Forgive Me

by Stacy Campbell

  “Caleb did this, not Tawatha,” she said.

  “Did what?” asked Tawatha.

  “For months, Onnie received postcards with messages we assumed were from you. Each card was signed T. Everything coincided with your release, so we knew you did it, Tawatha,” said Lasheera.

  Stephanie removed a huge manila envelope from the trunk and unfolded several documents.

  “I came straight here with the baby, but Jamilah, I need you to take this and do a search on your computer.”

  Jamilah took the information to her office as Tawatha held the baby. Lasheera dialed Lake and paced the floor. Jamilah typed in the name on the birth certificate and waited for search results. Todd Sibley’s name appeared in multiple hits, all with the title of registered sex offender next to it. Jamilah printed out the information and ran back into the living room.

  “His name is Todd Sibley, and he’s a registered sex offender.”

  “That can’t be!” said Lasheera.

  Stephanie’s hands, shaking and barely able to straighten out the documents, passed around information again. The falsified birth certificate, teaching credentials, and degree all bore the name Caleb Wilson. Additionally, he’d placed stars by names and numbers with the word references underlined.

  “We have to alert authorities and the school right now! If necessary, we need to drive to Nashville,” said Tawatha.

  Chapter 50

  Aunjanue awakened with a cool facecloth on her forehead, her head nestled in Todd’s lap. Still in her bra and panties, she shivered as his clammy hands traveled the length of her body.

  “I see you’re okay,” he said. “It took you a little longer to come to.” He kissed her forehead and put the facecloth on the nightstand.

  “Please let me go, Mr. Wilson,” she said. Fresh tears fell from her face. “I promise I won’t say anything. This will be our secret.”

  “It’s already our secret, Aunjanue. And stop calling me ‘Mr. Wilson.’ I told you my name is Todd. We’ll be on our way after dark.” He pulled her from the bed and pulled the curtain back. “Do you see the blue car over there?”

  “Yes.”

  “I drove down yesterday and parked it across the street. I made sure I had an alternate way to leave so we could start our new life together. Aunjanue looked at the car and faced Todd. “May I use the bathroom?”

  Todd escorted her to the bathroom door. His confidence rose as he knew no window was in the bathroom. He’d spent weeks selecting their location and plotting his scheme so he could be with the woman he truly loved. His plot to be with her was paying off. He went out of his way to befriend Lake as he pretended to search for a teaching mentor. He paid a hefty price to create an alias, a false degree, an alternate birth certificate, and another social security number, but she was worth it. He hated marrying Stephanie, lying next to her each night, pretending to love her, procreating with her, but the façade allowed him to get closer to Aunjanue. He rubbed his hands together at the realization of his dream coming true.

  “I’ll stand outside until you come out. You have five minutes. I’ll come in after you if I have to, Aunjanue. Do you understand?”

  She nodded and went to the bathroom. She relieved herself, fear causing her legs to tremble. Her mind drifted back to years past and her judgment toward those who’d been kidnapped or abducted. She recalled thinking how stupid they were for not calling the police, for not fighting their attackers, and for not being strong enough to break free. As she looked around the windowless bathroom, her mind raced one hundred miles a minute thinking of ways to get out of the situation. She knew her family was looking for her, but wondered how could she reach them. She thought of banging on the wall so someone next door could hear her, but the rooms to her left and right had been unoccupied hours earlier.

  “Aunjanue, are you okay in there?”

  “Yes… Todd. I guess I drank too much earlier.”

  His silence, coupled with the shuffling of his feet away from the door, made her relax. She wished she could talk with Roger, Tarsha, or Lasheera. So many voices and moments had been taken for granted. She’d give anything to see those she loved in that moment. She flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and went back to the room. She felt Todd’s eyes on her as she sat on the edge of the bed. He sat in the chair in the corner, still in his underwear.

  “You can lie down and rest.”

  “I’m too scared.”

  “Have I ever hurt you?”

  “It’s not a matter of you hurting me; you’re scaring me.”

