A Monster Among Us
So, this is an idea I've been floating for a while. This is going to be the most controversial story in the TWFAF universe. I've actually agonised over this idea, going between wanting to write it and not wanting to write it. And that's partly because of the bond people have formed with the original characters I've created for this universe. I don't like the idea of one of these characters turning dark or evil any more than the average reader would. But, I've decided to bite the bullet and go through with it. Because, ultimately, that's what real life is. People that we love and respect can be capable of doing heinous and terrible things.
Also, this story contains themes of rape and sexual abuse throughout. Consider this your trigger warning. If you're sensitive to these themes, I advise you not to read this story. However, if you're interested in reading a story about justice, trauma, heartbreak and courage, I hope I can put together a decent story for you.
If you've experience rape or sexual abuse, help is available.
USA: Rape Abuse and Incest National Network ( )
Canada: Rape Victims Support Network ( )
United Kingdom: Rape Crisis England And Wales ( .uk)
European Union: Victim Support Europe ( )
Australia: ReachOut ( .com)
New Zealand: HELP Auckland ( .nz)
Trigger Warning: References to rape and child sex abuse.
Chapter 1: The Investigation Begins
Detective Brian Pierson, from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Southern Regional Police Department based in the borough of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, was talking on a phone at his work station in the precinct. "Alright. Well, thanks for your help." He muttered, before hanging up. He was investigating an alleged armed robbery of a convenience store and assault on a patron committed by two perpetrators, and the getaway vehicle involved had become of significant interest to him. It was a gold Nissan Qashqai SUV, with Maryland plates. The vehicle belonged to a resident of Baltimore, who had reported it stolen two weeks ago. The means and the opportunity had been established – the perpetrators drove from Baltimore across the border into Pennsylvania, to New Freedom, and threatened the cashier, one armed with a Glock 45, the other with a hammer. When a shopper had tried to intervene, he was struck in the face with the hammer, fracturing his cheekbone. They had made off with cigarettes and $500 in cash.
What was confusing Detective Pierson, however, was the motive. Why travel almost 40 minutes across a state line to commit a robbery, when there were plenty of viable targets in Baltimore? Was it because the town was seen as a softer target compared to a big city with higher crime rates? Did they not want to risk angering one of Baltimore's many street gangs by targeting one of "their" places? Or was there no motive – that they just liked robbing and hurting people, and didn't care where they did it. He had just put a BOLO out on the vehicle in question, and all he could do was hope a member of the public spotted it.
"Excuse me?" Detective Pierson looked up to see a man with dark brown hair in his late fifties, accompanied by a lanky boy who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. "Is this where you report crimes against children?"
"The CID handles all major investigations, so yes." The detective confirmed. "I'm Detective Robert Pierson, and you are…?"
"Leonard Clarke. With an 'e'. And this is my son, Tyler." The father confirmed.
"And what exactly are you here to report?" Pierson inquired.
"Tyler was sexually assaulted at a summer camp here." Leonard declared, not wanting to beat around the bush.
"Dad! This is difficult enough as it is!" Tyler hissed, embarrassed at his father being so blunt in public.
"Perhaps your son would be more comfortable giving his statement in private." Pierson advised, fixing Leonard with a look. The older man, getting the message, nodded and mumbled an apology With that, Pierson stood up and led father and son down a nearby hallway, eventually arriving at a room marked "Interview 3". Entering the room, Leonard and Tyler took their seats on one side of the table, whilst Pierson set down his note pad and pen on the other side.
"I'll just go get you some water – you look like you might need it." Pierson offered, as he exited the interview room and took off up the hallway back to the main precinct area. Grabbing a paper cup, he poured a drink of water from a nearby water cooler before returning to the interview room and setting the cup down in front of Tyler. Taking his seat on the opposite side, Pierson began the interview.
"Okay, Tyler. I'm going to need you to ask you a few questions first. Was your assailant a man or a woman?" The detective questioned.
"A woman. She was a worker at the camp." Tyler answered.
"What was her name?" Pierson asked.
"She was introduced as "Miss Hawthorne", although she insisted we call her by her first name." Tyler explained.
"Which was…" The detective prompted.
"Renee." Came the answer. Pierson nodded as he scribbled the name "Renee Hawthorne" on his note pad.
