by Jaden Skye
“Did you have dinner yet?” she asked, determined to take things in a different direction.
“Hungry as hell,” said Mattheus, relenting, when suddenly, their hotel phone rang.
They both looked at the phone as though an intruder was pushing its way between them.
“Take the call,” Mattheus grumbled, “looks like the day isn’t over yet.”
Cindy picked up. “Yes, we’re both here,” she said professionally.
Mattheus perked up and listened.
“Let me ask Mattheus if he’d like to do that?” she said. “Well, I don’t know. Let me ask him.”
Then she turned to Mattheus. “Mac wants to know if you and I would like to join him for dinner downstairs in the restaurant?”
“Not particularly,” said Mattheus, tapping his foot on the floor.
“He said he wants to talk to both of us, “said Cindy.
“We don’t have much choice then, do we?” said Mattheus. “Tell him we’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Before going down to dinner, Cindy slipped into the bathroom to freshen up and changed into a silk, flowing, mauve dress. She brushed her long, wavy hair, and let it loose over her shoulders. Then she chose a lovely coral necklace, and sprayed on some of her favorite lilac perfume for a finishing touch. When she walked out of the bathroom, Mattheus looked up and his eyes opened wide.
“Wow,” he said, “you grow more beautiful day by day. You come more and more into your womanliness.”
Cindy flushed.
“I wish we could erase what happened and start fresh,” his voice now had that boyish quality Cindy so loved.
She walked closer to him and extended her hands. He took them in his.
“We can’t erase what happened,” Cindy said in a soft tone, “but we can learn from it Mattheus, then we can start fresh.”
Mattheus grinned.
“Let’s learn tonight,” he murmured, “let’s start fresh right away.” Then he pulled her to him, in a long, powerful embrace.
*
Cindy and Mattheus met up with Mac in the main restaurant of the hotel, The Swann. It was large, formal and elegant, with reservations required. Each table had fresh flowers and candles, and a huge, dimly lit, crystal chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling, throwing soft light over them all. The moment Cindy and Mattheus arrived, the Maitre D’ guided them to the table Mac was sitting at, not far from the bar.
Mac stood up to greet them, looking at Cindy admiringly.
“Really grateful you two decided to join me,” he said immediately. “Everyone at the wedding is talking about you guys. You both made a huge impression.”
Mattheus pulled out the chair for Cindy then, and she sat down. The two guys sat down after she did.
“What kind of a huge impression did we make?” Mattheus asked, surprised.
“The groomsmen liked you a lot,” Mac offered.
Mac showed no response.
“They all had a good feeling that you’d get their buddy off the hook.”
“Appreciate that,” said Mattheus formally, putting up a wall between himself and Mac.
“And, I already told you how the bridesmaids felt about you,” Mac continued to Cindy.
“When did you tell her that?” asked Mattheus, quick on the draw.
Mac gave Mattheus a long, calculated glance that took him completely in.
“When we had drinks and appetizers out in the lounge,” Mac replied.
Mattheus’s jaw clenched as he scrutinized Cindy. “How come I didn’t hear about that?” he asked.
“We haven’t had time to fill each other in,” Cindy replied tartly. She didn’t like being taken to task by Mattheus, especially in front of a stranger.
“Cindy did a terrific job,” Mac continued, almost as if he were egging Mattheus on. “The girls loved Cindy. Vivien even mentioned it to me.”
“Interesting,” Mattheus mumbled.
“Vivien thought the world of you, too,” Mac spoke to him pointedly. “She couldn’t stop talking about you. Said you were an amazing guy.”
Cindy’s breath caught short in her throat.
“Seems like good news spreads fast,” Mattheus commented, throwing Cindy an off handed glance.
“You got it right there,” said Mac, “you can’t keep a secret with the folks at this wedding, even if you try.
“Nothing wrong with secrets,” said Mattheus, “everyone needs to have some.”
Mac stopped and grinned. “I guess so,” he replied, “even you.”
