My Darkest Moments I (first chapter)

1 How it all started.

My life is just peachy. It is not really great at the moment. I have a job in a newsagent’s in Dublin and in my spare time I write books. Other than that I do nothing. Nothing exciting that is. I dream of being a great writer one day, but so far, that dream is so far away I can’t even see it through clouds of rejections from publishers. I have a stack of rejection papers from publishers as high as my coffee table, but that doesn’t hold me back. I know I will make it one day, maybe the time just isn’t right.

It all started when I wrote articles for an online paper. People were very enthusiastic about what I wrote and about what I still write, because I haven’t stopped writing, but publishers don’t seem to share my opinion. Looking for inspiration is not very difficult, but writing a book is very different from writing stories for a newspaper. I just have to keep trying to write this one masterpiece.

I keep to myself a lot. My mother comes over to my house sometimes to see if I’m still alive. She is so sweet. I should visit her more often. I should tell her that I really appreciate what she does for me. It must be difficult for her to have a daughter who is so unsuccessful in life. If it wasn’t for her, I would survive on bread and peanut butter, because I don’t like to cook for myself. I bring home some take away once or twice a week, but that is not enough. I haven’t seen any of my friends for weeks now and don’t know if I even have friends anymore. What if I walk out the door and discover that the world as we know it has disappeared. That something like a radioactive virus has killed the whole of humanity, and I am the only one alive, that would be something to write about. I can think of at least two movies with the same storyline.  I drag my feet back to the desk where a blank word file anxiously looks at me. I sigh and put my head on the keyboard. This will never work.

After a few minutes my head starts to hurt. I can feel the keys on the keyboard make a dent in my forehead and I decide that things should be different. Maybe I had to go out more and experience the world. Find sources for my next book, I don’t even have a clue what this next book is going to be about. Maybe I can write a book about my own love life which is non-existent. Make it a comedy, because that is what my love life is all about these days. I have a boyfriend. Sort of. He visits me once or twice a week. We started dating two months ago. It is not much of a relationship. He comes over, we watch a movie, cuddle on the couch and then he goes back to his own house. There is no romance whatsoever. At first it was all romantic. He took me to this Indian restaurant once in the first week when we started dating and he gave me a rose at the table to say how much he loves me. It seems like ages ago and I generally believe he loves me and he thinks I’m fine with him coming over and cuddle twice a week, but I need more and I’m to blame too, because I’m not doing anything about it either, so I shouldn’t complain, but it all just seems so hopeless. And what happens when we break up? I am too busy to start dating again. And besides, I am not ready to date again. No, that’s not true. I’m ready to date again, but clearly not ready to start a relationship. And I like how things are right now. I can come home whenever I want if I want to come home at all. No one to complain to me about not doing the dishes, or complain about my clothes scattered across the bedroom floor. I can clean my house whenever I want. Pick up someone from a bar now and again if I really want to, because I don’t think I’m the only girl Jimmy is seeing at the moment. The other day in the Newsagent’s where I work, I saw two  girls looking at me from one of the isles as if I had stolen her boyfriend. She can have him. He is not very useful to me at the moment anyway. So she can have him all to herself.

The clock startled me, eleven o’clock already and just a few words on paper. At least I spelled my name correctly. I Poured myself another cup of coffee. Right! Back to work. Just one hour until this day is over. Tomorrow is going to be different. As soon as I have the first chapter of my new book, I can relax and think about doing something for myself again. Tomorrow will be a new day. It is time for a change. A major change. I need to get out more. Maybe I should call up a few friends and see if they want to go out with me. Tomorrow I will break up with Jimmy. No more playing the victim here. If I want to make something of my life, I should not stay here behind my computer wasting away my life staring at blank word documents.

