by Jaden Skye
“Frank said he didn’t tell Ronnelle he was defriending her, just wanted to end things and start new,” said Cindy. “Frank told Ronnelle that he loved Ann, was coming down here with her to make things right.”
“That’s his story,” Mattheus mumbled, “every word of it. And, what does all this have to do with Ann’s death?”
“That’s for us to find out, isn’t it?” Cindy shot back. “Frank said he thought Ann might have gotten killed accidentally by one of Beggio’s boys. They might have mistaken him for a big time operator and her for one of the girls at the Greenstone Hotel.”
“Unlikely,” said Mattheus. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure,” Cindy went on, “but I need to talk to Ronnelle again.”
“Not a good idea,” said Mattheus. “From here on in, let the police handle it.”
Cindy took offense at that. “Why? I’m the one who’s gotten the information. It’s my family. Why would I hand it over to them? I’m seeing this through to the end.”
Mattheus walked over to her calmly. “That’s not a good idea, Cindy,” he said. “This is convoluted and you’re too involved.”
Cindy felt furious suddenly. Who was he to take her work away from her? He should he praising her for all she’d accomplished.
“No one is taking this away from me, Mattheus,” Cindy declared.
“I don’t want to take anything away,” he replied. “But you’ve put yourself into danger, going to speak to Frank alone, not telling anyone. I think you need to lay low.”
“I disagree,” Cindy felt herself flush all over. “I think I need to jump in even further now.”
“Cindy, stop it,” Mattheus voice rose.
Cindy recoiled, “Leave me alone,” she called back. “I can do this and I’m going too.”
“I’m going with you then,” Mattheus demanded.
“No, you’re not. No way,” Cindy called out to the universe. “I’m seeing this through myself to the end.”
Chapter 20
Mattheus returned to his room to give Cindy time to chill out, saying they’d talk more at dinner and make a specific plan about what to do next.
Relieved, as soon as Mattheus left Cindy called the police station and spoke to Trage’s assistant Michael. To Cindy’s delight, the moment she asked for Ronnelle’s address, he gave it to her immediately. Triumphant, Cindy scrawled it down on a piece of paper, then smiled, ran to shower and changed. In what seemed like just a few minutes, she was outside and on her way to Ronnelle’s suite - located in a fancy hotel not far away. Cindy figured she could get there and back before Mattheus even knew she had gone. She would pin Ronnelle down, confirm Frank’s story, get more details.
Cindy slipped into a cab and arrived at Ronnelle’s hotel as evening was falling. Without checking at the desk to see if she were there, Cindy went straight to the elevator, stepped out at the top floor and quickly slid down to Suite 424. Then she rang the bell a few times. What in hell was Ronnelle doing in a suite of her own on the top floor of hotel like this, Cindy wondered.
“What’s going on? Who is it?” Ronnelle’s voice rung out from behind the door.
“Open up,” Cindy said in a garbled tone, trying to disguise her voice.
“Who is it?” the voice behind the door grew closer.
“Open up, this minute” Cindy scrambled her voice even further.
Fearlessly, Ronnelle flung the door open. She and Cindy stood there staring at each other.
“You?” Ronnelle said surprised.
“Yes, me,” Cindy tried to smile pleasantly, but felt the muscles of her face growing taut.
“Why are you here?” Ronnelle gathered herself together quickly.
“Can I come in?” Cindy asked.
“Why” Ronnelle clearly wasn’t thrilled to see her.
“I have just a few more questions I need to ask,” Cindy said hurriedly, trying to relax her face and not look so grim.
“Just for a few minutes,” Ronnelle moved aside. “I have plans for later and I have to get ready.”
“Of course,” Cindy agreed, as she entered the grand room and then looked around awe struck. There was a huge crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the room, an ivory pillar on each side, and beautifully framed fine art on the walls. “How’d you get a place like this?” Cindy murmured.
“The company pays for it,” Ronnelle grinned lightly. “I never pay for anything, ever. Always had my life set up that way.”
