Cindy contacted Alan immediately. After speaking to him and receiving detailed instructions on how to send the photo, she went back to the hotel to follow his directions. While waiting to hear what he had to say, Cindy quickly put in a call to Alfred. She had been truly impressed by Tracy and wanted to thank Alfred again for putting them in touch. She also wanted to know more about Alfred and Tracy’s relationship. How had they met? What had he told Tracy about the case? Was Tracy helping in other ways as well? It actually seemed likely that Tracy was working with Alfred behind the scenes. Otherwise how could he know so much about Santos? How could he even have been able to locate him at all?Alfred’s phone rang and rang, but he didn’t pick up. Cindy left him a quick message.
“Call me when you get this,” she said. “You’re right, I love Tracy. She’s wonderful. Want to talk.”
Then Cindy hung up and put a call into Mattheus. Thankfully, this time he picked right up.
“I’ve got a fantastic lead,” Cindy said the minute Mattheus said hello.
“What?” asked Mattheus, sounding preoccupied.
“I’ve got a photo of a girl curled up in a room that I believe is Kara,” Cindy breathed.
“You’ve got what?” said Mattheus, incredulous.
“I think I have a photo of Kara curled up in a room,” Cindy went on.
“You think, or you know?” Mattheus became disconcerted.
“Her face isn’t clear, she’s curled up,” Cindy continued, “but I’m sure it’s Kara.”
“Cindy, what’s the matter with you?” Mattheus grew irritated. “Right now I’m here working with the police, digging out confidential information about Kara and Shane’s relationship.”
“Information from the shelter?” asked Cindy, fascinated.
“Exactly,” said Mattheus. “They both were there at the same time.”
“I know,” said Cindy.
“And we’re digging to see if it’s possible that Shane and Rowley ever met.”
“Keep digging,” said Cindy, “it’s important.”
“So, if you’re telling me you can’t see the woman’s face in the picture, but just feel that it’s Kara, that’s not enough for me to stop what I’m doing and pay attention to that.”
Cindy understood. Put that way her lead didn’t seem at all consequential.
“Where did you get this photo from, anyway?” Mattheus relented.
Cindy didn’t want to go into it any further. If she told Mattheus she’d gone down to see Santos again, he’d be upset. And if she told him about Tracy or Alan, that would sound like a wild goose chase to him. He would also be upset that she hadn’t let him know about all of it sooner. There was no way to win here.
“The photo just turned up,” Cindy responded.
“Where?” Mattheus asked.
“Mattheus, you’re right, it isn’t important,” Cindy backed down. “But it’s very important to find out if Shane ever met Rowley. Please keep going.”
“Thank you,” Mattheus replied. “You plan to track this photo down further?”
“I do,” said Cindy lightly. “But It’s just a gut feeling, that’s all.”
“Okay, follow your gut and keep in touch,” Mattheus said, not lending much credence to any of it at all.
“I will, and you keep in touch, too, Mattheus,” Cindy said as both of them hung up the phone.
*
The call back from Alan came much sooner than Cindy expected. Without even a second’s hesitation Alan told her exactly where the photo had been taken and how to find the room.
“I can give you the general vicinity,” Alan reported. “The actual room will be within a one-mile radius from that vicinity, either north or south. We’ve worked with the lighting, shadows, and the flora and fauna seen through the window when the photo is greatly magnified. In my estimation you’ll find a hut there. The room is inside a broken down hut.”
“Is the woman in the photo alive?” breathed Cindy.
Alan stopped a moment. “That’s a big question,” replied Alan. “But from the look of things when the photo was taken, she was living. I can’t say for now.”
“No one can,” said Cindy, “but I’m tremendously grateful. Thank you.”
“Get back to me after you go there,” Alan insisted. “And please, don’t go alone. Pay someone to accompany you if you have to. The place won’t be hard to find. But it’s located in the basin of the rain forest, about as far away from civilization as you can get.”
“Okay,” agreed Cindy. Everything Alan said made sense to her. Speaking with him, a tremendous surge of confidence ran through her veins.
“Go with someone who knows the territory,” Alan went on. “There are plenty of locals who can you take you right there. And don’t forget to call me as soon as you return. I’m interested.”
As Tracy had said Alan was terrific. His directions were not only specific, they were wise in all respects.
“Thank you so much,” Cindy said once again.