Righteous Obsession (29 page)

“Colin, you don’t know for sure he’s missing!” 
Alethea argued.

“I know,” He replied firmly.  “Liam would never be
gone this long without letting somebody know!  He’s very conscientious that
way.”

“But you’re assuming something happened to him when
you don’t have any proof one way or the other.”

Colin shrugged and said softly, “I want to believe he’s
okay, but my gut’s telling me different.”

Alethea wanted to offer a rebuttal, but in her
innermost heart she knew Colin was right.  Liam was very conscientious.  He
wouldn’t have missed a sound check without calling and definitely wouldn’t have
missed a concert unless something was very wrong!

Colin sighed.  “I’d better see if mom and dad are
back.”  They went downstairs to his parents’ suite but there was no answer to
their knocking. 

“Maybe, they’re still at my parents.  Why don’t we
call and if they are, we’ll drive back over.”  Alethea suggested.

He nodded, they went back to their room and Alethea
made the call.  She let it ring several times then shook her head.  “They must
have gone out for supper.”

Colin tried both his parents’ cell phones, but both
went directly to voicemail.  “Fuck it!”  Colin yelled, slamming his fist on the
dresser and causing her to jump.  He sighed and pushed his hair back.  “I’m
sorry,” He apologized.  “It’s just that what started out as the happiest day of
my life has suddenly turned into a fucking nightmare!”

Alethea went over to him, put her arms around him and
rested her head against his chest.  “It’s okay.  I understand.”

There was a knock on their door and Colin answered it,
hoping against hope that it was Liam or good news about him.  Steve came
inside.  “I wanted to let you know that Russ finished checking the hospital and
nobody fitting Liam’s description has been admitted since one-thirty.”  Neither
Colin nor Steve chose to say aloud what they were thinking – because they
hadn’t found Liam in a hospital didn’t mean he was all right.  He could be
laying somewhere, injured or dead, without any identification.

Colin drew a shaky breath and said, “I guess we’d
better check the morgue, too.  If he wasn’t carrying any identification or it
got lost or stolen, they wouldn’t know whom to contact.”

“I don’t think we need to go quite that far yet,
Colin, but I am going to call the police.”

The police officer who answered Steve’s call was young
and very professional but showed a great deal of compassion for Colin’s anguish
over his missing brother.  “From what you’ve told me about your brother, it
does seem very unusual for him to have left voluntarily, but you do understand
I can’t file a report until he’s been missing for seventy-two hours?”

“Yes.”  Colin nodded.

Steve had provided the officer with a publicity
photograph of Liam.  “Can you give me a description of your brother?”

Colin felt fear knotting his throat.  “He’s about 5’10
and slender-built.  He weighs between 130 and 140, I’d guess.  He has blue eyes
and blond hair.”

“Any distinguishing marks, scars or tattoos?”

“No.”

“Can you think of any reason somebody might want to
harm your brother?”

Before Colin could answer, Steve spoke up, “I think
you should know that Colin and Liam’s father is the attorney general of
California.”

“That does put things in a different light.  I may not
have to wait seventy-two hours to file this report.”

“Will you do me a favor?”  Colin asked.

“If I can.”

“If you have any news, especially if it’s bad news,
will you let me know first?  I’d rather it be me who tells my parents.”

“I’ll do that,” The officer replied, closing his
notebook.  “I’ll keep in touch.”

“What are we going to do about the concert tonight?” 
Jake asked suddenly.  “We’ll need somebody to fill in for Liam.”

“How about Jodi?”  Mace asked, referring to the lead
singer of Armageddon.  “She plays keyboards, not as good as Liam, but pretty
good from the times I’ve heard her play.”

“Jodi’s fine,” Colin replied with a shrug.

