In The Shadows (18 page)

 Chapter Thirty-Six

Brandon would be turning twenty-one before the end of the year, and Tonya would soon be nineteen. Brandon felt Tonya was his soul mate, no matter how much they were opposite, and he wanted to be in her company forever.

A lot of things had transpired between the two of them over the last several months, but because of their schedules, their time together had been limited. Nothing like this had ever happened, and neither could be more in love with the other until now.

Looking down into her eyes and taking a slow deep breath, Brandon softly uttered the words he’d never spoken to anyone other than family.

“I love you, Tonya.”

Brandon knew it would happen eventually but didn’t know how or when. That night felt right, and it was no longer a secret he shared only with himself out of fear.

Once he heard Tonya’s confession, they both exhaled, relieved to finally have proof of all the crazy emotions they both had been trying to stifle for months. It was finally out, and Tonya was relieved, and the moment they shared seemed to solidify their union just the way they both hoped it would.

Tonya was more focused than ever as she waved good-bye to Brandon and promised to call when she made it back on campus. She was thankful for the extended curfew on the nights she had Bible study.

Tonya had been involved with a few guys she seemed to be serious about, but her relationship with Brandon was so much more intense than any of her previous relationships. Brandon had always been the perfect gentleman. Tonya felt that after that night she would be able to share so much more with him. She now felt she could trust him enough to share the fact that she was a virgin.

As Brandon closed the front door, he smiled as he headed back downstairs to turn everything off. He never thought that after a long, chaotic day at work that his day would end on such a high note.

Brandon was relieved when he spoke with Tonya earlier, and she told him she’d seen Claire on her bike heading home. He was thankful when Tonya offered to stop by to see Katy. Brandon was pleasantly surprised when he saw Tonya’s car in the yard when he arrived. None of these things could have prepared him for the explosive moment he and Tonya would soon share.

Brandon had also dated several girls throughout high school and even after high school but was never taken in quite so much by them as he had been with Tonya. He remembered the first day he saw Tonya and how he was immediately attracted to her. He was blown away by her poise and demeanor from the first conversation they shared.

Brandon also knew he didn’t want a relationship that would repeat the destructive path his parents’ relationship couldn’t withstand. Brandon knew and appreciated the fact that Tonya was a strong, courageous, and independent young lady.

Brandon told Katy good night as he headed for the shower to further reminisce on his time spent with Tonya. Once he exited the shower, he waited in his study for her call. He knew he’d had an extremely long day and that he would’ve fallen asleep had he waited in bed. The two spoke of their wonderful night together and professed their love for each other again before hanging up.

* * *

“Tonya, it’s good to hear your voice. Sorry it’s taken so long to respond, but I just got back in town late yesterday evening. I’m moving my mother here permanently. We had to make sure the house was secure, and she had what she needed here with us.”

Tonya was happy for Mrs. Stocks as she listened intently to her cheerful voice.

“Oh wow! That’s awesome. I’m glad you’re going to have some full-time help. I’m sure she’s just as excited to be here to help out.”

“Yeah, she really is, and Preston is elated that he doesn’t have to go on a road trip again to see her. He gets to see her every day now. I must say that makes me happy too. I know you didn’t call to hear that. What can I help you with?”

“Well,” Tonya started, almost unsure of how to approach the subject. “I stopped by to see Danielle last week, and I was wondering if the police still had her personal belongings or if they’d been returned to you?”

“Hmm, let’s see. There were some articles they kept, and some they returned to me, but I’ve not been able to bring myself to go through the bag yet. Is there anything in particular you’re in search of? You are more than welcome to stop by and take a look, if you like.”

Tonya was stunned that Danielle’s mom would trust her to go through Danielle’s belongings when she had not been able to do it. “Oh Mrs. Stocks, that would indeed be great! I really appreciate your offering. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“It’s no problem at all. I know you and Danielle were really close, and you’ve been such a godsend since you’ve been a part of her life. Of course I don’t mind. When should I expect you?”

“I’m actually on my way home for Thanksgiving, but I’ll be back on Friday evening. If it’s not too late I’ll call to see if it’s still okay to
stop by.”

“Oh dear, please be safe on the highway, and don’t be in a hurry for anything. Everything will be here waiting for you when you arrive.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be careful. I’ll call soon,” Tonya said before disconnecting.

Tonya was relieved she had not offended Danielle’s mom by asking about her personal belongings. That went better than she thought, and she looked forward to her return on Friday. Tonya was excited she would be able to help Myron, and by the fact that Mrs. Stocks seemed to be doing well.