I wonder, what would a famous writer do when he or she needs a new idea for a book. Go out with a note book and write down everything you see and make it into a story. Or go away on holiday and take time in the country to focus only on writing. Maybe I should go out and take my notebook with me. Wasn’t there a party tonight somewhere? I remember I have the flyer here somewhere. Ah, here it is. A tribute concert in one of my favourite night clubs. Apparently the singer of the band died recently. All the money goes to a foundation raised in his name. I could do something useful for society for once and try to get some inspiration for a new book.

I should go to that party. Have some fun and drink a few beers with people I haven’t seen in a while. It could give me an idea for the first chapter. It had better; otherwise I have wasted a few hours while I should be behind my computer typing and drinking coffee. I grab my phone from the table and flip through the names. Some of the names I don’t recognise and I remind myself of the lonely life I have led these past few weeks. I feel sad inside. What has this writing thing brought me so far? I have no friends left. I have no book and I have no idea. I only have sadness and loneliness. I see a number that I recognise in my phone and I ring the number.

“Hello.”

“Jamee?”

“Lisa? I haven’t spoken to you in a few weeks. I thought you moved to a country somewhere in South America.” I smiled. I had been ignoring any phone calls and emails which were not work related.

“I know and I’m sorry. I should have called you sooner. I was really busy and I want to make it up to you.”

“Alright! Where are you now? What would you like to do?”

“I am going to this benefit concert in a club just off Dame Street. Do you want to come?”

“I would love to. Do you mind if Patrick is coming too?”

“Who is he again? I don’t seem to recall who Patrick is." Jamee laughs. “He is my brother! You should know that, because he went to the same school as us. You even fancied him when you were in your senior year.” I put one hand in front of my mouth. “I totally forgot. I’m sorry.”

“No problem. Shall we meet in half an hour?”

“Alright. No problem. I’ll meet you guys there.”

I quickly showered and put on some nice clothes. I don’t want to make the first night I am going out in weeks too special, so I put on my favourite jeans and a worn shirt. All set! Turn off the computer and I’m ready to go. Oh, don’t forget to bring a note book just in case I get a brilliant idea.

It is cold outside. Summer officially ended a few days ago, and the leaves start to get brown already. Summer went by in no time. I can’t believe it is autumn already. The time of rain and heavy winds will be a prelude for the winter. I should take some time off soon. Go to some place warm and finish the rest of my book. It’s been a while since I have taken some time off to relax and enjoy the finer things in life; some booze, don’t have to worry about tomorrow, visit some religious places. I hear Spain is lovely this time of year.

The club looks busy from the outside, I hope I still can get in at this stage. It shouldn’t be a problem if Eddie is working at the door, he always lets me in. He is cute. I went out on a date with him some time ago, turns out we have more in common than either of us could have imagined. Maybe I should call him again if he is not too busy. It’s always handy to know the bouncer of the club where you always go to. He knows a lot of people, and some famous people come in here now and again. He could introduce me to some of those people. On the other hand, if our second date goes wrong he might not. I think I will wait with asking him out.

In suspense I glanced at the door, still no Eddie in sight. And yes, it is his day off. Marcus is standing at the door and looking gorgeous as always. Ah well, maybe it’s for the best that Eddie isn’t here, it wasn’t meant to be, apparently, and besides dating a bartender gets you a lot of free beers. That has more potential. I never had any problems getting in to this place. Must be because I am old enough to get into this place and I don’t need any ID. I look old enough too. It would be a compliment if they ask me for my identification, because I have passed the minimum age limit some time now.

The doors fly open, and before I know it my lungs are filled with smoke and the smell of old beer. The music is loud, and the rhythm of the music is confusing my heartbeat for a second.

I seriously hate it when this place is filled with people, especially when almost everyone is younger than me. I used to know a lot of people in this place even all the people who worked behind the bar. Now my friends have all gone to other more sophisticated places to suit their new life style. They don’t come to this place anymore. Most of them have moved on to greener pastures, with other interests. It is kind of sad the way friends grow apart when people grow up. I can’t blame them in a way. I have asked myself millions of times what the I am still doing here.

