Fear Thy Neighbor (58)

Ali wanted to tell her about her experience, how she’d turned out okay, or she thought she did, but decided against it. Valentina needed her support, not stories of her past. “Parents make mistakes, Val. You’re human,” she said. “Times are different now. So are teenagers. Their ideas are often nothing but fantasies. I would bet Renée was just taken in by John’s charm.”

“The man has no charm, Ali. He’s a pervert.”

“Why hasn’t he been charged? Seriously? I know you said his family bails him out whenever he’s in trouble, but who are his victims? Have they ever come out of the woodwork? Maybe some of the parents have and you’re not aware?” Ali’s thoughts were going in a direction they shouldn’t, but what if Valentina’s accusations weren’t true? Kit grew up on the island, and he’d seemed surprised when she told him what Valentina accused John of.

“His family probably threatened them if they did, or offered money,” Valentina said, her voiced filled with disgust. “He’s been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember.”

Kit came back inside. “My buddy says we don’t have enough information to issue an Amber Alert. We can’t prove she’s been abducted or that’s she’s in imminent danger. No description of what she’s wearing and no idea what kind of car they’re in. All requirements to issue an alert.”

Valentina got up and took another soda out of the fridge. She popped the tab on the can, the hissing sound the only noise in the room. She took a couple sips before she spoke. “No, we can’t do that. Even if those requirements are met, Renée would kill me if I did that. She’d be so humiliated.”

Ali directed a glance toward Kit.

“You just want to wait then? See if she returns on her own? Act like nothing happened?” Kit asked Val. “I’m not a parent, so I don’t know what else to suggest, other than calling the Orlando police. Tell them she’s a runaway, maybe she was taken against her will. They’ll contact the theme parks,” he said. “Check with their security.”

“I’ll call them myself,” Valentina said.

“Here’s the number to the main office.” Kit recited the number. “Ask for Detective Charles Bice. He’s friends with my buddy. He said he’s the one you’d want to handle this.”

“She’s going to hate me for the rest of her life,” Valentina said as she dialed the number on her cell phone.

“Better than never seeing her again,” Kit added.

Val nodded, then stepped outside.

Ali didn’t understand Val’s hesitancy to do what was needed to protect her daughter. So what if Renée got pissed? She should be home right now. It was after ten; the parks were closing. If they were leaving, maybe one of the security guards would recognize her or that evil, sick John who’d taken advantage of her. The thought hit her out of the blue that people on this island had many secrets. If a sixteen-year-old girl could keep a relationship with an older man from her mother, then who knew what else lay hidden in the minds of these island folks? Yet again, Ali questioned her decision to remain on Palmetto Island.

She and Kit waited inside as Valentina explained the situation to the Orlando police detective. After speaking on the phone for a few minutes, Val ended her call before returning inside. “He’s going to make a few calls, then he’ll get back to me. Never in a million years did I think my daughter would do the exact opposite of what I’ve practically beat in her head since she was old enough to know the basics about relationships between men and women. Maybe I should’ve kept my experience to myself? Had someone told me about men like Andre, I wouldn’t have allowed him to take advantage of me. He just wanted my family’s money. John’s family has plenty of money and contacts. Why would a man his age be interested in a young girl?”

Ali knew a number of reasons but kept them to herself. Now was not the time or place to bring up her past, if ever. She’d survived but didn’t believe Renée had the capability to live through the torture she’d suffered at the hands of another sick man like John Wilson.

“Sadly, there’s bucketloads of sickos in the world who are obsessed with young kids. Girls, boys, it doesn’t matter,” Kit said, as Ali observed him. He had more to say, but for one reason or another, he kept it to himself. He was easy to read. Now that she knew what happened to his sister, she understood his forcefulness.

“You’ve never picked up on any of this with your gift?” Ali had to ask.

“No, I haven’t, and that’s okay with me. People like myself aren’t always psychically in tune with our own family members. I do have a mother’s intuition. I really don’t want to know my daughter’s future, at least not in the way I sense others’.”

Briefly, Ali wondered if Valentina had any kind of premonition of her parents’ death. She said they died in a fire, but never offered up any details. It had to be incredibly difficult to share the details. Fire had to be one of the most horrific ways to die.

“Have you ever had bad vibes about John? Any visions?” Kit questioned her. “Maybe some that alluded to your daughter?”

Val got up and tossed her empty soda can in a recycling bin beneath the cabinet. “Never. If I had, I would’ve acted on them. I should send her to Switzerland to finish high school. I spent my first year of high school there. It wasn’t so bad.”