by Jaden Skye
After Veronica said that, I had trouble sleeping that night. When Owen rolled over in bed and said he was tired, I started thinking all kinds of things. Was he sick of me? Was there someone else he wanted? I would never have thought those things if Veronica hadn’t put them into my head. When I told her never to say it again, she laughed and told me to open my eyes and look. It was obvious to her that Owen needed excitement. I said it was obvious to me that she needed plain common sense.
Cindy read that entry over and over. Was Veronica warning Tara of something that Tara refused to see? Tara obsessed about it for the next few pages.
I have to take what Veronica says with a grain of salt, Tara finally concluded. She’s been a good friend for years, since college. Why should I let this one nuttiness of hers spoil everything? Everyone tells me that Veronica loves me, and that she says this kind of thing about everyone’s husband. It’s Veronica’s problem, not mine, thank God.
There was no further mention of it after that. Obviously Tara worked it through, talking it over in her diary. As Cindy read she felt that Tara was basically kind and looked for the best in everyone. Cindy respected the person she was meeting through the diary. It also sounded as though Tara’s marriage was solid. There was no reason here to believe Owen had any motive to end his wife’s life.
Cindy got up, tucked the diary into her briefcase, and went into the bathroom to change to meet Mattheus at dock four. Rather than putting on slacks and a t-shirt, Cindy chose a lovely, lemon chiffon summer dress, fun earrings and open sandals to be ready for their refreshing dinner cruise.
*
The wind was blowing in Mattheus’s hair as he sat on the bench in front of the cruise ship, waiting for Cindy. She came up from behind, put her hands on his shoulders and planted a kiss on the top of his head, totally taking him by surprise.
He spun around delighted, looked at her and whistled. “Boy, don’t you look scrumptious,” he marveled.
Cindy was delighted by his response. There was still certainly enough excitement in their relationship without head games of any kind, Cindy noted. Veronica’s words had obviously hit a nerve, but Veronica was wrong. Men didn’t need to play games forever to keep things alive. Maybe boys did, but not men.
“Let’s get on the boat,” Mattheus said taking Cindy’s hand. “I’ve bought our tickets already; there were only a few left when I arrived.”
Cindy was grateful to be taking a break and walked up the plank close beside Mattheus excited to spend a romantic evening together. There would be music, dinner, dancing and a sail in the moonlight. What could be better?
The boat was almost full when Cindy and Mattheus boarded, music was playing, breezes were blowing in from the water and there was a sense of gaiety and fun.
“This was a great idea,” said Cindy as Mattheus put his arm around her.
“Let’s go up on the deck, walk a bit there, then sit down there and talk before dinner,” he said.
*
Cindy and Mattheus found a quiet spot on the top deck and she held onto the railing as the boat pulled out. It was a wonderful feeling leaving the shore behind, drifting out under the evening sky.
“You really look beautiful,” Mattheus whispered to Cindy as they stood side by side. “I’m thrilled to be here with you.”
“So am I,” Cindy murmured, as she turned her face up to his and they kissed for a long time, soothing both her heart and his.
“It’s different working on cases when we’re feeling like this,” said Mattheus, when they pulled apart.
“Totally,” Cindy agreed, feeling completely supported and nourished. It was wonderful to be able to take time away from the churning world and regroup together this way. But even as she was enjoying the moment, Veronica’s comments floated up in Cindy’s mind.
“You know I read the strangest comments from a friend of Tara’s,” Cindy said as the boat picked up speed and the wind blew more strongly in their faces.
“Really, what?” Mattheus was interested, “where did you read them?”
“In Tara’s diary,” Cindy breathed.
Mattheus looked startled. “How did you get that?” he asked.
“From Alana, Tara’s nurse,” said Cindy, “she gave me the diary at the end of our interview.”
“You finally went to see her?” Mattheus focused in.
“Yes,” said Cindy, “At the end of our talk, she shoved the diary in my hand. Alana took it from Tara’s bag a few days before she died. Alana told me that Tara had it with her when she checked into the hospital.”
