“Her car is here.” Sylvia was the first to notice the silver Eclipse parked outside. “That’s a positive sign. Maybe she overslept. I know it’s after four, but she had a busy week. Sometimes our bodies are more exhausted than we think.”
Natalie still wasn’t convinced. Sylvia hadn’t yet put the car in park when Natalie jumped out, leaving both Sylvia and her umbrella behind. “Wait fo—” was all she heard as she ran through puddles into the building and to apartment 2B.
“Corrine!” She banged on the door nonstop. Water from her wet hair and clothes slowly pooled at her feet. Crap! She’d left her keys at the house. She’d had a spare to Corrine’s apartment.
“Should we call the police to let us in?” Sylvia had made her way there.
“No. It may take too long. Stay here. I’ll be back.” Natalie ran down the stairs to the rental office and frantically pleaded with the property manager to open the door.
“I really shouldn’t be doing this, but—”
“Thank you so much,” Sylvia answered while Natalie burst through.
There was nothing out of place in the living room. Corrine’s purse and cell phone lay on her coffee table; Nate’s birthday present wrapped, taking over the small dinette on which it sat. “Corrine!” she called out several times with no response, searching every room of the apartment.
CHAPTER 33: STANDARD PROTOCOL
“Is everything okay?” Robert asked Troy after Natalie took off.
He explained the reason for Natalie’s departure.
“I hope her daughter is all right.”
“I’m sure there is a simple explanation for all of this.” Troy didn’t feel as peaceful as he tried to sound.
About thirty minutes later, his false sense of security came to an end when Natalie called in a panic. “She’s gone! Her car was outside, but she wasn’t answering so I went to the office and had the lady come open the door and we came in and her purse and cell phone are still here and I thought she was maybe in there passed out or something but she wasn’t. She’s nowhere to be found and her car is still outside. I’m scared and I don’t know what to do!”
“Okay, baby, try and calm down. I’ll call this in on my way over.”
“Please hurry!”
“That was Natalie, wasn’t it? What’s wrong?” Aneetra inquired.
He quickly filled her in on the details. Richard and Robert were also standing nearby. “I wish I could go with you.”
“I know, Aneetra, but someone has to stay here with Nate and see these guests out. I need to figure out who’s all parked in the driveway and have them move their cars.”
“That could take forever. We parked on the street. I can take you; I’m sure Lisa won’t mind. She can help with everything.”
“I’ll be here, too,” Richard added.
“I need to give some type of explanation to these parents.”
“Just go, Troy. Between Richard, Lisa, and me, we have everything under control.”
Troy almost wished he’d driven because it may have been easier than having to give Robert directions. He was trying to multi-task and they’d missed a turn. The rain was starting to dissipate, but it hadn’t stopped. Troy was unable to call in a missing person report because he didn’t know Corrine’s address by heart. He called Natalie back for the information and learned that she’d already called. “At the next light turn left and then her apartment complex will be about halfway down the street on the right,” he instructed Robert, figuring he’d bought himself enough time to put in a quick call to Jon. “Hey, Knight, this is Troy. If you get this message, give me a call. It’s urgent. I want you to meet me at Corrine’s place. I think something has happened to her.”
He hung up as Robert was turning into the division. “Go ahead and park anywhere.”
Natalie was already talking to officers when Troy and Robert made it to Corrine’s apartment. Troy hugged her and had Sylvia take her aside while he spoke with the officers alone. “Have you found anything?”
“No, sir, not yet,” one of the men spoke. Due to the circumstances of recent missing women cases, the standard protocol was to now search each victim’s home and other property for signs that the case was related to the others. If not, it would be handled a little differently. Troy prayed that nothing would be found.
He went to the couch where Sylvia and Robert were sitting on either side of Natalie who rocked back and forth anxiously. He knelt before his wife. “Has she been taken by that man who’s been killing all these women?” she asked.
