by Jaden Skye
Tad began tapping his foot on the floor. “Something like that,” he uttered.
“That’s a shock, isn’t it?” Mattheus pressed on.
“I don’t believe it for a second,” said Tad, nonplussed. “It’s totally impossible.”
Cindy was intrigued. “Why is impossible that she would be pregnant? Accidents happen,” said Cindy.
“Not accidents like that,” the muscle in Tad’s jaw was working.
“You don’t think Tiffany could have been carrying your child?” Mattheus asked methodically.
“I told you, it’s impossible,” Tad flared up. “Tiffany and I were fanatically careful. Do you think I’m a fool? That would have been the last thing in the world either of us wanted.” Then he gulped down what was left of his drink.
“Why would it have been so terrible to have a baby?” Cindy asked.
“Because neither of us was ready for it, “Tad answered heatedly. “We needed lots of time together. We needed to create a new life. I was taking her away from the world she was living in and teaching her things she needed to learn.” His mouth pursed tightly. “But, obviously someone in that world wouldn’t let her go.”
“Who was it? Why?” Cindy wanted more and more from him. “Do you know why Frances was arrested?” She suddenly felt that Tad might know more than he was letting on. Was he protecting Tiffany, even in death?
Tad breathed deeply, arched his eyebrows, and pulled himself together.
“I’ve heard rumors about why Frances was arrested,” Tad said in a strident tone.
“What kind of rumors?” Mattheus never left a sensitive point go by. He loved zeroing in on painful moments.
Tad remained centered though. “Rumors are just rumors,” he said condescendingly. “As a reporter, I’ve learned to give rumors exactly the importance they deserve. Very little.”
Cindy smiled. She’d also been trained as a reporter, way back. She, too, enjoyed searching out facts. She understood Tad, resonated with him.
“I was also trained as a reporter, originally,” she said to Tad, to make him feel better, create a bond.
Tad liked it. “Great,” he said, “then you know what I mean.”
“I certainly do,” said Cindy, “all kinds of rumors are flying, both about the case, and about Tiffany.”
“About Tiffany and me?” Tad looked agitated.
“Something like that,” Cindy replied, taking a cue from Mattheus’ play book.
“Well, they’re ridiculous,” Tad’s back arched slightly. “People are so jealous and bored they’ll say anything to brighten their day. Tiffany’s friends don’t have anything better to do than gossip constantly. What do you expect from light weights?” His face was filled with scorn.
“You didn’t care for her friends?” asked Mattheus.
“Absolutely not, “ said Tad, “especially that loser, Frances. But, little by little I was taking her away, removing her from their influence. So, they try to get back at me by starting rumors. It’s extremely ugly.”
“They are ugly rumors,” Mattheus chimed in.
Tad’s lips pursed closed. “Like what?”
“Rumors about Tiffany’s true feelings,” Mattheus said.
Tad began to tremble. “Don’t listen to rumors, ask me. Tiffany loved me more than anybody. They couldn’t stand it. They were all jealous of me.”
“Who in particular?” asked Mattheus.
“I can’t point anyone out,” said Tad.
“Was it Frances?” Mattheus kept going.
“No, I never thought so,” said Tad. “He was just a loser, as far as I could tell.”
“Why?” asked Cindy.
“France’s a druggie who comes from a lousy family. His father beat his mother to a pulp. She had to go to the police,” Tad reported.
This must have been common knowledge. Tad knew every detail.
“I never had any idea why Tiffany was friends with Frances?” Tad continued, “Or, any of them.”
“You know what rumors they’re spreading?” Mattheus dug back in.
“That Frances and Tiffany were sleeping together, while she was with me!” Tad’s voice grew higher and thinner. “It’s total crap.”
“That’s why the police arrested him,” Mattheus said. “Frances confessed.”
“Confessed to what? Confessed to nothing. It’s a stupid lie,” said Tad. “He lives in a dream world and makes things up. It makes him feel important. There’s no way it could have happened. I was aware of where Tiffany went and what she was doing all the time.”
