Death by Honeymoon

Chapter 14

The next day was hot and humid. Cindy drove to the City with the car windows down, letting the warm, moist, sultry air wash over her. She parked on a side street, and walked a few blocks East to the Promenade. It was a lovely residential neighborhood, with brownstones on the side streets and tall, elegant apartment buildings on the main avenues. As she got further East she came to a neighborhood park which bordered the Promenade. There were trees, a playground, a basketball court. Then, beyond that, the walkway along the East River.

Cindy was almost afraid to walk down to the river. She had no idea what state Greg was in or what else she was going to find out.

A few ice cream vendors lined up along the entrance to the park, smiling at Cindy and asked if she wanted some. Cindy wished she could buy an ice cream for both her and Greg, but thought better of it. This meeting was peculiar. She didn’t know how he would react.

She walked down the pathway slowly. When she got to the river, there he was, standing exactly where he said he would be .

Greg was a slim guy in his thirties, just a little taller than Cindy. He wore khaki pants, a blue tee shirt and a baseball cap, pulled low, with dark sunglasses. He saw her immediately, nodded and looked down.

Cindy came over stood next to him.

“Let’s just walk,” he said under his breath.

They started walking. As he’d said, the Promenade was mostly empty. A few people sat on benches at the river’s edge, watching boats pass by. In the park that bordered the Promenade, some sunbathers were stretched out, lying on the grass. Thick, white summer clouds filled the sky.

Greg turned and looked over his shoulder a few times as they walked.

“We’re going North,” he told Cindy. “Right around that bend is a bench I love. It’s under a big tree, protected from view.”

“Great,” Cindy said.

They came to the bend, turned a slight corner and there was a huge, sheltering tree. Under it was an empty bench.

“We’ll sit here,” Greg said instantly . “There’s always a breeze.”

Cindy and Greg sat down on the bench and he finally breathed a little more easily.

“They have tentacles everywhere,” Greg said. “You have to be careful.”

“Who has tentacles?” Cindy asked.

Greg turned and opened his huge brown eyes wide . “The company.”

“I see,” Cindy said.

“What do you see?” Greg was quick on the uptake. He was quick about everything, and right to the point.

“Not much,” said Cindy.

“You’re in danger.”

It was as if a cold wind blew over Cindy. She’d felt there was danger, but to hear it said like that aloud made it more real, almost as if she could smell it. Otherwise, lulled by the beautiful trees, sky and late spring afternoon, the whole world seemed in harmony.

“Clint was never careful enough,” Greg went on. “I told him that over and over.”

Cindy couldn’t let his fear overtake her.

“Clint loved to talk. He talked too much. He got so excited when he found something out, he’d tell everyone. I’d say, Clint, shut up. He called me paranoid. Oh God, I can’t believe he’s gone. He was a wonderful person.”

Cindy wanted to put her hand on his quivering arm to comfort him, but he was too overwrought. He and Clint had worked together for three years. This had to be a huge shock.

“How’d he die?” he finally asked.

“The Coroner called it accidental drowning.”

“Bullshit,” Greg blurted out. “Did you see the Coroner’s report yourself?”

“No. I wasn’t in shape to see anything then.”

“Check the Coroner’s report yourself,” Greg said.

She would. That was a good idea.

“Why did they fire you, Greg?”

“I’ll tell you what I can. I’m only here because of Clint. I have an agreement with the company not to say anything to anyone. That’s not unusual in a termination agreement. In exchange they gave me some funds.”

“I’m not just anyone.”

“I’m not stupid. I realize that. And I have a moral obligation to keep you from harm. Clint’s death was definitely not an accident.”

Cindy was beginning to feel cold and edgy.

“Clint went much too far. He got a lot of warnings to stop poking around in the research he was doing. “

“Research on the Tearwall Project?”

“He wasn’t supposed to tell you about it.”

“He didn’t. I found out.”

“He always had to go to the limit with everything. But the company had millions and millions of dollars committed to the drill. The more we explored, the worse it looked. You get the drift of what I’m saying? He was digging up information nobody wanted. “

“I need dates, facts to bring to the authorities,” Cindy said.

Greg turned and looked at her straight on. “There are lobbyists involved. Congressmen. You think the cops can help?”

“I need facts, details,” said Cindy.

“Whew. You’re just like him. Playing with fire.”

Greg looked out at the river that stretched before them. “Beautiful here, isn’t it?” he said.

“Very,” said Cindy.

“Peaceful, secluded.” Greg tapped his fingers along the bench. “If you’re quiet, you can even hear the birds singing in these trees.”

“He didn’t believe it when I told him he was putting us in danger.”

“Why not?” Cindy zeroed in.

“Clint discovered something too big to handle. But he wouldn’t let up. He was like a dog with a bone, felt he was out there, saving the world.”

With that, Greg was done. He got up from the bench abruptly. “Who did he save? Not even himself.” He looked very sad then.

“Wait a minute,” Cindy reached out for him. “Please, I need more information to go to the police.”

“It’s bigger than that. They won’t be able to do anything for you. They take orders from above.”

“Then I’ll go to the police.”

“Keep dreaming,” Greg said. “The best thing you can do now is get out of town . Don’t threaten the company. Don’t poke around. Pretend Clint’s death was an accident. Play the part of the grieving widow.”

“Forget it,” she said. “How could I live with myself if I kept everything buried? What do you think of me?” Cindy felt worse than before.

“At least you’d live,” Greg smiled oddly.

“I’m begging you, I need more information.”

“And I need to stay alive,” said Greg.

Then he suddenly turned, waved, and quickly rushed away, and disappeared, around another bend.

Cindy was left standing there alone, under the tree. She wondered exactly what Clint had discovered. It had cost him his life. Now Greg was running for his as well.

Cindy looked up at the beautiful, sheltering tree and realized that her life wasn’t worth anything, if it wasn’t based on the truth. She had no intention of running away from this. She’d get the help she needed somehow.