Affairs of Death (PART III of Death)
Story by Daisy

Death is a shadow that veils you like a peaceful sleep...or a nightmare.

Chapter Five

          Brian walked around the empty house, inhaling deeply the smell of freshly baked cookies. Leighanne had to be around here somewhere, Brian thought as he stepped in the kitchen and noticed that the oven was still on. She would never leave something baking unless…

          The horrid thought filled his mind. Unless she was murdered. Desperately, Brian ran though the house, yelling Leighanne’s name, searching everything. He had checked every room but there was still no sign of her. Only the basement was left unchecked. With a sickening feeling in his stomach and a sour taste in his mouth, Brian slowly descended the stairs into the basement, one by one. His fingers groped the wall in search of the light, and when they finally found it, the bulb flashed brightly, then went out. Brian waited for a few seconds to let his eyes adjust to the dim light, then began his journey down the stairs.

          He heard a sickening laugh that sent chills down his spine and he flew down the rest of the stairs, grabbing a hammer from the shelf before he came into the opening of the basement.

          And there she was. Leighanne, tied to the chair, his office chair where he had sat so many times. But something was wrong. There was no life in the eyes that stared back at him. He let out a strangled cry just before he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. With the hammer in his hand, he whirled around to face the person who had done this to his wife.

          And with a scream, he lashed out.

          “Arrgh!” Brian yelled, and turned with his fist up, defending the creature of the dark.

          “Brian!” Leighanne screamed, just before his fist made contact with her shoulder. She winced in pain and immediately grabbed her shoulder, cradling it. Brian was completely awake then, and shaking.

          “Leigh,” he murmured, standing up to hold her, but she backed away. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.” He choked out through a sob, reaching his hands out pathetically towards her, but she shook her head.

          “You’re too caught up in all of this, Bri. I’ve tried to help you the whole time. I’ve tried talking to you, but I don’t get a word out of you. I’ve taken you to counseling, but you won’t talk to them either. I’ve had Nick try to help you but that hasn’t helped either.” Leighanne paused and stared at her broken husband, her heart breaking. “You’ve just got to let it go.” She whispered, moving slightly towards him, touching her fingertips to his cheek. “Let it go.”

          Brian’s tears soaked her fingers and she pulled him into a hug. He sobbed on her shoulder like a little boy. She stroked his head until the sobs became dry hiccoughs.

          “Baby,” she whispered, pulling him away so she could see his face. “Are you going to be okay?”

          Brian slowly nodded, knowing that if he didn’t, she probably wouldn’t leave him alone. She smiled slightly, kissed his forehead, and left him once again alone in the basement. Brian inhaled deeply and again sat down to work. He took the two papers that he had written about Howie’s and Kevin’s deaths in his hands and stared hard at them. There’s something I’m missing, he thought.

          He suddenly grabbed a piece of paper and began writing down all the people that he and the group had ever come in contact with and had also had any form of friction with.

          “Lou Pearlman, Bobby Brown, the hair stylist guy,” he muttered as he furiously scribbled down more names. When he had a complete list of anybody he could think of, he went back over and reasoned whether someone would or wouldn’t really go to the extreme and kill one of the boys.

          And he found who he was looking for.

Chapter Six
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