*
Cindy and Rori met up on Gagua Beach, a small beach on a cove along the edge of a wild bird preserve. Cindy hadn’t seen this inlet before and once again she felt as though she was stepping into a magical world, full of the call of birds, talking to each other. It was startling to listen to them singing and also take in the incredible beauty of the sights. The water stretched along a rocky shore, down beneath sloping hills filled with trees where these wild birds made their home. Some flew over Cindy’s head, warbling, as she walked down to the shore. It felt as though they were welcoming her to their enclave.
When she got down to the beach, Rori was already there, sitting on a rock.
“Merry Christmas,” said Cindy as she drew closer.
Rori looked up and smiled.
“Thanks for everything you’re doing,” she said. “Working like this, even on Christmas day.”
Cindy was surprised. Rori seemed warm, open and eager to see her. She was a far cry from the edgy twin sister Cindy had met before.
“It must be a very painful day for your family,” said Cindy, as Rori got up.
“Every day has been awful in one way or another since Tiffany died,” said Rori. “We can’t catch a break.”
“I’m sorry,” said Cindy.
“Let’s take a walk along the water,” said Rori, restless and wanting to move.
The two of them started walking, and Cindy loved the feeling of sand under her feet.
“My mother is getting much worse,” Rori started. “Going downhill every day. It’s exhausting.”
“You’ve always had a hard time with her?” Cindy asked
“Always have and always will,” Rori wasn’t pulling any punches. “You’d think she’d get it together, at least for the sake of the family. It can be done. Look at me, I’m not getting worse.”
“That’s great,” said Cindy.
“What good would it do if I fell apart?” said Rori.
“None at all,” Cindy agreed.
“And besides that,” Rori continued, “my father really needs me now. He’s devastated. Tiffany was his favorite, and now that she’s gone, he always wants me around. I guess it doesn’t hurt that we were identical twins. He looks at me and thinks she’s here. But she’s not. I’m nothing like her.”
Cindy couldn’t help wonder if somehow Rori might be relieved that her sister was gone.
“What was your relationship like with Tiffany?” Cindy asked.
“Okay, not special,” said Rori directly. “We were different in a lot of ways. Our mother adored Tiffany and could never stand me.”
“That’s awful,” said Cindy.
“You get used to everything,” said Rori. “It makes you strong.”
Cindy felt a strong wave of admiration for Rori. She was blunt, direct, didn’t pull any punches.
A light wind came up and blew in their faces as they walked. Surprisingly, it had grown somewhat cooler.
“Some say we could get heavy rain, later,” Rori offered in passing, “that’s unusual down here, this time of year.”
Cindy was enjoying the breezes. “It’s quite an island,” she said.
“It’s okay,” said Rori. “After this I don’t think we’ll ever come back. I know I don’t want to. Can’t wait to get out of here, actually. We’re just waiting to hear what the medical examiner finds.”
“About Frances?” asked Cindy.
Rori nodded sadly.
“I noticed on the engagement video that you and Frances have a nice relationship,” Cindy said.
“Very nice,” said Rori, stopped walking, and looked out into the ocean. “He’s a great guy who’s had lots of rough breaks. He didn’t do this. I’m positive. There’s zero reason for him to be in jail.”
“Zero?” asked Cindy.
Rori bent down and picked up a piece of driftwood, then used to it write a huge zero on the moist sand.
“There’s absolutely, positively no way Frances would have hurt Tiffany,” Rori said. “I had to tell you that.”
“Why are you so positive?”
“Because he loved her,” said Rori.
Cindy and Rori looked at each other.
“But Tiffany was engaged to Tad,” said Cindy. “Sounds like it could have been a motive to me.”
Rori shook her head calmly. “Tiffany’s engagement meant nothing,” she said. “Frances was the guy she loved.”
Cindy was startled. Wynn had told her no one else knew about this.
“Tiffany got engaged to pacify my mother,” Rori went on. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“How long did you know about your sister and Frances?”
Rori tossed her hair back off her face. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. Tiffany wasn’t good at hiding anything, only from my mother, who chooses to be blind.”
“Tiffany told you about her relationship with Frances?” Cindy probed.
“She didn’t have to tell me anything. I saw what was going on,” Rori said. “But let me tell you something else that could have something to do with what happened.”
“What?” Cindy’s heart started beating fast.
“Tiffany was a drug addict, too.”