  “Aunjanue, I don’t want to scare you. I love you.”

  “You don’t know me. You don’t love me.”

  “Don’t say I don’t love you! Don’t tell me I don’t love you, and I’ve given up everything for you!”

  Panic stricken, she winced as he punctuated every word with emphasis while shouting at her.

  Seeing the fear in her eyes, he sat next to her on the edge of the bed and pulled her into a tight embrace.

  “Shhhhh. It’s okay. I didn’t mean to shout at you. You have to trust me, okay?”

  She didn’t acknowledge his request. She looked around the room.

  “Where are my clothes?”

  “I put them away for safe keeping.”

  “I want to go home.”

  “We’re going home when it gets dark. You’ll like the place I have for us. We can be together and start a new life. Won’t you like that, Aunjanue?”

  Her stomach churned again. She fell back on the bed and willed the fresh batch of tears to stop falling.

  He crawled in bed beside her, holding her again. He rubbed her hair and wiped her tears, placing light kisses on her forehead.

  “It’s going to be okay, baby. I promise I’ll take good care of you. I promise.”

  Chapter 51

  Principal Gordon and the authorities met Lake and the women outside the school. Tarsha and Roger joined them as well. He followed proper procedure by sending out an automated message throughout the district about Aunjanue’s status. Students came to the school and milled around discussing the matter, surprised Mr. Wilson was a predator. Authorities confirmed the abduction, and after getting a description of the car, Aunjanue, and Todd Sibley’s true identity, issued an Amber Alert. The community, as well as the students, were terrified knowing one of their own had vanished under horrible circumstances.

  “How was he allowed to go away in the first place?” a concerned mother asked.

  “He is a family friend. We thought he was a family friend,” said Lake. “We had no reason to suspect he’d harm her.”

  “Is there a way we can trace the car?” Lasheera asked.

  “We are in wait-and-see mode,” said Principal Gordon.

  Lake held Lasheera’s hand, resisting the urge to pace the school grounds. He felt responsible for not being home when Caleb came to pick up Aunjanue. If he’d been able to look Caleb in the eye, man to man, he might have seen something that would have tipped off his motives.

  “You all have to let the authorities handle the matter,” said Principal Gordon. “I know you want to find her, but going to Nashville won’t help the situation and may, in fact, put all of you in greater danger.”

  “We can’t sit here and do nothing,” said Lake. Lake thought of the images of Aunjanue that would be distributed nationwide. Her mental and physical maturity belied her years. “What if someone thinks she’s an adult?”

  “Didn’t you say she doesn’t turn eighteen for two more weeks? An Amber Alert is acceptable as long as the person abducted is seventeen or younger. Technology has evolved so much the alert will be issued via emails, smartphones, and television. Someone has seen or knows something. We’ll find her,” said the police officer.

  Hours earlier, the family had pored over recent photos of Aunjanue. Tawatha was allowed to pick out photos that would be distributed to the media. Lake felt guilty after discovering there was no such thing as a Youth Arts Fair in Nashville. Todd created the bogus ev
ent, even going as far as creating an event website. He generated interest amongst the art students, then sent personal letters to the students two days before the event stating it was cancelled. Lake wondered why the other students hadn’t conveyed the message to Aunjanue. He also wondered how he missed a key planning event, since he was so attuned to the art functions at the school. If something happened to Aunjanue, he’d never forgive himself.

  “Should we go home and wait?” asked Lasheera. “Being here at the school is doing nothing for me.”

  “You may go home if you wish. We’ll be in touch as things unfold,” said the officer.

  Lake drove Lasheera home. Zion had stayed behind with Roberta and J.B. The family agreed he’d seen enough the past few months and shouldn’t bear the burden of Aunjanue’s disappearance. Roberta and J.B. turned off the televisions and radios, and against their usual routine, allowed Zion video game time.

  En route home, Lake’s phone rang. He recognized the officer’s number.

