by Jaden Skye
Mattheus listened with interest. He had a rugged, weather-beaten look, as if he’d seen a lot in his day.
“That’s it?” he responded, when Cindy paused.
She nodded.
“She’s an amateur,” Sand snickered.
“I am an amateur,” Cindy promptly agreed. “The only case I’ve solved so far is a death in Barbados. He went surfing and never returned. Everyone said it was an accident. It wasn’t. He was killed. He was my husband. It happened on our honeymoon. ”
Then the both of them got quiet. Apparently they hadn’t heard about it.
“Jesus Christ,” Mattheus said.
“The murderer’s been convicted,” Cindy continued, in a business-like fashion. She wondered if that would qualify her, in their minds, for what she was doing now.
“Good work,” said Mattheus, taken aback. “I’m sorry about it,” he said, softening.
Sand just sat there, shaking his head. “It’s a lousy, rotten, painful world,” he muttered.
“Anyway,” Cindy continued, not wanting sympathy from either of them, “I’m an old friend of Dalia, from high school. She read about what happened to me, and gave me a call. I’m down here to lend a hand. ”
Mattheus stood up abruptly, and walked around. “Want a glass of water?” he said. Something about Cindy and the story apparently touched a nerve.
“No, I’m fine,” she said.
He got himself a glass of water, came back and sat down. “Rotten luck,” he said to her.
“Yes,” said Cindy, professionally, not giving into the sorrow and discomfort she was feeling. “And, what can you tell me about Ames?”
Mattheus grinned, a half grin. It was easy to see that he liked Cindy’s spirit. “You’re all business, eh?” he said.
“I came down for a reason,” Cindy replied. “Dalia said time was of the essence.”
“You’ve seen the police reports?” Mattheus asked.
“Yes, but I want to hear about it from you.”
Mattheus liked that. “Smart.”
“Show her the island,” Sand chimed in. “Let her see where they found the boat drifting. Give her a feeling of what’s going on. ”
“You plan to talk to other people too?” asked Mattheus.
“After I’ve talked to you,” said Cindy. “I was hoping we’d all work together on this.”
Mattheus smirked. “We’ve done all we can do for now. Of course, if you come up with something fantastic—. ”
Cindy found it tiring being with both of them, as if she were constantly hitting up against a wall. Clearly, they felt irritated by her presence, as if it cast doubt on them. It didn’t look as if they were about to offer information on their own. Cindy felt shut out.
“I’m sure you’ve done everything,” Cindy said calmly.
“We’ve been working on this night and day,” Mattheus said. “Yeah, I’ll take you around, show you the island, let you know what we’re doing and what we’ve come up with. The police chief said to do it. So, I will. ”
“Thank you,” said Cindy, irritated by his imperious attitude.
Mattheus looked up at her then and smiled a tiny smile, “Hey, it’s nothing personal,” he said quietly. “We all just got our jobs to do.”
*
Mattheus and Cindy left the police station together. She got into his car, sat as far away from him as possible, and looked out the window, as he started to drive.
“I’ll take you to the waterfall first,” Mattheus said as he pulled away. “It’s right near the place where Ames’ boat was found.”
“Good,” said Cindy, “I’d like to see it.” Cindy had always loved waterfalls. “The boat was the only piece of evidence?” she went on.
He turned his head and looked at her then, the first time since they’d gotten into the car. “I wouldn’t exactly call it evidence,” he said. “What’s it evidence of? Nothing that would hold up in court. ”
Enough was enough. She took a deep breath. “Listen, I’m not the enemy here,” she said.
Mattheus smiled then, and flipped the radio on. “Sorry.”
A calypso song came on, easing the tension between them. “We’re all frustrated by this. It’s been a hard few weeks,” he said. “And we all knew and loved the guy. He wasn’t a stranger to any of us. ”
“I’m sorry,” said Cindy. “I’m sure it’s been awful.” She remembered the horror of the early days after Clint disappeared.