“But I heard that Tiffany loved her space,” said Cindy.
“I gave Tiffany lots of space. Why wouldn’t I?” said Tad. “It wasn’t my desire to chain her. But, at the same time, I was completely aware of where she went and what she was doing. I always asked her and she always told me.”
“Did you tell her where you were, too?” Mattheus listened carefully.
“Of course,” said Tad, gallantly. “We were partners, we were a team.”
“What did you love so much about Tiffany, Tad?” Cindy couldn’t help asking. It was obvious that the two of them occupied such different worlds.
“She was beautiful, she loved living, and she needed me badly,” Tad said, in one long breath.
“What did she need you for?”
Tad didn’t like that question particularly. “Well, if you look closely, it’s fairly obvious,” he said, “she was surrounded by spoiled, wealthy people who lived only for the next pleasure.”
“So?” said Mattheus.
“They all live a life based upon bottomless desire,” Tad continued heatedly. “It doesn’t get them anywhere.”
“Her father didn’t,” Cindy corrected him.
“I’m talking about her friends and family,” Tad answered quickly. “Her father is something else, a man of honor.”
Cindy was surprised to hear that phrased used. It seemed completely out of place in this world.
“Her mother and older sister aren’t like that either,” Cindy kept it up.
“Tiffany’s mother is a whole different story,” said Tad, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t know if you realize it, but Tiffany’s mother is partially insane.”
“I heard she had some emotional disturbances,” Mattheus interrupted. “No one said she was insane.”
“But she is insane,” Tad interrupted, “and overly attached to Tiffany.” Little beads of sweat burst out on his forehead. “In fact, her mother kept grabbing onto Tiffany and pulling her into her crazy world. If Tiffany didn’t do exactly as her mother demanded, the guilt was terrific, and the manipulations. Tiffany couldn’t stand up to that woman, she needed me to break away. All Tiffany’s laughing and running around with friends was an elaborate cover. She was hurting inside.”
Cindy wondered if Tad was throwing suspicion on the mother? It was surprising. She’d heard Tad and Tiffany’s mother had been particularly close.
“I heard you and Tiffany’s mother had a good relationship,” Cindy interjected.
“Her mother decided I was good for Tiffany, that I would keep her close to home. She expected to maneuver me, too. Of course her mother had no idea I was going to help Tiffany leave her behind.” He smiled oddly. “I had to help her break away.
“No one has mentioned anything like this,” Mattheus said intensely.
“Why would they?” Tad flared up. “They probably didn’t even realize what was going on. Her father is obsessed with his public image, Rori is obsessed with rebelling and the older sister, Wynn, only wants to keep peace. But I immediately knew what Tiffany was up against. I had a taste of the same thing with my mother myself, years ago.” He breathed deeply. “Fortunately, I learned how to handle it.”
“Fortunately,” said Mattheus.
“How did you handle it?” asked Cindy.
Tad smiled. He suddenly seemed tired. “That’s a long story,” he said wanly, “and I’m not sure it has anything to do with what we’re up against now
. Some of us grow up quickly, though. When we do, we can spot others who need us.”
“Spot it a mile away,” Mattheus agreed.
Tad nodded. “I was forced to grow up. And I did. I was helping Tiffany grow up, too.”
“Then someone came and killed her,” Mattheus rumbled.
Tad swallowed heavily.
“Could it really have been Frances?” Mattheus shot the question at him again.
“I’ve thought about it over and over,” Tad rumbled back. “He could have done it in a drug stupor.”
“But why would he want to?” asked Cindy.
“If the sicko’d been having fantasies about sleeping with my fiancée, then maybe his jealousy drove him over the edge? Especially after she got engaged to me. The murder happened right after our party. Tiffany insisted upon inviting him to it - said he was an old friend.”
“Did you believe her?” Mattheus asked.
