by Carrie Doyle
After everything was put away, Plum opened the refrigerator and stared at it. She wasn’t sure what to make. Her eyes scanned the cupboard shelves as if she would find a cookbook there, but as she had never purchased one in her entire life, it did not magically appear. Her internet was still spotty, so it took her a long time to research recipes with the ingredients she had. As soon as she would find one that appeared hopeful, she would be frustrated to discover she was missing several key ingredients. Her soup ambition was thwarted by a lack of any sort of chicken or vegetable broth or bouillon (and her inexperience did not allow her to conclude that she could make her own chicken or vegetable broth). She had neglected to buy any sort of cooking oil, which presented a problem. And she was saddened to realize she only had a few dull knives in the drawer. Cross and exasperated, Plum stomped out of the kitchen having eaten nothing.
She took a long shower (she had no choice; the water pressure was abysmal—like a slow tinkle from a toddler) then wrapped her hair up in a towel and put on her bathrobe. She applied aloe to her face and decided that she would feel a lot better if she had a glass of wine. And perhaps some alcohol would get her creative juices flowing and she would conjure up a delicious meal.
When Plum walked through the living room, she saw a white envelope had been slipped under her front door. She had a fantasy that a Chinese-delivery worker had left a menu, but her hopes were quickly dashed. Her name was written on the front in block letters. She opened the envelope, and a white piece of paper came fluttering out. Plum picked it up and read.
STOP INTERFERING OR ELSE
She quickly opened her front door and stepped outside. Her eyes scanned the street, but it was void of activity. No one was lurking in the bushes as far as she could see, and no one was waiting to kill her. She shut the door and locked it, her heart beating fast. Should she be scared? Probably.
Plum hastily dialed Juan Kevin’s number.
“I’ve just been given a warning to stop interfering or else,” she said without bothering to greet him hello.
“Once again, please?” asked Juan Kevin.
“Someone left me a note telling me to stop interfering. It was put under my door while I showered.”
“And I’m assuming you didn’t see anyone or a car or anything,” he said.
“No! Should I be worried? Who do you think did it?”
“I don’t know.”
“I recently saw Carmen Rijo. She seemed pretty annoyed. I think she thought I was following her.”
“Were you?”
“Yes, but that’s not the point. I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“I don’t think Carmen would do that.”
“I know, your favorite Carmen wouldn’t do anything bad…”
“That’s not what I mean,” he interrupted. “I think it would be risky. She’s very conspicuous around Las Frutas. Even if she wanted to give you a warning, she wouldn’t hand deliver a letter. Not to mention she has other, better ways to get rid of you.”
“Like what?”
“She can ban you from the resort.”
“She can’t do that…”
“Of course she can. Emilio left her half of the resort. She’s my boss.”
Plum paused. That had never occurred to her. “Then who do you think wrote it?”
“Let’s see. It could have been Deepak or Jason. Or Kirstie Adler. Damián, maybe. Leslie Abernathy is a long shot, but she could have been annoyed. The list is long and growing.”
“That’s disconcerting.”
“I think you should be cautious. I can make sure my security team does extra rounds on your block tonight.”
“Okay,” said Plum meekly.
There was a heavy pause. Juan Kevin finally spoke. “Do you want me to come over to make sure it’s safe?”
“That would be great!” said Plum. “See you as soon as possible.”
Plum changed into a long, white skirt and a striped T-shirt while she awaited Juan Kevin. She also squirted some perfume on her wrists and put on some mascara. What the hell, she thought. May as well. She also dabbed some lipstick on her chapped lips. She was about to attempt to straighten her hair, but then she shrugged and decided to leave it au naturel.
Juan Kevin performed an exhaustive search of Plum’s town house. He checked her closets and even under her bed. He also walked around the property outside until they were both satisfied that his inspection was thorough.
“Can I get you a glass of wine?” asked Plum.
“Sure,” said Juan Kevin.
Plum noticed that he was not in his usual blue blazer and khakis but instead wore jeans and a polo shirt. “I didn’t take you away from anything, did I?” she asked, handing him the glass.
“No. I had just showered at the gym.”
“Oh, so no hot date?”
He smiled. “Not tonight.”
She wasn’t thrilled with that answer. “I was going to whip something up for dinner; are you hungry?”
“Sure,” said Juan Kevin. “What are you cooking?”
“Well, I went to the grocery store and bought lots of things,” she said, waving toward the bowls of fruits on the counter as if she were a mannequin on a game show displaying the prizes.
“That looks great. I didn’t realize you cooked.”
“Yes, well, I eat,” said Plum.
“Me too.”
“Do you cook?”
“I do,” said Juan Kevin. “My mother is an excellent cook, and she taught me how.”
Plum sighed. “Okay, then maybe you can help me. The truth is, I forgot to pack up my cookbooks, and I am hopeless without them. I am really one of those people that needs to follow recipes.”
“Sure.”
