Death by Proposal (19 page)

Be
careful, Kate, the message said.

Kate
answered just as quickly. Don’t worry, there are no predators on this island.
Everything is safe and fine.

Cindy
felt a chill go through her back as she read that one.
Predators
was not
a word Kate had used anywhere else, or would have used, thought Cindy. It didn’t
fit her. It was Clay’s word, not hers. Cindy sat there staring at the message.
Why would Kate even think of a predator? And how wrong, she’d been about it.

As
Cindy sat there staring at the computer, the room to the door opened and she
heard Mattheus walk in.

“What
are you doing?” he called, walking out onto the patio casually, as if nothing
out of the ordinary between them had happened.

“I’m
going through Kate’s Facebook page,” said Cindy.

“You
did that already,” Mattheus replied.

“I’m
doing it again,” said Cindy, defiantly.

“Find
anything new? “asked Mattheus.  

“First
read that note Clay sent me that’s on the table outside,” said Cindy. “After
that, I’ll tell you what I found.”

“Oh
God, this will never end,” Mattheus groaned.

“It
will end when it ends,” said Cindy. “Please go read it, Mattheus.”

Mattheus
left to read the note and Cindy kept scrolling. There had to be something else
here that would tell her what she felt in every bone of her body and was
longing to know. She went over every message from Kate and its responses with a
fine tooth comb.

Suddenly
Mattheus reappeared on the patio. “Okay, you’re right, this note is weird.”

“That’s
putting it mildly,” said Cindy.

“No,
not mildly. It’s putting it exactly right. The note is weird. Right now this
guy is emotionally disturbed. But who wouldn’t be when they’d just gone through
something like this?”

“I
found a mention of a predator on Kate’s Facebook page,” Cindy turned to Mattheus
directly. “Kate said to someone that there were no predators on this island.
That’s a strange thing to say. Not like her at all.”

“Clay
probably mentioned it to her and it was on her mind. Mattheus had an answer for
everything.

“You
don’t think it’s weird?” asked Cindy, agitated.

“I
don’t think it’s pleasant, but it doesn’t mean a thing,” said Mattheus.

“Everything
means something on a case like this,” said Cindy.

“Not
everything,” Mattheus insisted. “Thinking every little thing has a secret
meaning leads to madness. You have to know what’s really significant and what
is not.”

“This
is very significant,” Cindy stuck to it.

“Cindy,
the case is solved. They’ve got Sean. It’s tied up.”

Cindy
turned back to the computer. “I don’t believe Sean did it, Mattheus. Everyone just
wants to pin it on someone and tie it all up.”

“That’s
not fair,” said Mattheus more calmly, walking closer to Cindy. “I’ve gone along
on this ride with you, but I don’t have to give up what I feel is right.”

“No,
you don’t,” Cindy agreed, calming down as well. The tension that developed as
cases proceeded inevitably spilled back onto both of them. “I know you’ve done
your best.”

“And
so have you, “said Mattheus more warmly.

That
was unexpected and felt good to hear.

“How
about leaving the computer for now and us taking some time together?” he said.

Cindy
wanted to do it, but was also afraid. She sensed something here that they could
not let go of.

“I
want to,” said Cindy, “but it bothers me that Kate wrote about predators. It
doesn’t sit right.”

“So,
go back and see exactly when that message was written,” said Mattheus. “Put it
in perspective and let it be.”

Cindy
scrolled back to the message and checked the exact time and date it was sent.
As she did, she froze in horror.

“My
God,” Cindy called out suddenly.

“What?”
asked Mattheus, unnerved.

“My
God, my God” Cindy’s voice got louder, “this message was sent after Kate was
dead.” Frantically, Cindy scrolled further. “So were the others!”

“What
others? What others?” cried Mattheus.

“Mattheus,
Mattheus,” Cindy suddenly cried from the top of her lungs, “Kate never
announced her engagement to Clay. The messages were sent after she was dead.
Kate didn’t post them. Who did?”

 “We’ve
got to find out who wrote and posted those messages,” Cindy said to Mattheus
urgently.

“I’m
going with the case as it is,” Mattheus replied. “There will never be a way to
prove who wrote them. Kate could have written them before she died, and then
someone posted them later. We’ll never know, we’ll never know.”

“Someone
was obviously pretending to be Kate,” Cindy replied firmly.  “They announced
the engagement after she’d died. Why? It’s weird, it’s crazy.”

Mattheus
wouldn’t get into it. “You’re chasing a rainbow,” he said. “There are lots of them
across the sky, especially after a storm.”

“This
is not a rainbow, it’s a lead,” Cindy was inflamed. “Who else had access to
Kate’s computer except Clay?”

“We
don’t know,” answered Mattheus in a clipped tone, “and by now the computer has
so many fingerprints on it, it’s anyone’s guess.” Then he got up and walked to
the door. “I’m taking a walk,” he said. “I’ll be back later.”

“When?”
asked Cindy, ruffled.

“Does
it really matter?” asked Mattheus. “You’re busy anyway, off and running after a
new lead.”