"Could you describe Renee for me?" Pierson wondered.
"Blonde. Tall. Early twenties, maybe? She looked really athletic." Tyler described, to the best of his ability.
"Athletic how?" Pierson probed.
"She was really strong. Like, she lifted a boy in the air to demonstrate what she used to do as a cheerleader in high school." The teenager explained.
Pierson nodded as he noted down the details on his notepad. Then his voice turned serious. "Tyler, I need you to describe, in your own words, what Renee did to you."
Taking a sip of water, Tyler nodded. "It was about two years ago, at Sunlight Hill Camp."
"Tyler would have been 13 then." Leonard added, for extra context.
"She was so nice to start off with. She was encouraging us to get involved in activities, to go swimming, hiking, whatever. However, there was one moment where things changed." Tyler reflected.
"Which was?" Pierson probed.
"Renee was leading a group discussion about our biggest fears. Mine was that I would be left an orphan. My mum passed away when I was nine. Renee gave me a hug and said that I would never be alone at Sunlight Hill. But there was something different about the way she hugged me. The way she grabbed me just felt…weird. I saw her eyes wandering over my body." Tyler clarified.
"And how did Renee's behaviour towards you change after that?" Pierson wondered.
"She'd spend time with me whenever we weren't having group activities. She also asked me whenever I had a girlfriend and if I had sex. She said that, under the law, she was my guardian at camp and that this was normal stuff for kids my age to talk about with their parents and guardians." Tyler noted. Taking a deep breath, the dark-haired teenager looked Detective Pierson in the eye. "And then, the abuse started."
"Relax. Take your time." Detective Pierson encouraged.
"One night, she came to my cabin at about 1am. She said that my dad had a medical emergency and that she was going to drive me to Harrisburg to see him. However, once we started walking in the opposite direction from the car park, I knew she was lying. We wound up going to her cabin. She said that I was getting to the age when it was important to impress girls, and I couldn't do that without learning how to have sex. She said she was going to show me."
"Could you describe the cabin to me?" Pierson probed.
"Pretty basic. There was the bed, a writing desk to the left, and her bags and other stuff on the right. There was a painting of the sun shining above a mountain on one of the walls." The boy mused.
"Tyler, I know this is difficult, but I'm going to need you to provide as much detail as possible about what went on." The detective advised.
"She got me to strip naked and lie down on the bed. She got on top of me, put my penis in her hand and began to play with it. She told me that this was how boys got ready to have sex. Once she was done playing with it, she put my penis in her mouth and gave me oral sex." Tyler droned, almost as if he was trying to disassociate himself from the memory.
"Was that all?" Detective Pierson inquired.
"No. After the blowjob, she took off her clothes as well. She told me that I was going to repay the favour, and she got me to do oral sex on her. She taught me where to make her feel good, saying that this was important for life in high school." The teenager answered. "After that she took out a box of condoms and told me to put one on, and then she got me to put my penis inside her." Tyler noted.
"So, she got you to have vaginal intercourse with her." Detective Pierson clarified.
"That's right." Tyler confirmed.
"Did Renee have distinctive marks on her body, tattoos, a birthmark?" The detective pressed.
"Not that I saw." Came Tyler's reply.
"And was this the only sexual encounter you and Renee had?" Detective Pierson wondered.
"No. It continued throughout that camp and into next summer's camp. That was the point when I realised that what was going on was bad and wasn't normal." Tyler admitted.
"And what gave you that idea?" Detective Pierson's voice cut the air like a knife.
"One night, Renee woke me and I notice that she has this other boy with her. His name was…Fabian? Yeah, that's what she called him. Once we got to the cabin, she said that tonight's lesson was going to be a little different." At this, Tyler closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. "She said that since Fabian was gay, she couldn't help him with his training. But I could. It then dawned on me that she wanted Fabian and I to have sex."
"And how did you react to that idea?" Detective Pierson posted the question.
"Anger. For about two seconds, before Renee pulled a knife on us." Came the reply.
"Could you describe the knife?" Detective Pierson queried.
