As she got ready Cindy couldn’t help but wonder if Mattheus hadn’t just disappeared like this on Shelly, too? If not physically, then emotionally? Cindy knew that Mattheus had planned gone to Rancher’s Bar to speak to Tommy today, but had no idea what happened. He was definitely excluding her from his part in the investigation. Was it because the case involved him and he was ashamed? Whatever it was, it left her unguarded. It was his responsibility to keep in touch.
Cindy put on a lovely orange silk dress, brushed her hair, and noticed that she had a bit of a sun tan from her time down at the pool. Despite what she was going through, she looked healthy and glowing, ready for a night out on the town. So much for appearances, she thought .
Cindy took a light straw evening bag, put a lipstick and her keys in it, grabbed a summer sweater and went down to the lobby to wait for Ann and Frank. In what seemed like no time at all, they walked into the hotel and right over to where she was waiting.
“Cindy,” Ann was excited and threw her arms around her.
Frank stood back and watched them from a distance.
“My God, it’s so good to see you,” Ann exclaimed.
Cindy hugged her back. “Thanks Ann, for everything.”
“How about me?” asked Frank then, coming over.
Just as Cindy was going to give Frank a hug, to her shock she looked up and there was Mattheus, standing a few feet away watching them, intently.
“Oh my God,” said Cindy, “it’s Mattheus.”
Ann and Frank spun around, looking at him, as if they’d found a cornered animal.
Mattheus walked over to join them then as if it were the most natural thing in the world. To Cindy’s surprise, he looked quite dashing, freshly showered, in dark blue slacks and a summer shirt. Actually, he seemed completely different from the rumpled guy he’d been since they’d arrived. She wondered why.
Mattheus, this is my sister Ann and her husband Frank,” Cindy introduced them.
“Hi,” said Mattheus, looking at Ann and then Frank. “For a second I thought this guy was a new boyfriend of yours,” Mattheus joked, motioning to Frank.
That comment didn’t sit well with Ann. She looked at Mattheus quizzically. “And who exactly was my sister’s old boyfriend?”
Mattheus tried to make light of it. “I’m sure a woman as beautiful as Cindy has many boyfriends,” he said.
Frank didn’t like that either. “She had a hell of a husband,” Frank answered directly, “wasn’t the kind to run around.”
“Hey, I’m just making a pleasantry,” Mattheus said to Frank, reacting to the anger in Frank’s tone.
“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Frank responded.
“What did you hear?” Mattheus was becoming edgy.
Cindy immediately got between them, wanting to prevent this from escalating.
“My sister and brother in law are down for the day and we’re about to have dinner,” said Cindy.
“Great,” said Mattheus. “How come I didn’t hear about it?”
Cindy looked at him puzzled. “I called earlier today and left you a message. Did you receive it?”
“Actually, no,” Mattheus rubbed his forehead. “I haven’t been focusing on calls today.”
“What have you been focusing on, Mattheus?” Ann stepped out strongly then.
“I beg your pardon?” Mattheus was put off.
“I mean what’s going on down here with you and Cindy?” Ann didn’t back down.
Mattheus looked like a deer caught in the headlights, glancing back and forth between Cindy and Ann.
“My sister is very protective of me,” said Cindy. “She doesn’t like me working alone.”
“You’re far from alone,” Mattheus grimaced.
“If I don’t hear back from you all day, Mattheus,” said Cindy, “then I am alone.”
“Is that what you told your sister? That you’re alone down here, so she came down to check on you?”
“I never said that to her.”
“She didn’t have to say it,” said Ann. “You can feel when someone you love is in danger, can’t you?”
“Sometimes you can and sometimes you can’t,” said Mattheus, rattled. “But Cindy is not in danger. I would never, ever allow that to happen.”
“Maybe you have inadvertently?” said Ann.
Mattheus wasn’t taking this laying down. “Who are you to make those kinds of judgments?” he threw Ann a fierce look.
It didn’t affect Ann in the slightest. “Is it appropriate for Cindy to be working on this case? Does she have the support she needs for it?”
Mattheus seemed startled by her question. “I don’t know how to answer that,” he said, suddenly shaky.
“But you have to,” said Ann. “It’s your wife who was just found murdered - you can’t implicate someone else in this situation, unless you’re ready to give them complete support.”
Ann was going too far, and Cindy didn’t like it. “Wait a minute, Ann,” Cindy interrupted.
“Let your sister talk,” Frank got into the fray. “She happens to be right.”
“I’ve always supported Cindy,” Mattheus started, but Ann interrupted him again.
“We don’t need pretty talk. We need to make sure that things are straight up here, that Cindy is well cared for. I, for one, don’t think she is! I want her to go home, leave immediately.” Ann wasn’t mincing words.
“Leave me?” Mattheus seemed to be reeling.