The music is worse than it used to. They used to play good music to which you could dance without bumping in to a lot of people. I honestly hate those teenagers who are jumping around the dance floor, calling it dancing. It must be the nostalgia of this place that keeps me here and alcohol always helps me to have a good time in this place.

Speaking of alcohol, time for a beer. Maybe I’ll see some people I know on my way to the bar or someone fascinating to talk to.

I have a strong feeling about tonight, the atmosphere is intimate. And the band is actually playing music which is not unpleasant at all.  I haven’t seen Jamee and Patrick yet, so I decide to look for a barstool where I can wait for them. There’s an empty barstool at the bar that looks appealing. It gives me an excellent view of the band, and it gives me an chance to stare at people. The girl in the corner is staring at me, maybe she will come over here and talk to me. She appears to be my age, which is good, but the last thing I need is to have a conversation with some random girl. She looks gorgeous. Long red hair with blonde streaks in it. And her dress is utterly beautiful; Emerald green velvet with silk on the sleeves. Must have cost her a fortune. I would never wear something like that, I would be too afraid to spill something on it. But it is one of those dresses that you always wanted to have, even if it is just hanging in your closet and you look at it occasionally. It doesn’t matter because you have it and you can show it off to your friends. You might wear it one time to a fancy dress party, but then it disappears in your closet again. It’s been a while since I  dressed up for anything, the last time was when I was playing role playing games with my friends, and afterwards we would go to a bar in our gothic dresses, and all the youngsters would stare at our beautiful dresses and our make-up.

She is standing in front of me now. Thinking of something brilliant to say.

“Hi. Having fun tonight?” Not the most brilliant thing to say, but at least I managed to say something polite. She looks at the person sitting next to me and as if he is possessed he gets off the stool and walks away without looking at us again.

“It’s not the worst night of my life. Are you having fun all by yourself here?” I looked at her. Why would someone like her talk to me. It almost felt as if she was leading me on. “And you?”

“ I am actually waiting for two people. I thought I would wait here for them.” I am a bit nervous. It feels awkward talking to her.

“So are you from around here? Your accent doesn’t sound like you are from Dublin.” She smiles. It is a warm smile. I relax a little bit.

“I moved here a few years ago. I was born in Galway.”

“What’s Galway like? I want to go there, but I never found the time to go. Where in Galway are you from?”

“I’m from a little town close to Galway, but I haven’t been there in a while. I have a house in Dublin now. You should visit me whenever I go back to Galway, I think you will like it there. So, what brings you to this place?”

“I live in this town. I used to come here in this club, every weekend, but things change, the people who come here are getting younger, and the music is younger, louder even. I was sitting at home all alone, and I needed to go out to find an idea for a new book.”

“You’re a writer. What do you write about?”

“All sorts of stuff. I write articles for an online paper, but now I want to publish a book.” I look around to see if can see Jamee and Patrick. They said they would be here in half an hour, which was over an hour ago. I feel a bit disappointed and dreamily look at my beer. The woman looks at me.

“How rude of me. I haven’t even asked your name.” I look up from my beer and straight into her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I was just looking for my friends. They should be here by now. My name is Lisa.”

“ Hi Lisa, My name is Brigid.”

She reached out her hand for me to shake it. I shake her hand and I notice it is cold and extremely pale.

She continues “I used to write and study literature, I even completed my masters here. It was mostly Shakespearian.”

“Interesting. What kind of work do you do if I may ask.”

“I am an artist. There is not much work for me. After I had completed my masters I started to take painting classes, and it turns out that I have talent.”

“So now you focus on painting. Do you also sell your paintings?”

“Sometimes. I find a small gallery that buys some of my paintings.” She grabs her long hair and swiftly puts it into a ponytail.

“But don’t you need a job to pay for your lifestyle? I mean this city is not very cheap to live in.”

