That was the first time Cindy heard about anything that bothered Ames. “What does he do about it?” she asked.
“What can he do? Nothing,” said Dalia. “Just gives her more and more money whenever she pulls a trip on him.”
“Guilt money?” asked Cindy.
Dalia stopped what she was doing and looked pained.
“What’s there for him to feel guilty about? He gave her everything, held nothing back. She had it better than most married women. Me, I work,” said Dalia proudly. “When you get back from talking to Elizabeth, I’ll take you to my gallery. It’s thriving. I put hours in, find the best artists, make space for local handcrafts, have the best sculpture collection in town. People love it there, they respect me. ”
“That’s wonderful,” said Cindy, eager to see the gallery.
“You don’t see me running to spas all the time,” Dalia said, edgy. “Ames would never love me as much as he does, if I did. He respects my drive and success. That’s another thing I adore about him. My other husbands needed to squash me, control my every move. ”
Cindy remembered how Dalia used to say that about the guys she dated in high school, too - how they wanted to squash and possess her - the very same thing. Fortunately, Cindy had never experienced that with a man. Clint, especially, encouraged and inspired her. And she had inspired him. They’d shared their dreams with each other and helped find ways to make those dreams come true. But their dream of a long life together had been swiftly taken from them. There was no way Cindy could ever help with that again.
“Do you want me to drive you to the spa, or do you want to take a taxi?” Dalia asked, jittery.
“A taxi is perfect, “Cindy said. There was no reason Dalia should have to deal with the possibility of running into Elizabeth, especially now.
*
Magniffe Hotel, located on the secluded Pink Gin Beach, was set in an enclave of tropical gardens, surrounded by sea on three sides. Famous for providing a holiday of rejuvenation, it emphasized in all its brochures that pleasure was the way to achieve body and mind harmony.
As Cindy drove up, she was struck by the resort’s extraordinary beauty, with three pools, a nine hole golf course, and an architectural design that was breathtaking. Elizabeth said Cindy could find her at the s Spa. This was a strange place to look for clues to a missing person, Cindy thought, nestled among such opulence, luxury and sensual delights.
As soon as Cindy entered the hotel, she was greeted warmly. They paged Elizabeth, and had a smiling employee lead her directly to the spa.
The spa was luxurious, soothing and inviting, decorated with a Spanish influence. Cindy was taken to a private room where Elizabeth was stretched out on a table, surrounded by an Oriental screen, vases of fresh flowers, and a pungent aroma wafting through the air. She was lying face down on a massage table, hot stones lining her back. Next to her table was a bronze antique chair.
“Sit down,” Elizabeth murmured, when Cindy walked in. She kept her face buried downwards on the table as she spoke, not even lifting it a little bit.
“Thanks for seeing me,” Cindy said, sitting beside her. Cindy felt like she was intruding upon sacred time. “I’d be glad to wait until your treatment is over,” Cindy said. “My treatment is never over,” Elizabeth muttered. “And I don’t like being rushed. I’m not even sure what you’re doing down here on the island? Someone said you’re one of Dalia’s old friends. ”
“Yes, I am,” said Cindy.
“How can you be objective, then? I’d say off the bat that there was a conflict of interest here. ”
Clearly, Elizabeth was looking for a fight, but Cindy wouldn’t take the bait. There was no reason to; it would be counter-productive. Instead, she simply sat beside Elizabeth quietly, waiting for her to calm down. It had to be rough on her, too. After all, she and Ames had been married and they had a son.
Neither Elizabeth nor Cindy said anything for a while.
“Maybe you’re right,” Elizabeth said, finally. “Let me finish this treatment and then I’ll meet you outside. We can go to Oscar’s and talk. You’ll like it there. It’s right on the beach. ”
“Sounds perfect,” said Cindy, getting up and stepping outside.
It felt good to be away from Elizabeth, even for a few minutes. Cindy sat in a lovely waiting alcove, filled with plants and magazines.
In a little while, Elizabeth walked outside and joined her. She looked crisp and well oiled, in shorts and a silk blue shirt. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders and big sunglasses covered her eyes. She had carved features and was thin, taut and groomed.
Cindy stood up when she walked into the waiting room, and extended her hand.
Elizabeth did not take it. “Let’s go,” she said quickly. “I want to get this over with.”