Cindy felt uneasy. What in the world would someone who lived like this have to do with Frank? It didn’t make sense. Cindy walked in and looked further around. The room was filled with plants, fresh flowers, baskets of fruit on different tables.
Ronnelle watched Cindy’s every move. “All this has been provided by the hotel,” she added. “Lovely of them, wouldn’t you say?”
Ronnelle was so smug and entitled, Cindy had to keep herself in check. She suddenly had an intense desire to slap Ronnelle across the face. Ann had never been that way, she’d been grateful for every little thing she got. Was it possible that Frank had paid for this suite, sent these baskets? Cindy couldn’t bear the thought of it.
“How long are you staying here?” Cindy asked slowly.
“As long as I care to,” Ronnelle answered flippantly. “Why?”
Cindy suddenly wanted to tell Ronnelle that she didn’t deserve it, explain to her how Ann had lived. But Ronnelle wasn’t up for a long conversation.
“Okay, get to it,” Ronnelle turned snippy. “What are you here for? What do you want to ask me?”
“Did you know my sister was a wonderful woman?” Cindy started plaintively.
Ronnelle’s eyes narrowed. “This is what you came to tell me?” she repeated more intensely.
“I came to ask how you dared get between a married woman and her husband?” Rage started building in Cindy.
“You’re out of your mind,” Ronnelle stood straighter. “I told you I barely know your sick brother in law. I don’t know what he told you about me, but it’s all a load of junk. There are crazy guys all over the place living off sick fantasy.”
For a moment Cindy grew frightened, wondering if it could be so. Was Frank some kind of psycho who was fantasizing about Ronnelle, dreaming up a relationship? Or had he made up this sordid story to divert suspicion away from him?
“Prove to me that Frank lied!” Cindy shot back
“I’m done with this sick conversation,” Ronnelle threw her hair back over her shoulders. “Get out of here now.”
Cindy thought about apologizing for a moment, backing down, softening her tone. She needed to stay longer and find out more. But it was hard to acquiesce. The thought of this woman stealing away Ann’s husband was infuriating. Mattheus had probably been right again. Cindy should have let him come here, this was too personal, too much to handle.
“I want you out of here this second,” Ronnelle’s voice grew sharper.
“I’m really sorry. I came on too hard. I’m so upset about this,” Cindy said, as her eyes suddenly fell on something shining on the rug. She grew silent and looked more closely - a small, glimmering rhinestone was on the floor. It took her breath away for a second, reminded her of something. Cindy became lost in thought then, couldn’t say another word.
“What are you staring at?” Ronnelle asked, following Cindy’s gaze.
Cindy jumped up and grabbed the rhinestone then, clutching it in her hand. She remembered! This was exactly the same rhinestone as the one she’d found in Ann’s room after she died.
Cindy opened her palm and shoved it in Ronnelle’s face. “What’s this?” she demanded.
Ronnelle looked at it confused. “Must be from my jacket,” she finally guessed, “give it to me.”
Cindy felt her eyes flash wide open. “What jacket? Show it to me!”
Ronnelle looked mildly alarmed by Cindy’s intensity. Her voice rose as she pulled an evening jacket of hers off a nearby chair. It had many little rhinestones
like that covering the collar.
This jacket, “she proclaimed.
“My God, my God,” Cindy shouted.
“What, lunatic?” Ronnelle matched her volume.
Cindy grabbed the jacket from her and stared at the collar. Ronnelle must have been wearing this jacket the day she’d killed Ann. A rhinestone from the collar must have dropped off accidentally.
“It’s all over, Ronnelle,” Cindy said darkly then.
Ronnelle looked at her blankly. “Nothing’s over, nothing began,” she muttered.
“The police have this rhinestone,” Cindy went in for the kill. “We found it in Ann’s room after she died. It must have fallen from your jacket.”
Ronnelle turned ash white. “I only wear this jacket at night,” she countered. “Ann died in the late afternoon.”
How did Ronnelle know that? It was a little known fact that no one had spoken of. Cindy felt emblazoned. “No, you wore this jacket the afternoon Ann was killed,” Cindy was adamant.
“Get out of here now if you know what is good for you,” Ronnelle said gruffly.
