by Jaden Skye
The cell phone rang a third time. Cindy knew she had to pick it up and let Mattheus know she was safe. She picked up.
“Where the hell are you?” Mattheus sounded furious and scared.
“Back at the hotel,” said Cindy. “I’m fine.”
“Well, I’m not,” said Mattheus. “I’m pissed as hell. You don’t just pick up and run out on your partner.”
Just who exactly ran out on whom? Cindy thought.
She flushed “You didn’t have your partner run out on you,” Cindy said lightly. “You had her right at your side all night long.”
Silence on the other end. “I don’t believe what I’m hearing,” Mattheus said finally.
Cindy closed her eyes. She wanted to hang up, but knew she couldn’t.
“You ran out because you were jealous?” He sounded dumbstruck.
Cindy had nothing to say.
“You acted like a spoiled child,” Mattheus said.
No, like a woman in love, Cindy realized. Tears fell down her face as the conversation continued. This was the last thing she wanted or needed, to be in love with Mattheus.
“You could have endangered both of us,” said Mattheus, calmer now.
“Endangered you? I don’t see how.”
“Really? If something happened to you, what do you think I’d do? Go nuts.”
“I guess,” said Cindy sadly.
“You guess? What the hell’s going on? You don’t sound like you’re in your right mind,” he said.
It was a harsh statement, but probably true, thought Cindy. She’d gotten mixed up, allowed herself to develop feelings for Mattheus that had no place in their lives. It was easy for old longings to replay, old hopes to get dashed.
“There are more dangers doing this work than I realized,” Cindy said quietly.
“What do you mean by that?” Mattheus asked.
“Figure it out,” said Cindy, annoyed at his denseness and hung up the phone.
*
Cindy awoke in the morning clear headed and ordered breakfast up in the room. She wasn’t ready to see Mattheus yet. And, on his side, he didn’t call.
Cindy knew she had to alert him about her encounter with Hanuah, and she would. He’s probably sleeping in, thought Cindy. After all, it’s Christmas Day. But then, she decided to forcibly stop thinking about him, and turn her attention to the task at hand. The time they had left to work down here was limited. She needed to continue to gather whatever facts she could before they were actually kicked off the island.
Several things were uppermost in her mind right now –checking further into Tad’s alibi to see if anyone else saw him scuba diving, and also, finding out more about Frances. It was important to see if there was anything at all that actually linked him the crime.
In a little while, Cindy’s phone rang and to her relief it wasn’t Mattheus, it was Rori.
Cindy picked up immediately. Rori had been on her mind these past few days. The video of the engagement party showed that Rori and Frances were close. Cindy’d wanted to talk to her not only about Frances, but find out if she knew whether someone had seen Tad scuba diving.
“Hi,” said Rori, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you,” said Cindy.
“Sorry to bother you on a day like this, but I was just wondering if you might have an hour to meet with me?” asked Rori. “I’m going stir crazy on the boat and want to get off and take a walk. I can’t stand being with the family another minute.”
“Absolutely,” said Cindy delighted. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. “Where do you want to meet?”
“How about Gagua Beach?” said Rori.
*
Cindy and Rori met up on Gagua Beach, a small beach on a cove along the edge of a wild bird preserve. Cindy hadn’t seen this inlet before and once again she felt as though she was stepping into a magical world, full of the call of birds, talking to each other. It was startling to listen to them singing and also take in the incredible beauty of the sights. The water stretched along a rocky shore, down beneath sloping hills filled with trees where these wild birds made their home. Some flew over Cindy’s head, warbling, as she walked down to the shore. It felt as though they were welcoming her to their enclave.
When she got down to the beach, Rori was already there, sitting on a rock.
“Merry Christmas,” said Cindy as she drew closer.
Rori looked up and smiled.
“Thanks for everything you’re doing,” she said. “Working like this, even on Christmas day.”
