’s
wonderful,” said Cindy, “and when you find out, I hope you’ll let me and my
partner know.”
    *
    Dan
and Margaret Peters left quickly to return to their son, and Cindy took the
elevator up to her room. It seemed they felt that Cindy was their enemy and she
wondered why? Was there something they were hiding about Clay, or was it just
the shock of finding their son engaged to someone they’d never met. And then
finding that young woman suddenly dead. It all had to be overwhelming for them.
    Cindy
got to her room and went into the bathroom to shower and change. She turned on
the shower and let the hot water beat down on her back, soothing and refreshing
her. She stood like that for a long time, until she heard someone come to the
bathroom door.
    “Let’s
get going Cindy,” it was Mattheus. Cindy hadn’t heard him come in. “Sean’s in
the gym and he’s expecting us.”
    Cindy
had half hoped that Mattheus would come all the way into the bathroom to find
her, that they’d have a moment or two for themselves. Right now she needed the
comfort of being alone with him, spending a little while in his arms. But it
was true, once the energy of a case got going it took on a life of its own.
Before long it ran rough shod over all personal feelings and desires.
    Cindy
quickly got out of the shower, dried off and pulled on a brightly printed, silk
summer dress with sprays of hand painted tropical flowers on it. Then she went
out to greet Mattheus.
    He
looked at her slowly for a moment and whistled.
     “Fabulous”
he said, “sexy, enticing, inviting.”
    Cindy
laughed. “Maybe we could find a way to take some time to ourselves, in between
interviews,” she snuggled up to him.
    Mattheus
raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Not so easy is it?” he said.
    “Who
said it has to be easy?” said Cindy. “After we talk to Sean and Riva, and go
through Kate and Clay’s online correspondence, we should be able to grab some
time. Don’t you think so?”  Cindy felt eager to be closer to Mattheus again.
    “Everything
is possible, anything can happen,” said Mattheus, backing slightly away. “We
could even get a few hours to go kite boarding at Fisherman’s Hut. But first we’ve
got to focus and get the basics under our belt. There’s a lot to do and time is
short.”
    Cindy
knew he was right and greatly appreciated his