[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
*Hope you all had a great holiday :)*


20


They sat in their hotel room listening to their lawyer prattle on and on about what not to say. Howie had tried numerous times to let the guy know there was nothing not to say because he didn’t know anything. What he did want to know is if the firemen had found Jessica and if she was okay.

“Can we stop now? I have a headache” Nick said rubbing his neck and closing his eyes. The lawyer glanced over at Johnnie who nodded while still throwing a mean glare over Howie’s way.

“Okay gentlemen but like I said once the police come, let me do all the talking. Got it?”

“They got it” Johnnie answered on their behalf. “I will be right back so DON’T MOVE!” He warned as he walked the lawyer to the door whispering something to him as they went.

Brian Nick and Howie all looked at each other not sure how this nightmare was going to end but like that man from the paper had said this was only the beginning.

“Where do you suppose Kevin went?” Nick asked hesitantly. All of the men had that question on the tip of their tongues but were all afraid to verbalize it. They weren’t entirely sure if they wanted to know where their older brother had disappeared to. Chances were it wasn’t good.

“I have no idea but I hope he is okay” Brian said biting his bottom lip just like he always did when he was worried about something.

“Maybe we should check up on AJ”

“He’s fine” Johnnie said walking back over to the guys and sitting down. They all really wanted him to go away so they could talk.

“Now…mind telling me what the hell is going on?”

“There’s nothing going on Johnnie”

“Oh really? Then it’s a coincidence that you happened to be at that place just as it happened to catch on fire?”

“It wasn’t a fire…it was an explosion” Brian and Howie looked over at Nick as if he let something slip, even though it was no secret. Not that part of it anyway.

“Oh silly me…my mistake. Explosion”

“We were visiting a friend”

“You weren’t supposed to be visiting a friend Howard. You were SUPPOSED to be in your hotel room right where we left you”

“I know and I’m sorry”

“Well seems like you may a have a hell of a lot more to be sorry about”

“What do you mean?”

“They think you had something to do with this and to be honest, I’m having my own doubts”

“With what? The explosion?” Brian stood up when he asked that question as if he was ready to jump out of his own skin.

“Yes the explosion and your only possible alibi was sent on a wild goose chase to the hospital” This time Johnnie sent a glare over to Nick who still had his head down and was once again rubbing his neck.

“We had nothing to do with this Johnnie. I swear it”

“Then why all the secrecy? Why send Dave away so you can sneak out? Something smells rotten boys”

The three guys looked at each other at a loss for words. “Do we know where Kevin is yet?” Brian asked hoping to distract the manager from their dire situation for a moment.

“No but the police seem to be looking for him too now”

“Why?”

“No damn idea” Johnnie said throwing his arms up in frustration. A knock on the door once again had the manager glare at all the boys. “Don’t move!” He said going to answer the door.

“Why the heck are the police looking for Kevin?” Nick asked looking from Brian to Howie for an answer.

“Okay guys, seems like Detective Brown is coming to talk you boys again. Remember what Grimes said, don’t speak, and let him do all the talking. I just have to make a call to get him back over here….what a friggin nightmare this is turning out to be” He muttered under his breath as he went to go call the lawyer.


~*~*~*~*~
He wasn’t sure where he was. Just that it was dark. Very dark and a little cold as well. He stood up and walked over to the small window realizing that it was raining. Unsure of what to do but refusing to panic he took a seat on the cot and intertwined his hands. The last thing he was going to do was yell for help. He had watched enough dramas in his life to realize that he didn’t want to bring any attention to himself. Not yet anyway.

So he sat patiently and rocked, occasionally blowing on his hands to warm them.


~*~*~*~*~
Brian, Howie and Nick were all taken to the police station for questioning. They went reluctantly and half scared out of their minds. Nick clutched onto Brian’s hand as if he were a five year old going into a haunted house; tears already making their way down his face.

They wanted to be questioned together but of course Detective Brown wouldn’t allow that so they were brought into three separate rooms. Johnnie the most afraid of what Nick might say decided that Grimes should go with him. That left Brian and Howie to fend for themselves. Lou was sending his full team of lawyers to help out but for now they had to just refuse to answer any question as they were reminded by a now sneering Johnnie.

Howie sat at the end of the table and poured himself a glass of water; deciding if now would be a good time for him to mention everything. Of course maybe that’s why Kevin had disappeared. As a reminder that if he was to say anything his friend would be harmed. Just thinking that way sent chills down his spine. He had never let himself think like that before.

“Hello Mr. Dorough” Detective Brown said taking a seat right next to him and pouring himself a glass of water.

“Hi” Howie answered, not really wanting to but knowing it was the polite response.

“I have some questions for you”

“I know”

“I can probably guess that your lawyer already told you not to answer them so we can do this the hard way or the easy way”

“I have nothing to say sir. It’s not even that I don’t want to it’s that I have nothing”

“Why were you at this house Howie?”

“I told you I was seeing a friend”

“Yes….that’s right and her name was?”

“Is…” He was quick to correct, He was not going to refer to Jessica in past tense. Not yet anyway.

“Jessica”

“Why would she be there?”

“She lived there”

“Was she there at the time of the blast?”

“Yes. She went upstairs to get something…that’s when it happened”

“And did you send her upstairs?”

“No”

“Are you sure about that? Because your friend said she went upstairs after you convinced her to go with you” Howie looked away.

“Why did you believe she was in danger?”

Howie hesitated. “I think I should wait for my lawyer now”

“What can you tell me about Kevin Richardson?”

“Kevin?”

“Yes”

“Why are you asking about Kevin?”

Brown stood up and walked past Howie over to mirror, “Why was this Jessica person living in his condo?”

“What?”

Brown turned back towards Howie and once again took a seat but this time opposite Dorough so he could look him in the eyes.

“The place where you were when the explosion went off”

“That wasn’t Kevin’s place”

“Seems your wrong about that Howie. See we did a little investigating and it seems that your friend Richardson holds the deed to that property and has been paying rent on it for at least the last three months”

“That’s impossible” Howie felt his heart settle in his throat. Could Kevin be behind this?

“It’s not impossible Mr. Dorough; does Kevin have a connection to Jessica?” The Detective smiled seeing how disjointed Howie had become.

“No…well I mean he knew her from the office…”

“The office?”

“Jive. She worked there”

“Do you know where Kevin might be?” Howie just shook his head.

He was asked a few more questions and this time he followed his manager’s orders and didn’t say a word. Before he left Detective Brown smiled at him and said, “Mr. Dorough, don’t think about leaving town, we’ll be talking to you again”

When he met up with his friends again he saw Brian hugging Nick whose eyes were swollen form crying. Brian looked pretty distraught himself and even Johnnie looked a little upset.

“You guys okay?” He asked when he met up with his friends; they nodded.

“We are in big trouble aren’t we?” Nick asked wiping a new round of tears form his eyes.

“I don’t know”

“Do you think Kevin really?” Both Brian and Howie looked at each other and didn’t answer Nick.

“We need to find him” Howie nodded in agreement. Hoping that his friend was okay.