She laughs. “I have other assignments where I can earn some extra cash now and again. I get by just fine. I don’t need a lot to survive on.”

Her drink is empty and she puts it on the bar. Her arm touches my arm and I feel a tingling sensation, like part of my energy is escaping my body.

“I have an idea. Why don’t we leave this place and go somewhere where we can talk. Maybe I can give you an idea for your book.”

“That sounds like a great idea. What do you have in mind?” My drink is empty. I put my glass on the bar and jump off the barstool.

“Don’t know yet. We’ll see. Somewhere where we can talk without having to scream to hear each other.”

“Sounds reasonable. Let’s go.”

We leave the bar. It isn't easy getting through the mass of people and through the thick clouds of smoke hanging over the dance floor.

Once upon a time at the waterfront

Lara sat on the grass close to the waterfront. It was ten o’clock in the evening and she had just finished working in the cinema and was relaxing on the grass. It was quiet tonight. The cinema wasn’t even half full. It was a dreadful film anyway. She sacrificed herself to help out her co-workers who wanted to work at a different film. Lara agreed on one condition, that she would finish early to see the sunset at the waterfront.

She loved it here and she loved this time of day. The moment in the day when everything seems to be slowing down. Little children went to bed, the sun shone its last rays on the planet before heading off to the other side of the world leaving the world in an orange reddish kind of colour. It was the best part of the day in summer, the moment when you would take out your bottle of cheap wine and meet up with friends for a drink before heading off to a restaurant or bar to enjoy each other’s company.

She drank her coffee with two hands. The air was getting chilly and she held tight to her warm cup. She glanced at her watch to see if she had to go back into the cinema to get her things for the nightshift. Tomorrow was a big festival close from where she was sitting and she was helping out with the graveyard shift, which meant that she had to sleep on the stage tonight to make sure that all the equipment was safe. She organized the festival together with three friends. She arranged for the meals and drinks for the bands and staff and also for the visitors at the festival. She was very excited about this festival. This year one of her favourite bands was the closing act at her festival. She took one deep breath before getting up.

*

The car stopped at a hotel that looked almost medieval. In a way it appeared creepy with torches on the outside saying “come in, we will take excellent care of you. We might even kill you”. Perhaps he was on the road for too long. It was time that he went home to his family, his cats. Being this famous rock star definitely had its perks, but it was very hard on him. Everywhere he went he saw his name, his face, his band. It was too much sometimes. He craved for just one evening of silence, of pure enjoyment. He needed to get some rest before he had to play another gig tomorrow. He just flew in from Prague and he was not tired at all. He felt like exploring the city in the dark, just him and his thoughts. He walked up to the driver and told him to bring his stuff up to the room and to tell the rest of the band that he went out to grab a bite to eat and he would be back soon.

He put on his coat and his glasses, even though he didn’t need them in the dark, but he didn’t want anyone to recognize him right now. He didn’t know the city, it was a small town somewhere in Holland and they only played here as a favour to a friend of a friend, but they hadn’t played a benefit gig in years and it would look good on their profile. They invited a couple of diehard fans to be here to witness a small and intimate festival. A lot of people would be very happy.

He stopped for a second to see where he wanted to go and decided to turn left to go to the waterfront. He could just about see the blackness of the water and that appealed to him very much. That would definitely be a place where he could think and enjoy some peace and quiet. He walked down and smelled the fresh air. It filled him with great joy and he could stand there for a long time until he saw this girl standing up.

*

Lara put her work sweater on and slowly walked back in the direction of the city when a guy walked up to her. She could see that it was a guy because of the way he was built, but she couldn’t see anything else except his Mohawk and the shape of his trench coat. His Mohawk was hard to miss, even in this darkness. Lara stopped, but kept her phone in her hand on standby in case of an emergency. When he came closer she could see that he was wearing big designer sunglasses that also covered much of his face. He stopped in front of her. He was a very skinny guy. If he would have come here to attack her, he probably would have done it already. She decided to take the risk. She could use the company, she had to stay awake for a long time.

