“You sound bitter,” said Cindy.
“Not bitter, just clear. Try to call it as I see it. People marry for all kinds of crazy reasons. Sometimes they’re sorry a minute later. Sometimes they’re sorry a whole life long. ”
“And sometimes they’re not,” said Cindy. “Sometimes it just gets better and better. Sometimes people actually love. ”
Mattheus grinned, “I never deny any human possibility,” he murmured, picking up his coffee and taking a gulp.
“Do you think the reason Ames married Dalia could have something to do with why he’s missing now?” Cindy said.
Mattheus put his coffee down. “You think he ran away with somebody else?”
“It’s possible,” said Cindy, without blinking an eye. “His closets were half empty and the drawers in his desks were empty too.”
“We noticed that too,” said Mattheus. “But there was a lot of important stuff still there, though. And we confirmed that it wasn’t unusual for Ames to pack and unpack his things and take them here and there. He had boats, yachts, and ladies’ homes, to drop his things at regularly. ”
Cindy shuddered. “Doesn’t that make it even more possible then that he ran away with someone?”
“Unlikely,” said Mattheus, and grinned. “No woman meant that much to him. And, no matter what you say, It’s pretty rare for a guy to give up everything for love. ”
Cindy felt troubled. “Clint would have,” she said quietly, half to him, half to herself.
“Your husband?”
“Yes,” said Cindy.
“Well, he was a lucky guy. And so were you. It doesn’t happen most of the time. ”
“I guess not,” said Cindy, reaching for her coffee and croissant.
“So, tell me more,” Mattheus said after they’d both finished their food and drained their coffee cups, “anything else you found?”
“I found out that Elizabeth and Dalia dislike each other.”
“They do. That’s not news. ”
“And I had a long talk with Nina,” said Cindy.
Mattheus lifted his eyebrows, impressed. “You did a lot in a short while,” he said. “Nina was a suspect in the beginning.”
That shocked Cindy “She was?”
“Just because she was his latest gal.”
“That was common knowledge?” Cindy was truly taken aback.
“If you probed just a little,” said Mattheus. “By the way, she came up clean. She’s a sweet person. Very devoted to Dalia. ”
Cindy raised her eyebrows.
“Don’t judge her,” Mattheus said. “Don’t judge anyone. If you do, it knocks you off your game. ”
“I’m not judging her,” Cindy protested.
“You are,” he said. “It’s natural. But it doesn’t work when you want to solve a case. You’ve got to just look the facts in the eye clearly. Judging gets in the way. Anything else? ”
“I’m not sure I agree with all your conclusions,” Cindy wasn’t swallowing everything so fast.
“Nobody said you have to,” he smiled.
“I use my instincts to sort things out,” said Cindy. “And if I judge someone, I judge. It can help me know a little more. ”
“Have it your way,” Mattheus said, his smile turning into a grin. “I like you. You look so gentle, but actually, you’re feisty. And gutsy, too. A perfect combination for a detective. ”
That made Cindy feel good. She felt comfortable around Mattheus, too.
“Anything else?” he continued.
“I’ve run into Rosa quite a few times.”
Mattheus looked puzzled. “Yes?”
“Nothing special, I just find her odd.”
“She was born that way,” said Mattheus. “She was like a daughter to Ames all these years.”
“That’s also peculiar,” said Cindy. “Was he sleeping with her as well?”
Mattheus crinkled his face at that comment. “Never thought of that,” he replied. “Doesn’t seem likely. And if he was? ”
“Just wondering about everything now,” Cindy said.
“It’s good to wonder,” Mattheus replied, stretching out in his seat.
Cindy felt great talking this over. She stretched back in her seat as well. “Now you tell me more,” she said to him. “Before I go to see the Captain of the fleet, what do I need to know?”
“That’s a big one,” Mattheus said. “He could be quite a catch.”
“Why?” asked Cindy.
“He and Ames were really tight. The guy knows everything about his business, his life, you name it. ”
Cindy had heard all that already. Mattheus wasn’t offering anything new.
“I’m sure you guys interviewed him.”
“Of course. Let’s put it this way-- we didn’t get anything from him that’s helped us as yet. ” He looked at her with searing eyes. “Maybe you can.”
