Sisters? That jolted Cindy. Katrina was lying through her teeth. That wasn’t the story she told Cindy. Looks like she fooled the cops big time. They’d bought right into her little show. Cindy was more convinced than ever now that she had to go.
“We talked to her for a long time and Katrina gave us just what we needed,” Alex continued. “She didn’t pull any punches either. Flan tried using her for an alibi, said they were together when Shelly was killed. Katrina denied it flat out. Told us she had no idea where he was when the killing took place. She also said that Flan made up stories, was rotten to women, had a short fuse. He’s busted. We got him. This lady deserves a prize. If you do see her, give her some comfort, okay?”
“Okay,” said Cindy shuddering, thinking that comfort was the last thing Katrina needed.
*
The taxi pulled up to Katrina’s house. A thunderstorm was expected and it was even more airless here. Cindy paid the driver and got out. A storm would be good, Cindy thought, clear the air, brush low hanging cobwebs away.
Cindy walked to the front door, once again expecting it to be ajar. To her surprise it was locked tight.
Cindy rang the bell loudly a few times. No response. She knocked hard with the knocker. No response either.
“Katrina,” Cindy called out loudly into the darkening afternoon.
No reply.
Cindy kept calling, her voice echoing through the palms and coconut trees.
In a little while a woman, dressed in casual slacks, came walking up the entrance way.
“Katrina’s gone for the week-end,” she said to Cindy. “I’m her next door neighbor.” The woman pointed through a thicket of trees, “I live back there with my dying father.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” said Cindy.
“I saw Katrina a little while ago today,” the woman went on, “we had a few minutes to chat and she said she was leaving for a few days. No need for you to be standing here yelping like a banshee. Storm’s coming. You’d better get home.”
Cindy thanked the woman, who turned and disappeared behind the house.
There was no reason to stay, it probably made sense to leave, but Cindy couldn’t. Why would Katrina leave town just when her husband had been taken in custody, especially if she was so upset about his being locked up? It didn’t make sense. There was one more piece waiting for her and Cindy wanted to rummage around and see what she could find.
She decided to walk to the back entrance, to see if it might be open. The back of the house was covered in shrubbery that looked as if it hadn’t been cut or tended for years. Vines grew in all directions and two huge garbage cans stood, half opened, off balance. A few cats wandered around aimlessly, in and out of the bushes.
Cindy waded through the mess to the back door, which was unhinged and cracked. It took nothing to push it with her shoulder and get it to open.
Delighted, Cindy went in. There were boxes piled up near the back entrance and piles of unfolded laundry in baskets. She walked up a few steps, deciding to see what she could find. A closed sliding door lead to a room off the living room. Cindy slid it open and went into a small, dark, cloistered room with the blinds pulled down.
Two old, wooden cabinets with very narrow drawers, were standing next to each other along the far wall, and a tattered rug was tossed in the center. Cindy went over to the cabinets, and opened one drawer after another, not knowing what she was looking for. The first two drawers were filled with loose change, rocks, scraps of paper, nothing of interest. The third draw had an antique, carved, box in it. It caught Cindy’s attention.
She opened the box carefully and inside was a, beautiful, unusual handmade shell necklace. The necklace was compelling. Cindy took it out of the box and stared at it. It looked oddly familiar, too, though she couldn’t place it. As Cindy turned it over in her hands, the sliding door to the room suddenly yanked open.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Katrina jammed her way in.
Shocked, Cindy gasped. “I thought you were gone for the week-end.”
“Who cares what you thought? What in the hell are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you,” Cindy spoke vehemently.
“So you break into my house?” Katrina’s eyes were cloudy and unfocused, as if she were on some kind of drug. “What the hell are you looking for?”
Cindy took a deep breath and planted herself squarely opposite this oncoming whirlwind.
“I thought I’d find evidence for the case,” Cindy managed.
Katrina became more unhinged. “The case is over. They got the man.”
“Your husband?”
“Go drop dead. You’ve done enough harm already haven’t you?”
“Harm? We’ve gotten Flan locked up. We’re protecting you.”
Katrina’s eyes glared like a wildcat caught in the dark.
“Who needs you to protect me from him? I told you I love him! You didn’t believe me.”
“You told me lots of things,” Cindy countered.
Katrina began thumping her fists against one another. “You’ve a hell of a nerve breaking in here! I’ll call the police on you for breaking and entering.”