Day of Atonement

by Yolonda Tonette Sanders

“It varies. Sometimes it takes a few trials to complete a successful therapy session. Other times it can happen on the first try. It all depends on you and your comfort level. B.K. tells me that you will only be in town a few days, so I am hoping your first session will go well.”

  Troy thought about telling her that he’d planned to be there for a while, but decided against it. If she knew she had more time to play around in his head, she might have found it necessary to have multiple sessions. He’d rather spend his time actually working Elana’s case than seeing a head shrink.

  After confirming his understanding that this and any future sessions with her would be recorded, Shauna began. “Why don’t you start by telling me everything you remember about the day Elana disappeared?”

  Troy recanted the story without skipping a beat.

  “Did either you or Elvin go outside to see which direction she may have gone?”

  “No. We didn’t go out until his mom came home and asked us to look for her.”

  “What about her doll? Did she take it with her?”

  “I…” Troy paused for a moment. He was puzzled. As many times as he had replayed the day in his mind, that detail had escaped him. “I honestly don’t know,” he said with a sense of disappointment. How could he not remember? Recalling barrettes were one thing; remembering a stringy red-haired doll that she used to play with seemed like a bigger deal.

  Shauna grinned, rather smirked. “Don’t beat yourself up. That’s something I can possibly help you remember.” She sounded as if she had been waiting to find the right moment to say something to that effect. “Also, I don’t want you to worry about being in a trance and doing crazy things that you won’t remember like is often depicted on TV. You will be able to remember everything we talk about.”

  Her last statement actually made him feel a little better about the whole thing.

  “Is there anything else that you would like to add before we end today’s session?”

  “No, nothing I can think of.”

  “Okay.” She turned off the recorder. “Normally, I like to give myself a week to review the tapes and interview notes, but I understand the urgency in this case. Can you come back either tomorrow or Friday so we can start?”

  “Sure. Tomorrow’s fine,” he answered, eager to get it over.

  “Good. One o’clock okay?”

  “Yep.”

  “Here is some information you can read through to help you understand the process better.” She handed him some pamphlets. “If you have any questions, give me a call. Otherwise I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  They exchanged “nice-to-meet-yous” and Troy followed her out to the waiting room where he double-checked with Elvin to see if he wanted him to stay during his session.

  “Naw, man, you’re cool. I’ll touch base with you later.”

  Since he had some time to kill before meeting B.K., Troy grabbed a bite to eat and did a little joyriding while he gathered his thoughts. It had been a long time since he’d roamed the streets of Houston for the heck of it. He had lived in Columbus longer than the eighteen years he’d spent in Texas, and his current navigational skills proved as much. At first he found himself forgetting what streets led to where and certain shortcuts. But, the more he drove, the more familiar things started to become. He wandered aimlessly like the car was on autopilot without much thought and attention being given to where he went since his mind was elsewhere.

  The major problem with Elana’s case, besides him not having any jurisdiction, was that there was no evidence. Nothing that he could use to single out any of the persons he found suspicious.

  First, there was Edgar Campbell. What father would not show up to the funeral service of his daughter? He seemed so grief-stricken at the wake. Yet, he hadn’t been in touch with Elvin or Lilly in years. If the funeral was too much for anyone to handle, it should have been Lilly. Edgar never showed up the day of Elvin’s birthday. Could he have come by the next day? If Elana went with someone willingly, who could be more trustworthy in the mind of an eight-year-old than her father? And what about the baby? Most men in their sixties would not think of adopting a baby despite having a young wife. Could this be a cover-up to conceal the fact that Edgar and his wife have Elana’s child? Adoption records could easily prove or disprove this theory. Even in this day and age of electronic transactions, there still had to be a paper trail.

