by Jaden Skye
“Thanks,” Loretta was relieved, “you’re doing a wonderful job. Why don’t you take off a little time and enjoy yourself. Go take a swim in the pool, or go to the beach. You’ll feel brand new afterwards.”
“That’s a great suggestion,” said Cindy, actually agreeing. “I might just take you up on it.”
Cindy decided to take up Loretta’s suggestion and go to the beach for an afternoon swim. Some time to herself would help her go over everything, see where she stood and what her next steps should be.
Before she left, Cindy checked her phone for messages, and to her distress, found another message from Mattheus waiting for her. This time it was a text:
I’m not your enemy, answer me! Whatever we decide, we can’t just leave ragged edges.
Cindy shut her phone off abruptly. She found the message Mattheus left jarring. She wasn’t the one who’d left ragged edges or ran away when things got tough. It was him. Responding to the text would just be a way of keeping things going. No answer was an answer in itself. This was definitely the time to get away for a swim, to clear her mind and unwind.
*
Cindy wanted to leave the main tourist spots far behind and chose a hidden beach that was part of an inlet at a craggy part of the island. The beach was surrounded by hills, rocks and an array of beautiful birds. As she stood on the rocky stand Cindy could even make out Iguanas creeping over distant rocks.
Cindy walked to the edge of the water and jumped in. It was invigorating to splash around in these murky waters, surrounded by raw nature. Cindy suddenly understood Pete’s desire for extreme adventure. It must have connected him with something primal inside himself that was missing in his life. Loretta was definitely the opposite. She was so put together and socially driven that once again Cindy wondered if Pete’s marriage was fundamentally out of kilter and unfulfilling? Could that be a reason he might have been driven to see someone like Charma?
Cindy swam fervently and then turned and floated on her back, looking up at the cloud covered, threatening sky. It was good being away from everyone and have a chance to think her own thoughts. Cindy didn’t yet have a real sense of Pete, only the idealized image of him Loretta clung to. Her talk with Andy hadn’t fill in the gaps, either. He’d also stayed on the periphery, unwilling to go deeper. Cindy was eager to meet Taylor, Pete’s brother.
The sky suddenly grew darker and winds blew up, threatening rain. Cindy suddenly realized how crucial it was for her to talk to Charma as soon as possible. Pressure from Loretta had definitely taken a toll, causing Cindy to delay the meeting. How ridiculous, she thought. Charma was the first person she should have talked to. She’d be the perfect one to fill in the gaps about Pete, if she actually knew him.
By the time Cindy got out of the water and back onto the sand, her plan was clear. The very next stop would be to talk to Charma. She wouldn’t say a thing about it to Loretta, though. There was no need to. After she spoke to Charma, she’d contact Taylor and get the picture of Pete rounded out.
Cindy spent a little while longer on the beach, then gathered her things together. She would go back to the hotel, change and then make her way down to the police station where Charma was being held.
On her way back Cindy looked at her phone once again. Mattheus’s text stood there, unanswered, glaring at her. As much as she wanted to say something, Cindy forced herself to remain silent. She wasn’t going to respond in a knee jerk manor, or keep dancing this dance they’d been doing. A clean break was better, she thought.
*
Before going down to the police station Cindy called to make sure they knew she was coming down to speak to Charma. Fortunately, Ron, the cop she’d met at the brothel, picked up.
“I’ll be there in about an hour,” said Cindy, “I need to speak to Charma.”
“It’s a good idea,” Ron replied, “we’ve been waiting for you. Charma heard that you’re working the case and keeps asking why you don’t come down and talk to her, too?”
Cindy was glad to hear that and once again was upset for taking so long to come down and meet Charma herself.
*
Cindy waited in a small, airless room as Charma was brought out of her holding cell to talk to her. Finally, the door opened slowly and Charma was led in. In her late twenties with long, wild, curly hair and huge beautiful , brown eyes, she looked like a wild, trapped animal with frantic energy exuding from every cell. The minute she walked in, Charma lunged towards Cindy, but the police officer with her, directed her to sit down. Once she did, the cop, looking bored, turned and left them alone.
