In The Shadows (13 page)

 Chapter Twenty-Six

As Brandon checked out of his room, he called Katy to say good-bye. He and his mom had discussed Katy coming to visit while she recovered from her stroke. Katy was excited about the idea of going to Alabama for a few weeks. Not once during their time together did they speak of his father.

Brandon’s flight was scheduled for 8:30 p.m., and he had just gotten on the highway back. Just as he considered his trip back, sadness crept over him as he thought about leaving his mother and sister he’d not seen in over ten years. His mother had promised to send Katy in a few weeks, and that eased the pain of leaving them, but Brandon wasn’t sure when he’d see his mother again. Thinking back to the scores of photos they took, he was at least glad now he would have photos to remind him of their visit.

Brandon hadn’t heard from his father that day nor had Naomi called him back. He would be arriving in Columbus in less than an hour. He wondered if he should try to call her.

As soon as Brandon hung up with Tonya, he knew he had to get back home, and soon. Brandon had developed a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t tell Tonya the man she described as Andrea’s love interest at one time sounded a lot like his cousin. There had to be some mistake, and Brandon had to figure out what was going on and find out how to clear his cousin’s name. He knew Tonya wouldn’t discuss what she’d found out with anyone, but he asked her to be discreet anyway, and she agreed without incident.

While deep in thought, Brandon’s phone rang. He smiled when he saw the local number flash on the caller ID. “Naomi, how are you? What can I do for you?”

Laughing at first, the teenager responded, “Hi, Mr. Masterson. I’m fine.” After a brief silence, she continued, “I was thinking about what you said yesterday and wanted to do whatever I could to help you find my sister.”

The words echoed over and over again in Brandon’s ears through the silence on the phone. When he heard Naomi say
yesterday
, he immediately thought yesterday seemed like a world away as he tried to focus on the conversation at hand. He had indeed had two busy and full days in Ohio.

“Okay, Naomi, would you like for me to stop by or—” he said before she interrupted.

“Well, I am on my way to the local Books-A-Million not far from our house. Can you come there? I don’t want my family to become suspicious.”

Brandon exited at the next opportunity to travel back to Naomi’s exit. He still had four hours before his flight departed, which should give him plenty of time to speak with Naomi. He felt whatever she had to say would be the break he needed.

As he walked into the huge bookstore, he watched all the teens milling about making conversation. He decided to visit the coffee shop for a nice hot cup of coffee.
Fall
in
Ohio
is
certainly
different
from
fall
in
Alabama
, Brandon thought as he welcomed the warm beverage on his throat.

It had been a while since he’d been to any bookstore, but now as he took in the whole scene, he would definitely be visiting the one back home soon. Brandon loved to read and was an avid reader growing up. Now that he was working and going to school, he didn’t have much time on his hands to read for enjoyment anymore.

Finally he saw Naomi being dropped off at the front entrance, and he immediately stood so she wouldn’t miss him. She noticed him right away and quickly walked over to greet him. They sat and talked for half an hour before Brandon emerged with the needed information.

* * *

As Brandon tried to relax on the plane ride home, he thought back to Naomi’s confirmation that Andrea continued to see a married man even after she was warned by her cousins in Alabama. Naomi told him that Andrea dated a couple of guys from the Tuscaloosa area, but this guy stood out the most. She remembered watching her sister’s face light up when she talked to him on the phone after she got over being mad at him.

At first Brandon felt that what he was hearing was simply coincidence, but now after hearing Naomi call Carlos by his name, he had no reason to doubt the validity of the story.

* * *

Later as Brandon went about his busy day, he remembered his phone alerting him to a text message waiting for him. When he got out of the shower, he realized it was from Naomi. It read, “Mr. Masterson, I almost forgot, Andrea and Carlos’s favorite song was ‘Closer’ by Neyo.”

Brandon fell to the bed in shock now as he remembered Carlos’s reaction to hearing that song the last time they were together. He’d not spoken with Tonya yet, but he knew that the story she and Naomi told were very similar.

Not wanting to believe the worst, Brandon decided to give Carlos a call to see when he was coming back to Tuscaloosa. Before Brandon could reach his phone, there was a knock at the door.

* * *

Tonya had enjoyed her time with her family in Tuscaloosa and looked forward to her next visit. But on Sunday night, as she drove back to the campus, something was amiss. Tonya had begun to feel this incredible, unexplainable void. This bothered her because she was happy and had had an exciting weekend.

There was only one thing that was missing, and that was Brandon. Tonya instantly knew that missing Brandon was responsible for the odd feeling she was experiencing. She now knew why she wasn’t ready to go back to the university. It was getting late, but her classes started late on Monday, which were scheduled intentionally. She hadn’t heard from Brandon and wasn’t sure if he’d made it in, but her heart ached for him. Heading away from campus less than twenty minutes later on the highway, Tonya found herself knocking on his door.