There was an awkward silence until he decided to open his mouth first.

“where can I get a decent cup of coffee around this time at night.” His voice sounded soft but tired.

“I’m sorry, do I know you.” Lara took a step back hoping she could see his face a bit better in case she would have to identify him for a police officer.

“No. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I’m too tired to be polite right now. You must excuse my rudeness.” He offered her his hand. “My name is Sean” Lara stared at it for a second then put her bag in her left hand and shook his hand “I’m Lara” her voice sounded a bit tired too “I was just on my way to get a cup of coffee myself, do you want to join me?” Together they walked the 30 feet to the cinema overlooking the waterfront. Skilfully Lara opened the door. This was the first time Lara was able to see this stranger’s face in the light of the lobby. His face was quite bony and even a bit unhealthy, but in a tough bad boy kind of way, which made him not really the bad boy type, but you could never be sure, now can you? Besides, she was curious about his eyes. His face looked a bit familiar. She had a feeling she had seen him before.

Together they walked into the cinema and Lara walked straight to the coffee machine. Sean sat down at one of the red VIP chairs at the back, like his mind was designated for VIP signs to point him to an available chair. He watched Lara’s every move making a fresh pot of coffee and he slowly lingered off into his own mind for a second.

This night felt good. Being with this girl felt good. Sean was really happy he decided to do something impulsive and go downtown. He didn’t know this girl, but right now she was fun to be with. He wasn’t quite sure if she didn’t recognize him or that she didn’t know who he was and that was nice for a change, either way it was refreshing. He could relax here for a few hours before he had to go back. His phone rang in his pocket and he looked on the display. It was his brother who was the drummer of the band. Sean was late for their on tour drinking ritual in the hotel lobby. He decided to sent him a text message to tell him he was fine and would be back soon.

The coffee machine finished its last drops of coffee and steam came out of the filter. Lara filled a thermos with enough coffee to help them get through the night. She handed Sean the thermos, two mugs and sugar and milk.

“Are you coming?”Lara’s voice was soft, but a bit strict.

“Where are we going?” Sean was a bit surprised. He expected to drink one cup of coffee here and then he would be off to his hotel. He felt excited, not knowing where they were going. After months of tour managers and venue people telling him every minute of every day what he had to do, where he was going and how long it would take. The not knowing was very refreshing. He felt like a little kid who was going on a treasure hunt.

“Well! Can you grab the coffee and the mugs?”

They walked outside. Lara locked the door with great precision. The cinema was dark and quiet until tomorrow. They walked back to the waterfront in the direction of the great stage near the wall of the city, 30 feet away from the water.

They stopped at the main stage. It wasn’t as big as Sean was used to, but it was nice to play a smaller stage once in a while. There was more interaction with the crowd. He liked doing things for his fans. It seemed the more famous they got, the contact with the fans seemed more distant. Sometimes he longed for the days when they would play small venues and the crowd could almost touch them. He didn’t complain. The life he led was good. Hectic, but good.

Lara put her bag on the stage and climbed up to greet the guy who was playing on a bass guitar with only the light of a flashlight. Lara shook his hand and gave him a hug. The guy took a deep breath and packed up his things as he walked off the stage.

He turned around and looked at Lara

“Things were quiet. No hooligans in sight. Do you want me to light the fire before I go.”He pointed at the barrel with wood ready to be set on fire a few feet away.

“Yes please. Thanks Mike, see you in a few hours.”

Sean looked at the water almost being mesmerized. He felt an instant feeling of calmness and perhaps something that could be described as inner euphoria. It was a long time since he felt this good. He took of his coat and walked towards the water. His arms were wide open and he filled his lungs with fresh air. Then he laid down on the grass and closed his eyes. Lara put on big blanket on the grass and Sean rolled onto the blanket bumping into Lara who was straightening the blanket. She fell on the blanket, landed on her back and made a weird high pitched noise. Sean came closer and bend over Lara. He stared into her eyes.