“You think he’s involved?”
“I think he knows a lot more than he’s letting on.”
“How about you, Mattheus?” Cindy felt like confronting him. “Do you know a lot more than you’re letting on, too?”
Mattheus threw his head back and laughed. “You know, you’re fantastic,” he said. “While the investigation is on-going, we’re legally bound to keep certain information under wraps.”
“Even to those working on the case?”
“You’re Dalia’s friend,” Mattheus leaned forward, towards her. “You’re not on the case officially. You’re not a professional detective. ”
Cindy felt stunned. He was purposely withholding information from her. He didn’t give her much credence.
“I’m offended,” she said.
Mattheus reached out his hand on the table. Cindy did not take it.
“Please don’t be offended,” he said. “The law is the law. I like helping you. I’m doing all I can. ”
“Then give me something to go on about the Captain,” Cindy pressed harder.
Mattheus leaned closer, as did Cindy for a moment. “You’ll probably find this out anyway,” he said. “Ames fired him about one week before he disappeared.”
Cindy was shaken. “That’s huge,” she said.
“Yes, it is,” said Mattheus. “It was a lifelong relationship that suddenly broke. We’re not exactly sure why. If you could find that out, it would be terrific. Sometimes a lady could have a better chance of getting a rough guy like the Captain to talk. ”
“This helps tremendously,” said Cindy. “And what about Ames’s partner, Dale? Was he also involved in firing the Captain? ”
“I don’t think so,” Mattheus said. “He’s a rich playboy who supports the company, mostly with dough. He spends his time mainly floating around the water on his Yacht, partying and having fun. ”
Cindy wrinkled her nose, and Mattheus laughed again. “You’re a pretty prim lady for a detective,” he said.
Cindy certainly didn’t consider herself prim. “Now you’re judging me,” she said.
“You’re right,” said Mattheus, “I am.”
“Well, don’t,” said Cindy. “I’m far from prim.”
At that Mattheus lifted his eyebrows. “Time will tell,” he said.
Cindy wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that. But she wouldn’t let herself be sidetracked. “I accept that you can’t tell me some details about the investigation,” Cindy went on, “but you can tell me what your take on it is. What do you think happened, Mattheus? ”
He sat up straighter when she asked that, and looked her directly in the eye.
“There’s a web surrounding this island,” he said, “it’s invisible to the eye. Powerful forces are at work here, laundering money, trafficking drugs and sex. It’s a world you don’t want to interact with, Cindy. It would swallow you in and spit you out, in no time at all. You’re not equipped to handle it. That’s our job. Leave it to us. ”
“Was Ames involved in that web?” she asked.
“Nobody knows anything for sure,” he said. “But look at it this way: he ran a fleet of cargo ships. On the surface, he traded spices and rum. Need I say anything more? Who knows what he really traded, and where it finally landed him? ”
Thankfully, Cindy returned to the villa before Dalia came home, so she didn’t have to answer questions about where she’d been. Cindy didn’t like withholding information from Dalia, but now it became obvious that there was no other way of proceeding. Dalia had no real i notion of what was going on, and seemed to have some magical idea that Cindy would make everything all right.
Cindy sat down on the patio outside her room, and looked out over the beach. It was a beautiful day, the temperature just right, the warm, blue waters lapping the shores, little sandpipers skipping along the sand. It was hard to imagine that this magical island was surrounded by a dangerous web that pulled people off into darkness and pain. For a moment Cindy wondered if Mattheus had been overly dramatic, making his life and work seem more exciting and dangerous than it was.
Cindy went over her talk with him in her mind. From what he said, it was clear that the Chief of Police was coddling Dalia by letting Cindy speak to the police. Her presence had no real weight here. Whatever time and information Mattheus gave her, was gratis. She should be grateful for it.
Cindy smiled as she thought of him. He was quite a character, complicated, in his own way-- rough and outspoken, and sensitive at the same time. Cindy wondered briefly why he was unavailable. She noticed that she had omitted telling him that Elizabeth had mentioned that.
As she sat on the patio, musing, Dalia came out and plopped down beside her on a lounge chair.
“There you are,” she said. “I was looking for you.”
