But Cindy could not. How strange that this young woman had been seated at the table right next to theirs. How odd that Cindy actually knew who she was. She was so young and alive last night and now gone? How come?
Cindy could not stop staring at her photo. The woman’s fiancé must be Clay Peters, the guy being held for questioning now. Cindy remembered him well. He’d also seemed lovely, regal and quiet, focused on the woman he’d loved. The two of them had seemed so well suited, but of course, who knew? Then, suddenly, Cindy remembered the other couple who’d unexpectedly joined them. Could they have had anything to do with what happened? Were they still at the hotel? That had to be explored immediately.
Cindy lifted the paper to read more about it, but Mattheus leaned his hand over and put the paper down.
“Let it go, Cindy,” he said softly.
“Do you remember that other couple who arrived unexpectedly and joined her and her boyfriend at their table?” Cindy asked.
“No,” said Mattheus, “I was focused on you. You were focused on them, it seems.”
“They made an impression on me,” Cindy replied.
“I thought it was me making an impression on you,” Mattheus smiled.
“Mattheus, that other couple could have something to do with what happened. I wonder if they’re still at the hotel.”
“It’s not for you to wonder,” said Mattheus.
The waiter arrived with drinks, cheese and crackers.
Cindy couldn’t drink or eat. It was entire possible that this young woman been murdered. What if others at the hotel were also in danger now?
Mattheus looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Cindy, there’s a time to work and a time to stop,” he said more firmly. “This is the time to stop.”
“There could be danger at the hotel right now,” Cindy murmured. “Who knows who’s next?”
Mattheus spread some cheese on a cracker, and gave it to her.
“Eat this,” he said, “lay back, relax. There are police on the island, security guards at the hotel. We’re not the only ones who can handle it. The whole world doesn’t rest on our shoulders.”
Cindy relaxed a moment. Of course what he was saying was true, the whole world didn’t rest on their shoulders. But this seemed different. The young woman who died had been sitting right next to them. There had to be a reason she’d been brought into their world.
“Are you eating your cracker?” Mattheus smiled.
Cindy lifted it to her mouth and nibbled it slowly.
Mattheus rolled over on his lounge chair towards her then. “Good,” he said softly. “Now, eat another. Unwind, relax, I love you, Cindy.”
“And I love you,” she murmured back, in return.
They finished the crackers, jumped into the pool, swam, splashed, hugged and returned to their lounge chairs, ready to order lunch.
When the waiter came to take their orders, Cindy noticed a man and woman walking close behind him, coming their way.
“Here they are,” said the waiter, as they got closer.
Cindy and Mattheus sat straight up.
“Excuse me,” said the waiter, as though Cindy and Mattheus had been waiting to meet the couple, “this is Tyra Hallerson and Carl Duncan.”
Carl nodded to the waiter, “Thank you. Please come back to take orders a little later.” Then he pulled some nearby lounge chairs close to Cindy and Mattheus.
Carl seemed to be in his mid-fifties. He had dark hair, was tall, in charge, well dressed, and nervous. Tyra, blonde and exquisitely groomed was bleary eyed and seemed a few years younger.
Carl began speaking quickly. “I’m Kate’s uncle. This is Kate’s mother, Tyra.”
For a moment Cindy and Mattheus were uncomprehending.
“Kate Hallerson was the young woman found dead,” Carl spoke fitfully. “We arrived on a private jet as soon as we heard the news.”
“I am so sorry,” Cindy said to him.
Carl nodded his head and looked at his sister, who crept closer to him as he spoke. She seemed unable to register what he was saying, kept running her hand across her face.
Carl cleared his throat and continued. “We heard from the police that two incredible private detectives happened to be staying at the hotel right now,” and he looked back and forth between Cindy and Mattheus.
Cindy and Mattheus sat quietly, saying nothing.
“You’ve got a great reputation for busting strange cases wide open. Especially in the Caribbean.”
Tyra started to cry softly then. “Why are we talking to detectives, Carl? I don’t understand it. I can’t believe this is happening,” she mumbled. “I want to see Kate myself.”
Cindy reached out her hand to comfort Tyra. “It takes a long, long while to realize what happened when there’s a terrible shock,” she said softly.
Carl looked at Cindy gratefully as his hands clenched into fists.
“We don’t have much time,” Carl spoke fervently. “Time is the enemy, they get away. Before you know it, the case goes cold. We’ve got to nab the killer right away.”