Once in town, Jake didn’t take the left that would have brought him to police headquarters, nor did he continue on to the marina. Despite the time, and the fact that he would arrive unannounced, he had decided to pay another visit to Mary Simmons.
The Hare Krishna building was a nice one, off a street near a dog park, where the residents had always enjoyed their lush foliage, an asset of the area that was maintained vigilantly. The shrubs and trees were not as manicured as they tended to be in Coral Gables, but they had a defiant charm all their own. At night, just blocks down, the area came alive with its shops, restaurants and clubs. The Krishnas often chanted their way down those populated streets, gathering what donations they could along the way.
When he arrived, though, the building itself seemed quiet. He was welcomed at the door by a fellow whose head was entirely shaved, except for the long tail of hair that grew from his pate. He was young, with idealistic eyes and the manner of one who had decided that he was going to be at peace with the world, whether he really understood his doctrine or not. He was polite and eager to help Jake, even before Jake showed him his badge.
He went to retrieve Mary.
She didn’t seem too surprised to see Jake, and welcomed him, telling him that they could talk outside. He joined her in a little garden area and got right to the point. “Mary, I understand Bordon had whichever woman he chose each night and that there wasn’t any jealousy, that the women could also sleep with others, if they chose.”
She nodded, then gave him something of a sad smile. “We all wanted Peter, of course. It’s hard to describe to someone else how a man could…could make women want him that much when they were sharing him. There were other men. John Mast, for one.” She sighed, pleating the folds of the long orange robe she was wearing. “John is dead. I know that, of course.” She looked up, suddenly vehement. “And don’t go thinking that John Mast had those women killed because he was jealous of Peter. John was a believer. A true believer in what we were doing, in sharing the good of God’s earth…in loving one another. He was a good man. Smart. I think he knew he was eventually going to get in trouble over the finances, because I heard him argue with Peter a few times. He was always worried. But Peter didn’t listen to him. And John wasn’t invited around when the doors were closed. I feel very badly about John. He went to prison without saying a word, just for doing what he’d been told. And then he died.”
“I’m sorry, too, Mary. But I didn’t come here to talk to you because I’m convinced one of your…friends was evil. I think something else was going on. Something maybe none of you knew about.”
She shrugged. “Well, that could be. But whatever was going on, Peter would have known. He told us when we had to be in, and when we had to be out, working.”
“Did boats ever come through the canals?”
“Sure. Every day.” She smiled. “I’m sure lots of boats are still going by. Little boats. Canoes, rowboats, small motorboats. That’s why people like to live along the waterways, Detective Dilessio.”
He smiled back. “Of course, Mary. Did any of those boats ever pull up at the back of the property? Did Peter Bordon have anything delivered that way?”
She shrugged. “Could be. I don’t know. I was never asked to help unload anything from a boat. How much could you actually bring in by boat? Only small vessels could get through. And airboats, of course. But they’re so loud…. I heard one every now and then. But they never stopped. Not that I can remember.”
“How about canoes?”
She hesitated. “Maybe. Sometimes…late at night, when I was in the common room, I would hear noises. But we knew not to leave, you see. We all had a place, and we all kept to our place. That’s the way it was.”
“Maybe everyone didn’t keep to her place, Mary. And maybe that’s why those girls died.”
A flicker of pain crossed her features. “Maybe,” she agreed.
“You had drugs available, right? Lots of drugs?”
“Lots of aphrodisiacs,” she murmured. Then she met his eyes. “Sure. Lots of drugs. We didn’t shoot up or anything…. At least, I didn’t. I’m clean as a whistle, Jake. So is everybody here.”
“I’m not attacking the Krishnas, Mary. I’m looking for a killer.”
She nodded. “Drugs were always available.”
“Thanks, Mary. And if you think of anything else—”
“I’ll call you. Detective, I’d really like to help you. Honestly.”
“I believe you.”
He started to head out. She followed him. “Detective?”
“Yes?”
She hesitated. “I know how you’ve always felt…what you’ve always believed, that Peter might have been…somehow involved. But I don’t believe he ever slit a woman’s throat.”
“Thanks, Mary. Actually, I never believed he carried out the murders himself. But he knows who did. I’m sure of it. And one way or another, I’m going to find out.”
CHAPTER 18