He knew how much Kate blamed herself for what had happened. She was embarrassed to find herself attracted to AJ, once he turned out to be her half-brother. He also knew Howie blamed himself for her running to AJ in the first place. Kevin had watched Howie struggle with his doubts about her feelings for him. AJ. Who knew what AJ was feeling? Even now, he was typing away to his pen pal who had just given him a name, but nothing else since. Kevin was sure AJ wasn’t even close to dealing with his feelings for Kate or his father for that matter.
Oria,
I know this is the third one today, but I wanted to tell you what happened. Well, I don’t know for sure what happened, just that Kate is missing. Howie, Kevin and I got an early flight out to Orlando to see what we can do to help. God help us all if anything bad has happened to her.
If Howie hadn’t been so stupid in the first place, none of this would’ve happened. She’d probably would’ve been on tour with us, visiting, or safe in his condo and wouldn’t have had to take a second job.
I know, maybe nothing has happened and she’s just fine. I pray so! Thanks for listening to me, even though you haven’t answered back again. I can’t tell anyone else these things, especially now since Howie and I are talking. He’s so hurt and lost and so dependent on me now, I feel so guilty for my anger toward him.
It’s still all his fault Kate is gone.
AJ
AJ sent the email via his cell phone and logged off his laptop. None of them had been able to sit together, so Howie was two rows a head of him and Kevin was across from him. He looked up to find Kevin looking at him and Kevin gave him a simple smile.
What would Kevin think if he knew how I really felt about Howie? Even now?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Management arranged for them to be picked up by a limo and taken directly to Lita and Kate’s apartment in Orlando. They sped past the condo complex Kate and Howie had shared. Longing glances out the window by Howie were not lost on AJ and Kevin. The police were still at the apartment when Lita waved the three men in. She ran up and threw her arms around Kevin.
“Sh, it’s gonna be okay.” Kevin soothed her.
“Is there any news?” Howie asked from behind Kevin.
“Oh, Howie! It’s so good to see you, I’m so glad you came!” Lita said, hugging him tightly. “Kate still loves you very much.” She added with a whisper.
Howie gently pushed Lita away and she turned to hug AJ.
“No, there hasn’t been any word yet. They are still looking for Matt, the student she was tutoring.”
“He’s missing too?” AJ asked.
“He probably skipped town.” Kevin said.
“We don’t know that.” Howie denied. “Maybe they are both hurt…”
“No, Howie.” Lita said, shaking her head.
“What do you know?” AJ asked.
“I know that Matt Caraway is a paranoid schizophrenic on medication. I know coming to Orlando to go to school was his first major move away from home.”
“What are you saying?!” Howie gasped.
“Howie, Matt has a violent history that can be only controlled by medication. He hasn’t been taking his medication since he arrived 6 months ago, when he met Kate.” Lita said. “They are pretty sure he’s done something with her…”
“How could someone like that be allowed to walk around? How could someone like that get near Kate?!” AJ demanded.
“AJ, please! Where is your boyfriend?” Kevin asked, looking over her shoulder.
“He went to the hospital in case she shows up there.” Lita sighed.
Kevin reached out and smoothed her arm, and then she turned and slipped in close to him. He held her tight, burying his face in her flaxen hair. They have talked about so much over the last couple months, hell, almost a year. He felt he knew her better than just about anyone.
“Excuse me?” a fourth man’s voice asked.
He matched Kevin, inch for inch in height, maybe a little heavier. The others took in his dark skin, short dreads and dark brooding eyes. He was wearing just a used gray tee shirt and jeans. Not looking much like a doctor.
“Bryan, did you see anything?” Lita asked, slipping out of Kevin’s arms and into his. Bryan eyed Kevin suspiciously until Kevin stuck out his hand to the other man.
“Kevin Richardson.” Kevin said. Bryan shook his hand and Lita introduced the others as Howie and AJ.
The lover and the brother.
“Bryan Carpenter, sorry we had to meet like this.” He said, giving Lita a squeeze. He looked down at her. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t heard anything. I left a message to have the hospital page me if she shows up anywhere.”
Lita looked at her watch.
“9:30. She’s been gone over 24 hours now…” Lita said.
Bryan held her close and kissed her forehead, his eyes reading Kevin Richardson from head to toe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howie watched as everyone settled around the apartment waiting on some word about Kate. Bryan had fought off sleep as long as he could, but after two days, his head dropped back and he drifted off on the couch. Lita had stayed in the crook of his arm the entire time.
Howie was pacing and had found a comfortable path up and down the hallway. He looked up once and realized that the door to her bedroom was cracked open. He splayed his hand on the wood door and slowly pushed it open.
Her furniture was old and mismatched. Sitting on the dresser were the dolls she had before she met him and one he had bought her afterwards. The new perfume she had started wearing lingered in the room. Thrown across the old bedspread were a couple of textbooks, a sweater…one of his sweaters.
My god…
Howie let the fine cashmere slip through his fingers. After her apartment break-in, he had given her a few more like the one she had lost. He brought it to his face and breathed her in.
Be okay, my love. Please be all right.
He knelt beside her bed and prayed as he hadn’t since Caroline had died. Dear god this was all his fault. If he had just told her the truth, they might even be married by now and she would be safe in his arms.
Come back to me, baby, please come back.
“Howie?” he heard AJ ask softly.
He looked up and back at AJ standing in the doorway. He got to his feet, laying the sweater back down across the bed.
“Is there any word?” He asked, not looking at AJ.
“No. I was just checking on you.”
“I was just praying.” Howie whispered.
“That’s good, buddy.” AJ whispered back.
Bryan suddenly shoved his way past AJ and ran into the other bedroom. He ran back out with a black medical bag. AJ and Howie ran back to living room after him.
“What’s going on?” AJ asked.
“They found her.” Lita gasped grabbing AJ’s arms.
“Look you guys, take me with you!” Bryan was demanding of the police. “I’m a doctor. She may not be able to wait until she gets to the hospital.”
An officer waved him out of the apartment and he took off running out the door and down the stairs.
“She’s alive?!” Howie asked.
“The police said she was.” Kevin said.
“How bad is she? Is she hurt?” Howie asked.
“I think so, they wouldn’t say. They found her at the city park…” Lita began.
“Oh god…”AJ groaned.
“Look, she’s alive and that’s all that matters right now.” Kevin said, standing behind Lita.
“Bryan is going right out there. He’ll take excellent care of her.” Lita said, holding on to AJ for dear life.
“I…I..uh..I can donate blood. We’re the same type.” AJ stammered.
“Can we go to the hospital?” Howie asked, his voice obviously shaking.
“Yeah, I’ll drive.” Kevin said, taking Lita’s car keys from her dinning room table.
Table of Contents
Chapter Three