By the time they got to the arena, Colin’s stomach was
in a knot so tight he thought something was going to snap and his head was
throbbing.  He dreaded having to tell his parents about Liam.  He didn’t really
want to be where he was, but he knew he had to put his fears aside and give the
kids the best show he could.  He knew that’s what Liam would want him to do. 
He saw Russ leading his parents and, much to his surprise, Alethea’s parents
backstage.  He took a deep breath and was just about to speak when there was a loud
roar from the audience.

“What in hell is that noise?”  Beau asked.

“The concert’s starting, Dad,” Alethea explained.

“Well, that explains why half the kids in my classes
are practically brain-dead!”  Beau remarked then complained, “I don’t know why
I let myself be talked into this.”

“Stop acting like an old fart, Beau!”  Louisa scolded
him.  “I think it’s exciting to try something new and different once in
awhile.”

“Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you,” Colin said.  “Let’s
go in here.”  He led them into Armageddon’s dressing room.

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”  Amanda asked, looking
at Colin’s face.

Colin sighed and nodded.  He’d never been able to hide
anything from his mom.  “Liam’s gone.”

“Gone?  You mean he’s quit the band?”  Peter asked,
shocked.

He shook his head.  “No.  He’s missing – we don’t know
where he is.”

“When did you last see him?”  Amanda asked.

“When he left our reception at one-thirty.  He said he
was going sightseeing in the Quarter with Mace, Jake and Vanessa.  Mace said
they went into a store and Liam stayed outside.  When they came out, he was
gone.  They searched for him, but they couldn’t find him.  Vanessa talked to
the owners of the stores later, but none of them remembered seeing him.”

“Have the police been called?”  Peter asked.  He was
pale and though he tried to stay calm, a note of fear crept into his voice.

“Yes, but I don’t know how much they can do.  Steve
and McGregor searched the Quarters and Russ called the hospitals but they
didn’t find him.”  Colin rose.  “It’s just like he’s disappeared off the face
of the fucking earth!”  He sat down again abruptly.  “I’m sorry because I know
I promised you I’d look after him and I let this happen.”

“Colin,” Amanda took hold of his hand, but her voice
quavered.  “As you’ve pointed out to me before, Liam is nineteen and we can’t
protect him no matter how much we want to.”

“But there must be something I can do!  I hate this
waiting and not knowing!”

“We feel the same way, Colin, but it’s best to stay
out of the way and let the police do their job.”  Peter replied.  They sat in
silence.  Colin held both of his parents’ hands in his.

There was a knock on the door and Russ, looking
uncomfortable, came inside.  “Sorry to intrude, Colin, but Armageddon is coming
off stage.”

“Okay, Russ, thanks.”  Colin took a deep breath and
got to his feet.  “Will you be all right?”

“We’ll be fine.  Don’t worry.”  Amanda said, trying to
reassure him.  Peter put his arm around her and pulled her close to him.

Colin went out into the hallway. Alethea was standing
outside the dressing room with her parents.  “How are Peter and Amanda?”

He shook his head.  “They’re pretty shook up even
though they’re trying their best to hide it.  Could you sit with them while I’m
on stage?  I’m worried about mom.”

Louisa came over and took his hand.  “Alethea told us
about Liam.  Is there anything we can do?”

“Thanks for your concern but there’s not much any of
us can do except wait and that is the hardest part.”

“We can keep Peter and Amanda company,” Louisa
decided.

“I’d appreciate that.”

Unforgiven took the stage.  When the cheers, screams
and clapping died down, Colin made a brief announcement, “My brother, Liam,
took sick just before we came on stage so Jodi Crane has graciously offered to
fill in for him.  Let’s have a big welcome for Jodi!”  He worried during the
concert that the audience might be getting a second-rate performance. One look
at the ecstatic expressions on the faces of the fans and hearing their
continual clapping, screaming and whistling, convinced him that the fans
weren’t aware of the turmoil, involving the band.  By the time the time
Unforgiven had performed their final encore and left the stage, Colin felt more
tired than he’d ever been in his entire life.  They all returned to the hotel. 
Alethea’s parents had decided to come back and sit with Peter and Amanda for a
while.  Colin was grateful for their concern.  He returned to his room and sank
down on the bed.  It was hard to believe this was the same bed where he and
Alethea had made such passionate love a few nights ago.

