“What do you mean?” asked Cindy.
“Tiffany was a free spirit. She loved to bike, dance, hike, do acrobatics. I like to read, paint, to collect things. I actually have an amazing collection of antique clocks. When we first met, she wasn’t ready yet and neither was I. It was too much to handle.”
“What made you decide to get together?” Cindy asked interested.
“There was something between us that wouldn’t go away,” said Tad. “I saw it in her eyes when she looked at me. Nobody ever looked at me like that. And, she never, ever looked that way at anyone else. I liked that.”
“How did she look at you?” asked Cindy.
“The way someone looks at you when they know that the two of you are destined to be together, that nothing could ever tear you apart.”
“You weren’t jealous when she was out at parties, dating other guys?” asked Mattheus.
“No, I wasn’t,” said Tad. “I dated other people too, quieter girls, calmer, who seemed more suitable for me. But actually, they weren’t. And I was still away at college. I had to graduate first before I could live near her. I knew she and I needed to see others before we could commit. Our dates didn’t mean anything for either of us. We were just marking time. And I never doubted for a second that after I graduated, we would be together.”
“Sounds like you loved her for a long time,” said Cindy.
“That’s putting it mildly,” said Tad, his eyes suddenly tearing again. “The first thing I did after I graduated was to move up close by. Then we really started dating. We’d waited so long, our feelings were so strong by then, nothing was in the way. It only took a few months before we decided to get engaged.” Tad’s hands, clenched in fists, kept opening and closing. “It was beautiful between us then, perfect. We couldn’t stand to be apart for more than a few hours. I got a job on a newspaper right where she lived. Things fell into place quickly.”
Cindy remembered her days as a reporter and smiled.
“You guys didn’t fight?” she had to go deeper. “Sounds as if you were very different. Nothing in particular you wrangled about?”
Tad smiled oddly. “Sure we disagreed now and then. She wanted me to come with her to her parties and I preferred being alone, at times. I liked walking on rocky beaches, she liked hanging out with friends. I loved books and classical music. She couldn’t get enough of jazz. Stuff like that. But what did it matter? Something much deeper held us together.”
“Didn’t you fight about those things?” Cindy had to pursue it, push him a little.
“We didn’t fight. We never fought. We disagreed,” Tad’s voice grew slightly strident. “Tiffany had no problem telling me what she wanted and how she felt about what was going on. I accepted it. I had to. I knew how much she loved me,” Tad’s body started shaking, as his voice caught in his throat. “She was so thrilled we were getting married, said it was the happiest time of her life. She was all I ever wanted, too!”
Tad began rubbing his hands up and down his arms. Cindy could see how exhausting all of this had to be for him.
“How about your families?” asked Mattheus.
“Our families were happy about it. Especially her father. He’s an amazing guy who’s surrounded by women in the family - always wanted a son just like me. And I always wanted a father just like him.”
“And your family?” asked Cindy.
“They loved Tiffany. Everyone did. I never heard one person ever say a bad word about her. My father said he couldn’t understand how someone like her would want someone like me.” Tad’s face grew stony a moment.”
“He was kidding, of course,” said Mattheus.
“Of course,” said Tad.
“How about your mom?” asked Cindy.
“My mom loved Tiffany from the start. The two of them were as tight as could be. My sister Cissy felt a little jealous. Before Tiffany came into the family she was the only girl on the block. But Tiffany won everyone’s heart, even Cissy’s.”
He stopped talking mid-sentence, and stared out into space again, as if trying to digest what he was saying.
“Where are you parents now, Tad?” asked Mattheus.
“They’re at their home Pebble Beach, a few miles away. The police have interviewed them a few times. What can they say? They’re horrified.”
“I can only imagine,” said Cindy.
“I’d like to meet them,” said Mattheus.
“There’s no reason for it,” said Tad. “There’s nothing they can tell you. They don’t have the slightest idea what happened to Tiffany. And it hurts them to go over this time and again.”
“We’ll have to speak to them anyway,” Mattheus said softly.
“Where were you when it happened?” Cindy asked quietly then.
“I already told everyone,” said Tad, growing slightly edgy. “I was scuba diving at Jimmy Bolton’s place. He confirmed it. He saw me there.”