Cindy was surprised. Rori seemed warm, open and eager to see her. She was a far cry from the edgy twin sister Cindy had met before.
“It must be a very painful day for your family,” said Cindy, as Rori got up.
“Every day has been awful in one way or another since Tiffany died,” said Rori. “We can’t catch a break.”
“I’m sorry,” said Cindy.
“Let’s take a walk along the water,” said Rori, restless and wanting to move.
The two of them started walking, and Cindy loved the feeling of sand under her feet.
“My mother is getting much worse,” Rori started. “Going downhill every day. It’s exhausting.”
“You’ve always had a hard time with her?” Cindy asked
“Always have and always will,” Rori wasn’t pulling any punches. “You’d think she’d get it together, at least for the sake of the family. It can be done. Look at me, I’m not getting worse.”
“That’s great,” said Cindy.
“What good would it do if I fell apart?” said Rori.
“None at all,” Cindy agreed.
“And besides that,” Rori continued, “my father really needs me now. He’s devastated. Tiffany was his favorite, and now that she’s gone, he always wants me around. I guess it doesn’t hurt that we were identical twins. He looks at me and thinks she’s here. But she’s not. I’m nothing like her.”
Cindy couldn’t help wonder if somehow Rori might be relieved that her sister was gone.
“What was your relationship like with Tiffany?” Cindy asked.
“Okay, not special,” said Rori directly. “We were different in a lot of ways. Our mother adored Tiffany and could never stand me.”
“That’s awful,” said Cindy.
“You get used to everything,” said Rori. “It makes you strong.”
Cindy felt a strong wave of admiration for Rori. She was blunt, direct, didn’t pull any punches.
A light wind came up and blew in their faces as they walked. Surprisingly, it had grown somewhat cooler.
“Some say we could get heavy rain, later,” Rori offered in passing, “that’s unusual down here, this time of year.”
Cindy was enjoying the breezes. “It’s quite an island,” she said.
“It’s okay,” said Rori. “After this I don’t think we’ll ever come back. I know I don’t want to. Can’t wait to get out of here, actually. We’re just waiting to hear what the medical examiner finds.”
“About Frances?” asked Cindy.
Rori nodded sadly.
“I noticed on the engagement video that you and Frances have a nice relationship,” Cindy said.
“Very nice,” said Rori, stopped walking, and looked out into the ocean. “He’s a great guy who’s had lots of rough breaks. He didn’t do this. I’m positive. There’s zero reason for him to be in jail.”
“Zero?” asked Cindy.
Rori bent down and picked up a piece of driftwood, then used to it write a huge zero on the moist sand.
“There’s absolutely, positively no way Frances would have hurt Tiffany,” Rori said. “I had to tell you that.”
“Why are you so positive?”
“Because he loved her,” said Rori.
Cindy and Rori looked at each other.
“But Tiffany was engaged to Tad,” said Cindy. “Sounds like it could have been a motive to me.”
Rori shook her head calmly. “T
iffany’s engagement meant nothing,” she said. “Frances was the guy she loved.”
Cindy was startled. Wynn had told her no one else knew about this.
“Tiffany got engaged to pacify my mother,” Rori went on. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“How long did you know about your sister and Frances?”
Rori tossed her hair back off her face. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. Tiffany wasn’t good at hiding anything, only from my mother, who chooses to be blind.”
“Tiffany told you about her relationship with Frances?” Cindy probed.
“She didn’t have to tell me anything. I saw what was going on,” Rori said. “But let me tell you something else that could have something to do with what happened.”
“What?” Cindy’s heart started beating fast.
“Tiffany was a drug addict, too.”
Cindy’s body got cold.
“You’re never going to find the killer if you don’t know what you’re up against,” Rori said defiantly. “I decided someone’s got to tell the truth. If they don’t it’s gonna get pinned on Frances, and I couldn’t stand that. He doesn’t deserve a life in jail! Even though a lot of people might want him there.”