Troy hadn’t seen her cry like this since her grandmother died. He wanted to tell her no, but at this point he wasn’t sure and while he didn’t want to worry her, he wouldn’t lie to her either. He pulled her cupped hands away from her mouth and pushed her wet hair from her face. “I honestly don’t know.” She cried harder and he brought her into his arms. “I promise you that I will do everything in my power to find Corrine. In the meantime, I’m going to have Sylvia take you home.”
“Nooo! I need to stay here. What if she comes back?”
“Then I will call you. Better yet, I’ll bring her to you. But, right now there’s nothing else for you to do. Trust that I got this.” She nodded her head.
“You can take off, too. I’ll get a ride home,” he said to Robert.
“I don’t mind waiting for a while as long as I’m not going to be in your way.”
Troy heard him, but didn’t respond. His attention had been grabbed by the wooden cross lying next to a stack of mail on Corrine’s coffee table. “Don’t touch anything.” The officers were now in the hall talking to neighbors. He got a pair of gloves from them and bagged the cross, knowing its significance. It was the calling card that the killer had always left behind. Like before, the letters WOS had been engraved on the stem. He sorted through the stack of mail, coming to a blank unsealed envelope. Robert said something else to him, but all outside noises had been blocked. A warm sensation fell over his body and he could feel the rhythmic beat of his heart pumping as he slowly pulled the contents from the envelope. There was a typed note: WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD, THERE IS NO REMISSION OF SIN. THEY HAD TO DIE SO THAT OTHERS WILL COME TO REPENTANCE. GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED BY SIN! THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH! SOON MY MISSION WILL BE COMPLETE AND SOULS WILL BE SAVED. Corrine Shepherd WILL BE THE LAST DEATH. Troy’s throat tightened and he struggled to breathe. If he didn’t find Corrine soon, she’d never be found alive.
CHAPTER 34: AN AWESOME GOD
The Avenger watched as Corrine slowly came to. Due to the impromptu nature of this one, extra precaution had been taken. Normally, the Avenger had been good at giving the victims enough tranquilizers to keep them out for a few hours, but Corrine had apparently been overdosed.
When the Avenger had finally decided to replace the other lady with Corrine, not knowing Corrine’s schedule had posed a major problem. Corrine made things a little easier with her Facebook post yesterday, allowing the Avenger to know she’d be home alone. The real issue had been how to get inside her building and get her into the car without anyone else noticing. The Avenger drove around for hours scoping out the complex and checking for security cameras. When Corrine was observed walking alone so late at night, the Avenger knew it had been a clear sign from God that she was the one.
“Wh-where am I?” She tugged on the guard rail that her left hand was attached to. “Heeelp!” The Avenger could not help but laugh. Corrine suddenly became aware that she wasn’t alone. “You? Why are you doing this to me!”
“I think the better question is why have you done this to yourself? Your own actions have brought you here. My assignment is to get your soul right before sending you to God so you don’t die in your sin.”
“You crazy b—”
“Shh! That’s not a nice way to start off our time together and that speech is especially not becoming for a Christian woman. Oh, but you haven’t been living like a Christian, have you? At least not from what your stepfather says.” Corrine looked hor
rified as the Avenger laughed wickedly. “Yes, that’s right, sweetheart. I know your secret. You are an adulterer and I’ve been commissioned to save you from yourself. I recommend that you start making a list of any unconfessed sin. Like the thief who was forgiven right before he was crucified with Jesus, you can also spend eternity in Heaven if you repent. I’m curious to know…have you ever played on Troy’s pogo stick?”
Corrine had the nerve to look offended. “No, you idiot! He’s married to my mom.”
“And the guy you’re sleeping with is married to someone. People don’t hold their vows sacred anymore. I’m putting a stop to that. When the world learns of my mission, order will be restored. What happened to me will never happen to anyone else!”
“I didn’t do anything to you!” She cried, grunting as she tugged again on her cuffed arm.
