“Cindy,” someone called out softly behind her.
Cindy jumped, alarmed. Someone knows I’m here, I’ve been followed. Cindy trembled and thought of darting away through the shadows to the other side of the trail. But she had no idea where she was going and it was dark out.
“Cindy,” the voice called again.
Horrified, Cindy realized she had no choice but to stay where she was, face the person directly.
“Yes?” she answered calmly, though her entire body was shaking by now.
“It’s Alfred.” The voice got closer.
Cindy turned around slowly and could make out his figure walking toward her methodically.
“Alfred?” Cindy was astonished. “Did you follow me here?”
“Yes, I did.” He was close up to her now.
“You followed me? Why?” Cindy was appalled.
“I wanted to make sure about you,” Alfred said slowly. “I’ve been checking on you and everyone carefully.”
“And what did you find?” asked Cindy, mesmerized by him.
“I like what I found out you.” Alfred’s voice grew clearer. “I’m sorry about the death of your husband, Clint.”
“Thank you,” said Cindy, taken aback.
“You’re a noble person, Cindy,” Alfred continued. “Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for anyone else.”
Cindy didn’t want Alfred putting her on a pedestal or developing fantasies about her. “We’re all a mixture of everything, Alfred,” she said. “We all have noble moments, and lesser times, too.”
“You’ve passed my test,” Alfred continued, unwaveringly. “So now I’m going to tell you more.”
Cindy shivered. “More about Kara?”
“Yes,” Alfred whispered as the moon shone down upon them from between the leaves.
“Is it something you found out recently?” asked Cindy, fascinated.
“Not at all,” Alfred declared. “After everyone said Kara disappeared, she sent me two emails, not one!”
“Two emails?” Cindy couldn’t believe it. “Show them to me. I have to see them with my own eyes,” she demanded.
“I knew you’d say that so I brought them here for you,” Alfred went on quickly.
“How did you know I’d be here on the trail? I didn’t know myself,” Cindy spoke quickly.
“I didn’t know you’d be on the trail,” Alfred continued. “I just waited to see where you’d go tonight. I knew Mattheus wasn’t with you. I found out that he was having a long dinner with Kara’s father, Rod.”
“How did you find that out?” asked Cindy, agitated.
“Because late today I called Rod and told him I was down at St. Lucia. I asked to see him and he said no. He told me he was having dinner with Mattheus tonight.”
“Rod doesn’t like you?” asked Cindy, startled.
“There are very few people Rod likes,” Alfred grumbled. “So what? He’s a jerk who doesn’t like anyone who doesn’t fit into his little world.”
“Why don’t you fit in?” asked Cindy, breathless.
“Because I’m too interesting and smart,” Alfred replied. “I don’t follow all Rod’s little rules. I follow myself, I follow my own mind.”
Cindy was speechless. In his way Alfred was a tremendously impressive young man.
“Rod likes Rowley though, doesn’t he?” Cindy followed up quickly.
“Yeah, he likes him well enough. So what?” said Alfred.
“Does Rod love his daughter, Kara?” Cindy couldn’t help asking.
“Sure he does. Kara’s his whole world. Rod only stays with his wife for one reason, because of their daughter, Kara.”
“Rod and Alice have problems?” asked Cindy.
“Like everyone else, but it doesn’t matter.” Alfred pouted, annoyed with the line of questioning.
“Everything matters,” Cindy answered, “every little thing. You never know when you’ll suddenly hear one detail that puts the whole picture together.”
“I know,” said Alfred, his eyes gleaming again. “That’s why I wanted to show the second email to you.”
“Thank you, thank you,” said Cindy, holding her hands out to take a look.
The email was hard to read in the darkness. Cindy and Alfred moved away from the trees into a patch of open ground beneath the moon.
Did I make a mistake, Alfred? the email started. So far, everything’s okay, but I keep wondering if I did something wrong. Are things going to stay like this always? Before the wedding a few things happened that shook me up. I didn’t have time to pay attention to them then. But I’m thinking about them now a lot. Love, Kara.
“What things?” asked Cindy, alarmed, handing the email back to Alfred.
“I don’t know,” said Alfred, pleased with Cindy’s reaction. “Kara didn’t tell me about them, but I’m looking into it now.”
“But I thought she told you everything,” Cindy exclaimed.
“She did,” said Alfred, “so this must have been something she didn’t want to face in the middle of the wedding preparations. She had enough on her mind.”