Day of Atonement

This book is dedicated to families with missing loved ones.

I can't begin to understand how you feel.

I pray that you ultimately find healing and peace.

I heard that confession is good for the soul, but bad for the reputation. Yet, I am going to share something with you that may not necessarily win me any cool points. When it came to writing the acknowledgments for this book, I dreaded doing so. Not because I don't want to thank people. Rather, because I put a lot of time (i.e. months) into the acknowledgments for
Wages of Sin
and I thought, “Yolonda, how are you going to top that?” I know some authors copy and paste acknowledgments from book to book, but I didn't want to do it that way. (I'm not knocking the technique. I may very well have to use it in the near future—maybe even for the next book. If I do, don't y'all hold it against me!)

After stressing about the acknowledgments, I had a good long talk with myself. (Yes, literally. Don't worry; I'm okay. No medication is needed.
) I realized that I was making this process more difficult than it needed to be. I don't have to “top” anything as it's not about making the acknowledgments of subsequent books better than the previous ones. It's about thanking people from the bottom of my heart for the role they play in my life and/or their specific contributions to this finished product.

To David Sanders (hubby), Tre (son), Tia (daughter), Wilene (mother), Eddie (father), Janice (mother-in-law), Teresa (friend and Yo Pro team member), Jenn (friend), Regina (favorite officer, friend, and a fabulous promoter of my work), Nancy (business
mentor and friend), Angie (friend and possibly # 1 fan lol), Sara (agent), Stephen (Sara's son), everyone at Simon and Schuster (publisher), my family at Strebor Books (imprint), cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws, friends, my hometown supporters in Sandusky and Columbus, churches that have directly impacted my life (Ebenezer, Providence, First Church, and New Hope), Anthony and Nichole Redic (my pastor and his wife), my entire church family at Family Fellowship, Pastor Kenneth Moore at New Birth (an all-around awesome person), Joy Reyes (Director of The Columbus Literacy Council on which I serve as a board member), Twitter followers, Facebook fans,
Yo Notes
members, my students, book clubs, book stores, and you (the reader)—thank you all for EVERYTHING! You are very much appreciated and your support makes a world of difference.

To Bernard Ash of Ash Investigations in Houston, Texas, thank you for responding to my email and indulging me in a phone conversation to answer my questions about P.I. techniques. Our fifteen minute talk gave me the confidence I needed to go forward with the creation of B.K. Ashburn whom I hope will make you proud.

To B.K. Walker, thank you for the use of your initials in creating my private detective. Also, I appreciate your help in promoting my books. I really appreciate your work ethic and integrity.

To anyone who feels that he/she has been overlooked, if you truly know me, you know that it was not intentional and I sincerely ask for your forgiveness.

I have saved the very best for last. To Jesus, the One who knows me better than I know myself. Thank You for being the ultimate sacrifice on the final Day of Atonement. Without You, my entire life would be in vain.

Much Love and Many Blessings,

Yolonda

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August, 1982—Houston, Texas

“I'm tellin' Mama that y'all won't let me play,” whined eight-year-old Elana, running out the room.

Eleven-year-olds Troy and his best friend, Elvin, had been perched on the olive-green living room carpet since yesterday afternoon, glued to the TV and playing the Atari Elvin had gotten for his birthday.

“Aw, man!” Troy's ship got hit by one of the flying saucers on the
Asteroids
game they were playing. “I almost had it!” He was relieved to have handed the controller to Elvin only moments before Miss Lilly walked into the room wearing plaid shorts and a light-blue shirt. Her short, dark Jheri-curled hair framed perfectly around her light complexion. Troy thought she was pretty despite the gobs of makeup she sometimes wore to cover her bruises.

“Boys, I told you to let Elana play.” Her voice was more pleading than it was direct.

“We did,” claimed Elvin.

“Nuh-uh. They each keep gettin' like three and four turns and only givin' me one.”

Miss Lilly sighed. “I have to run out for a little while and I need to trust that you boys will look after Elana.”

“Can she
please
go with you, Mama?”

“I don't wanna stay here!” Elana violently shook her head in protest, causing her pigtails to flop noisily.

“No, she can't. I need to go find your father.”

