“It got worse?” Cindy pushed him. “Kara needed more and more?”
“No, nothing like that,” Rowley objected. “Kara didn’t need more, Shane did. Shane kept pushing Kara to find her connections. Pushing her to meet me.”
“Why?” Cindy was startled. “Shane was dealing?”
Rowley was taut and harrowed now. “I said no a lot of times, but Shane wouldn’t stop. The damn bastards got their claws into her and wouldn’t let go.”
“Who?” Cindy asked. “The drug ring?”
“Right,” Rowley snapped. “They found out I was a famous surgeon and wanted Shane to get me dealing back in the States. That’s how they do it, find an entry way and never let go.”
“Shane was their entry way to you?”
“Exactly,” Rowley muttered. “She came to see me over and over and each time I refused. Finally, I told her that if she came again, I would call the police.”
“That didn’t go over well,” Cindy commented.
“I couldn’t care less, I didn’t care less.” Rowley’s voice got louder, reverberating in the thick air. “But Shane wouldn’t let go, she couldn’t. God knows what she owed them. When Kara wanted to come down to St. Lucia for our honeymoon, I told her I didn’t want to. We knew Shane came down here often. Kara said it didn’t matter. Shane promised she’d leave us completely alone. And Kara always wanted to come to St. Lucia. She kept saying one thing had nothing to do with the other.”
“Was Kara further in to the drug ring than you knew?” Cindy was stunned by the information.
“No, she wasn’t,” Rowley insisted, rolling his hands through his messy hair. “Drugs weren’t such a big thing for her, she didn’t care about them.”
“What did Kara care about, Rowley?” Cindy took a tiny step closer.
“She cares about me, she loves me.” Rowley’s voice turned into a strange cry.
“Where is she now, Rowley? Where is she?” Cindy demanded.
“That’s what I have to find out,” Rowley finally wailed.
“Why did you lie to the police, Rowley?” Cindy wanted to shake him. She believed what he said but also knew there was more, much more.
“I had to, I had to.” Rowley was practically retching. “If they realized I knew Shane, it would have been all over the papers. My life would be over. My practice would be ruined. I worked too hard to let that happen. Believe me, this isn’t my fault. I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“Obstructing a murder investigation is a crime,” Cindy murmured. “Withholding evidence.”
“Go to hell, Cindy,” Rowley yelled then. “Are you crazy? Whose side are you on?”
“You withheld incredibly important information in the search for your wife.” Cindy wouldn’t let up. “For all we know, it could have saved her life.”
Rowley bent over then as if punched in the gut, pressing his hands along the sides of his head.
“Kara’s alive, she’s well, they’re bringing me to her,” he started howling. “I didn’t do anything wrong! I’m the victim here, not the bad guy.” Then he broke into sobs.
Cindy took a few steps away and let him sob. She had to remember what she was doing here, what was needed now. Immediately, she grabbed her phone to reach Mattheus again. Not only did she have to tell him that she’d found Rowley, but he had to know exactly where she was.
This time the minute the phone rang, Mattheus picked up immediately. “My God, Cindy, my God, where are you?” He sounded completely anguished.
“I’m in the rain forest basin, here with Rowley,” Cindy answered.
“What?” Mattheus yelled. “What? Why in hell didn’t you let me know where you were going? I’ve been going through hell trying to reach you. For a while we even thought you could be missing as well!”
“I tried to call before but your phone didn’t pick up,” Cindy spoke firmly, trying to quiet him down.
“We can pick up your exact location from your phone’s pings,” Mattheus said quickly. “Believe me, we’ll be there as soon as we can!”
“Who’s we, Mattheus?” Cindy asked, relieved.
“I’m with Abe and Darrin, and two other cops you don’t know. This case is on high alert again. My God, Cindy, my God, when I thought you were missing, I didn’t know how I could live. I didn’t want to.”
“I’m fine, Mattheus,” Cindy said slowly.
“Are you really, really? Are you telling me the truth?”
“Get here fast,” Cindy said then. “Not only do we have Rowley, we’re close to finding Kara as well.”
CHAPTER 22
After Cindy hung up the phone she turned back to Rowley, who had returned to crouching on the floor of the porch.
“Get up, Rowley,” Cindy demanded. “It won’t do you any good to curl up and hide.”