“Hidden or private?” Mattheus interjected.
“Both hidden and private,” said Cindy. “He was involved in stuff with his company that had him killed – on our honeymoon!”
“I know,” said Mattheus, stroking her shoulders again. “I know how much you loved him and what a horrible loss it was.”
“I’ll never let that happen again,” said Cindy.
“Let what happen?” asked Mattheus, “adoring someone, believing them, just being happy to be at their side?”
Cindy took Mattheus’s hands off her shoulders. “That’s not what I’m saying and you know it.
I’ll never let myself be so na?ve again, just go along with what people say.”
“Okay, that’s fine,” said Mattheus. “That’s what makes you a great detective now. But, stop a minute and listen to me. There’s more to life than being a detective. Loving someone again like that, believing them, trusting completely, that’s the icing on the cake.”
Cindy stopped and looked into Mattheus’s gorgeous eyes. She knew he was right and wished she could give him the kind of love and trust he was asking for. At times she felt that way towards him, other times fear and suspicion arose.
“It’s okay,” said Mattheus slowly then. “We’re doing great. We’ve been through a lot and we’re still here, aren’t we?”
Cindy smiled. Mattheus had a charm about him that was irresistible. It usually surfaced at the end of a case, when they were winding down like this.
“You know, Cindy,” Mattheus said then, looking out at the boats and sea, “I feel about you the same way you felt about Clint.”
Cindy stopped and listened, really taken aback.
“I adore you, I believe in you, and I’d trust you with my life,” Mattheus went on.
“My God, Mattheus,” Cindy responded, taken completely unaware. Then she put her hands on his face and turned it towards her. “That was so beautiful, thank you so much,” she whispered.
“But you’ve got to feel the same way about me, too,” Mattheus went on softly.
“I know I do,” said Cindy.
“Is it possible?” Mattheus asked.
“Everything is possible,” Cindy replied.
“You can let go of this stuff with my daughter?” Mattheus continued hopefully.
Cindy pulled back. “What has one thing got to do with another? Your daughter’s part of you, Mattheus, and I want to meet her so much.”
Thankfully, just at that moment, Mattheus’s phone rang. He picked up and it was Rodney.
“Fingerprints on the corpse don’t match Dawl’s,” was the first thing Rodney said.
“Oh boy,” said Mattheus. “I really hoped for definitive results. This just adds to the confusion.”
“Well, there’s evidence for Dawl and against him,” Rodney continued. “And, since the actual murder took place around five, his alibi for later in the evening doesn’t mean a thing.”
“So, where do we go from here?” asked Mattheus.
“You go home and call it a day,” said Rodney. “You’re done. Let the system takes over.”
“Thanks for your help,” said Mattheus, “it’s meant a great deal.” Then he hung up the phone.
“He feels it’s all over?” asked Cindy.
“He’s right. That’s about it,” replied Mattheus.
Cindy shook her head. “But I’m not going home without talking to Raina one more time.”
“What do you think you’re going to get from her?” Mattheus seemed irritated. “You think she’s going to confess that these goons work for her company, that she called them on board to cover for her son?”
Cindy thought about it a moment. “No, that’s not what I think,” she said. “I actually think Lynch got caught in the cross hairs. But there’s more information we need from Raina. And, I’m not going to go about it directly. I’m going to go in from a side angle, going to set her up.”
“Come on, now you’re going off the deep edge,” said Mattheus. “Obsessions are contagious. Everyone’s prone to them at any time.”
“This is not an obsession,” said Cindy. “I need one more try.”
“Try for what?” Mattheus was irritated.
“I want to probe the corners,” Cindy demanded. “If these witnesses work for Raina’s company, we have no other choice.”
“Listen,” said Mattheus. “From what I understand, a large part of the island works for Raina’s company, in one way or another.”
“Like it or not, I’ve got to do it, Mattheus,” Cindy insisted.
“Why?” He seemed adamant.
“Because an innocent man’s life could be at stake,” said Cindy.
“Dawl doesn’t look like such an innocent man,” Mattheus shot back at her. “He told a million people he wanted Tara dead.”
“Having a big mouth is one thing, going to jail for murder is another,” Cindy replied.
“Okay, so do what you want,” said Mattheus, “but I don’t want any part of this.”
“Fine,” said Cindy. “I can handle it on my own.”