by Jaden Skye
“It didn’t work, though, did it?” said Rodney, tapping his foot on the ground again, more insistently.
“No, it didn’t,” Mattheus snapped. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t try!”
“Trying never gets the gold ring,” Rodney spit out.
“What does?” Mattheus snapped.
“Bravery,” said Rodney, “being willing to face the whole rotten truth.”
*
Mattheus walked home from the police station slowly after the interview. Rodney’s words really stuck with him, like the wind in his face, returning and hitting him. Be willing to face the whole truth. Mattheus had probably said those very same words to Cindy, when they were working on cases together. Face the truth bravely, keep an open mind, don’t jump to conclusions, give everyone a fair shake. Every one. It was what made this work so endlessly fascinating, being able to look at a person or situation through all kinds of different lenses, wading through false personalities, sorting out truth from lies.
It was one thing to face the truth about someone else’s life though, not so easy when the mirror was turned around, and you were looking at yourself in it.
Mattheus rubbed his face with his hands. It was getting warm and sticky out now. The city had already awakened and cars were driving, horns tooting, motor scooters rolling by. He knew he needed to call Cindy from the lobby and talk things over with her. She was probably waiting to hear any developments so they could decide what next steps to take next.
Mattheus got to the hotel and walked into the lobby slowly. It was a great hotel, a bit out of the way, but he liked it here. It had only three floors, was spacious but intimate, filled with people, and still you had a sense of privacy. There was a big veranda in the back, with wicker tables, palm trees and a great view of the water, where they served delicious food and great drinks. Even though it was early, he wanted to order a white Russian, kick up his legs and just chill awhile. Working on this was harder than he’d expected.
He knew he should call Cindy and have her come down and join him, but the thought of seeing her now, didn’t thrill him. It felt more like a task than something he really wanted to do. The guys had been right about that, it was rough working on this case together. It was rough even seeing her. Things had taken a turn for the worse so quickly in Grenada, he hadn’t had a chance to come to terms with it. It reminded him in a way of what happened with Shelly. Here one minute, gone the next. Women couldn’t really be trusted, Mattheus thought, they were creatures of moods and odd habits. Just when he thought things were great, they’d turn, and he’d be left alone again.
Suddenly Mattheus felt someone standing behind him and turned around swiftly.
Cindy stood there, dressed in a lemon, linen dress, her hair pulled back off her face, looking younger than he remembered.
“Forgot you had a partner on the case?” she asked, walking around him and sitting down at his table.
“I just got here a few minutes ago,” he said.
Cindy lifted her hand to her eyes to shade them from the sun which was growing stronger as midday approached. “You haven’t checked in with me hardly at all since we got here,” Cindy said.
“Want something to eat?” asked Mattheus.The last thing Mattheus
wanted was to be scolded at the moment. “We were all at Green Pebble Beach together last night,” he said.
“But we never talked about it,” said Cindy. “In fact, we haven’t discussed the case at all.”
Mattheus nodded glumly.
“Look,” she went on, “I know what a nightmare this is for you. That’s why I’m down here with you.”
“That’s the only reason?” Mattheus looked up at her directly.
“I care about you, Mattheus. I want to help.”
“I appreciate that,” said Mattheus.
“But you can’t shut me out.”
“I’m not shutting you out.” This was not a conversation he was up for at the moment.
“You are. You’re still upset about my leaving Grenada,” Cindy went on, as the waiter came and stopped by their table.
“We’ll have two bowls of spaghetti and a house salad,” Mattheus broke in, ordering for both of them, taking control. Cindy was right, he was shutting her out and it felt good to do it, too. The last thing he wanted now was to need her. It was routine business, having lunch together, they didn’t have to complicate things. He’d stay professional about everything. Then he’d go back up to his room and think things over alone.
Cindy took a glass of water that was on the table and drank it quickly.
“I’ve got to leave right after lunch,” she said, “I’ve made appointments to talk to some people about Shelly.”
“Who?” Mattheus was startled. Cindy had arranged it herself, without mentioning a word of it to him.
“First stop, I’m going to the shelter for abused women where Shelly worked,” said Cindy. “They’re giving me a tour of the place tomorrow and I’m going to an orientation lecture this afternoon. That place has got to be a hotbed of information, Shelly worked there for years.”
“Good thinking,” said Mattheus, impressed once again at how sharp Cindy was, right on track. His old admiration and feelings for her welled up for a moment, as he gazed at her. She was beautiful, smart, everything he wanted, and somehow he’d blown it again. He leaned across the table then, wishing he could reach out and give her a hug.
Even though he said nothing, she must have felt it, as she softened and smiled.
“Maybe we can catch up at dinner,” said Cindy, “and have time to review our finds?”
“Good idea,” said Mattheus, as the waiter brought large plates with steaming pasta. “You’ll let me know everything you found. And one more thing,” Cindy –.“ Mattheus couldn’t let her go without saying it.
“What?” she asked, curious.
“I appreciate that you’re here. I really do. You’re wonderful.” he said.
