by Jaden Skye
“I have to tell you in person,” Cindy whispered, “girl to girl. It will only take a few minutes.”
*
When Cindy and Mattheus drove up to the house, everything looked normal. They parked their car a short distance away, and walked to the front door. As soon as they got closer, the door flung open and Dawl stood there, glaring.
“You again?” he said as Cindy and Mattheus approached the doorway.
“Hi, Dawl,” Cindy said lightheartedly, as if nothing were amiss.
Dawl immediately blocked the doorway. “What do you want, and who is this guy?” he stared at Mattheus.
“This is my friend Mattheus,” Cindy said, gently. “We just wanted to talk to you and Bala for a few minutes.”
“You got all kinds of friends, don’t you?” Dawl grinned, baring his teeth. “First you came with the gal who wanted my boy, and now with this guy.”
“Tara’s gone,” Cindy said calmly then. “She’s been found dead.”
“No news to me,” Dawl suddenly shook his head in bewilderment. “The whole island knows about it by now.” For a second Dawl’s gruff exterior melted and Cindy saw that he seemed truly upset and disturbed by news.
“I see how upset you are,” said Cindy sadly. “I’m upset too, Tara was my friend.”
“Come the hell in,” Dawl yanked the door open, “but only for a few minutes.”
Cindy and Mattheus walked through the doorway, into the well kept living room, where Bala was sitting on the edge of a chair, her hands folded in her lap, completely overwrought.
“Hi, Bala,” Cindy went over and hugged her.
“It’s terrible news, terrible,” Bala muttered.
Dawl sat down besides his sister. “There’s a lot of people on this island who got it in for that family” he grunted. “The rich and famous. And boy did they flaunt it.”
Cindy took a swift breath. Did Dawl know more about this case than she imagined?
“Who had it in for them?” she asked him directly.
Dawl turned to Cindy slowly. “Honey, if I knew it for sure, don’t you think I’d be the first to tell you? Who knows how it’s going to affect my boy? I’d like to clear it up as much as you would.”
Cindy suddenly believed him.
“And if you asked me,” Dawl boomed on, “one thing is positive, Lynch is involved in the mess.”
“What makes you say that Lynch is involved in this?” she asked.
“Who else are the cops going to jump all over?” Dawl answered fast. He wasn’t stupid, that was for sure and he knew his way around the system. “The police got to zero in on the person Tara was closest to, the one who last saw her alive,” Dawl continued. “There’s plenty of motive there, too. Lynch didn’t want his child back again. In all these years he never once asked to see the boy - just sent money. That’s what being a father meant to him. It was the wife to be who wanted the boy. She must have found out and it bothered her. It was the little lady, Tara, who stirred up trouble. What she didn’t know was that you don’t make trouble in that family.”
“You’ve thought about it a lot,” said Cindy.
“Of course I have. Why not? The dame came here to visit me, didn’t she? This whole lousy case was put in my face.”
“What did you want to ask me? What?” Bala piped up then, looking at Cindy and wringing her hands.
“I wanted to ask you if Tara contacted you again after we left?” Cindy said suddenly.
“No, of course she didn’t,” Bala replied.
“That’s not what you wanted to ask her, is it?” Dawl broke in. “You could have asked her that over the phone. You wanted to ask my sister if she knew where I was when the lovely lady was murdered, right?”
Dawl took Cindy’s breath away. Not only was he wildly forthright, his powerful energy swept through the room, leaving no room for nonsense. This wasn’t a guy to play games with. Cindy couldn’t lie to him and didn’t want to.
“I wanted to tell your sister that Tara had been killed and ask if she had any ideas about who could have done it,” said Cindy plainly.
“Well, thanks for your honesty,” Dawl replied, pleased and surprised. “I appreciate it.”
“Thanks for yours,” said Cindy.
Dawl zeroed in on Cindy and she suddenly felt as if no one else were in the room, just the two of them, desperate for truth and desperate for answers.
“Did you wonder if I killed her?” Dawl asked intently.
“I didn’t really think so,” said Cindy emphatically. “But my mind is open, I’m looking into everything.”