  “Mr. Carvin, the car was found in Gallatin, Tennessee. No sign of Aunjanue or Todd Sibley, but it was abandoned in the Holder Family Fun Center parking lot.”

  Lake waited for more information. “Was there anything in the car?”

  “Vehicle is empty,” said the officer.

  “Thanks for the call, officer.”

  Lake ended the call. He looked in his rearview mirror and noted Jamilah’s car. She transported Stephanie, CJ, and Tawatha. How can I be strong for my family?

  “What’s on your mind, Lake?” asked Lasheera.

  “I feel so guilty. All this time, I’ve befriended this man thinking he wanted my advice, my guidance, and my wisdom. Baby, think of all the times we’ve shared things about Aunjanue with him. Think of all the times he’s been in our house, eating our food, and traveling with us. Now that I recall our conversations, he always cared more about her well-being than Zion’s. Almost in an macabre way. I shrugged it off since everyone protected her after the fire.”

  “You can’t blame yourself, Lake. We were all blindsided.”

  “If something happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself, ’Sheer.”

  “She’ll be fine, Lake. She’s strong and resourceful,” said Lasheera, trying to convince herself more than Lake.

  They pulled into the driveway and were met with a familiar yet heartwarming scene. Their neighbors stood outside in a show of solidarity. Belinda Rosewood approached Lake’s car, the usual spokesperson for the street.

  “We heard about what happened,” said Belinda. She leaned into the driver side and said, “James Ford, three doors down, said he would be on the lookout tonight when he does his run down to Nashville.”

  “The trucker?” asked Lasheera.

  “Yep. He happens to do his runs to Nashville on Fridays and Saturdays. He said he’d call if he hears of anything,” Belinda said.

  “Thank you, Belinda,” said Lake.

  “You all come on over to my place. We all got together and fixed some food for you all. I know you might not have an appetite, but you’ll go crazy sitting in there, staring at the walls, and waiting to hear something. We cooked some things and bought a few other items.”

  Jamilah pulled in behind Lake. She exited the car, followed by Stephanie and Tawatha.

  “We’re going over to Belinda’s,” Lake said to them.

  Jamilah, familiar with Belinda’s hospitality, followed her family across the street, grateful that community still reigned in their lives.

  Chapter 52

  The Ghoul. That was the nickname Aunjanue gave Tawatha’s most hideous boyfriend. The Ghoul, whose real name was Jacob Curry, wore too much cologne, had three missing digits on his right hand, and sat in the living room in their La-Z-Boy playing with a platinum signet ring on his left ring finger. The J in the center of the ring caught the light as he twirled it and munched pork rinds. Aunjanue remembered the night Tawatha gave the performance of a lifetime to restore their electricity.

  Aunjanue was ten, and the lights had been shut off for almost a month. Tawatha had sworn the children to secrecy about the lights so Roberta wouldn’t lecture Tawatha or provide the money with strings attached. She’d come to rely on her steady stream of men to provide groceries, stock the pantry, or help her with tires or gas for her lemon. Aunjanue channeled Tawatha from the night, the way she leaned into Jacob, or Big Jake, as she called him, and rendered him putty in her hands.

  “Todd, hold me tighter,” said Aunjanue.

  His body stiffened at her command. Her body had relaxed, and she caressed his hand. “What did you say?” he asked.

  “I asked you to hold me tighter. I like the way your body feels next to mine,” she said.

  The landscape had changed. He’d braced himself to fight with her for the rest of the night, to use the drugs in his bag to sedate her if necessary. He hadn’t anticipated surrender.

  “What are you saying, Aunjanue? Are you playing games with me?”

  She faced him now. She traced the delicate sketching of his tattoo with her fingers. She circled the numbers of her birthdate on the café’s awning, pleased that his body shivered at her touch. “I’m tired of pretending I don’t have feelings for you. I’ve cared for you since the first time I met you.”

  “Don’t play head games,” he said.

  “Todd, I mean it. Look at how handsome you are. You’re sweet, kind, loving, and you always have my back when it comes to my well-being,” she said. Tawatha spoke those same words to Big Jake.

