Death by Marriage (14 page)

“Margot
will be wearing a tape,” said Mattheus then.

Cindy’s
eyes opened wide.

“Brayton
is convinced Kendra knows stuff she’s not saying.  You can’t tell Kendra about
this though. The truth is the truth, let it all come out.”

“Do
you think I would undermine the investigation?” Cindy seemed offended.

“I
wasn’t saying that. I just wanted to say, let it all rip.”

“I
want to find the real killer as much as Brayton,” Cindy said, unabashed. “I
didn’t come down here to assist a cover up.”

Mattheus
was pleased that he and Cindy were on the same page about so many things. She
was one special woman, for sure. And, of course, being a detective was
different when someone close to you had been killed.  After that, each case you
handled was an echo of what happened. Your craving for justice couldn’t be
squelched.

“I’m
proud of you, Cindy,” Mattheus said then.

She
was silent a moment. “For what?” she said.

“For
who you are.”

“Thank
you,” she said softly.

“I
never expected all of this in one woman,” he said.

Cindy
and Kendra walked to the lunch together.  It was to be held at a lovely
restaurant across from the main pier in town. A table had been reserved in the
rear, overlooking a boat slip that was at the end of the dock. 

Kendra,
dressed a white linen suit, with her hair brushed back tight, had a formidable
air about her. Her jaw was set and she said little. Cindy wore a simple lime
green dress and pearl earrings.

“I’ve
been thinking about why the police want Margot and I to meet so badly,” Kendra
said, finally. “Obviously, they’re going to question her about everything I
say. And question me about her. It’s an old trick, isn’t it, turning one
against the other? They must be hoping that in the heat of the moment one of us
will slip up.”

“Or
that one of you will lie,” said Cindy. “That wouldn’t look good, would it?”

Kendra
said nothing then, just fell silent.

“Are
you curious to meet her?” Cindy then asked to break the silence between them.

Kendra
smirked, “not really. “I’m only doing this in the hopes it will help clear me.
Who knows? She may be involved with the murder herself.  Nothing would surprise
me.”

Cindy
took a deep breath. She felt uncomfortable accompanying Margot to the lunch.

“I’m
sure she’s dying to meet me,” Kendra went on bitterly. “But I have no self left
to meet. They’ve taken it from me. This is the last straw. And, the truth is,
there’s no reason I should validate whatever happened between those two and
call it a marriage.”

“It
was a marriage,” said Cindy. “She has the same marriage license you do.”

“But
to a different man, Gregg Kowan. It had to be a fraud.”

“Paul
operated with two identities,” Cindy said, “and who knows how many more?”

“Whose
side are you on?” Kendra snapped back.

“It’s
not a matter of sides,” said Cindy. “Your husband has been killed. So has hers.
It’s the same person. The more we know about went on in his life the better
chance we have of finding the killer. It’s as simple as that.”

“Nothing
simple about it,” Kendra was exasperated. 

Cindy
couldn’t understand why she didn’t feel more sympathy for Kendra, why few
people did. Maybe because she seemed so unmoved about what happened to Paul.
Cindy hadn’t heard her express sorrow about his death once since she’d met her.
But, she’d been pounced on from day one, suspicions about her had never let up.
She had every right to be brittle and mad.

“The
police haven’t grilled Margot the way they did me, “Kendra went on. “That
pisses me off.”

“How
do you know they haven’t?” said Cindy.

“It’s
obvious. They think I found out about the other wife, and took my revenge.  But
maybe she found out about me? Why isn’t that equally possible? Why isn’t she
shaking in her boots?”

“Maybe
she is,” said Cindy.

“You
haven’t been grilling her either, have you?” Kendra turned to Cindy, swiftly. “Why
not?”

Cindy
paused a moment to consider that question. There was truth to what Kendra said.
Cindy felt no desire to question Margot further. Margot had seemed so
devastated when she’d found out about Paul that Cindy didn’t doubt her. She
didn’t like her much, but she didn’t doubt her either. It was interesting where
suspicion landed and the reasons for it, Cindy thought.

“So
give me a clue as to why I’m the bad one?” said Kendra, fitfully.