“Who?” asked Cindy, alerted.
Rori’s face had a strange wildness about it. “There are plenty of people who would breathe easier if the case was closed. Then all kinds of dirt won’t get dredged up and this island can still look like a paradise. Tourists will feel safe, money keep flowing, new homes and casinos built. My mother always says let sleeping dogs lie. I say it’s time to wake up all the sleeping dogs and let them howl. One of them killed Tiffany. Let them howl so we can find out who!”
Cindy was inspired by Rori’s spirit.
“Who else knows Tiffany was an addict?” Cindy needed confirmation.
“Probably Frances, I’m not sure. But I saw her sniffing cocaine all the time.”
“That must be pretty common down here,” Cindy said.
“But recently Tiffany graduated to heroine. I’m sick of the whole family thinking she was a goody goody and I was the rotten one. When the truth comes out it will be better for everyone.”
“How recently did Tiffany graduate to heroine?” asked Cindy.
“A couple of months ago,” said Rori. “I told her she was playing with fire. She told me to mind my own damn business. It was her life and she’d do with it what she wanted. It wasn’t her life for long, though.”
“The two of you fought?” Cindy insisted.
“We didn’t fight. We said it like it was.”
“Did Tad know about her addiction?”
“Who the hell knows, or cares?” said Rori. “If you ask me, Tad lives in a world of his own. He never really knew much about Tiffany, just imagined he did. He liked to wear her on his arm, like an expensive Rolex. Believe me, Tad was never important to her.”
“She was important to him though,” said Cindy.
“Who knows?” Rori was growing impatient. “No one ever really got to know Tad. None of our friends much liked him, either. They just put up with him for Tiffany’s sake.”
“Did anyone besides Jimmy Bolton see Tad scuba diving that afternoon?” asked Cindy, “anyone at all?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” said Rori. “I told you Tad’s unimportant. The one you should be really talking to is the pusher who sold Tiffany her drugs. He knew her better than Tad did. He could help you find the killer.”
Rori took out a piece of paper and wrote the name and address of the pusher down.
A huge, bitter wave blew in from the ocean, as a cluster of birds flew out of the trees, cawing loudly and flying together, as they made a zig zag path across the sky.
“Go see the pusher as soon as you can,” Rori repeated. “Then let me know what he says. Get ready, you’ll get a whole lot more from him than you’ve bargained for.”
*
When Cindy got back to the hotel, Mattheus was sitting and waiting in her room. She was momentarily stunned to see him there.
“I see we’re playing a game of cat and mouse,” he said as she walked into the room.
Cindy didn’t realize she’d left the door open.
“Where have you been?” he continued.
“I went to speak to Rori,” Cindy said in the most professional tone she could muster, not looking at him at all.
“On Christmas Day?” he asked.
“Rori called. She wanted to get off the boat and meet with me,” Cindy remarked, incredibly careful not to talk about anything but business. “In fact, Rori told me that Tiffany was a drug addict, and gave me the name of her pusher.”
Mattheus sat up upright in his chair. “You mention this so casually?”
“And, that’s not all,” Cindy was on a mini roll. “When I was waiting for the cab to go home last night, Sanchez Hanuah, a cop from Guadeloupe approached me. He said we’d better get off the case and leave the island as soon as we could. Seems our messing around is causing deeper problems. Law enforcement may be called in now from everywhere.”
Mattheus turned and faced Cindy.
“And how long were you going to wait to tell me this?” he said.
Cindy felt her face go ashen, looking directly at him.
“I planned to tell you today,” she said lightly.
“And you just decided on your own to rush off and see Rori, after a warning like that from Hanuah?”
“Time is of the essence,” Cindy said archly. “We don’t have much time here. I didn’t want to lose a second. I don’t feel that Frances did it. And, we both know the medical examiner isn’t coming up with anything real.”
“They can pin it on him anyway,” said Mattheus. “Things like this happen all the time.”
