In The Shadows (7 page)

 Chapter Twelve

When Mona and the girls made it to Danielle’s house, they found the house quiet and dark. Danielle’s father, SFC Stocks, led them into the family room. When Danielle’s mother entered the room, the two mothers simply embraced each other and let the tears flow quietly down their cheeks. Mona and the girls were there for support and would remain there until they received confirmation.

* * *

With everything going on, Brandon and Tonya decided to meet for breakfast instead. As they sat at the local IHOP, both were quiet for a while after they’d finished their meal. Tonya was certainly glad to see Brandon after several days of not hearing from him. She was glad he was safe and in one piece.

Tonya had brought her notebook with her, and she opened it up and began staring at the pages. She thought it might be a good time to go over her notes. After Tonya briefed Brandon on the first disappearance, she informed him of some inconsistencies she found in the reporting of that disappearance.

Brandon was indeed relieved to see Tonya too after surviving the storm. He felt comfortable with Tonya and realized he had begun to miss her in just a few days of no contact. Brandon was impressed with her investigative skills and her unwavering focus on the disappearance of a teenager in Northport.

“Well, Ms. Danston,” he said, trying to lighten the mood, “your research is very thorough. What did you say your major was again?” He was smiling.

She returned the smile. “My major is journalism, but I’ve always had an inquisitive mind. And Mr. Masterson, what do you do for a living?” she asked, realizing she hadn’t bothered to ascertain that information in their previous conversations.

“I am a sheriff’s deputy for the Tuscaloosa Police Department,” he said proudly.

“You’re what? Wow, I had no idea. When were you going to tell me?”

“I guess we hadn’t gotten around to it yet, but believe me, I wasn’t trying to be evasive,” he said as they shared a light laugh.

“Okay, Deputy Masterson, what do you make of these events? Doesn’t it seem like there’s a whole lot missing from this case?”

“It does seem a bit odd, but I would have to become more familiar with the case before I could give you an honest assessment.”

In the middle of their conversation, Brandon’s cell phone began ringing. Rocking his head back in surprise, he realized it was his father calling. Not wanting to speak to him at that particular moment, Brandon let the call go to voice mail. He was surprised by the call and figured something must have been wrong. He would call him when he was able to talk freely.

* * *

The house was quiet, and everyone sat around the living room waiting for the phone to ring. Janelle and Natalie found themselves relocating to the deck. They didn’t want to go too far, but they didn’t want to subject themselves to the neighbors and passersby out front. By now, everyone had heard the news and probably believed the body they found was Danielle’s body.

While they were waiting out back, Myron was calling to see if it was true. He had asked his relatives in Tuscaloosa to keep him informed because he couldn’t bear talking to Danielle’s family after the police treated him like a suspect upon questioning him. Myron hoped the family knew he had nothing to do with her disappearance, but they didn’t know him well enough to know that he wouldn’t hurt anyone. Natalie spoke with him and let him know that they were still waiting for confirmation and would call him as soon as they got word.

* * *

Brandon stepped outside to make a phone call. As soon as Brandon left the table, Tonya dialed Natalie. Natalie told her the same thing she’d told Myron and that she would call if something developed. Tonya was relieved to hear the body had not been identified yet and reassured Natalie that she would be over that afternoon or as soon as they made it home. Tonya wanted to be there for her cousin and her family.

Brandon dialed his father as he sat in his truck with the door open. After the phone rang several times, he finally answered.

“Sheriff Masterson, what can I do for you?”

“Dad, it’s Brandon. You called earlier? Is everything all right?”

“Well, hello, son. It’s been a long time. Are the fellows there in Tuscaloosa treating you right?”

“Yes, everything here is fine. Is something wrong?” Brandon repeated.

“No, no, nothing’s wrong. I heard about the storm there and wanted to check on you, to make sure you were okay. We had some pretty bad storms here too over the weekend, and we’re still trying to clean up.”

“Oh really? I’m sorry I didn’t call to check on things. I didn’t know. Was there any damage to the property?”

“No, no major damage. We came out okay, but the tornado hit out in some of the heavily wooded areas. Some people are just getting their electricity back, so we’ve been pulling extra patrols to keep people from looting.”

“Okay, well, that’s good to hear,” Brandon chimed in. “I actually had quite a scare. A tree came down on the house and split it in two while I was inside.”

“What! Are you all right?” his father asked, clearly concerned. “I had no idea. Well, I’m sure glad I called.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was shook up for a minute though. I had to move into one of the other properties closer to town and am just getting settled in. The department gave me the week off, and I’ll be going back on Monday.”

“Son, do you need anything?”

“No, Dad, I’m fine. I’ve got the new place set up, and everything is working out just fine.”