“It’s not as easy as that, you don’t get away with this,” Cindy stepped right into her face. “It was my sister you took out.”
“What do you know about life? What do you know about guys?”Ronnelle suddenly blurted out.
“Frank hurt you?” Cindy practically hissed at her between her teeth.
“Damn jerk,” Ronnelle wobbled backwards a second. “He did, and I believed him. I let him hurt me.”
“Looks like you were the fool, weren’t you?” Cindy took an odd pleasure in taunting her.
Ronnelle spiveled around, leaned towards a table and grabbed a huge stone that sat on it.
“You deserve to die too,” she held the stone over Cindy. “You and your whole rotten family.”
Cindy dove away from her, towards the door, to press the button on her phone for emergency help. Suddenly Ronnelle came up from behind, grabbed Cindy around the waist and threw her down on the couch. Before Cindy could get her bearings, she felt Ronnelle behind her and then a pillow being shoved down hard over the back of her head.
“Get off me, get off,” Cindy started yelling as the pillow sunk more and more deeply into her head and neck. This was what it had to have been like for Ann, Cindy thought, as it became harder and harder to breathe and she felt as though she were going down under water, never to return. Ann had succumbed, but she couldn’t. With her last bit of strength, Cindy tossed to the side, but Ronnelle only pressed the pillow down on her face then.
Cindy started drifting away, until suddenly, as if from a million miles, she heard a fierce banging close by.
“Open up! Police! Let us in immediately,” a loud voice thundered.
The strength of the pillow pressing down on Cindy subsided for a second. Cindy tried to rally and push Ronnelle away, but her arms felt like liquid and her head was filled with cobwebs and ached.
“Open Up!” the voice and banging got louder.
Thankfully, Ronnelle jumped off the couch as Cindy gasped breath by breath to fill her lungs. Finally she heard a crash close by, as if the door were being broken down. Cindy slowly turned then, and with every ounce of her strength pulled herself up.
“Get over to the side,” it was Mattheus shouting.
Cindy looked over the edge of the sofa, Mattheus wasn’t alone. Trage and two other cops with him and Frank was there too, standing in the crowd.
Cindy’s heart started pounding as Mattheus flew over to her. “You’re okay? You’re not hurt?” he seemed desperate.
“I’m okay,” Cindy slowly found her voice.
“Thank God, thank God,” said Mattheus. “When she wouldn’t let us in, I thought the worst.”
“How did you know I was here?” Every cell in Cindy’s body was trembling.
“You called Trage’s assistant Michael to get Ronnelle’s information,” Mattheus said, “and thank God, he called us immediately and told us where you were headed. The minute I heard I knew there would be trouble. I called Trage and the cops as I headed over.”
It was hard for Cindy to take it all in, she felt shaky and her head and neck hurt. She kept wanting to close her eyes and sleep.
But Mattheus wouldn’t let her. He kept talking uncontrollably, trying to keep her awake.
“The minute I left you at the hotel, I called your Uncle Charlie and told him to bring Frank to me right away. Fortunately, Frank was back in his room. He returned himself after speaking to you.”
“Is Cindy okay? Is Cindy okay?” she heard Frank moaning in the background.
“You lousy rotten, miserable bastard,” Ronnelle practically spit at him.
Cindy forced herself to turn and look at her brother in law, who looked completely stunned.
“You thought you’d get away with something like this?” Ronnelle’s teeth were chattering, as she drew closer to him. “You think you can promise me diamonds and give me crap? Not Ronnelle, you got the wrong girl.”
As she spoke, Trage came over slowly and stood behind her.
“Bermuda is our place, not yours and Ann’s,” Ronnelle’s voice broke now, turning into the howl of a wounded animal. “You and I came down here first. You said you were going to marry me. Tell them, it’s true, tell them.”
Cindy shuddered completely.
“It’s true,” Frank muttered then, under his breath, “I said that to you.”
Cindy felt swords of pain strike through her body. How dare he betray Ann that way?
Ronnelle couldn’t stop babbling. “How dare you bring your lousy wife down to a place we’d been so happy in?”
