*
Diamond Beach Bar in the hotel was right on the water, and lively, with live jazz in the background and the sound of soft waves lapping at the shore. Elizabeth was obviously well known here, and as soon as they walked in, they were given a front table, practically on the sand.
“It’s gorgeous,” said Cindy, looking around
“Everything here is gorgeous,” Elizabeth replied, “you’ll get used to it soon and won’t even notice. It becomes just a matter of course. ” Then she picked up a menu and looked it over briefly. “Decide what you want. It’s on me. ”
“Thanks,” said Cindy.
“Nothing to thank me for,” Elizabeth shrugged. After the two of them had ordered, Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and took off her glasses. She had large, dark eyes that looked somewhat haunted.
“Okay, so what do you want from me?” Elizabeth asked. “Everybody wants something.”
“I’m trying to get a new point of view about the case,” Cindy said slowly. “I’m sure you’ve already been interviewed a lot.”
“A lot,” said Elizabeth, “and it all amounted to nothing.”
“I’m hoping I can find something different,” said Cindy.
“I wouldn’t be too optimistic,” Elizabeth quipped. “Everyone on this island sets out optimistic, but it doesn’t come to anything. Besides, we have pretty terrific police officers. They covered everything, up and down. ”Then she tapped the table with her, long, manicured fingers. “Someone told me your husband was killed in the Caribbean, too. ”
“Too? ” Cindy picked right up on it. “Do you think Ames was murdered?”
“Of course he was,” Elizabeth snapped, as if tired of all the games. “Ames wasn’t the kind to have accidents. He was the one who saved other people who got into trouble on the water. He’d be back by now if he hadn’t been murdered. I’ve told that to everyone. No one puts much stock in what I say, though. People tend to live in la la land here. Too much sun, rum and calypso does funny things to your mind. ”
Just at that moment the waiter came, with drinks on a tray. They were garnished with cherries and little paper umbrellas.
“Speaking of rum,” Elizabeth said, lifting her glass and taking a long swallow.
Cindy took her glass and sipped her drink carefully. She wanted to stay clear-minded. This woman felt like a loose cannon.
“Who do you think killed Ames?” Cindy asked, wanting her to speak before the rum took effect.
“You’re asking me two different questions,” said Elizabeth. “Was he murdered or not, is one question. Who did it, is another. There’s plenty of possibilities, if you ask me. ”
“Like who?”
Elizabeth looked at Cindy cryptically. “Why should I spill my guts to Dalia’s friend? Your old school-buddy stole my husband from me. She took my son’s father away. ”
“I heard that Ames was a devoted father,” Cindy interjected, “and that he took very good care of you.”
The music playing in the background got louder as they spoke. It mixed with the sound of the ocean and started to make Cindy’s head swim. She shook herself quickly, to stay sharp and clear.
“Yes, it’s true,” Elizabeth said, “Ames was a good father to Brad. He and I stayed in close touch because of that. If it wasn’t for Brad, I don’t think he would have looked at me twice. He’d had enough, so he threw me away. ”
“What went wrong in your marriage?” asked Cindy.
“You’re pretty bold, you know,” said Elizabeth. “You think I should sit here and tell you what went wrong with me and Ames? Dalia is what went wrong. She went for him like a barracuda the second she laid eyes on him. Ames loved women, he had a wandering eye. On his own, he didn’t do anything unless someone else made a move. If someone else did, he was weak and rotten,” her tone turned contemptuous. “Like every other guy on this island.”
Quite a statement, Cindy thought. “You’ve been dating a lot of them?” Cindy asked.
“Of course. Why shouldn’t I date? I’m a great catch, too, and don’t think they don’t know it. Ames left me very well set. ”
Cindy shivered, suddenly realizing that Elizabeth never once said she missed Ames or was worried about what happened to him.
“Do you miss him?” Cindy asked.
At that she froze up. “That’s a hell of a stupid question,” she said. “Do you miss someone who treated you like dirt?”
The waiter brought their lunches then, soup, salad, and little sandwiches, served on bamboo dishes. Elizabeth dug into her lunch with ferocity, not looking up as she ate.
“You talking to the cops down here, too?” she asked, as she chewed her sandwich.
“I’ve met Mattheus and Sand,” Cindy said.