He turned his attention back to the road that sprawled out in front of them, weaving through trees, around hills, along the water and lagoons.
When they weren’t talking, it was an incredibly peaceful and beautiful drive. Cindy breathed the warm, salty air deeply and closed her eyes for a second to let the soothing air wash over her.
“Ames was a great guy,” Mattheus said then, loosening up a little and breaking the stiffness between them.
“Was a great guy. You’re sure he’s dead? ”
“After twenty one days, it’s hard to think anything else,” said Mattheus, unwinding as he spoke. “Listen, we’re all bummed that we haven’t gotten any more leads. Don’t think we haven’t tried. We’ve busted our chops. ”
“I’m sure of it,” Cindy said warmly, looking over, and seeing the upset on his face.
“I have my theories, of course,” he said, as they pulled up to a huge turn in the road, then down a valley to the edge of a gigantic, magnificent waterfall, surrounded by rocks and wild flowers. But then the sound of the roaring water enveloped them completely. It was hard to hear anything they said.
“This is fantastic,” Cindy called out above the roar.
Mattheus laughed. “Thought you’d like it. Visitors are always awed by this spot. ”
“Come on,” he said, “let’s walk around the edge of the fall. We searched this spot for days on end. Lots of people thought that either his body or his things would float up here. It didn’t happen”.
Cindy and Mattheus got out of the car and walked carefully along the rim of the waterfall. The sound of the falls grew louder and deeper as warm, salty water sprayed their faces. They circled along the edge until they found a wooden landing to sit on. Then Mattheus extended his hand for a second to pull Cindy up. She took his hand to help balance her.
Once on the landing, it was quieter and easier to talk.
“It’s really beautiful here,” breathed Cindy.
Mattheus looked down into the falls. “Ames loved it. He came here all the time, even before his first marriage to Elizabeth. ”
Cindy was interested to hear something new. “You knew him a long time?”
“Yeah, very long,” Mattheus said, “since I moved here about eight years ago.”
Cindy felt curious about where Mattheus came from and why he moved down, but didn’t want to get off focus. “Was Ames’s first marriage terrible?” Cindy asked.
Mattheus smiled slowly and threw back his head. “It wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t perfect. It went the way most marriages go, somewhere in between. Times of happiness, times of misery and times of just, plain boredom. ”
Cindy wondered if Mattheus was married, or ever had been. He seemed like a fiercely independent loner, smart, craggy, tough but also, oddly, caring. She could feel his fondness for Ames.
“I’m sorry you lost your friend, “Cindy said.
“Thanks,” said Mattheus, “But Ames wasn’t exactly a friend. I’d say an acquaintance I ran into a lot. He made an impression. Came from a lousy, rotten background and pulled himself up by the bootstraps. ”
Cindy didn’t want to waste any more time. “What do you think happened to him?” she asked pointedly.
Mattheus turned to her swiftly, his clear blue eyes looking directly into hers.
“It’s not exactly the popular viewpoint, but I think he took off with someone else.”
Cindy was shocked. “With who?”
“That, I’m not sure of.”
“Dalia told me the two of them had a gr
eat marriage,” Cindy said, her heart beating faster.
“It’s true, they did,” said Mattheus. “He cared for Dalia very much, she’s beautiful and magnetic. But that doesn’t mean someone else couldn’t creep into the picture as well. It happens all the time. ”
That thought filled Cindy with sadness for Dalia.
“Do you have any ideas about who it could be?” Cindy tried her best to sound matter of fact about it.
“I have some ideas,” he said, “but I’m not sure.” Mattheus rubbed his hand over the wooden bark they were sitting on. He saw that his statement had upset Cindy.
“This is a rough business you’re drifting into,” he said bluntly. “It isn’t pretty, it isn’t happy. You see things about people you wished you never saw. Happily married guys go off with other women all the time. Especially down here, where there’s a huge selection, beautiful women of all countries, races, classes. Any guy can have his pick. ”
Cindy swallowed sharply and wondered if Mattheus lived his life that way, too. He seemed so comfortable with the idea of it.
