Wages of Sin

by Yolonda Tonette Sanders

  “The perpetrator is a woman!” His tone was impatient, a mixture of urgency and irritability that she had not paid more attention during her grade-school biology classes. He ordered her to “lock up!” and sped out the garage so quickly that the top of his SUV scraped the garage door as he backed out.

  A woman? That seemed even crazier than the disappearing ink! She immediately called Aneetra to give her the latest.

  “Girl, I’m watching the news and was about to call you.”

  Natalie flipped on her TV. “—live on Columbus’ Southside where officers have surrounded the home of a suspect believed to be the Bible Butcher. CPD has not yet released the name of the individual, but sources say that it may be someone employed with the department. Officers are concerned that this is a hostage situation as neighbors reported hearing gunshots and the whereabouts of Corrine Shepherd remain unknown. Corrine’s adoptive parents were scheduled to give a press conference at eight o’clock this evening. We do not yet know if that will still happen due to the recent developments in the case. Stay tuned as we will bring you the most up-to-date information the moment it comes in.”

  Gunshots! Natalie could barely control her breath or slow down her speech. “Oh my gosh, Nee, what if she shot Corrine!”

  “She who? Don’t think like that.”

  “Troy said it’s a female. She’s been killing women sleeping with married men.”

  “Why in the world did she go after Cor—”

  “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything. Please don’t think bad of my baby. I just…” Natalie had to slow down to catch her breath. “I want her home!” she exploded in tears.

  “I do, too, honey. Try and calm down. Nate and I are on our way.”

  Since it was getting late in the evening, Aneetra planned to sleep over and take Nate to preschool and go to work from there. Before Natalie could hang up with her, Lisa was calling. She’d heard the news as well. Upon hearing tears in Natalie’s voice despite her claims of being “fine,” she offered to come by. “I have Chandler with me because RJ’s at the center. Is that okay?”

  Overwhelmed with emotion, she got herself together long enough to call Toni. She hadn’t expected Sylvia to answer Toni’s cell, but she was relieved to avoid any conflict at the moment. Sylvia stated that Toni and Kenny were out back. Of course, they had already been informed about what was happening. The press conference had been postponed, depending on the outcome.

  “By the way, I wasn’t trying to start trouble when I called Toni about Corrine. I—”

  “It’s fine. I’m glad you did call. I don’t think I would have been able to handle talking to her right away.”

  “She feels threatened by your relationship with Corrine, but she’s also your aunt and she loves you, Natalie. Don’t you dare for a minute think she doesn’t.”

  How Toni felt about Natalie was the least of her concerns right now. “I know we both love Corrine and that’s truly all that matters right now.”

  CHAPTER 44: GOODNESS AND MERCY

  “Move it!” she ordered Corrine. Cuffed with the gun in the small of her back, Corrine stepped over Jon’s lifeless body.

  At first Corrine hadn’t known what to think when she saw him with that gun. Her level of fear skyrocketed thinking that he, too, was somehow involved in this craziness. The hushed softness of his voice convinced her that he was there to help. He said, “Hang on, sweetie, I’m going to get you out of here,” as he hurriedly unlocked her cuffs and put her mind at ease. Corrine cried and trembled with hope that the nightmare she’d lived for the last two days was finally over.

  Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of gunshots ended her jubilation and Jon fell to the ground. Neither of them had heard her coming.

  Corrine screamed until psycho lady yelled “Shut up!” and fired her weapon. She felt the heat of the bullet surging past her. The basement stairs were across the room. The door was left open. She’d never make it. Her legs gave out and she fell against the wall so hard, she hurt her shoulder.

  Jon’s phone vibrated constantly. Crazy lady stomped back and forth, going from extremes of yelling about “the plan” being messed up to softly reassuring herself that everything would be all right. Eventually, his phone went silent.

