“I’m good,” Ali said. “Kit?” She motioned toward the fridge.
“Nothing for me,” he said.
“Renée is fine. At least, I hope she is.” Valentina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand, looking down. “I thought we had a close relationship. I thought she told me everything, at least things a mother needs to know. Apparently, I’ve been blindsided by her the past few months.”
Ali and Kit waited for her to continue explaining what had become of her daughter.
“This is so unreal, it’s hard for me to speak about it.”
“Then don’t,” Ali suggested. “If Renée isn’t in any danger, you don’t need to explain anything. Right?” She turned to Kit.
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Actually, I think she should.”
Valentina nodded. She took an unused napkin left on the bar, wiping the fresh tears from her face. “It’s embarrassing. Moms should know stuff about their kid, right?”
“Not always,” Kit told her. “Is she with someone you don’t like?”
She looked at him. “Yes. Someone I despise.”
“All girls date at least one guy their parents don’t like,” Ali said. Though she’d never personally experienced it, she’d spent a lot of time reading young-adult novels in her youth, and many shared this theme.
“It’s that son of a bitch who’s old enough to be her father!” Valentina blurted out, another round of tears streaming down her face.
“Who?” Ali asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach.
“John Wilson, the island idiot,” Valentina answered.
Neither Ali nor Kit spoke for a few seconds. Finally, Ali managed to say, “But she hates him. She told us that at lunch, remember? Maybe you’re mistaken?”
“No, I’m positive. She’s with him now. The story about going to the mall with Danielle was a lie. I had to practically threaten Danielle’s life to drag the truth from her, but she broke down. She told me and Beth how Renée and John have been friendly for a while. Said they were more than friends.” She shook her head. “Can you believe that? She’s barely sixteen, and he’s in his thirties! Yet, there’s more to this. Danielle was afraid of something; I sensed that. I don’t know if she was threatened as well.”
“You can bring charges against him,” Kit said. “He’ll go to prison for a very long time. There are laws to protect young girls from predators like him.”
“If she’s having a consensual relationship with the piece of garbage, how can I do anything? She’ll never forgive me,” Valentina said, more tears running down her face.
“You don’t need her approval to file charges against him. Renée is underage, and in your care. I wouldn’t worry about what she thinks. You’re the mom, and as long as she’s in your care, you’re responsible for her.” Kit spoke confidently, and Ali guessed he’d had experience in this area, dealing with his missing sister. Maybe he’d written a story on the topic. Either way, he was right.
“I trusted her. I’ve always warned her about guys. She knows about her father. He was much older than I was. I’d lost my parents, had a fortune at my disposal. Andre was a friend my family met in Paris long before I came along. He didn’t care about me. He just wanted my money. He took advantage of me. He was supposed to be my guardian. I got pregnant, just turned eighteen, and things got out of hand. Then, boom, he insisted we marry. The rest isn’t hard to figure out,” she said, blotting her eyes. “I didn’t instill enough in Renée. I’ve tried to protect her from men like her father. I thought she knew John Wilson is a lowlife scumbag.”
Kit looked at Ali. Maybe she needed to step in, add a female point of view. “He took advantage of her age and her na?veté, Val,” she said. “You’ve sheltered her, and that’s good. It doesn’t take much to turn a young girl’s head. Pretty words, offering them undying love . . . all that garbage guys say to have their way with girls. It’s no wonder she was . . .” She wanted to use the word “seduced,” but didn’t know if their relationship had gone that far. She prayed it hadn’t. “Impressed. He’s older, and he’s really not bad-looking, if you can get past the grunge.”
Val gave a half-hearted smile. “Apparently he cleaned up for my daughter, because she’s a fanatic about cleanliness.”
“None of that matters now. What does matter is we need to find her, bring her home, and do as Kit suggested. Renée will thank you for this when she’s older and more mature.”
“According to Danielle, they’re in Orlando at one of the theme parks. That’s why she didn’t take her phone. I have an app that allows me to see where she goes, but if she doesn’t have her phone with her, it’s useless.”
“Look, let’s contact the Orlando police. They’re not idiots like those that just left. Do you know what kind of car they’re in?” Kit asked her.
“He’s got several cars. Or rather, his family does. Danielle didn’t know for sure, but I asked her.”
“Did she happen to tell you what Renée is wearing? Any plans about where they might spend the night?” Kit took a deep breath. “I know this is hard to hear, but if it helps, we need to know.”
“I have no clue what she wore today. She left me a typewritten note, which still doesn’t make any sense to me. Maybe she wanted me to think she’d been taken or forced. Who knows? When she returned, she wouldn’t need an explanation, because she’d know I would be so relieved that she was home safe. Danielle said she’d offered to cover for her if she didn’t make it home tonight, and I’m sure she wasn’t telling me the complete truth. Danielle was frightened. Not in the way she normally would be if she were covering for Renée,” Val said.
“All the more reason to call the police,” Ali said. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me to. Kit, do have a contact in Orlando? Maybe?” she asked hopefully.
“I do, but he’s not a police officer. I’ll call my friend at the Orlando Sentinel. He’s an investigative reporter with access to all the data most police departments have. Let me make the call.” He walked out to the deck, closing the door behind him.
Ali sat on the stool next to her friend. “I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but think of it like this—she’s alive. She may be ticked off big time when she finds out you know her secret, but it’s not the end of the world.”
Valentina shook her head. “I know, but I feel like I’ve failed her. Since she was old enough to know, I’ve told her about boys, men, and how they can influence girls, especially at her age. She knew about her dad, and thank goodness he was out of the picture shortly after Renée was born. He passed away when she was a baby, but I was glad. I knew what he would do once he saw his daughter. It’s always been just the two of us. I thought we shared everything. Boy, was I ever wrong.” Elbows on the bar, she cupped her chin in both hands, a fresh batch of tears rolling down her face, splattering on the counter.