Page 54 of Rock and a Hard Place

Adam and Garrett exchanged concerned looks; Peter ignored them. A tech ran up and attached his headset, securing it quickly without a word. Around them, chaos reigned as the crew launched the show. The lift jerked and rose as spotlights circled the stage and the announcer spoke.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Jamieson is in the building!”

The crowd erupted in screams. The lift stopped high above the stage. The view was staggering. The spots illuminated the three young entertainers, as if they were statues from the heavens.

This was the last place Peter wanted to be.

He stood lost in thought. It didn’t even occur to him to start the show.

Garrett took over and gave the count. He and Adam hit the strings of their instruments, and the music of Jamieson filled the air. On autopilot, Peter went through all the motions of the concert. He channeled his anger andfrustration into the pulsing music. His performance was intense, the light side of him nowhere to be seen. He sang each song with anger and pain. The tender ballads became mournful wails of emotion, the high-powered rock numbers a snarl of passion. His eyes closed as he lived each word.

It wasn’t their normal upbeat, chatty concert, but there existed an incredible energy that no audience had ever witnessed. Peter felt drained with nothing left to give. The final encore ended, and the trio ran offstage.

“Way to channel that anger, Pete.” Garrett smacked him on the back. “We need to piss you off more often.”

“Screw you,” Peter spat with a venomous glare. He ripped the headset off and whipped it across the room, then stormed out the same door he came in.

19

Peter was running out of ideas. He’d spent the last weeks since he learned Libby had been placed in a foster home trying to track her down, which wasn’t easy when he was stuck in Europe on tour. He waited as his call was transferred. Praying the woman answered.

“Hello, this is Julie Orman.”

Thank God. “Hi, Miss Orman, I was hoping you could help me. I’m trying to find a girl who recently went to your school. Her name is Libby Sawyer.”

“Excuse me, who’s calling?” she asked.

“I’m a friend of Libby’s. She and I had a misunderstanding, and then I heard she left town. I’ve been trying everything I can think of to track her down, but no one will help me.”

“I’m sorry, the school isn’t allowed to give out student information, particularly in a situation like hers,”the woman explained politely yet firmly.

“Please, you have to help me. I’ve talked to people in Milwaukee, at the Department of Family Services, Child Welfare, and the foster system. No one will tell me anything. I didn’t know where else to call.” He was distraught and had exhausted all his options.

“I’d like to help you, I truly would. Libby was a special student to me, but you seem to already know as much as I do. I have also been trying to locate her and reach out to help. So far, the only people they’ll release information to are her parents or guardians.”

He exhaled, defeated.

“You aren’t family, are you?” she asked. “No,” his answered. “I’m her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? What is your name?” Miss Orman asked, sounding cautious.

“Peter Jamieson.”

“Oh God.”

“Excuse me?”

“Libby told me about you, but I wasn’t too sure. You wouldn’t happen to be in . . .”

“In a band? Yeah.” He laughed. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, I’m so sorry.” Miss Orman sounded surprised.

“Libby told me about you a few times, but I wasn’t sure. Her situation is . . . unusual. I was beginning to think she dreamt you up.”

Now that she knew his connection to Libby, he feltsure this woman could help him. “We aren’t the most obvious couple. Listen, I really need to know if she’s okay. Do you know where her dad is? Did they find him? Is she with him?”

“No, they haven’t been able to locate him. I wish they had. I’m sure he’d be worried sick. Since you know she’s been put in the system already, I’m not breaking any rules. But that’s all I know. I’m sure she’s doing fine. It’s got to be better than where she was.”

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