  “I’m sorry that I scared you.” Eyes still closed and body trembling uncontrollably, Corrine hadn’t known that the lady knelt next to her until she spoke. “Troy may be very close to finding us and I can’t let that happen. We need to get out of here.” Her voice was eerily gentle.

  The next thing Corrine knew, she was in the back of a car with the trunk release conveniently missing. Had she walked or been carried? She didn’t know and she didn’t care. Ouch! She felt a sharp pain in her upper thigh.

  “This should keep you calm until we get there.”

  Corrine felt herself losing consciousness, resolved to the thought that she would not get to see the look on Nate’s face when he opened his Spider-Man swimming pool, tell her parents and Natalie she loved them, or celebrate her twenty-fourth birthday next month. Those thoughts were too distressing. If this was her final moment, she was determined to go in peace. Confident that all was right between her and God, she silently repeated the twenty-third Psalm. “…Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

  • • •

  Knowing that Evans had spoken with Chad Gordon made the Avenger very uneasy. What had Lolita told her husband over the years? Evans was smart. The name Darnell Thompson would only detour him for so long. They needed to get out of there. Hang out elsewhere until the final phase of the mission could be complete. She had the perfect place.

  On the way, she stopped by the post office to mail the letter she’d intended to give Eric. Earlier this afternoon she’d planned to stop by his place and say good-bye. He was a good guy and though she had hoped to pin the murders on him, the mess up with Mindy and the young boy accelerated Plan B. Though he was an extremist when it came to the Word, she had grown to really like the guy. She respected his integrity. His warped view of himself made him an easy mark.

  The first time she had ever heard of Eric was when he appeared on an investigative news report as a guest. The media had done an exposé on the criminal activity of several Abundant in Life Church members.

  “We are live with Eric Freeman who once served on the ministerial staff at this church. Eric, did you have any idea what members of your former congregation were involved in?”

  “It’s Minister Eric Freeman, soon to be Pastor, because the Lord has given me the unction to start the Tabernacle of Jesus Church in Sandusky, Ohio. And to answer your question, no I did not. Had I had any inclination I would have gone to the authorities after consulting with my Father who I know is displeased with this behavior. The Lord—”

  “Okay, sir, let’s move on. We have reached out to the former pastor of Abundant in Life for comments, but he has not responded to any of our requests. Have you spoken with him and if so, what has he said about everything?”

  “Proverbs 27:17 says that Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. He is not iron in my life and thus as the up and coming Pastor of the Tabernacle of Jesus, I have not spoken to him. I have prayed for him daily because God is—”

  The interview continued with the reporter getting visibly irritated with Eric’s drawn-out replies and the need to insert his church name into every answer. When asked about the future of Abundant in Life and whether or not he would ever consider rejoining if the doors reopened, Eric stated, “Absolutely not! I am soon to be Pastor Eric Joshua Freeman. I would be crazy to go back into bondage there when the Lord has given me the Tabernacle of Jesus as my new assignment.”

&nb
sp; “Okay folks, you heard it here first from Pastor Freeman, clearly one of the sane former members of Abundant in Life church.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you for your acknowledgment,” he said, oblivious to the fact that the reporter was mocking him. “If anyone would like to learn more about the Tabernacle of Jesus, please call me at 614-555-2765.”

  She’d copied down the number, knowing that Eric would somehow be involved in her plan. She called him about a week later using the name Esther Roman because it sounded like a good biblical name. She’d make sure to stroke his ego about what an anointed man of God he appeared to be and how she would like to learn about his church, but it was too far for her to travel each week.

  “Do you currently have a church home?” he asked.

  “No sir. I have been unable to find a strong spiritual leader thus far. I know this may be an odd request, but would you mind being my spiritual mentor? I believe I could learn a lot from you. I’m willing to pay you for your time.”