Cindy
turned and faced her as they were about to enter the restaurant.

“Did
you love your husband?” Cindy asked. “Or was it over a long time ago?”

“Go
to hell,” Kendra muttered. “You think I’m paying you for this?”

“Paul
led a double life. You had to sense something. He couldn’t have been there much
for you. How could you not hate him?”

Kendra’s
face flushed, then turned ashen. “It’s a complicated,” she finally said. “Did I
love him? Depends what you mean when you say love. And hate, that’s a strong
word. You have to care a lot to hate someone. Maybe, all the embers between us
had just died.”

“Things
don’t just die,” said Cindy. “People hurt each other a lot first.”

“Are
you crazy or something?” asked Kendra, “pushing me up against the wall?”

“I’m
pushing you because I want to clear you,” said Cindy. “I want to get everything
out on the table, turn it over in daylight, find out why it went on. The best
way to be free is to honest – especially with yourself.”

Kendra
turned to her. “You go be honest with yourself,” she snarled between perfectly
formed, small, white teeth. “Why the hell are you down here on the island,
poking around, way out of your league? It was a mistake to ever hire you.”

Cindy
felt punched in the gut.  At the same time it was fascinating to see how Kendra
could turn on someone who was on her side, trying to help. Maybe she wanted to
be found guilty? Maybe she actually committed the crime?

The
restaurant was only half filled when they walked in, as it was still early. The
moment Cindy and Kendra walked in, the Maître D was ready for them, and showed
them to a table in a half lit alcove in the rear, set away from others.

Kendra
sat down and looked around anxiously. “Figures she wouldn’t be here yet,” she
said. “It’s extremely rude of her to make us wait. What kind of woman would
make us do that?”

“We’re
a little early,” said Cindy. She’d pulled herself back together, decided to be
entirely professional, not take anything this woman said personally in anyway.

Their
water glasses were filled and they were given a wine list before the waiter
left them alone.

“Why
did you ask me if I loved Paul?” Kendra looked at Cindy oddly. “Are they thinking
that Margot loved him and I did not?”

“I
have no idea what they’re thinking,” said Cindy. “I do think she loved him,
though.”

Kendra
shuddered. “Do you know how that feels? Hearing your husband was loved by
another woman who thought she was his wife?”

“It
has to be awful,” said Cindy.

“Infuriating.
I loved him in the beginning,” said Kendra. “He changed over the years. So did
I. We had a daughter, we had a home.  I knew he wasn’t perfect.  But his having
another wife and son is not something I ever imagined!  It sticks in my craw. 
I’m not ready for this kind of public humiliation. The idiot ended up making me
into a fool.”

Cindy
felt badly for her. “I’m very sorry,” she said.

“So,
if I’m agitated about this, I have a right to be,” Kendra continued.

“You
certainly do,” said Cindy.

At
that very moment they looked over and saw a woman in a blue silk dress,
graceful, perfectly coiffed, walking towards them haltingly. Around her neck,
she wore a ruby necklace.

“There’s
the bitch,” Kendra muttered under her breath. “And what the hell’s she wearing?”

Both
Cindy and Kendra stared at the necklace.

“That’s
mine,” said Kendra. “It’s the one I bought that the police couldn’t find.”

Cindy
was completely startled. “Obviously Paul gave it to her,” she said.

Kendra’s
mouth hung open. “The bastard took my necklace from the safe and gave it to his
other wife. He deserves to be strung up!”

Margot
came closer to the table.

Cindy
stood up, and extended her hand. “Hello, Margot.”

Margot
gave Cindy her hand.

“Kendra,
this is Margot,” Cindy introduced them.

The
two women stared at each other for a moment as Margot sat down. Cindy wished
she could get away. The tension was so thick it ran up over arms and legs. For
a second she could hardly catch her breath.

“That’s
an incredible necklace you have there, said Kendra,” staring at it with fire in
her eyes. “Where did you get it?”

Margot
lifted her hand and touched it lightly. “Gregg gave it to me for our
anniversary,” she said.

“It’s
my necklace,” said Kendra.