Alethea touched his shoulder.  “I’m going to take a
hot shower and hope it helps restore some of my energy because I don’t want to
fall asleep until I know Liam’s safe.  If there’s any news…”

“I’ll tell you immediately,” Colin replied, grasping
her hand.  He watched her getting undressed then heard the shower.  Suddenly
his cell phone rang and he answered it in mid-ring, “Hello?”

“I have your brother and I’m going to kill him unless
you meet me!”

“Who is this?”  Colin demanded, trying to remember why
this voice sounded so familiar to him.

“Never mind who I am. The only thing you need to know
is that I will kill your brother!”

Suddenly Colin remembered where he’d heard this voice
before.  It was the same person who had been calling him and leaving the
threatening messages on his voicemail!  “How do I know you really have Liam? 
Let me talk to him!”  There was silence until Liam’s voice, sounding awfully
shaky, filled the line, “Colin?”

“Liam, are you all right?”

“I’m okay.”  To Colin, his voice sounded as if
somebody was prodding him to say whatever they thought he wanted to hear. 
Suddenly Liam yelled, “Don’t come!  He’s going to kill…” There was a sudden
loud cry from Liam then silence.

“Liam!”  Colin cried.

“You have exactly one hour or your brother dies and
his death won’t be an easy one!”

“I’m coming!  Don’t hurt him anymore!  Where do I go?”

Father Michaels recited the address then added in a
menacing tone, “Come alone because if I see anybody with you it means instant
death for your brother!”

The line went dead.  Colin tore off the sheet of paper
he’d written the address on and stuck it into the pocket of his jeans.  He
opened the night stand drawer and took out the penlight he always had in case
of a fire or power failure.  He glanced into the bathroom and saw Alethea was
still showering.  He quietly opened the door and when he didn’t see anybody
around he stepped out into the hall and quickly strode to the elevators.  The
security guard looked up as he heard him coming.

“I’m going down and see how my parents are holding
up,” Colin lied.  The elevator dinged then opened and he got in before the
guard decided to argue.  Just in case he was watching the floor indicators on
the elevator, Colin got off on his parents floor then rode another elevator to
the lobby.  The doors opened and he looked around.  The lobby appeared
deserted.  He quickly walked out the front entrance.  He got in his rental car,
reached over into the glove compartment and got out a map provided by the
rental company along with a notepad and pen.  Holding the penlight in his
teeth, he located the address on the map then traced a route that would get him
there the fastest.  He tossed the map aside, started the car then pulled away
from the curb.  He drove, keeping exactly to the posted speed limits.  He
worried, that by agreeing to come, he might have already signed Liam’s death
warrant.  What was to stop this nutcase when he knew he’d gotten what he
wanted?

‘No!’ Colin thought.  ‘He won’t do it that way.  He’ll
wait until I get there because his goal is to cause me the maximum amount of
agony before he kills me.’  He slowed down, looking for the address.  It
appeared to be in the older part of the waterfront district. The address
belonged to an abandoned or temporarily unoccupied warehouse.  He parked across
the street from it, near the levee.  Colin took a deep breath and swallowed. 
God!  He wasn’t any hero and he didn’t want to die!  He wished he’d been able
to tell Alethea that he loved her before he’d left.  He grabbed the notepad and
pen out of the glove compartment.  He hurriedly scribbled a note to Alethea,
folded it, wrote her name on it and propped it up on the dashboard.  If he
didn’t make it, hopefully somebody would find the note when they found the car
and give it to her.  As he got out of the car, he could hear the river sloshing
against the levee and the air had that grungy, fishy smell he always associated
with rivers.  He walked across the street and up to the warehouse’s entrance. 
He heart was beating so hard it felt as if it was going to burst through his
chest.  He took another deep breath to steady himself then pushed the door
open.