“Alana stole evidence in the case?” Mattheus looked disturbed. “She just took the diary for herself?”
Cindy was surprised by Mattheus’s reaction. It never struck her that way. “Alana just wanted to know more about Tara,” Cindy felt a need to defend her. “She’d been taking care of Tara for over two months, said she just wanted to be closer to her.”
“That’s crazy,” said Mattheus. “It’s not the nurse’s job to become closer to the patient. And, it’s not her right to steal her patient’s diary.”
“She didn’t exactly steal it,” Cindy objected. “She read it, and then handed it right over to me.”
“Did you ask for it?” asked Mattheus.
“I had no idea it even existed,” Cindy remarked.
Mattheus’s jaw clenched. “This sounds strange to me,” he muttered. “Tell me more about Alana. Wasn’t she the nurse who didn’t come right back to work after Tara died?”
Cindy felt the energy change between her and Mattheus abruptly. Without even realizing it they had pivoted back to the case. A romantic evening had turned into a work meeting.
“Alana was upset so she took a few days off,” Cindy said, going along with the new mood that had taken over. It was important to fill him in. She and Mattheus hadn’t had a chance to catch up yet. He didn’t even have any idea that Alana had been fired from another hospital for patient negligence. Cindy could see he wouldn’t take it well. She also knew that the information was urgent and that she had to tell him right away.
“I did finally get to see Alana,” Cindy continued, “and actually liked her very much. She still lives in the poor neighborhood she grew up in, and was open and forthright when I came to visit. “
A deep furrow dug into Mattheus’s brow as he listened intently.
“Alana did all she could to take care of Tara. The case went on so long it was a tremendous strain,” said Cindy.
“A tremendous strain on Alana, too?” asked Mattheus, surprised.
“Sure,” said Cindy, “after all, she’s a person too, isn’t she?”
“Alana’s a nurse and it’s her job to handle hard cases,” Mattheus replied. “That’s what she’s being paid to do.”
Cindy took a step away from Mattheus. Perhaps they shouldn’t be going over the case right now, she wondered. It had completely broken the lovely mood between them. Cindy wanted her good time with Mattheus to continue, but it was impossible not to talk about the facts she’d been collecting. That was why they were down here, after all.
“Is there any other reason to suspect Alana?” Mattheus had turned his full attention to what Cindy was saying.
“Is Alana having Tara’s diary a reason to suspect her?” Cindy was put off.
“It’s a reason to stop and look at her closely,” Mattheus softened his tone. Obviously, he, too, wanted to recapture the warmth between him and Cindy.
“Alana was fired from her job at another hospital for negligent patient care,” Cindy got it out fast, not wanting to hide a thing.
“Oh boy!” Mattheus bristled, “that doesn’t sound good.”
“I talked to Alana about it,” Cindy continued methodically, “she said her patient, an old woman, died of old age. The family turned on her and blamed her. I’m sure if we check the medical records we can find out exactly what happened.”
“The medical records never show exactly what happened,” Mattheus declared. “If there was patien
t negligence, a person could die and the death can be blamed on anything. We need to see in exactly what way they said Alana was negligent.”
“Yes, I guess we do,” said Cindy, sorry she’d brought the whole thing up right then.
“You guess?” Mattheus was edgy. “Alana’s behavior could have direct bearing on our case.”
Despite everything, Cindy felt strongly that Alana had nothing to do with Tara’s death. She jumped in immediately on Alana’s behalf. “Why would Alana kill Tara? Give me one good reason,” Cindy demanded.
“There’s a whole bunch of reasons,” Mattheus replied. “Maybe Alana thought she was doing it for Tara’s own good? Maybe Owen convinced her? Maybe he paid her to put the toxins into Tara’s IV?”
“Complete conjecture,” said Cindy.
“So far everything is conjecture,” said Mattheus, “except that someone intentionally ended Tara’s life. We need a confession. We need an eye witness to something.”