It
was hard to believe that Mattheus had become so lackadaisical, not really like
him at all, thought Cindy. He must have believed that she was using it to put a
wedge between them, avoid being back on vacation again. But his lack of
involvement troubled Cindy deeply. It also made her wonder whether their
working together was even a good idea anymore.

 After
Mattheus walked out and closed the door, Cindy immediately put in a call to
Carl, who picked up instantly.

At
first, it was hard for Cindy to talk to him though. It should have been
Mattheus she was talking this over with, thought Cindy, flustered.

 “What’s
going on?” asked Carl, surprised to hear from Cindy so soon.

“There’s
been a sharp turn in the road,” Cindy finally managed, in a husky tone.

“What’s
wrong?” Carl picked up her urgency.

Cindy
regained herself quickly and jumped in. “Kate never posted those messages on
her Facebook page about her engagement. They were posted after she had already
died.”

A
frozen silence greeted Cindy on the other end of the phone.

“Did
you hear what I said, Carl?” asked Cindy.

“I’m
just taking it in,” he replied, horrified.

“Someone
else posted the announcement of Kate’s engagement,” Cindy repeated

Carl’s
voice sounded strangled. “I don’t know what to make of this,” he uttered, “what
does it mean?”

“We’ve
got to find out who wrote and posted those messages,” said Cindy fervently. “And
it has to be done immediately.”

“We?
” asked Carl, “you
and me?”

“Yes,”
said Cindy.

“What
about Mattheus?” Carl sounded dumbfounded.

“Mattheus
is not into it,” Cindy replied. “He still believes that Sean did it. Right now,
he’s gone out for a walk.” 

“At
a time like this?” Carl couldn’t believe it.

“I
need your help Carl,” Cindy could barely speak.

“Of
course I’ll help you. I’m on it completely. I’ll make those calls and find out
exactly where we can find Clay when he’s not in the hotel. Give me a few
seconds and I’ll call you right back.”

True
to his word, in about ten minutes Carl called back. He learned that Clay hung
out at a rocky cliff on the Western, primitive side of the island. The cliff
was high above the ocean, with an incredible view of the sky and sea. The
airports would be opening day after tomorrow, and Clay and his family were
grounded until then. If they couldn’t find Clay at the hotel, that was where he’d
probably be.

“You’ve
done a fantastic job finding this out,” Cindy breathed, thrilled. “Wonderful.”

“Thanks,”
said Carl, gratified. “It’s the least I can do.  But I’ve also decided I’m
going there first thing tomorrow morning to surprise Clay myself.”

“Not
a good idea,” Cindy retorted sharply.

“Once
I see him that guy won’t know what hit him,” Carl continued. “I’m gonna drill the
bastard for all he’s worth.”

“I
don’t recommend it,” said Cindy.

“Why
not?” asked Carl perturbed.

“Don’t
go alone,” said Cindy, “meetings like that can become tricky. I’ll get Mattheus
to join you.”

“That’s
the last person I want to go with,” scoffed Carl.

“Mattheus
is a professional and he’s on the case,” Cindy became no nonsense. “You hired
him exactly for a situation like this.”

 “How
about you?” asked Carl, “you’re a professional too, aren’t you?”

“I’d
love to join you,” said Cindy, “but I think Clay may talk more without a woman around.”

“Could
be the opposite?” said Carl. “The guy’s pretty close to his mother.”

Cindy
thought about it for a moment. Maybe Carl was right. Clay had seemed more open
to her initially when Carl was not around.

But
none of that seemed to matter much to Carl. “Maybe you’re right about my going
with Mattheus,” Carl said, “but whether or not he comes along, I’m going to be
there first thing tomorrow morning, around ten o’clock. If Mattheus wants to
come, let him. I couldn’t care less. I’ve got questions for Clay that he’s
going to answer, like it or not.”

*

Mattheus
came back about an hour later, quiet and reserved. Cindy had been waiting up
for him on the sofa, going through some magazines.

“I’ve
been waiting up for you,” she said when Mattheus came in.

Mattheus
looked surprised. “Why?”

“Because
I want to talk to you.”

“We’ve
talked a lot, Cindy,” said Mattheus with resignation. “Too much, maybe?”

“What
is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“I’m
tired of talking about the same things over and over again,” he said.

Obviously
he was thinking of their relationship, not the case. Cindy had to get him back
on track.

“I’m
not referring to our relationship,” said Cindy then. “I want to talk about the
case.”

“You’re
obsessed with the case,” Mattheus turned full force on her. “You’re addicted, driven,
completely consumed.”

Cindy
was shocked at the vehemence of his tone. Obviously, he’d been thinking about
it.

“I’ve
seen this before and I’m seeing it again now,” Mattheus continued. “This has
become a sickness.”

Cindy
felt her face flush. “It’s a sickness to want to find out the truth?”

“That’s
right, in this case, it’s a sickness. Even after a case is solved, I’ve seen
detectives dwell on it for months. They become positive something was
overlooked, that they didn’t do enough. They begin to feel like it’s their
responsibility to save the entire world. It’s a sickness, Cindy.”

“Yes,
it is, but I don’t have it,” Cindy cried out. “There’s new, important evidence
here.”

