Santos walked over to them. “You got it perfect, my friend,” he said. “And it’s not just because of me, it’s because of your beautiful Cindy. She begged me to find Kara and I couldn’t say no.”
“Thank you, Santos,” Cindy said as she turned to Mattheus. “And what happens now to Rowley and Rod? Both were instrumental in Shane’s death.”
Mattheus looked at Cindy strangely. “I can’t believe that Rod would ever go along with this. I was with him the whole time. He never said a word about anything like it to me.”
Was that all Mattheus had to say? Cindy felt deeply disheartened. Was Mattheus involved in a cover-up?
“At least the police have got to take Rowley in,” Cindy insisted. “He openly confessed to masterminding a crime.”
Darrin looked at Cindy kindly. “We’ll take care of everything in good time,” he replied. “This crime has plenty of moving pieces. Lots of people were responsible for what happened.”
“That’s a cover-up.” Cindy felt indignant.
“Leave Rowley alone with his wife now,” Darrin went on.
But when Cindy looked over toward Rowley and Kara, it didn’t seem as though she wanted to be near him at all. Kara was speaking only to Alfred, while Rowley hung back in the shadows, a few feet away.
“Will they take Rowley in, Santos? Will they prosecute him?” Cindy turned to Santos then.
“Never,” said Santos in a low tone. “Plenty of words have been spoken, but there’s no proof of anything. Nothing at all. You have Kara now, take her back out of here fast. Take the next plane home and tell her to forget whatever happened.”
Cindy looked at Santos with searing sadness. “How can Kara forget what happened to her good friend? How can she ever live with it?”
“Ask yourself that same question,” Santos replied. “How can you live with what happened during your honeymoon, and finally have a life? And when you find the answer, come and tell me. I’ll be waiting to hear.”
*
After a few more moments Jenna and Alfred led Kara gently out of the hut with Rowley following close behind. Santos, Mattheus, and the police stood to the side as they walked out.
“Alfred has a car waiting for them,” Santos mentioned.
There was so much more Cindy wanted to ask Kara, but of course this was not the time. Kara needed to readjust to this world, to realize that she was free, alive, out of their clutches. Cindy suddenly realized that Felix was nowhere to be seen. He had left on his own without anyone noticing.
“Why did Felix leave?” Cindy asked Santos, surprised.
“He did his job,” Santos answered plainly. “He wasn’t needed here anymore. When someone isn’t needed, it’s better for them to go. Dead wood draws maggots in the forest.”
Mattheus threw a long glance at Santos. Cindy wondered if Mattheus was thinking that he’d been dead wood all these days on the case.
Fortunately, Santos walked a few steps away to talk to Abe then, and Cindy and Mattheus had a chance to be alone.
“Are we just letting Rowley and Rod walk?” Cindy asked, as soon as Santos was far enough out of earshot.
Darrin, who’d been standing behind them, scraped his throat loudly. He was letting them know he’d heard Cindy’s comment.
“The ring takes care of its own down here.” Darrin joined in the conversation. “At times like this, you don’t go pushing yourself in unless you want to end up like Kara or Shane.”
Cindy didn’t like Darrin’s insinuation, or the fact that he was willing to leave justice to the ring. “I’m talking about Rowley and Rod,” she said. “They’re not involved in the ring, are they?”
“Of course they are.” Darrin’s voice grew gruffer. “They contacted someone in the ring to get Shane off their necks. They’re in over their heads now and they know it. Santos obviously found out about it. The rest we will never know.”
Cindy turned on her heel and stared at Darrin. “Three men conspired in the death of Shane and you’re telling me that ring will take care of justice?”
“Most likely the guy who shot Shane is long gone,” Darrin mumbled, throwing a furtive look at Mattheus, wanting him to step in. “Once we step into a tangle, the knots tie us up too. Get what I mean?”
Cindy didn’t want to. Darrin was telling her that he and Santos were silent partners, that it was all right with the police for the ring mete out justice of their own. If Darrin did anything to disrupt the delicate system, he’d be caught in the trap himself.
“Be happy you got Kara out alive,” Darrin mumbled, “it’s a miracle you should be grateful for.”
Say something, Mattheus, Cindy said in her mind to him. Tell me you’re not going along with this underworld.
“You have to know where you are and how the law operates there,” Mattheus said slowly. “There’s all kinds of justice, Cindy.”
“The law of the jungle?” Cindy breathed.
“Rowley and Rod would be laughed out of the courts down here in a few seconds.” Darrin spoke strongly now. “The guy’s getting his punishment anyway, isn’t he? Looks like he lost his marriage before it even had a chance to start. And the wife had her part in this, too. Don’t forget that.”