by Jaden Skye
Dalia could certainly be in denial. This island was filled with so many people, circuitous paths and exotic possibilities, for all Dalia knew, Ames could be living a whole secret life. Clint certainly had.
Cindy remembered going through Clint’s computer after he’d died, discovering so much about him that she’d had no idea about when he was alive. She wondered for a moment if all men naturally had to keep a part of themselves a secret? Was it a way to preserve their independence and identity - especially adventurous guys like Ames, who chose to live in out-of-the way places like this?
There was a huge amount about him that Cindy needed to know. She couldn’t probe too far with Dalia now, though; it would be too painful for her. She’d let Dalia tell her what she could in her own time.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me about Ames?” Cindy asked quietly.
“Ames loves his work, he loves the ocean, loves business, never hesitates to lend someone a hand. He’s very close to his son, Brad, and doesn’t want any more children,” she said.
“How do you feel about the no children part?” Cindy asked, surprised.
“I’ve learned to live with it,” said Dalia. “He’s worth it to me. My art gallery is my child. He helped me open it, The Green Fox. That was a lifelong dream. It does great, too. We sell paintings, local artifacts, pottery. I’m proud of it. It keeps me busy and I have wonderful help, a lovely young woman Nina, who takes care of the day to day work, so I can still get away when I want to. ”
Cindy remembered that Dalia had always loved art. She thought it was wonderful that she had a gallery of her own now, and that Ames had helped her set it up. “How did the two of you meet?” Cindy was curious how Dalia and Ames got together, coming from different parts of the world.
Dalia smiled. “I came down here for a vacation after I broke up with my second husband, Hal. It was a short marriage, I was on the rebound from my first husband, who cheated on me with a good friend. ”
“I’m sorry,” said Cindy.
“Well, I always chased the wrong guys,” Dalia said. “Remember?”
“I certainly do,” said Cindy.
“I thought I’d get my first husband back by marrying Hal, so fast. What a mistake. Hal was a psycho, checking up on me wherever I went. He practically stalked me at the end. I got someone to step in and help and finally, Hal let go. He was rich, and I got a huge settlement. That certainly helped ease the pain. ”
Cindy remembered that Dalia always had always attracted strange situations with men.
“Dalia smiled. “Anyway, after I broke up with Hal, I came down here to Grenada, to the Grand Hotel, to get my head straight and rest up. I heard it was beautiful and secluded, the perfect place for me at that time. The last thing I needed was more trouble, or to start with someone new. The Grand Hotel is only a few miles away. I’ll take you there for lunch one day. ”
“Anyway, when I got there I went to the bar for drinks. It was late in the afternoon, and there was Ames sitting there, suntanned, smiling, blue shirt half opened. The minute we laid eyes on each other, the sparks flew. It was pure electric, and the chemistry never died down. He told me straight away that he was married, to Elizabeth, but very unhappy with his wife and thinking about leaving her. I guess I was the catalyst that made it happen. We made love that night, all night long. ”
Cindy took a deep, sharp breath. The story only made her wonder more about Ames. Was he doing the same thing again, now? “These patterns repeat,” Cindy said, “What goes around comes around.”
Dalia barely heard what she said. “Our relationship was incredible right from the start. And I loved it here. We got married about fifteen months later. There wasn’t even a question about it, and I came right down here to live. ”
“And, what’s it like with you and Elizabeth?” Cindy asked.
“She blames me for everything,” said Dalia. “She’s wrong, though. Ames was done with her when we met. He was lonely and hungry. I never met a guy so hungry. Elizabeth’s cold. She’s the kind of woman who blames everybody else. She doesn’t bother me. I have almost nothing to do with her. Ames sees his son when he wants and Brad joins us sometimes. Elizabeth and I hardly talk. There’s no reason to. ”
Dalia seemed confident about everything. Cindy knew she had to meet Elizabeth and hear her side of the story, and also, Cindy suddenly wanted to hear Dalia’s opinion about what really happened to Ames.
