“He’s got to be going crazy. This is a terrible shock for him,” Cindy murmured.
“Yeah,” Abe agreed. “Look, the best thing you could do now would be to go out there and find him. Talk to him, calm him down. Last I heard he went to the beach she was at. It’s right down from the hotel.”
“He’s not going to find her there,” Mattheus muttered.
Abe looked taken aback. “How do you know that?” He sounded suspicious.
“My gut tells me he won’t,” Mattheus replied.
“Oh yeah? What else does your gut tell you?” asked Abe, his eyes narrowing.
Cindy put her hand on Mattheus’s arm. “I like Abe’s suggestion,” she said. “Let’s go out there and try to find Rowley. It’ll help him to see us again.”
Cindy and Mattheus gave Abe their contact information, took his, and got the direct number for Darrin Frank.
“You go look for him,” Abe encouraged, “and stay in touch. We need to know any little thing you discover.”
“Absolutely,” said Mattheus, turning to Cindy. “You’re sure you want to come, too?”
Cindy felt incredulous. “Of course I’m coming,” she responded, “where else in the world could I be at a time like this?”
*
Except for the sound of the ocean lapping on the shore, the beach was silent and dark. The light of few scattered stars shone here and there, creating glowing streaks on the sand. Other than that, the beach seemed deserted.
“Rowley,” Mattheus called out, his voice quickly taken up by the wind, echoing. “Rowley, Rowley.”
Except for the crash of the waves, there was no response.
“Rowley, if you’re here, answer me,” Mattheus called out again.
“He’s not here,” Cindy murmured.
“He could be,” Mattheus replied. “We can’t see him yet, but where else would he go?”
“He could be anywhere, looking for her,” said Cindy.
“Rowley,” Mattheus cried out once again, as the lapping out of waves grew louder. “It’s Mattheus and Cindy, we’re here to help you.”
The screeching cry of a passing bird responded.
Cindy left Mattheus’s side and began walking down to the craggy jetties which rose out of the water unevenly. She looked around the beach which was on the eastern part of the island. The tides were definitely harsher here. Cindy wondered if Kara had gotten caught in an undertow while swimming, or if the tide had pulled her out. Would the ocean return her to her loved ones? There was no way to know.
“Rowley,” Cindy heard Mattheus calling behind her.
Cindy took a step closer to the water when she suddenly saw a shadow move on the sand. As Cindy turned toward the shadow, to her amazement, she saw someone curled up near the jetty a few feet away. For a quick instant Cindy prayed it might be Kara. Had she been tossed in the water and thrown back onto the rocks? Was she waking up now, coming to herself?
“Kara?” Cindy called, in a raspy tone.
Still no response. There was definitely someone there though. Cindy tried again.
“Rowley?” she called to the figure, who was actually starting to move. “Is that you? Are you there?”
The shadow grew larger on the sand. As Cindy saw the figure begin to uncurl, she walked over toward it carefully. “Rowley?” Cindy asked in a louder tone.
“I’m waiting for her,” he responded.
Cindy recognized the voice immediately and moved quickly to Rowley’s side. “Do you remember me, Rowley?” Cindy asked softly.
“I’m waiting for Kara to come back,” he replied in a chilling tone.
“Kara may be somewhere else right now,” Cindy suggested softly.
“Where?” he asked nervously.
“I’m not sure yet, but there are plenty of places on the island to search,” Cindy replied.
Rowley stood up for a moment and then lurched back down. “I’m waiting right here,” he insisted.
“Did you have a fight before Kara left?” Cindy was prompted to ask gently.
“No, not at all.” Rowley seemed put off by the question. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“Just trying to understand what might have happened,” Cindy replied. “Even when things are going wonderfully, honeymooners can argue at times.”
“We didn’t argue, we were happy, it was perfect,” Rowley murmured. “She told me there was nothing more she could have ever dreamt of in a honeymoon.”
“That’s good to hear,” said Cindy.
“So, where is she now?” Rowley’s voice rose to a chilling pitch. “Why didn’t she come back from her swim?”
The sound of the waves crashed harder on the rocks at that moment, as if to answer his helpless question.
“Tell me why she didn’t return. Tell me,” Rowley pleaded. “Wherever she went, whatever happened, Kara always came back home before.”
CHAPTER 4