“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.”
Margot could barely speak. “Nothing,” she said under her breath. “I just want you to go away.”
“Why? He’s gone now,” said Kendra. “We’re not sharing him anymore.”
“We never shared him,” Margot burst out.
“Are you crazy?” asked Kendra, “Of course we did.”
“He belonged to me alone!” said Margot, her voice suddenly raising an octave. “You had to just be something extra. He gave me the necklace, not you.”
“I bought that necklace for myself. He stole it from my safe and gave it to you. It’s stolen property you’re wearing.”
“Please, go away, I beg you,” said Margot, trembling.
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Kendra, in a dark tone, “particularly not to jail. Paul might have been a rotten liar, but I didn’t kill him.”
Margot stared at her. “I want to wake up and find this was a bad dream. I want my life back the way it was.”
“So do I,” said Kendra, “but that isn’t happening. And it’s not a dream, is it? Here we are, flesh and blood. Do you have any idea who killed him?”