"It was a switchblade with a gold handle. Looked to be about six inches long." Tyler described. "Renee says that if we didn't do as we say, she was going to kill us, dump our bodies and make it look like a kidnapping. She said that tonight could have been fun, but we had ruined it, so now it had to be about punishment. She got us to strip naked. Then she took out her phone and took photos of us. Then she told me to give Fabian oral. She was pointing the phone at us while this was going on. I think…I think she was filming us. After that, she told Fabian to put his dick in my ass, or she would cut him." At this point, tears leaked out of Tyler's eyes. "So he did. And it hurt. But I don't blame him though. He must have been terrified. After she was finished with us, she told us that if we said anything, she would leak the video she had made to everyone we knew. That was the last time I saw her – the following day, we were told she had left camp due to an illness in her family."
"To the best of your memory, when did this abuse take place?" Detective Pierson prompted.
"Over the two camps? It started July 21, 2022 and ended July 25, 2023." Tyler nodded, confident he had got his dates right.
Nodding, Detective Pierson set down his note pad and pen. "Tyler, I just wanted to say you've been very brave today. I promise to do everything within my power to get justice for you and Fabian. If you remember anything else, here's my card." The officer then handed his card to Tyler, who was wiping his eyes with tissues from a nearby box. "If you remember anything, don't hesitate to call me."
As he saw Tyler and Leonard out of the station, the veteran detective couldn't help but feel sick inside. If Tyler's claims could be substantiated, there was a sexual predator operating in summer camps, with plenty of access to children. To compound difficulties, the alleged offender was a woman, a revelation that was likely to elicit just as much celebration as scorn, due to the ignorant double standards surrounding sexual assault. And to make matters worse, the last episode of offending seemed to signal a sharp escalation in the nature of the offending. Production of a deadly weapon and the apparent creation of child pornography meant that there was now an element of forceful compulsion entering into Renee Hawthorne's alleged offending, meaning she was quickly becoming comfortable with the idea of inflicting violence on her victims.
Most importantly, it was going to be difficult to gather any useful forensic evidence. The bed-sheets were likely to have been changed and washed multiple times since the alleged abuse had ended, meaning they could not pull hair or fluids that could be used in court. Also, Tyler and Fabian had probably bathed or showered multiple times since the alleged assault, meaning there would be no visible signs of sexual trauma on their bodies, and if Renee was smart, she would have disposed of the condoms after each encounter. This meant the police would be fighting with one hand tied behind their back.
She needed to be stopped. And time was of the essence.
…The scariest monsters are you and me…
Nicole Black, née Carrie White, was sitting in her apartment that she shared with one of her best friends, Renee Hawthorne. The blonde former cheerleader from Philadelphia had proven to be a key ally in helping her settle into college life once she had made the decision to leave her comfortable life with Tony Stark and set out to create her own identity and her own story. She was instrumental in helping her make the decision to legally change her name to Nicole Black – she wanted to be as distant from her old life in Maine as possible, and she didn't want to mooch off the Stark family name.
At that moment, Renee emerged from the shower dressed in blue jeans and a creamy white T-shirt. "So, what've you got today, Nic?"
"Teaching History and English to a bunch of sophomores." Nicole retorted, as she finished up typing her lesson notes. The young Catholic woman, her newly dyed black hair styled in a neat bun befitting of the aspiring professional she was, was pursuing her Master Of Arts in Teaching at NYU's Steinhart School Of Culture, Education and Human Development. A key part of this degree was putting her teaching strategies into action in the field. She would spend two semesters of this degree teaching at different partner schools in the New York area. Today, she would be teaching at Freedom High School in the Bronx, a school with a largely Black and Hispanic population. It was a far cry for Nicole's former classes at Ewen High School, and seeing how chronic underfunding affected School communities was a real eye-opener. However, through an engaging and empowering teaching style, Nicole had managed to develop a respectful rapport with the students of Freedom High.
"Ugh. Lucky you. All I have is research for my Psych paper." Renee grumbled, good-naturedly.
"Yeah, trying to corral a classroom full of unruly adolescents is way easier than mere research." Nicole quipped, sarcastically. "Try giving constructive feedback to some 90 odd pupils per week and see how that works out for you."
"Whatever. Catch you tonight, Nicole." Renee waved as she stepped out the door.