* * *

As Danielle tried to come to terms with what was going on with her, she felt helpless as she found herself a prisoner trapped in her own body. As much as Danielle tried to open her eyes, the more she realized how much she missed her family and friends. From what she could hear, she was obviously in a coma and had been for a while.

Her heart softened as her young brother sat near her, reading poetry. Although Danielle couldn’t open her eyes, she could envision what everyone looked like. She was overjoyed to know her friends still remembered her and cared enough about her to take time out of their weekend to come visit her. Danielle heard the worry in her mom’s voice as she spoke to her and relayed messages to her from her father. She could hear the strength returning in her voice as the days went on. Danielle longed to reach out and embrace her, but she had no control over her body.

* * *

Joey had been doing so well at his part-time job that his father thought he could get him a job doing janitorial work at the hospital in his off-time. He knew his son was bored and thought a second job would help fill his restless days.

It was in the following week that Joey started emptying the trash cans at the hospital. He was allowed to go anywhere there was a trash can, when the patients were out of their rooms for testing, physical therapy, or visits in the courtyard. He was also allowed to clean the bathrooms and empty the trash cans of the comatose patients. The last thing his father wanted was for him to be a bother to anyone. Joey thought this was the easiest job in the world. He loved this job almost as much as he loved his other job and couldn’t wait to get started every day.

Mrs. Benson was shocked to know the second job was at a hospital. She was even more shocked to know it was at the hospital where she and her husband worked at, and he thought this was a good idea. Dr. Benson bragged at how he and his wife would be able to keep an eye on Joey day in and day out, with him being in the same building.

* * *

When Brandon opened the door, he was smiling broadly as he picked Tonya up and spun her around, still holding her tight in his big arms. “Tonya, what are you doing here?” he asked as he put her feet on the floor. Then as he read her expression, he said, “No, no, no, I’m glad you’re here. It’s so good to see you, beautiful. I just had no idea you were coming.” Brandon turned slightly, looking at his unkempt living room.

“I know, and you know I don’t normally do this, but I just had to see you,” she said as he pulled her in closer. Tonya enjoyed his touch on her face as he smoothed her hair back. “And I’m not staying.” Before he could object, she said, “I’m going to let you finish unpacking and relax a bit. I need to leave now before I’m tempted to stay.

“Hey, but you just got here!”

“I know, but I really need to get back to the campus. I’ve been away since Friday,” she said, looking down at her watch. “I just wanted to look at you to make sure you were okay,” Tonya said, turning to leave.

Watching her walk away, Brandon yelled, “Can we have lunch tomorrow?”

Tonya turned around, continuing toward her car as she walked backward. “Sure. Name the time and the place,” she said, realizing she was now saying good-bye to the man she’d fallen in love with.

“I’ll call you. Good night,” he called behind her as he watched her get into her car. It was twenty minutes later when Tonya sent a text letting Brandon know she’d made it home safely.

Brandon was in bed by the time he received the text message from Tonya. He was consumed by his thoughts as he replied to her text message. His next text message was sent to his cousin. Brandon needed to see him, and soon.

 Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was Monday morning when Brandon decided to call into the office.

He had requested a few more days off after he spoke with his father about the case in Selma. Luckily he would not have to miss any more classes by an impromptu trip home.

Brandon knew Tonya would understand his reason for leaving, but he at least wanted to spend some time with her and explain his departure to her in person. He would leave on Tuesday and hoped to arrange a visit with Carlos either on his way to Selma or as he returned from Selma.

Brandon smiled as he turned out the last light on in his bedroom. He was happy, and he knew exactly why he felt so at peace. Tonya had become a very important fixture in his life, and he could not imagine living without her. They had grown very close over the last several weeks, and although Brandon wasn’t a virgin, being intimate with Tonya wasn’t something he was pursuing.

He knew if they could build a good and wholesome relationship based on trust and honesty without sex, their relationship would only be enhanced by the time they were ready to take the next step. Brandon felt in his heart that he and Tonya were destined to be together, and he wanted to share everything with her eventually.

Thinking back, Brandon smiled even deeper, knowing he nor Tonya had ever discussed their being an item. They fit so well together and had so much in common that he didn’t feel the conversation was necessary. Brandon knew he was in love with African American women when he was growing up in Selma. But nothing could compare to the feelings he had for Tonya. Brandon was now a grown man with grown-man needs and feelings, and he knew Tonya was going to be his wife.

