Rowley looked terrified as Santos raised his hands toward Rowley’s neck.
“I’m not going to hurt Cindy, I’m not going to hurt her,” Rowley whimpered. “I just want to find my wife. Is she still alive?”
“Yes, your wife is alive,” Santos declared, “and she wants to see you.”
A stunned silence fell over the group.
“Oh my God, oh my God.” Rowley fell over, trembling.
“The guys kidnapped your wife to give you a push,” Santos went on. “They wanted to scare you.”
“To force me to deal drugs?” Rowley breathed.
“Exactly,” Santos declared. “But one thing they did wrong that still bothers me. They did not ask for my approval.” Cindy saw his hands curl into fists. “Nobody kidnaps a young woman without first asking Santos.”
“Who did it?” Cindy breathed hard.
Santos turned toward Cindy intensely. “That is no business of yours, my dear! Who it was doesn’t matter. When you do something like this and you’re not told to, you won’t be around for very long anyway.”
Cindy heard Felix chortling softly in the background. Santos smiled along with him. Suddenly Cindy realized that Santos had to have known she was here. Holly probably told Santos that Felix had brought her. Santos must have come now to look after her. Cindy felt a swift and deep wave of appreciation.
“Why would someone take it upon themselves to have Kara kidnapped?” Cindy asked Santos quietly, knowing that one way or another he would give her some kind of answer now.
“It could have been someone who failed in their mission.” Santos’s voice became resonant. “Someone who tried to get Kara’s husband into the ring. Could be she had a debt she was paying, and the person she owed wouldn’t let her off the hook.”
“You’re talking about Shane?” Cindy said, startled. There was no one else Santos could have been referring to. Shane had been on a mission to get Rowley to deal drugs. “Shane arranged to have Kara kidnapped?”
“I’m not saying the person meant this kind of harm.” Santos became indefinite. “Maybe this person always planned to get Kara out of hiding, once they got her husband to say yes to the ring.”
“Kara was a pawn.” Cindy looked at Santos.
“What else?” He shrugged. “A stupid pawn.”
Rowley cringed. “Kara was not stupid, she tried her best. She loved me.”
“It was never meant to go this far, was it, Santos?” Cindy saw it all clearly then.
“Of course not,” Santos growled. “It was never meant to happen at all. So, of course, Santos will bring the wife back, now.”
A moment of silence fell upon them all. Santos was going to take them to Kara, release her. Did Kara have any idea that they were close by? The idea of seeing her alive once again was a shock to all of them. But there was more, and Cindy felt it.
“The person who had Kara kidnapped must have contacted the husband after the wife disappeared,” Cindy mused out loud. She was on a roll, the skies were parting. Shane had to have arranged this, but was convinced that Rowley would agree to deal. Kara would be let free then.
“Of course the husband was contacted,” Santos chimed back. “The person who had Kara kidnapped contacted him immediately afterwards and told him if he didn’t get involved with the ring, his wife would be killed.”
Cindy shuddered from head to toe.
“That’s not true, it’s not true.” Rowley started sobbing.
“It is true.” Alfred glared at Rowley. “You know it’s true, I know it’s true.”
“Get the hell out of my life,” Rowley practically spit at Alfred.
“I’m the one who’s bringing you to Kara and you’re spitting at me?” Alfred voice grew piercing. “I’m the one who’s been searching for her night and day. Who’s the one who really cares about Kara? You tell me.”
Cindy suddenly realized that Rowley had not only refused to go along with the drug ring, he hadn’t told anyone he’d been contacted by them.
“I have only one thing to ask you now, Rowley, and it bothers me a lot.” Santos shook his head back and forth. “What kind of husband wouldn’t say yes? What kind of man leaves his wife to die? Before I give Kara back to you, I want an answer!”
“Kara’s not dead, she’s alive, you just said so,” Rowley burst out.
“Yes, she’s alive, but no thanks to you, is it?” growled Santos.
Rowley stared at Santos, his jaw setting hard. ”It’s not my fault, it’s her fault that this happened. I’m not the one who was friends with Shane. I’m not the one who got drugs from her.”
Cindy couldn’t believe her ears. Rowley blamed Kara for all that happened.
“So, I’m asking you now, Rowley,” Santos went on somberly, “your wife is alive, but if you want to see her again, will you say yes to the drug ring? What is it?”
Rowley flinched.
Cindy heard footsteps nearby growing closer. Santos heard them too and turned around. There was nothing to see, though, just trees rustling in the wet, evening breeze.