Saving Her Shadow

by Lutishia Lovely

  With that statement Jennifer became unstuck. She got into the car but Raina wedged herself in the door before she could close it.

  “I love you, Mother. I’m sorry for what happened. Aren’t you going to say something, anything at all?”

  Jennifer started the engine. She placed her hand on the gearshift. Raina waited, holding her breath.

  “We saw the music video,” Jennifer said finally. She turned and their eyes met. “Stay away from Abby. We don’t want her infected with whatever’s taken over you.”

  The verbal one-two punch pushed all of the air out of Raina’s lungs. She fell back, closed her mother’s car door, then watched the taillights moving down the street until she could no longer see them.

  Chapter 21

  “I think you should call social services,” Jackie said to Raina, who was sitting at Valarie’s dining room table for this impromptu powwow, the weekend after Raina had seen her mom and been told to stay away from her sister. “Or call the police and ask them to do a welfare check.”

  “They’d likely send an officer from the Nation,” Raina replied. “The church are huge contributors to the police and fire department funds and have members on both forces.”

  “Do we want to open them up to the government?” Beverly asked. “On the one hand it’s a good idea, but on the other, it might get Abby removed from their home.”

  “I wish they would,” Raina said, ready to risk Abby’s discomfort in being with strangers. “But from what Miss Valarie has learned, that probably won’t happen.”

  Valarie reached for a Danish on the platter in the middle of the table, then shared what she and Raina had initially found on the internet and information the firm had further uncovered regarding Kansas’s laws on medical treatment and the rights of parents versus child. “The law favors the parent but exceptions exist. They’re rare and came only after clear, irrefutable proof of imminent child endangerment was successfully presented to the court. That’s a slippery slope to go down, especially given the variables we can’t control.”

  “What are those?” Raina asked.

  “Initially, children are often placed with someone outside of the family until a full investigation and report can be made. While most of these agencies and foster homes have the children’s best interest at heart, I’ve heard fostering and adoption horror stories.”

  Raina shivered. “We can’t do that.” The thought of Abby being in the home of strangers was already unsettling but that they might be abusive sent chills down her back.

  “I could make a few phone calls,” Bev suggested. “See if I can get somebody who knows someone in the system that we can trust.”

  “In social services?” Raina asked.

  Bev nodded.

  “At least we can talk to someone to learn our options,” Valarie suggested.

  “Knowledge is power,” Jackie said.

  “I agree,” Raina said with a nod. “Let’s do that.”

  That Monday, Raina got an excuse from her classes and rode with Valarie to the social services offices located in Topeka, the state’s capitol. They met with the woman Bev’s contact had recommended, and filed a report detailing the past few months and outlining her concern for Abby’s welfare. Dana Kirksey was the perfect mix of compassion and professionalism who put both Valarie and Raina at ease.

  “What happens now?” Valarie asked, once all of the questions had been asked, answered, and documented.

  “We’ll send someone over to meet with Abby and your parents,” Dana explained. “They’ll document their findings and make a recommendation based on the visit. I’ll contact you personally with the results.”

  “How long will all of this take?” Raina asked.

  “That depends on your parents’ cooperation,” Dana replied. “I’ve given the case urgent status, so hopefully no longer than a week or two.”

  Raina would read about what happened next in detailed social services reports.

  Two days later, social services showed up at the Reeds’, demanding to see Abby. They had documentation that was a type of search warrant, allowing them into the residence. The law was on their side, but the Reeds pushed back. Within minutes, a Nation lawyer pulled into the driveway and refused them entrance. The police were called. After a heated argument that drew ire from all sides, the social services team went away defeated. Citing religious freedom, the Reeds’ attorney prevailed. The state was denied entry into the Reeds’ home, but they vowed to continue fighting. According to the report, they returned to the home the very next day, accompanied by law enforcement not on the Nation’s payroll. There was only one problem when the team showed up, demanding to see Abby. She wasn’t there.

  When she heard the news, Raina was devasted.

  “Maybe they’re just out for the day,” Valarie offered, shortly after relaying how social services had arrived to a home where no one answered the door.

  That news made Raina even more uncomfortable. “Did they go by the church?”

  “No, but they visited the school. Abby wasn’t in class and hadn’t been for the past week. Should they have gone to the church?”

  “It probably wouldn’t have done any good. If my parents have taken Abby and gone into hiding, it is with the church’s protection.”

  “Where do you think they are?” Valarie asked.

  Raina thought for a moment. “Maybe Tulsa. That’s our Central Center, the hub for this part of the country. There is a major healing facility there with machines we don’t have locally. If Abby isn’t getting better, they may have taken her there to see if they could help.”

  Valarie opened her tablet. “What’s the name of this center? I need all of the information to pass on to social services and get the Oklahoma offices involved.”