“You sure took your time about coming to see me,” Charma shook her thick mane of hair back over her shoulders. “But I got all the answers you need, so what kept you waiting so long?”
“I was stupid,” said Cindy.
Charma grinned. “Yeah, most cops are stupid as hell.”
“Sorry,” said Cindy lightly, agreeing with her.
“Were you scared to come and see a whore?” Charma baited Cindy, her eyes flashing.
“Not at all,” said Cindy, lying. “There were just lots of people I had to speak to.”
“Nah, “ Charma’s mouth opened wide, showing ragged edges to her teeth. “There’s only piece in this puzzle. Me. They’re pinning it on me.”
“Because they found your fingerprints all over the victim, “Cindy said abruptly.
”Sure my fingerprints are all over my guys,” Charma held back a laugh. “Where else would they be? That doesn’t prove a dang.”
“Pete was one of your customers?” Cindy took the opening, afraid to hear more.
“Oh brother, are we in kindergarten or something?” Charma looked up at the ceiling, then back at Cindy. “Sure he was one of my customers. Why wouldn’t he be? Something wrong with me?”
“Of course not, I didn’t mean that,” Cindy felt horrified for Loretta.
“Pete was one of my regulars and boy, did he like me!” Charma added for good measure, shoving it in Cindy’s face.
“He came to see you often?” asked Cindy, saddened.
“He came when he needed to,” Charma became flippant. “I don’t exactly keep a list of how many times my guys come to see me. They come when they’re bored, or lonely, or get hungry as hell.”
Cindy shivered. “Which was it for Pete?” she asked.
“All three,” Charma laughed. “I’m sure you’ve seen the lady he married, a moving stiff if ever I saw one.”
“When did you get to meet Loretta?” Cindy felt alarmed.
“I didn’t actually meet her,” Charma backtracked. “I was out on the street once, walking with another John, and saw Pete and her passing by. I knew who it was cause he’d showed me her picture.”
Cindy shivered. “Why would Pete show you his wife’s picture?” she asked.
“Lots of the guys do, believe it or not,” Charma was thoroughly enjoying the conversation. “Maybe it makes them feel less guilty, or something,” she said, “as though they’re letting their wives in on it too.”
“But the wives know nothing, do they?” asked Cindy, amazed.
“Of course not,” said Charma. “I’m the dirtiest secret these guys have. If the wives found out there’d be hell to pay. So when I saw Pete and his wife walk by I pretended not to notice. But I got a good look at her, and she glanced at me, too. She had no idea who she was seeing, though. She never thought in a million years, I was doing her man, making him happier than she ever could.”
Cindy looked away, overwhelmed.
“You looked creeped out,” Chama’s voice suddenly lowered. “You never had a guy hungry for you? You don’t know how to make a guy incredibly happy?”
Cindy had no intention of answering that question, unclear how they’d even gotten to this point.
“They’re also found your fingerprints over the knife that killed Pete” Cindy instantly refocused.
Charma didn’t miss a beat. “Anyone could have stabbed him and wiped my prints on the knife,
couldn’t they? That’s not why they’re pinning it on me.”
“Why are they’re pinning it on you?” asked Cindy, sourly.
“Because it’s easy and convenient to blame a whore,” Charma grinned. “I’ve been blamed before, I’m used to it.”
“When?” Cindy was on the alert.
“You don’t know my criminal history?” Charma stopped for a second and really looked at Cindy. “You don’t know I have a record of assaulting a John once with a knife. “
“No, I didn’t know that,” said Cindy, wondering why someone hadn’t mentioned that to her before.
“Some detective,” Charma sneered. “But that time was different. I had to do it, My John was coming at me in a drugged stupor, going for my neck. It was kill or be killed. Everyone realized it. I got off.”
