Page 96 of Cavern of Silence

"Yeah. I..."

That's what I thought.What is between a man and a woman should stay that way."Don't judge my lack of information when you don't know what's going on with your woman, either."

"What are you saying? Naomi hasn't tried to hide anything from me."

And my gut was right. You didn't deny being with Naomi.

"You might want to ask her," I insist.

"What does that mean?" he growls.

"Maybe nothing. But Vanessa said something the other day and it's been nagging me."

"What did she say?"

"If Naomi has dirt on every cabinet member in the Belizean government, then what does she know about Vanessa's ex, Carlos Garcia?"

"I haven't asked her. But what are you insinuating?"

"I've just been thinking. Guerillas kidnapped Vanessa originally but then sold her to the Colombian cartel. The information Naomi's privy to is about cabinet members who are accepting donations from drug cartels. Don't you think something is connected?"

Andre's eyes turn to slits. "You think the guerillas and the Colombian cartel are working together?"

"I don't know. Ask your girl."

"Fine. I'll ask Naomi about it. She isn't intentionally hiding anything from me, and if she knows something, she'll tell me."

"Will she?"

"Yes, and stop suggesting otherwise."

I hold my hands in the air. "Okay. Sorry. I'm just frustrated with all these secrets these women have but won't tell us so we can figure this all out."

"Doesn't mean Naomi is keeping anything from me."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Silence.

I tap my fingers on my beer bottle. "There's another question I have."

"What's that?"

"We know why they didn't kill Naomi and Emilia, but why didn't they kill the other women? What was the point of holding them hostage all this time?"

He crosses his arms. "You think it's all connected?"

"Yeah. I don't think it's a coincidence all six women were imprisoned together and Interpol was called only when they took Naomi and Emilia."

Andre's eyes turn to slits. "Wait. The rest of the women weren't together before a few days ago?"

"They were together in the pit for a while. But not the entire time. And I highly doubt they have been in Belize all this time. So why would Santiago Gómez buy Vanessa from the guerrillas and have the other women all be moved to the jungle before Naomi arrived?"

"What do you think the reason was?" he asks.

"I don't know yet. But I think we need to figure it out."

"Julieta and Vanessa haven't said where they were kept all these months?"