First I went to the back exit and peeked outside. Tom wasn’t there.
I returned all the way up the hall, figuring I’d work my way back down.
For the first time, I noticed all the dressing room doors were closed. Strange. If Tom had gone into one to pack up something, he’d have left the door open as a courtesy. Those assigned rooms were personal space to members of the band and Rayne’s production manager, Ross Blanke.
I peeked in the one next to Mom’s.
Empty.
Shoving my purse handles higher up my shoulder, I went to the third.
Empty again.
The fourth.
No Tom.
This wasn’t right. Tom was never late. Where was he?
Mick approached, signaling me with a roll of his finger—let’s get moving.
I nodded. “Tom wasn’t in the bathroom?”
Mick shook his head.
Together we walked to the fifth dressing room. Mick poked his head inside.
Empty.
I ran down to look in the sixth. No Tom.
I banged the door shut and looked around. What was going on? If he didn’t show up soon, we wouldn’t have time to go out of our way to a drugstore. The airport was minutes away from the arena. We didn’t want Brittany waiting around by herself after dark.
“You take the next one.” Mick strode past me. “I’ll look in the one on the end.”
The seventh dressing room had been allocated as Ross’s office. At every venue, he needed a private area for calling people, dealing with last-minute problems, and basically seeing that everything in the contract was honored. I couldn’t remember seeing Ross in the hall. He might be inside, and I didn’t dare just barge in. The production manager’s office was off-limits to everyone, unless invited.
I knocked and waited. Knocked harder.
No answer.
I opened the door.
Like Mom, Ross ordered the same room setup each time. For him that included an oversize desk with a black leather chair. On the desk he would stack his papers and folders, carefully position his laptop. A fax machine had to be on his left, a telephone with multiple lines on his right. Looking at Ross—a short, fat man with scraggly hair to his shoulders—you’d never guess what a neat freak he is.
And always on the wall—a large round clock.
As I stepped into the room, my eyes grazed that clock. 10:55. Brittany’s plane would be landing soon.
On the floor beside the desk I glimpsed a splash of color.
Something twisted inside my stomach, almost as if my subconscious mind had already registered the sight. Time seemed to slow.
Clutching the door handle, I turned my head toward the color.
A foot. On the floor, sticking out from behind the desk. Wearing a Vans with blue, white, and red checks and a red racing strip. The foot lay on its side, toes pointed away from me, heel dug awkwardly into the carpet.
Deathly still.
The Rayne Tour
by Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins!
A suspenseful three-book series for young adults written by bestselling author Brandilyn Collins and her daughter, Amberly. The series is about the daughter of a rock star, life on the road, and her search for her real father.
Always Watching
Book One
This daughter of a rock star has it all—until murder crashes her world.
Last Breath
Book Two
With his last breath, a dying man whispered four stunning words into Shaley O’Connor’s ear. Should she believe them?
Final Touch
Book Three
Shaley O’Connor is kidnapped minutes before the long-awaited wedding of her mother and once-estranged father.
Other Books by Brandilyn Collins
The Rayne Tour Series
1 | Always Watching
2 | Last Breath
Books for Adults
Dark Pursuit
Exposure
Kanner Lake Series
1 | Violet Dawn
2 | Coral Moon
3 | Crimson Eve
4 | Amber Morn
Hidden Faces Series
1 | Brink of Death
2 | Stain of Guilt
3 | Dead of Night
4 | Web of Lies
Chelsea Adams Series
1 | Eyes of Elisha
2 | Dread Champion
Bradleyville Series
1 | Cast a Road Before Me
2 | Color the Sidewalk for Me
3 | Capture the Wind for Me
Copyright
ZONDERVAN™
Final Touch
Copyright © 2010 by Brandilyn Collins
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ePub Edition May 2010 ISBN: 978-0-310-42926-5
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