“No,” replied Joey shaking his head. “He just started his own company. He was on top of the world!”
“Is there anything else that could help us in our investigation?” asked Detective Littrell.
“No,” sighed Joey.
“Tell him about that Chasez guy,” Justin whispered to Joey while nudging him in the ribs.
“What was that?” asked Detective Richardson
“It’s nothing,” informed Joey. “Some guy came into my bar tonight and told me that his friend JC had been missing for a week. He gave me a picture of the guy and I said I would ask around in case someone saw him.”
“Do you know who the person was who was asking about his friend?” asked Detective Littrell.
“Chris. Chris Kirkpatrick,” nodded Joey. “He owns a bar called Kirkpatrick’s near my own.”
“Thank you for your time,” replied Kevin as he started to walk away with Brian in tow. “Another officer will belong shortly to gather the rest of your statements.”
*~*~*
“Did Mr. Chasez know a Mr. Lance Bass?” asked Brian to Chris later that night.
“I don’t know,” sighed Chris, wondering what this was all about. A half-hour ago the detectives showed up at his apartment wanting to ask some questions about the disappearance of some guy Chris had never even heard of before. “If he did, he never said anything to me. We haven’t known each other very long but we’re pretty close.”
“Was Mr. Chasez in any kind of financial trouble?” asked Brian.
“I don’t know,” replied Chris while sighing again. “I know he didn’t have a lot of money but he didn’t seem to care all that much. Before he disappeared he did ask me if he could have more hours and where was a good place to sell his car.”
“How long was this before his disappearance?” asked Kevin.
“A day or two,” shrugged Chris. “I couldn’t afford to give him more hours at the time but I did tell him about this guy who deals with cars . . . AJ.”
“Thank you for your help,” nodded Brian as Kevin was already in the hallway walking away.
*~*~*
“Justin?”
“Yeah Joe?” sighed Justin. An hour ago they had finally had been allowed to leave by police. But knowing that Joey was in no shape to be alone right now, Justin had invited Joey back to his apartment and they were currently seated around Justin’s kitchen table, each with a beer.
“Do you think that Lance is still alive?” Joey asked softly.
“I hope so,” admitted Justin. “But it’s been a week and if he is with that Chasez guy then why hasn’t there been a ransom?”
“Is this my fault?”
“Of course not Joe!” exclaimed Justin, reaching over to touch his friend’s arm. “Lance was pissed at you for the fight you guys had a few weeks before he disappeared! There was no way you could of known that something was wrong!”
“I just feel like I let him down as a friend,” sighed Joey sadly.
“He could still be alive,” pointed out Justin.
“You said it yourself, it’s been a week and there has been no ransom!” replied Joey angrily. “If he was alive there would be one by now!”
“Maybe something happened,” whispered Justin.
“Like what?!”
“I don’t know,” sighed Justin.
*~*~*
“What do you guys want?” sighed AJ when he spotted the two detectives entering his garage.
“Long time no see AJ,” smiled Kevin as he sat down in one of the chairs across from AJ with Brian sitting next to him.
“It’s been—what? Five years since you two decided that being a cop was more fun than hanging with your buds,” replied AJ. “You’ve even have Nicky in training to be a cop now and after all this time you come down here to pay a little visit with your old pal AJ?”
“Relax! We’re just looking for information,” informed Kevin.
“What do you need to know Kev?” sighed AJ.
“JC Chasez,” replied Brian. “Ever hear of the guy? Might have visited you a week ago?”
“I might have seen him, Bri,” nodded AJ. “But it depends . . .”
“On what?”
“On whether I’m talking to a couple of cops or to my old buds, Kevin and Brian?”
“I don’t see any cops here?” replied Kevin looking around. “Do you Brian?”
“Nope,” grinned his partner.
“Good,” smiled AJ before starting his story. “This guy Chasez comes in about a week ago, a friend of a friend of Howie’s, wanting to sell his piece of junk car which of course I’d have been stupid to buy. So anyways, I mention to him that if he brought me a decent car, I would buy it. The kid said he would think about it, but I never saw him again.”
“Thanks AJ,” nodded Brian.
*~*~*
“So what do you think Kev?” asked Brian as he drove back to the police station.
“I don’t doubt that Chasez had something to do with Bass disappearance,” informed Kevin.
“What now?”
“Fatone said Bass was known to carry a spare credit card in his car. Since we found his wallet in his home we should try and run a check on that card to see if it was used recently.”
*~*~*
Two hours later they received the news they were waiting for.
“The day after both Chasez and Bass went missing, Bass’ card was used a small town a few hours from here!” informed Nick Carter excitedly to the two detectives. Like AJ and Howie, Nick had grown up with Brian and Kevin and just recently had made the police force.
“Inform the local sheriff office that we’re headed up to investigate,” Kevin ordered Nick. “They probably still aren’t in the area but at least we now know what direction they’ve gone in!”