Cindy wasn’t ruling anything out. Perhaps somebody was holding him? Or he died accidentally? It was also possible that he was the victim of a murderer. Anything could have happened, and Cindy couldn’t help shaking the feeling that Ames’s fate had been much darker than anyone thought. There was no specific reason she felt that way, either. Just something she sensed that wouldn’t go away.
Before Cindy took the next step and met the Captain, she had a desire to check in with the police again. She wanted to bounce her findings off them, see if they could confirm the information, or had anything to add. It would be grounding to hear their responses to what she’d discovered.
Cindy knew that she’d agreed to tell Dalia about each appointment she set up and what came of it. That was becoming harder and harder, though, as she learned more about Ames’s behavior. Fortunately, after Cindy’s meeting with Nina, Dalia hadn’t asked much.
Cindy didn’t want to mention to Dalia that she planned to speak to the police again now.
She made arrangements on her own for Mattheus to pick her up from Dalia’s house.
In a short while Mattheus drove up to the house in a police car.
Cindy rushed out the door to greet him in a bright yellow sundress, sandals with her hair loose and blowing in the wind. She was glad he was coming to pick her up and forgot about changing into a professional outfit.
Mattheus’s eyes opened wide when he saw her. He quickly got out of the car and opened the door on the other side.
Cindy got in and as they drove away from the house, into town, she felt her body relaxing.
“I’m taking you to La Conch,” he said, “an outdoor café. From the looks of you, seems like it’s awhile since you’ve had a relaxing meal. ”
Cindy lifted her hand to her hair, as if she might seem in disarray.
Mattheus laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with the way you look,” he said. “In fact, you look wonderful, like a different person in a simple dress. Much better than before, dressed for business, with your hair all tied up. ”
Cindy blushed. She didn’t like him crossing the line, but wasn’t going to say anything about it. From what she was discovering, this entire island said and did whatever they felt like.
“Sorry if I offended you,” Mattheus said, looking at her and half grinning. “It’s been a long while since I’ve seen a lady blush.”
Cindy blushed more deeply then, and he broke into a winning smile. She just turned her head and looked out the window until they arrived at La Conch.
*
He parked and led her into a lovely small, street side café. A warm, heavy, smiling man came over to greet him with a big grin.
“What can I do for you this beautiful morning?” she said.
“A table for two in a quiet spot,” said Mattheus.
The man looked over at Cindy approvingly and grinned.
Cindy and Mattheus were given a lovely table near a big palm plant.
“Okay, shoot,” Mattheus said then, “what can I do for you?”
Cindy decided to plunge right in and let him know what she’d found out.
“I spoke to Elizabeth first,” she started.
“Good. You interviewed her in the spa? ”
Cindy laughed and so did Mattheus. It was a relief to make light of it, if only for a moment.
“We talked about her marriage to Ames,” Cindy continued, “she said it was good and that he’d been fair to her.”
“Their divorce settlement was sealed,” said Mattheus, “but from everything we discovered, things were amicable between them. He took good care of both her and the son. ”
“She also told me that Ames was a women’s man, and that he’d been having an affair with Nina,” Cindy went on.
“Wouldn’t exactly call it an affair,” said Mattheus. “He was sleeping with her on and off.”
Cindy listened intently. “Is there a difference between that and an affair?” she asked.
“A very big difference,” said Mattheus. “When they’re having an affair, there’s emotional involvement, obligation. When they’re just sleeping with someone, it’s not such a big deal. Doesn’t usually have such an impact on the case, in general. They don’t leave their wives when they’re sleeping with someone. They do when it’s an affair. ”
Cindy was fascinated. There was a lot she needed to learn. “Okay,” she said.
“You’re not so experienced with this kind of thing?” Mattheus said, half inquiringly, half amused.
In fact, Cindy wasn’t. “This is my first case,” she reminded him. “Besides the case of my husband.”
“I wouldn’t call that a case,” Mattheus said, “that was a wife trying to rescue a husband, -- bringing the guy who killed him to justice. That’s something completely different. ”
Cindy fell silent for a moment. This guy was smart. He knew what he was doing, had probably been in the business for a while.
“It’s okay,” Mattheus interrupted her thoughts. “I’m not saying you can’t do a good job. I actually think you can. I’m just trying to help you sort things out. ”
“I appreciate that,” said Cindy.
“What else did you find?” Mattheus seemed fascinated, sitting here with her.
“Elizabeth also said that Dalia had a lot of money, and gave plenty to Ames for his needs.”