  Another suspect, in Troy’s mind, was Herbert Greenfield. Technically Herbert did not have to be at the service. He and Lilly were currently divorced and likely had not been in contact since separating. Still, common courtesy would have been to make an appearance or at least call since they were married at the time Elana went missing. Only a man with something to hide would not have the decency to give his condolences. Plus, he didn’t stay around to comfort Lilly in the immediate aftermath of Elana’s disappearance. Herbert left Lilly within a few months, another uncompassionate act that possibly pointed to his guilt.

  Then there was Jerry, who was obviously faking an injury, but for what purpose? Was he trying to make it seem as if he was physically incapable of committing this crime? Jerry was no friend to the law and held a frequent visitor’s pass to confined spaces. Could this be a real-life reenactment of The Usual Suspects, a movie in which the bad guy turns out to be the one everyone least expects since he was assumed to be physically impaired?

  Elvin and Lilly thought someone from the family was involved. If not Herbert, Edgar, or Jerry, then who? Frustrated, Troy finally made his way to B.K.’s office. As he pulled into a space, he immediately knew that something was wrong.

  Chapter 19: Damsel in Distress

  Natalie peeked in on Nate, napping in Tracy’s old room, before making her way back to Troy’s. To say she had an attitude would have been putting it mildly. Troy was gone, so was Diane, and Reed was at his other house doing some work.

  Natalie wondered if she was being selfish by expecting Troy to be around more than he had since they’d been in Texas. She understood the importance of Elana’s case. Then again, every case was important to Troy. She honestly did not mind him working so hard to find answers about Elana’s disappearance because she knew he felt a sense of responsibility. She did not understand why he had to drag her and Nate down there with him if he had not planned to spend any time with them. If she was going to be by herself, she’d rather do so in the comfort of her own home! When Aneetra called to see how things were going, Natalie gave her an earful.

  “You only have a few more days, and then you will be coming home. Try not to give Diane a heart attack in the meantime. Have her write down all of her superstitions so you’ll know what not to do while you’re there,” Aneetra teased.

  “Girl, Saturday can’t get here fast enough. I might take Nate to the zoo Monday since I’m not allowed to go down here. You and the girls want to come?”

  “If you do, let me know. I’ll go, but they will be with Marcus.” There was a sadness in her voice that Natalie wasn’t quite sure how to address. Aneetra and Marcus had separated over the summer. Natalie still wasn’t sure about the final direction their marriage was taking, but she knew the separation was a lot harder than Aneetra had anticipated.

  “How’s the communication been between you and Marcus?”

  “It’s been okay. He stayed over last night.”

  “Wow. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”

  “I wouldn’t say all of that. I think we both got caught up in enjoying Christmas with the girls and I let my hormones get in the way. I haven’t been taken care of since he moved. I can’t say the same for him.”

  “Stop it. Don’t think like that.”

  “I’m being real.”

  “Okay, Miss Real. You’re also being sarcastic.”

  “Whatever you say, Miss Know-It-All. I bet you wish you knew Diane would spit on that broom so you could have stopped Nate from sweeping her feet.”

  Natalie couldn’t help but laugh. “She should be put in a strait-jacket for that. At the ver
y least, given meds. Anyone who spits on a broom for no good reason has to have a psychological disorder.” She and Aneetra shared several more humorous moments talking about Diane’s crazy beliefs before another call came in. “Hey, I need to take this. It’s Corrine.”

  “Okay, tell her I said hi. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Natalie quickly answered the incoming call. “Hello?”

  “Hey, what are y’all doing today?’

  She decided to be more politically correct with her daughter about her discontentment than she had been with Aneetra. “Nothing much. Both Troy and his mom had some appointments. Nate’s taking a nap and I’m hanging out at the house. What are you guys up to?”

  “Mama and Dorrinda went shopping. I don’t know where Dad and the boys are. I’m getting ready to go help Uncle Tommy at the center. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I told him I would be there.”

  Natalie was only thirteen when she had Corrine and was forced to give her up for adoption. Soon thereafter she and her mother moved to Ohio and it was a long time before Natalie had learned that her father’s sister had been the one to adopt her child. Sometimes tensions arose between Natalie and her aunt Toni, but for the most part they have been able to coexist in Corrine’s life.