  “That won’t be necessary. My God provides all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus and I feel Him giving me unction to start an outreach ministry. I’ll tell you what…” He said that he’d been planning to move to Sandusky, but was having a hard time selling his home, so he planned to stay. “Maybe the Lord wants me to stay because of you.” Eric began to lay out a plan for them to meet on a regular basis at a neutral location. After several months, they were meeting at his home and eventually, sometimes she joined him, by phone, in his 4:00 a.m. morning devotion sessions. Over time, she had been able to learn his daily schedule and routines. A creature of habit, Eric made it easy for her to determine the right times to sneak into his house and leave messages for him. The writings only lasted a few hours, if that, so she had to be strategic, but in the end, she pulled it off. Eric was so full of himself that he believed God had spoken to him. She had felt a slight twinge of guilt for planning to make him the culprit for the murders, but she figured anyone that gullible needed to be locked up for life.

  There was part of her that enjoyed befriending Eric. He was an interesting character, to say the least, but he was sincere. She didn’t want to complete this mission without telling him how much she appreciated their time together. She’d written a letter that she was going to mail to him, but at the last minute decided to drop by his home one last time. That’s when she saw Evans out front in his truck. Luckily, he didn’t see her. She’d parked down the street a while to observe him and a glimpse of her rearview mirror revealed that she was being watched by Jon Knight. She drove away, pretending not to notice he was following her. Instead of going home, she stopped at the store, expecting Jon to follow her inside where she would casually confront him. When he didn’t come in, she panicked. Something, which she now contributed to the Spirit of God, told her to go home immediately and that’s when she found him in her basement, about to let that little slut go free. She shot him without hesitating and consequently was forced to expedite her plan. A few more hours and this would be all over.

  CHAPTER 45: A SPECIAL UPDATE

  Troy raced over to the Groveport address, praying Corrine was still alive, not wanting to entertain any other possibility. No matter what, he’d purposed in his heart not to turn away from God. If Corrine was dead, being mad wouldn’t bring her back, but trusting Him would hopefully make it easier to help Natalie.

  He was certain that something had happened to Jon. The last text supposedly received from him gave way to that thought. Sorry ddnt answr ur calls. WorkN on sumthN. Find out what u can abt Darnell Thompson. DT is r guy. Promise 2fill u n l8r. Not only was the name completely out of left field, but the whole message was uncharacteristic of Jon’s texting abilities. He’d never used shortcuts like that. She must’ve gotten a hold of his phone, which meant she also knew that Troy was on to her. Hopefully, she hadn’t hurt Corrine.

  SWAT had already surrounded the house by the time Troy got there. No movement had been detected and everyone was pretty sure that the house was clear. They went in, Troy and other officers followed. He headed to the basement where Jon was found lying in a pool of blood. No sign of Corrine.

  “He’s alive!” someone yelled, calling for paramedics.

  Troy rushed to his friend’s side. His eyes were open and he choked from gurgling blood as he tried to speak. “It’s okay. I know you tried. Hang in there, buddy.”

  Troy held Jon’s hand until he was put on the gurney and whisked away. An APB was put out and officers searched her home for clues. Seven expandable folders were found with the victims’ names, numbered in the order they had been killed. Inside each one was surveillance photos of the victims and pages of online communications with them and various men. Corrine’s folder only contained printouts from her Facebook profile.

  She had been planning these murders for quite some time. Pictures of Lolita Gordon went back years. There were even pictures of her and Chad leaving the hospital with their son. A folder with Freeman’s name revealed that he, too, was a victim in all of this and not an accomplice as originally thought. Details of his personal schedule were chronicled on a daily basis. Various colored markings on her walls, some words barely visible, indicated that she’d been the one leaving messages in his living room. How she’d gotten the words to last long enough for him to read them and then fade without a trace was a mystery to be solved at another time.

  Troy needed to find Corrine and so far there was nothing in this home that led to her whereabouts. Pictures on the mantle showed her and a man Troy assumed to be her late husband. There was one with him standing in front of a cabin holding a big fish. Then Troy remembered something she had said the day Mindy Lee’s body was found. “My family owned property around here.”