  Heavy rains marked the beginning of April with no sign of the Reed family. A few days into the month, Bryce left town, too. Rapper KCK was on tour and had asked Bryce to join him. With her special friend gone and her family still missing, Raina’s heart grew heavy. Still, she wasn’t without strong, constant support. The Nation was influential, but their power was not absolute. Valarie’s law partners had contacts, too. Bruce was especially adept at networking. He had friends everywhere, including on the Chippewa police force. Through him, they’d conducted a regular patrol of the Reed property and had detected no movement. No cars in or out of the garage, or other signs of life. From time to time, lights had been seen going on and off, but Raina knew timers could have been responsible for that. Through another firm member who had a relative in the Nation, Raina and the team learned the family had not been seen at church. The last bit of information that they’d skipped town came as Raina finished her shift at BBs on Thursday night, from quite an unexpected source. She returned from break to see Abby’s teacher and the snitch that had sent Raina to council, Lucy Stone, sitting in her station. It wasn’t just their opposing points of view that made this unusual. Lucy was a member of the Nation. They didn’t keep casual company with the unsanctioned, and if given the choice wouldn’t dine with them. Shooting Stars was an award-winning restaurant, and one of the best steakhouses in the state. It was located in Lucent Rising. When wanting to dine out, most members ate there or at one of the three other choices. So what was Lucy doing at the Breadbasket? Raina wondered. Especially since Raina had now been shunned. There was only one way to find out.

  It took effort, but Raina managed to not roll her eyes or spit in the water she brought out with the menu. A benefit of no longer being a part of the church family was that Raina didn’t have to make nice.

  “Something to drink before I take your order?”

  “A cherry lemonade to go,” Lucy responded, evenly. “I won’t be long.”

  Ah, here we go. Raina could only imagine what judgmental message Lucy felt so compelled to deliver that she’d come inside the shop. She wasn’t going to set herself up for it, though. If Lucy had something to say to her, it wasn’t going to be by open invitation.

  “Okay, a
cherry lemonade coming right up.”

  Raina turned to leave, but Lucy’s next statement stopped her. “I’m here about Abby.”

  Concern for her little sister tossed all other feelings aside. She took a breath before facing Lucy. “Where is my sister? Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know.” Lucy kept her eyes on the menu as she spoke to Raina. “She was taken out of school and then earlier today came the news that she won’t be returning.”

  This news was shocking to Raina. Abby loved her classmates and had thrived in the group learning model the private school practiced. “She won’t be back for the rest of the year?”

  Lucy nodded. “That’s correct. Your parents have decided to homeschool her.”

  The hairs on the back of Raina’s neck stood up. As much as the message bothered her, so did the messenger who’d delivered it. “I’ve been rejected by my family and, obviously, the church, too. Why are you here telling me this?”

  Lucy finally looked up from the menu and met Raina’s eyes. “I’m worried about your sister’s health, Raina. I’m concerned for Abby.”

  Raina sat with no thought of being on the clock. That Lucy had voiced this concern out loud was rare for one of the Nation.

  “How did she look the last time that you saw her?”

  “Pale, weak, not the bundle of energy that usually ran into my classroom. Her health had gone up and down like that for weeks. I have every confidence in Illuminated healing and believe those days she felt better were due to Light treatment. But I haven’t been able to forget how she looked the last time I saw her, that day your mom took her out of my classroom. The fear and desperation I read in her eyes. I think that’s why you kidnapped her, because you’d seen it, too.”

  “She wasn’t kidnapped!” Raina whispered, louder than intended. A few heads turned in their direction. Raina remembered to breathe. “Never mind that. Did you share how you felt with my parents?”

  Lucy’s expression changed, became guarded.

  “I get it. In the eyes the church they’re no longer my family. But your concern is valid and you’re right. It equals mine. It’s why I took my sister to try and get help and, yes, am now facing a kidnapping charge. But that’s not what happened. A nurse from the clinic agreed to see Abby. I had every intention of going back home once my sister had been checked out. But the nurse said Abby was in critical condition so instead of going back home we went to emergency. Or tried to. Before getting out of the driveway, I was arrested. Social services got involved, to try and get Abby medical treatment. Now my parents have left town and no one knows where they are!”

  Raina felt the staring. Once again, her voice had risen along with her agitation. She looked over to discover her manager, Thomas, watching her intently. Work. Right. She’d forgotten about that.

  She gave him a slight nod and got up from the table. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have . . . I’m just so worried about her. Be right back with your drink.”

  When she returned with the lemonade, Lucy was gone. But she’d left a five-dollar bill on the table. A sticky note was attached.

  The Central, she’d hastily scribbled. And beneath it, Light day to you.

  Raina immediately texted Valarie with the information. She could barely wait to get off work, was ready to drive herself to Tulsa, Oklahoma. She’d climb barbed wire and break through glass if she thought it would lead her to Abby. Were it not for Valarie’s reminder that she was in the system and couldn’t leave the state, Raina would have left the next day.

  As it turned out, it wouldn’t have done any good. It took three attorneys, two agencies, a search warrant, court order, and judge to confirm the tip Lucy had given to Raina. Abby had indeed been treated at the healing center. Privacy laws kept her medical records sealed, but the practitioners reported Abby’s health as improving. Anyone wondering had to take their word for it. Because the Reeds were no longer in Tulsa and when it came to their whereabouts, no one in the Nation would disclose them.

