Forgive Me (33 page)

A
unjanue 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.”

P
rincipal 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 event, 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.

T
he 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.