Authors: Trenia Coleman
In The Shadows (31 page)
Katy’s naked body lay there motionless, inside the box. Brandon let out a moan at the same time Carlos let out a yell as he clutched his chest, backing away from Katy’s face. When Sheriff Masterson and others saw Katy’s lifeless body, the sheriff dropped to his knees and looked around the area, not believing his eyes.
Coming out of shock and then finding his voice, Sheriff Masterson yelled, “I want that man taken down to the station for questioning!” His voice was filled with grief as he glared at the caretaker.
Tonya was in shock as she stood by the sheriff, not sure what to do or say. The deputies, along with everyone else, stood around in shock, unmoving. Finally Tonya turned to the deputy that had given her a ride over. “If you have a blanket in your car, will you go get it?”
As the deputy ran to the car, his feet felt like lead. He didn’t know how he was able to control them as he retrieved the blanket and tossed it down into Carlos’s hands.
Brandon seemed to freeze in time as the memories of Katy flashed through his mind. His heart dropped to his stomach as he let the tears fall freely. Katy was extremely pale, and her lips were so chapped they’d begun to bleed. Her angelic face seemed lifeless.
Finally Brandon thought to check her pulse and cried out when he felt a very faint pulse. “She’s alive! She’s alive but barely. Get an ambulance out here right now,” Brandon commanded from the hole.
After covering Katy’s frail body, Brandon and Carlos were able to stand on the side of the dirt wall and push the lid away, exposing Katy’s bruised body. Brandon never thought he would ever see his sister again. He thanked God for watching over Katy and sending Carlos when he did.
The EMTs immediately hooked an IV up to Katy and lifted her from the hole. Carlos went over to visit his grandmother’s grave when all the excitement had died down. He had finally told someone other than his doctor that he thought he’d heard Andrea’s phone ringing during his grandmother’s service. It wasn’t until he told Brandon that day did Carlos consider what they had found to be true.
The kidnapper had buried Katy underneath someone else’s grave. That someone else was Cody. This discovery would certainly shake up the town of Northport and have people in an uproar for years to come. Carlos wondered if Andrea was still alive when she was buried. He now believed what his nightmares showed him all along. He wished he’d said something sooner; maybe Andrea would’ve been found alive too.
Brandon showed up from out of nowhere and stood by Carlos’s side as he prayed over his grandmother. The Lieutenant and the coroner were at city hall right then, trying to get a court order. Carlos knew exactly what that meant. Brandon thought Andrea might be buried there too.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
It was three weeks later, and the town celebrated the heroes who brought back safety and stability to the community. Brandon and Carlos were both recognized, along with the other members of the team, for their outstanding service to the community.
The people in Northport and Tuscaloosa were elated the crimes had been solved, and with Christmas just a few days away, the mood was very festive as everyone prepared for the upcoming holiday season.
* * *
Danielle was still learning how to feed herself, and she received round-the-clock care at the rehabilitation center. Her family and friends continued to be there for her, giving her all the support she needed to recover. Myron came to see her every weekend he could, and her family had accepted him being in Danielle’s life. SFC Stocks had returned home for good and took thirty days of leave to be with his family during the holiday season.
* * *
Carlos decided to let the chips fall where they may. He finally came clean about his relationship with Andrea. He wasn’t sure if his wife would leave him, but coming clean about his past involvement felt better than any confession he’d ever made before. During Carlos’s last session with his doctor, he thanked her for advising him and proving that she genuinely cared for him.
It would be another month before the body found underneath his grandmother’s grave would be positively identified as that of Andrea Stevens’s. Carlos had felt in his heart that Andrea was no longer with him and was fully prepared to accept that once a second body was found. Carlos wasn’t sure if his marriage would survive his lies and infidelity, but he already knew that holding on to what he had with Andrea had become unhealthy. He smiled as he drove home listening to Neyo, finally believing Andrea was at peace.
* * *
It was Christmas Eve, and Brandon, Katy, and their father welcomed Tonya to their family gathering. Katy was excited to be able to spend another holiday with her loved ones in Alabama. She would soon be on her way back to Ohio to help care for her mother who was already back home and recovering from her stroke.
Katy was grateful her life had been spared. She knew Brandon would be the one to find her. She loved her big brother and father even more for never giving up on finding her. Although Ms. Tyler was aware of what had happened to Katy, they all agreed to wait until Evelyn fully recovered before disclosing the incident to her.
Evelyn Masterson was back at home with a home health care nurse stopping in once a day to see her. Katy had been cleared for release and would be returning home to Ohio in a few days. She needed to be with her mom, but she assured Brandon that she loved him and didn’t blame him for what happened to her. Katy talked to her father and Brandon everyday when she returned to Ohio. She didn’t know Andrea’s family, but once Andrea’s body was recovered and shipped to Ohio for a proper burial, Katy reached out to Naomi, and they became good friends.
* * *
Tonya was thankful she had relayed Natalie’s story to Brandon shortly after Katy’s discovery. After a search warrant was issued, the local authorities realized the Bensons had been long gone. It was discovered that Joey had been the same Joey from Selma and was now being sought after for the death of Stella and wanted for questioning of Johnny Rush and Cody Bradford’s deaths.
Once Tonya told Natalie about her close call on the road, Natalie revealed that the Bensons’ moving truck fit the description of the truck that nearly ran her off the road. Natalie and Janelle were thankful things were returning to normal in their small town. The girls still visited Danielle on a regular basis and knew they would all be attending college in the fall.
As Tonya prayed over their dinner, Brandon’s insides were filled with pride as he listened to the powerful prayer given by the woman he loved. When he caught a glimpse of his father’s face after the prayer, the tears streaming down his face proved he too was moved by her prayer.
* * *
Tonya and Brandon were closer than ever. Not a day went by that they didn’t see each other, even if the visit was for thirty minutes. He had fallen in love and knew when the time was right he would have his father’s approval. Brandon smiled as he looked over at Tonya as they headed to Fairburn to meet her parents.
Epilogue
Two months had passed, and no one had heard from the Bensons. Brandon made it his business to do a weekly check on different variations of the good doctor’s name but always came up empty-handed. Brandon vowed to track down Dr. Benson, his wife, and his son and hold them accountable for the havoc they wreaked in the town of Selma and the Tuscaloosa/Northport area.
* * *
In a small town outside of Phoenix, a new clinic was being opened in the town of 1,800. They needed a doctor, and Dr. Bennett was a very well-liked and experienced general practitioner. He and his family had just moved into town and had become very active in the community. While he worked at the free clinic six days a week, his wife worked the front desk when she wasn’t home tending to their ill son.
When the first patient entered the exam room, the good doctor had him to sit on the exam table. He rose from his chair and grabbed his cane as he walked over to speak with his patient. Business picked up well, and in a matter of months, Dr. Bennett knew he would have to expand his practice to keep up with the number of patients he was now responsible for.
THE
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