Death by Honeymoon

From his expression, it looked like he held Cindy responsible for Ann’s injuries .

Frank was a tall, heavy set man, who was street smart, did well in business, and cared deeply about his wife. He ran into the room the minute he got there to see Ann, barely saying hello to Cindy.

Cindy got up and went into the hall, to give them time alone together.

Standing in the hall, she thought how she never understood how Ann could have chosen Frank, or why the two of them were so close, but she was happy for her.

Cindy’s heart contracted as she felt how much she missed Clint . If he had been here, Ann would never have gotten hurt. Clint would have picked up Frank at the airport and by now, the four of them would be going out for Chinese food. Clint had always liked Frank. The emptiness Cindy felt gripped her deeply. How would she ever get over this? She wouldn’t.

She suddenly realized that it didn’t matter. Maybe it wasn’t about ever getting over it. It was about finding the truth, getting justice for Clint, stopping worse things from happening. There was no time for self-pity. She had a big job ahead.

When Frank finally came out into the hall, his face looked ashen. He actually looked older than Cindy had remembered.

“I’m so sorry about this, Frank,” Cindy said to him.

He just grunted.

“Ann will be fine.”

“Of course she’ll be fine,” he said briskly. “She has to stay in the hospital a while though. Then there will be rehab. This is a nightmare.”

“I don’t know how it happened,” Cindy murmured.

“What do you mean you don’t know? Your brakes failed. Didn’t you have your car checked?”

“It’s almost new. And I did.”

“Hell,” Frank couldn’t stand talking to her, “there’s always something happening around you, isn’t there?”

Cindy resented his comment. “Are you blaming me for the accident?”

“I’m not blaming anyone. I just said, there’s always something. It gets exhausting.”

“I’m sorry, Frank.”

“Sorry isn’t enough. I don’t see why you don’t just come back to Wisconsin when your sister’s better and give her some peace of mind?”

“I can’t. Not until I find out who killed Clint.”

Frank stopped cold in his tracks then. “You got to be kidding?”

“He didn’t die surfing.”

“What in hell are you talking about now? Did the police tell you something?”

“No. They don’t have to. I just know.”

“Know what?” Frank’s eyes were spinning. He was beginning to look ill.

 “You know how the family couldn’t bear anyone of Clint’s girlfriends,” said Cindy.

“And?” Frank looked terrified.

“How do you think they felt about me taking him away from them for good? Just think about it for a minute.”

“Oh Jesus,” Frank called out. “You’re going nuts.”

“Whoever killed him, wants me dead, too. If I go back to Wisconsin, they’ll hunt me down there, too.”

“You’re completely crazy - paranoid!” he said.

“Just the opposite. I’m on the trail of something big. But I’m not safe anywhere until I find them. And, if I came to Wisconsin, you and Ann won’t be safe either.”

“You’re worse than I thought,” Frank finally uttered.

Then he suddenly made a beeline for the bathroom down the hall.

Cindy watched him run down the hall as the nurse came out of Ann’s room and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Come back in, this minute” she said, “your sister’s breathing is labored. She needs you there.”

* * *

Cindy sat at Ann’s side while she struggled for air. The sound of Ann’s breathing reminded Cindy of the strange birds she’d heard on Barbados, cawing through the trees in the dark of night. For a few moments, she wondered if complications were arising that could not be handled. Would Ann die?

Frank was nowhere to be found. After throwing up, he needed a break, and went downstairs to pace back and forth on the city streets. By the time he returned, things quieted down, and Cindy could leave the hospital. It was the middle of the night.

As Cindy walked through the deserted hospital parking lot, on her way to Clint’s small car, she suddenly heard footsteps.

She turned and searched the dimly lit lot, and felt a rush of fear race through her. Were they following her?

The footsteps grew louder, and Cindy hid behind a cement column. She watched and waited.

Finally, he came into a view. It was just a doctor, heading to his car.

Cindy breathed a huge sigh of relief. She chastised herself. Was she really losing it?

When Cindy got home, she could not get to sleep.

She rolled over in bed and took the Bible Tom Mallord had given her. She opened it randomly and began to read:

For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and what is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.

Cindy sat up straight. That was beautiful. It was a sign. It was encouraging her to go forward, telling her the truth would be revealed .

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

Cindy shivered. She had ears to hear. Her ears, her mind, her heart had all been ripped open. She was listening with every pore of her body. Waiting to hear the next steps to take.

Chapter 10

Cindy couldn’t go to Philadelphia and speak to Heather directly until she knew Ann was stable. And it was going to be a long haul. Complications were setting in, Ann was having congestion in her lungs and being closely monitored. Frank was at her side constantly, but Cindy was afraid to leave town, even for a few hours.

“Go do what you have to,” Frank told her. “You’re not helping your sister by staying here looking like death warmed over. Do what you have to feel better. I’ve got things under control.”

Cindy knew he felt better without her there, but there was truth in what he said as well. What good was it to Ann or anyone, if more trouble was about to happen and there was no one trying to stop it?

Before she started the day, Cindy decided it was time to take a good, long run to clear her head . She’d been cooped up inside for far too long. She dressed quickly in shorts and a T shirt and decided to take Clint’s small car and drive down to Arbor Lane to jog.

It was the first time Cindy was out of the house in three weeks. As she drove through town to Arbor Lane, she looked at the winding, cobblestone, tree lined streets. Cove Bay was a quaint suburb. Both the town and people in it were well-groomed, charming and reassuring. There was a large clock in the center of town and benches under it . Small, charming, upscale shops and outdoor cafes lined the streets . People were walking up and down, doing errands, talking, as if everything were normal, as if another murder had not almost been committed, right in their midst.

Cindy drove past a Ben and Jerry’s and a large music store. At the far corner of the next block was a sports store and art supply shop. Clint had had every advantage growing up here, safe and secure. He’d loved Cove Bay and had been determined to settle here and raise a family. Initially Cindy had suggested that they move a little further away from the family, to the next town over. But he was adamant on this point. He would never leave Cove