deleted trash will not go away

I emptied my trash from the dock (click trashcan > enpty trash. The trash left the can and when i open trash (click can > open trash) there is no traxh listed there. It is empty.

When I open mail and click on trash to open, there is a years worth of trash still there. I have preferences set for trash to empty in one month. I have an Imap account.

When I click the Finder menu, the 'secure empty trash' is grayed out. When I click on command > the trashcan, "empty trash securely" is grayed out.

I think when I empty trash, it should be gone from the trash account also, not just an empty trashcan??

Can I be helped?

Thanks, Arudi