“I wasn’t even sure we meant it,” Cindy said hesitantly.
At that Mattheus leaned forward.
“I meant it,” he said, with no hesitation. “I mean what I say.” He looked at her searchingly. “How about you?”
“You’ve been a police officer for years,” said Cindy. “I have no training.”
“You have an instinctive gift. You’re unstoppable. Let’s go over the details of this new case before I say anymore.” He pulled out a file. “This woman’s husband, a well know criminal attorney in St. Thomas, the father of a daughter. He was murdered and thrown like garbage into an alleyway, behind the open markets.”
“Horrible,” said Cindy.
“The police are focusing in on the wife. She’s terrified. Not only by the loss of her husband, but by being interrogated night and day. Her entire world has been ripped apart. You can imagine why she’d love to have a woman helping.”
“Of course I can,” said Cindy.
“She insists that she’s completely innocent - knows nothing at all about what happened.”
Cindy suddenly felt as though she were hearing an echo from the past case she’d worked on. Dalia had also proclaimed her innocence, right up to the end. It was startling for Cindy to realize that her natural trust in people was disappearing fast. Her first reaction now was to doubt and to question.
“What else do you have to do that’s more important than this?” Mattheus honed in on her, refusing to let go.
“Nothing,” said Cindy. “Except going back home and resuming a normal life.” Even as she said it, she was aware that her life could never be normal again.
“Every life is normal if you’re doing what you’re supposed to,” Mattheus replied.
Cindy remembered then why she respected him so. Her heart warmed.
“We’ll go together. I’ll back you up - you won’t be alone. We can call the company C and M Investigation,” he laughed. “We work well together. We’re a good team.”
Cindy could not deny that.
“The woman in St. Thomas needs an answer right away,” Matthew was insistent. “It’s almost hurricane season there and they have to work as quickly as possible now to gather all the evidence. There are lots of lives at stake here, the woman, her family, and who knows who else? Could be a killer is on the loose.”
“I hear you,” said Cindy. “I hear everything.”
“I’m surprised you’re not jumping in.”
“Give me an hour or so,” Cindy said, her head suddenly reeling. It was too much for her take in all at once. She needed just a little while to walk on the beach, be with herself, and make sure this was the right decision. It was not only about working on the new case, it was joining forces with Mattheus, creating a private detective agency. Cindy looked at him sitting there, handsome, confident, rugged. It was as if he’d always been in her life. But he hadn’t. Just five months ago, she’d been married to Clint, going off with him on their honeymoon. They’d had a home and friends they’d loved. She’d worked as an investigative reporter and had hopes of having a family one day-- not tracking down killers in the Caribbean.
Cindy pushed herself away from the table and Mattheus stood up as well.
“Take as much time as you need,” he said calmly.
“I’ll let you know in an hour or so,” she said.
Mattheus smiled and so did Cindy as the wind in the trees began blowing up, tossing Cindy’s hair into her face.
“It’s just that everything is happening so quickly,” said Cindy, pushing her hair away.
“I know,” Mattheus nodded, “New beginnings are often like that.”
*
Cindy left her sandals at the edge of the beach and walked barefoot through the soft, white sand up to the water’s edge. The light was fading and it was definitely cooler as the wind tossed against her face and arms. Cindy reached out her hands as if to hold onto the breeze. Would she ever get home? Would she ever again be the person she was? A few small sandpipers flew to where she was standing and looked up at her. Cindy smiled. The islands had taken everything from her, but then had also given her one gift after another, in the most unusual ways. Could it be that this was to be her new home?