  “Do you and Troy have plans for New Year’s Eve?”

  “I was thinking about taking him to the zoo and then we may go to church that night, but nothing’s set in stone. Why, what’s up?”

  “I want Nate to stay overnight.”

  “That’s fine.” Suddenly, Natalie had an idea to plan a romantic evening for her and Troy on New Year’s Eve. “Y’all can hang out and I’ll take him to the zoo another time.”

  “If that’s what he wants to do, I have no problems with that. We can all go.”

  “I don’t think that boy is worried about the zoo.” Natalie filled Corrine in on Diane’s monkey baby theory.

  “Wow. Your mother-in-law can be special.”

  “If you only knew,” replied Natalie, beginning to feel bad about only focusing on Diane’s negative attributes. “She does have a good heart though. I only brought up going to the zoo because she got on my nerves at the time. Nate has probably forgotten.”

  “Well, if he does mention it, I don’t mind taking him. We’ll figure it out later because I need to get going. Give Nate a kiss for me.”

  “Will do. Tell Tommy hi. I love you, honey.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Natalie continued to hold the phone after Corrine hung up. In her wildest imagination she could not have fathomed having such a close relationship with her daughter. It was an atypical mother-daughter relationship for sure. Her role in Corrine’s life seemed to toggle between mother and big sister with the latter being more prevalent. Natalie was fine with that. Simply being a part of Corrine’s life was a blessing in and of itself.

  Natalie was still under the impression that she was at the house alone until the screams she heard coming from downstairs startled her. She jumped up and ran in the hall, standing at the top of the stairwell. There, she witnessed Tracy standing face-to-face with Reed, yelling at him.

  “You are a monster!” Tracy stood with her fists clenched and visibly shaking as a result of her anger.

  “Calm down, Tracy. It’s not what you think.”

  In a form similar to Diane’s nature, Tracy not-so-kindly told Reed that he was full of crap. It caught Natalie off guard because she had never seen her sister-in-law like that before. Because of how protective Troy was of Tracy, Natalie had always pictured her as this quiet damsel in distress who never spoke up for herself. Natalie was fully aware that, for Diane, swearing came as natural as breathing. Though she’d heard the words Tracy said many times, and, in the past, had even said them herself, it came as a shock to see a side of her younger sister-in-law that she had never known existed. “If I’m wrong, then why won’t you tell me who she was?”

  Natalie crept backward with the intention of getting as far away from the drama as possible. When she did, the floor creaked, causing them to shift their attention in her direction. “Um, hi…” She waved, giving what had to be the fakest smile she’d ever contrived in her entire life.

  Reed looked embarrassed. No, worried would have been a more accurate description of his expression. Tracy glanced fiercely her way and then turned back to Reed. “I’m not crazy. I know what I saw. She was at the house!” She stormed away with Reed yelling “wait!” and running after her.

  Natalie waited a few minutes and then went down the stairs with the sole purpose of looking out the front window to see what was happening with Reed and Tracy. They were in the driveway. Tracy sat on her front bumper bawling and Reed was trying to console her. Whenever he touched her, she would jerk his hand away. He finally gave up trying to make physical contact, instead kneeling next to her, apparently trying to reassure her that whatever she had thought wasn’t what happened. Natalie couldn’t clearly make out everything he was saying, but some key phrases like, “There’s a big misunderstanding,” and “Trust me. I’ll explain everything later,” stood out.

  Hearing only bits and pieces of their conversation was frustrating. Natalie decided to open the front window slight enough to assist in her eavesdropping. Desperately trying not to make any noise, she did so slowly and when she finally got it open enough to hear with clarity, Tracy got in her car and left.

  So much for that! Natalie thought and was about to shut it until she saw Reed on his cell phone. “Hey, please call me when you get this message. Something has come up and I need to talk to you,” he said.