“Thank you for tonight.” He gave her a kiss. “I haven’t felt this way in a long time.

“The water will do that to you” Lara replied instantly. She laughed and pulled Sean closer to her. His arms bended and he fell down on top of her.

*

“Wake up!” Lara woke up gasping for air. Her face and t-shirt were wet. Mike threw the mug that he used to carry the water that landed on Lara’s face, on the ground. Sean was gone. His side of the blanket was empty. They must’ve dozed off last night. Lara got up “the equipment!”Mike sighed. “You fell asleep princess. Don’t worry, all was quiet last night and I called Henry to keep an eye out, because you were way too busy last night when I left this place”.

“Thanks Mike. Again! What would I do without you”.

“You’d be very lost, that’s for sure”.

Mike offered Lara his hand. Lara got up making grunting noises. Her back was a bit sore from lying on the blanket. Her hair was a mess, her shirt was wet.

“Do me a favour. Go home and change. I can’t have you running around the festival like this.” Lara took off her t-shirt and put on her cinema sweater. “Thanks Mike. I’ll be back in an hour”. She ran to the stage and grabbed her bag.

It was ten o’clock at night. The sun slowly set and sank into the water leaving the world in an orange and pink glow. It felt magical. Lara sighed. Twenty-four hours ago she met this wonderful guy. She wondered if she would ever see him again.

Only one more band to go. Lara was very excited. She had begged Mike and Henry to book this band. She really liked them. She had been a fan since she started to show a real interest in music. Mike walked onto the stage to announce the band. The fans shouted and screamed their names. Lara pressed her schedule tightly to her chest. Sean walked past her with an acoustic guitar in his hand. He gave Lara a soft kiss and walked on to the stage, leaving Lara confused and bedazzled while the rest of the band walked past her. She didn’t even notice them.

Lara covered her face with her hands. She felt a bit foolish that she didn’t recognize Sean Last night. She smiled at him. Sean took one more look at her and sat down on a barstool behind the microphone.

“This place here is magical. I’m glad you invited us. Thanks!” He strummed his guitar. “This song is dedicated to a special girl whom I will never forget. I wrote it this morning.” Sean winked at Lara. “Lara, this one’s for you”.

"The Killer Eighties"

Written by: Herma Klaassen

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, we have secured an appointment with this man. “

“And you are sure it is him? He is the one we want?”

“Again. Yes, we have found the person who claims he knows more about the murder of Adam Delight, the singer of the eighties rock band the Velvet Furs. There! I said it again. Do you want me to repeat that one more time or are you satisfied?” Johnston looked at his boss with an annoyed look on his face. Johnston has worked at this California television studio for 3 years now and a year ago he became the researcher for a music talkshow, working for this man who was a mediocre director and not a very good manager.

Johnston was clearly agitated at having to repeat the same sentence at least three times already. He didn’t understand what the big deal was. Then again, he was only twenty and had never heard of this guy, that his boss clearly was delirious about. He looked at him again and stopped walking. “If you don’t mind, I have work to do.”He walked away, leaving his boss standing there, alone in the hallway for a second. He could vaguely hear his boss yelling at him, but he didn’t care.

Johnston didn’t know much about the music business. He was hired to do research and that is what he would do. He did not have any hobbies and work was basically all he ever did. He had dreams though. He dreamt about being a big presenter, or a weatherman. But right now he liked where he was. He had a small desk in an office, which he had to share with another researcher and he was fine with that. Life was good the way it was. He sat down behind his desk and stared at this one file sitting on a pile of papers. The file looked different from the others, but he couldn’t quite grasp what it was. He should give this guy a call and meet him somewhere.

