Death by Proposal (11 page)

“That’s
what you say,” said Mattheus.

Sean
took a few steps back, suddenly shocked. “You guys think I’m involved? You
think I did it?”

“We
got motive here,” said Mattheus.

“You
got to be crazy,” Sean started yelling, as the veins in his neck stuck out. “I
loved Kate, ask anyone.  I made a mistake when I cheated on her. I told her I
was sorry, and I was. I even told Riva. Riva understood. But Kate wouldn’t
forgive me, though. She put me through hell.”

“So
you took your revenge, didn’t you?” asked Mattheus, closing in.

“Never,”
breathed Sean. “I said forgive me, forgive me, but she wouldn’t listen. If you
ask me, it’s her Uncle Carl’s fault. He wouldn’t let her. He made her start
dating right away. It’s his fault this happened. Not mine.”

Sean
stood there defiantly, as Mattheus took a few steps away, opened his phone and
called in what he found to the police.

“You
guys turning me in?” the look or horror that crossed Sean’s face upset Cindy.

“We’re
not turning you in,” Cindy said quietly. “We’re just letting the police know we
found out who was knocking at the door and yelling that night. It’s important
information.”

“Yeah,
everything’s important. But no one wants to do the real job, so they look for a
patsy to pin it on. And that’s me, isn’t it?” said Sean.

“No,
it isn’t you,” Cindy was stung. “And, Mattheus and I are doing the job. We’re exploring
every possibility.”

“Then
explore Kate’s family. Give them the once over. They’re a bunch of creeps,”
said Sean.

“I’ll
definitely look into it further,” said Cindy.

Sean
stepped back for a second and looked at her appreciatively. “You don’t seem
like a girl who’s a detective,” he said then in a small voice.

Cindy’s
heart clenched and went out to him. Of course it was possible that everything
he said was true, that Kate’s death had been a suicide, or that someone else
had done her in. And it was also clear that Sean was suffering as much or more
than any of them.

 Cindy
thought of the note from Kate she still had in her pocket, and pulled it out
quickly.

“Here,
take a look at this,” she said to Sean.

Sean
stepped back and didn’t take it. “What’s this? Another trap?”

“It’s
a note Kate wrote to you before she died,” said Cindy, “the police found it and
gave it to us.”

Sean’s
eyes opened wide and he shook his head, disbelieving.

“Take
it, read it,” said Cindy.

 Sean
slowly took the note in his hands. As he started to read, his face crumpled and
his body suddenly shook with sobs.

“Oh
my God, my God, Kate,” he cried as he held the note close to him, “I love you,
too. I always have. Oh my God, what’s happened to you?”

“Did
she kill herself? Is it possible?” Cindy whispered.

“I
don’t know, I don’t know,” Sean’s sobs deepened. “Her whole family hates me,
except for her father. Talk to him too and see what he has to say.”

After
speaking to Sean Cindy wanted to go immediately and talk to Kate’s father. She
knew that Mattheus had to stay with Sean until the police arrived to take him
in for questioning. She could go talk to Cindy’s father alone. It would be
better that way, anyway.

“This
does it,” Mattheus whispered to Cindy, as Sean went back to the punching bags.

“We
got our guy. He’s ready to bust. He himself admitted he was yelling at the
door. And there’s plenty of motive.”

“Don’t
be so sure about it, don’t be so quick,” Cindy retorted. There was something
about Sean that touched her. She wasn’t at all sure he was the one.  “There’s
absolutely no physical evidence.”

“People
have been convicted on a lot less than we have,” said Mattheus. “I’ve got to
wait here with him until the police arrive. We can unwind a little after this.”

“While
you’re waiting with Sean, I’m going to talk to Kate’s father,” said Cindy.

Mattheus
seemed surprised. Not much had been said about him. “Fine, and after you talk
to him, and the police take Sean in, you and I can take some time. How about a
hike through Arikok National Park?”

A
hike sounded good to Cindy. “Great, we’ll chill a bit and talk things over.”

“Chill
a lot,” smiled Mattheus. “This is it, I feel it. The pressure’s off now.”

The
pressure off? Cindy didn’t like that Mattheus had come to such a quick
conclusion. Was he just throwing the case to the wind because he’d found one
suspect? That wasn’t like him.

“I’m
not so sure at all,” she said.

“Not
so sure about what?” asked Mattheus, unnerved. “Not sure you want to take time
with me?”

Cindy
was startled. “I’m not so sure we should take the pressure off,” she answered
quietly, “or that Sean’s our man.”

Mattheus
shook his head in disagreement. “So far, everything points to him,” he said.”I
know I need to investigate him further, and I will. Go talk to Kate’s father
and afterwards, we’ll meet and go for a hike at the Arikok National Park.”

“Sounds
like you’ve got it all planned out,” said Cindy.

“Well,
shouldn’t I have?” Mattheus sounded snippy. “Did you think this case was going
to go on forever, that we wouldn’t get our time?”

“I
haven’t thought about it that way,” said Cindy.

