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Parker sat on the edge of the bench as he looked at the mess of metal and glass “It looks like something busted the airbag, from the looks of it” he said moving the long stem of wheat in his mouth. The ends bounced around like peacock feathers as he spoke “Though I must say, it’s hard to see how he survived.”

“Officer Macarthur said it was about a ten foot drop from where the car was suspended.” Parker’s partner, Dallas spouted after draining his cup of coffee.

“Imagine that, you go for a joyride near dusk and yah end up in a tree just by the highway. You break through the barriers, and the stupid thing that’s s’posed to save you, the airbag, is the thing that kicks yah out of the car and throws you to the ground.” Parker walked over to the shambled mess “The only problem is, even running into a tree wouldn’t have caused that much damage. His jaw was near busted.”

“Who knows, he had a nice car he was ridin’ in too. Didn’t someone say he was one of those people from that one boy band thing?”

Parker pressed his hand against the door hinge; the metal was twisted like it had been scathed in a monster truck, it’s so malleable, or at least it was I wonder if there was a fire that caused it.”

“A fire” Dallas asked sarcastically, chuckling to himself “You and your wild stories Parker. Didn’t you see how light that car was, it was bound to happen, especially if it ran though some huge limbs, not to mention the railing, used to keep people on the road.”

“Excuse us” A voice came from the opening in the garage, a man and a woman walked in holding up their badges “I’m Detective Campbell, and this is Detective Taylor” The taller, bulkier male pointed to his companion as they both held up their badges.

“We just need to see the vehicle.” Detective Taylor announced walking over to the heap of metal.”

“I thought you took all you needed from the scene” Parker said suspiciously.

“Well this is the biggest part of our scene, you were housing for us, correct.” She answered haughtily ending with a rhetorical question.

Dallas moved towards Detective Campbell with an open hand “Course, forgive Parker, he’s been away and just got back this morning. He’s still catchin’ up on things”

Both Detectives’ nodded; Detective Campbell looked sideways at the vehicle “We have a few people coming over now to place the car in a air tight enclosure. I’m sure you won’t mind if they let themselves in.”

“Sure” Parker smiled wryly “We just fix ‘em, and hold them for people like you. Do with it what you will.”

The detectives walked around the premises around the car as if they still had something to look for.

“Didn’t you people find the other passenger in the car? I heard she died. Didn’t she fall on her head and crush it or something?” Detective Campbell looked up staring at the two men. His gloved hand felt around the handle on the passenger side door.

“Almost,” his voice sounded displeased “she was caught by one of the tree limbs on the way down, one of the weaker limbs broke leaving a sharp stub it pierced her ventral artery giving her a hernia before she reached the bottom. After that she rolled down the hill further into the gully.”
………….


Jackie had stayed with her son throughout the night while her husband had left with their granddaughter. The detectives had come earlier that evening and told her and her husband about the forensics experts investigating the case. Harold was emphatic about finding out why this situation was investigatory.

“There’s no reason to claim this as anything less than an accident” his voice was tired and flat.

Detective Campbell eyed him “We found the body of a women in the car, further along the gully, and a knife on the scene. She suffered a hernia, and your son has a stab wound near his heart. This is much more than just your mundane accident”

Jackie covered her mouth, squeezing her husbands hand tightly as she started to shake “My son wouldn’t hurt anyone. Leighanne was an angel, she would never, never” her words choked out as her lips curled under. Harold rubbed his head as he searched desperately around the waiting room for a place to escape.

“We need everything we can get. From your son and from you”

“Do you know if your daughter-in-law and your son had any marital problems” Detective Taylor asked leaning forward speaking in a soft tone, cases like these were many times more sympathetic to the wife “Has your son been abusive in anyway, or has your daughter-in-law show any bruises?”

Jackie’s eyes went wide as her face contorted into an unimaginable shocked expression “Brian would never. Never do anything like that.”

“Did they have any marital problems, fights, did they seem happy” Detective Campbell asked.

“Brian has always been happy with Leighanne” Jackie cried pulling a tissue from a box of Kleenex “They have a beautiful baby girl, and I just. No” she said frustrated.

“Brian came home early this summer, with his daughter when Leighanne was away with her family. He asked if we could keep track of her for a few days” Harold turned his head back to the officers “He just said he had to do some things in the studio and didn’t want her to have to be in a hotel, when we were just as close, and better suited.”

“When was that” Detective Taylor asked as detective Campbell wrote the words on a notepad.

Harold sighed leaning into the faded blue 70’s style couch “A few months back. We’ve had her since. No plea from Leighanne to take her. I just assumed that they didn’t want to take the child on tour.”

“We kept in contact with Brian though; he was doing some promotional traveling with the boys.”

“Boys” Detective

“He’s in a boy-band. They’ve been pretty big throughout the world. Most teen girls know them as the Backstreet Boys.” Harold answered flatly.

“Any reason for anyone in this group to want to harm your son” Detective Campbell asked.

“I wouldn’t think so” Harold answered slowly and honestly. “He has been in this group for a long time, more than a decade.”

“Can you tell us where these people live, everyone is a suspect in this case, as well as yourselves” the detective informed them. Jackie looked a Harold petrified, her face turning white as snow.

Now she sat in Brian’s room which was filled with roses and notes from thousands of fans. She was frustrated and past tears, stiffly she whipped her nose watching the clock tick by.

She and her husband had been in Kentucky this whole time. How could they have perpetrated something like this? She knew Brian wasn’t insane, or vile enough to kill anyone let alone his own wife. He valued life and the sanctity of it, never has he done anything less this or could have, or would have. Would he? “No” Jackie told herself allowed, her son turned his head his eyes opening slowly “I’m sorry, sweetheart go back to sleep.” She forced a smile across her face touching the railing of the bed.

“Where’s everyone else” Brian asked dazed, he had been sleeping so well, the medication still made him drowsy and reaction sluggish.

“Your Dad took Kili home so I could stay with you.”

“Who’s Kili?” Brian asked he desperately wanted to sit up, but every muscle in his body refused, his brain was construing the agonizing pain it would cause.

“Your daughter” Jackie’s eyes narrowed “Don’t you remember”

“I don’t remember anything, let alone a daughter” his mouth was dry “I remember giving you and Dad a girl to keep for me while I searched for protective services.”

Jackie’s words dropped and she licked her lips searching for something to grasp too “But, you told your father.”

“I wasn’t about to take a child home to Leighanne, she would’ve flipped” Brian said erratically. The tone in his voice went soft “She was beautiful wasn’t she” he said suppressing a smile.

“Yes” Jackie answered confused “Where did you find her?”