“He is an evil man. I won’t allow him, or anyone related to him, inside the store. He’s rotten with young girls. The family has connections with the governor and the local police. Renée knows to stay away from him. He’s bad news.” Valentina’s face turned several shades of red. “He disgusts me.”
“I sensed bad vibes about him the moment I saw him. I didn’t know the beach was public. I hoofed down a path next to his house, and he followed me to my car. We had a few words, and then again later at the mango festival.”
“Which was a total bust this year,” Valentina concluded.
“Yeah, I thought so, though I’d never been before. I didn’t see a lot of mango anything, just a few boats anchored around that old bridge.”
Valentina shook her head side to side. “They have a boating club on the island. It was probably them, though they rarely converge at the bridge. Must’ve been there for the festival that wasn’t.”
Alison stood. “I appreciate the reading. I’ll just pay for my stuff, then get out of your hair.”
“Sure thing, though you’re not in my hair at all. It’s been nice meeting you. If you decide to stay on the island, don’t be a stranger. Come in for a soda or something. I get bored in the off-season.”
“I saw you’re reading the latest bestseller,” Alison commented, searching for something to say as she followed Valentina back to the front of the store. She’d never had a real friendship with another female.
“I read all the time. Matlacha Pass has a decent library, if you’re interested. They offer all sorts of activities. I’ve been thinking about taking their computer class. I’m not up to date in this technical world,” she said as she added up Alison’s items on an old-style adding machine. “Though as you can see, this old thing gets the job done.”
Alison gave her a twenty-dollar bill. “I understand. I only bought my first cell phone today. I had a quick lesson on how to use it at the store, but I’ve messed around with the computers a time or two.” She wouldn’t tell her she’d lived in Tampa and frequented the library when she needed to use their computer. Just in case she ever wanted another reading, she didn’t want Valentina to know this.
“I need to update to the twenty-first century, but I do have a cell phone, and Renée taught me how to send text messages.”
“She’s a great girl,” Alison said. “If I see her later, I’ll tell her I met you, and thanks for the reading.”
She went to the door to leave but stopped dead in her tracks when Valentina spoke.
“Buy the cottage. It’s the best deal you’ll find on the island.”
Chapter Four
A lison sat in the Jeep for a few minutes without cranking the engine. Valentina’s parting words had shocked her. Had she known about her visit to the beach house with Kimberly? Maybe, but she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure. Kimberly struck her as the kind who’d run her mouth about anything at the first opportunity, yet Valentina didn’t seem to be the kind of person who listened to gossip. Her gut told her this, and she listened, just as she’d been instructed to.
Sweating, she cranked the engine over, then switched the air-conditioning to the highest setting. It was humid, and she felt sticky. She couldn’t wait to get a shower and wash off the sand still clinging to her. She directed the Jeep back to the beach, parking in the public lot. It was after five. She needed to make a decision about the beach house, one way or another. Half of her craved stability, yet the other half didn’t want to give up her freedom, the ability to pick up and go anytime she felt the urge for new surroundings. Owning a home would tie her down, and buying the house would take a chunk out of her bank account. Wanting to see the house one more time, she locked the Jeep, taking her purse and cell phone with her.
The yellow cottage, though old and in need of a few basic repairs—at least that’s what Kimberly led her to believe—was what she’d always envisioned. Small, with a glorious view of the beach. She knew she’d be a fool to pass up this opportunity. The price was so below market value that it concerned her. Maybe the well was on the blink. Many of the homes she’d seen in Florida had wells and water softeners. She’d stayed in a few places without city water. It wasn’t a make-or-break issue for her. Valentina said she was making the right decision. Should she make a life-changing decision based on a psychic’s prediction? Was it even a prediction? Maybe it was just good advice coming from someone who’d spent her life on the island. Either way, she needed another look. She followed the path she’d taken with Kimberly, just a short jaunt from the parking lot.
The cottage was just as it was a couple hours ago. She circled the perimeter, saw the workings of the well. The aerator appeared to be in decent condition outwardly, but she wouldn’t know for sure until the utilities were on. Most of the larger homes were on pilings, but she saw the cottage had a decent foundation. Old, but sturdy, which was usually better, she thought as she continued her walk. Unsure how to access the house other than the way she came, she walked to the edge of the property that faced Dolphin Drive. A narrow gravel driveway, not much in the way of parking, but that could be fixed. Now she understood why Kimberly asked to meet in the beach’s parking lot. The turn from the main road was overgrown with vegetation; if you didn’t know there was a so-called driveway, you’d drive right past the place. That, too, would need work.
Still undecided, Alison returned to her car. She considered the pros and cons; both were justifiable. Good or bad, she decided for once in her life, she’d take the plunge, and if she regretted her decision later, then so be it.
She dialed Kimberly’s number.
“Diamond Realty; this is Kimberly.”
“I’ll take the cottage,” she said, as fast as she could, before she changed her mind.
“Well, I must say I wasn’t expecting you to buy the place, but now that you have, I’ll get the paperwork in order. Can you meet me at my office Monday, say around nine?”
“Yes,” Alison said. “I’ll need an address.”
“Of course.” She recited the address, and Alison wrote it down with the pen from Mel’s Diner. “Then it’s a deal. I’ll see you Monday. Don’t forget to bring a check,” she added, then hung up.
Alison wondered how much of a commission Kimberly would make. It couldn’t be too much, given the price of the place. This nagged her, but she wasn’t one to kick a gift horse in the mouth. Decision made, and excited at the prospect of making a forever home here on this quaint little island, she wanted to share her good news. Remembering Renée was staying on the beach until sunset, she would meet her and tell her about her new house, though a teenager probably didn’t care one way or the other about such things.
For the umpteenth time that day, she locked the Jeep, taking her purse with her phone and weapon with her. She wouldn’t take any chances with John or anyone else who might be a threat.
On the beach, she spied Renée lying on a towel, immersed in a book. Once again, she felt as though she were interrupting her.