Tonya remembered their last conversation when she explained Danielle’s behavior during her visit. Tonya didn’t want to give her false hope, but she felt compelled to tell her what she’d witnessed. She even told her what the nursing staff explained to her about involuntary movement. Tonya didn’t care what the nurses said, and neither did Mrs. Stocks. It was the hope she needed to keep believing, and Tonya was happy she could be a part of that.

* * *

Brandon was already tired, and his day was just getting started. He was waiting for an email from Andrea’s family. Naomi had found a circular online displaying the same exact earrings that Andrea should have been wearing or had taken to Alabama. All of Andrea’s things had been returned to her family, and Mrs. Stevens confirmed the earrings never made it back.

The case had been cold for a while, and with no new leads coming in, all Brandon could hope for was some significant break in the case. His team wanted to believe that the killer had moved on. Brandon wanted to believe that too, but something inside wouldn’t allow him to.

When Brandon left Danielle’s floor after his last visit, he noticed a tall burly man from a distance and sensed he may have met him before. Before he could get close enough to see his face, Brandon got distracted as he turned to look in the direction of a loud noise. When Brandon looked up again, the man was gone. Brandon laughed at himself for having those overactive cop instincts.

It was almost lunchtime when Brandon’s cell phone rang. It was his father, and he’d just made it to town. Brandon had planned to depart early so he could have some time off to spend with his father and sister. They agreed to meet at the convenience store near Brandon’s home.

Katy had asked to hang out at Claire’s since she was out of school, and Brandon didn’t have a problem with it. He knew she only had four days left and would miss Alabama and the friends she’d made there.

When Brandon pulled up to the store he saw his father’s black sedan. He was looking forward to his father’s visit. That was new for Brandon, and he welcomed the change. Their relationship had been strained for so long that it felt good to come together for any reason other than necessity. This visit was for Katy, and Brandon would do anything for her.

Brandon thought back to earlier that morning when he walked into the guest bedroom that Brandon basically used for storage and saw the transformation the room had undergone. Brandon wasn’t sure if Katy had some assistance as he thought of Tonya’s visit last night.

The excess clothing and linen had been boxed up and stacked in the corner. The bed was made, and the linen had been changed. There was an air freshener at the head of the bed, and the once dusty and cluttered furniture was now clutter and dust free. He’d been meaning to get around to cleaning the room but was glad Katy saw the need to help out and prepare the room for their father’s arrival.

Just as Brandon was about to dial his father’s cell phone, he saw him emerge from the convenience store with two grocery bags. Brandon immediately exited the car to give him a hand. Once the groceries were placed in the car, Brandon and his father shared a meaningful hug. He then instructed his father to follow him home after explaining to him that Katy was out with a friend.

Brandon had to admit his last couple of meetings with his father had been cordial. This trip up for Thanksgiving and to see Katy would only strengthen the bond they had begun forming over the last several months.

As Brandon headed home, he called Katy to see what time she would be home or if she needed a ride. Katy was in the middle of baking cakes, pies, and bread with Claire and her mom. They were going to deliver them to the homeless shelter that evening.

Brandon was so impressed by Katy’s willingness to help those that were less fortunate; he was proud of her. Katy was truly his mother’s child. His mother had a heart of gold, just like Katy. Katy told Brandon she’d get a ride home from the shelter.

“Hey, Katy, you’ll never guess who’s here.”

“What? He’s here? Dad’s here?”

“Yeah, he got here a few minutes ago.”

“He’s early. I thought he was arriving tonight?”

“I did too, but he’s here now and seems a bit exhausted. I think he overdid it on the drive here.”

“Oh,” Katy said, now unsure of what to do.

“Look, finish up helping Claire and her family, and I’ll see you when you get home. Don’t worry about Dad. I’m sure he’ll need to get a nap in before he sees you anyway.”

“Okay,” she said hesitantly. “If you’re sure.”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine, besides what you’re doing is for a really good cause, and we certainly don’t want to impede on the greatness of your work.”

“Oh Brandon, if you’re sure. I don’t want him to think I don’t want to see him.”

“How could he think that? Remember he wasn’t supposed to be here until tonight anyway. He’ll be just fine. Trust me. Now go and have fun, and call me if you need me.”

Brandon was just turning into the driveway when Tate called him from the office. Tate was another member on the team investigating the murder and kidnapping.

“Hey, Masterson, that fax just came in.”

