Free In The Shadows by Trenia Coleman

word.
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    Brandon stepped outside to make a phone call. As soon as Brandon left the table, Tonya dialed Natalie. Natalie told her the same thing she’d told Myron and that she would call if something developed. Tonya was relieved to hear the body had not been identified yet and reassured Natalie that she would be over that afternoon or as soon as they made it home. Tonya wanted to be there for her cousin and her family.
    Brandon dialed his father as he sat in his truck with the door open. After the phone rang several times, he finally answered.
    “Sheriff Masterson, what can I do for you?”
    “Dad, it’s Brandon. You called earlier? Is everything all right?”
    “Well, hello, son. It’s been a long time. Are the fellows there in Tuscaloosa treating you right?”
    “Yes, everything here is fine. Is something wrong?” Brandon repeated.
    “No, no, nothing’s wrong. I heard about the storm there and wanted to check on you, to make sure you were okay. We had some pretty bad storms here too over the weekend, and we’re still trying to clean up.”
    “Oh really? I’m sorry I didn’t call to check on things. I didn’t know. Was there any damage to the property?”
    “No, no major damage. We came out okay, but the tornado hit out in some of the heavily wooded areas. Some people are just getting their electricity back, so we’ve been pulling extra patrols to keep people from looting.”
    “Okay, well, that’s good to hear,” Brandon chimed in. “I actually had quite a scare. A tree came down on the house and split it in two while I was inside.”
    “What! Are you all right?” his father asked, clearly concerned. “I had no idea. Well, I’m sure glad I called.”
    “Yeah, I’m fine. I was shook up for a minute though. I had to move into one of the other properties closer to town and am just getting settled in. The department gave me the week off, and I’ll be going back on Monday.”
    “Son, do you need anything?”
    “No, Dad, I’m fine. I’ve got the new place set up, and everything is working out just fine.”
    “Okay, well, don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything. Hey, I thought you should know there was a body found on the outskirts of town a couple of weeks ago.”
    “Are you serious, in Selma?” Brandon asked, now standing outside the truck. Just as Brandon let the words escape his lips, he thought of Stella. “Do you have any idea who it is?”
    “No, not yet. We’re hoping to have the forensics back in a week or so. I may have to drive up to Birmingham this weekend to see if I can get them to expedite this thing. The people here are getting anxious, and I don’t want this discovery to create frenzy down here. I’ll keep you posted on it. Take care of yourself, son.” Sheriff Masterson wasn’t quite ready to divulge all the details surrounding the body just yet. He needed more to go on before he told Brandon everything.
    Brandon was speechless once he hung up with his father. Two things had him baffled that morning. Brandon was shocked to hear of the discovery in Selma and wondered who the body could possibly belong to. Not a whole lot happened in Selma, but when it did, it was the talk of the town. The second thing that had him speechless was the fact that his father reached out to him for the first time since he’d left home. Out of courtesy, Brandon called his father when he first moved to Northport to give him his contact information, and that was the last time Brandon had spoken with him.
    Tonya was just getting off the phone when Brandon returned. Tonya believed she would be more supportive by being at her aunt’s house when the girls arrived. After Brandon returned to the table, Tonya noticed he seemed a little distracted. Brandon was surprised she detected his weird deportment.
    He was still reeling from the conversation he’d had with his father. Brandon hadn’t talked about Stella since he and his friends had given up looking for her killer years ago. Tonya was