The sound of footsteps running up the stairs jolted her back to the present. After there was a tap on the door, she hurried across the massive front room to let Kit inside. “Thanks for coming,” she said, standing aside as he entered.
Kit still wore the same clothes he’d had on earlier. The only difference was he now had a five-o’clock shadow. His windblown hair made him look as sexy as a male model in a magazine. Even sexier, if she were being honest, because he didn’t look too perfect. She realized that she liked that about him.
He glanced around at Valentina’s house but didn’t appear overly impressed. “Tell me everything you know,” he said.
“Have a seat.” She directed him to a barstool in the kitchen. She stood across from him, only a few steps away from the landline, should it ring. “There’s not much other than what I told you over the phone.” Ali repeated what she knew.
“Is there anything else that seemed off, at least in your mind?” Kit said when she was done.
“Yes, the fish.” She’d forgotten all about her ordeal with the smelly guts.
“You’ll have to explain that one in a little more detail,” he said, though he was smiling. His deep emerald eyes glistened, assuring her that he wasn’t being sarcastic or condescending.
“Valentina and I stopped at the store to pick up a few items for my place, mostly cleaning stuff. When we returned and went inside, there was a horrible odor coming from the kitchen. I saw the freezer door was open, saw a massive amount of fish guts there. Before I left, I made sure everything was locked, so someone had to figure a way to get inside, or they knew the code on the key box. The real estate agent was supposed to pick the box up today. She should’ve been there by now. I was supposed to be there waiting for the electric company, then Valentina couldn’t find Renée, and here I am.”
Kit shook his head as he took in what she said. “So you need someone at your house now?” he asked.
Sighing, Ali nodded. “I don’t care about the electricity, though I would like to get rid of that key box so I can at least lock my door with the key. We ran out so fast I didn’t have a chance to lock up.”
“What if I go and have a look around? I can wait for the power company and your real estate agent. Do you know what kind of fish was put in your freezer?”
“It was just guts; there were no actual fish. No heads. Just guts and scales. Maybe redfish, according to Valentina, though she wasn’t sure. Does it matter?”
“It might, though if you let me have a look, I’m pretty sure I can tell you what kind of fish it is. Was,” he added.
“Can’t do that. I cleaned the freezer out, took the mess to the beach, and dumped them in the water. A treat for some other fish, I suppose,” she said.
“Can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same. Do you know why anyone would do this? Did you piss anyone off?”
“You mean besides Tank, the idiot from the coffee shop? No, I’ve only been here a few days—and I’m starting to regret it, too.”
“He’s trouble, but I don’t believe he’d go to such lengths to piss you off. He seems to feel free to do so in public,” Kit said.
“I don’t care about that now. I just hope nothing has happened to Renée. She’s a remarkable young girl. Super sweet.”
Kit didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Ali was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“You said she went to the mall with her friend? I assume her mother tried to contact the friend’s parents?” Kit finally said.
“She did. Her daughter spent the night with her grandmother. Apparently, Renée left a note in her room, but she left her cell phone and purse behind. Valentina has a safety code they use in case of an emergency and said Renée always responds when she sends this code, which she didn’t receive, obviously, because her phone is in her room.”
“I’d like to see her room, but I could contaminate evidence. Though I’m sure you’re not na?ve where young girls are concerned. Who knows what’s actually going on with teenagers? Lots of strange stuff.”
Stunned at his statement, it made her wonder if he knew things about her that she’d kept secret since the night she’d graduated from high school. “I don’t have children. I know bad things can happen to girls and boys. Why would you suggest I’m ‘not na?ve’ on this particular issue?”
“You’re a young woman yourself. I would assume you know the dangers in this world. Most women do.”
Ali didn’t believe his statement was quite that simple, but now wasn’t the time to dig into what he did or didn’t know about her past. “Of course I know that. I’ve been on my own for a while now,” she said, not willing to elaborate further.
“I’ll go to your cottage and see what I can find. If you’ll give me the code to your key box, I’ll lock up.”
She used the same pad of paper Valentina had to write the code down, then gave him her keys. “If Kimberly the real estate agent shows, you’ll need these to lock up.”
“Of course. Call me if you have any news about your friend,” he said.
“I will,” Ali said, walking him to the door. “Thanks for doing this.”
He looked at her, his eyes searching hers. “It’s my pleasure, Alison.” He walked out to the deck. She watched him walk as far as she could see, then returned to her spot by the phone.
It was close to six, probably too late for the power company; too late for Kimberly, as well. It really didn’t matter now, she told herself. All that mattered was Renée and her safety. Debating whether to call Valentina to see if she had any news, she decided against it in case she had an incoming call. Patience was something she had an abundance of, but she felt restless, fearful. There was something about Renée that had touched a part of her that she’d never known existed—true, heartfelt emotions. If she felt this way about someone she barely knew, she couldn’t begin to imagine what Valentina was feeling right now. If she had children, she wouldn’t let them out of her sight. From experience, as Kit had intimated, she knew what could happen to young girls. Could she bring a child into the world knowing their future could be in constant jeopardy? Maybe she wasn’t cut out for the mom stuff, but she cared about Renée and her mother a lot. Was it because they were the first people she’d met that treated her kindly? They didn’t treat her like she was worthless. If they knew her past, would it change either of their opinions of her? She didn’t think so, because they were good people. So far.
And Kit? Besides being a reporter searching for his next big story, would he think less of her if he knew her past? It didn’t matter. At least not yet—maybe she’d tell him more once he solved his mystery. He’d return to Miami and forget he ever met her, unless she was truly a part of his investigation. Then he’d move on to the next big story. Her thoughts raced. She knew it was nervous energy, as she’d felt it many times before, after her many escapes from the broken homes she’d been forced to live in. She glanced at her cell phone to see if she’d missed a call. No one had actually called her number before, so she was clueless to the ringtone. She didn’t see a missed call.