“Who are you, really?” Dawl demanded.
“I’m a private detective,” said Cindy, “and this is my partner, Mattheus.”
Dawl’s eyes opened a bit, though he didn’t seem that surprised. “I thought something like that,” he murmured. “What’s this crap about being Tara’s friend?”
“I am a detective and I was Tara’s friend,” Cindy insisted. “We liked each other and even after we were off the case, she asked me to stay at her side.”
“She made a mistake,” Dawl muttered softly then.
“What exactly was her mistake?” Cindy took a step closer to him, feeling as if she were walking directly into a fire.
“She didn’t know who she was dealing with,” Dawl smiled.
“You mean you?” Cindy asked.
“No, not me,” Dawl spoke more softly then. “With me, what you see is what you get. You know where you stand. But the rest of the people in her life, snakes and vipers dressed up as friends,” he grinned.
At that Mattheus stood up and walked over to them. “Where were you at the time that Tara was killed?” he asked Dawl directly.
“Hell, man, I was with a bunch of guys at the Creaton Bar, along the strip. I’m there every night about that time, dancing, drinking. Work hard all day, get the boy to sleep and go out for a little fun. Maybe ten or twenty people saw me.”
Mattheus took a step back. “How do you know Tara was killed in the evening?” he asked.
“That’s what papers said,” Dawl replied.
“That’s when they found her,” Mattheus corrected him.
“Well, if she was killed during the day, and dropped there later, I was working at my job down at the dock all day long. Hell, my time lines are rock solid.”
Cindy sighed, feeling relieved. She liked Dawl, respected him.
“Okay, thanks. I appreciate that,” Mattheus said. “We’ll check your alibis.”
“Check it all you like. There’s no problem when you’re telling the truth,” Dawl continued. “And listen, if you need my help, I’m right here. I know this island like the back of my hand, and I know the people in it.”
Cindy was surprised and grateful. She looked over at Bala then, who also seemed to relax a bit now.
“Thanks for letting us in,” Cindy said to Bala. “Thanks for talking to us.”
“Did Tara kill herself, maybe?” Bala asked then haltingly. “Was it too much for her, that whole family?”
Cindy shook her head. “Not likely,” she said.
“She seemed unstable to me,” Bala got up from her seat and spoke more loudly. “She was obsessed with my son, wanted to take him from me.”
“She didn’t want to take him, she wanted to share him,” said Cindy.
“That’s ridiculous,” Bala’s eyes opened wide. “Once my boy spent time with that family and their life style, do you think he’d ever belong to us again?”
Cindy hadn’t thought of it that way.
“Are you relieved that she’s gone?” Mattheus entered the conversation abruptly.
“Of course not, I’m sorry that she’s dead,” Bala answered sadly. “I cried all night long. But she had no right to come after my boy, either.”
“No, she didn’t,” Mattheus jumped in. “I agree with you, there.”
“Bala,” Cindy interrupted their line of conversation, “you know Lynch well -.”
“Of course I do,” said Bala. “We lo
ved each other for years.”
“Years?” Cindy hadn’t realized the relationship had gone on that long.
“What about it?” Dawl barged in then, not wanting to see his sister pulled in.
“I was wondering what Bala thought about Lynch,” Cindy continued. “Bala, do you think Lynch could have killed Tara?”
Bala hung her head then and started sobbing. “Never,” she gasped, never. Lynch is a wonderful guy, he’s kind, he’s gentle.”
To Cindy’s dismay, she saw how much Bala still loved him.
“It wasn’t Lynch,” Bala continued, murmuring, “that much I’m absolutely sure of.”
CHAPTER 14
As soon as Cindy and Mattheus left the house and got into the car, Mattheus called Rodney to ask him to check out Dawl’s alibi.
“Dawl Lemmings,” Rodney echoed on the phone. “Yeah, the cops have already called and told me he’s back in the picture. Wherever you find that guy, there’s trouble.”
Mattheus gave Rodney Dawl’s alibi and Rodney said he’d check it right out.
