Part 21:
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"How's Lexington?" Shan asked, trying to keep her cool.

Brian smiled into the phone as he packed his suitcase. "Its great. Got
pretty much everything settled with Harold last night..."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, so I've been able to have a good visit..."

"You know Brian that's really funny since I happen to be standing in your
bedroom in Lexington and you aren't here!!"

Brian paled, "What?"

"Oh I'm in Lexington I decided to surprise you but I guess I'm the one who
was surprised. Just where are you?"

"I uh..."

She shook her head, "I can't deal with this B...don't bother talking to me
unless its to tell me the truth."


Howie glanced at Ty who was still at the door, "This isn't a good time.
I'm just about to go out."

"When would be a good time?"

"I'm not exactly sure."
				
"All right, I'll call tomorrow hopefully then you'll know when it would
be a good time."

"I will." Howie hung up the phone and felt his stomach turn.

"Who was that?" Ty asked.

"Oh no one really. Just something about business."

She raised an eyebrow, "Well are we still going to the movies or no?"

"Movies right!" he said standing up.

"Howie are you okay?" she asked as he walked by her and headed for the
stairs.

"Totally fine. Taking my wife out, couldn't be better." he lied plastering
a smile on his face. "Now I'm going to get ready. Excuse me."


Jackie knocked on Shan's door, "Honey something was delivered for you."
she opened it up and found her daughter in law sobbing on the bed. "What
happened?"

Shan shook her head, "Nothing...I uhm just wish Brian would surprise us up
here." she moved the hair out of her face. "Thanks." she said taking the
envelope.

"Something important?"

"I don't know. It came the other day when I wasn't home so I had Lis send
it up here."

"Well I'll let you go, dinner should be ready within an hour."

"Okay." she waited till her mother-in-law left the room and then ripped the
envelope open and pulled the inner envelope open. As soon as she saw it a
worried feeling came over her, almost as if she knew this would explain
why Brian wasn't in Lexington. With a shaking hand she opened it and shook
out the pictures. "Oh god..."


Brian fell back on his bed and stared at the ceiling, she was in Lexington
and he was here. The ringing of the houseline startled him and he picked
up the phone, expecting hear Shan's voice. "Hello?"

"Brian its Kevin...emergency meeting Friday at the beach house." Kevin
said softly.

"Why?"

"Alec got an envelope with pictures of the little boy. We gotta figure out
what we're doing and find out if this guy Nick hired's doing anything
yet."

"Envelope? What kind of envelope Kevin?"

"Like the one we got from Lou."

"Delivered to the house?"
							
"Yeah by courier I guess." Kevin opened the bottle of tequila and set it
on the table in front of him. "Basically its countdown til the end B."

Brian ran through the house, "Kev don't talk like that, how did she
react?" he asked as he searched for any signs of an envelope. He slid to a
stop seeing the stack of mail on the table in the living room. No large
envelope, nothing addressed to Shan alone. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"She took Lissy's route and kicked me out." he took a deep swig of the
liquor. "Just show up this weekend Rok. And tell the rest of the guys..."

"Kev don't do something stupid." Bri warned, worried about his cousin.

"Hey you know me." Kevin said and clicked the phone off.


E sat behind the computer, smiling as she heard a familiar beep. "Bingo!"
she called and David looked up.

"You find something?"

"Oh yeah. A guy who played in the band on the last two tours used to be
employed by one Lou Pearlman as was one of the security guards assigned
to Nick."

David smiled, slamming his files down on the desk. "Print it out, I guess
its time we went and had a little chat. Looks like we found out who might
be behind the interview and the photos."

E sent the papers through to the printer, "Told you I was still helpful."

"Never doubted it for a minute. Should we tell Nick or wait till we have
more?" he asked ripping the papers out of the printer. 

"Give it a day and see what they say?" she asked taking the copies he
handed her. 

"Sounds good to me. Who do you want to talk to, security guard or band
member?"

E looked down at the papers, then at the desk where the pictures laid.
"I'll take the security guard."