Cindy rushed to the phone, called her mother and was tremendously relieved when she picked right up.
“Mom, where is Frank right now?” Cindy asked urgently.
“I have no idea,” her mother replied, taken aback by Cindy’s tone.
“Mattheus and I need to talk to him this second,” Cindy answered breathless. “Things don’t look good.”
“Why? What’s happened?” her mother sounded aghast.
“I’m not going into details,” said Cindy, “but believe me. There’s trouble here.”
“You found that Frank had a girlfriend?” her mother asked, alarmed, almost as though she’d expected it.
“I can’t say what we’ve found,” Cindy could barely respond.
“Be careful, Cindy, don’t go too far,” her mother shot back wildly. “Enough is enough.”
“We have to find the truth, we have to find the killer,” Cindy replied fervently.
“Cindy,” her mother started yelling. “It’s not just Frank’s life you’ll be destroying but mine, too.”
Cindy quieted down momentarily. “It’s not in my hands anymore, mom” she whispered on the phone.
“Oh yes, it is,” said her mother. “You couldn’t save your sister, but you can save the family. You have influence, Cindy. Use it.”
Cindy held the phone in her hand horrified. Was her mother asking her to lie, or hide important evidence? Didn’t she want her daughter’s killer brought to justice?
“I know you’ll do it, for my sake, Cindy,” her mother started whimpering suddenly. “Promise me you will. Promise.”
Cindy hung up the phone then without saying another word. This was a promise she couldn’t and wouldn’t make, ever. But her mother’s words hung on her heavily, nevertheless.
“My mom doesn’t know where Frank is,” Cindy finally said to Mattheus.
“Didn’t think she would,” he murmured his head in the computer.
Cindy walked to the window to look out over the beautiful ocean that was spread out before her. It was hard to believe her mother had made a request like that of her. Cindy realized that she barely knew her mother at all; now it even seemed as though she lived in a world of her own. Cindy had no idea what would happen to her mother when the reality hit home.
“Oh boy, oh boy,” Mattheus suddenly shouted. “I found it. Found her! Come here, Cindy, quick, take a look at this!”
Oh my God, Cindy trembled as she rushed to the computer, her heart in her hands.
“I don’t believe it!” Mattheus’s voice got louder.
“Who is it?” Cindy leaned over and to her amazement, there was a photo of Ronnelle, the woman she’d seen at Beggio’s party. “This is the one Frank defriended?” Cindy couldn’t believe her eyes.
“I saw her, I know her,” Mattheus continued methodically, “I met this woman at the races. I spoke to her briefly. She was with that woman Linda you introduced me to. She’s a single woman and she was flirting with me.”
“What was going on between her and Frank on Facebook?” Cindy dove in.
“I can’t find that yet - but the police will,” said Mattheus, “not only that, they’ll find out everything about her, including her connection to Frank. Why she even on Frank’s Facebook page?”
Cindy clutched her hands to her heart. “It could have just been business,” she mumbled, trying to keep her world from falling apart further.
“Could have is conjecture,” Mattheus said adamantly. “Frank defriended her for a reason. And, if I recall properly, this beauty told me she had no idea who Frank was.”
Cindy quickly remembered her encounter with Ronnelle at Beggio’s party. “She told me that as well,” Cindy added.
“She lied to both of us,” Mattheus was fortified and quickly took out his cell phone.
“Don’t call the police this minute,” Cindy tried to stop him, but he held up his hand emphatically.
“Cut it out, Cindy. This is serious business. We’re not hiding a thing,” he declared.
*
Mattheus moved out onto the patio as he spoke with the police. Cindy thought for a moment of following after him and listening in, but she couldn’t bear it. This piece of news struck like a knife. Was it actually possible that Frank had been involved with another woman? Cindy had a sinking feeling about it, feeling primarily awful for Ann. Was there any chance that Ann had known about Ronnelle? Had she and Frank talked about it? Had Ann actually known her killer that horrible afternoon when she fought for her life?
Mattheus walked back into the room, looking drawn and sullen.
“What did the police say?” Cindy asked haltingly.
“Are you up for news?” Mattheus asked coming over to her, taking her arm and leading her to a chair to sit down.
“Do I have a choice?” asked Cindy. “Can I make life go back to the way it was if I say no, don’t tell me anything?”
“Nothing goes backwards. You have no choice,” answered Mattheus.