Free In The Shadows by Trenia Coleman Page A

surprised Brandon felt comfortable enough with her to share how Stella’s disappearance and death made him feel. Tonya was such a good listener as she gave him her undivided attention.
    The restaurant was getting full with the lunch crowd, but neither of them seemed to be distracted by the stares they were receiving or the people coming and going. When Brandon mentioned his father, he suddenly grew quiet and stared back at his new friend across the table. He simply told Tonya that that was a conversation for perhaps another time. Tonya was okay with his decision. She was surprised he’d been so open with her, and this made her feel closer to him, and that was okay too.
    After lunch, Tonya made her way to her car with Brandon following. When she reached for the door, she turned to face the man she was sure to be spending more time with in the coming weeks. Tonya wasn’t sure where this was leading, but she was willing to go along with it and find out.
    Surprisingly, she and Brandon shared a hug before saying good-bye. What Tonya found to be even more surprising was that the embrace felt so normal. It didn’t feel awkward at all. The intimacy felt like it was meant to be. Tonya had met a man who seemed to be just as ambitious as she, and it was obvious to her that he could effortlessly become more than a friend.
    * * *
    Later that afternoon, Danielle’s family received the call they’d been waiting for. The sheriff was a few minutes away and called to make sure they were home. He’d spoken with them earlier that morning and knew they were worried sick. After questioning the family again about distinguishing body marks and jewelry Danielle may have been wearing or in possession of, the sheriff was able to confirm the body was not Danielle. The family cried with relief, still believing Danielle would be found alive. Her father left with the sheriff to positively ID the body and confirm it wasn’t Danielle. The sheriff said it was standard procedure, and SFC Stocks went willingly.
    Mona and the girls cried with Pam, Danielle’s mother, and they were now more hopeful than ever they would find Danielle. This discovery would possibly give the sheriff’s office more to go on, and hopefully, more leads as to where to start a new search for Danielle.
    When the girls made it home, Tonya was at the kitchen table, waiting for them to come inside. With all the excitement, the girls completely forgot to call Tonya with the good news. While Mona brought Tonya up-to-date on the latest news, Natalie remembered to call Myron to share the news with him.
     

 Chapter Thirteen
    There were too many unanswered questions, and Brandon knew he could assist in this case. Now knowing the body that was found was not Danielle’s, he knew there was a still a young girl whose body needed identifying. Brandon wanted to do the research and knew he could access the missing persons database from his computer at the office. He was moved by his memories of Stella as he drove to the station.
    Although it was only speculation, Brandon and Tonya both thought these cases were tied together. Maybe if they found the culprit in the disappearance and now the killing of a young girl, perhaps they would find Danielle. They both knew time was of the essence. It had been two weeks since Danielle disappeared.
    When Brandon dropped by the station, he discovered the captain was at a briefing, so he spoke to the sergeant instead. He authorized Brandon to use the computer in his office while he stepped out to lunch. It was 2:00 p.m. and Brandon didn’t want to be in the office too long. While Tonya was continuing to research the disappearance, he would begin the ID process.
    The body was badly decomposed when it was discovered. The forensic team in Birmingham stated it would be at least four weeks before they could make a positive identification. Brandon knew he had to do everything humanly possible to help expedite the process.
    * * *
    Somehow Tonya managed to make it