He Had to Die

~~~~~Finale~~~~


"Good evening gentlemen." The detective welcomed the small group of people in to the conference room. They resumed much the same positions as they had the first time they were in this room. And really, the circumstances weren't too much different either. "We believe we have enough evidence to arrest someone tonight."

"Then for God's sake do it!" AJ stood, interrupting the older man. The detective shot him a glare and AJ returned to his seat with a mumbled apology.

"We have looked over the facts of the case very carefully. Now some may think we are being hasty, but the killer in this case was sloppy, although he tried to be careful. He aided our jobs very much and made solving this case very easy."

The group looked at each other uneasily, knowing one of them was the killer.

"According to witness reports and the statements given by you five gentlemen here tonight, this is the breakdown of the evening Nick Carter was murdered." The detective spread some papers before him on the table and started to read. "Mr. Carter, Mr. Richardson and Mr.Dorough arrive at the hotel from the arena. Mr. Carter is exchanging teasing words with Mr. Dorough, who was taking offense to them."

"I didn't kill him!" Howie protested.

"Mr. Dorough, please." The detective waved his hand and continued reading. Carter and Richardson arrived on their floor approximately at the same time. Richardson notified Carter he would be missing a scheduled event because he was tired. Carter was upbeat and smiling. Event was canceled. Carter was visited by Littrell briefly just for talk. Carter was visited by Mclean briefly, who brought him a movie to watch." The detective exchanged glances with AJ, who grinned sheepishly. "Next Carter was visited by Dorough to work on some music, Dorough was told Pongetti was on his way down and also they discussed the incident in the lobby. Pongetti arrives at Carter's room, to find Carter dead."

He cleared his throat and continued. "Now, all these visits are confirmed by the guards stationed at the door, save for one, the killer's visit."

"I thought you said one of us was the killer?" Brian asked, confused.

"One of you is." The detective confirmed. "Mr. Richardson, you spent the evening in bed, correct? Until Mr. Pongetti woke you up so rudely?"

"That's right."

"Could you tell us why one of the guards entered your room and found you not there?"

"Maybe I was in the bathroom?" Kevin offered.

"Possibly." The detective nodded his head. "Possibly. Mr. Dorough tell us what you saw when you entered Mr. Carter's room, please."

"I told you." Howie held his shaking hands together. "Nick and I talked and I left the music with him."

"You left the sheet music scattered just inside the doorway on the floor? Come on Mr. Dorough, what did you see?"

"Nick was dead!" Howie yelled out. "The knives were sticking out of him! He was bleeding! I dropped the papers and ran out of there." He put his head in his hands and sobbed. "I didn't do it!" Howie whispered. "I didn't do it."

"What else did you see?" The detective quietly urged. "We know, you can tell us."

"I saw Kevin, he was just shutting his door. I don't think he saw me." Howie buried his head in his arms and cried some more.

"Mr. Richardson? Care to elaborate on anything here?"

"What gave it away? I was very careful." Kevin sat back in his chair.

"You left a print on the knife that slit Mr. Carter's throat."

The other four men gasped in shock. "Kev? How could you?" Brian stared at his cousin, with tears streaming down his face.

"He pissed me off one too many times, Bri, I slipped up and I killed him. Simple as that."

"But why?" AJ asked in disbelief.

Kevin sighed and began his story. "I went to tell him that I wasn't attending the meet and greet, like I told you. Nick was playing with those damn knives, pretending to stab at me and being a ninja. So childish. I argued with him. Told him he had to get ready. He argued back that if I wasn't going, he wasn't going. He started to twirl the biggest knife around and knocked me in the side of the head. I threw a punch at him and left. I was furious, so I knew leaving was the best thing. A few hours later I decided to go back and apologize. He was playing those damn games and left them running while we talked. He wasn't paying attention. As usual. He started messing with the knives again and this time, he cut my hand. I grabbed the smallest knife and held it to his throat. Asked him how he liked it and why couldn't he settle the hell down? Nick was squirming and I cut him, bad, deep. He was dead before he hit the floor."

"Why did you do all the other stuff?" Brent asked, horrified. "You mutilated him!"

"I had to make it look like some wacko offed him. Then I saw Howie going in and thought he would take the fall. But I was sloppy."

"You would have let them arrest me?" Howie asked quietly. "You would have let everyone think I killed him? I loved him like a brother!"

The officers moved to put the handcuffs on Kevin. "I did too, Howie. But he was an annoying little shit. You know it, we all know it. He had to die."


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