"Later, Ray-Ray." Nicole reciprocated, as she continued to review her lesson plan..
Freedom High School
Jennings Street, Longwood, The Bronx
"Who can tell me why the Kennedy Administration was known as Camelot?" Nicole asked her 10th grade history class. "Anyone?" Her eyes scanned the classroom which seated about 20 pupils, eventually settling on a pigtailed Latina wearing a black T-shirt. "Rose?" She inquired, in a hopeful tone.
"Hmm? Sorry, Miss Black. Just scratching my ear." Rose apologised, sheepishly.
"Anybody else? Henry! Do you have an answer?" Nicole prompted.
"Wasn't it more an image of how Jackie Kennedy thought JFK saw himself and the world? About how he was like King Arthur, fighting the good fight or whatever?" Henry, a Black student who was the starting centre for Freedom High's JV basketball team, posited.
"That is actually a very good answer." Nicole praised, happy that the athlete was showing more participation in class discussions. "When you think of the myth of King Arthur, you think of purity, chivalry and courage. Likewise, the Kennedy Administration was seen as a time of hope and optimism, especially in relation to civil rights and the space programme. With that being said, Jackie Kennedy was nothing if not a political animal, and she almost certainly wanted the American public to have a lasting positive image of him after his assassination. However, his critics say that the whole "Camelot" metaphor was a smokescreen to distract from failures on the foreign policy front."
"Like the Hunter Biden laptop?" Bruno, an Italian-American boy dressed in a New York Jets jersey, joked.
"You said that, not me." Nicole laughed. This was her favourite part of being a student teacher – watching her students develop the confidence to assert themselves and share their opinions. Just then, the bell rang to signal the end of class. "Alright! Remember what you learned today – there will be a quiz on Kennedy's presidency on Wednesday. Rose, could you stay back for a moment, please?" Nicole asked the Latina she had called on earlier.
"Oooh! You're in trouble!" Graciela, Rose's BFF, laughed as she packed up her things. As the classroom emptied out, Nicole pulled out a chair from a nearby desk and placed it near Rose's desk. Pupils would be more receptive to her if she talked to them on their level, she had reasoned. "How are you, Rose? Is everything okay at home?" Nicole asked, in a concerned tone.
"Of course they are. Why wouldn't they be?" Rose replied, dismissively.
"It's just, you're smart, you're engaged, and you just seem…different over the last couple of weeks. Your grades are slipping, you're not getting involved in discussions…it just makes me think there's something wrong." Nicole answered, honestly.
"I guess peace doesn't speak to me like war does, Miss Black." Rose answered, honestly.
"In any case, I just want to let you know that I'm a safe person to talk to if you have any difficult things to talk about, and so is every other teacher here. We want to help you, Rose – never forget that." Nicole pointed out.
"Whatever. Can I go now?" Rose rudely declared, getting up from her desk and slinging her backpack over her right shoulder before walking out of the room. Nicole just sat there and shook her head sadly, before returning to her desk to get ready for her next class. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink, and you can't force someone to tell you about their problems. Nicole just hoped that Rose could find it within herself to trust her.
During the lunch break, Nicole found herself engaged in conversation with Jennifer Abrams, Freedom High's head of the Art Department. "I'm worried about Rosaría Volquez." Nicole announced to her colleague.
"In what way?" Jennifer questioned, as she ate a salad.
"She's distracted in class, there's been a sudden and sharp decline in the quality of her work, she's moody and withdrawn – I just think something might be going on with her." Nicole confided.
"Well, it's like I always say – the best students do their best work when it matters. Do you have any major tests coming up?" Jennifer wondered.
"One on the Kennedy Administration this week, and another one on Vietnam in two weeks." Nicole confirmed.
"Well, monitor her work over that period and if it's still suffering, maybe then would be the time for greater intervention." Jennifer advised.
"Yeah, you're right." Nicole conceded. "So, what've you got this afternoon?"
"Clay sculptures with the seniors. You?" Jennifer wondered.
"12th grade maths – calculus and trig." Nicole sighed in dread. "Joy to the world. You know something, Jennifer? I envy you being a specialist. If my degree didn't mandate that I teach maths during this semester, I wouldn't touch it. God, I can't fucking wait until I graduate, get my qualifications and I'm able to pick my subjects. History, English, religious studies and maybe a language like Spanish or French. Those are the subjects I would most like to teach."