Cindy looked more closely at this beautiful, sensual young woman, horrified by
by her life.
“Everyone in the business runs into shit like that,” Charma went on. “It’s the law of the streets, if you’ don’t know how to protect yourself, you end up dead.”
“I’m sorry,” said Cindy, suddenly moved. “It’s a terrible way to live, Charma.”
Struck by the sincerity of Cindy’s feeling, Charma grew quiet for a moment and bit her lower lip.
“The life’s got good points too,” she said softly then. “It ain’t all bad or I wouldn’t be doing it.”
“What would you be doing?” asked Cindy, truly wanting an answer.
At that Charma threw her head back and guffawed. “Maybe I’d be a detective, like you. But that’s not such a great life, either though, is it? We can both get killed in a second flat.”
Cindy never thought of it that way.
“At least I got protection, and a home to live in. I got regulars who really care about me” Charma’s eyes half closed, looking at Cindy like an alley cat. “How about you? What do you get out of what you’re doing?”
Cindy felt deeply disturbed by the question.
“Listen, I should have been out of here a long time by now. This is getting ridiculous,” Charma went on. “You got to help me out. I want you to get hold of a guy named Eric. The girls at the house have his number. Eric’s my number one, regular John. He’s a big lawyer down here and he’ll do whatever he can to help me. Tell him Charma said her ass is up against hell. He’ll know what I mean, in a second flat.”
“Have you told the police to contact Eric?” Cindy asked immediately.
Charma frowned and her face grew darker. “What kind of idiot do you take me for? What Eric and I got is secret. It’s okay for you to call him, but don’t tell anyone about it. Eric will lead you to the killer. He’s smart, he’s connected, he’ll figure things out.”
“Are you nervous about this, Charma?” Cindy asked.
“Sure I’m nervous,” Charma retorted. “At first I thought it would all just work out, but it’s taking too long. Now I’m wondering.”
“Who wanted Pete dead?” Cindy asked fervently.
“Damned if I know,” Charma growled.
“He ended up dead in your room, though,” said Cindy.
“Yeah, but most of the night I wasn’t even there,” Charma suddenly thundered. “I was out with Eric, if you want to know. We went to a fancy motel and then he brought me back to the house much later on.”
“You have an alibi?” Cindy was startled. “Did you tell the police?”
“Of course I did,” said Charma, “I said I was out with another John and didn’t get home until late. They just laughed in my face.”
“Didn’t you ask the police to have Eric confirm it?” Cindy urgently needed to know.
“No,” Charma’s eyes closed quickly. “I didn’t tell the police who the John was. Eric and I got an arrangement, I don’t let anyone know about him and me.”
“Eric’s married?” Cindy asked, guessing that was the reason.
“He’s not married,” whispered Charma, “though if he was, what difference would that make? I told you, Eric’s a big time lawyer down here. It wouldn’t be good for him if people found out what he did on the side. I just told the police I was with another John, and that Sanya saw me come home about three in the morning. Pete’s time of death was listed as around two a.m.”
A long chill passed up Cindy’s shoulders. This was crucial information. If it was true, Charma couldn’t have killed Pete.
“Will Eric agree to testify that he was with you?” Cindy asked softly.
“I don’t know if he can do that,” Charma’s hands crawled closer to Cindy across the steel table, “but I know he can help you find the killer. Once you find the killer, I’ll be free.”
Cindy’s stomach dropped as she wondered if Charma would ever be free, would this kind of thing happen to her over and over? What she in the grip of a life that could only bring disaster?
“I’ll get hold of Eric as soon as I can,” Cindy whispered.
“Oh God, thank you,” Charma lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “God, thank you, thank you for bringing Cindy to me and getting me out.”
*
Cindy was agitated as she left the interview room and walked down the narrow corridor back to where Ron was stationed, waiting for her.
“Sit down a second before you go,” Ron said, coming out from behind his desk. “You look like you saw a ghost. Let me get you a cup of coffee.”