“That’s unfortunate,” Cindy replied sharply.
Mattheus laughed out loud, “Unfortunate? Some guys would say the opposite. ”
“And what would you say?” Cindy asked, pointedly, looking right at him.
“I’d say it’s each man for himself. Up to him. I don’t sit here in judgment. That’s not my job. ”
Cindy felt momentarily stung. “I don’t sit in judgment, either,” she retorted.
Mattheus cocked his head to the side and grinned. “Now, why do I think that’s not necessarily true?” he said. “Could it be because your lovely face is flushing beet red?”
Cindy felt her face flush even more.
Mattheus leaned a little closer. “Listen, I don’t want to upset you or anything,” he said.
“Who said I’m upset?” said Cindy. “Seems like you take a lot for granted.”
“Okay, okay,” he said. “So, what’s next on your plan?”
“After I meet with you, there’s a lot of people I need to interview.”
He smiled and his nose crinkled. Cindy suddenly saw what he must have looked like as a little boy, playful, mischievous.
“I’ll give you a tip,” he suddenly offered. “Interview his first wife, Elizabeth next.”
Cindy was grateful, and also surprised. “Any special reason?”
“She was close to Ames right up to the end. She’s a complicated lady. ”
“Well, thanks,” said Cindy.
“And after you speak to her, come back and talk to me. I’ll help you sort it through. ”
Cindy had no idea what it was that softened him up, or made him change his mind.
“I appreciate that,” she said.
“Nothing personal,” he said. “This place is tricky. It can turn dangerous in a second. We don’t need anyone else turning up dead. ”
CHAPTER 4
Cindy looked up from her notes. It was almost noon and the sun had grown hot overhead. They’d been out on the patio for a few hours, and Cindy was feeling restless, wanted to look around inside, see what might strike her.
“I’d like you to show me around your home,” she said to Dalia.
“Sure,” said Dalia, a little surprised. “Why?”
“It’s too hot outside now,” Cindy smiled, “and I’d like to get more of a feeling for where Ames lived.”
Dalia stood up, “Of course,” she said, “I was going to show you around, anyway — the way you said it just sounded so important.”
“It is important,” Cindy said. “Everything is important,” and she tossed her long blonde
[MSOffice1] hair over her shoulders, as if ready to take on the world. “It just takes one detail to break everything open.”
The space inside the villa was enormous, with winding hallways, adjoining rooms, outside and inside porches, beautiful art work, standing sculptures, framed mirrors, plants everywhere and exotic rugs. The main living room was huge and open, with all glass walls looking over the incredibly languorous waters and sand. It was almost more than Cindy could take in. She felt as if she were at an incredibly elegant, exclusive hotel.
“Ames had this place designed when he was engaged to his first wife, Elizabeth,” Dalia said, as she led Cindy through the rooms and halls. “They lived here for six years together. This is where his son Brad was born. ”
“It must have been hard for her to leave this place when they separated,” Cindy said.
“I guess so,” Dalia didn’t seem too concerned. “She has everything she needs, though. Ames takes wonderful care of her and his son. He set them both up in their own villa, a few miles away. It could be much worse, believe me. ”
Cindy sensed irritation on Dalia’s part.
“You don’t like her?” asked Cindy.
“That’s irrelevant,” said Dalia. “I’m good to her. Ames is good to her. I never get in the way of their relationship or their family. I’m a good person, Cindy, you know that. ”
“Yes, I do,” Cindy said.
Dalia stepped down two small steps and opened the door to her bedroom. A huge double bed, covered with a yellow satin bedspread, was in the center of the room. Matching drapes covered the windows and the chests and tables in the room were made of bamboo. An oak desk stood catty corner on the far side of the room. On the desk was a photo of Dalia and Ames together, arm in arm, framed in black, jeweled onyx.
Cindy went over, picked up the photo and looked at it carefully. Ames was a tall, very good looking guy, with sandy hair that was windblown, dark eyes and a winning smile. He had his arm around Dalia, who was smiling out brightly for the world to see. They looked wonderful together.