"Sounds like you've got everything planned. Hope you know what you're doing." Jennifer chuckled.
"Oh, trust me. I'm going places. Nothing's going to slow me down, touch wood." Nicole laughed.
"I'd be careful, you know, Nicole. It's always when you least expect it that a challenge occurs." Jennifer cautioned the young student teacher.
…The scariest monsters are you and me…
House of Fabian Ainslie
Fulton Township, PA
Detective Pierson walked up to the door of the Ainslie family's pine wood three bedroom timber frame house in Fulton Township in nearby Lancaster County. He had obtained Fabian Ainslie's name and address from the staff at Sunlight Hill Camp. It was apparent to detective that people were quite happy to assist in an investigation when faced with the words "sexual abuse" being used in connection to their place of business. Given that the alleged offending in this case was more than one year old, DNA evidence would practically be non-existent. This meant that Detective Pierson would need to make sure that Fabian corroborated Tyler's statement, because that would mean that both victims would be in agreement on the circumstances of the case and presenting a United front.
He raised his fist and knocked three times on the door. A sandy-haired man, who he assumed was Fabian's father, answered the door. "Can I help you?" The man asked, politely.
"Good day, sir. I'm Detective Brian Pierson from Southern Regional Police out of New Freedom. Is Fabian around?" The officer introduced himself and flashed his badge.
"Yes, he's in his room. But aren't you a little outside of your jurisdiction?" Mr. Ainslie replied, non-plussed.
"If you could just bring Fabian down, I'll explain everything." The detective stated.
Sighing in annoyance, Mr. Ainslie called up the stairs that lay near the kitchen. "Fabian! There's somebody here to talk to you!" He called out.
A few moments later, a teenage boy in a navy-blue shirt bearing the name of what Pierson figured was his school – Bob Casey High School - and white shorts, descended the staircase. "Yes, Dad?" He asked, visibly annoyed at being called out of his bedroom. "Who's he?" He asked, referring to the detective.
"Son, this man's a police officer." Mr. Ainslie explained.
"Hey, I told you, it was Jimmy Sykes and his band of merry assholes who broke Principal Hopkins' window." Fabian defended, throwing his hands up.
"This isn't about that. And I don't have the jurisdiction to bust you for that anyway, even if you did do it. You're not in trouble with me. But I would like to talk to you. Do you mind if we sit down?" Detective Pierson invited.
Nodding anxiously, Fabian wandered over to the couch and sat down next to his father. Detective Pierson sat down opposite them on a reclining chair. "Well, first of all, Fabian, I'm Detective Pierson from the Southern Regional Police out of New Freedom, but you can call me Brian if it makes you more comfortable." Turning to his father, he continued: "Now, Mr. Ainslie, you sent Fabian to a camp at the Sunlight Hill camp and retreat centre in New Freedom last July, isn't that right?"
"That's right." Confirmed the father.
"Well, there's been an allegation made against one of the volunteers that worked there during that particular camp. The complainant, who was a camper like you, alleges he was sexually abused by a female volunteer and claims you were present during an episode of offending." The detective's voice took on a serious note. "Mr. Ainslie, there's no easy way to talk about this. The complainant claims that this volunteer sexually extorted both him and Fabian."
"What? Sexual extortion…I…what do you mean?" Mr. Ainslie asked, confused.
"Specifically, he claims that this volunteer coerced the boys into performing sexual acts on one another by threatening them with bodily harm." The detective clarified.
"Is this true, son?" Mr. Ainslie asked. Fabian, however, was shaking his head back and forth and breathing heavily. "Fabian? Are you okay?" His father repeated.
"This is not how I wanted it to come out." Fabian muttered, shaking his head.
"Wanted what to come out?" Mr. Ainslie queried.
"Being gay! Alright? Being gay! You wouldn't understand, what with your ultra-macho Republican upbringing. Renee was the first person to ever care about how I felt being gay! I trusted her! And it's because I trusted her that this whole mess happened!" Fabian exploded in a burst of pent up anger.
"Wait…who's Renee?" Mr. Ainslie questioned.
