It took a short while for Cindy to get back to the hotel. The taxi drove up to the entrance and you could hear the music, laughter and partying coming from inside. Cindy was relieved to be alone. She tipped the driver, raced up to her room, took off her fancy evening clothes and threw them on the sofa. Then she put on a robe and went out onto the patio to just sit and look at the stars. It helped to breathe the salty air and let the warm evening breezes wash over her. In just a few hours her entire world had turned around. Her relationship with Mattheus was different. He didn’t feel like someone she could turn to for safety anymore. But, that was okay, she said to herself. Why did she have to turn to anyone for safety? It was time to grow up, become a mountain of strength not only for others, but for herself as well.
As she sat out there musing, her cell phone rang. It had to be Mattheus, wondering where she was. She couldn’t bring herself to pick the phone up. Cindy was actually shocked at the depth of her feelings. She was more upset and jealous than she could remember, or had any right to be. This was crazy, she told herself. What had Mattheus actually done? Flirted with her a little, and then been completely drawn in by that gorgeous woman. Okay, it happened in front of her eyes, but Cindy and Mattheus weren’t a couple. She had to remind herself of that, over and over. It was easy to get lost in a fantasy down here, take little things to mean much more than they did. She must have been lonelier than she realized, and probably he was too.
The phone rang again, and she still couldn’t answer. Despite herself, their relationship had meant a lot. She and Mattheus played on the edge of intimacy time and again. They’d come to a moment and then retreat. There always were intimations, flirtations, soft suggestions in the air. Hanuah’s words had probably been designed to create suspicion and a wedge between them. These guys down here were snakes, Petrovich, Hanuah. They knew exactly what they were doing. Cindy shuddered at the thought of them. Then, Andy crossed her mind lightly. He was so normal, plain, uninteresting, but good to talk to anyway. Living this life, working day after day in the heart of suffering, intrigue and crime, she’d forgotten about people like him.
The cell phone rang a third time. Cindy knew she had to pick it up and let Mattheus know she was safe. She picked up.
“Where the hell are you?” Mattheus sounded furious and scared.
“Back at the hotel,” said Cindy. “I’m fine.”
“Well, I’m not,” said Mattheus. “I’m pissed as hell. You don’t just pick up and run out on your partner.”
Just who exactly ran out on whom? Cindy thought.
She flushed “You didn’t have your partner run out on you,” Cindy said lightly. “You had her right at your side all night long.”
Silence on the other end. “I don’t believe what I’m hearing,” Mattheus said finally.
Cindy closed her eyes. She wanted to hang up, but knew she couldn’t.
“You ran out because you were jealous?” He sounded dumbstruck.
Cindy had nothing to say.
“You acted like a spoiled child,” Mattheus said.
No, like a woman in love, Cindy realized. Tears fell down her face as the conversation continued. This was the last thing she wanted or needed, to be in love with Mattheus.
“You could have endangered both of us,” said Mattheus, calmer now.
“Endangered you? I don’t see how.”
“Really? If something happened to you, what do you think I’d do? Go nuts.”
“I guess,” said Cindy sadly.
“You guess? What the hell’s going on? You don’t sound like you’re in your right mind,” he said.
It was a harsh statement, but probably true, thought Cindy. She’d gotten mixed up, allowed herself to develop feelings for Mattheus that had no place in their lives. It was easy for old longings to replay, old hopes to get dashed.
“There are more dangers doing this work than I realized,” Cindy said quietly.
“What do you mean by that?” Mattheus asked.
“Figure it out,” said Cindy, annoyed at his denseness and hung up the phone.
*
Cindy awoke in the morning clear headed and ordered breakfast up in the room. She wasn’t ready to see Mattheus yet. And, on his side, he didn’t call.
Cindy knew she had to alert him about her encounter with Hanuah, and she would. He’s probably sleeping in, thought Cindy. After all, it’s Christmas Day. But then, she decided to forcibly stop thinking about him, and turn her attention to the task at hand. The time they had left to work down here was limited. She needed to continue to gather whatever facts she could before they were actually kicked off the island.
Several things were uppermost in her mind right now –checking further into Tad’s alibi to see if anyone else saw him scuba diving, and also, finding out more about Frances. It was important to see if there was anything at all that actually linked him the crime.
In a little while, Cindy’s phone rang and to her relief it wasn’t Mattheus, it was Rori.
Cindy picked up immediately. Rori had been on her mind these past few days. The video of the engagement party showed that Rori and Frances were close. Cindy’d wanted to talk to her not only about Frances, but find out if she knew whether someone had seen Tad scuba diving.
“Hi,” said Rori, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you,” said Cindy.
“Sorry to bother you on a day like this, but I was just wondering if you might have an hour to meet with me?” asked Rori. “I’m going stir crazy on the boat and want to get off and take a walk. I can’t stand being with the family another minute.”
“Absolutely,” said Cindy delighted. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. “Where do you want to meet?”
“How about Gagua Beach?” said Rori.