“Looks like the next step is a visit to Lynch,” Cindy said when Mattheus hung up the phone. “It’s important to get his version directly.”
Mattheus agreed and made a call to tell Lynch they were coming.
Oddly enough, Lynch sounded delighted to hear from him and relieved. “That’s great,” he said, “come right away, can’t wait to see you. I’m in my room at the hotel.” Obviously Lynch had bonded with Mattheus when they’d met before. “I really appreciate your coming to help me,” Lynch continued before they hung up.
Mattheus looked forlorn as they drove the rest of the way back to the Aupres Hotel. “Lynch’s a damn good guy,” Mattheus muttered as they got closer to their destination. “He thinks we’re coming to help him.”
“We are,” said Cindy.
“How do you figure that?” asked Mattheus, distressed. “He’s the main person of interest in the case. There’s tons of motive and he’s got no alibi.”
“We’re coming to help him find out the truth,” said Cindy simply.
“That’s not what he’s thinking,” Mattheus disagreed.
“How do you know?” Cindy answered. “If he’s innocent, he’s got to want to find the truth as badly as we do.”
“Why do you say if?” Mattheus shot back, turning his eyes from the road to Cindy.
“Because we’re on a murder investigation,” Cindy spoke definitively, “and all bets are still open. No one can be overlooked.”
“Even Dawl?” asked Mattheus.
“Of course,” said Cindy. “Until Dawl’s alibi checks out, he’s still on the list.”
“His alibi will check out. That guy knows what he’s doing,” Mattheus said glumly.
“You don’t like him?” Cindy quickly asked. “You don’t believe him?”
“No, I don’t like him, but that has nothing to do with it,” said Mattheus. “He’s a sharp operator, full of tricks.”
“I like him,” said Cindy suddenly, “and I believe him. I don’t think he had a thing to do with Tara’s death.”
Mattheus’s eyebrows rose swiftly. “Now that’s odd to me, very, very odd. As I see it, there’s not one reason to think well of Dawl.”
Cindy took exception. “Not one reason? Dawl takes care of that child as if he’s his own son. He stays close to his sister, looks after the family. If that’s not a reason to think well of someone, what in the world is?”
Mattheus grew silent and sullen then and didn’t say a thing.
*
Cindy and Mattheus got to the hotel, grabbed a quick cup of coffee, and went right up to Lynch’s room. The door was open and when they walked in, Lynch was there waiting for them, along with Raina and two young men.
Lynch rose the minute they walked in. “So great to see you, thanks for coming,” he said. His eyes were puffy and he looked disheveled, as though he’d barely had any sleep.
Neither Raina nor the two young men got up to greet Cindy and Mattheus.
“It’s good to see you too, Lynch,” Mattheus threw his arm around him. “This has got to be a terrible time.”
“Terrible isn’t even the word for it,” Lynch replied, “but my mom’s staying close, helping with everything.”
“Hello, Raina,” Mattheus looked over at her.
Raina said nothing, just nodded her head.
“Cindy and I would like to speak to Lynch alone,” Mattheus announced right away to everyone in the room.
Raina took exception and got up from her seat. “I’m sure you would,” she quipped, “but I’d prefer to be here when you talk.”
“No, ma,” Lynch turned towards her. “I’d prefer to talk to them alone.”
Raina was taken aback. “Why?” she asked, “what in the world is there for you to say that I can’t hear?”
One of the young men got up, went to her and put his arm on Raina’s. “It’s okay,” he said. “Guys like to talk privately, it has nothing to do with you. It’ll be good to let Lynch get things off his chest.”
Mattheus nodded at the guy gratefully.
Raina tossed her head back flippantly. “How long is this going to go on?” she asked Mattheus.
“Just a few minutes,” he replied. “We’ll come and get you the minute we’re done.”
*
After the room was empty and they were alone, Lynch went to the sofa, plopped down on it and spread his arms out wide. “Man, am I wiped out,” he uttered. “Just need a little down time and nobody wants to leave me alone.”
“They’re worried about you,” said Mattheus slowly.
“Why worry about me?” Lynch looked up with bewildered eyes. “Worry about Tara. Find out where she is now.”