"The alleged perpetrator." Detective Pierson confirmed.
After taking several deep breaths, Fabian continued: "So, yeah. It happened. And I'l tell you everything. Get your pen and paper ready – this is a real fucked up story."
As Detective Pierson listened and wrote, Fabian began his story. "Renee was really nice and welcoming to everyone. But she was especially nice to those who had lost a parent or who came from broken homes. She would always say that if we didn't have a mother in our lives for any reason, she could be a sophomore mother for us here at camp, because by law she was responsible for our guardianship. She said that she cared about those from single parent households because she had come from a single-parent . One day, I decided to thank her for that speech, seeing as I don't have a mum in the picture, what with the divorce and everything. She said that I was sweet for saying so, and we should catch up. So we did. She said she lived in New York City and was friends with Carrie Stark. You know, Tony's adopted daughter and one-time Avenger? Though I hear she goes by Nicole Black now…" Seeing the blank faces of the detective and his father, he grumbled: "Sue me for living up to one stereotype – obsession with gossip."
"Perhaps if you stuck to the story." Detective Pierson suggested.
"So, the point being, she told me about her life, and I told her about my life. About the divorce and things like that. It seemed harmless enough. Then one day, Renee asked me if I had a girlfriend. I said no. She then asked me "Are you gay, then? It's okay if you are. Two of my best friends are gay." I was surprised. This part of the state's redder than an inflamed haemorrhoid, and this was the first time I ever heard someone speak positively about being gay. I actually felt safe coming out to her." Fabian shook his head and led out a mirthful chuckle. "That didn't last long, though."
"I know this next bits going to be difficult, so take your time." Detective Pierson advised.
"One night, she said that she would teach me some tips for trying to attract a boy's attention and that she would come get me during the night. It was July 25, 2023, and when she woke me up, I noticed she had another boy with her. I was confused about what was going on, so Renee said she would explain once we got to her cabin. When we got there, Renee said she couldn't help me with my training, but Tyler – the other boy – could. It then clicked – the training she was talking about was sexual training. I then realised Renee had been grooming me, and probably Tyler as well." Fabian explained.
"How did that make you feel?" The detective wondered.
"Used. Dirty. Like, she saw me as something she could gain pleasure from." Fabian muttered, in a furtive manner. "Then to make matters worse, she pulled a knife on us when Tyler tried to object."
"Could you describe the knife." Pierson requested.
"About five or six inches with a gold handle. Anyway, she pushed me against the wall of the cabin and put the knife to my neck. She said that if we didn't do as she said, she was going to kill both Tyler and I, and make it look like a kidnapping gone wrong. Of course, I agreed to do what she wanted – I was afraid for my life!" Fabian replied.
"Describe, in your own words, what happened after that." Detective Pierson queried.
"Renee said that tonight could've been fun for both of us, but we had ruined it with our complaining. So, tonight had to be about punishment instead. She then picked up her phone and said that she wanted to keep this a secret, but what she was doing was all our fault. She told us to get naked, which we did. She then said "Smile for the camera!" and proceeded to take pictures. She then told us that we were going to make a little movie – "Keystone Queers". And told Tyler to suck me off or she would cut him. She was making child porn of us. God, it was sick. It was like a completely different person was standing there compared to the person I had come to know. Then she told me to do anal with Tyler, or she would cut me. So I did. I didn't want to. I had no choice. She was also making all these degrading, homophobic remarks as well. Stuff like "You can't un-suck a dick, faggot", "Fuck him like you're fucking one of those thinks you Jack off to" "if only your dads could see you now. You two fags belong to me."
At this last statement, Mr. Ainslie, who had not spoken prior to this, slammed his hands down on the coffee table in anger, startling both Fabian and the detective. Realising what he had done, he became sheepish. "I'm sorry, son. Please continue." He muttered.
"After everything had, you know, finished. Renee said that she would leak the video if we ever told anyone. Then we'd be kicked out of our homes and have to sell ourselves for a place to sleep. She said that based on what she had seen tonight, that shouldn't be a problem. Then we put our clothes back on and headed back to our cabins. That was the last time I saw her – later that day, I learned that she had left the camp due to a personal situation with her family and wouldn't be back."