“What fax? Oh, the earrings?”

“Yeah, it just came in, and I thought you’d want to know.”

“Okay, thanks, Tate. I’ll be back in the office after I grab a bite to eat.” Brandon couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been waiting all morning for the fax, and it showed up shortly after he left the office.

After Brandon got his father settled in the bedroom, he fixed himself a bite to eat. His father had already eaten and claimed all he wanted to do was get some rest.

Before Brandon left home to go back to work, he called Tonya to see how her trip was going. He’d spoken to her once that morning shortly, and she had to run some errands before she got on the road. Brandon wished they could be together this holiday, but they both knew that was impossible. He vowed to spend Christmas with her and hoped she’d want to spend it with him too.

Tonya picked up on the third ring.

“Hey, baby, how are you doing out there? Is the traffic terribly congested?”

“Hey, love! It’s good to hear from you. I was just thinking about you. Well, the traffic was not so bad when I first got on the road, but it’s been a bit more chaotic in the last hour, so I think I timed this trip just right. I just stopped in to gas up and stretch my legs. So I’m doing good now.”

“Good. You should be home soon.”

“I’ll be there within the hour, and the weather is absolutely, totally beautiful here. I ended up leaving later than I’d planned.”

“Okay, well, I’m headed back to the office. I just wanted to check in with you to see how things were going. Please text me or call me when you arrive safely.” Brandon didn’t mention his father had arrived. He almost felt guilty, like he was keeping a deep dark secret from her. Brandon couldn’t wait until the day when Tonya and his father could finally meet.

Brandon didn’t care what his father thought about his friends, but Tonya was different and had become a very special part of his life. Naturally he’d want his father to meet and approve of Tonya just as he did.

Before walking out the door, Brandon gently pushed the bedroom door open to find his father sound asleep. He told him he was headed back to the office. His father mumbled something that didn’t make sense as Brandon smiled and closed the door.

 Chapter Thirty-Seven

Mrs. Benson couldn’t be more pleased with her latest board meeting at the hospital. The holidays was when the board members would solicit donations from previously generous donors. The year-end fund-raisers always did well. A lot of people who hadn’t had the opportunity or chose not to contribute during the year would do so in the latter months, primarily for tax purposes.

Each year, volunteers from the local churches and communities would visit the nursing homes, women’s shelters, and homeless shelters to distribute food, blankets, clothing, and gifts. This year, Mrs. Benson was in charge of the volunteers and couldn’t be more excited.

* * *

It was later that afternoon when Sheriff Masterson awoke. He first had to remember where he was and wondered why the house was so quiet. Now clearing his head, he remembered Brandon had to go back to work. He couldn’t believe he’d been asleep over two hours, but he sure felt better. He took a minitour of the two-story house and walked next door to see if his relatives were home.

Later that afternoon, Brandon and his father prepared the turkey for frying. They both grabbed a beer and sat in front of the television. Brandon and Katy had planned to prepare what they could later that night, and all the easy dishes would be prepared the morning of Thanksgiving and served hot. What more could two men ask for: a quiet house, cold beer, and plenty of nonstop football action.

Brandon and his father made small talk mostly about Katy and some football trash talking. Brandon could see his father was nervous about seeing his daughter after all these years. Seeing this pleased Brandon; he knew his father would be on his best behavior.

During halftime, Sheriff Masterson sat back in his chair and took a long swig from his bottle. “Son, I wanna thank you for taking care of your sister these last few weeks.” Brandon knew this was difficult for his father, but he was glad to see it. “I know it’s not been easy, but your caring for your sister is a testament of your maturing, and I wouldn’t be a good father if I didn’t tell you that. You’re doing something I wasn’t given the opportunity to do, and I blame myself for that. How’s Evelyn? Have you talked to her recently?”

Brandon was stunned by what he was hearing. His father just kept the surprises coming, and he wasn’t quite sure how to take it.

“Taking care of Katy has been a joy. Just having her here makes this place seem more like home.” Brandon immediately looked at his father after speaking, not wanting to cause the mood to change. Brandon felt more at home in Tuscaloosa more than he ever did in Selma, and Katy only made things better for him. “Mom is doing okay. She’s been to the doctor more than usual this week, and she’s scheduled to go back Friday to have some tests run.”

His father seemed shocked by Brandon’s last statement. “Well, does she look well? I haven’t seen her in over a decade.” This last comment made Brandon’s insides turn as it reminded him of the lonely years he spent in Selma without his mom and sister.