“But you have sinned and in Romans 6:23, Paul tells us that the wages of sin is death. Do you know the rest of that scripture?” She nodded yes. “Say it!”
“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“Vare-ree good! Sin is destructive to all of mankind and God is not going to allow it to go on forever. I have a divine assignment to show you the error of your ways, but if your soul gets right, you’ll spend eternity with Jesus. What I am doing right now may seem like a bad thing, but you’ll be thankful later.”
“P-p-please let me go. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done wrong. I swear I’m not even dating that guy anymore. I’ve already learned my lesson! I promise I will never date another married man again.”
The Avenger smiled. “I can tell already that there is hope for you. The others didn’t cave so easily. I’m inclined to believe you, but unfortunately, our justice system is so screwed up. Adultery isn’t against the law, but righteous kidnappings are.” The cops had been left a note explaining why the women had to die with the assurance that there would be no more killings, but they were likely too carnal-minded to appreciate this special assignment. “Because of the legality of things, I could never let you go. I have to kill you. Don’t worry. It’s not as horrible as it sounds. You’ll be absent in the body, but present with the Lord.”
Corrine’s head sunk and she sobbed. “I need to get going, but I’ll be back soon. In the meantime, you should start reading the Word. It’s a soul-saver.” The Avenger walked away, smiling. Soon, the voice of God would be heard, saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
• • •
It was almost 5:00 p.m. The rain had completely stopped by now, but the sun failed to come back out. Natalie was thankful that the guests were gone by the time she’d returned home. She took two extra-strength ibuprofen pills for her splitting headache. Sylvia and Richard asked if she needed them to stay, but she said no. “Call us the moment you hear anything,” Sylvia said before leaving.
Aneetra’s girls had gotten bored with the little kids way before Natalie left and the last she knew, they were in the basement playing video games. Now that his friends were gone, with the exception of Chandler, who was fast asleep on the love seat, Nate began acting out. He cried because Chandler wasn’t playing with him anymore. “I think someone also needs to take a nap,” Aneetra said.
“I not wanna take a nap.”
“Too bad.”
“Nooo!” He ran to Natalie who sat frozen on the couch.
Any other time Natalie would have backed Aneetra up without hesitation. Even if she thought Aneetra was wrong, she would have made Nate obey and said something to the effect of “Don’t tell Aunt Nee Nee no!” But she couldn’t say anything. One of her babies was missing and the other wanted her affection. She couldn’t deny him that. Corrine had needed to talk to her and she had driven her away. As ornery as Nate was being, she didn’t have the heart to correct him. She needed him and she held him tight as she wailed.
“Why you cryin’, Mommy?”
“C’mon, honey.” Aneetra pried him from her arms. He continued to question Natalie’s behavior and when Aneetra had finally gotten him up the stairs, Natalie heard him ask for his “Sissy” and that made her cry even harder.
Lisa came and sat next to her. She didn’t say a word, she gently rubbed her back. Natalie felt helpless. Shouldn’t she be getting fliers printed with Corrine’s name and picture? Shouldn’t she be going door-to-door in her daughter’s neighborhood seeking information? She should be doing something, anything to help, so why was she paralyzed?
Natalie wanted to tell Lisa that she appreciated all of her help this weekend and how she knew that Lisa understood what she was going through, but she couldn’t speak. Words in her mind could not find their way out of her mouth. When the doorbell rang, Lisa got up to answer. It was Robert. “Are you ready or do you want me to take Chandler and come back to get you later?” Natalie could feel him staring at her.
“Um… I’m not really sure.”
“You don’t have to stay. I’m all right.” Natalie managed to get past the lump in her throat.
“Troy told me to let you know that Jon is bringing him home.” It was his unspoken words that panged Natalie. Robert was basically saying that he’d been sent home so the officers could process the place. No civilians allowed.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay?” asked Lisa.
