by Jaden Skye
“You really think this bombshell can stay hidden under the surface forever?” Cindy repeated, as Mattheus, looked around and enjoyed a quiet moment.
“If there’s enough money, anything can get kept quiet forever,” Mattheus remarked, returning to the conversation.
“You’re referring to Lynch’s family’s money” Cindy asked, as the waiter brought a wine list to the table.
“That family can hide whatever they like,” Mattheus replied as he picked up the menu and ordered a bottle of their finest wine.
When the waiter left Mattheus leaned over and took Cindy’s hands. “Hell of a day,” he said, trying to unwind together.
“And it’s far from over yet,” she replied.
Mattheus squeezed Cindy’s hands warmly and she felt the loving energy bolt throughout her body, lifting her spirits and giving her a rush.
“The time spent with Lea was good and productive,” Mattheus went on. “It’s interesting about the relationship between Raina and Tara.”
“Disturbing,” said Cindy.
“Natural,” Mattheus countered. “There’s always something crazy going on between mothers and daughters, daughters and stepmothers and brides and mother in laws. Especially before a wedding.”
The waiter brought their wine, poured two glasses and both of them toasted.
“To us,” Mattheus smiled.
“To us,” Cindy echoed, as they drained their glasses.
Cindy felt more relaxed and noticed that once again, over these past days, she and Mattheus had become closer again. As always with them, the tide ebbed, back and forth. But the conversation with Lea had been jarring, and Mattheus’s observations about daughters and mothers in laws was right on. Cindy felt it was the perfect time to take the discussion a step further.
“In the spirit of our conversation,” Cindy continued, “I’m thinking how important it is for us to meet your daughter.”
Mattheus drew back, thrown off guard by the comment. “What has my daughter got to do with our discussion?” he said finally.
“Talking about mothers and daughter in laws makes me think,” said Cindy. “Our relationship includes your daughter. She’s part of you,” isn’t she?
“I haven’t seen her since she was a child,” Mattheus responded gruffly.
“Well, it’s high time then,” Cindy replied.
“Now you sound just like Tara,” he said.
“Like Tara and a thousand other women who would feel the same way. Mattheus, unless we meet your daughter, she’s always there, lurking in the background. Who knows when things will burst through? Who knows when you’ll regret what happened and suddenly want to meet her? Who knows when she’ll come looking for you? We’ve got to meet her and make peace with this. Otherwise our relationship won’t have a chance.”
Mattheus put his wine glass down abruptly and stared at Cindy. “Does our relationship really have a chance, Cindy?” he asked pointedly.
“Yes, it does,” she replied. “I love you, Mattheus, but I can’t live with ghosts and shadows.”
“I love you, too,” he answered solemnly. “And if you feel that strongly about it, alright, yes, I’ll make the arrangements. We’ll meet my daughter and move on.”
CHAPTER 16
First thing the next morning before Cindy and Mattheus had even gotten out of bed, the phone rang. Mattheus rolled over and picked up.
“It’s Ned” Mattheus called out. “Autopsy report in. He wants us to come down to the station as soon as possible to fill us in.”
Cindy jumped up and got out of bed. “That’s quick,” she said. “Let’s get going.”
“We’re on it,” Mattheus was still talking to Ned. “See you in a few minutes.” Then he jumped out of bed as well and turned to Cindy. “They’ve got Lynch down at the station now for special questioning.”
“Oh God,” said Cindy. “Doesn’t sound good.”
“You never know,” Mattheus retorted, pulling on khaki pants and a fresh T shirt. “Cops could be making a big display, getting Lynch down there first thing in the morning. Makes them look as though they’re on top of everything. I’ve seen them do this before when they’re eager to get a case closed.”
Cindy rushed to the bathroom, splashed water over her face, brushed her teeth, pulled on a lemon linen dress, did her hair and quickly put on makeup.
“Okay, I’m ready,” she said, “we’ll get coffee at the station.”