Just as she was about to ask, Cindy glanced through the bottom of the half-open bedroom door, and saw a shadow walking back and forth.
“Who’s that?” Cindy asked, startled.
Dalia looked up. “Nothing, no one, probably just Rosa, doing her chores.”
“Is she listening in?” Cindy was troubled.
Dalia looked perplexed, “My God, for a detective, you’re pretty jumpy.”
Cindy didn’t consider herself a detective, just a friend who came down to help out. “Seems like she was listening,” Cindy said.
“So what?” said Dalia. “Rosa lives here, she’s part of the family. She knows everything that’s going on. “Okay,” Cindy replied, and then plunged forward. “So, Dalia, tell me: what do you think happened to Ames?”
Dalia bolted upright at the question. “I was waiting for you to ask me that. I kept wondering what I would say. First, I’m not sure what happened. That’s why you are here. But still, I have some ideas. They’re just ideas, you need to track down details, see if they pan out. ”
“I’ll track down everything,” Cindy said.
“One possibility: Elizabeth is very jealous of me. She could be giving Ames a hard time, threatening him about something, just to make trouble in our marriage. She makes up all kinds of stories, loves creating chaos. ”
Cindy wrote notes quickly as Dalia spoke. “Ames could have gotten away for a little while to get away from her. But that doesn’t really make sense. He would have told me he was going. He would have told me that she was bothering him. He never said that. Once we were married, he never said a word about Elizabeth at all. I heard about her from other people, friends down here who know her. ”
“You think she’s involved in his disappearance?”
“Maybe, but not sure. Could also be that someone is holding him somewhere. There are poor people here on the island, crooked dealers, people who are jealous of his success. There are also people who get pleasure out of scaring someone. ”
“Has anyone asked you for money?” Cindy asked.
“No one has. I waited for a note like that for a long time. But there were so many police crawling all over the place, that whoever may have him might be too smart to contact me yet. They could be waiting till things quiet down. Ames is worth a lot more alive than dead. There’s no reason why anyone would kill him, but they could want ransom. We have to find out where and why!
She suddenly stood up and started pacing.
“You also need to talk to Rocko Lansing, the Captain of his fleet. He knows more about Ames’s business contacts and activities than anyone else. You also need to talk to his business partner, Dale. He comes regularly and will be in town for the Millionaire Yacht Festival in a little while. It takes place each year. I’ll also introduce you to the police who have been on the case since day one. They’ll tell you what they found.
You’ll listen to everything, put it all together, and the answer will come. And I want you to let me know what you find each step of the way. I’ll keep you from covering ground that’s already been covered and the dead ends. ”
Cindy felt a bit overwhelmed for a moment, out of her league. What had she gotten herself into? Did she really have the skills or tools to do what was needed of her?
“Did you ever think of getting a real professional detective?” Cindy asked then.
Dalia looked put off. “Why?”
“I’m not a professional. I’m new at this. The only case I ever investigated was my husband. ”
“And you uncovered the truth, when no one else
did, including the FBI.”
“It wasn’t dumb luck: you searched everywhere, you were smart, you wouldn’t stop, even when your life was threatened.”
That was true.
“Are you afraid to do this again for me?” Dalia turned and faced her directly.
“No, I’m not afraid,” Cindy said. “I just want to make sure that you have the best person you possibly can.”
“I have the best person,” Dalia said definitively, and threw her arms around Cindy, giving her a hug. “And I’ll pay you well for it, too. I plan to give you $10,000 up front. When you find Ames alive, you’ll receive another $50,000, all cash.
“And, by some very strange and distant chance,” Dalia continued, “if Ames turns up and he’s not alive, I’ll pay you $40,000.”
Cindy was shocked. She wasn’t doing this for the money.
“I don’t want anything,” she said. “That’s not why I came.”
“Nonsense,” Dalia said, dismissively. “It may not be why you came, but if you’re going to work for me, you get paid. Everyone who works for me gets paid. ”
Cindy felt odd. She didn’t like Dalia’s tone, the idea of working for her, of being her employee. But she could see that money meant nothing to her at all, and that she wouldn’t accept her help otherwise.
