Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry(12)
A second photo showed Cathy sitting at a table. A cake with lit candles was visible on the lower left. Gina wondered if this was taken at their mother’s birthday party just before Cathy left for Aruba. Cathy looked different. Her smile looked forced; the corners of her mouth barely turned up. Although she was looking at the camera, she appeared distracted, as if her mind was far away.
Next Gina removed the police report and reread it carefully. She wasn’t concerned that she would not be able to meet Peter van Riper, the patrol officer who had responded to the call about an accident at the pier. She was told he was away on vacation.
She was far more interested in talking to Hans Werimus, the investigator who had conducted the interviews and who had reached the conclusion that Cathy’s death was the result of an accident. Werimus had agreed to see her on Thursday. That gave her the balance of today and tomorrow to meet the others on her list.
* * *
Aruba delivered on its reputation for good weather. It was sunny and seventy-seven degrees when Gina left the airport and boarded a taxi for the twenty-minute ride to the hotel.
They weren’t kidding when they described this island as desertlike, she thought to herself. The gently rolling hills were mostly brown. From her research she knew that the best beaches and water conditions were on the northwest side of the island, where she would be staying. The other side was for the most part undeveloped.
The Americana Hotel was busy during this week in October. From the information Andrew had sent her she knew that Cathy had stayed in Room 514. While registering at the desk, she asked if that room was available. The young woman clerk eyed her suspiciously. “Is there any reason you want that particular room?”
Not wanting to tip her hand, Gina replied, “My mother was born on May 14. I’ve always considered five and fourteen to be lucky numbers.”
“Well, your numbers continue to be lucky. I’m putting you in Room 514.”
Gina refused help from the bellhop. She only had one small suitcase and it was on rollers.
Not knowing what to expect, she inserted her electronic key into the room door lock. When the light turned green, she turned the door handle and stepped into the spacious L-shaped room.
It turned out to be a large corner room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of the Caribbean. A gentle, salty breeze off the water was blowing through the open windows. The king-size bed was positioned to capture the setting sun. Night tables were on either side of the bed. The wall unit housed the television and had three sets of drawers on each side below it. A newspaper and a booklet bearing the hotel’s logo were on the countertop.
Gina tried to imagine what it must have been like for Andrew Ryan to come into this room and collect his sister’s clothes and toiletries, knowing that the reality of her death had barely set in.
Trying to shake off those thoughts, she unpacked her things and glanced at her watch. 7:30. No wonder she was hungry. She had skipped lunch, and the snack on the plane had been minimal.
Gina briefly touched up her hair and changed into a pair of summer-weight slacks and a short-sleeve shirt. She started to reach for the latest edition of ER from her travel bag, but instead grabbed the newspaper and the hotel booklet. Friends often asked her if she felt uncomfortable going to dinner alone. Her answer was “Quite the opposite.” Being raised as an only child had made her not only comfortable with it but fond of time spent losing herself in a book or a magazine article. There was nothing lonely about solitude; it was an opportunity.
The hotel dining room was about half-filled. She accepted the ma?tre d’s offer of a table in the corner. As she followed him, she overheard several conversations in English. One older couple was speaking a foreign language that she assumed was Dutch.
There were two tables opposite hers, each occupied by a couple who appeared to be in their early to mid thirties. One pair clinked glasses, and she smiled at the conclusion of the toast he made. The only word she could hear was “beginning.” The other couple leaned across the table and kissed, lingering for a moment before they settled back in their chairs. Honeymooners, she guessed.
She glanced over the wall of windows, past the pool, and studied the timeless, gentle motion of the blue-green Caribbean water. Given license to wander, her mind settled on the memory of her favorite picture of her parents. It was taken while they were on their honeymoon at the Southampton Princess in Bermuda.
Next she browsed the Aruba Daily, the island’s only English-language newspaper. There were no stories about any crimes committed on the island.
While eating, Gina casually glanced at the activities sheet that had been left on the wall unit in her room. All activities can be arranged by the hotel concierge. There was a daily trip for those interested in scuba diving, as well as lessons for beginners. There were three different snorkeling trips that would ferry guests to a reef just offshore. A See Aruba in a Day excursion would leave early the next morning and include breakfast and lunch.
The next item attracted her full attention.
Jet Skiers Delight! Four hours of fun! Our expert guide will lead you on a 90-minute trip along our beautiful coastline, stopping to point out historic and other fascinating destinations. Break for one hour for lunch at the famous Tierra Mar restaurant on the water. After a quick ride back to our beach, enjoy another hour of fun on your own on our state-of-the-art Jet Ski. Must be 16 years of age or older to operate ski.