That night, Brandon had several weird and confusing dreams that often stopped in the middle of the dream. Normally after a night of dreaming, Brandon wouldn’t be able to remember any of the dreams the next day. But in this one particular dream, he saw his cousin Carlos out in a wooded field, but he couldn’t see Brandon. Brandon watched from a distance as Carlos stood up over a body with blood dripping from his hands.

When the alarm clock went off, Brandon knew he was still dreaming. He sat up lazily in the bed and tried to clear his head. He had to remember where he was as he often did after sleeping away from home. As he stared at his nice, clean house, he thought of his old place and realized he didn’t miss it at all. He should be receiving a check from the insurance company any day. Luckily the new place was fully furnished, which saved him a lot of time and trouble, not to mention money.

Brandon checked his phone for any missed calls as he did every morning. He was surprised to see he had a new text message from last night. Brandon then realized how tired he must’ve been after cleaning the place up after Tonya’s visit. He had received a text message from his cousin minutes after Brandon sent him a message, and he never heard the phone’s alert. Since Selma was a three-hour drive, Brandon decided to stop on his way back home to see Carlos.

* * *

Joey looked proud as he examined his face in the mirror. He slicked his dark brown hair back with styling gel. Joey had noticed he was beginning to look more like a grown-up especially with his new look.

Whenever Joey would leave the house, he would splash some of his father’s cologne on his face and neck. His father had worn Lagerfeld for many years, and so had Joey. Joey liked the way it smelled on his father. He hoped it smelled just as good on him.

* * *

It was 11:00 a.m. in the morning when Brandon sat at a booth, examining the menu as he waited for Tonya to show up, when his father called.

“Hey, son, where are you?”

“Hey, Dad, I’m still in Tuscaloosa getting ready to have lunch.”

“Oh okay, what time should I expect you?”

“I don’t know. I should be here for at least an hour and a half. Did something new happen?”

“No, nothing that can’t wait until you arrive. Give me a call when you make it in.”

“Okay, I will,” Brandon said before disconnecting.

Brandon’s earlier visit to the police station had been productive. He’d filled out the leave form, and he was able to type up his report from his trip. The detective working the case with him was out of the office until Thursday. This worked out well for Brandon since he wasn’t scheduled back at work until Thursday.

* * *

When Tonya appeared in the entrance of the restaurant, she looked radiant in her white and yellow dress. After Brandon stood to be recognized, she sauntered over and warmly embraced Brandon before gracefully taking her seat across from him. Just seeing her again made Brandon want to spend more time with her, and he certainly wasn’t ready to leave the area again so soon after returning.

“So beautiful, what’s up with the smile?” Brandon asked as his heart warmed, still holding Tonya’s hand from across the table.

Still smiling and blushing slightly, Tonya said, “I’m just happy to see you! I am so glad you’re home. I missed you.”

Then leaning in closer, Brandon gently lifted her soft hand to his warm lips. “It feels good to be missed. I must say that although I was busy while away, I thought of you every idle moment I could. I too am glad I’m home.”

After his admission, Tonya gently placed her hand over her heart and melted because of Brandon’s sweet words. Now meeting him in the middle of the table, they shared a warm kiss and allowed themselves to only focus on each other. Tonya knew all eyes were on them, but she refused to let the people of Tuscaloosa dictate how her relationship should be or whom she should love. If her own family could accept Brandon, then no one else mattered.

Brandon seemed surprised by her gesture and welcomed the intense intimate moment. Never in a million years would he want to disappoint Tonya or let her down in any way. Brandon was glad they’d grown in their relationship to where she felt free to openly show him affection regardless of where they were.

Brandon smiled to himself as he thought about how they now walked proudly hand in hand when they were out in public. Tonya was beautiful inside and out, and she made Brandon happy. She was also just as competitive as he was when attempting any new task, and this caused him to always strive to be at the top of his game. They had so much in common that Brandon found it impossible not to love her.

After lunch, Brandon relaxed in the booth, and the mood soon turned serious. “Tonya, I need you to trust me. I have stumbled across disturbing information concerning this case and someone I know. I will fill you in on what I think I can do safely when the time is right. Meeting with Andrea’s sister really opened my eyes to several things, and I’m going to act on the information both you and she provided.”

Tonya sat up and looked straight ahead at Brandon. She knew this was big, and she could tell he was serious by the tone of his voice. Not wanting to say too much, she simply asked, “Did we just get our first break?”

Now smiling slightly, he nodded in response to her question. As she exhaled, they both shared a relieved laugh. Tonya was pleased with the news, but once Brandon told her of his plans that evening, she was somewhat disappointed.

“Well, honey, whatever the reason, I know it’s for a good cause,” she heard herself say surprisingly. Brandon seemed pleasantly surprised too as he slowly let out the sigh he’d been holding in. He was relieved and knew their relationship was getting stronger. Tonya had become his best friend.