Cindy was touched. Pete was completely different from the others in the family. He was straightforward and caring.
“I haven’t really done much of anything,” Cindy replied. “I wish I had been able to bring Kara home.”
“Listen to me.” Pete leaned closer to her. He smelled good, of expensive cologne. “Nobody believes a thing I’m saying, but I have a strong view about all of this,” he went on.
“What is it?” asked Cindy, completely open to hearing whatever he had to say.
“I believe Kara is well and alive.” Pete’s eyes shone suddenly. “I believe she left on her own and is somewhere, safe and sound. I’ve tried to convince Rowley of this, but he refuses to believe me. His mother and Kara’s family won’t listen either. I need to speak to someone who will at least consider that I’m not entirely crazy. I can’t stand not being listened to for one more minute.”
“I’m listening,” said Cindy, “please tell me all that you feel.”
“I never, ever thought Kara and Rowley were suited, right from the start,” Pete spoke quickly. “Rowley’s a good person, a wonderful guy, but he and Kara are fundamentally different. Rowley’s a straight arrow, follows the main road, loves what he does. He needs lots of acclaim and recognition, and he gets it, big time, from his patients and from the medical profession as well.”
“And Kara?” asked Cindy.
“Kara enjoys playing in dangerous territories,” Pete went on, edging closer to Cindy, seeming to be thrilled to be heard at last.
Cindy was startled by what he was telling her.
“Kara can’t resist the temptation to live at the edge,” Pete continued. “She can’t resist all kinds of new experiences.”
Can’t resist temptation? This was an entirely new picture of Kara that Pete was painting.
“Be specific, please,” asked Cindy.
“Kara’s job, for starters,” Pete continued. “It never fit, was always strange to me. She works with shady characters all day long, and she simply loves it. Can she talk to Rowley about it, though? I seriously doubt it. I know for a fact, he has no understanding of why she does it. And he seriously believes she’ll give it up when they have children. I told him that she never would. She told him that, too, but he refuses to believe it.”
“Rowley loves her though,” murmured Cindy.
“Sure, he loves her,” Pete continued, “but is that enough for a marriage to work? I’ve asked him that many times and he’s always brushed off my question. Look, I fully get that Rowley’s had a bad role model when it comes to relationships. His mother and I couldn’t be more opposite. We’ve lived our lives on parallel tracks and I’ve put up with it all these years.”
Cindy was startled that Pete was willing to share such intimate information with her. But by now, it seemed as though all the stops had been pulled out for him.
“This awful time has taught me something I’ll never forget,” Pete continued. “Kara ‘s smarter than me. She realized she’d made a terrible mistake during her honeymoon, and took off before it could go any further. In her own way, she’s brave. Braver than I’ve been all these years.”
“Where is Kara now, Pete? Where did she go?” asked Cindy.
“I have no idea where exactly, but she’s got hundreds of contacts. Someone took her in. She’s somewhere alive, I feel it.”
“Did you tell this to Mattheus?” asked Cindy promptly.
“I didn’t,” Pete confessed. “Mattheus is a hard guy to talk to and besides he’s completely tied up with Rod. Rod’s falling off the edge day by day and Mattheus is trying to hold him together. I told it to my wife though, who laughed in my face. I also told it to Kara’s mom and she hasn’t said a word to me since. This is not a family I belong in.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had to go through pain like this, Pete,” Cindy said slowly.
“Thank you, I know you are,” he answered softly, “that’s why I knew I could talk to you.”
How did he know? Cindy wondered. She’d barely seen him all this time. Pete seemed extremely sensitive and aware, though. Once again, she was touched by his comment.
“How is Rowley holding up?” Cindy asked him, wanting to move the conversation in another direction.
“Rowley’s dazed and depressed, on a low dose of anxiety medication now to help him get through the day,” said Pete.
Cindy nodded; that made sense.
“Do you think there’s any merit to what I’m thinking, Cindy?” Pete looked straight into her eyes then.
“Of course,” said Cindy. “It’s entirely possible. You know the people involved better than I do. I hope to God you’re right and that Kara is alive and breathing. How wonderful that would be.” Cindy didn’t want to tell Pete that Alfred had reason to believe Kara was alive. She didn’t want to add fuel to what might simply be hope and fantasy. If she encouraged it, later on it could be so much harder if they found that she was dead.