Dalia gave Cindy very little time alone, seemed to need to be with her every moment. It was probably the shock of being without Ames, Cindy thought.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Dalia asked.
“How about you and I go for a walk on the beach?” said Cindy. “Before I go to see the Captain, I’d like you to fill me in.”
Cindy felt that Dalia unconsciously knew more about what happened than she was aware of. An in-depth conversation with her could bring many things to light. Cindy needed intensive time alone with her to see what she could bring out.
“I’d love to take a walk on the beach,” Dalia said excited. “Haven’t done that since Ames went missing and I got that ridiculous note.”
“What note?” asked Cindy.
“The one that told me I was going to be next. I mentioned it to you. ”
Cindy was frightened. “No, you didn’t, not at all.”
“Oh, I thought I did,” Dalia said nonchalantly. “There are so many nuts who write all kinds of things, I didn’t pay much attention.”
“What did it say?” Cindy stared at her.
“Just that I’d better watch out because I was next. It bothered me for about an hour, then I let it go. You can’t go on and live if you don’t let things go,” and she looked down at her nails that had been freshly manicured. “Like the color of my nails?”
Cindy got up and walked back and forth. “Did you tell the police?”
“Yes.” Dalia smiled. It’s not such a big deal,” she said. “I’m sorry I mentioned it. There are crazies down here who get off on playing with people’s heads. They read stories in the paper about stuff like Ames, and jump right in. I’ve heard of it happening to people before. If you let them get to you, they win. ”
“Show me the letter,” said Cindy, aghast. It sounded like a big deal to her.
“No, it’s not. I remember now, I showed it to Sand, and he said it meant nothing -- just some crank who had nothing better to do. ”
“Are you sure?”
“Very. He looked at it closely. Come on, let’s go and take that walk. ”
They put their bathing suits on, covered by sundresses, jumped into the car and took off for a beautiful beach, with tall dunes of black sand.
Cindy had never seen a beach like this before. It was totally mesmerizing. She took her shoes off and walked barefoot on the sand, letting the heavy breezes that arose from the ocean blow her hair. Dalia walked beside her.
“I come here for special occasions,” said Dalia. “When I need to be alone and meditate. This sand has answers, if you stare at it. ”
Cindy looked down at the sand and could believe it. Whirls arose on the sand’s surface, demanding your attention and pulling your mind deep within.
They came to a section of the beach, along a dune surrounded by huge, angular trees that looked as if they’d been there for centuries.
“Let’s sit down here for a few minutes,” Cindy said.
“Tired already?” Dalia looked at her, smiling.
“Not even close,” Cindy said. “In fact, I’m just getting started. But, let’s sit down and talk. ”
The two of them sat right down under the palm trees, on the sand, like old, school buddies, ready for a chat.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have you down here,” Dalia started, her voice catching a second. “It almost makes things feel normal. I can relax and let you do the job. ”
Cindy was grateful for her confidence, but Dalia had to wake up and begin realizing that Ames might not return – and that her life with him was not what she’d imagined. If she expected him to walk in any minute, and everything to go back to normal, she would fall apart when reality came hitting her in the face. And reality had a way of hitting, Cindy, realized, whether you liked it or not.
“Tell me more about your marriage to Ames,” Cindy said, “I want to hear everything I can about it.”
“Well, not everything,” Dalia murmured, playfully.
“Whatever you think,” Cindy responded.
“We’re really happy,” Dalia repeated, “I don’t have much to add. He’s the man I’ve always wanted. I knew it the minute I saw him, and I was right. Sometimes you see a person and know who he is the minute you lay eyes on him. ”
Cindy remembered that Dalia always felt she immediately knew the guys she’d become involved with. And she’d been wrong. Very wrong.
“Sometimes you know, and sometimes you don’t,” Cindy tried to break into the dream she was living in. “Sometimes you just think you know the person.”
“What are you implying?” Dalia looked put out. “You’re spoiling my mood.”
“It can take a long time to really find out who a person is,” said Cindy. “In the beginning, fantasy rules the day.”
“You sound like a bitter woman,” said Dalia, edging away.
Cindy was shocked. “Not at all,” she said, “just realistic.”
Dalia shrugged. “You must have had a terrible time with your husband and I’m sorry about that. But don’t compare it to me and Ames. ”