  • • •

  “Police have identified thirty-eight-year-old Paula Kyser, seen here, as the prime suspect in several murders throughout Franklin and Hocking counties. Earlier this evening, officers surrounded her Groveport home, but neither she nor Corrine Shepherd, believed to have been abducted by Kyser, was found. Officers did discover Detective Jonathon Knight who suffered from multiple gunshot wounds to the back. He’s been taken to OSU Medical Center and listed in critical condition. Paula Kyser is described as a Caucasian female with red hair approximately five-eight, weighing 117 pounds. She drives a light-brown Mazda 626 with license plate KYSER 17. If you see her, call police immediately. She is considered to be armed and dangerous. We will continue to bring you updates as this story develops.”

  Natalie hated hearing what was going on through the news. She began praying for both Jon and Corrine, wondering why Troy hadn’t called her yet! She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the phone, willing it to ring.

  She had come up to get away from the small crowd that had gathered in her living room. Lisa and Aneetra hadn’t been there long before several neighbors and other church members started dropping by to offer their support. Appreciative of their concern, she’d started to feel claustrophobic. Dozens of people checking to see if she was “okay” every few minutes was overwhelming. Definitely not a people person, there were only so many times she could answer them without exploding.

  “Knock-knock.” Aneetra walked in. “You okay?”

  “I won’t be if everybody keeps asking me that.”

  “Sorry; I—”

  “No, I’m sorry. My nerves are shot.”

  “Understandable. Toni’s here. She’s asking for you. What do you want me to tell her?”

  “Nothing. Go ahead and send her up.” Natalie had been expecting her as Sylvia had texted to see if they could all come by and wait this out together. She took several deep breaths, praying for the Lord to calm her spirit, unsure of what her encounter with Toni would entail.

  “She’s right in there,” Aneetra could be overheard saying from the hall.

  It took Natalie a few seconds to find her voice after Toni knocked. It seemed like it took her nearly as long to enter. A few additional seconds of staring at each other and te
ars flowed from both their eyes. Hurt feelings were put aside. Corrine was the tie that bound their hearts and arms together in a tight embrace.

  “Have you heard from Troy?”

  “No. I keep hoping he’ll call. I’m going to wait another half hour or so and then I’m calling him.”

  “I’m as anxious as you, but I don’t think you should interrupt him. I’m sure he’ll call when he has something concrete to share. All this waiting is torture. I wish Mama were here. She always knew how to keep everyone calm no matter how stressful things were.”

  “I miss her, too,” admitted Natalie. Though she was good and grown, Natalie would love to be in her grandmother’s lap right now. A huge chest, but an even larger heart, Big Mama had been the matriarch of their family.

  “I haven’t gotten over her death yet and now this is happening with Corrine. It’s all too much!”

  The older Toni got, the more she resembled her mother, minus all the extra packaging. Once on the road to becoming a prominent attorney, she sometimes came across as very crass. Her tough shell was visibly cracked as she stood in Natalie’s room. Worry lines decorated her dark-skinned face. Combined with the strands of gray peppered throughout her hair, she looked older than her early to mid-fifties. Natalie was reminded that Toni’s love for Corrine was as strong as hers. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve handled things. Sometimes I am selfish when it comes to Corrine. I don’t mean to be.”

  “I think we both are.” Toni took a seat on the ottoman while Natalie resumed her position on the bed. “You know I don’t really think you’re a skank, right?”

  “And I don’t really think you’re a jealous old wench.”

  “Ha! I probably am at times. This likely won’t be the last time we bump heads about that girl.”

  “Of course not. That would be too much like right.”

  Toni laughed and the two of them spent the next hour or so sharing Corrine and Big Mama stories, even giggling about silly arguments they’d had over the years. “If she ever gets married she may need to have two separate ceremonies because I can see us going at it for sure. No disrespect to Troy, but I think Kenny should be the one to walk her down the aisle. She should also get married in Jackson. It’s her hometown.”