“Kate abandoned me, she abandoned me,” Clay shouted for all he was worth as Cindy saw someone else approach. Who was it? Had Carl told the police they’d be there? Cindy craned her neck backwards and to her shock, saw Mattheus running, full speed, towards them.
“Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, what’s going on?” Mattheus was breathless. “Clay’s father called up to the room and told me to get here fast as I could. Carl talked to him this morning.”
“Clay threw Carl over the cliff,” Cindy yelled, “and he’s got me.”
“She’s next,” Clay murmured, glaring at Mattheus.
“That’s what you think,” Mattheus’s face flushed with rage, as he turned into a mountain of strength, taking solid steps towards Cindy and Clay. “It’s over, Clay. Let her go.”
“Nothing’s over,” Clay said, holding Cindy more tightly. “Nothing will ever be over. I’ll always hurt.”
“No, you won’t,” said Cindy softly. “We’ll get you help, Clay.”
Suddenly Clay started sobbing. “I loved Kate with all my heart.”
“Let Cindy go, Clay,” Mattheus spoke in a commanding tone.
“Why?” Clay growled again. “You can’t trust any of them, you just can’t.”
“Your father is on his way here right now,” Mattheus said then. “What will he do if he sees you hurt more people?”
That startled Clay. He began backing away, dragging Cindy along. “He’ll punish me,” Clay started whimpering. “He always punishes me, whatever I do.”
“I spoke to your father this morning,” said Mattheus. “He was upset, he was crying.”
“No, he wasn’t,” Clay flung back. “My father only punishes, he never cries.”
“This morning he was crying,” said Mattheus, approaching carefully. “He told me he was sorry about everything. He told me you sleepwalked.”
Clay became absolutely still. “My father told you that?”
“Yes, he did,” said Mattheus.
“He never tells anyone,” Clay rambled. “It’s our family secret.”
“But he told me,” said Mattheus, as someone else quickly approached in the distance.
Cindy turned and saw Dan, Clay’s father, running over to them quickly. Shaken and devastated, Dan went straight to Clay.
“Make Clay let me go,” Cindy pleaded desperately. As the sounds of Carl moaning below started fading she felt panicky. She had to get to Carl fast.
“Let Cindy go,” Dan demanded, stepping closer still.
“It’s not my fault, I didn’t do this,” said Clay, avoiding his father’s eyes. “She came after me. She attacked me. She’s blaming me for Kate’s death.”
“Let Cindy go,” Dan demanded, stepping closer still.
“How do you know we can trust her?” asked Clay, trembling.
“Let her go,” Dan repeated and I’ll tell you.
Slowly, Clay loosened his grip.
Cindy broke free of him and fled to Mattheus, who opened his arms to welcome her.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Mattheus was deeply saddened, “forgive me, I’m sorry.”
Cindy was shaking from head to foot. “Carl’s down there,” she pointed to the bottom of the cliff. “Clay threw him down there.”
“My God,” said Dan.
Mattheus let Cindy go and rushed to the edge of the cliff to look down.
“Help him, “begged Cindy.
“He’s still alive. Call the rescue crews and police immediately,” Mattheus yelled as he slid down the edge of the cliff to each Carl and bring him up to safety.
As Cindy watched Mattheus disappear from sight she immediately called for police and rescue crews.
“Is it over for us?” Dan asked, trembling, holding Clay in a tight grip.
“The police will be here in a few minutes,” said Cindy, “they’ll take it from here.”
“What happens then?” Dan looked ravished. “My boy is sick.”
Cindy looked at both of them intently.
“I had no idea Clay was coming down here,” Dan was talking at top speed. “We keep a careful watch on him.”
“He went up to see Kate though in New York, didn’t he?” Cindy asked, dumbstruck.
“Yes, he did, but my wife went with him. She stayed at a room across the hall at the motel and checked in on him all the time. My boy only needs to be monitored when he’s sleeping,” said Dan.
“How dare you let him date someone?” asked Cindy appalled.
“He found her online,” Dan murmured. “He found her himself. He sent her his poems. She loved them. It made him so happy, we didn’t have the heart to say no. He didn’t mean for this to happen. He never meant to hurt her. It must have happened in his sleep.”
“Clay threw Carl off the edge of the cliff in broad daylight,” said Cindy stonily, “while he was wide awake.”
Dan hung his head in despair then. “The sickness must have progressed,” he said softly. “Nobody had any idea.”
CHAPTER 22
The headlines read, Sleepwalker Strikes In His Sleep. Killer found his prey online, looking for love. Is it murder or is he criminally insane? Is his family responsible?
Endless commentators responded to those questions, both on TV and online.
The headlines continued: Brave Detective Finds The Killer At Risk To Her Own Life.