The two of them seemed so edgy together that Cindy was perplexed. Had they had some kind of conversation she knew nothing about?
Mattheus took Mac on directly then. “Okay, so what do you want us down here to talk about?”
Mac smiled and reached for a glass of wine that was on the table and took a long drink before he spoke.
“I just wanted to let you know that if there’s something anyone down here needs, they let me know about it. I make sure it’s all taken care of.”
“Edward and Dana hired us,” said Mattheus. “It’s their son’s wedding. We report to them.”
“Edward’s thrilled and relieved when I take over. I’ve been doing it for years,” said Mac. “It takes a lot of trouble off his shoulders.”
Mattheus didn’t seem impressed. “And how about his wife, Dana?”
“She couldn’t be happier about it,” said Mac. “Right now, she’s pretty exhausted as well.”
“You’re a pretty important guy,” Mattheus murmured.
“I’ve watched Peter and his wedding party grow into the amazing men and women they are today. They all turn to me, especially Vivien, after her father was killed in plane crash years ago.”
Cindy and Mattheus shot a quick glance at each other.
“How about Allie?” Cindy interjected, “were you close to her, too?”
“Allie was my little angel,” Mac responded. “And, if I ever find out that this wasn’t an accident, that someone actually hurt her, I’m taking matters into my own hands. Get what I mean?” Then he smiled as sweetly as if he’d just ordered a lemon chiffon pie for desert.
CHAPTER 8
Cindy and Mattheus didn’t speak to each other on the way back up to their hotel room.
Cindy was thinking about what Vivien said about Mattheus, and about his visceral attraction to her. Mattheus seemed tired and upset.
Once they got inside and closed the door, Mattheus turned straight to Cindy.
“Mac obviously has an eye for you,” Mattheus said.
Cindy was confused for a second. Was that why Mattheus was so upset?
“Mac’s almost twice my age,” she answered flippantly.
“So what? Guys like that want their women young.”
Cindy felt as though someone had spilled a bag of soot over. In Mattheus’s eyes she’d become Mac’s prey. How about Mattheus and Vivien? She wanted to answer back, but suddenly a silence overcame her. Mattheus was definitely not himself, or maybe he was more himself than ever, showing her a side of himself she hadn’t fully acknowledged before. But, for sure, living in a world of suspicion and hidden motives had taken its toll on both of them. Belief in the goodness of others was definitely ebbing away. It didn’t have to though, Cindy reflected. There were plenty of wonderful people with upstanding motives. It was just that wherever she and Mattheus went, they focused on the dark side, the underbelly of the whale.
“Mac is a central part of this investigation. He’s involved with everyone down here and is a fund of incredible information.” Cindy tried to set Mattheus straight
“So it would seem,” Mattheus grumbled.
“Why do you dislike him so?” Cindy needed an answer.
“It’s visceral,” Mattheus replied, turning and going out onto the patio.
Cindy wondered for a moment if she should go out there after him, but decided not to. They each needed some space to unwind and process the events of the day.
Cindy w
ent into the bathroom and put on comfortable pajamas, pulled her hair back, brushed her teeth and got ready to go to her single bed. When she came out of the bathroom Mattheus was back in the room, looking over at her.
“Guess we’re roommates for the night then,” he said matter of factly.
“We’re both tired,” said Cindy, “we need a good rest.”
“We need a lot more than a good rest,” Mattheus complained.
Cindy got into bed and pulled the covers up over her.
“We need someone who can understand us,” he went on bitterly, “someone who has a heart for what we’re going through.”
Cindy felt like crying, but wouldn’t allow herself to. Was Mattheus was saying that she didn’t understand him, wasn’t compassionate about his ordeal? If he truly believed that what good would it do to defend herself?
Mattheus turned out the light in the room and she heard him go to the bathroom, come out and climb into his own bed as well. Cindy’s heart clenched with sorrow. As much as she wanted to get up out of her bed and join him, something deep within wouldn’t let her do so.
