Chapter 15

 

Leighanne had no more hung up the phone, when it rang again.   Expecting it to be AJ again, she picked it up with a “Hey, AJ.”  

 

There was a pause, and then the voice of an older man said, “This isn’t AJ.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Leighanne cried, embarrassed.  “I just got off the phone with a friend named AJ, and I thought it was him calling back.  Who’s this?”

 

“Uh… I prefer not to disclose that.   Who I am isn’t important.   The information I have for you is,” the caller replied, sending chills running through Leighanne’s spine.

 

“What are you talking about?” she asked uneasily.

 

“It’s about your husband,” the man said.  “I have some information that might give you some answers.”

 

“Answers?  About what?” Leighanne asked, confused.   Surely this man couldn’t be talking about what AJ had just been discussing with her.

 

“I think you’ll know once you get the information.  I need to send it to you though; can you give me your address?  I don’t have it.”

 

“No,” Leighanne said, her voice shaky.  “I’m sorry, but… I prefer not to disclose that,” she added, echoing his words from before.

 

“I understand.  Well, then, I’ll have it sent to a friend of mine, and you can pick it up from him.  Do you know where Penny Avenue is?”

 

“Yes,” Leighanne replied.

 

“Okay.  I’ll send a package to 110 Penny Avenue, which is a clinic where a friend of mine, Dr. Kaufman, works.   I’ll have it shipped right away, and it will be there tomorrow afternoon with orders to be given to you.   Stop by and pick it up as soon as you can,” the man instructed.   “And don’t tell anyone about it.”

 

“Okay…” Leighanne said uncertainly.   Before she could even say goodbye, she heard a click, and the other line went dead.  

 

***

 

Dr. Henry Walters replaced the receiver of his telephone with shaking hands.  

 

You did the right thing, he told himself, trying to calm his nerves.   No matter what happens, just remember that you did the right thing.

 

***

 

Early the next afternoon, Leighanne drove to 110 Penny Avenue.   She found herself in front of a small gray office building, which had a glass door reading ‘Dr. John Kaufman, M.D.’ 

 

This is it, Leighanne thought.   She wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous as she walked into the building, but she did.   Inside the front door, she found herself in a small entrance area with benches and coat racks.   She walked on through another door that led into a waiting room, where several people sat, waiting for their appointments. 

 

Leighanne hardly glanced at them as she walked on to the receptionist’s cubicle on the other side of the waiting room.   She stepped up to the window that separated the waiting room from the receptionist’s area.   On the other side of the window, a woman sat at a desk, typing something into a computer, a pair of reading glasses sitting low on her nose.   She paid no attention to Leighanne.

 

Leighanne cleared her throat loudly to get the receptionist’s attention.   The woman turned away from the computer and removed her glasses.  “Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

 

“No, I-“

 

“Then, I’m sorry, Dr. Kaufman can’t see you.  You’ll have to schedule an appointment first,” the receptionist replied, cutting Leighanne off.

 

“Actually, I don’t need to make an appointment.  I’m here to pick up a package that was supposed to be sent here,” Leighanne said coolly, rather annoyed with the woman’s curtness.

 

“Mrs. Littrell?” the receptionist asked, her tone softening. 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Of course.  Here you are,” the woman said, handing a manila envelope through the window to Leighanne.  

 

“Thank you,” Leighanne said, taking the envelope.   Then she turned and left the doctor’s office, eager to get home and find out what information it contained.

 

***

 

“Hey, Brian, can I talk to you a minute?” AJ asked, grabbing Brian’s arm as he passed by.

 

“What?” Brian asked in annoyance.

 

“Come here,” AJ said, dragging him away from the others.

 

It was the second day of their video shoot for “More Than That”, and things were not improving much.   Something was going on with Brian, and AJ was determined to get to the bottom of it.

 

“What is up with you, man?  You’re acting really weird,” AJ said, decided not to mention the scar.  Not yet. 

 

Brian’s face reddened.  “Nothing!” he exclaimed defensively.  “Leave me alone!”  He twisted out of AJ’s grasp.

 

“Wait!” AJ yelled, grabbing him again and pulling him back.   “I need to ask you something.”  He took a deep breath.   “What happened to your sc-“

 

“AJ!  You’re needed on the set!” shouted a crew member, before AJ could get the rest of his question out.

 

He rolled his eyes.  “We’ll talk later, okay, Brian?”

 

“Whatever,” Brendan muttered, glaring darkly at AJ as he hurried off to get back to work.

 

They were getting suspicious.   Especially AJ.   What if they found out the truth?

 

That’s ridiculous, Brendan assured himself.   How could they find out?  It’s impossible.   He grinned maliciously.   His plan would not fail.   It couldn’t.   Even if AJ was suspicious, there was no way he could find out what was really going on.  It would be too hard to believe. 

 

Still, Brendan thought, I need some assurance.  AJ’s getting too close for comfort. 

 

Sneering again, he sat back and began to conspire a plan to make sure AJ would never find out who he really was.

 

***

 

 

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