  Todd kissed her forehead, pulled her hair behind her ears. “I’ve wanted you so badly.”

  “How did you know I was the one for you?”

  Todd sought the right explanation. He heard the words of his arresting officers during past run-ins. They called him a predator, a molester, but he wasn’t. He loved those girls in a different way; Aunjanue was special. He wanted to give her his all, to protect her. “When I first heard of the situation with your family, my heart went out to you. I sat in my living room watching CNN and saw photos of your house burning. I hated your mother for doing what she did to your brothers and your sister. I didn’t realize she had one child living until I saw you at the funeral.

  “You and Tarsha held hands before you went inside the church. In that moment, I knew I had to protect you, to make sure no one else did anything to harm you.”

  She let his words soak in as she resisted the urge to vomit. “How did you get here? I mean, to be my teacher?”

  “I taught school right out of college. I came from a long line of professors and teachers, so it was natural for me to pursue the family tradition. I was fine at first, but I lost my teaching license in Connecticut after a girl accused me of impregnating her.”

  “Did you?”

  “She wanted it. She was sixteen, and her family neglected her. They made her have an abortion, and I spent a year in jail for statutory rape.”

  “Oh.”

  “No, Aunjanue, don’t take it that way. I didn’t love her like I love you,” he said.

  “What about Stephanie?” she asked.

  Stephanie. Todd had moved to Florida after his Connecticut jail release to get away from his criminal history. He didn’t register with the State of Florida as a sex offender, and he kept the contact information for a man inmates called Shadow. Shadow’s specialty was creating new identities. Birth certificates, social security numbers, addresses, and credit histories—if he could name it, Shadow could do it. After receiving a six-thousand-dollar cash payment, Shadow transformed Todd Sibley to Caleb Wilson. New teaching license in hand, he quietly taught art at a small middle school in Ocala, Florida. At a birthday party for a fellow teacher, Stephanie approached him talking a mile a minute about her career as a banker, her love of baking, and her investing expertise. She asked him on a date. When he declined, she persisted. He passed the time away with her to keep his growing feelings for the teens around him at bay. He loved girls between the ages of twelve and fifteen. They were no longer little girls, b
ut not quite women. They were moldable. When he learned Stephanie had received a job transfer to Indianapolis, he proposed, knowing his chance to be with Aunjanue was imminent. Lake was a prominent figure in the funeral photos as well, so he sought him out as a mentor. Lake and Lasheera’s guardianship of Aunjanue sealed the deal for him.

  “Stephanie was a bump in the road. I should have never gotten her pregnant, and I regret marrying her. I should have come to Indy, told you what you meant to me, and took my chances.”

  “Don’t you love CJ?”

  “I do. I wish I could be the kind of father he needs, but I know that’s impossible,” he said.

  “You know we have to move, right? We can’t be around family like this. What would they say?”

  “After getting to know you, I also admire how mature you are. The other girls didn’t understand the need to keep our love quiet, but you do.”

  “Telling will ruin our good thing,” she said, and moved closer to him. Tawatha had assured Big Jake their secrets were safe from his wife as well.

  His heart raced. She felt the rapid movement of his chest and placed her hand over his heart.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’ve wanted you for so long. I don’t want to let you down.”

  “You won’t.”

  Hours passed as Aunjanue massaged Todd’s shoulders and held him close. She thought of Tawatha’s next move from so many years ago. Big Jake splayed four crisp, hundred-dollar bills on the table that night. He told her to get the lights turned back on and use the remaining money for groceries. Big Jake, ready for payback, took Tawatha in his arms to whisk her away to the bedroom, but she made a bathroom pit-stop.

  “Todd, I—”

  “What is it, honey?”

  She hated the words honey, sweetie, and doll. She pushed past the irritation and said, “It’s that time of the month. I need to go the restroom to, you know…” she lied.

  “Aunjanue, I didn’t know.” He released her body as if it were rotted fruit. I wish I had known about her cycle.