Mattheus stopped a second, looked at her and grinned. “That’s what I love so much about you,” he said. “I never in my life knew a woman who could change so fast and get it together like you, in a flash.”
Cindy laughed. She prided herself on dressing quickly.
Mattheus came close, put his arms around her and pulled her to him. “That’s because you’re naturally beautiful and wonderful and all you have to do is be yourself.”
*
There was a buzz of excitement at the police station. When Cindy and Mattheus entered the room, not only was Lynch there being questioned, but a couple of new officers were joining in.
Ned came over to them immediately and pulled them to the side. “Autopsy report is definitive,” he said in a hushed tone. “Tara was strangled and then dumped into the Cove. They recovered heavy fingerprints on her neck, and some of Lynch’s DNA.”
“That’s why you brought Lynch in?” Mattheus asked.
“Precisely,” said Ned.
“Do the fingerprints match Lynch?” Mattheus went on, heatedly.
“No, thank heavens,” Ned shook his head. “And it makes sense that Tara would have his DNA on her. Hell, they were together all the time. We’re not giving out any details of the report yet, just that she was murdered. So keep the information under your belts.”
Once again Cindy realized how invested the police were in protecting Lynch. “What was the exact time of death?” Cindy asked, trying to see how much they would tell her.
“Victim died around five in the afternoon,” Ned replied officially, still looking at Mattheus. “That would have been an hour or so after she came back from swimming with Lynch. A lot could have happened during that hour. There were all kinds of people drifting around.”
“Did someone see her return with Lynch?” Cindy persisted. “Who was the last one to see her alive?”
“Raina said she saw the two of them,” Mattheus reminded Cindy.
“Yes, but Raina’s Lynch’s mom,” Cindy quickly replied.
“Exactly,” said Ned, giving Cindy a strange glance. “So it’s entirely plausible that Raina would cover for son. That’s why we brought Lynch in – alibi’s weak. We got orders to do it from above. You can listen into the questioning if you want to. Get it?” said Ned.
“Got it,” replied Mattheus quickly.
Cindy also got it full force. She got it that the cops were taking orders, wanted to cover all bases, make a fool proof case without leaving holes open for questioning later. They also didn’t want Cindy or Mattheus poking around or focusing too closely on Lynch. They were interviewing him now and that would be that.
“Got it,” Cindy echoed as she and Mattheus walked over to the table where Lynch was being questioned.
When they arrived, Lynch looked up, glad to see them. “They want to know if anyone else saw me come back with Tara from our swim,” he said, beseechingly to Mattheus.
“Did they?” Mattheus asked gently.
“My mom saw us. We stopped in and chatted with her for a few minutes,” Lynch quickly replied.
“Anyone else?” asked Cindy. “There were lots and lots of people around.”
“I don’t know, I don’t remember, “Lynch seemed discombobulated. “Why have they called me in now to question me again?”
“The autopsy report has come in,” said Mattheus.
“They told me that,” said Lynch. “What has it got to do with me?”
Ned stepped forward strongly. “I told you this is routine questioning, Lynch. And I told your mother. We h
ave to get the details straight. The report said that Tara was strangled and then dumped into the Cove.”
At that Lynch let out a long, hollow moan. “Why was she killed? Who did it?”
The sound of his cries upset Mattheus terribly and he put his arm on Lynch’s shoulder. “Take it easy, Lynch, that’s what we’re here to find out.”
“You got to find out!” Lynch was inconsolable.
“Is there anything else you can tell us?” Mattheus asked in a low tone. “Did Tara say anything at all about where she was going after you parted, or what she wanted to do?”
Lynch racked his brain but could come up with nothing. “I can’t remember anything special. I just knew she was going back to her room to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.”
“She was excited about it?” Ned continued.
“She was thrilled, we were happy,” Lynch kept moaning.
Suddenly then, the door opened and a huge cop walked in. “Over here, Ned,” he said, beckoning him quickly to the other side of the room.
Cindy and Mattheus followed along and the cop stared at them belligerently.