“Cindy,”
Mattheus walked over and took her hands, “we’ve got our man, he’s a sleaze and
I’m personally seeing to it that the case closes up.”

Cindy
looked at him somewhat alarmed. She wasn’t sure what brought this on. Obviously
Sean stirred Mattheus up. Was it because Sean had brought another woman along
to confront Kate? Was it because he was still with Riva at the hotel? Cindy
wondered what made Mattheus dislike him so intensely.

“We’ll
go for a hike and figure things out,” said Mattheus. “Balance is where it’s at.”

“Of
course that’s true,” said Cindy.

“I’m
glad we’re finally on the same page” said Mattheus. “So, after you talk to Kate’s
father are we on for a hike at Arikok National Park?”

“We’re
on,” said Cindy, though at the moment, the last thing she felt like doing was
going on a hike in the National Park with Mattheus. She knew she needed to
confront him about his reaction to Sean, but this wasn’t the time for it.

“Great,”
said Mattheus, turning back to Sean. “I’ll see you after the police take this
scumbag in and after your interview with Kate’s dad.”

*

Agitated,
Cindy left the gym and immediately called Carl, asking him to arrange an
interview with Kate’s father right then. Time was short and she had to see him.

“How
come?” asked Carl phone, taken aback. “Did something new develop?”

“Things
are developing all the time,” said Cindy. “You guys said Kate’s dad stayed in
his room.”

“Right,”
said Carl, “he’s still there.”

“Good,”
said Cindy. “It won’t take long. I need to see him alone.”

“I’ll
set it up right away, but you’ve got to keep me in the loop,” Carl said
quickly.

“Of
course, I will,” said Cindy, “as soon as there’s something definite, you’ll be
the first to know. But for now I have to speak to Kate’s dad.”

“Absolutely,”
said Carl. “Come to Room 82, on the fifth floor, left wing. He’ll be waiting
for you.”

“Thanks,”
said Cindy, grateful.

“Do
you want me to be there as well? I’d love to see you again. I’ve been thinking
of you,” said Carl, hopefully.

“No,
thanks,” said Cindy, “not right now. I need to see Kate’s dad alone.”

“Not
right now, later maybe?” Carl pressed the point.

“We’ll
definitely get together and talk,” said Cindy, “when the time is right.”

“Great,”
said Carl.

Cindy
felt it was a stroke of good luck that she could go right then and talk to Kate’s
dad right away.  He hadn’t been much on anyone’s radar, but the look in Sean’s
eyes when he mentioned him, stirred Cindy up. Despite herself she liked Sean,
felt the depth of his connection to Kate and his suffering.  And what about his
date, Riva? Cindy wondered.  Was she bringing Sean comfort with his ordeal?
Somehow Cindy didn’t think so. Sean seemed to be dealing with this on his own.

Cindy
arrived at Kate’s father’s room, knocked on the door, and to her surprise a
tall, very thin, somewhat frail man with alabaster hair, answered the door.

“Come
in,” he said in a hoarse tone.

Cindy
immediately saw the resemblance between him and Kate. He walked shakily as he led
her to the sofa and motioned for her to sit down. Then he took the seat
opposite Cindy and put his head in his hands.

“Please
excuse my condition,” he spoke softly.

“I
am sorry for your loss,” said Cindy warmly.

He
looked up and her and rubbed his temples slowly.

“My
name is Wendell,” he said gazing at her as though he were in a dream. “And who
are you? A friend of Kate’s?”

“I’m
a private detective,” said Cindy, “I’m here to help find out what happened to Kate.”

Wendell
nodded soulfully. “Quite a job for such a beautiful, young woman,” he said.

“I
am extremely sorry to bother you,” Cindy went on, “but I just wanted a few
minutes to hear whatever it was you could tell me about your daughter.”

Wendell
winced at the thought of it.

“My
only, beloved daughter,” he said, “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. Kate
looked just like my sister Flora from the day she was born. I told Tyra that,
but she never agreed.”

“Tyra
is your wife?” asked Cindy.

“My
beloved lifelong partner,” he said.

“Is
your sister Flora coming down to join you?” asked Cindy. “Were she and Kate
close?”

Wendell
drew back and looked up at the ceiling.

“Flora
is dead,” he said in a matter of fact tone. “She died at exactly the same age
as Kate did. Self-inflicted, an overdose of drugs.”

Cindy
felt a long chill creep over her body. “Flora killed herself?”

“Yes,”
Wendell said, “seems it runs in the family. My mother, Bell, also killed
herself a few years after Kate was born.”

“I
am very, very sorry,” said Cindy, not knowing what to make of this strange
development.

“It
was what I always feared would happen to Kate, too,” Wendell said grimly. “I
felt from the day she was born, that it was written for her in the stars.”

 “That’s
dreadful,” Cindy shuddered.

“Yes,
but life proved it,” he said.

“Proved
what?” asked Cindy, growing alarmed.