The sounds of music playing on the deck below grew louder. Dancing had probably begun and soon it would be time to sit down for dinner.
“We can go down and enjoy the evening,” said Cindy then, “or we can stay up here and thrash everything out.”
“Let’s do both,” said Mattheus, drawing closer to Cindy then and putting his arm back around her. “Let’s go over whatever else we found quickly, so it’s off our minds, then let’s go downstairs have dinner and dance.”
“That’s like walking a tightrope,” said Cindy.
“Yes, it is,” said Mattheus, “but we need to learn to do it. We’ve got to solve cases and also stay close. We can’t let anything tear us apart, ever. When one case is over, another one’s always waiting down the road.”
Mattheus said it with such fervor that tears filled Cindy’s eyes. She put her head on his shoulder, “You’re right, you’re right,” she whispered.
“I love you so much,” Mattheus said then, “I want us to live like this forever, together.”
“Will the cases ever end?” asked Cindy.
“They won’t ever end,” Mattheus whispered. “With each case we’ll grow stronger, we’ll help others and love each other more and more.”
It sounded good to Cindy and yet something was also missing. “We’ll never settle down?” she asked then, in a small voice.
“We’ll settle down wherever we are,” Mattheus put his face on Cindy’s head and rested it there.
“And children?” Cindy asked quietly.
“We’ll take them with us,” Mattheus laughed.
Cindy couldn’t help but laugh as well. This was hardly a life to bring children into, how could they bring them along?
“We’ll hire a nanny and she’ll travel with us,” Mattheus’s voice grew more fervent. “Anything is possible.”
The waves tossed up and the wind blew more strongly as the music downstairs enveloped the night. Mattheus was right, anything was possible if they just opened their minds. Once again they kissed for a long time in the moonlight, before they went downstairs to dance and dine.
Chapter 14
The cremation was scheduled for two o’clock the next day. Cindy and Mattheus had time before attending, to go over whatever they hadn’t had a chance to discuss the night before. The music, food and dancing on the cruise had been wonderful and they’d let themselves surrender to it and have a wonderful time.
Both of them woke up in the morning glowing, filled with contentment and warmth. Cindy had never felt so certain of anything as that Mattheus was the one for her. She was sure they could build a strong, meaningful life together, and she felt ready to take the next step.
Mattheus called for breakfast in their room so they could get back to work on the case while eating. Pleased about it, Cindy dressed for a busy day. As soon as the food had been delivered and they started eating, Cindy felt ready to begin.
“Firstly,” Cindy started, “I heard from Tara’s mother that the police have new evidence against Owen.”
“Yes, it’s true,” Mattheus commented, cradling the hot coffee cup in his hands.
“Why didn’t you didn’t tell me about it?” asked Cindy surprised.
“We haven’t had time to really catch up,” Mattheus reminded her. “There’s been a lot to share for both of us. I also heard from the police that Owen’s been acting up. He’s doubling his writing campaign and conducting interviews from jail. Basically he’s blaming the hospital for Tara’s death. It’s a great way to get the focus off himself.”
Cindy was upset. “He didn’t consult with us about any of this.”
“I guess he didn’t feel he had to,” said Mattheus. “Owen’s claiming that the medical staff at the hospital are shifty and have easy access to drugs. That isn’t sitting well with the private donors. There’s a lot of pressure developing to get this case closed.”
“I heard exactly the same thing from Todd,” Cindy jumped in. “Not only did he say that there’s lots of drugs available at the hospital, he said that many of the doctors and nurses are users.”
“Whew,” Mattheus exclaimed, “that’s a big claim. Tell him to prove it. Give us names and facts, then I’ll listen.”
“Good point,” Cindy agreed.
“Did Todd suggest that Alana was using?” Mattheus was riled up. “Was that why she was fired from her other job?”
“I don’t think Todd knows for sure, exactly who is or isn’t using,” replied Cindy.
