“Yes, I do,” said Cindy uneasy.
“It’s possible, of course, that suicide runs in the genes,” Wendell mused slowly. “There are medical reports that suggest it. I’ve read them from time to time.”
“How exactly was Kate depressed?” Cindy needed more specifics.
Wendell looked up at Cindy, his eyes clouded. “Kate would sit at the dinner table and not say a word for long, long intervals,” he started. “My sister, Flora, used to do that as well. I recognized the pattern immediately, felt it was a sign of danger. I mentioned it to Tyra too, but she said I was being morose, and to forget it. I didn’t do much about it, beyond that, though.”
“How old was Kate when she did that?” asked Cindy.
“On and off her whole life long,” said Wendell.
“Did you ask her what was bothering her?” asked Cindy.
“No, in truth, I did not,” Wendell began rubbing his hands on his temples again. “I was afraid to hear. Deep down I knew she was brooding about how difficult and lonely life can be.”
“But Kate had many friends and a wonderful family, she had everything she needed,” Cindy interrupted.
“On the surface perhaps, but what difference does that make, really?” said Wendell. “Deep down Kate was still very lonely. I knew that about her and about my sister and mother as well.”
“You knew it because you’d lost them both? “asked Cindy.
“Precisely,” said Wendell, relieved that someone finally understood. “Loneliness like that is hard to bear. I never asked Kate about it, but I did make sure that her uncle Carl came over as often as possible.”
“Kate felt better when Carl was around?” asked Cindy.
Wendell’s face lit up. “Yes, she did. Much better. Kate and Carl had an uncanny bond. Of course, on the one hand, I was a bit jealous. But, on the other hand, I was also grateful for it. Tyra was grateful as well. She never spent much time with Kate either. Tyra’s quite the society lady running around.”
“Did that suit you?” asked Cindy.
“Indeed,” said Wendell. “In fact I needed it. You’ve met Tyra, I assume? You see how charming and affable she can be. She keeps my spirits lifted. So, it was fine with both of us to have Carl take over Kate.”
“Take over?” That was quite a way to put it. Cindy wondered about it. “So, basically Carl was in charge?”
“I knew they were too close and that Kate was overly attached to him,” Wendell said softly, “but there was nothing I could do about it, or wanted to do about it, truthfully. Let her be attached to someone, I thought. Then, maybe she wouldn’t die, too.”
Cindy appreciated Wendell’s honesty. “What about Kate and Sean?” she asked. “How did they do together? I heard that she loved him a lot.”
“She needed him desperately,” whispered Wendell, “Kate was always in a bad way when she and Sean broke up.”
“That must have been rough on Sean,” said Cindy.
“I’m sure it was,” said Wendell, “Kate depended on him way too much.”
“I heard the family didn’t much like Sean though?” Cindy probed, wanting more.
“It was Carl who didn’t like him,” Wendell corrected her. “I saw nothing at all wrong with the boy. A bit hot headed at times and impulsive, but he was devoted to Kate. Very devoted, for years and years. I felt that she was fortunate to have him. I hoped he could pull her through.”
Cindy was surprised. “Pull her through?” she asked.
“Kate could be very moody,” Wendell continued. “Sean handled it well.”
“But they broke up all the time,” said Cindy.
A small smile crept around the edge of Wendell’s mouth. “Well, maybe they did, but they also always got back together again. In fact, as I understood it, Kate and Sean were thinking of becoming engaged quite soon.”
Cindy was stunned. She hadn’t heard they’d been planning an engagement soon. The irony of it stung.
“Was the upcoming engagement a cause of celebration in the family?” asked Cindy.
“Not exactly,” said Wendell. “And of course, word is that Sean suddenly took up with someone else. Maybe Kate was too much for him? Who knows? Carl blamed this breakup on Sean’s cheating. But frankly, Carl seemed relieved, he’d always begged Kate to get rid of Sean. When Carl heard that Sean had a new girlfriend, he practically insisted that Kate go online and find someone else right away. It was Carl who urged her to do this, to get Sean out of the picture for good.”
“Sounds like he was being protective of her,” said Cindy.
“Protective or overly involved,” Wendell murmured. “Of course, I didn’t approve of Kate searching so quickly. But, there was no stopping her. I saw her at her computer night and day, talking to different guys.”
“Are you sure they were different guys?” Cindy felt alarmed.
“No, I’m not sure,” said Wendell, “I just assumed they were.”