Margot looked aghast. “I can’t imagine why anyone would want to.”
“Not even you?” Kendra prodded.
Margot looked at her disdainfully. “Of all the women he could have chosen, why in the world would he have chosen you? I’ll never understand it. Never. I can understand why you’d have to buy your own jewelry, why he didn’t get it for you. What could you have given him that I didn’t?” She seemed totally bewildered and overwhelmed.
Suddenly, Kendra perked up.
“I know he married you first, but when I met him he was handsome, exciting and told me he was single. And he couldn’t leave me alone. We spent incredibly passionate nights together.”
Margot put her hands over her ears, “Stop.”
“I can’t even imagine how he could have been married then. He was totally available.”
“He wasn’t available,” Margot cried out. “He was married to me.
“But what kind of marriage did you have?” Kendra was pitiless, ripping away Margot’s memories, one by one.
“Our marriage was quiet, loving, content,” said Margot gasping.
“It isn’t possible,” said Kendra. “Not the way he was with me, hungry like you can’t believe.”
“Shut up, you’re disgusting,” said Margot. And we had a bond that was unbreakable. He always told me that. You were just something extra.”
“Far from it!” Kendra leered. “He couldn’t do without me. Not even for a day. Wherever he was he’d call me.”
Margot stood up trembling. “I hate you,” she hissed.
“Sit down, Margot,” said Cindy, trying to calm both of them.
But Kendra wasn’t finished. She leaned towards Margot ferociously, “Did you really love Paul? Was he good to you?”
Margot jumped back, startled. “I loved him very much. He was wonderful,” her voice rose an octave. “How about you? Did you really love him? Tell me the truth!”
“I loathed the bastard,” Kendra uttered, “and I loathe him even more now.”
Margot gasped and so did Cindy.
At just that moment, Cindy saw a young woman walking over towards the table, Kendra’s daughter, Nell. Cindy was stunned to see her.
“This is our daughter,” said Kendra as Nell grew closer. “She wanted to meet the woman who was married to her father all these years. What do you think this is doing to her?”
“You’re blaming me for this?” Margot was horrified. “How do you think our son’s feeling?”
Nell arrived at the table and came right up to Margot. “Exactly when did you marry my father?” she asked.
Margot put her hands over her eyes, but then took them down and swiftly stood up.
“Your father, your husband! It’s all ridiculous! He belonged to me. He never said a word about either of you. And I never want to see or hear anything about either of you again!”
Then she spun around and fled at top speed, between the tables, out of the restaurant, like a spinning top that would never stop spinning.
“I’m sorry, mom,” Nell said. “That woman’s completely nuts. She’s vicious, on edge, half crazy. She’s got to be the one who did it. It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
Kendra simply stood like a statue made of marble.
“Nothing at all is obvious,” she finally said.
CHAPTER 20
Abels was working as a dishwasher in a small, greasy restaurant behind the mall. It was mid-afternoon when Mattheus got there and the heat of the day pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe. By now his shirt was soaked with perspiration, and the place was even hotter, food steaming on the grills.
“Looking for Salmon Abels,” Mattheus said to the guy who greeted him.
“Who?” the guy looked confused.
A wall fan creaked as it barely managed to ground around.
“He just started working here –” Mattheus continued. “Washing dishes.”
“Oh,” said the guy, “Sure. One second -I’ll bring him out.”
Abels walked out, jittery. He was younger than Mattheus had imagined, scrawny with wild eyes. “What?” the guy asked, pissed off.
“Private Investigator,” Mattheus said.
“What you guys want from me now?” asked Abels.
“Just sit down with me in the back,” said Mattheus, “it’ll only take a few minutes.
Mattheus and Abels walked to two stools, in the back of the place, facing each other. The slanty window high up on the wall was cranked half shut and it was hard to breathe. Sweat poured down Mattheus’ face as he leaned in towards Salmon. Salmon’s head hung down, his eyes glued to the floor.
“Pick up your head and look at me,” Mattheus demanded. This could be it. He could have the killer right here, red handed.
Abels raised his head just a little bit. Mattheus scrutinized his round face carefully. He was younger than Mattheus thought he would be, late thirties maybe, scrawny, bones shaking under his skin.
“Look up at me,” Mattheus repeated.
Abels raised his eyes. There was a look of exhaustion. Mattheus could see he’d been through this many times.