Mattheus looked up at Cindy and rubbed his eyes. “You knew there’d be trouble right away,” he commented. “I made light of it. I was wrong.”
Cindy found Mattheus’s comment unsettling. It was not like him.
“Not at all,” she replied, “there’s totally no reason to blame yourself. I had no idea Tara would end up dead.” Cindy’s voice clenched in her throat as she said it. The shock of Tara’s death hit her in waves and actually saying it out loud, suddenly made it real.
“I should have paid more attention to what you said,” Mattheus was ruminating.
“Mattheus, stop it,” Cindy wanted to snap him out of it right away. Once they went down the road of self blame it was hard coming back from it. It shook their confidence and clouded their perception of what was going on right now. “There’s nothing to be gained from blaming yourself,” Cindy added.
“Maybe I do though?” Mattheus answered, oddly.
“For what?” Cindy asked sharply.
“A young woman ended up dead,” Mattheus echoed, “who could have foreseen it?”
“But, I was the one who said we should tell Tara’s father what we found out,” Cindy insisted. “You didn’t want to. If we’d listened to you -.”
“Nah, I was wrong. We had to,” said Mattheus.
“You can’t look back with what ifs?” Cindy insisted.
“Tara didn’t deserve to die,” Mattheus said sounding heartbroken.
“No one deserves to die,” said Cindy sadly. “That’s why we do what we do, remember?”
*
It was definitely time to spring into action. Mattheus called Raina then, put her on speaker phone, and asked if he could come by to speak to her. To both Cindy and Mattheus’s surprise, Raina insisted upon Cindy coming as well.
“I have nothing to hide,” Raina said, “you’re both on the case so bring Cindy along.”
“You’re sure?” said Mattheus.
“Of course I’m sure,” said Raina. “Both of you come and let’s get it over with.”
“Get it over with?” Cindy said to Mattheus, after he hung up and they were getting ready to go speak to her. “That’s an odd way to put it. Tara’s life is already over with. You’d think Raina would be focusing on finding the killer, not getting an interview over with.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions, or the interview won’t go anywhere,” said Mattheus, “Raina has plenty to tell us. Let’s keep an open mind and give her a chance.”
As they walked out of their room, down the hall to the elevator, Cindy realized that she had no desire to speak to Raina, or give her a chance. “I don’t like Raina,”Cindy said as they stepped into the elevator to leave the hotel.
“Whether you love her or hate her doesn’t matter a damn,” Mattheus replied. “All that matters is that you keep your ears and eyes open and hear everything she’s telling you. That’s what you’re being paid to do.”
Of course Cindy realized she was on a case and she had every intention of doing her best. She always did and was proud of that fact. She was also proud to be going to the interview with Mattheus, and able to share the findings with him. In times of difficulty, Mattheus was unshakeable, able to stand like a tree with roots that plunged hundreds of miles into the earth. She loved that about him and she needed it.
*
When Cindy and Mattheus came to the door of Raina’s suite, it was slightly ajar, so they could walk in right in without Raina having to open the door for them. Before they entered though, Mattheus knocked loudly, so as not to make an unannounced appearance.
““I’m here in the main room,” Raina called out. “Just come in.”
They walked in and looked around. As Cindy might have imagined Raina’s suite was on the top floor of the hotel, incredibly lavish, with every amenity one could dream of. They walked into the main room and there was Raina, on an opulent, blue velvet sofa, looking like a queen, about to receive her subjects. She was dressed in a long skirt and lavender, silk kimono blouse.
“Sit down,” Raina commanded as they entered, as if she were holding court.
Cindy and Mattheus did as she requested and sat on two velvet chairs, directly facing her.
“We are terribly sorry for your loss,” Cindy started, taking Raina by surprise.
“Lynch’s loss,” Raina corrected her. “It’s a horrible shock for him, he’s a mess.”
“And you too, of course,” Mattheus interjected. “This can’t be easy for anyone.”
Raina looked over at Mattheus gratefully, and smiled. “It’s lovely of you to think of me at a terrible time like this,” she remarked. “Naturally, everyone’s totally only concerned with how this tragedy is affecting Lynch.”
Again Cindy noted in passing how odd it seemed that Raina didn’t seem concerned at all about Tara, only how her death affected others.