Part 31:
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"Coffee, I need coffee." Alec mumbled staring at the laptop. She'd been
researching for the last four hours straight.

"Coming up." Shan said getting to her feet and heading to the kitchen. It
had been two days since they'd holed up in the cabin. E
had couriered the pictures to David the morning before and he was the only
one who knew where they all were, a fact he was sworn to secrecy on. He
kept in constant touch with E over any new developments. The latest being
he had an appointment later that day with Donnie who was just getting back
from a shoot.


Alec leaned back in the desk chair and closed her eyes, she was tempted to
reach for her cell phone and dial Kevin but she had second thoughts. The
last thing she wanted was another fight and she didn't think she could
stop herself from screaming at him, given everything Jenn had told them.


AJ sat down at the table with his breakfast, "Anyone get in touch with
their wife?" he asked the assembled group.

Kevin laughed, "Alec would hang the phone up in a flash, after of course
giving me a string of curses."

Nick shrugged, "Lis went away for a couple days I guess."

Howie stared at J, "You know I have no idea where Ty is."

Nick set his coffee mug down, "So basically most or all of the wives,
possibly disappeared at the same time?"

"Maybe they needed to get away from us. Wouldn't blame them man." Brian
said, reaching for the newspaper. "Wouldn't blame them one bit."


E flipped through the information David had sent up to her and smiled, "I
think we've got a lead on Miss Taylor Adams."

Alec jumped up, "What? Where is the little..."

E handed her over the stack of papers, "Here's her bio and all pertinent
information, including address. Looks like she's up in Louisville."

"Hmmm time for a side trip I think." Alec stated, leaving the room.

"Uh is it wise for Alec to go up there alone?" Jenn questioned, watching
Alec. "She could hurt that woman."

"True, you want to keep her company?" E asked, glancing at the fazes David
sent her.

"Might as well."


Shan was upstairs making her bed when her cell phone rang. She stared at
it for a minute, wondering if it was Brian. A part of her wanted it to be
but the rest of her didn't. 


Brian sat on the back deck, watching the waves crash the beach when he
heard someone sit down across from him. He glanced over and saw Howie
sitting there, his eyes on some distant point. "Hey D. Guess we're both in
the same boat huh?"

"The wife-less one you mean? Or my life suddenly turned into hell in the
last five days?"

"Both."

D sighed, "What did we do to deserve this Rok?? I mean tell me what the
hell I did and I'll try to change it."


Lis walked in the living room, "I've got an idea."

"Spill it." Shan said from her spot on the couch.

"Do you think Lou's hiding something?? I mean maybe if he's so sure the
boys were hiding things..."

E pushed her chair back from the computer, "Like what though? Personal or
business?"

"That's what I don't know. I haven't been around long enough to really
know. But most of you were right?"
	
E and Ty nodded, "We could always do some digging, wouldn't hurt would
it?" Ty asked.

"Not if we managed to nail good ol' Lou." E said with a smile, "Well lets
dig into the file of Mr. Lou Pearlman."


Walking into the kitchen Nick almost laughed at the sight in front of him,
Kevin and AJ in matching aprons whispering while stirring pots on the
stoves. "Uh guys did you turn into Martha Stewart and I missed a press
release?" 

AJ turned his head, "Hahaha, funny Carter real funny. We're cooking,
decided we'd had enough take out for awhile so I'm making spaghetti and
Kevy here's well I'm still not sure but he says its a pudding."

Kevin laughed, "This happens to be my mom's recipe for homemade chocolate
pudding okay?? Now shush up before I take you off the list to get some."

"That's your mom's pudding?" AJ asked, dipping his finger in the pan. "Oh
oh oh hot hot hot!!"

Nick laughed, "Boy you two are still crazy."

AJ grinned, "Ah its good to be crazy."

Kevin nodded, "Yeah its relaxing, isn't it Bone?"


"So we leave tonight at eight and we'll be in Louisville and settled by
morning." Alec informed the group.

Jenn nodded, "So if all goes well we could be back here by tomorrow
night."

"Great. Don't forget the tape recorder though," Shan said, "That way we'll
have definite proof if she does come out and tell the truth."
						

Donnie walked into his office, "Sorry I'm late, my last shoot ran over.
Dreadful people with no sense of time." he sunk into the chair behind his
desk and stared at David. "Let me guess, engagement shots? Or wedding."

David laughed, "Not right now. Actually I'm more interested in some shots
you've all ready done."

Donnie frowned, "I haven't shown anything in a gallery in nearly a year.
Are you an owner?"

"Not exactly," he pulled out the envelope and pushed it across the desk,
"I'm a friend of the men in these pictures."
			
Donnie pulled the pictures out and sifted through them, "Rather well done
I must say, given the lack of light. Good composition but what do these
have to do with me?"

"Aren't you the photographer who took them?"

Donnie laughed, "I'm afraid not."

"Oh I'm afraid so Donnie. I've had the opportunity to flip through some of
your books here and its very much the same style. So now just cut the lies
and tell me the truth."

"I don't have to tell you anything, now get out of my office." he
demanded, tossing David the envelope of pictures

"Hey why you getting so defensive? I mean if your innocent and had
nothing to do with these shots..."

"Fine. Sit, talk."

"Hypothetically, if these were yours...you'd have had a hand in setting
them up wouldn't you?"

Donnie took a deep drink of his cold coffee and glared at David, "If I was
the photographer I'd have to know what the person who wanted the pictures
wanted them to portray yes."

"ANd possibly even pick the girl to set up one with?"

"Not if the man said he'd handpick one himself."

David nodded, "But then the photographer wold have had to have known her
name at the very least and maybe even have a number to reach her if
something went wrong and he couldn't make it."

"He would indeed." Donnie said, opening his desk drawer and pulling
something out. "If I was the said photographer, would I be in trouble?"

David shrugged, "Couldn't tell you. That'd be up to Nick and his wife, and
Brian and his. However I think their more interested in nailing Lou to the
wall, if Lou's the man who hired you."

Donnie shrugged, "Can't say that name doesn't sound unfamiliar." he
scribbled something down on a piece of paper and handed that to him. "That
might just be the woman in the photos. I don't know exactly."