“Or he knows and doesn’t want to be implicated,” Mattheus added. “Todd’s got a great job, assistant to the hospital administrator! It’s amazing he said that to you at all.”
“Todd doesn’t like Konrad,” Cindy quickly added. “There’s something off between them.”
“He implied that Konrad was on drugs, too?” Mattheus couldn’t drop it.
“He didn’t say who was using specifically,” Cindy repeated. “Drug use is a problem at lots of hospitals, isn’t it?”
“Yes, definitely,” Mattheus replied. “And the fact that the staff can get hold of drugs easily can point us to who put the substance into Tara’s IV. I’ve been doing research on this hospital, but still have to look into medical mistakes here. I had a good talk with Tara’s doctor, though. Dr. Padden’s a great guy, very smart, and wants this case solved, too. There’s too much publicity and pressure on everyone. But Owen’s keeping the fires flaming big time.”
“I can understand why, can’t you?” Cindy could feel Owen’s desperation and wished she could do more to help him.
“Sure, I can,” said Mattheus. “The guy’s well connected and he wants out.”
“What’s the new evidence the police have against him?” asked Cindy.
“They’re keeping it close to the vest,” said Mattheus. “I haven’t heard details yet. But I’m sure Owen knows they have something else on him. That’s probably why he’s cranking things up.”
“We need to go to the police station right now and find out what they’ve got,” said Cindy.
“We also need to talk to the lawyer who’s prosecuting the case,” said Mattheus. “Unless we come up with something new, it looks like Owen’s going on trial.”
Cindy felt frightened. “Have we got anything to stop this at all?” she asked.
“Our information about Alana is new,” Mattheus suggested. “I don’t know if the police have heard that she was fired from another job for patient negligence. But that could certainly make a dent.”
Cindy felt upset by the idea, she didn’t want to get Alana into any more difficulty than she was in right now.
“First let’s look into medical mistakes and drugs at the hospital,” Cindy suggested, “that’s a better way to go. And, let’s get over to the police station immediately and find out what they have on Owen.”
“You’re protecting Alana?” Mattheus gave Cindy a long, slow look.
“For now, I am,” said Cindy. “We don’t have anything definite on her yet, and it’s too easy to put the blame where it doesn’t belon
g. The hospital’s in a better position to defend themselves than Alana.”
Mattheus agreed and stood up. “Okay, we’ll wait and see about Alana. Let’s get to the station right away,” he said.
*
Eric Holder, Chief of Police was pleased to see Cindy and Mattheus when they walked into the station. It had been awhile since Cindy had been around, though Eric and Mattheus had obviously met a few times.
“I got your message, Mattheus,” Eric said as soon as he saw them. “I’ve arranged for Tom Dillard to join us. He‘s the chief lawyer on the case and can answer any questions you guys may have. I told him you’ve been cooperating with us, that we’re working side by side.”
Cindy was surprised not only by Eric’s comment but by his new founded warmth and cordiality. He and Mattheus had probably gotten on well together. Mattheus always had a way with the police.
In a few moments Tom Dillard walked in and joined them. An attractive ex pat, he looked suntanned and confident. After introductions they all sat around a table and after a few minutes Cindy decided to start the meeting off.
“What’s the new evidence you have against Owen?” she asked, getting things rolling.
Eric rubbed his face slowly. “Who told you about that?” he asked.
“The word is out,” said Cindy.
“Eric closed his eyes a second. “There’s nothing you can keep quiet here for more than a few seconds,” he murmured to Mattheus, “word leaks through a thousand cracks in the walls.”
“We need to know what the evidence is,” Mattheus responded calmly. “I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course,” Eric acquiesced, “the final medical examiner reports have come in. The exact time of Tara’s death has been established. We know how long it took for her to die and when the toxic substance was added to her IV.”
Cindy took a deep breath. It was amazing how specific forensic evidence could be.
“From our calculations,” Eric continued, “the substance was administered at ten p.m. At that time Tara’s night nurse was off duty. Owen was the only one present in her room.”