“It’s okay,” said Ned, “they’re on the case. Private detectives.”
“Okay,” the cop relented, “you won’t believe this. Just listen. The news that the victim was murdered at around five pm was on TV late last night. So, first thing this morning, two eye witnesses walk into the station and report they saw a guy hovering around Ryder’s Cove at ten after five last night. That’s around ten minutes after the victim died. We talked to them separately, asked for a description, showed them some photos and both of them identified the same guy.”
“Spit it out, tell me who?” Ned was on pins and needles.
“Dawl Lemmings,” the big cop said.
Cindy felt punched in the stomach. “Whoah, wait a second,” she broke in. “Who are these guys who identified him?”
“They’re two locals who work on the docks nearby,” the cop said. “I’ll give you their names in a few minutes.”
Cindy didn’t believe it. “What were these guys doing at the Cove?” she demanded.
“They said they took a walk there after work. There’s a spot they go to for dinner, nearby,” the cop reported. “It’s perfectly normal.”
“Nothing’s normal here,” said Cindy, “I want to talk to them
“Yeah, and who are you?” the cop flipped back at her.
“Cindy Blaine,” she replied. “My partner and I work for Aldon Whitfield, the father of the murdered girl.”
“Fine, so come into my office and speak to them, then. They’re still here,” the big cop relented.
Cindy walked down the hall into the big cop’s office and saw two heavy set Caribbean men in overalls, seated next to each other on metal chairs.
“Todd and Mac,” the cop introduced them.
Cindy walked over to them and the guys looked up at her, their eyes dull and torpid.
“Exactly when did you learn that the victim was murdered?” Cindy blasted the question at them. She wanted to see if she could shake their story, ruffle them up.
“We were in the bar together last night, saw it on the TV,” one of them answered, dully.
“Probably about eleven o’clock,” the other agreed.
“What were you doing at the Cove on that afternoon?” Cindy felt relentless. “Why were you there?”
“Hey, honey, we’re not on trial for murder here,” one of them scoffed.
“Why the hell shouldn’t we be at the Cove?” the other one broke in. “We work at the dock nearby. Work was done and we took a walk over. Do it all the time.”
“Can this be verified?” Cindy asked the big cop instantly.
“Sure can,” he said, “nothing special about it.”
“You’re positive you saw Dawl Lemmings there?” Cindy returned to the guys.
“No question about it,” one of them answered. “The minute the cop showed us his picture, we knew who it was. Hey, a girl’s been killed and this guy’s a menace.”
“What was Dawl doing near the Cove?” asked Cindy.
“Hanging by himself, looking down at the water. He looked funny, if you asked me. I mentioned it to my friend right away. I said, we don’t usually see this guy down around here, late afternoon. There are regulars who hang here, and he’s not one of them.”
“Very convenient,” said Cindy.
“You sound like you’re working for Dawl,” one of them said to Cindy, smiling oddly for a second.
And who are you working for? Cindy wanted to ask, but forced herself to say nothing.
Mattheus walked over to her. “Watch what you say,” he whispered to her, “you’re getting the cop upset. There’s no reason to doubt their story. The police will verify it.”
“It doesn’t make sense to me, Mattheus,” Cindy felt desperate.
“Just calm down,” Mattheus demanded.
“These two guys just pop up out of nowhere?” asked Cindy.
“We’ll find out more about them in a few days,” Mattheus said. “You don’t want to make enemies of the police, or they’ll keep us out of everything.”
Cindy realized it was true. She took a deep breath and turned away from the eye witnesses who sat unmoving and unruffled in their chairs.
Ned walked into the room then a smile on his face. “Great work,” he said to the big cop,
glancing over at the men. “Now we got motive, background and positive ID on Dawl Lemmings, and we’re bringing him in as we speak.”
“Way to go,” the big cop agreed. “And, send Lynch home. That kid’s been through enough.”
“We already did,” said Ned. “Told him it’s over, we got the guy.”
“Just like that?” asked Cindy.