“It’s a great photo,” said Cindy.
“He’s a great guy,” Dalia said. “All our photos are amazing.”
Cindy put the photo down, went to the middle of the room, stood in it and tried to get a feel of their life together. “Can I browse around here?” she asked Dalia.
“Of course.”
Cindy then went to the closet and opened it up. To her amazement, it was half empty. Except for one or two pair of slacks hanging there, most of his things were gone. She then went back to the desk and pulled open the drawers. They, too, were empty. Cindy was shocked.
“This was his desk?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“The drawers are empty,” Cindy said, unsettled. “Not only is the desk — the closet half empty, too.”
She turned and stared at Dalia.
Dalia shrugged. “There’s plenty of his stuff around. He was always packing his things up, taking them here and there, then bringing them back and unpacking them again. ”
“What do you mean? Where did he take them? ”
“He’d take stuff on trips when he went sailing, even for a day. He’d take his clothes to the tailor to be fitted. Some of his things are stored at Elizabeth’s villa, in the basement. He liked to keep cleaning out his drawers, throwing things out, giving them away. Ames didn’t want to be weighted down. ”
Cindy wasn’t sure what to make of this. She found it to be strange behavior. None of it seemed to bother Dalia much.
“Still, I find it odd,” said Cindy. “Was the closet always this empty?”
Dalia paused, thinking, her brow furrowed. “I supposed not,” she finally said. “But that doesn’t mean he left or anything. I mean, one can’t jump to conclusions. ”
Dalia sat down on the edge of the bed then and ran her hand over the satin bedspread. “Ames doesn’t much like this bedspread,” she said, “thinks it’s too fancy, but he lets me have it anyway. He’s rugged, born in Amsterdam, lived there for a few years and then mostly raised in the US. He’s different, Cindy. He has a mind of his own – lives life the way he sees it. ”
“Interesting,” said Cindy.
“He loves me,” said Dalia.
“I’m sure he does,” Cindy said, went and sat down next to Dalia and put her h
and on her arm. “I’m really sorry you have to go through this.”
“Thank you,” said Dalia, “I know you are. You’re the only one here who knows how it feels. You can’t know that unless you’ve been through it yourself. ”
“That’s probably true,” said Cindy.
“Are you okay about Clint?” Dalia asked then. “Does the pain ever go away?”
Cindy realized at that moment that she’d become so absorbed in helping Dalia that this was the first time in a long time that she had not dwelled on the horrible pain of his loss. She couldn’t say that it was easy though, or that the pain would go away completely.
“It takes time,” Cindy said. “Things change. The pain changes too. ”
“But it’s different for me, than for you,” Dalia flipped her head back and tossed her hair to the side. “Because I know Ames is alive. And that he’s coming back. ”
“I hope so,” said Cindy.
“I know so,” Dalia retorted. “And I’m sorry that Clint is gone for good. Truly. ”
“It’s okay,” said Cindy. “I’m down here to help you now. I’m sure Clint would want me to do what I could. ” Then she scraped her throat. She had important questions for Dalia, and knew they might be hard for her to hear.
“Dalia, I have to ask you something important.”
“What?” She looked up at Cindy, a bit shaky now.
“Have you considered that Ames might have just packed and left?”
Dalia’s face flushed and her eyes grew angry.
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way he would do that. I told you, our marriage is great. He tells me how much he loves me every single day. ”
Cindy remembered how important it was to Dalia, even in high school days, to have a guy she could count on, who would love her and tell her so. And keep nothing from her. She’d been practically obsessed with it.
“I’m happy you had that,” Cindy said.
“Have it — have it,” Dalia started to shiver a little bit. “He didn’t leave me. He never would. I give him every single thing he wants, and more. Much more. ”
“I’m sure you do,” said Cindy, but couldn’t shake the feeling that it was still a possibility that Ames had left of his own volition. She couldn’t imagine such empty closets, otherwise.
