Gerald had seen everything clearly—Bert holding her close, gently brushing her hair away—and even though Riley had told him at the police station that Bert was Catherine's boyfriend, he hadn't believed it. He didn't think Catherine was the type to fall for someone so easily.
From what he knew, Catherine and Bert hadn't interacted before. She had only returned to the country when Renata fell seriously ill. They had only spent a few days together—how could she possibly have fallen for him? And if she hadn't, there was no way she'd be with him.
As for why Riley had said Catherine and Bert were a couple, Gerald figured Riley had probably made it up just to get under his skin.
But seeing Bert and Catherine together, so intimate and close, had completely shattered all of Gerald's assumptions. Clearly, they had just gone for a walk together—and that was the kind of behavior only lovers shared.