Frank’s head hung in terrible pain and despair. “Oh God, forgive me, forgive me,” he could barely breathe.
“God will never forgive you,” Ronnelle looked at him as if she were about to crouch for a kill.
“I told you I loved Ann,” Frank burst in then uncontrollably. “I told you she and I were reconciling.”
“How can you marry me and love Ann?” Ronnelle suddenly looked confused. “You had no right to reconcile. You told me it was forever, that we were getting married soon.”
Cindy felt like throwing up. How much of this had Ann been aware of?
“I didn’t mean it, I never meant it,” Frank could barely speak as his entire body broke into dry heaves. “I always loved Ann, always. Cindy, you have to believe me,” he yelled.
Mattheus went over to Frank then and put his hand on his shoulder.
“So, you got rid of Frank’s wife,” Trage said to Ronnelle then, in a low, measured tone.
Ronnelle flipped around and stared at Trage with rage in her eyes. “I had a right to, didn’t I?” she said. “She was trying to get rid of me!”
Frank broke into terrible sobs then. “Oh God, oh God, this is all my fault,” he wept. “I did this to Ann by being with Ronnelle. I never thought it would mean much of anything, though. I never thought so, believe me.”
For a moment it seemed as if Frank would pass out.
“Take it easy, Frank,” Mattheus had both hands on his shoulders. “Guys make terrible mistakes – they say things they don’t mean, have no idea what they’re doing. This kind of thing happens all the time.”
Cindy looked over at Ronnelle then. Trage was pulling her arms behind her, handcuffing her. She stood there in a daze, just staring at Frank.
“I loved you, you bastard,” she hissed at him. “It was the first time I loved again since I was little and my father died on me.
Trage nodded to another cop in the room to open the door.
“We’re taking you in,” Trage said softly to Ronnelle.
“Take me anywhere you want,” Ronnelle shot back. “You’ll never be able to hold me, long. I’ll kill myself in jail. And when I die, I’ll find Ann and take her to hell with me. You think about that, lover boy.”
Frank gasped as Ronnelle and Trage walked slowly past him, and she spit at him on the way.
*
; “You saved my life, Cindy, you saved my life,” Frank kept blubbering, as they left.
Too bad your life and not my sister’s life, thought Cindy, unable to take a step closer to him.
“Believe me, if I ever thought something like this would have happened, I would have killed myself first,” Frank pleaded with Cindy.
Cindy had to say something, but didn’t know what.
“There are many strands that go into a person’s life and death, Frank,” Mattheus filled in for her. “What you did was wrong, but you can’t blame yourself for Ann dying. Ronnelle was a psycho, you didn’t know that.”
“Blame yourself,” said Cindy swiftly, “not for Ann’s dying, but for the lies you told, the way you deceived her. How could you have betrayed such a beautiful person”?
“This was the first time it happened, it never happened before. I was a faithful husband,” Frank’s head fell into his hands. “I took good care of Ann, truly. I was getting old, I was tired, I met this girl and she bewitched me.”
“You met her in Wisconsin,” Cindy said slowly then, pulling the awful pieces together.
“Yes,” he whimpered.
“Ronnelle introduced you to Beggio and his funds. She probably worked with him for all we know. You invested with him to have enough money to give her whatever she wanted, right?”
“Right, right,” Frank mumbled.
“How else could you ever keep a young girl like that at your side?” Cindy said.
“Cindy, you have to forgive me, you just have to,” Frank started wailing again. “Will you ever, ever be able to forgive me?”
“Someday I hope to, Frank,” Cindy said very quietly, “but right now, I can’t.”
Chapter 21
The stir created by finding Ann’s killer reverberated all through the Island. One of the Hotel Murders Solved, the papers announced. C and M Investigations did it again! Cindy was almost killed in the process, too, the reporters went on and on.
“It was you, Cindy who solved this,” Mattheus insisted as people gathered around, “not C and M Investigations. I was on board with the police, I thought Frank did it. If you hadn’t taken that extra step with Ronnelle, the truth would never have come out.”