"Any other details you remember? Can you think of any place you or Tyler or Renee touched during this crime?" Detective Pierson pressed.
"It was a pretty basic room. Bed, desk and that was pretty much it. There was a picture of a hill on the wall. Also, Renee had two bags with her – a black backpack and a long green bag. I guess that's where she kept her clothes and things." Fabian described.
Detective Pierson nodded as he jotted down the information on his notepad. Fabian's statement had definitely drawn a more detailed picture of this crime than Tyler had provided,. This was the first he had heard of an a non-sexual threat with the knife. More importantly, the reported language used by Renee seemed to point towards a potential case of ethnic intimidation, as the law called it. It seemed that Miss Hawthorne had done her research – the threat to "out" someone in a conservative area like Lancaster and York Counties certainly displayed a certain malice towards Fabian as a gay person. Of course, Fabian's revelations posed a new problem for Tyler – he had made no mention of Renee holding Fabian at knifepoint, the alleged homophobic language or the bags on the floor. Those were called "inconsistencies", and an experienced lawyer could drive a truck through the gaps if the case ever saw the inside of a courtroom. That would need addressing. But that would be for another day.
"That was a very detailed statement, Fabian. I'm starting to get a clearer picture of what went on. Tyler didn't mention you being pushed against the wall or any homophobic elements to the abuse." Pierson noted.
"Maybe Tyler wanted to forget. But I wanted to remember. I wanted to remember the betrayal of someone whom I trusted with my worries about coming out to my dad." Fabian fumed.
"First of all, Fabian, you are my wonderful son. Gay, straight, unicorn – it doesn't matter. Not after what you told me today. I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel unwelcome or unloved. I just want to hug you now. Will you let me do that?" Mr. Ainslie asked, gently.
He was met with a pair of arms around his shoulders as Fabian dissolved into tears, the weight of months of repressing the memory of his traumatic event. As Fabian wept in his father's arms, Detective Pierson lowered his gaze and turned away from the scene. These were the cases he hated working the most. Corpses couldn't speak, and injuries caused by physical assaults could be treated far more easily. Robberies were a matter of simple greed. But this? Sexual abuse and blackmail? This is the sort of crime that leaves it's dreaded mark well beyond the moment. Inside, the detective found himself wrestling with his simmering hatred for Renee Hawthorne and his determination to see justice done for these two boys, by the book. His train of thought was interrupted by the voice of Mr. Ainslie.
"Detective."
Detective Pierson looked up to find Mr. Ainslie looking him square in the eye.
"I want you to arrest that bitch and put her in prison where she belongs." Mr. Ainslie growled.
"Right now, the best way to make that happen is for you to give permission for us to take fingerprints and a DNA sample from Fabian. Given the time that's passed between the assault and the initial report, a rape kit would be useless, and the only way to get the DA's office to look twice at this is if we can somehow put the two boys and Renee together in that cabin. We're going to give that cabin a full forensic examination, and we need Fabian's prints and DNA to compare and see if we can get a match. Of course, not today, but we'd like to get that done soon as possible." Detective Pierson advised. He was a veteran of many police investigations, and he knew exactly what sort of evidence the District Attorney would like to have on his side.
"Sure. But, what's the thought behind this?" Mr. Ainslie inquired.
"If we can get a DNA match to Tyler and Fabian, I believe we can get a search warrant for Renee's devices for the video, as well as the knife that she showed." Detective Pierson explained.
"Okay. When are you going to question her?" Mr. Ainslie wondered.
"Ideally, when we have some more concrete evidence. If we go after her now and she lawyers up, or worse, she figures out we're suspecting her, she might ditch her devices and the knife. That would severely weaken our hand." The detective pointed out.
"Right. So, Friday afternoon's good for me." Mr. Ainslie nodded, giving his consent to the police to take a DNA sample.
"Well, see you then. Take care of your son, Mr. Ainslie." Detective Pierson farewelled.
"It's Jeremy. I think you've earned first name honours now." Mr. Ainslie nodded in respect.