“Of course I believed her,” said Tad. “There was no reason for her to lie, not about anything. What would she get out of it?”
Cindy breathed deeply, so did Mattheus. What good would all these stories do? Basically, there was no DNA evidence to prove anything. The only physical evidence they had that tied anyone to the crime was the necklace Tiffany had worn around her neck that was ripped from her. The police had made flyers of it and passed it around, an amethyst necklace with a design engraved in rubies in the center. Beyond that, the medical examiner had been examining the contents of the body for a long time. Obviously, he was concocting the story of the pregnancy now just to put the case to rest.
“Without firm evidence of a pregnancy, so far the police have nothing,” Mattheus said.
Tad nodded.
“What will you do if they find she was pregnant?” Mattheus asked.
“I’ll never believe it,” Tad said. “They’ll have to show me the slides.”
“And if they do?”
“I still won’t believe them. The cops down here are crooked as hell.”
“They can’t make up DNA. If it says Frances is he father, then he is.”
Tad’s face got beet red. “They haven’t produced it yet! They never will! I don’t believe it! No one has any idea who killed her. No one is close.”
“I’m the only one who’s close to finding the killer,” Cindy suddenly announced.
At that both Tad and Mattheus stopped cold and stared at her.
“Who? “asked Tad interested.
“It’s too soon to say,” said Cindy. “But I’m warm on his trail.”
Cindy didn’t know what she was referring to, but it felt good to put it out there. She wanted Tad to feel that all wasn’t lost. And she wanted to make a declaration to the universe that the truth would not go undiscovered. She intended to uncover it, if it was the last thing she did.
“That’s impressive,” said Tad. “Let me know when you find him. You relieve my mind by just saying so.”
*
After Tad left Cindy went back up to her room, agitated. Mattheus followed her back up. The interview had gone smoothly, but the news that the medical examiner and police might be creating false evidence was something wouldn’t let her rest. She felt more urgency than ever to find a real lead.
“This is going nowhere, fast,” said Cindy.
“Just the opposite,” said Mattheus. “We’ve got important information to work on. If the police and medical examiner are so eager to get this case closed, there’s something bigger going on. It has to do with Petrovich and the government. The ruling families are probably involved. The Senator has got to be right.”
It was logical enough, but Cindy still wasn’t convinced. She went to her computer and pulled out the video of the engagement party again.
“I want to look at the video of the engagement party again,” she insisted.
“It’s a waste of time,” said Mattheus. “You’ve looked at it over and over. You won’t find the killer there.”
Cindy turned on the computer anyway, and pulled up the video. She let it run, and focused in on every detail.
As she was doing that, Mattheus put a call into the Senator.
“Yeah, Cindy and I just heard that the medical examiner is saying that Tiffany might have been pregnant?” Mattheus said. “What do you think of this?”
There was a long pause.
“Right, I agree,” said Mattheus. “No, it’s alright, calm down. Cindy and I are going to Petrovich’s party tomorrow night. No, Cindy needs to be there with me. This time I’m not leaving her out. Yeah, I know the police in Guadeloupe are up here on the case. The question is what case? What are they really here to track down?”
Cindy put her attention back on the video. She’d seen it so many times she almost felt as if she’d been at the party herself. Yet, there were so many moments that were recorded, something important could have easily slipped by. Suddenly, in one corner of the film, something caught her eye. She froze the frame immediately. It was a brief moment, she hadn’t noticed. Tad and Tiffany’s mother were in a corner, arguing intensely. Cindy stared and stared.
“Look at this, Mattheus,” she called out sharply.
Mattheus’ came over and looked over her shoulder.
“What am I looking at?” he asked.
“This,” Cindy pointed to the image. “It’s Tad and Tiffany’s mother going at it.”
“So?” said Mattheus.
“It doesn’t fit. What are they fighting about? The mother was the one who urged Tiffany to get engaged to him. She supported the relationship.”
“Come on,” said Mattheus, “you’re grasping at straws. People who are close argue. It doesn’t mean anything at all.”
