“I’m proud to be your partner,” said Mattheus, “and proud to know you.”
His words felt like honey pouring through Cindy’s veins. They warmed her and gave her strength and energy. But even though she was glad to have solved the case, even though Kendra was being released from jail that very day, Cindy still felt deeply saddened by the outcome. Margot had lost both her husband and son, and the thought of Nell bearing the burden for the sins of her family, made Cindy ill.
“It’s not totally fair,” said Cindy. “Nell was just over eighteen, so she’ll be charged as an adult and accomplice.”
“Nothing’s totally fair,” said Mattheus. “This kind of victory is often bittersweet.”
“More bitter than sweet,” said Cindy. “I grew to like Nell very much. I’d say she’s more of a victim than a criminal.”
“The courts will take that into account,” Mattheus said.
Cindy wondered. “Maybe,” she said, “What does it say about the sins of the fathers, resting on their children’s heads?”
Mattheus grimaced. “You did the best that you could do. This is not work for the faint hearted.” He put his arm around her for comfort. “You have to face that you did an amazing job.”
“I saved Kendra’s life,” Cindy said, “and destroyed her daughter’s. A quirk of fate.”
“And now we’ve got to move on,” said Mattheus. “There are a lot of calls that have come in about new cases. One in particular, I think, will interest you. It’s on St. Barts.” Mattheus grimaced, looking out. “This one strikes close to home.”
Cindy wondered what he meant by that. As she studied his pained expression, she wondered if this victim had been killed in a similar way to his former wife?
Cindy felt overwhelmed at the idea of jumping onto another case. She didn’t know if she had the strength to go on, the strength to look deeper into murders. And most of all, the strength to grow closer to Mattheus.
She sighed as she looked out at the horizon, at the devastation left by the storm. She knew she had another tough decision to make. She felt Clint’s presence with her strongly, urging her to accept, to find vindication for him. As she saw the sun break through a patch of dark clouds, she thought that maybe, just maybe, she’d say yes.