“Leave you, leave the case, leave Key West. It’s all the same, isn’t it?”
Mattheus, stunned, listened to her. It was as if a strong wave had come off the ocean and slapped him hard across the face.
“Cindy already left me,” he said after a long while.
“Left? She’s right here now,” Ann looked at him as though he were cagey.
“She only came down here to help with the case,” Mattheus continued, “I meant she left me in Grenada.”
“I don’t care why she came down,” Ann wouldn’t give him an inch, “she’s here and that’s what matters! And I want her gone!”
“Whoah,” Mattheus held his arm out now, “that’s going too far.”
Frank came closer as if to stand with Ann.
“This isn’t where Cindy belongs, it’s not her life,” Ann wouldn’t stop, giving Mattheus one dose after another of electric shock therapy.
“Only Cindy can say what her life is and where she belongs,” Mattheus tried to respond.
“Right now, I’m committed to completing this case,” Cindy announced. “I’m in touch with the police, but I need real backup. I can’t do it alone.”
“Of course you need back up,” Mattheus was waking up.
“It’s not what I’m getting,” Cindy repeated, not meeting his beseeching eyes.
“Cindy,” Mattheus walked closer to her.
Ann immediately wedged herself between them.
“Your wife has been killed,” Ann said to Mattheus directly, “you’ve called my sister down to help find the killer. Is that right? Is that fair? The two of you had a romantic relationship. How can you pretend it’s all just business now? That’s impossible. It’s not all business. It’s a mess!”
Mattheus stood straighter, as if he were coming to his senses. “You’re right,” he said suddenly, “it is impossible.”
Cindy was amazed.
“I’m very sorry,” Mattheus went on. Suddenly he was upright and tall, fully present, the guy Cindy had always known.
“Sorry doesn’t mean a damn,” Ann didn’t like anything about him - that was clear as day.
Mattheus paid no attention, just turned to Cindy.
“If you want to leave, I completely understand,” he said, looking at her directly. “I’m a mess, and probably never should have asked you to come here in the first place. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m still not. But I do know one thing for sure, I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Cindy. “Whether or not you should have asked me, you did. I said yes, and here I am. I’m not running out on anyone.”
Ann’s eyes shot fire at both of them. “You’re making a mistake, Cindy,” she uttered and spun around on her heel. “I for one am getting hungry now and believe we have a dinner reservation!
“We do,” said Cindy, “and I’m hungry, too.”
“May I join you?” asked Mattheus, softly.
“Join us?” Ann was perturbed. The thought of it rankled her.
“May I?” He repeated to Cindy.
“Yes, of course, you can join us,” said Cindy, as she looked at Ann. “In fact, one of the reasons my sister and brother in law came down here originally, was to meet you face to face.”
*
Dinner went quickly with almost no one looking at each other. They all ate slowly, made one word comments and when dinner was over, Ann and Frank got up, pushed their chairs away, and said they had to get to bed to make an early plane.
Ann gave Cindy a little hug and didn’t say good bye to Mattheus. Frank gave him a perfunctory nod and the two of them left.
The moment they were gone the atmosphere lifted.
“Whew,” said Mattheus, “that had to be one of the most unpleasant dinners I’ve ever sat through. This is your family?”
Cindy was disturbed, but tried to make light of it. “It’s not how they are normally, they’re just terribly worried about me right now.”
“And I’m the bad guy in this scenario?” asked Mattheus. ”You’ve told them awful things about me?”
“No, I haven’t,” said Cindy, “in fact, they don’t know you at all.”
“They don’t want to, either,” said Mattheus. “Their minds are all made up.”
Cindy felt badly about that. “It’s not you, it’s the work. They connect you with it and hate having me do it. They want me home, safe.”
“Sure,” said Mattheus, “I get that. They want a normal, stable life for their sister.”
“Can you blame them?” asked Cindy.
“Of course I can’t,” Mattheus said.
“They want me to have a chance to have a family, sink new roots down,” Cindy continued.
“Everyone deserves a family,” said Mattheus, “everyone deserves roots with someone they love.” He turned and looked at her with his eyes open and clear. “It’s what I want, too.”
Cindy’s heart began beating hard. It might be that was what Mattheus wanted, but was he able to make that wish real? Could he sustain a relationship or was he addicted to solving cases, running away from real intimacy?