CHAPTER 10
Cindy was surprised how amazing it felt to hear Mattheus say those words again, how much she’d been missing them. She wanted to say you’re wonderful, too, but held back. She had to – had to keep everything clear.
It was hard being down here with him like this. She understood why he was acting so strange though, she’d been pretty off base herself when she’d found out about Clint. It had taken a long while to get her head straight. And to top it all off, she and Mattheus had just broken up. Things couldn’t get any more confusing than they were right now.
Lunch passed quickly. Mostly of the time Mattheus seemed sad and remote, just commenting on the pasta, which he ate every bite of, hungrily.
After lunch, Cindy went up to her room for a few minutes to freshen up before she went to the Shelter for the orientation. She slipped into a dark blue, sleeveless cotton dress, which felt cool and refreshing, brushed her hair once again quickly, and tied it back off her face.
When she looked in the mirror, it surprised her to see how alive her face looked. This work agrees with me, Cindy thought, takes my mind off everything, makes me look younger and more like myself.
Just as she put finishing touches on her makeup, the phone rang. Probably Mattheus, she hoped, changing his mind and deciding to go to the orientation with her. That would be good, she was happy about it.
“Are you coming along?” asked Cindy lightly, as she picked up the phone. “I haven’t left yet.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then to Cindy’s surprise,her sister Ann’s voice.
“Haven’t left to go where?” Ann was taken aback.
“Oh my goodness, Ann!” said Cindy, realizing with a start that she hadn’t returned her calls the past few days.
“Remember me?” Ann was miffed. “I’m your sister -the one who met you at the airport. We just had a long, wonderful, visit at your house.”
“I’m so sorry, Ann,” Cindy breathed.
“What’s going on?” Ann continued. “I haven’t heard a word fo
r days.”
Cindy hesitated. She purposely didn’t tell Ann that she was going down to Key West, but didn’t want to lie to her now.
“I’m down in Key West,” Cindy said slowly.
“Where?” Ann sounded startled. “Key West? Last I knew you were starting a new life in Cove Bay.”
Cindy couldn’t just shut Ann out of her life, but she also knew that she’d never be able to make her sister understand why she’d come down. “It’s complicated,” said Cindy.
“You’re back on a damn case!” Ann exclaimed, quickly. “I recognize all the signs. You don’t answer calls, keep things to yourself, no one else matters to you then! Everything gets shut out.”
Cindy felt stung to the core. “That’s not fair, you always matter to me.”
“Then why the hell didn’t you tell me you were down in Key West? Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
Cindy had never heard her sister so irate. “I answered now,” said Cindy lamely.
“But you’re back on a case, aren’t you?” Ann was emphatic.
“Yes, I am,” said Cindy.
“Without saying a word about it to me? After all we talked about?”
Cindy bristled. She didn’t need Ann’s permission to make choices or to decide where to go. They were two, grown, independent women, and Ann was still acting as if Cindy were her baby sister. She was living in a time warp, as ifAnn had to still stand in for the mother Cindy once needed long ago.
“Things are different now,” Cindy said to Ann firmly, “I can make my own decisions.”
“Did I ever say you couldn’t?” Ann sounded hurt. “No one is even suggesting that. You might just have given me the courtesy of letting me know where you were. Plain courtesy, Cindy.”
On one level, Ann was right. On another, doing this kind of work, Cindy had to make quick decisions. They were the kind you often had to keep private, couldn’t check in with a big sister about.
“You’re back with Mattheus, aren’t you?” Ann’s voice had a ring of horror about it now.
“No, I’m not back with him. We’re working a case.”
“That’s back with him,” Ann breathed. “Now I see why you didn’t take my calls. Don’t lie to yourself! When you picked up the phone you thought I was Mattheus, right?”
“Yes, I did think it was Mattheus,” said Cindy, unabashedly.
“How could you disrespect yourself this way?” Ann’s voice rose an octave. “How could you let someone treat you poorly, then run back the minute he calls?”
“It’s not like you think, “Cindy insisted. “It’s pure business. I had no choice, I had to come down here and help him.”
“There’s always a choice,” Ann proclaimed.
“Ann,” Cindy blurted out loudly, “it was Mattheus’s wife who found dead!”
Ann gasped, “His wife? Found dead?”
A terrible silence hung between them.
Cindy caught her breath and continued to talk, “His former wife. She disappeared from their home in New Orleans six years ago. He searched for her for years. The body finally turned up last week.”
Ann could barely speak, “his wife, missing? Now dead in Key West?”
“Yes, she was killed down here a week ago.”
“Cindy, Cindy,” Ann screamed, “none of this adds up! You’re telling me this woman disappeared six years ago and was just killed? He lied to you! He was married all along. They split up and she went to Key West. It’s a story he made up that she disappeared.”
Chills ran throughout Cindy’s entire body. “The disappearance was a matter of record,” she said between gritted teeth.
“Step back, face it,” Ann was on a roll. “You never had any luck with guys. Before you met Clint you always attracted weird types, losers, you couldn’t sort anything out.”
Cindy shuddered. That was a long time ago, she felt quite different now.