Elvin's bright-yellow skin turned red and he scowled. Mr. Herbert, the man Miss Lilly was referring to, was actually Elvin's stepfather. He and Miss Lilly married last summer and already things were rough. Mr. Herbert was the second stepfather Elvin and Elana had had within the three years that Troy had known them and he was basically a carbon copy of the first. Actually, Mr. Herbert was worse than their first stepfather, Mr. Jeff, who was at least nice. Both Elana and Elvin liked Mr. Jeff. He was an officer who sometimes patrolled the area, and still stopped by occasionally to surprise Elvin and Elana on joy rides in his car. Troy, too, whenever he was around. Mr. Jeff had hit Miss Lilly, but that's not the reason they got divorced. Miss Lilly had told Troy's mom that Mr. Jeff wasn't meeting her physical needs.
Yuck!
Grownups really should watch what they say when children are around!

Mr. Jeff and Miss Lilly were still friends, but now Mr. Herbert was apparently meeting her needs. He hit her a lot more, too, and he was also mean. Mr. Jeff had been kind enough to call Elvin yesterday to wish him a happy birthday. Mr. Herbert lived in the same house and hadn't yet done that. Miss Lilly's attempts to force a loving relationship between Mr. Herbert and her children were not working. “Your husband is
not
my father,” was Elvin's reply to her statement. His tone was cold, but respectful. Troy had never seen Elvin's real dad. He thought he would get a chance last night, but Mr. Campbell did not show up as he'd promised.

Miss Lilly looked like she wanted to say something in Mr. Herbert's defense, but changed her mind. Instead, she turned to Elana. “Honey, why don't you play with your baby doll or go outside until I get back? I promise I won't be long.”

“It's hot outside and they are gonna be mean to me. Elvin's always meaner when Troy's around. Plus, they won't let me play.”

“Troy will be leaving soon, so let the two of them play for now, then you can play with Elvin after Troy leaves, okay?”

“I still don't wanna stay here.” She wrapped her tiny arms around her mother's hips. Her skin had more color to it than her brother's and mother's, but she was still considered light-skinned, especially compared to Troy who had a very dark complexion. “They're gonna be mean,” Elana moaned.

“No, they won't.” Miss Lilly gently pushed her away and knelt down, holding Elana by the shoulders. “Do as I said and leave them be. If you stay and be good, I promise to bring you something back.”

“A push pop?” Her voice lightened.

“Sure, I need to stop and get a few things from the store anyhow. I'll bring push pops for everyone if y'all promise to behave and get along while I'm gone. I shouldn't be more than an hour.”

The solution seemed satisfying enough to Elana who plopped down on the couch behind Elvin and Troy. Within minutes, Miss Lilly was headed out the front door. “Troy, I'm not sure I'll be back before your mom gets here. If not, I promise to make them save your push pop until the next time you come over.”

“Okay.” He wasn't going to cry if he missed out. It wasn't that big of a deal.

“I'll be back soon. Y'all behave. You boys really should take a break and eat breakfast. There's grits and bacon on the stove,” she said before leaving.

Both Elvin and Troy were too engrossed in Atari to attend to their growling stomachs. They continued taking turns while Elana sat on the couch playing with her Strawberry Shortcake doll and giving them evil glares. When the telephone rang, she tried convincing
Elvin to answer it so she could take his place. She and Elvin argued about who should answer the phone even after it had stopped ringing.

Elana never got another turn, but things were peaceful for a short while until she got bored with her doll and leaned her head in the middle of them and began singing “Ebony and Ivory” in a really loud and obnoxious tone.

“Shut up!” Elvin nudged her with his elbow. Troy tried scooting over. He had a four-year-old little sister who wasn't quite as good at getting on his nerves the way Elana did. Would this be what he had to look forward to when Tracy got older?

“Come on, y'all. Let's pretend we're on
Soul Train.”
She got right in front of the television and continued her serenade. “Ebony, Ivory, living in perfect harmony. Ebony—”

“Move!”

“I wanna play
Soul Train!”

“That song hasn't even been on
Soul Train
yet, stupid.
Dang!”
Elvin's ship had gotten hit and he angrily tossed the controller to Troy. “See what you did? Get out the way!”

Satisfied that she'd at least ruined her brother's turn, Elana went back to the couch. “Imma tell Mama you cursed.”

“Shut up, stupid. I did not. I said
‘dang.' ”

“Imma tell her you called me names, too.”

“I don't care, you brat.” Elvin hurled a pillow at her. “Go upstairs or outside like she told you.”

Elana stood up to kick him, but he dodged out of the way of her foot and it ended up connecting with Troy's rib instead.

“Ow! Keep your feet off of me, you rat brat,” he teased, firing her up even more.

She swung her foot again, but this time Troy grabbed it and she
fell. The boys laughed while she started crying. “I'm tellin' Mama,” she screamed, getting up and swinging her arms and her baby doll at them. The doll's stringy red hair flung violently.

They knew better than to hit her back. Instead, both grabbed her arms, laughing and taunting.