For the next forty-five minutes, Plum watched as Juan Kevin made braised chicken in a garlicky broth with lots of fresh herbs. He served it alongside rice, black beans, and mashed plantains. He was not deterred by her lack of oil and instead used butter, an improvisation that she found logical but confounding.
“This is delicious,” said Plum.
The evening was warm with only a hint of a gentle breeze, so they set the table on the balcony. The sun had set, and a dark, starry night stretched out as far as the eye could see. Plum put the pair of candlesticks from the sideboard on the table and lit them.
Juan Kevin examined the warning letter while they ate.
“This is amateurish,” he remarked. “I don’t think this is from the killer. Although I do want you to remain vigilant.”
“The only person that I know who knew where I lived was Robert Glover. Have you been to see him yet, by the way?” she asked.
Juan Kevin sighed. “I don’t want to again contribute to your criticism of the way my country does things, but he has been moved from the jail in Diego to San Jose, the capital city. The American embassy is there, and I think he reached out to them. Now it is all mired in red tape, and the police keep shifting him around. Therefore, I have not yet had the opportunity to talk with him and verify if it was Leslie kissing Nick.”
Plum shook her head. “I won’t say anything, but it’s absurd that the cops are so inept.”
“That’s saying something.”
Plum didn’t want to argue, so she dropped it. “You know, Robert Glover was hired by Jonas Adler, Kirstie’s dad. That would mean he was in communication with him. Maybe he told Jonas where I lived, and he told Kirstie.”
“It’s possible. She did tell you to stay away from her and her fiancé.”
“She did. Maybe she’s the killer and she wants me to stop investigating.”
“I have a hard time picturing her killing Nicholas. Like Deepak said, she’s so tiny, and he was a big man. I don’t see how she could overpower him.”
“He was drunk, and maybe she had the element of surprise,” said Plum.
> “I suppose. What has bothered me from the beginning is that everyone seems to be withholding information.”
“I agree. And you know, someone said something to me that I didn’t pick up on, and I can’t remember what it was, but it was meaningful.”
“Who said it?”
“I can’t remember that either.”
“It will come back to you.”
The nocturnal creatures had started to make themselves known. There was a particularly loud species that Plum had been unable to identify.
“What’s that noise?”
“Those are the coquis, a type of frog. The males make calls at night to attract the females.”
“I feel like I’m at the Metropolitan Opera every evening. They’re so loud.”
Juan Kevin laughed. “Yes, the male enters a rival’s territory and challenges him, and they engage in a singing duel. The first to falter in keeping up with cadence is declared the loser and needs to leave the territory.”
“It’s like nature’s version of American Idol.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t get that in New York.”
“No,” agreed Juan Kevin.
“Have you ever been there?”
“Yes, several times. It’s not for me.”
“Why not?”
“I like open skies and open space. Also, a slower pace, which I know infuriates you.”
“I’m adapting,” said Plum. She realized that was true. “I’m starting to prefer open skies and space as well. I never thought I would say that. I grew up with a lot of it in Upstate New York, but there, it felt oppressive and sad. To me, it was as if I was missing out on everything in the world, and I couldn’t wait to get to New York City. But I don’t feel that way here.”
“Maybe you were lonely.”
She was about to contradict him, a knee-jerk defensive response to admitting any sort of vulnerability, but decided against it. “I guess I was,” conceded Plum.
“Paraiso can be a wonderful place to live. It is an adjustment, but if you’re in the mindset that you’re not on vacation, and if you don’t compare it to other places, you can enjoy it for all it has to offer.”
“Yeah. I guess I should do that.”
“My advice is for you to resume the hobbies and normal extracurricular activities that you did in New York. It will help you fall into a routine.”
“The only thing I did in New York was work.”
“What about the weekends?”
“I was so tired that I generally did nothing.”
“Do you play any sports?”
“Not really.”
“Huh, well, maybe you can find something of interest here.”
Plum suddenly felt desperately shallow and boring before remembering something that might make her not seem so pathetic. “There was one thing I did every now and then…” began Plum. “I really love animals, so when I could, I would volunteer at the rescue shelter walking the dogs. I traveled so much, I couldn’t have my own…”
“That’s great!” said Juan Kevin. “There is a shelter in Estrella where my sister works. When things are settled at work, you can volunteer there.”
“Maybe…”
“No, it will be great. I will bring you myself and introduce you to everyone.”
“Great.”
“They will be thrilled to meet you.”
Plum smiled. “I appreciate you giving me a second chance. After seeing how Kirstie behaves, I can imagine I came off sort of rude.”
Juan Kevin brushed off the comment. “Let’s start over. I’m happy you are here in Paraiso.”
They lingered over their dinner, and Plum’s mind became filled with sultry fantasies about how the night would end. This was not a date, but it felt like one. Juan Kevin’s eyes sparkled in the gauzy candlelight, and Plum’s heart swelled with romantic thoughts. They would kiss, she was certain. But would anything else happen?
“Uh-oh, looks like I have to go,” said Juan Kevin.
