Chapter 21
Soon after Chris and Joey finally joined the others in slumber, everyone was awakened by Lynn and Jake coming in to ask them some questions.
"Rise and shine everyone!" Jake said to get their attention. They all gathered in the waiting room.
"What happened to the lights?" Chris asked, "Was it a malfunction? Did one of the cables break?"
Lynn looked like it was gonna be hard to answer this question, but her voice was slow and steady, "I'm afraid not. When some of my men went up to take a closer look they found the cords of the fallen lights had been cut."
Everyone just stared at her like she had just spoken in Greek, shock all over their faces.
"What?!?"Chris exclaimed in disbelief.
"I'm afraid its true. I haven't had a chance to go up and investigate myself yet, but they know a cut cable when they see one. Do you remember anything out of the ordinary before or after the incident, see any people that you shouldn't have?" Lynn inquired.
"No," everyone shook their head.
"Well, if you remember anything, let me know as soon as possible. I'm going to go look more into it. Tell Cheryl I wish her the best."
"Ok, we will," they all agreed and thanked her as she and Jake left.
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Just then the doctor entered the room.
"Oh No!! What happened?" Brandi yelled "What's wrong with my cousin? She's my best friend!!!" she hid her face in Justin's shoulder.
"Calm down, nothing has happened. I just came to say that we are gonna release her about3:00 this afternoon and that you should all go back to the hotel and get some rest till then," the doctor announced.
Brandi quieted down after that, feeling a little silly for her outburst. Just then 3 of their body guards walked in. "Come on. We are gonna escort you back to the hotel till Cheryl gets released, and then you cam come up to get her."Tim (one of them) said.
"Is it OK if I stay with her?" Chris asked.
"Yah that's fine," Tim said.
Chris looked at the doctor. He gave Chris a nod and lead him the Cheryl's room.
The other 8 had to sneak out the back, there was a crowd of people at the front, holding up posters for Cheryl to get well soon.
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On the way back to the hotel, they all decided they would watch movies in the commons room of the suit they shared.
"I can't believe this happened," Kimber exclaimed as she leaned against JC.
Justin put the movie in the VCR and sat next to Brandi on the couch.
"Me either. It is all just so....unreal," Chels said in disbelief.
"But it is VERY real." Katy said, a little uncomfortably. Lance gave her hand a squeeze as they sat on the floor leaning against the couch. They all sat in their own thoughts as they watched the movie.
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Back at the arena, Lynn and Jake were inspecting the area where the light cord had been cut.
"What's this?" Lynn asked as she pulled a piece of fabric from a nail that was sticking out of the rafters."Its a piece of cloth," she said out loud to herself.
"Jake, what do the techs wear when they hoist the stage equipment?"
"Black t shirts that say staff on them why?" he replied, a little curious as to why she asked.
"Then why is there a piece of red cloth up here?" Lynn wondered.
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Back in the hospital Dana had come to see how Cheryl was doing.
"Hey how are you feeling?" Dana asked Cheryl as she walked in the room.
"I'm doing fine now. A little sore though," she replied.
"Well, a light fell on your arm, what do you expect?!?" Dana joked.
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Lynn thought a while and remembered something.
"Hey Jake, do you know where Dana is right now?" she asked.
"Umm, I think she went to see Cheryl. W.." Before he could finish, Lynn was running towards her car and calling for backup on her radio. Lynn had remembered Dana's red shirt was torn the day before. Could it be? No there had to be another explanation.
"Come on!!!" She yelled to Jake.
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While she was on the way to ask Dana some questions, she got some information over her cell phone. She found out that Dana's prints matched the ones on the notes from the psycho, there were no others on them, and she found out that Dana wasn't really who she said she was. Her name was Melinda Roberts she used to be in a mental hospital. She had tried to make it in a singing group when she was younger, but when it flopped she attacked her band mates. She was put into a mental hospital. She broke out about 15 years ago and was never found. They say that she is unstable and should be considered dangerous. When Lynn repeated this info to Jake and the driver of the car, they sped up a little more. Lynn walked in to Cheryl's room just as she was getting ready to be released. Chris and Dana, or Melinda rather were with her.
"Hey Lynn!" Cheryl exclaimed as she walked in."Made any progress?"
"Actually yah I have. Dana could I see you outside for a moment?" Lynn asked.
They walked outside and shut the door behind them. Dana/Melinda noticed the other police officers that were there ."What's going on?" She asked.
Lynn looked at her and said: "Melinda Roberts, you charged with stalking and attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent..." she continued to read Melinda her rights as the rest of the group comes up to meet Cheryl.
"What is going on here?" they ask when the see all the commotion.
Jake pulls them aside and fills them in. Katy looks over at Dana, or Melinda, or whoever she is with scorn, resentment, hurt, and betrayal in her face. Her voice was steady, unwavering, and cold as ice as she said, "How could you. You were like the head of our group, our family. How could you hurt us like that, and our friends?" Lance was shocked by the harshness in her voice, how could such a sound of meanness come out of such an angelic person he thought to himself.
Just then Brandi added, in an equally frigid tone "You could have killed my best friend."
"Chels added just as malicently as the two before her, "You are pure evil, you bitch."
Kimber just stared in shock, and horror. Frozen. she couldn't say or do anything. The guys looked on, not sure what to do. they just stood there. It was like a knife has struck all 8 of them in the back, and twisted it. The girls all wondered how they were gonna tell Cheryl, she and Dana, or Melinda rather, were very close. After they finished their comments, Melinda just threw her head back and laughed. She laughed an evil, menacing, cold laugh. Chels went to tackle her, but Joey held her back. The police escorted her out of the hospital and to the police car to be taken to jail.
