“She may be missing her mother,” said Cindy.
“It’s more than that,” Aldon’s eyes half squinted.” I asked her about it many times. I said Tara, dear, I see it. Tell me, what’s wrong? Naturally, she shook me off, pretended everything was wonderful. I’m the last one she would confide in.”
“She knows you don’t approve of Lynch?” Cindy asked.
“Yes, she knows I’m very distressed by him,” said Aldon.
“But that didn’t stop her from moving in with him,” Cindy commented quietly.
“No, it hasn’t,” Aldon bristled.
“She must love him a great deal,” said Cindy.
Aldon’s face grew stiff. “Young people these days have no idea what love is,” he scoffed.
“Just do everything you can to find out about him.”
Cindy stood up. “And what if we do find something? Would you have her call off the wedding at this late time?”
“Absolutely,” said Aldon, flushing. “If I can prove to her that Lynch’s not what he seems, she’ll do it herself.”
“How do you know that?” Cindy was doubtful.
“Tara’s not stupid,” Aldon’s voice raised a pitch higher. “She’ll do it. Find out the truth. Dig everything up. Do it fast. Otherwise, I’ll never rest.”
CHAPTER 2
Cindy and Mattheus left Aldon’s room and strolled together out into the warm, Caribbean evening. They didn’t go directly to their room, but first went outside towards the edge of the road, just across from the ocean. The sky was filled with hazy stars and although all seemed idyllic, a current of anxiety hovered between them. Mattheus put his arm around Cindy and she wanted to stay cuddled next to him like that, forever. They stood there quietly a moment, breathing in the aroma of the exquisite flowers that encircled them and Cindy wished she could forget about the disturbing interview with Aldon.
“Definite possibility that the guy’s paranoid,” Mattheus broke the silence.
That thought had occurred to Cindy as well. “Could be,” she agreed, “or could be that he’s just from a different era. It’s definitely hard for him to marry off his daughter, when he can’t stand the groom.”
“Lots of guys don’t like their son in laws,” said Mattheus, “they don’t call in private detectives to dig up dirt on them a few days before the wedding. Besides, he’s already investigated and found nothing. I don’t know what he thinks we’ll find down here.”
“It’s a different world down here,” said Cindy, “different folks to talk to, different places to look. Obviously, people know Lynch down here. He spends lots of his time working on the island.”
“This doesn’t pass the smell test,” Mattheus grumbled, “you can always find something about anyone.” He obviously didn’t like the assignment and Cindy wondered if he was actually going to take it on.
“Aldon’s sensing something though,” said Cindy. “Sometimes parents know things in their gut. He deserves to feel reassured before the wedding goes on. I think we should give the case a whirl.”
“What do we have? Two or three days?” asked Mattheus.
“It’s a sprint, but we can do it,” said Cindy. “There enough time.”
Mattheus stepped back and looked at her. “Why are you so eager?” he seemed surprised. “I wouldn’t think this would be the kind of case you’d have an appetite for.”
Cindy shook her head slightly, tossing her long hair back from her face. “Because I trust gut instincts,” she said quietly. “They’re worth exploring. I’ve seen bad things happen when they’re not listened to.”
“Sometimes, it’s true” said Mattheus, “but there’s got to be more. You like the guy? You identify with him?”
Cindy laughed and looked straight into Mattheus eyes. “No, I’m nothing at all like Aldon, but I can relate to how he’s feeling. I also need to be sure things are straight up. I don’t like to be lied to, either.”
Mattheus smiled and his eyes crinkled. “You can say that again,” he said. “That’s why I love having you for a partner so much, Cindy.”
“I love working with you, too, Mattheus,” Cindy replied. “So we’re taking the case?”
“I’m not sure,” Mattheus still felt uneasy. “Aldon has absolutely no evidence that Lynch is lying to him or falsifying who he really is. Could be he’s just looking for ways to get between the bride and groom, make trouble of some kind. Could be he’s jealous of his future son in law, wants to keep control.”