Plum had been staring into space and didn’t even notice he had received a text and was glancing at his phone.
“What’s up?”
“Our friends Kirstie and Jason were caught yet again trying to leave the country. Her father sent a helicopter to take her to the airport where the private jet awaited them. My security guy stopped them at the heliport. They’re making all sorts of threats. I need to go.”
“I’m coming with you!” said Plum, running to get a light sweater without waiting for an answer.
***
They could hear Kirstie yelling before they even entered the heliport control tower. A long string of expletives erupted from her small, puckered mouth. She was berating a young security guard who was cowering from her verbal abuse. Jason sat on a bench, staring blankly. There were stacks of expensive luggage surrounding him.
“Miss Adler, please refrain from addressing my colleague in that manner,” said Juan Kevin.
“I’m an American. This is unconstitutional. I need to return to my country,” she snarled.
“The police have requested that you stay,” said Juan Kevin.
“I’m sick of this,” she snapped before turning her attention to Plum. “You better get us out of here.”
“Nothing I can do about it,” said Plum.
“I googled you. You were fired from your job,” said Kirstie.
“The magazine closed.”
“You’ll be fired from this job also.”
“Let’s not make threats,” Juan Kevin interjected.
“Tell her, Jason,” commanded Kirstie.
He glanced over as if he had been awoken from a dream. “Tell her what?”
“That this bitch better help us get home.”
“That’s enough,” said Juan Kevin gallantly. “You will not talk to people like this. Go back to your hotel room. You are in a beautiful country, not prison. You will be home soon.”
Kirstie screamed at the top of her lungs then stormed out of the building.
Jason stood up.
“Where’s Deepak?” asked Plum.
“His room, I guess,” said Jason.
“You were just going to leave him?” she asked.
Jason shrugged. “Yeah.”
“That’s kind of an awful thing to do to one of your best friends.”
Jason nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”
He followed his fiancée out of the building. Plum heard a car screech off.
“These people are unbelievable,” said Juan Kevin.
The cowering security guard shook his head. “I am sorry to call you, boss, but she is very difficult.”
“It’s okay, Louis. You did the right thing.”
“She also made a scene when she arrived last week,” said Louis.
“So she did arrive through the heliport,” said Plum.
“Why didn’t you register her?” asked Juan Kevin. He was not pleased his security had been breached.
“We tried to,” said Louis. “But she wouldn’t let us take her picture. She kept hiding her face with her hands and telling us we had no right. We called her villa broker, and he said it was fine, he would vouch for her.”
“Damián Rodriguez said that?” asked Plum.
“Yes,” said Louis. “He said it was no problem.”
Plum shot Juan Kevin a knowing look.
“I hope I didn’t get him into trouble,” said Louis. “I have worked with Damián for years. I thought he was okay.”
“We need to stick by the rules, Louis,” said Juan Kevin. “Everyone photographed, passport scanned, or they don’t enter the resort.”
“Yes, sir.”
They were about to leave when Louis spoke. “She looks much better as a brunette.”
He had their attention.
“Who?” asked Plum.
“That angry woman.”
“What do you mean?” asked Louis.
“When she arrived, she was blond. I don’t know, maybe it was a wig, because I don’t think she could change it all the way back to brown that fast. My sister once tried to do that…”
Juan Kevin interrupted him. “You’re saying that Kirstie Adler had blond hair a week ago?”
“Yes.”
“Why does it matter that Kirstie had blond hair?” asked Plum when they were outside the heliport. The area was completely dark, and there was no sign of activity.
“Maybe it wasn’t Leslie Abernathy that Robert Glover saw kissing Nick. He told you he saw a blond neighbor. But maybe he assumed it was Leslie because she had come in through the bushes that way. But maybe it was Kirstie in her wig?”
Plum wanted to protest. But he had a point. “Possibly. And she and Nick were having an affair?”
“We assumed that Kirstie was eager to get Jason off the island and going to all these great lengths to protect her fiancé. Maybe she is protecting herself,” said Juan Kevin.
“She definitely seems like the type who puts herself first,” agreed Plum.
“It’s a pity you don’t have a better relationship with Damián. Maybe he discovered something in the villa she rented.”
“I wouldn’t ask him for any sort of favor. He wants to get rid of me so badly, he would probably feed me false intelligence.”
Juan Kevin nodded. “True.”
“What now?” asked Plum.
He sighed. “It’s late. I’ll drop you at home. We can regroup in the morning.”
Plum was disappointed that the romantic element had been fizzled by Kirstie and Jason. Oh well, thought Plum. Hopefully there would be more opportunities ahead. She drifted off to sleep with the sounds of the coqui chirping their little heads off trying to woo a mate. How nice it would be to be able to skip formalities and have males battling it out for her, their naked passion laid bare.
Chapter 24
Seeing as no one ever arrived at the office before ten, Plum knew she would have the place to herself when she opened the door at nine a.m. She flicked on the lights and glanced surreptitiously around the room, as if a surprise party were about to pop out from under the tables.