“Dad, Mom looked really well when I saw her. I think she is just as beautiful as I remembered when I was a boy. I plan to travel to Ohio again before the end of the year, maybe to spend New Year’s Eve with her and Katy.” Brandon’s father seemed pleased with his answers and soon excused himself.

When he returned from the bedroom, he had a black gift box in his hand. Brandon took the box his father handed him. “Dad, what’s this?”

“Ah, just a little something I picked up for Katy. I’m sure she has plenty of jewelry but hopefully nothing quite like this,” he said, removing the top from the box.

Brandon was blown away by the beautiful necklace and heart-shaped diamond pendant. “Wow, Dad, that’s quite a piece of jewelry. I’m not so sure Katy has a necklace. She may have left it in Ohio if she has one. She’ll really like this,” Brandon said, passing the box back to his father. He could tell his father was pleased, and Brandon had to wonder just how much his father had changed. How much really didn’t matter; just the fact that he did warmed Brandon’s heart.

Changing the subject, Brandon said, “Dad, I need to show you something.” Brandon explained to his father what had been going on with the murder and kidnapping case and how today he’d received what he felt could be a critical break in the case.

His father followed him down into the basement. Brandon opened his briefcase and removed a manila folder and placed it on the desk. After Brandon took a seat, he slowly opened the folder, careful not to spill any other contents.

“This is the fax I received today. The family in Ohio is convinced these earrings came to Alabama with Andrea, our missing teen, but never made it back. I now believe the suspect takes the jewelry as souvenirs as we’ve seen so many times on television, which to me means he may not be very bright or he thinks he’s too smart to get caught.”

Sheriff Masterson sat back in his seat and processed what Brandon had just said. After not saying anything for a while, he said, “Son, do you remember when Stella went missing? Her parents said she was wearing some gold hoop earrings when she left home, but when she was found, she didn’t have them on or in her possession. That was something we never even considered back then but may be worth following up on.” He paused. “Listen, I called and left you a few messages this week, but I take it you’ve been too busy to return my call.”

“No, I’ve not received any message from you since the weekend when you said you’d be here on Friday. I think I may be having some issues with my voice mail system. Someone else complained about that too,” Brandon said as he thought of Tonya. “I’ll have to call the company to see what’s going on. What happened? You were trying to reach me?”

Sheriff Masterson sat forward in his seat downstairs across the desk from Brandon, with the photo on top of the opened folder. He began to rub his head as he gathered his thoughts.

“Brandon, this thing down in Selma has taken an ugly turn. I got a phone call from Agent Blake from the forensics team. Well, he had made a shocking discovery when they got the body back to the lab to perform the autopsy. They were in the process of storing the body until the family could give him a proper burial. When they did an inventory of the body, they found he was missing his genitals.” The sheriff grew quiet, and Brandon rocked back in his chair in disbelief.

“Dad, I’m sorry, but I’m not following you. Are you telling me that somehow this body arrived at the county examiner’s office with missing body parts? Missing? How?”

After a long hesitation, he said, “Son, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. I guess somehow it was overlooked when the body was first delivered. Agent Blake called me and was furious. A lot of people got suspended because of the whole oversight. This bit of information has changed the whole investigation focus. We now have an FBI task force starting up at the beginning of the year, which means the FBI will assign an agent to our office for six months or until the case is resolved.”

Brandon then began to wonder if this case had anything to do with Stella’s murder. Before he could pose the question, his father spoke. “Since we had two deaths that have now been ruled homicides from what appears to be the same time period, the FBI is trying to find a way to link the two together. When you consider these are the only two homicides that weren’t the direct result of an intended assault or accidental shooting or death, the FBI have a very valid reason for starting this task force. I must say at first I was skeptical, but I can’t afford to rule anything out at this point. I did that before, and it did way too much damage.”

Brandon knew immediately his father was speaking of their strained relationship. Their focus then diverted back to Andrea’s missing diamond earrings. They were very beautiful and certainly unique. Brandon had the team tracking down leads to see if any of Andrea’s family or friends had some idea of where they could be.

Shortly after their discussion started, they heard a car pull into the driveway. It was 6:00 p.m., and Brandon knew it was Claire’s mom dropping Katy off. The two rushed upstairs to greet Katy as she came flying through the swinging screen door.

Katy ran straight into her father’s arms and hugged him so tight her arms hurt. He hugged her thin body as tight as he could without harming her. When the two separated, they both stared at the other’s tear-stained face. It was a very emotional moment, and Brandon knew immediately he’d done the right thing by telling his father Katy was there.

