Figured You Out

Chapter Eighteen

"Where in blazes is AJ?" Howie asked, looking at his watch. He and Brian sat in the living room, waiting on their bandmate to arrive. They were holding a meeting to decide what to do about the rest of the US tour. Nick had been missing for nearly two days now and nobody knew where he was. Management had put the meeting together even though Howie argued that Nick hadn't been missing that long, not to mention they still had two weeks before tour picked up again.

"I just think they are jumping the gun. Why would Nick run off like this? It doesn't make any sense!" Howie exclaimed as he and Brian sat in the conference room.

"He didn't run away, D. Nicky's 30. He's not 16 anymore....sometimes I even forget that." Brian said softly, feeling horrible.

"We just gotta be positive, He will come back." Howie said as they heard noise in the hallway. Moments later, AJ burst into the room carrying a laptop and looking excited.

"Guys, GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!" he screamed, setting the laptop down on the conference table.

"Jay, where's the fire?" Howie asked, raising an eyebrow. AJ opened it and jumped up and down excitedly, pointing at the screen.

"Look at our photos from last week at the meet and greet." he shouted. Brian logged into their fanclub and went to the gallery.

"What am I looking for?" he asked in confusion.

"Scroll down. Down...down...down.....THERE!" AJ said, pointing at a picture of a girl with black hair. Brian squinted at the screen then looked back at AJ and shook his head, shrugging.

"Ok. Now picture her blonde." AJ said, grinning. Brian closed his eyes and a gasp escaped his lips.

"Oh...my...god....its her!" he whispered.

"Who?" Howie asked, staring at the two of them.

"The ass-grabber!" AJ exclaimed, pointing.

"Who?" Howie repeated.

"I swear....D, sometimes you are as thick headed as Kevin." AJ commented, making Brian chuckle.

"I am NOT turning into him." Howie protested.

"How did you know it was her, AJ?" Brian asked. AJ laughed, feeling so proud of himself for solving this "mystery".

"The night after we saw her in the nightclub feeling him up under the table....Nick found a note on his door. The one he showed you at the airport...remember?"

"Well, yes...but...what's that got to do with her?" Brian asked.

"Where are you going with this, AJ?" Howie demanded.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, D. Well, a couple hours later I was going to his room for a condom and saw that girl in his room. What are the odds she would be waiting for him in his room after he gets a creepy love letter?" AJ snapped. A look of sudden realization washed over Brian and he gasped again.

"Her name was Lucy.....I told him to stay away from her! Why didn't he listen to me..." Brian muttered, shaking his head.

"I still don't get it." Howie said. AJ grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him slowly so his head bobbed like a bobblehead doll.

"She....was....a...stalker....she....left....him....those....notes!" he said angrily.

"Now who sounds like Kevin?" Howie teased.

"Bite me." AJ said, flipping him off.

"I think you're onto something, AJ. Do you think she had something to do with Nick disappearing?" Brian asked.

"Sounds like it. She was creepy as hell, remember? She told Nick she loved him."

"The one who said I love you and he told her he loved her?! That idiot! If I wasn't so worried about him I'd kill him." Brian shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

"Well, I think she had something to do with Lauren too," AJ commented, looking at his feet.

"Lauren?" Howie and Brian asked at the same time.

"She's dead." AJ replied sadly.

"Oh my god. How did that happen?" Howie asked. AJ shut the computer and sat down.

"She was murdered the other night. Nick told me he was on his way to see her, but something happened. He vanished and she ended up dead. The police told me he found her body. That's why they are looking for him, they think....they think he did it." he said, sighing.

"Nick would not kill Lauren. Not in a million years. Something is wrong with this picture. Have they any leads?" Howie said calmly.

"He left behind his BlackBerry, his jacket and his car in the middle of nowhere. Now you tell me that doesn't sound like something Nicky wouldn't do. That damn phone is attatched to his hand. He never goes anywhere without that fuckin' thing." AJ mused.

"So you think someone abducted him?" Brian asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. It was beginning to make sense to him at least. He remembered what the girl looked like, the blonde girl from the night club. Lucy, or whatever her name was.

"Well, I told the police what I thought. Of course they think I'm insane."

"Says the man who owns a flamethrower." Howie laughed.

"Hey, now. Like you have no use for a flamethrower." AJ retorted.

"Not really, no."

"It might come in handy."

"Those cops were right about you."

"Guys..." Brian started, but it fell flat. He felt that finding Nick as soon as possible was more important. However, as
Brian listened to the two of them arguing, and wondered where Nick could be and hoped he could hold out until they found him....or he escaped. Grinning, Brian knew Nick would find a way out of this, or at least he hoped he did.