“Sometimes you get lucky, you get a break,” the big cop edged over to her.
“What did Lynch say when you told him he could leave?” asked Cindy.
Surprised by her question, both cops turned to her. “The kid didn’t say anything,” Ned remarked, “just ran his hands over his face and kept moaning, real low.”
*
Cindy and Mattheus thanked the police for including them and left the police station quickly.
“This is terrific for them, it’s a huge coup,” said Mattheus, as they walked down the block.
“It happened too fast, it’s too convenient,” Cindy muttered under breath. “I want to talk to the townspeople, go to the casinos and find out more about Dawl.”
“Hold on,” said Mattheus. “You do sound like you’re working for Dawl now. You sound like his protector.”
“I’m working for justice,” Cindy flew her words back. “I’m protecting Tara’s memory and I’m not convinced of anything.”
“You’re working for Aldon Whitehead,” Mattheus answered, “his daughter was murdered, the autopsy is in and pretty soon the case will be closed.”
“But it’s not closed yet,” said Cindy. “And while we’re still on it, there’s work to do. Help me out, Mattheus.”
“Of course I’ll help you out. I’ll do anything you want,” said Mattheus. “But if you ask me, they got the right guy.”
“Please put in a call into Rodney and ask him where Dawl hangs out,” said Cindy. “Tell him we want to talk to people who knew him.”
“Okay,” said Mattheus, “I’m on it.”
Mattheus put the call into Rodney immediately and put him on the speaker phone. He told him what had happened and what they wanted to do now.
“This is a lucky break for everyone,” Rodney insisted. “Leave it alone. Case closed. Justice served.”
Cindy shook her head vehemently.
“Seems like the little lady is determined,” said Mattheus. “She wants to poke around for herself.”
“I don’t see any point in this,” said Rodney, “but if you insist I’ll give you the name of a casino where Dawl would be known. But be careful. When you swim with the sharks you can get ripped apart.” Then he hung up the phone.
Cindy was relieved to have the information and wanted to head to the casino immediately.
Mattheus, however, insisted upon getting a good breakfast before they went on.
*
To Cindy’s surprise she couldn’t eat a thing at breakfast, just sat there watching Mattheus. He looked ruffled, rugged and incredibly handsome as he devoured his bacon and eggs. Cindy felt a wave of love and appreciation for him wash over her as she watched him eat.
“What are you looking at?” Mattheus grinned, feeling her warmth across the table.
“Just noticing how handsome you look,” said Cindy.
“Well, if that isn’t music to my ears,” said Mattheus. “I’m hungrier than I thought, and tired too. It will be good to get off the case and away from the island with you. Great to have more time alone together.”
Cindy reached for Mattheus’s coffee cup and took a long, sip of his coffee. “The news that they’ve got a suspect is going to be out soon,” she said. “So, everyone’s going to hear about Lynch’s secret child. I wonder how Raina’s going to deal with it?”
“It won’t be easy, it won’t be fun,” Mattheus agreed.
Suddenly, Cindy’s phone rang, surprising her. “Who could be calling so early?” she mumbled.
“Pick up and see,” said Mattheus.
Somehow Cindy wished it would be Dawl, but to her surprise a woman was on the other end.
“It’s Bala,” the soft voice was muted and shaky, making it hard to understand what she was saying.
“Bala! I can’t really hear you,” said Cindy.
“My brother’s been set up,” Bala whispered more loudly. “I saw the picture of the eye witnesses on TV. Listen to me, those guys work for Raina’s company.”
Cindy was shocked. “Are you positive?”
“Positive,” said Bala. “They were also eye witnesses when someone else connected with the company went missing a few years ago.”
“That’s not possible,” said Cindy.
“But it’s true,” said Bala. “I remember them. “
“Where are you now, Bala?” Cindy asked frantically, “I want to see you right away.”
“I’m not on the island anymore,” Bala’s voice dropped to a hoarser whisper. “I’m hiding with my son. For all we know he could be in danger now, too. Don’t tell anyone I called you.”