“That’s
what they always say,” Mattheus yelled back. “This one new lead will turn
everything around.”

Cindy
felt sweat break out on her forehead. If Mattheus refused to listen to and
acknowledge the importance of the fact that Kate had died before her messages
were posted which one of them was in denial? She took a deep breath, got up and
walked out onto the patio.

Mattheus
followed her out there. He came close to her and put his hands on her shoulders
lightly.

“I
don’t want to hurt you,” he said, “I just want to wake you up.”

“Carl
is going to a rocky peak on the Western side of the island to confront Clay
tomorrow morning,” Cindy replied. “He wants you to accompany him.”

“He
wants me to accompany him? Or you do?”

“I
don’t think he should do this alone,” said Cindy.

“It’s
nice to see how much you care about Carl,” Mattheus responded, “how busy you
are looking after his welfare.”

“Carl
hired us to solve this case,” replied Cindy bitterly.

“The
case has been solved,” Mattheus quipped. “Carl hasn’t hired us to be his
bodyguards while he works out his anger with his niece’s fiancée. First he was
angry with Sean, now his anger has turned towards Clay.”

“It’s
not quite like that,” said Cindy.

“Well,
tell me what it is then?” said Mattheus. “You know Carl much better than I do
anyway.”

Cindy
bit her lip hard. Mattheus’s devastating jealousy clouded his vision and
judgment every time it flared up like this.

“You
say I have a sickness,” Cindy said, “how about you and your jealousy? It’s
crazy and rampant. The least little thing can spark it. It clouds your
judgment, Mattheus.”

“I
accept that,” said Mattheus, “but I do not accept the fact that it is my duty
to accompany Carl to an encounter with Clay. Carl’s doing this for personal
reasons that have nothing to do with the case.”

“Everything
has to do with the case,” Cindy insisted.

“That’s
the sickness speaking,” said Mattheus, as he took his hands off her shoulders and
walked back inside.

*

Cindy
could barely sleep all night thinking of what Mattheus had said. Was it true, was
her drive to solve the case a sickness, or addiction of some kind? Had she gone
overboard? She tossed and turned as Mattheus slept, facing away from her all
night long.

As
the first light of day broke through the window, Cindy got out of bed,
showered, pulled on navy linen slacks and a hand painted summer shirt, and
brushed her long hair, hard. Then she looked in the mirror. Who was looking
back at her? On the one hand she saw a beautiful young woman, suntanned, hair
flowing down over her shoulders, beautifully dressed for the oncoming day. On
the other hand, if she looked deeper, she saw someone driven. Had she become a
person whose life had been taken over by the pursuit of killers, down here in
the Caribbean? Was Mattheus right? Had the hunt for these killers and justice
for the victims become more important to her than building a life and
relationship of her own? Had finding killers replaced it? Was there any room
for her to be with Mattheus in the way he wanted it to be? Cindy stopped for a
second a wondered.

She
walked back into to the bedroom and looked at Mattheus sleeping for a moment, before
she opened the door and went downstairs. Mattheus was a good man and he loved
her. She loved him as well, and for a long time they’d loved working together.
Cindy wasn’t sure when things changed so deeply and became the way they were
now.

Cindy
considered waiting for Mattheus to wake up before leaving, but the thought of
Carl going alone to confront Clay worried her. If Mattheus wouldn’t go, at
least she should. This was a delicate time for all concerned and there was no
telling what could take place. It was the right thing to do, it was the only
thing to do, she told herself as she stepped out of the door and onto the
elevator.

After
having a quick breakfast downstairs in the café, Cindy hailed a cab and took it
to the spot Clay liked to hang out at. It was early to go, but Cindy wanted to
be sure to there before Carl arrived.

The
taxi made its way to the Western part of the island then wound up a hill and
stopped at a high peak, over the ocean, and Cindy got out. The waters and winds
were calmer today, and the air had the wonderful, biting smell of ocean, mixed
with the fragrance of flowers, after a storm had passed.

As
Cindy walked slowly towards the edge of the peak, to her surprise, she saw Clay
there already. Cindy shuddered as she walked closer. Clay was standing on the edge
of the peak, tearing papers wildly, and throwing them down into the ocean
below.

“Clay,”
Cindy called out, despite herself, unsettled by seeing him doing that.  She was
sorry the moment she called his name, though. She’d wanted to hide in the
shadows for a while and watch what else he was up to.

The
moment he heard her, Clay spun around and faced Cindy directly.

“You,
again!” his face grew tight. “What are you doing here, following me?”

Cindy
walked closer to him. “Calm down, Clay, I’m not following you.”

“What
are you doing here, then?” he demanded, disturbed by the sight of her.

“I
just wanted to talk to you a little,” said Cindy quietly, letting the wind
carry her words to him.

“Like
hell,” said Clay, grabbing another bunch of papers and ripping them up.

“What
are those papers in your hands?” Cindy asked, taking another step quietly.

“What
business is it of yours?” Clay shot back, tearing them more intensely.

“I’m
your friend, Clay,” Cindy said quietly, trying to win back to his confidence.

At
that his eyes opened wide. “My friend? You expect me to believe that?”