Perversion

36

Ten days had passed, Rue counted them, and she had not foreseen the tables turning. Previously, Rue had been interrogated as a victim; now she and her family were being questioned as suspects.

They sat in silence after their interrogation. The body was yet to be identified; they didn't know whom it belonged to.

"I bet this has to do with your father," their mother spat.

"Don't say that. Maybe whoever put that body in our garden killed him," Zoey retorted, defending their father's name.

"He was an old drunk man with no penny to his name. No one would waste a sweat when nature was due to take its course," she replied with disdain.

"Mother!" Zoey shut her up, "That is not very kind," she added.

"You now sound like your sister," she glared at Rue.

"Dad made mistakes, but he also did a lot of things right. Let's not forget," Zoe was relentless in defending their father.

Rue was glad that Zoe was starting to change her perspective on some things.

"Oh, spare me. He was selfish and mean,"

"You mean he just didn't give you the life you fantasized about," Rue joined.

Sometimes Rue found her mother funny, if not irksome. She blamed her father for everything that went wrong in her life. Like she was born from royalty while she came from dirt poor. It was their father who came from money, and he spent his last penny pleasing her.

Rue stood, "Zoey," she called her baby sister, who had taken refuge at her apartment. "Excuse us, but we shall be on our way," she said.

Her mother just sized them up. Rue had learned never to take her mother's actions and words personally.

She made an order for their Uber. As they waited, she called Xana. Since Mr. Fox had disappeared, Xana was left to be her sister's guardian with the help of her aunt. And since their house was where she was living with her boyfriend, they barely saw each other often.

"Do you think he left the country?" Zoey asked.

Rue had thought of every possibility, and the worst that lingered was that maybe he was around watching, and he would strike. The thought made her hyper-cautious with her surroundings and when alone.

"He can't run forever," she replied as their Uber arrived.

The King residence was at the furthest point of the town. Their property faced the lake and could be seen from all angles of the small town. Rue admired the heaven money could buy.

"I bet this is the life Mother thought Dad would give her," she said to her sister, and they both laughed.

Her face fell with hesitation, filled by guilt on why they were here. Was it evil to rob her niece of these luxuries? If Ally stayed with the Kings, she was guaranteed a good life; money could lack but void of love or morals.

Rue looked over at her sister and knew similar thoughts were rushing through her mind.

She held her hand and squeezed it, an assurance that all would be well. She hoped.

"Ms. Zoey, glad to see you again," they were welcomed in.

"Me too, Martin," Zoey replied.

And before the two could hold a small talk, Mrs. King appeared, "This way, girls," she instructed.

Rue followed the woman, her eyes all over. She understood why her sister would run away to live here. It was like a palace, shiny and polished.

They were led to the garden, and as soon as they stepped outside, Rue spotted her niece in the company of a woman who was playing with her. Ally was yet to see both of them.

"Ally," Mrs. King called, and when the child turned, she dropped the teddy bear she had and ran towards them. "Mum, Rue." She shouted in joy.

Zoey met her daughter in an embrace. "Why did you leave me here? I want to go with you," she pouted.

"Ally, say hi to Mum and leave the grown-ups to talk," Mrs. King said. She seemed annoyed by Ally's behavior.

"No one is going to leave you again," Rue assured as Mrs. King cast her a deadly stare.

"Don't fill the child's head with unnecessary words," Mrs. King warned. "Matilda, take Ally to her room," she turned to the help.

Reluctantly, Zoey let go of her daughter and watched her till they disappeared inside the house. Mrs. Kings directed them to a Gazebo where a man dressed in suits sat.

The initial plan was that the Kings had called Rue's mother with a plan to settle their dispute outside the court. Unfortunately, her mother only asked for money, and they could keep Ally. But Rue wasn't ready to allow that.

"Girls, this is Michael, our family lawyer," she introduced.

"We are here for Ally, that's all," Rue said.

"Not until we have a legal agreement."

"She is my daughter, and I am her mother. I don't need a legal agreement to be with her," Zoey spoke, frustrated. "Where is Joe?" she asked, looking around.

"Sleeping," she casually answered.

"Sign this agreement. You will have enough money to secure your future and can see your daughter every once in a while," Mrs. King pushed the document towards Zoey, but Rue took it.

She skimmed over it. The amount of money they were paying Zoey to give up her daughter was enough to last a lifetime. However, Rue would never allow that. She had seen firsthand what happened to kids raised by parents with no moral compass. And she wasn't going to let her niece suffer the same fate. It ended with her.

"We are not going to sign any of this. Ally is coming with us," Rue demanded.

Mrs. King turned to her. "I forgot to ask Rue how you have been with everything. What happened to you and the other girls is quite unfortunate, and to think Mr. Fox was inviting us to his lake house. I couldn't imagine he was capable of that."

Rue heard everything she said, but only one part stuck out. Lake house.

"Can we do this tomorrow," Rue stood up. "I must be somewhere, urgently."