…The scariest monsters are you and the…
"Police in Pennsylvania are beefing up their investigation into an alleged case of sex crimes against children at a summer camp. The Southern Regional Police in York County have confirmed that they are investigating alleged abuse by a volunteer who worked at the Sunlight Hill Camp And Retreat Centre in New Freedom during the summers of 2022 and 2023. Authorities say the investigation centres on the claims of two boys who allege that a female volunteer groomed them and coerced them to perform sex acts with her and on each other."
"Horrible." Nicole muttered, as she sat next to Renee watching the bulletin. "What has this world come to?"
"I know. A woman doing this? It's usually the men you have to watch with this sort of thing." Renee agreed.
"I mean, what going on with us, as a species? How have we fallen so low? Have we become so morally depraved that we've forgotten our primary and natural instinct – to care for and defend the innocent?" Nicole questioned as she shook her head. This latest news, her concerns about Rose and her own issues with abuse had combined to leave her feeling confused and disheartened.
"Okay. Enough with this. If you go projecting your own fears and trauma onto everything, you won't get far in life. There aren't pedophiles on every street corner, okay? Just relax. Everything will be okay." Renee encouraged, as she she started to stream a baseball game on her tablet..
"This is serious, Renee? Isn't this the camp you worked at? Aren't you worried about being questioned? I mean, they did say they were looking for a female suspect." Nicole wondered.
"Do you know how many people work at that camp any given summer? Don't worry about it."Renee told Nicole, as she focused in on the game. The brunette let out a sound of annoyance before taking the tablet out of Renee's hands. "HEY! I was watching that!" The blonde objected, angrily.
"Why are you so cavalier about this?" Nicole demanded. She had long considered Renee, and all her friends, to be a blessing from God himself after her horrible childhood and adolescence. This discussion, however, was quickly devolving into the first real conflict she had had with any friend. "I mean, you were raped as a child. Doesn't the thought of such a thing happening at your workplace make you sick?"
This made Renee even angrier. "Oh, so you're calling me a child molester now?" She sniped through gritted teeth.
"That's not what I said." Nicole replied, shocked at Renee's words.
"Well, it was where you were going. "Oh, Renee doesn't project her shitty childhood trauma onto everything like I do, so she must be a sexual predator." That's what you're thinking. Admit It!" Renee accused.
"It's not! Look, Renee, I'm sorry I bought this up. I wasn't accusing you of anything. I just hoped, given what you've been through, you would've shown more empathy for the children involved. That person took their innocence – a really precious thing - and scarred them forever. I just hoped you would take a moment to think about how they felt." Nicole reasoned.
Renee then proceeded to shut her eyes, as if deep in thought. A few moments later, her lips began to tremble as tears oozed out of eyes and began to stream down her face. Nicole sighed and shook her head, sadly. Just like her, Renee had been ensnared in the terrible grip of abuse – she had been raped multiple times by one of her mother's former boyfriends. Nicole never liked to bring this topic up, but it was important to her that Renee understand the seriousness of the situation. She knew she would not have wanted someone to downplay her own traumatic experiences.
"I'm sorry…" Nicole began, only to be cut off by Renee.
"Forget it. It's done. Just like what happened at that camp. You can't undo everything. You can't save everyone. All you can do is try and be there for the next person that needs you." She sniffled.
"Are you okay? Here, here's your tablet to watch the game." Nicole offered.
"Forget it. I'm not in the mood." Renee mumbled as she grabbed the device. "Maybe a good night's sleep will have me feeling better. It'll give you some space to mark out those papers as well."
"That's a good point. You go ahead and do that, and I'll see you in the morning, Renee." Nicole replied.
Later that night, while Renee slept unsoundly in her bed, Nicole focused her energies on marking her 11th grade English class essays on Plath's The Bell Jar. However, an unsettling thought had nestled itself into her brain. Specifically, it was about Renee's reaction to her suggestion that she had been cavalier towards this alleged case of child sex abuse. Renee had seemed to believe she was being accused of being the perpetrator. If Nicole herself was being accused of such a grievous crime, the first thing she would've done is issued a vocal, unambiguous denial.
She had heard many things from Renee, but she didn't hear a denial.
And that fact caused a knot to grow in her stomach.
…The scariest monsters are you and me…
Next chapter: The Southern Regional Police continue to gather forensic evidence. However, a surprise witness threatens to blow the case open. Nicole shares her suspicions about Renee with a close friend.