“Mattheus’s case has nothing to do with you,” Ann was emphatic. “You don’t really know the man, you have no idea what his life was like. You don’t know why she ran away from him, if she did. For all you know he was involved with her death now.”
“That’s horrible, Ann,” Cindy uttered.
“You could be some kind of cover for him -walking into a living hell. This isn’t just a business relationship. Face reality, Cindy, the two of you were about to move in together in Grenada.”
“I am facing reality,” Cindy shot back. “That’s exactly what I’m doing down here, facing reality, searching for truth, finding it, helping others. My relationship with Mattheus is a professional one.”
“And you said you were taking time to unwind, start your life all over again,” Ann lamented.
Cindy had said that, but it was also true that she was happy being back down here with Mattheus again. She liked working cases, was good at it too! And, like it or not, there was a powerful connection between them. Not so easy to let go.
“Can I trust your word?” Ann said, her voice brittle.
“Of course you can,” said Cindy. “But you’re jumping to conclusions. I never gave you my word that I’d never see Mattheus again, or give up being a detective. I just said I needed time to unwind and get perspective.”
Ann breathed heavily. “Do you want me to come down and join you? I can be a great support when things get rocky.”
Ann meant the best, but it was out of the question. “Of course not,” Cindy said. “There’s no reason for it. I’m down here on a case.”
“Right,” said Ann. “I get the picture. “So, just give me a call when you have nothing else better to do!” Then she slammed down the phone.
Cindy felt agitated and misunderstood. Ann could jump to conclusions and when she did, it always hurt. Cindy thought for a moment about calling her back, but decided against it. Right now time was passing and she was due at the Shelter in a little while to learn all she could about Shelly and who might have been responsible for her awful death.
CHAPTER 11
The Shelter for Abused Women was about a mile down a long road that wound through the edge of town. It had no address and was hard to find, so as to keep the residents safe. Their abusers couldn’t find them here, and neither could anyone else. Cindy took a cab that wound along a highway that stretched alone the water’s edge. They got off the highway and then turned through narrow streets that were bordered by huge, overgrown trees.
When the taxi finally found the place, Cindy stepped out of the cab and looked around. The Shelter was housed in a modern, open building, with a low, slanting roof, big courtyard and lovely garden in the back. To her surprise the atmosphere was completely normal, as if there weren’t women and children, living together, hiding from danger inside.
Cindy walked up the front pathway trying to sense what it would be like to work here and why Shelly had chosen to do this kind of work. As soon as she entered, Cindy was greeted by a lovely young woman, who came over to her, shook her hand and smiled. The young woman seemed to have been on the lookout for Cindy, expecting her.
“I’m Barbara Harris, coordinator,” the young woman said. “You must be Cindy Blaine. We’re honored to have you here.”
“Thank you,” said Cindy, touched by her genuineness.
“We all loved Shelly,” Barbara continued quickly. “Thank you so much for coming to meet with us. We’re so disturbed that nobody else spent much time investigating here.”
“I heard that Shelly’s supervisor identified the body and spoke to the police,” said Cindy, jarred.
“That’s right,” said Barbara, “that was routine. But we hoped for more attention than that. After all, Shelly worked here for over three years. Anyway, thank you.”
Cindy took a deep breath. “It’s my pleasure,” she said, looking around.
The place was spacious, clean, filled with art work on the walls. There were paintings in bold colors of hearts, of blood, anger, harm - and also of healing, sunshine and flowers. The art work was clearly done by the residents -so
me by children, perhaps.
“We’re very proud of our Shelter,” Barbara spoke rapidly, “especially the art work,” she motioned towards the walls. “These are done both by the women and children who live here.”
“Wonderful,” said Cindy. Her heart clenched as she realized that this place was home not only to women but also to children who were seeking protection, had no other place to go.
“Thank goodness that you can provide a place like this,” Cindy murmured.
“We’ll take you on the tour tomorrow,” said Barbara. “Right now it’s important to go to the orientation about battering and domestic violence. Have you been to one before?”
“No,” Cindy was ashamed to admit she hadn’t.
“Most people have no idea what’s involved. We offer this lecture every month and fortunately you’re here right on time.”
It was fortunate, thought Cindy, as she walked along quickly at Barbara’s side. There was a whole world inside here that she knew nothing of. She was glad for the opportunity to find out now, wanted to learn as much as she could. How could this not have a bearing on the case?
As they were walking, Barbara stopped for a moment, smiled, turned and took a long look at Cindy.
“It’s strange,” she said, smiling, “I don’t know if anyone has told you - but you look a lot like Shelly.”
Cindy shivered. Nobody had actually said that, but Cindy’d thought so herself when she saw Shelly’s photos.
“You could have been sisters,” Barbara went on. “You have the same color hair, the light freckles, even the same sparkling look in your eye. She was terrific. Did you know her?”
“No, I didn’t,” said Cindy, “and nobody has said I look like her.”
“They probably will,” said Barbara. “If you spend some time with us, the residents and staff will tell you all kinds of things. The place will never be the same without her.”