Cindy was actually delighted by the offer. Not only did she need a cup of coffee, she needed to talk this over with someone.
As soon as Ron brought the coffee, Cindy started talking. “Charma has an alibi,” she said quickly. “She said Shanya, the older woman in the house saw her come back that night from a date at around three a.m. She came back after Pete was killed.”
“They all say something,” Ron yawned. “We got her prints on the knife and his body.”
“It’s possible someone else did it though,” said Cindy. “It’s possible they got her prints later on and set it all up.”
“Everything is possible,” Ron drank his coffee down slowly. “Maybe my mother will turn into an eagle and start flying in the sky? But is it probable?”
“Maybe Charma slept with Pete earlier in the night?” Cindy mused, “that’s why her prints were on him.”
“You want to prove that Pete came to see her before she left with another customer?” asked Ron.
“I’m sure people at the house saw who came in and who went out,” Cindy replied.
“Yeah, of course, people at the house see everything, but if they open their mouth and tell you what they see, their work is over and so is their life.”
“A code of silence?” Cindy whispered.
“People get killed for snitching every day, especially in this line of work,” Ron said matter of factly. “I told you in the beginning, it’s better for you to spend a few days here, go to the beach, comfort your friend and book a one way flight home.”
Chapter 9
Despite herself Cindy liked Charma immensely. She admired her honesty and raw energy. She was also troubled that not a word had been said about Charma’s alibi. Could it be stabbings and killings were the order of the day in the brothels? Of course Cindy wouldn’t go along with that. Now she was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of what had happened to Pete. Clearly, there was a very real possibility that Pete had actually been Charma’s customer. Could be he’d been living a double life, as lots of the guys who hung around at the brothels did? Loretta had been blinding herself to the reality and of course, Cindy could understand why.
Cindy was eager to meet Eric and find out more. But first she wanted to speak to Pete’s brother Taylor. Even though he was Pete’s closest blood relative, he’d been laying low. As far as Cindy knew he hadn’t contacted either the police or Cindy so far, even though he had a room in the same hotel. Cindy wondered how Taylor had been spending his time and why he came at all?
Cindy finished her cup of breakfast coffee, picked up the phone and called him.<
br />
Taylor answered immediately and mumbled something Cindy couldn’t understand.
“I’m Cindy Blaine, private detective,” she repeated slowly, hoping to get through to him.
“I was sleeping,” Taylor grumbled, more coherently then.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Cindy continued, “but I need your help.”
After a long pause, the voice on the phone grew more solid. “This is the first time anyone’s asked for my help,” he responded.
“I’m sorry about that,” murmured Cindy.
“Seems like I’m persona non gratis,” Taylor went on. “No one’s even bothered to say they’re sorry my brother’s gone.”
“That’s awful,” Cindy agreed. “I’m sorry, Taylor.”
He seemed to perk up. “Well, thanks for that at least,” he mumbled.
“Can we talk downstairs in the hotel lobby?” Cindy ventured onwards.
“No, we can’t,” he replied instantly. “I don’t like hotel lobbies. If you want to see me, come to my room.”
Cindy had no desire to be in a room alone with him.
“Come right now,” he continued.
Even though Cindy felt uneasy she had no choice but to go.
“And don’t tell anyone you’re coming,” Taylor shot out next. “I don’t like my business broadcast all over.””
“I understand that,” said Cindy.
“Good. Then get to room 232 as soon as you can,” he grunted and hung up the phone.
*
Cindy wondered for a moment if it was a good idea for her to go to Taylor’s room without letting anyone knowing where she would be. She thought of calling Ron and telling him, but she’d promised Taylor she wouldn’t say a word. Sooner or later lies had a way of getting found out and breaking a promise certainly wasn’t the way to start a new relationship.
As Cindy was wondering what to do, her cell phone beeped letting her know she’d received a text. She opened the phone and looked down at it.
Where are you now? Where are you going?