““What
are you talking about? I cherish it,” said Margot clutching it tightly.

Thankfully,
at that moment the waiter came back with a wine list for Margot and they
ordered a bottle of red wine.

“We
have more important things to talk about,” said Cindy, trying to deflect the
tension and bring the lunch back on course. It was clear these two had never
spoken.

“We
have a common purpose being here,” said Margot icily, “to find the person who
killed Paul.”

Kendra
stiffened. “Why did he give you my necklace?” she murmured, staring at it. “It
was mine. I bought it for myself.”

“You
bought yourself jewelry?” Margot looked shocked. “He didn’t buy it for you? He
bought me every piece I have.”

“Who
knows what else he stole it from?” said Kendra.

“Let’s
leave this for later, please,” said Cindy. “This lunch could help find the
killer.”

 “I’ve
been the main suspect, right from the start. You know that, don’t you?” Kendra
turned to Margot disdainfully.

“That’s
what I’ve been told,” said Margot.

“Been
told?  It’s been in all the papers.”

Margot
pursed her lips. “We don’t really pay much attention to news on St. Thomas,”
she said quietly.

Kendra
grimaced. “You didn’t see any of the photos of Paul in the paper?” she asked
bitingly.  Clearly, she was off her game with Margot. The two of them were
worlds apart and seeing the necklace on her had really thrown Kendra.

“No,
I hadn’t seen any of the photos in the paper,” Margot answered, her eyes
suddenly filling with tears.

Kendra
stared at her deeply. “You had no idea your husband was married to me?”

“Did
you have any idea he was married to me?”  Margot countered, bristling.

For
a flashing moment, the two of them looked straight in one another’s eyes.

“I
thought he might be cheating,” Kendra held back no punches. “In fact, I thought
it was likely.  I always suspected he had a lover that he met regularly at the
bar.”

Margot
trembled at that thought. “Did he?” she asked faintly, aghast.

“Yes,
he did,” Kendra said. “I’m convinced of it now. A woman named Heather.” 

Margot
gasped. “A mistress?”

“Someone
who must have wanted him all to herself. No one could have him all to
themselves though, could they?”

“I
thought I did,” Margot said.

“You
thought he was faithful to you?” Kendra was incredulous. She also seemed to
enjoy seeing Margot squirm.

“Yes,
I did think that,” Margot said, forcefully. “Why should I believe you?”

Kendra
leaned her elbows on the table. “How could you really imagine that you were the
only one, with all his nights away?”

“It
was part of his work,” said Margot, “a lifelong pattern. He told me he loved
me, over and over. I believed what he said. I had no reason not to. None at
all.” She looked up at Kendra then, her mouth quivering. “Did you believe that
he loved you?”

“This
is twice today I’ve been asked that question,” said Kendra. “We’d been married
for years. What has love got to do with it?”

Margot
did not smile. “We were married for years as well. We have a son.”

Kendra
stopped and took it in. “I know. I heard it, but it doesn’t compute.”

“A
son he loved tremendously,” said Margot. “A son who meant the world to him. He
coached his games when he was around, took him snorkeling, brought him all
kinds of gifts.”

That
silenced Kendra. “He had a daughter he loved very much too” she finally said
slowly. “Seems he was quite the family man.”

Margot
did not smile at that. It seemed hard for her to even realize that Kendra and
Paul had a child together. “This is completely grotesque,” she said finally. “Those
nights he was away, he was with you?”

“Some
of them,” Kendra replied.  “Who knows who he was with at other times?”

“I
was completely fooled,” Margot said in a small voice then, “fooled for years.”

“Conned,”
said Kendra.

“So
were you,” Margot looked at her sharply.

“You
can say that if you want to,” said Kendra, “but, just because he was an idiot, I
don’t see myself as a victim. I lived a good life. I did what I liked.”

The
waiter brought the wine, poured it in their glasses and all together they took
a long, drink. Cindy then took it upon herself to order for all of them, a large
salad, and mushrooms. No one else seemed to be in shape to look at the menu.

“What
do you want to know about me?” Kendra asked Margot boldly then. “I know you
came here to find out about me. So, go ahead, ask away.”