“Are we good?” asked Dalia. “Will you do it?”
Cindy looked out the window, off into the horizon, thinking long and hard. She saw the crashing waves against the sunset, and thought, once again, of Clint.
If she had had someone like her, to help her search for Clint at the beginning, maybe it could have made a difference. Maybe Clint would still be alive today.
How could she possibly say no?
CHAPTER 6
Elizabeth didn’t sound thrilled to hear from Cindy. But she wasn’t being difficult either. She told Cindy to meet her at the spa at Magniffe Hotel early in the afternoon.
“Just come,” said Elizabeth briskly. “The hotel’s at the southernmost tip of the island. When you get to the hotel have them page me. They know me well. I’ll be there all day and you can ask me any questions you have. ” Then she hung up.
At least she didn’t say no, thought Cindy.
When Cindy mentioned to Dalia that she was going to see Elizabeth the next day, Dalia frowned.
“Where are you going to meet her, at the spa?” Dalia asked.
“How did you know?”
“Elizabeth’s main occupation is indulging herself,” Dalia said. “She’s always getting massages, soaking in the hot tubs, lying in the sun. All she cares about is herself. Ames’s son Brad’s is left at home, being raised by the help. It bothers Ames a lot. ”
That was the first time Cindy heard about anything that bothered Ames. “What does he do about it?” she asked.
“What can he do? Nothing,” said Dalia. “Just gives her more and more money whenever she pulls a trip on him.”
“Guilt money?” asked Cindy.
Dalia stopped what she was doing and looked pained.
“What’s there for him to feel guilty about? He gave her everything, held nothing back. She had it better than most married women. Me, I work,” said Dalia proudly. “When you get back from talking to Elizabeth, I’ll take you to my gallery. It’s thriving. I put hours in, find the best artists, make space for local handcrafts, have the best sculpture collection in town. People love it there, they respect me. ”
“That’s wonderful,” said Cindy, eager to see the gallery.
“You don’t see me running to spas all the time,” Dalia said, edgy. “Ames would never love me as much as he does, if I did. He respects my drive and success. That’s another thing I adore about him. My other husbands needed to squash me, control my every move. ”
Cindy remembered how Dalia used to say that about the guys she dated in high school, too - how they wanted to squash and possess her - the very same thing. Fortunately, Cindy had never experienced that with a man. Clint, especially, encouraged and inspired her. And she had inspired him. They’d shared their dreams with each other and helped find ways to make those dreams come true. But their dream of a long life together had been swiftly taken from them. There was no way Cindy could ever help with that again.
“Do you want me to drive you to the spa, or do you want to take a taxi?” Dalia asked, jittery.
“A taxi is perfect, “Cindy said. There was no reason Dalia should have to deal with the possibility of running into Elizabeth, especially now.
*
Magniffe Hotel, located on the secluded Pink Gin Beach, was set in an enclave of tropical gardens, surrounded by sea on three sides. Famous for providing a holiday of rejuvenation, it emphasized in all its brochures that pleasure was the way to achieve body and mind harmony.
As Cindy drove up, she was struck by the resort’s extraordinary beauty, with three pools, a nine hole golf course, and an architectural design that was breathtaking. Elizabeth said Cindy could find her at the s Spa. This was a strange place to look for clues to a missing person, Cindy thought, nestled among such opulence, luxury and sensual delights.
As soon as Cindy entered the hotel, she was greeted warmly. They paged Elizabeth, and had a smiling employee lead her directly to the spa.
The spa was luxurious, soothing and inviting, decorated with a Spanish influence. Cindy was taken to a private room where Elizabeth was stretched out on a table, surrounded by an Oriental screen, vases of fresh flowers, and a pungent aroma wafting through the air. She was lying face down on a massage table, hot stones lining her back. Next to her table was a bronze antique chair.
“Sit down,” Elizabeth murmured, when Cindy walked in. She kept her face buried downwards on the table as she spoke, not even lifting it a little bit.