“It does,” said Cindy.
“What?”
“I don’t know exactly, but you know all the things he said about her. That it was his job to take Tiffany away.”
“So,” said Mattheus, “lots of son in laws feel that they have to help their wives become less attached to their family. And wives feel the same way about their husbands too. It’s natural. It’s no big deal.”
But looking at Tad and Tiffany’s mother didn’t feel natural to Cindy. “There’s something more here,” she murmured.
Mattheus shook his head. “You’re making a big deal about nothing,” he said, “the real gold is going to be waiting for us at Petrovich’s party tomorrow night. We’re going to find out more about the deals going on, who’s involved and who stands to lose big bucks if they don’t happen. This is where we have to look.”
Cindy leaned back and glanced up at him.
“And, just in case you’re wondering,” Mattheus went on, putting his hand on her shoulder lightly, “I have the best date for the party any guy could want. I’m very glad you’re coming with me.”
Little chills ran up Cindy’s shoulders. “So am I,” she said.
CHAPTER 15
Before the party, Cindy had something important to do. She put a quick call into Tiffany’s mother to find out what went on between her and Tad at the engagement party. The frame on the video gripped Cindy’s mind and she had to explore it in greater depth.
Wynn picked up her mother’s phone.
“So great to hear from you, Cindy,” she breathed, relieved.
Cindy was glad to talk to Wynn as well. “How’s it going?” she asked.
“Not good. Nothing is good,” Wynn sounded distraught. “Mom is having a harder and harder time coming to terms. She leaves the boat every day, roams around, trying to find the killer. People find her poking around in all kinds of odd places.”
“Like where?” Cindy felt alarmed. She had to go find Myrtle immediately, sit down with her and talk.
“She’s been drifting around Pebble Beach, an old fishing village, talking to people, looking for things.”
“What’s she looking for?” asked Cindy.
“God knows. She says she feels Tiffany talking to her, telling her where to go.”
“Have you called a doctor?” Ci
ndy asked again.
“Not yet,” Wynn barreled on, “Mom brings home odd tidbits, but it’s the necklace that’s driving her crazy. It torments her that the necklace she gave Tiffany was ripped away like that. She’s convinced the necklace is somewhere on Pebble Beach, or at least some of the stones from it.”
“Where is your mother today?” Cindy asked. She knew how easy it could be to fall into delusion after the sudden death of a loved one.
“I’m not sure where she is,” said Wynn. “Probably back on Pebble Beach, rummaging around.”
“I want to meet up with her as soon as possible,” said Cindy.
“I’m sure she’d appreciate it,” said Wynn. “She likes you very much.”
Wynn gave her a private cell phone number her mother would pick up. It was only for the family and closest friends.
“I’m sure it’s okay if I give it to you,” Wynn whispered, nervously.
“Of course it’s okay,” Cindy said. “I’m working for the family. Your mother was the one who called me down.”
“What’s happening with the investigation,” Wynn breathed, “are you getting anywhere?”
“Yes, of course we are,” said Cindy, boldly. “Piece by piece things come up. Then suddenly, in a flash, they all come together.”
“Like lightning?” said Wynn.
“Exactly,” said Cindy. “It just takes a second for everything to fall into place. Just one extra piece of information, something a person says off handedly, the way two people exchange a glance.”
“And lightning flashes,” said Wynn, excited.
“That’s right. The truth becomes undeniable! You wonder how it was possible that it hid from you all this time.”
“Fantastic,” said Wynn.
“It is fantastic,” said Cindy. “It’s beautiful, and inevitable, too. There is justice in this universe, Wynn.”
Wynn was quiet for a moment. “I can now see why you do this work,” she said quietly.
And, at that moment, Cindy understood herself better as well.
*
After she spoke to Wynn, Cindy called her mother, Myrtle, who picked up the phone immediately.
“I want to see you instantly,” Myrtle said, her voice thick and hoarse.