“Proved
that I was right,” mumbled Wendell, “that destiny reigns.”

“Was
Kate depressed?” Cindy asked sharply then, trying to break through the dreamy
state Wendell seemed to be in.

“To
the public’s eye, Kate was perfect,” he said, “cheerful, optimistic. But I knew
better. I always felt how sad she was deep down.”

Cindy
looked around the room they were in now. Wendell had placed photos of Kate, beautifully
framed, everywhere. Alongside them were photos of two other women, who looked a
great deal like her. They were probably Wendell’s mother and sister, thought Cindy.
 

Wendell
glanced over at the photos along with Cindy. “Kate was beautiful, magnificent,
wasn’t she?” he remarked.

“Very
much so,” said Cindy.

“Do
you notice that she looked a lot like my mother and sister?” Wendell went on.

“Yes,
I do,” said Cindy uneasy.

“It’s
possible, of course, that suicide runs in the genes,” Wendell mused slowly. “There
are medical reports that suggest it. I’ve read them from time to time.”

“How
exactly was Kate depressed?” Cindy needed more specifics.

Wendell
looked up at Cindy, his eyes clouded. “Kate would sit at the dinner table and
not say a word for long, long intervals,” he started. “My sister, Flora, used
to do that as well. I recognized the pattern immediately, felt it was a sign of
danger. I mentioned it to Tyra too, but she said I was being morose, and to
forget it. I didn’t do much about it, beyond that, though.”

“How
old was Kate when she did that?” asked Cindy.

“On
and off her whole life long,” said Wendell.

“Did
you ask her what was bothering her?” asked Cindy.

“No,
in truth, I did not,” Wendell began rubbing his hands on his temples again. “I
was afraid to hear. Deep down I knew she was brooding about how difficult and
lonely life can be.”

“But
Kate had many friends and a wonderful family, she had everything she needed,”
Cindy interrupted.

“On
the surface perhaps, but what difference does that make, really?” said Wendell.
“Deep down Kate was still very lonely. I knew that about her and about my
sister and mother as well.”
           “You knew it because you’d lost them both? “asked Cindy.

“Precisely,”
said Wendell, relieved that someone finally understood. “Loneliness like that
is hard to bear. I never asked Kate about it, but I did make sure that her
uncle Carl came over as often as possible.”

“Kate
felt better when Carl was around?” asked Cindy.

Wendell’s
face lit up. “Yes, she did. Much better. Kate and Carl had an uncanny bond. Of
course, on the one hand, I was a bit jealous. But, on the other hand, I was
also grateful for it. Tyra was grateful as well. She never spent much time with
Kate either. Tyra’s quite the society lady running around.”

“Did
that suit you?” asked Cindy.

“Indeed,”
said Wendell. “In fact I needed it. You’ve met Tyra, I assume? You see how
charming and affable she can be. She keeps my spirits lifted. So, it was fine
with both of us to have Carl take over Kate.”

“Take
over?” That was quite a way to put it. Cindy wondered about it. “So, basically
Carl was in charge?”

“I
knew they were too close and that Kate was overly attached to him,” Wendell
said softly, “but there was nothing I could do about it, or wanted to do about
it, truthfully. Let her be attached to someone, I thought. Then, maybe she
wouldn’t die, too.”

Cindy
appreciated Wendell’s honesty. “What about Kate and Sean?” she asked. “How did
they do together? I heard that she loved him a lot.”

“She
needed him desperately,” whispered Wendell, “Kate was always in a bad way when she
and Sean broke up.”

“That
must have been rough on Sean,” said Cindy.

“I’m
sure it was,” said Wendell, “Kate depended on him way too much.”

“I
heard the family didn’t much like Sean though?” Cindy probed, wanting more.

“It
was Carl who didn’t like him,” Wendell corrected her. “I saw nothing at all
wrong with the boy. A bit hot headed at times and impulsive, but he was devoted
to Kate. Very devoted, for years and years. I felt that she was fortunate to
have him. I hoped he could pull her through.”

Cindy
was surprised. “Pull her through?” she asked.

“Kate
could be very moody,” Wendell continued. “Sean handled it well.”

“But
they broke up all the time,” said Cindy.

A
small smile crept around the edge of Wendell’s mouth. “Well, maybe they did,
but they also always got back together again. In fact, as I understood it, Kate
and Sean were thinking of becoming engaged quite soon.”

Cindy
was stunned. She hadn’t heard they’d been planning an engagement soon.  The
irony of it stung.

“Was
the upcoming engagement a cause of celebration in the family?” asked Cindy.

“Not
exactly,” said Wendell. “And of course, word is that Sean suddenly took up with
someone else. Maybe Kate was too much for him? Who knows?  Carl blamed this
breakup on Sean’s cheating. But frankly, Carl seemed relieved, he’d always
begged Kate to get rid of Sean. When Carl heard that Sean had a new girlfriend,
he practically insisted that Kate go online and find someone else right away.
It was Carl who urged her to do this, to get Sean out of the picture for good.”