Soon after the stories of fond memories ended, the three moved around in an orderly fashion in the small but modest kitchen. As Katy began to bake the cornbread for the dressing, Brandon and their father went outside to heat up the cooking oil for the turkey.

Brandon always cooked the night before Thanksgiving and ate what was ready for consumption that night. The following morning, everything would be prepared and served for their real Thanksgiving dinner. Brandon didn’t like being too busy or exhausted on Thanksgiving Day, to thoroughly enjoy the food and football games.

The phone rang, and Brandon immediately thought of Tonya. She should be in the kitchen at home baking the red velvet cake she’d been dying to bake, by that time. There was only so much she could do in her dorm, and so she welcomed being able to roam free in someone else’s kitchen.

Soon Katy was heading downstairs and giggling the whole way. Brandon figured it was Claire on the phone after Katy had been gone for a while. When Katy came back up, she inquired about the beautiful earrings on the photo. Brandon couldn’t think of a good lie to come up with but knew he didn’t want Katy being involved with this case.

Just then, his father said, “Katy, can you come with me into the living room?”

“Sure, what’s going on in the living room?”

“Oh, I have a little something for all the birthdays and Christmases I missed over the years,” he said with excitement as Katy followed him eagerly into the living room.

Brandon was so relieved his father stepped in because he was caught totally off guard by Katy’s question. As he rushed downstairs to secure all the documents, he heard Katy’s squeals. He told his father she would love it. Brandon quickly stashed his briefcase, and before he could make it to the top of the stairs, Katy was there, modeling her new necklace.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Brandon?” Katy turned to hug her father again. “Thank you, Daddy! I promise I’ll never take it off,” Katy said as she kissed his cheek.

Katy and Brandon both spoke with their mother on that evening. Katy was excited by the events of her day, but she felt something was troubling her mom as she listened to the strangeness in her voice.

Brandon enjoyed hearing his mom’s voice again and looked forward to seeing her again. He was excited about the holiday season and vowed to see his mother again before the New Year. Brandon thought Evelyn sounded great, but Katy sensed something was wrong; however she didn’t want to put her mom on the spot and would wait until she arrived home on Sunday.

* * *

Thanksgiving morning came earlier than either of them would’ve liked. The children found themselves up late, listening to stories of their childhood so vividly told by their proud father. As Katy bombarded him with questions, Brandon found himself asking some of his own. They were up well past midnight and back in the kitchen again that morning, dressed in their PJs coupled with aprons.

Sheriff Masterson had done all his cooking the night before and was only in the kitchen to help out if needed. He enjoyed watching his grown son and teenage daughter moving throughout the kitchen, laughing and sharing recipe ideas and tricks they’d picked up over the years. Evelyn had indeed done a great job with both children. He could not have asked for a better mother for his children.

As they sat around the table and devoured the delicious meal, Sheriff Masterson was amazed by Brandon’s skillful prayer. He listened intently as Brandon thanked God for all things, especially his mother and father who raised him well, and his sister, who had been an absolute blessing to his life since his trip to Ohio.

Katy thought back to their talk with their mother and prayed along with Brandon that she would be all right. Brandon prayed for her health and asked God to keep them all together bound in love.

As they enjoyed their meal, Brandon mentioned to Katy and his father that he would not be returning to work until Sunday. He knew this would give him and Katy more time to spend with their father before he departed on Saturday morning. Katy was scheduled to fly out Sunday morning, and Brandon would miss her terribly.

Brandon excused himself from the table when he saw Tonya’s number appear on his caller ID. He knew this conversation was going to take a while since he’d only spoken briefly to her on yesterday. Tonya was excited about being with her family for the holiday but couldn’t wait to return to Tuscaloosa to see Brandon. Brandon filled Tonya in on all the activities going on there and told her how he longed to see her.

Tonya was scheduled to get on the road the next morning after lunch. That would give her plenty of time to make it back to the dorm and get caught up on her rest. She knew she needed to be fresh and well rested for practice that afternoon. She also wanted to stop by Danielle’s house Friday evening to look through her things. Tonya hadn’t mentioned the ring to Brandon yet, but she knew if her search turned up empty on that evening, she would have no choice.

Brandon told Tonya how excited he and Katy were about going to the tournament on Saturday. He would finally have the opportunity to watch Tonya play and cheer for her on the sidelines. Katy had become interested in basketball since she’d been there, and Brandon knew Tonya’s love for the game had influenced her.