Cindy slept and woke on and off for a few hours. The sound of Mattheus breathing so close to her was wrenching and dreams about Allie kept her unsettled as well. Finally, she jumped out of bed, grabbed her laptop, put on a robe and went out onto the patio. Rather than lay there tossing all night long, she decided to go through Allie’s email account. Cindy had the passwords she needed and had planned to do it the next day, but this suddenly seemed like the perfect time. It would calm her down to go to work and see what facts she could find. The police had done this already and said there was nothing of interest to be discovered. Cindy didn’t buy it. Let’s see what I find, she thought.
At first there was nothing out of the ordinary. There were tons of emails from friends excited about the wedding asking about Allie’s dress, the fittings and the bridal shower. Laura emailed her constantly reminding her of details, where to be when, whose calls to return. Clearly Laura was not only a Maid of Honor, she was truly Allie’s best friend.
Then Cindy came upon a cluster of emails between Allie and Peter, a few days before they left for the Island.
I’m asking you for the last time, Peter wrote. It would mean so much to all of us if you’d say yes.
It’s all set, Allie answered. And we’ve talked a lot about it.
Vivien’s bugging me about it every day, wrote Peter. She’s so hurt not to walk down the aisle with Tad.
I already told you how I feel, Allie answered.
So? Peter said, can’t you just bend a little for this? Let Vivien be a bridesmaid. Do it for me!
Can I have my enemy be in my wedding party? Allie wrote back.
Those were pretty strong words, thought Cindy.
Allie’s not your enemy, Peter quickly replied. You don’t have any enemies. Don’t you love me, Allie? Can’t you do this for me?
Don’t you love me, Peter? Allie wrote back. Why can’t you understand my feelings?
Don’t I love you? I give you everything, Peter sounded upset.
But I need more, Allie was pleading. Why can’t you understand that?
That string of emails came to a quick halt then. Another string began between Allie and Mac. Mac asked about errands he could run for Allie, and whether Peter needed anything else that Mac didn’t know about. Those emails seemed friendly and natural. There was another string of emails though, that bothered Cindy. It was from Nora, stuck in between the rest.
Allie, I’m warning you, cut it out! If Peter’s parents find out, it won’t be good. Love, Nora.
Get off my back, Allie replied.
Cindy was startled. This was a completely different tone from all the other emails.
I’m only warning you for your own good, Nora sent back another email to Allie once. For all you know, word’s getting around. Two people mentioned it to me this past week.
You’re totally paranoid, Nora, Allie replied. I can’t stand that about you, especially around my wedding time. Please, be happy for me!
I am happy for you! I’ve always been happy for you. I just want you to be careful, Nora said.
An hour later an email came back from Allie. Don’t worry, I’ll be very careful about it, she replied.
Cindy sat there in the moonlight, reading that string of emails over and over. What was Nora warning her about? How was it possible that the warning hadn’t caught someone’s eye? What was it that Allie had to cut out? Cindy suddenly wanted to call Nora and ask her about it. She decided to do so the next morning.
Cindy went back to bed discombobulated. She wanted to read through Peter’s email account as well, but the company had his password. She and Mattheus had to get clearance to enter and read them. Mac could help with that, for sure. As Cindy tossed back and forth in bed before she fell asleep she wondered again why Mattheus disliked Mac so much? She’d actually found Mac to be a fountain of strength. He only wanted to help them steer through what now beginning to look like very murky waters, indeed.
*
When Cindy woke in the morning, Mattheus was not in the room. His bed was left unmade, and it seemed he just got up and got out of there, fast. Probably downstairs having breakfast, she thought. Or, maybe talking to some of the other wedding guests. Mattheus was a light sleeper and often got up very early, especially when on a case. When things were better between them and they shared a bed, he slept more soundly, never just got up and ran out on her like that.