  Natalie had pretty much pieced together the gist of what had happened. Tracy must have gone by the other house this morning when Reed was there working and saw him with another woman. Feeling like she already knew much more than she needed, Natalie closed the window and headed back upstairs. She hoped…prayed that Diane would not find out about this before she and her family hopped on the plane back to Ohio Saturday. Tracy’s anger would be nothing compared to Troy’s and God only knew what her husband would do if he learned of his father’s affair. Poor Diane. She really believed that Reed had changed. This was going to destroy her.

  Chapter 20: Back Burner

  The second Troy realized he was sitting in an empty parking lot, he knew it was a waste of time to get out of the vehicle, but he did anyhow, hoping for the best. As suspected, the building was locked and despite Troy’s persistent ringing of the buzzer, no one responded.

  He practiced great restraint not to allow the foul words in his mind to come out of his mouth as he headed back to the rental. Had B.K. gone to Hitchcock without him? B.K.’s lack of communication angered Troy most of all. He had yet to return Troy’s phone call from Monday and if B.K. had gone to see Herbert without him, at the very least, he should have notified him.

  “Hopefully, we can work together and stay out of each other’s way,” B.K. had said to him the first time Troy was at his office like Troy was trying to steal his thunder. Elana’s case was getting increased media attention and Troy figured that B.K. wanted to solve it in order to bring more notoriety to his business. Though, from the looks of his building, he wasn’t doing too badly. What would it take for the man to understand that Troy didn’t care about his name being in the closing credits? His only concern was finding closure for Lilly and Elvin. He didn’t have time for this territorial nonsense.

  Troy grabbed his cell phone with the intention of calling and letting B.K. have it as professionally as he could, but when he noticed that his screen was completely black, Troy could only blame himself. He had forgotten to turn his phone back on after his session with Shauna. Upon doing so, he discovered that he had several voicemail messages.

  12:31 p.m. “This is Tracy. Call me as soon as you get this. I need to tell you something.”

  12:57 p.m. “Troy, this is B.K. I need to delay our meeting about an hour or two. I’m following your mom and Lilly to Shauna’s office. We’re going to see if Shauna can do Lill
y’s assessment today. If so, I’m going to take your mom to lunch so she doesn’t have to sit in the waiting room by herself. We should be back around three o’clock. Meet me at Shauna’s office instead. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll go on to Hitchcock and touch base with you later. Oh, and thanks for the tip about Edgar. I have my assistant looking into those adoption records. I’m thinking about making a surprise visit to Edgar’s after we come from Hitchcock if it’s not too late.”

  Having heard B.K.’s message, Troy now felt better about his communication skills. He was slightly annoyed that B.K. chose to have lunch at a time when they should have been working. Why is he so concerned about her being alone? Troy wondered.

  12:59 p.m. “Troy, please call me back. I’m about to lose my mind. I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

  1:24 p.m. “I’m on my way to the house. I hope you’re there.”

  2:03 p.m. “Hey man, where are you? B.K said he tried to call to let you know that he wouldn’t be at the office. My mom is meeting with Shauna as I speak. I’m headed back to her house to pick up Nikki and the boys and take them to lunch. If you want to join us, holla at me.”

  2:11 p.m. “It’s me again. I don’t know what to think or do. I need you.”

  Concerned about how distressed Tracy sounded in her messages, Troy tried calling her back immediately.

  Voicemail.

  He called Natalie. “Hey, babe, is Tracy over there?”

  “She was outside talking to your dad earlier, but they are both gone now.”

  “She left me four messages about needing to talk to me. I tried to call her back and she’s not answering. You know what’s going on?”

  “Uh, not really.”

  “It was a yes or no question,” he said irritably. “Was Al with her?”

  “Nope. She was by herself.”

  “Man, if that fool put his hands on her—”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions. I don’t think it’s anything like that.”

  “Then what is it like, Natalie? Is there something you’re not telling me?”