“What are you talking about?” Cindy was horrified.
“Nice little romantic dinner you two are having,” Mattheus said to Cindy. “Very convenient. The minute I turn around and leave, you run to someone else.”
“I didn’t run anywhere,” Cindy felt her face flushing. “I called the police for information and support.”
Alex swiftly stepped between her and Mattheus.
“You’re going off the deep end with that comment,” he said. “Cindy came down to Key West to help you.”
“By having dinner with you?” asked Mattheus.
“This dinner is purely business,” Alex repeated.
“Tell me another,” said Mattheus. “That’s what Shelly said to me, too, about all the guys she had dinner with. They were purely friends. They weren’t though, and I believed every word she said.”
“I am not Shelly,” Cindy declared.
“You can say that again,” said Mattheus.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Cindy.
“It means that at least when Shelly went out to dinner with a guy, she told me in advance. I never got a surprise like this one.”
Alex and Cindy shared a quick glance.
“You thought I’d be at the Rancher’s Bar all night,” said Mattheus, “and so you hooked up with him. Well, the Rancher’s Bar is closed tonight. It’s open tomorrow.”
Cindy wasn’t even going to bother answering Mattheus’s crazy accusations. He was not seeing things clearly, was re-living his relationship with Shelly, and Cindy was the convenient stand in now. Obviously, the surprise of seeing her and Alex together had stirred many memories. Then, Cindy, suddenly remembered Barbara’s comment to her. Don’t make excuses for guys. Face the truth. See things as they are, that’s what keeps you smart and safe.
“Maybe it would be better if Cindy got off the case and went home?” Alex said, trying to calm the turbulent waters.
Mattheus stared at him.
“Seems like things are becoming too volatile. In my opinion, it would be a good idea for Cindy to resign from the case,” Alex maintained.
“Listen, I don’t need you telling my partner what she should or shouldn’t do,” Mattheus grew more agitated.
Alex turned to Cindy. “What do you think?” he said.
Cindy was dumbfounded a moment. Resigning wasn’t her style. True, things had grown volatile between her and Mattheus, but something larger was at stake. There was a search for a killer going on and Cindy was an integral part of it now. Her involvement with the case now went way beyond Mattheus. It was also about her relationship with the women in the Shelter who were desperate to have Shelly’s killer found. She wanted to be there for them as well. They would be devastated if she dropped the case and took off. After all, they deserved a role model who took their situation seriously and didn’t run away at the first sign of trouble.
“I’m not running away,” said Cindy. “I always finish what I start.”
Mattheus guffawed. “That’s not exactly how I’d describe our relationship,” he said. “You didn’t finish anything, just ran away.”
Alex and Cindy exchanged another sudden glance.
“So, that’s what your anger with Cindy is about,” said Alex. “It has nothing to do with this dinner.”
“I didn’t run away, I left,” Cindy burst in. “Your wife ran away, Mattheus, not me. You and I had an agreement that you didn’t want to keep, so I chose to return home. That’s not the same as quitting. I’m not a quitter and I never will be.”
Cindy felt an odd commitment to Shelly too now, a burning urge to discover what had happened in her marriage, and who had really choked her to death.
Mattheus turned towards the door
“I’m disappointed in you Cindy,” he said, “shocked and disappointed,” and started walking away.
Cindy began to go after Mattheus, but Alex put his hand on her shoulder, holding her back.
“Let him go,” said Alex, “give him time. He has no idea what he’s saying. It’s like post-traumatic stress syndrome - little things trigger big memories and feelings, and reality blurs.”
Cindy breathed deeply. Alex was right. Mattheus was in the grip of feelings and memories that suddenly rose up and overwhelmed him. But he’d have to learn how to ride the huge waves of feelings that rose suddenly. Like surfing, sometimes, you caught the waves, sometimes they knocked you over. Before they found Shelly, Mattheus had been steady and calm. Cindy suddenly felt very sad for him, and very much alone.
“If you stay on the case you should check in with me,” Alex offered.