“No one can find out where Tara is,” Mattheus replied quickly, “she’s gone.”
“Man, that’s harsh,” Lynch replied fitfully.
“Tell me what happened when you two came back from swimming the afternoon before the rehearsal dinner,” Mattheus went on. “Was that the last time you saw her?”
Suddenly Lynch snapped to attention and ran his hand through his hair. “That’s right,” he said, his voice growing brittle. “I told her to come and hang out in my room, but she didn’t want to. Said something stupid like it wasn’t good luck for a bride and groom to share a room right before the wedding. It’s a dumb superstition, but I gave into it.”
“You gave into a lot, didn’t you?” Mattheus’s voice lowered and he moved closer.
“You could say that if you wanted,” said Lynch. “Since my dad died, I got a lot of people to keep happy, a lot of people depending on me.”
“Big pressure,” Mattheus continued.
“I can take it,” said Lynch.
“What do you think happened to Tara?” Cindy broke in on a new track.
“I have no idea,” Lynch replied, fitfully. “Where’d she go? Why? You got me. Last I knew she was excited about the rehearsal dinner. We made our peace. I told her I was going to visit the boy
regularly if that made her happy. And, I was going to take him to visit with us.”
Mattheus was all over it. “That’s a pretty tall order. How did you feel about it?” he asked
“Between you and me,” Lynch looked at him directly, “I thought it was nuts, but I told her I’d do it to make peace and have the wedding go forward.”
“Your mother suggested you do that?” Cindy broke in.
“How’d you know?” Lynch looked surprised by the question. “My mother has got a great head on her shoulders. She said all brides get nervous. Tell her you’ll do it. Give her what she wants. So I listened. Is there something wrong with that? Do you know how many people came down here to celebrate with us?”
“Did you actually plan to include the boy in your life afterwards?” Cindy was curious.
Lynch started shaking back and forth then. “I don’t know,” he mumbled, “I’m exhausted. I figured Tara would forget about it when time went on.”
“I don’t know,” Lynch repeated mournfully. “I thought I’d cross that bridge when I came to it.”
“What was your relationship with Tara like?” Cindy wanted more from him.
“I loved her, I loved her,” Lynch suddenly cried out, as a chill rose through Cindy’s body. “My God I loved her, she meant everything. If she wanted to include the boy, I would have.”
“Good of you,” said Mattheus softly.
“My God,” Lynch moaned. “I wanted her with me forever. Do you think she ran away because I wouldn’t actually meet the boy before the wedding?”
“She wanted you to meet him before the wedding?” Cindy was on the alert.
“Yeah,” Lynch sounded bereft. “I told her we didn’t have time to do it before the wedding, plus it would cause too much commotion, but I would definitely do it later. She made me promise and I got down on my knees and swore.”
“Sounds crazy,” said Mattheus.
“I thought she believed me, Lynch’s voice began to get wobbly. “She said she believed me. I even told my mother that I was going to see my son later on if Tara still wanted it, I’d even include him in my life. I promised.”
“What did your mother say to that?” asked Cindy agitated.
“She said there’d be plenty of time for everything later,” Lynch groaned. “But there isn’t, is there? There’s no later anymore.”
Cindy’s heart was gripped with sadness for him.
“Did Dawl hear about your decision to see the boy later on?” Mattheus asked.
“Who’s Dawl?” asked Lynch, confused.
“Bala’s brother. You don’t know him?” Mattheus said carefully.
“Oh yeah, I heard about him from Bala,” Lynch remembered. “He helps her take care of the kid these days.”
“In all the years you saw her you never met her brother?” asked Cindy.
Lynch grew quieter then. “Bala and I kept our relationship quiet. I didn’t meet her family and she didn’t meet mine.”
“And, in all these years, you never wanted to see your son?” Cindy could not help asking.
“He wasn’t my son, he was an accident,” Lynch’s voice grew heavy and low. “I did the right thing, I’m sending money. But is he my flesh and blood? No, he isn’t. And is he happy in the life he now has? Yes, he is.”