  Chapter 22

  Valarie’s living room became the de facto ground zero for Raina and the supporting cast determined to find Abby. As the days, then weeks, passed, sympathizers wanting to help continued to grow, a motley crew of misfits, professionals, friends who became Raina’s family. Today, they’d met to discuss involving the media in helping to find Abby, to have the interest generated by Raina’s arrest work to their advantage. By then a few media outlets in the state’s larger cities—Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City—had run the story of her arrest. The general thought was that if the public knew the why behind the what, the reasons that had driven Raina to take Abby in the first place, the story could gain traction and get people talking, and looking for her sister. To Raina, any plan that could potentially help locate her shadow was one that they needed to try.

  “I have a contact at The Call,” Drew was saying, when Raina’s focus turned back to the activity around her. “I’m pretty confident that they’d run the story.”

  Andrew “Drew” Langley was one of the partners who worked at the Justice Bureau along with Bruce and Valarie. His interest in Abby’s safe return was personal. He had a daughter the same age. Valarie’s trustworthy assistant, Marjorie, was also Team Abby. She’d volunteered to help however she could and sat taking notes of the meeting.

  “That’s cool,” Bruce, the Bureau’s youngest, hot shot attorney added. “But theirs is a small circulation. We need this story in the major papers so it can get picked up by the Associated Press.”

  Valarie’s look was doubtful. “That’s a long shot. Every story doesn’t get picked up.”

  “If it’s written right, this one will.”

  Other ideas were bounced around, including starting a Where’s Abby or Find Abby page on various social media, like Facebook, Instagram, and Storytime, a new app driven mostly by short video posts. Lucy, who’d responded with an offer to help when Raina reached out to thank her using the school’s email address, had joined the group and offered to set up pages on the two more established sites. Someone else decided to create a digital flyer. Valarie asked for a picture of Abby. Raina pulled up images on her computer and then completely without warning burst into tears.

  “I’m sorry, guys,” she mumbled between sniffles. “I’m just so thankful to all of you for helping me.”

  Christine, who’d declared herself the resident chef whenever they got together, came out from the kitchen and enveloped Raina in her arms.

  “It’s okay, baby,” she said, rocking Raina gently. “We’re not going to stop until we find your sister. Let these be happy tears.”

  Jackie sat on the couch next to Monica, rubbing a white crystal. “That’s what the crystals and angels are saying.”

  Raina looked up from Christine’s comforting chest and saw her friend’s movements. As she walked over to sit next to her, a soft, brief smile eased through a blanket of pain. She sniffed and felt the faint smell of sage. Jackie could always be counted on to bring help from the other worlds. That’s the way her soul sister rolled.

  Monica’s mom, Bev, held out a box of tissues as Raina passed her. “Here you go, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you,” Raina mumbled. “Didn’t mean to lose it.”

  Monica tsked. “Don’t you dare feel bad about that. You have every right to lose it, freak out, or whatever else, and nothing to be sorry about.”

  “We won’t give up until we find her, that’s for sure,” Valarie said.

  Bev nodded. “I agree. That little girl is out there somewhere and she needs us, now more than ever. We’ve got to continue to do whatever it takes to try and find her and get her help.”

  Drew, who’d been seated on the love seat quietly chatting with Bruce and another man, got up and walked to the center of the room. “Valarie’s right, Raina. You’re such a trooper, and the best kind of big sister that a little sister could ask for. Hang in there, okay?”

  “I’ll try,” Raina said softly.

  “Don’t try, do,” Christine quickly counter
ed, looking out from the kitchen, emphasizing that last word while searing Raina with a look that could transfer power and transmit strength. “Y’all may not have the answer yet but God’s got it. Don’t worry. I’ve been praying.”

  Bruce chuckled. “What will prayer do?”

  “Son, don’t make me have to come in there and hit you upside the head with this skillet. Prayer will change things.”

  As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

  Bev looked up. “Is that Jesus?”

  Bruce went to the window and peeked out. “Young white girl,” he said.

  Valarie was on her way to the door before he finished the description.

  “Do you know her?” he asked.

  Valarie checked the peephole. “No, but I’m about to.” She opened the door. “May I help you?”

  “Hi,” the young woman said with a confidence that belied her seeming young age. “I’m looking for Raina Reed.”

  “And you are?”

  “My name is Kris Hall, a former member of the Nation and a freelance journalist. I received a tip about what’s going on with Raina and her sister, Abby. I’d like to tell their story.”

  “As a member of the Nation, what kind of story would you tell?”

  “I’m a former member who was kicked out for marrying an outsider. I believe that background gives me an insight that other journalists don’t have and the ability to tell the kind of story that editors would want to print, and the public would want to read.”

  Valarie gave the woman a long look. “Do you have a card?”

  “No card, just conviction,” she replied without smiling. “I want to help Abby. If you put my name into a search engine, I think you’ll see that I can do that.”

  Valarie wasn’t sure about the attitude, whether to be pissed off or a bit impressed. “Hang on a second.”

  She closed the door, leaving the woman on the other side, and walked into the dining room. “Look up Kris Hall,” she said to Lucy, who was still working on her computer.

  Lucy reacted to the name. “Kris Hall? What do you want to know about her?”