“Okay, well, don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything. Hey, I thought you should know there was a body found on the outskirts of town a couple of weeks ago.”

“Are you serious, in Selma?” Brandon asked, now standing outside the truck. Just as Brandon let the words escape his lips, he thought of Stella. “Do you have any idea who it is?”

“No, not yet. We’re hoping to have the forensics back in a week or so. I may have to drive up to Birmingham this weekend to see if I can get them to expedite this thing. The people here are getting anxious, and I don’t want this discovery to create frenzy down here. I’ll keep you posted on it. Take care of yourself, son.” Sheriff Masterson wasn’t quite ready to divulge all the details surrounding the body just yet. He needed more to go on before he told Brandon everything.

Brandon was speechless once he hung up with his father. Two things had him baffled that morning. Brandon was shocked to hear of the discovery in Selma and wondered who the body could possibly belong to. Not a whole lot happened in Selma, but when it did, it was the talk of the town. The second thing that had him speechless was the fact that his father reached out to him for the first time since he’d left home. Out of courtesy, Brandon called his father when he first moved to Northport to give him his contact information, and that was the last time Brandon had spoken with him.

Tonya was just getting off the phone when Brandon returned. Tonya believed she would be more supportive by being at her aunt’s house when the girls arrived. After Brandon returned to the table, Tonya noticed he seemed a little distracted. Brandon was surprised she detected his weird deportment.

He was still reeling from the conversation he’d had with his father. Brandon hadn’t talked about Stella since he and his friends had given up looking for her killer years ago. Tonya was surprised Brandon felt comfortable enough with her to share how Stella’s disappearance and death made him feel. Tonya was such a good listener as she gave him her undivided attention.

The restaurant was getting full with the lunch crowd, but neither of them seemed to be distracted by the stares they were receiving or the people coming and going. When Brandon mentioned his father, he suddenly grew quiet and stared back at his new friend across the table. He simply told Tonya that that was a conversation for perhaps another time. Tonya was okay with his decision. She was surprised he’d been so open with her, and this made her feel closer to him, and that was okay too.

After lunch, Tonya made her way to her car with Brandon following. When she reached for the door, she turned to face the man she was sure to be spending more time with in the coming weeks. Tonya wasn’t sure where this was leading, but she was willing to go along with it and find out.

Surprisingly, she and Brandon shared a hug before saying good-bye. What Tonya found to be even more surprising was that the embrace felt so normal. It didn’t feel awkward at all. The intimacy felt like it was meant to be. Tonya had met a man who seemed to be just as ambitious as she, and it was obvious to her that he could effortlessly become more than a friend.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Danielle’s family received the call they’d been waiting for. The sheriff was a few minutes away and called to make sure they were home. He’d spoken with them earlier that morning and knew they were worried sick. After questioning the family again about distinguishing body marks and jewelry Danielle may have been wearing or in possession of, the sheriff was able to confirm the body was not Danielle. The family cried with relief, still believing Danielle would be found alive. Her father left with the sheriff to positively ID the body and confirm it wasn’t Danielle. The sheriff said it was standard procedure, and SFC Stocks went willingly.

Mona and the girls cried with Pam, Danielle’s mother, and they were now more hopeful than ever they would find Danielle. This discovery would possibly give the sheriff’s office more to go on, and hopefully, more leads as to where to start a new search for Danielle.

When the girls made it home, Tonya was at the kitchen table, waiting for them to come inside. With all the excitement, the girls completely forgot to call Tonya with the good news. While Mona brought Tonya up-to-date on the latest news, Natalie remembered to call Myron to share the news with him.

 Chapter Thirteen

There were too many unanswered questions, and Brandon knew he could assist in this case. Now knowing the body that was found was not Danielle’s, he knew there was a still a young girl whose body needed identifying. Brandon wanted to do the research and knew he could access the missing persons database from his computer at the office. He was moved by his memories of Stella as he drove to the station.

Although it was only speculation, Brandon and Tonya both thought these cases were tied together. Maybe if they found the culprit in the disappearance and now the killing of a young girl, perhaps they would find Danielle. They both knew time was of the essence. It had been two weeks since Danielle disappeared.

When Brandon dropped by the station, he discovered the captain was at a briefing, so he spoke to the sergeant instead. He authorized Brandon to use the computer in his office while he stepped out to lunch. It was 2:00 p.m. and Brandon didn’t want to be in the office too long. While Tonya was continuing to research the disappearance, he would begin the ID process.

The body was badly decomposed when it was discovered. The forensic team in Birmingham stated it would be at least four weeks before they could make a positive identification. Brandon knew he had to do everything humanly possible to help expedite the process.