It was Friday afternoon. Johnston drove all the way up from San Bernardino to Las Vegas to meet this guy who claimed he knew more about the murder of Adam Delight. It took him at least 4 hours to get here. This better be good. Otherwise he would have wasted the petrol and that wasn’t good for the environment. On top of that, he had ruined a perfectly good day.

The weather was lovely, clear skies all the way and the sun felt warm on his face, which made the trip quite comfortable. He should have gotten a convertible instead of a Land Rover.

He walked into a bar just outside the busy area and sat down at an empty table. The waiter came up to him and verified who he was. He ordered a coffee and looked around the place. He felt a bit uneasy, not knowing what to expect. He coughed slightly and sat up straight in his chair. His notebook was on the table and he looked at the pictures he had paper clipped to the file. He didn’t bother to listen to music by the band or even check how old Adam was when he died. He didn’t even bother to see what the guy looked like. He only had these old pictures from a gig years before that unfortunate night.

A man sat down on the chair next to him. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”Johnston jumped in his seat. He was too busy and didn’t notice this person sitting down. “That’s all right.” He grabbed his notebook and inspected his guest a little more closely. “I’m glad you could join me. Do you mind if I call you Kevin?”Johnston tried to put a friendly smile on his face. “Not at all.”His guest replied. His voice sounded familiar and friendly.

“All right, Kevin. You called our station because you have some information about a murder 25 years ago. Can you tell me why I am here and what you would like to tell us?” He didn’t look up, he was too busy drawing circles on the top of his notebook . “That is correct. I called your station, because I have some information about a murder 25 years ago.” Johnston turned to the man sitting in front of him for the first time. “Would you care to elaborate on that?” “But of course. Adam Delight wasn’t murdered.” Johnston put down his pen. “Adam Delight wasn’t murdered. And how do you know this, if I may ask?”Kevin sat perfectly still on his chair. He hadn’t moved since he sat down and seemed untouched almost by this revelation, which, if true, could have so many consequences, not only for this Kevin guy. “First of all, let me tell you something about the eighties, because I don’t think you are old enough to remember those times.” Johnston looked at him with a little disgust. What was this man thinking, that he owned the world?

The year was 1985. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. It was a good year for rock bands, times were hectic. We were brought to this earth to conquer the world and we wanted our songs to mean something. I was 25 years old and I was full of energy. I was close to the band and went everywhere they went. The band had entered the charts with their single “what do you do to me” and it was bound to be a success. “And what was your role in all of this? Were you connected to the band?”

Johnston was on the edge of his seat, letting every word in. He knew this was going to be big.

Kevin continued without answering Johnston’s question.

“It was amazing. One night we were playing a gig in Stockholm and the next day we could do an interview in London. The places I’ve seen and the people I have met, unbelievable. But it takes a lot of energy and you have to be very brave and have a lot of stamina to go on. People make huge sacrifices to be famous.”

Kevin was wearing sunglasses and a big cowboy hat, but behind all that he showed just a hint of emotion.

“In every town we were rock stars! But that comes at a price. To keep up with all of this we had to go with the flow and that means we had to use drugs, which wasn’t uncommon in those days, but we had said to each other we would never do drugs. We started the band when we were 15. We were so young and naive, but we were lucky. I left a tape in a club, the owner liked it and we were booked for two nights. Some fancy guy from a label saw us and we were sorted. We knew each other from high school, we never thought we would make it this far.”

The waiter came and brought Kevin his coffee. Johnston sat perfectly still and watched him every move.

“The band had an argument. Adam wanted to do other things, try out new music, but the others were scared and drenched in fame and glory, they didn’t want things to change. “Kevin straightened his glasses and pushed them back a bit . “Adam, he cared about the music, not the fame and fortune. It was the music that got them where they were. So one night just before we were playing this club in Los Angeles, things got a bit out of control and Adam left. He refused to play with a group of imbeciles who were acting all high and mighty.”Kevin’s tone of voice suddenly had a lot more strength, like he was defending himself or someone else. “The manager had to do something. He grabbed one of the roadies who had covered for him once before and told him to get ready. The band was in their dressing room and didn’t notice a thing, until two minutes before going on stage.”