“Not when I’m on a case,” said Cindy.
“When you’re called?” asked Mattheus. “How about me? You’re doing this alone now?”
Cindy stopped talking and stared at him. “I don’t know,” she answered quietly.
“You don’t know what?” The muscle in Mattheus’ jaw started working.
“I don’t know how I’m going to proceed,” Cindy said definitively.
“You’re furious because of me and that red head?” Mattheus looked outraged.
“I think things have gotten a little out of hand between us,” Cindy said quietly. “It happens. I’m not blaming you.”
Mattheus took a step closer. “I was doing my job,” he said. “This is the way to get women to spill, you butter them up. She’s an important undercover agent.”
Cindy said nothing.
“It’s a known tactic,” Mattheus repeated.
“And maybe she was doing the same to you?” Cindy quipped. “Ever think you could have been set up? Lured in? It sure wasn’t difficult.”
“I wasn’t caught in anything,” said Mattheus.
“That’s not how it looked to me,” Cindy said.
Mattheus breathed out hard. “You got jealous,” he said.
“Yes,” Cindy answered. “You made a fool of me.”
“What are you talking about? There’s not one woman at that party who could ever hold a candle to you,” said Mattheus, emotionally.
Cindy didn’t buy it. It was more of the same banter they engaged in that turned created these fantasies.
“That’s an unnecessary comment,” she said.
“No, it isn’t,” said Mattheus. “In fact, it’s exactly to the point. I’ve never met a woman I felt about the way I feel about you.”
Cindy’s chest constricted. She found it hard to breathe.
“You’re not only beautiful, you’re smart, gutsy and I respect you,” Mattheus said.
It was hard to take all this in.
“And it seems as if you feel the same way about me,” Mattheus slowly grinned.
“I don’t know what I feel exactly,” said Cindy. “It’s easy to get lost in a fantasy here.”
“It doesn’t have to be a fantasy,” Mattheus said
then, slowly. “We can make it real.”
“I don’t know if I can trust you,” Cindy said, tears suddenly stinging her eyes.
“You have to trust me,” Mattheus was pleading. “I didn’t do anything. I told you, I was only working.”
“But it didn’t look like that to me, Mattheus.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but that’s all it was. Now, let’s go down to the restaurant and have a Christmas meal.”
CHAPTER 18
Before Cindy and Mattheus went down to the restaurant in the hotel, he reserved the best seats in the front, overlooking the ocean. They needed some time together, not only to soothe ruffled feelings but go over what they’d found.
Even though she was hungry, Cindy felt somewhat hesitant about going for a meal with Mattheus. Last night had been taxing and had taken a toll. But, she also knew that she and Mattheus had work to do. She planned to keep their meal focused squarely on that.
Mattheus went back to his room to change and Cindy dressed casually, in a rose, silk dress with sandals and a light sweater. She pulled her hair back to look more professional and went very light on the makeup. Simpler and plainer was better, she thought.
Cindy dressed quickly and as she inspected herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help feel an odd sense of loneliness she hadn’t felt in a while. Probably because of the holiday, she thought. It was odd being away from friends and family, made her feel as if she were a drifter with no real anchor in her life. Cindy was suddenly struck with a strong desire to call home and speak to her sister, Ann. Ann had been so disapproving of Cindy’s new life that it had been a long while since they spoke. Cindy wondered if maybe Ann might be missing her as well.
On impulse, she reached for the phone and dialed her sister in the States.
The phone picked up immediately. “Merry Christmas,” the voice on the other end rang out.
Cindy dove in, “Merry Christmas, Ann.”
Silence. Her sister had probably been expecting someone else.
“Is that you, Cindy?” the voice on the other end was faltering.
“Yes, it’s me,” said Cindy, “How are you?”
Another pause. Obviously, Ann was taken aback.
“I’m fine,” Ann said. “What prompted you to call out of the blue?”