“Thanks for seeing me,” Cindy said, sitting beside her. Cindy felt like she was intruding upon sacred time. “I’d be glad to wait until your treatment is over,” Cindy said. “My treatment is never over,” Elizabeth muttered. “And I don’t like being rushed. I’m not even sure what you’re doing down here on the island? Someone said you’re one of Dalia’s old friends. ”
“Yes, I am,” said Cindy.
“How can you be objective, then? I’d say off the bat that there was a conflict of interest here. ”
Clearly, Elizabeth was looking for a fight, but Cindy wouldn’t take the bait. There was no reason to; it would be counter-productive. Instead, she simply sat beside Elizabeth quietly, waiting for her to calm down. It had to be rough on her, too. After all, she and Ames had been married and they had a son.
Neither Elizabeth nor Cindy said anything for a while.
“Maybe you’re right,” Elizabeth said, finally. “Let me finish this treatment and then I’ll meet you outside. We can go to Oscar’s and talk. You’ll like it there. It’s right on the beach. ”
“Sounds perfect,” said Cindy, getting up and stepping outside.
It felt good to be away from Elizabeth, even for a few minutes. Cindy sat in a lovely waiting alcove, filled with plants and magazines.
In a little while, Elizabeth walked outside and joined her. She looked crisp and well oiled, in shorts and a silk blue shirt. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders and big sunglasses covered her eyes. She had carved features and was thin, taut and groomed.
Cindy stood up when she walked into the waiting room, and extended her hand.
Elizabeth did not take it. “Let’s go,” she said quickly. “I want to get this over with.”
*
Diamond Beach Bar in the hotel was right on the water, and lively, with live jazz in the background and the sound of soft waves lapping at the shore. Elizabeth was obviously well known here, and as soon as they walked in, they were given a front table, practically on the sand.
“It’s gorgeous,” said Cindy, looking around
“Everything here is gorgeous,” Elizabeth replied, “you’ll get used to it soon and won’t even notice. It becomes just a matter of course. ” Then she picked u
p a menu and looked it over briefly. “Decide what you want. It’s on me. ”
“Thanks,” said Cindy.
“Nothing to thank me for,” Elizabeth shrugged. After the two of them had ordered, Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and took off her glasses. She had large, dark eyes that looked somewhat haunted.
“Okay, so what do you want from me?” Elizabeth asked. “Everybody wants something.”
“I’m trying to get a new point of view about the case,” Cindy said slowly. “I’m sure you’ve already been interviewed a lot.”
“A lot,” said Elizabeth, “and it all amounted to nothing.”
“I’m hoping I can find something different,” said Cindy.
“I wouldn’t be too optimistic,” Elizabeth quipped. “Everyone on this island sets out optimistic, but it doesn’t come to anything. Besides, we have pretty terrific police officers. They covered everything, up and down. ”Then she tapped the table with her, long, manicured fingers. “Someone told me your husband was killed in the Caribbean, too. ”
“Too? ” Cindy picked right up on it. “Do you think Ames was murdered?”
“Of course he was,” Elizabeth snapped, as if tired of all the games. “Ames wasn’t the kind to have accidents. He was the one who saved other people who got into trouble on the water. He’d be back by now if he hadn’t been murdered. I’ve told that to everyone. No one puts much stock in what I say, though. People tend to live in la la land here. Too much sun, rum and calypso does funny things to your mind. ”
Just at that moment the waiter came, with drinks on a tray. They were garnished with cherries and little paper umbrellas.
“Speaking of rum,” Elizabeth said, lifting her glass and taking a long swallow.
Cindy took her glass and sipped her drink carefully. She wanted to stay clear-minded. This woman felt like a loose cannon.
“Who do you think killed Ames?” Cindy asked, wanting her to speak before the rum took effect.
“You’re asking me two different questions,” said Elizabeth. “Was he murdered or not, is one question. Who did it, is another. There’s plenty of possibilities, if you ask me. ”
