Cindy shuddered at the thought of it. Standing here she felt safe and secure. Had the accident been just a combination of unexpected circumstances, or something else, she wondered?
“How did the accident even happen?” Cindy asked, turning and looking directly at Andy, who seemed disturbed to be reliving all of this now.
“Accidents happen,” he mumbled. “People come and rent boats that are too powerful for them. There’s no way to know in advance. Things can start out fine and then suddenly the day gets cloudy, the water gets rough. Things change in a second and they can’t handle the situation. In Owen’s case a rough wind blew up from out of nowhere and tossed the wife off the boat. He tried like hell to save her, but couldn’t. His foot must have jammed on the motor trying to get the boat out of the way. The boat swerved right at her hitting her head.”
“Horrible,” breathed Cindy.
“Yeah,” Andy agreed. “Horrible for both of them. Owen lunged into the water and pulled her out, but it was too late. You could hear his shouts from miles around.”
“You heard him shouting?” Mattheus was interested.
“You better believe I did,” said Andy. “When conditions change suddenly sometimes there are accidents. It doesn’t happen often, thank God, but it does happen.”
“Not like this accident, though?” Cindy remarked.
“No two accidents are exactly the same,” Andy replied. “Look, these are the chances you take when you go out on the water. People get killed on land, too. Crossing a street can be dangerous, if you want to look at it that way. This was an accident, that’s all. No one’s questioned that.”
Cindy walked to the edge of the boat looking down at the sharp edge in front of it that had driven into Tara’s head.
“Where are you going? Come back from the edge!” Mattheus called to her.
But Cindy wanted to see for herself. She leaned over and saw a thin streak of blood was still etched into the wood.
“There’s still blood here too,” she called out to Andy, fascinated by the trail it made.
“I know, I know, we’re getting it all cleaned up,” he called back.
“Come back from the edge of the boat,” Mattheus came up close beside her.
Cindy liked it there, though, felt better able to get a sense of what Tara had been feeling.
“You didn’t notice them of them fighting or upset, did you?” Cindy asked, straightening up and still standing there.
“Absolutely not,” said Andy. “In fact, they seemed happy together. I noticed that.”
“There was no one else on the boat with them, ever?” Mattheus double checked.
“No, of course not,” said Andy. “It was their party for the day.”
“Their last party,” Cindy breathed.
“I’m sorry about it,” Andy responded. “If I could turn the clock back and make it come out differently, believe me, I would.”
“We all would,” said Mattheus. “Everyone wishes they could turn back the clock, at least a thousand times in a lifetime. Don’t worry, this is not your fault.”
Andy grimaced. “Of course it isn’t, no one ever said it was.”
*
After leaving Andy, Cindy and Mattheus were finally seated right at the edge of the water, having fried shrimp for lunch. It felt wonderful eating in the sun, having time to sort it all out.
“Looks like there’s no question about it, it was an accident,” Cindy said, enjoying every bite of the food.
“There’s always a question about everything,” Mattheus commented drinking down a cool lemonade. “I’ll check with forensics to see if Andy’s story holds.”
“Oh, come on,” Cindy objected. “If Owen wanted to kill Tara there would have been easier ways. The wind blew up suddenly, it happens.”
“Right,” said Mattheus, “we can blame the wind or we can ask why the guy rented such a powerful boat when he couldn’t really handle it.”
“He didn’t know the wind would blow up, he didn’t know he couldn’t handle the engine. The weather forecast that morning was for calm waters,” said Cindy, wanting the focus off Owen. “If a storm had been predicted, then we could wonder about it.”
Mattheus had to grudgingly agree. “I’m not entirely easy about Owen, though,” Mattheus finally commented.
“Why?” asked Cindy. “Because I’m so sure he’s innocent?”
“Because you were so sure so quickly,” Mattheus replied.
Cindy suddenly wondered if it was Mattheus’s old jealousy, rearing its head. Owen was handsome and dashing for sure. The two of them had taken a liking to one another. Was Mattheus simply reacting to that? Was it clouding his judgment?
“We’ll learn more when we check the hospital records and talk to the nurses,” Cindy went on. She wanted to focus off Owen, it was a distraction and a waste of time. “We have to find out exactly who visited Tara and all the medical personnel involved with her case.”
“Right,” Mattheus agreed. “And, we’ll get a good start tonight at the hospital party I told you about.”
The police had arranged for Cindy and Mattheus to attend a cocktail party at an expensive club in town. The hospital administrator and board of directors would be present and Cindy and Mattheus would get a chance to meet them all. The police must have figured that any questions Cindy and Mattheus had would be quickly put to rest that way.
“I’m looking forward to the party,” said Cindy.
“So am I,” said Mattheus as his phone suddenly rang. “Yes?” he picked it up abruptly and then grew silent. His face grew stiff as he listened to the person on the other end spoke. “Yes, I hear what you’re saying,” he replied.
“Who is it?” Cindy asked, perturbed by his reaction.
Mattheus held up his hand, not wanting to be distracted. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” he finally went on.
Cindy grew uneasy as the conversation continued. Obviously, Mattheus was disturbed by whatever was being said. Who was it? Was he going to be pulled into the grip of something that tore them apart again?
“I understand how you feel,” Mattheus suddenly said then, his eyes clouding over, “but I am not returning to Anguilla.”
Cindy felt her stomach clench. It had to be either his daughter or the mother, Petra, calling Mattheus back to them.
“Is there more trouble?” Cindy breathed loudly.
Mattheus shook his head no slowly and sadly, both to Cindy and the speaker on the phone.
“Listen,” he said finally to the caller, “my home is with Cindy, wherever we are. Yes, I’m positive, there’s no question about it.”
Cindy’s heart started beating intensely. Mattheus was positive he belonged with her, was making a clear declaration.
“Let me repeat it,” he replied clearly again on the phone, “Cindy is my family now. I am not going back to you and your mother. I care for you, I want the best for you, but Cindy and I are together.”
Mattheus hung up the phone looking wiped out.
“Was that your daughter?” asked Cindy.
Mattheus nodded yes, slowly. “She wants me to live with her and her mother forever. She said I went away once and can’t go again.”
A wave of sorrow and bitterness engulfed Cindy. “I’m so sorry, Mattheus,” she said.
“It’s hard, it’s sad,” said Mattheus, “but I’ve made my decision.” He reached out for Cindy and took her hands. “I’ll certainly visit her from time to time, but you’re the one I love. It’s you I am building my life with now.”
Chapter 7
Cindy slipped on a short, black, sleeveless cocktail dress. Then she piled her hair up on her head and put on long, silver earrings and high heeled, strappy sandals for the party at the club tonight. It felt good changing into something different, shaking up her usual look.
When she walked out into the main room to go, Mattheus stared at her in amazement.
“Excuse me, who is this?” he asked, grinning, unable to tear his eyes away. “You’re breathtaking if you don’t mind my saying so. You look like a model who stepped off the cover of a top fashion magazine.”