Cindy got up, showered, put on fresh white linen slacks, a lovely lemon shirt and threw a light sweater over her shoulders. Then she pulled her hair back and tied it gently. It wasn’t even eight thirty yet. This was a new day and despite all that had gone on, she felt refreshed and ready to tackle whatever came next. The first thing on the agenda was that she and Mattheus were going to the Dive Shop with the police today. Once dressed, Cindy, texted Mattheus, asking him where he was and when they were leaving.
Mattheus answered immediately. I’m downstairs in the coffee shop with Douglas and Lance, the two officers we met originally. They’re personally taking us to the Dive Shop. Get down here as soon as you can. You may have a hard time seeing us - the place is getting crowded – people are pouring in for the festival, tomorrow. You’ll find us at the first table near the window.
Cindy remembered the Batabano festival that was about to start. It would be a Mardi Gras with floats, booths, dancing, singing. All to celebrate finding the traces of a turtle. The crowds and commotion could make it harder, though, to find the traces of a girl lost at sea.
*
The ride to the Dive Shop only took about fifteen minutes. It was actually nice to see Douglas and Lance, who piled Cindy and Mattheus into their little truck and drove them there.
“We combed every inch of the Dive Shop right at the beginning,” Douglas said. “Jared Flay owns it. He’s a seasoned diver and diving instructor.”
“He’s the one who took them out on the boat, right?” Mattheus was checking.
“Yes,” Douglas answered. “They all knew each other for years. Jared had taken Peter and Allie out many times. As soon as this happened, we talked to him. There was absolutely nothing out of order. The guy couldn’t believe what had happened, said there was absolutely nothing different about this dive.”
“Except that it happened right before the wedding,” Cindy chimed in.
“So?” asked Lance, giving her an oblique glance. “What does that imply? Did you find something?”
“There are lots of guests who came down here for the wedding,” said Cindy, “one of them could have had a motive to get Allie out of the way.”
“A good motive and ten cents will buy you a cup of tea down here,” said Douglas promptly.
“Everyone’s got some kind of motive. We’re looking for hard evidence.”
“Exactly,” Lance seconded the opinion. “So far there’s not even a body. Without a body it’s all speculation. For all we know she’s alive somewhere
. There’s no case.” Lance was adamant.
“Did Peter and Allie usually go diving alone?” Cindy asked.
“Sometimes alone, sometimes with friends - it varied,” Douglas joined in. “They were both certified so whatever they wanted to do was fine.”
“We’d like to look around anyway,” Mattheus finally supported Cindy.
“That’s why we’re going,” Douglas remarked, “I mean, heck, you never know what could drift up from the sea.”
“Or, what’s hidden in some corner,” Cindy added, as Lance looked at her out of the corner of his eye and the car bumped over the rocky roads.
The Dive Center was located at the end of a long road, right near the water. They drove up to a medium sized wooden building, parked the truck and got out. As they walked inside you could smell the water and see the ocean spread out in front, with a boat moored a few feet away. Inside, air tanks were lined up against a wall, along with diving vests and fins. Big photos of fish were hung on the walls along with a few spears. Behind a counter a young woman in her late twenties with sandy hair was talking to some customers who wanted to book the next dive. Next to her stood a muscular guy, with big shoulders and a permanent sun tan, whose eyes looked a little bleary, as though he’d been up late, drinking last night. Must be Jared Flay, thought Cindy.
The guy looked up as soon as they came in, walked out from behind the counter right away and stuck out his hand.
“Jared Flay,” he announced looking at Cindy and Mattheus.
“Pleased to meet you,” Cindy replied.
“Let’s go over here to talk,” he said, ushering them to a far side of the shop, away from the customers, out of earshot.
“It’s terrible what happened,” Jared looked straight into Mattheus’s eyes, “how can I help you?”
“We’d like to look around,” Mattheus said.
“Absolutely,” said Jared. “The cops looked around already, but you’re welcome to look as much as you like. Can you tell me exactly what you’re hoping to find?”
“When we find it, we’ll know,” said Mattheus.
Lance nodded appreciatively at that comment.