Natalie nodded. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem.” Lisa gave her a hug followed by Robert who then scooped Chandler off the love seat. “I’ll call you tomorrow to check on things, if that’s okay.”
When they were gone, Natalie pulled herself up the stairs to her room, plopped on top of her comforter, and bit her pillow while she screamed. Would this monster kill her daughter like he’d done the other women? God, please keep Corrine safe.
“Knock, knock…” Aneetra walked into the bedroom some time later. “Oh, honey!” She came over to Natalie who was now on her back, staring at the ceiling. “It’s going to be all right.”
“What if he kills her?”
“Shh…you’ll worry yourself to death thinking like that. Troy won’t rest until he finds her and I’ll be by your side every step of the way. Don’t you worry about anything, not even Nate…I’ll take care of him.”
“What about your situation?”
“I’ll deal with what’s going on between Marcus and me when this is all over. Our mess isn’t going anywhere. Right now what’s happening with you is more critical. I’ll be all right for the time being.”
“I love you, Nee.”
“And I love you.”
There was a time when Natalie wouldn’t tell anyone she loved them because she didn’t want the risk of exposing her feelings and subjecting herself to pain. Now, she’d let down those emotional barriers and freely expressed her love to those dear to her heart without reservation. Or so she thought. Had she done enough to show Corrine that she loved her? What about Troy? She’d crushed his spirit with her actions. Nate, Troy, and Corrine were the most important to her. What if Troy never forgave her? What if she never saw Corrine again? Everything was falling apart.
Aneetra continued to hold her. “I’m always here for you. I’m going to check on the girls. I’ll be back.”
Unable to say anything, Natalie nodded. With all that she was going through, Aneetra was unselfishly amazing. She silently thanked God for Aneetra and everyone else, especially Troy. When bad thoughts ran through her mind about Corrine getting hurt, she refused to let them run wild. Instead, she forced herself to think of things that were true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report as instructed in Philippians 4:8. So many wonderful memories of Corrine over the years, so many testimonies of an awesome God. These were the things that Natalie kept on her mind while the ibuprofen kicked in and she drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 35: SENTIMENTAL STUFF
“Okay, I’ll be home soon,” Troy said to Aneetra, sitting in Jon’s truck, waiting for him. Troy was no longer lead detective on the case due to his relationship with Corrine, but his Superior was cra
zy if he thought Troy would stop working this all together. He’d known he would have to officially step back, but he’d hoped to at least stay on through the night until the initial processing was complete. It didn’t help his case when Troy shoved one of the officers for picking up potential evidence without wearing gloves. Though he was a rookie, CPD officers endured six months of intense hands-on training. His status was no excuse as far as Troy was concerned. Jon was quick to pull Troy into the hall. He had more strength for a short man than Troy had ever given him credit for.
“Man, you have to chill,” he said. “Your emotions are getting in the way of your judgment and if you keep this up, you will jeopardize the integrity of this case.”
“Don’t talk to me about integrity when you’ve been lying to me about a cat.”
Jon kept a straight face. “You need to chill. Do not go back in there,” he’d said sternly. It was shortly after that encounter when Troy received a call from their Superior telling him to leave the premises.
Without his own ride, Troy couldn’t exactly go anywhere. He sat in Jon’s truck going stir crazy. Television crews had arrived. Reporters tried hard to piece together a story. Troy reclined his seat as far back as it would go, thankful that Jon’s tinted windows help hide him from the crowd. He felt useless as time passed. Since the case files were inaccessible, he recalled what information he could. They had yet to figure out the vices of Myesha Turner and the first victim, Lolita Gordon. Her husband hadn’t called at all this week. Perhaps he was losing faith in Troy’s ability to solve this case. Troy began to lose faith in himself as well.
Saw the news. He’s more likely 2make a mistake this time. Don’t give up! I’m here 4u if u need me! Call me any time day or night.
Cheryl’s text came unexpectedly. Troy started to respond, but stopped short when his conversation with Robert earlier that day came to mind.
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