* * *

Somehow Tonya managed to make it to class on Friday. She knew she had to keep her mind busy and on her schoolwork, to keep her thoughts from running away from her. When Tonya left the girls last evening, she felt relieved and finally hopeful. Now the police would have more to go on if this case or the new discovery was connected to either disappearance. Tonya had a good feeling about the outcome and would do whatever was necessary to help find Danielle.

The girls agreed to meet up again on Saturday morning for the search. They weren’t sure if the search area would be changed due to the new discovery, but they knew they wouldn’t be anywhere else.

Brandon and Tonya agreed on dinner Friday night. This time they decided on a Mexican restaurant in Tuscaloosa. Once again, they received the dirty looks because they were together. As Brandon kept his focus on Tonya, he realized she seemed to be comfortable with being in his company. He knew people were sometimes cruel when it came to interracial dating, and he would never want to put Tonya in an uncomfortable position.

Brandon was almost laughing inside when he realized he’d insinuated they were dating. It had been a while since Brandon dated. He had to learn to accept the fact that he was genuinely attracted to African American women and also accept the fact that his father would never accept that. Brandon knew that this day would come eventually, which would probably mean the end of an already strained relationship with his father.

Brandon quietly listened while Tonya updated him on the disappearance. Brandon found himself smiling as he listened to the detective sum up her case from across the table. When Tonya mentioned the way the girl was bound, Brandon immediately thought of Stella again and how she was found bound and gagged.

Brandon had gone through his list of missing persons and had approximately ten more people to try to match up with the victim. Most of the women he found meeting the description of the missing girl were homeless people and runaways. It would be hard to match them up if he had nothing to go on. If she was homeless, that probably meant nobody was looking for her.

* * *

Danielle was beyond hungry, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she was too weak to go on. She heard a vehicle in the distance that seemed to stop right outside her location. She immediately thought it could be help, but when the door opened, she knew it was him by the sound of his heavy feet sometimes dragging across the floor.

Danielle knew she had to remain still and pretend she was dead. When he opened the door and the light poured in through the top of the container she was in, the smell of urine and feces trickled out, but it was not unusual for him. Danielle had been sitting in her own waste for two weeks and could only move around so much in the tiny compartment. She was so weak, it wasn’t hard to pretend to be dead.

Something was different this time, and Danielle was very afraid; she felt her time had run out. After just a few minutes, he suddenly closed the door, and Danielle could hear him shuffling away. It wasn’t until after he left did Danielle feel the coolness in the compartment.

* * *

The Bensons scheduled a trip out of town that weekend. As soon as Mrs. Benson arrived home on Friday evening, she decided she and Joey would go away for the weekend. She’d had a successful conference, but with the recent discovery, Mrs. Benson felt the need to escape the frenzy that was taking place in Northport and parts of Tuscaloosa. Mrs. Benson didn’t have many friends, being new to the area, so she and Joey decided to go to Birmingham and maybe do some sightseeing or visit the zoo.

While Joey finished up at work, Mrs. Benson was packing their things. She’d taken Monday off, and very soon after arriving home, she and Joey were on their way out of town. Dr. Benson had to stay and see patients, so he called Vera who worked at the clinic part-time to cover the front desk for him that Saturday.

* * *

Carlos had spoken with his mom and heard about the body being found. He was terrified it was Andrea. He’d not heard from her since that night he was supposed to meet her. Carlos had hoped she’d turned up at home by now, so he wouldn’t have to carry around the guilt of not being able to meet with her that night. He would forever live with blaming himself for her disappearance.

Once his mom informed him of the discovery, Carlos knew he would not be able to put it out of his mind. He never wanted his wife to find out he’d been unfaithful, but he didn’t know how long he would be able to keep silent.

* * *

Brandon had a lot of work ahead of him. He still had some schoolwork to finish up before he turned in for the night. It would soon be dark, and he needed to get busy working on the last stack of printouts he had left.

He smiled as he watched Tonya drive away. She made him feel good about himself and confident in his abilities to help solve the case that brought them together. Although he wished it was under different circumstances, Brandon was thankful for the chance meeting. He knew there was something intriguing about her when he saw her for the first time at Subway.

They had very few things in common, but both of them having the desire to solve mysteries was odd all by itself yet interesting at the same time. As Brandon drove home, he wondered how hard it would be to get his captain to allow him to work on the case with the lead department. Brandon figured he could act as the liaison to his department and would be privy to all the new developments, in addition to being able to help out with the case.

* * *

Tonya was in deep thought as she neared the library on her way back to her dorm. All the research she had been doing was wearing her out. She spoke to Natalie and her aunt briefly on her way home. There were no new developments in the case, and in a way, Tonya was relieved to hear it. Before she passed by the library, she made a quick detour pulling into the parking lot. She needed to research something else before meeting up with Brandon tomorrow, and she had a good feeling about it.