The show went on until the end of the first song. The fireworks blasted from the stage and when they were gone, Adam lay on stage, dead. The club was in chaos. People were screaming and running towards the exit. The Velvet Furs were no more.”

“Wow.”Johnston was impressed. “What a mess!” He finally felt comfortable enough to move again.”And then? What killed him?” Kevin took a sip from his coffee. “He wasn’t murdered, that’s for sure” Johnston sat up straight. It was definitely a good idea to meet this guy. “And you know what did?” “Yes.”Johnston coughed. “Care to share?” Kevin smiled. “And give away everything in the first meeting? I don’t think so. You book me on your show and I promise you it will be good.”Kevin stood up and touched Johnston’s shoulder. “Remember. On June second, it’s been 25 years since the incident. Please schedule your show close to that date.”Kevin walked off, leaving Johnston there with his notebook.

“Ladies and gentlemen. On our show tonight we have an extraordinary guest. Tomorrow, twenty five years ago, a legend was shot. The lead singer of the eighties band “The Velvet Furs”, Adam Delight, was supposedly murdered on stage. Thousands of people witnessed the incident, though nobody saw what happened. Tonight we have somebody who knows more about that night, but first we have a commercial break. We will be right back with our story. Stay tuned!”

Johnston stood in the back with his notebook clenched to his chest. He was a bit nervous. This could go perfectly or it could be a disaster. His boss stood behind him talking to him, but he blocked all the noise from his mind and focused on his own thoughts. He was too nervous.

His phone rang. He rushed off to the dressing rooms. His guest had arrived. He saw the man from the coffee place in Las Vegas. It was weird, he knew this man, but he didn’t know him. He was a mystery, but familiar. “Good to see you Johnston.” Kevin said in cheerful voice. A voice yelled into the room; “you are on in 1 minute.”Kevin stood up, he grabbed Johnston to help him get up from the chair. His boots made a loud noise on the ground. “Here goes nothing.”

“Please welcome our mystery guest.”Applause and noises from the crowd welcomed Kevin onto the stage. He sat down in the only empty chair. The presenter offered him a glass of water. Kevin took off his cowboy head and wiggled a bit in his chair to find the right position. The presenter quickly observed his guest. “Welcome” he said. “Can you please tell us why you are here.”

”Certainly.” Kevin took a sip from his water. He looked very comfortable being on television. “My name is Kevin John Smith. Most people know me as Adam Delight, the lead singer of “The Velvet Furs”. A shock went through the audience. People were whispering to each other. The whole crew was amazed, for a second the whole studio was in complete chaos. The presenter was looking at the crew, because he didn’t know what to do. Without moving a muscle, Kevin continued. “Everybody believed I was killed on that stage 25 years ago, but it wasn’t me on that stage. It was Bob, my trusted assistant. He was electrocuted on stage. I have been hiding for years now and need to come clean. I’m doing this for him. May his soul finally rest in peace.”

The presenter grabbed the earpiece in his right ear and raised his voice. “We will go to a short message from our sponsors, but we will be right back with more news on this story. Don’t go anywhere.”

Johnston’s heart almost stopped. He grasped for air. He was Adam Delight?! I should have done the research better. I should have known. He saw his boss heading towards him, he wanted to hide, but there was no place he could sneak off to. “What the hell is this Johnston! Why did we not know about this!”But Johnston just stood there shaking his head. This night couldn’t get any worse. Kevin looked at him and smiled a broad smile. He raised his thumb and gave Johnston a nod. He softly whispered “Thanks kid”. Here was a guy in need of a way to get out of the shadows and Johnston had given him the spot light.