Chapter 5: A Deeper Connection

The show ended with a big bang, but Sara didn’t stick around long enough to see it. She had grabbed Vicky’s hand and led her backstage to wait for Darren. Vicky resisted, saying that she wanted to stick around a little longer to check out the final light show and the end of “Spin,” the song Darren had dedicated to the roadie.

Sara went on ahead alone and waited in the spacious VIP area where a few members of the crew had already gathered around the food table. She sat down on the black leather couch situated at the far end of the room, away from everyone and everything. She kept mainly to herself as she reviewed all the feelings and emotions she had gone through that night. It seemed like it would take her all of eternity to figure them out, but she was willing to try. These feelings ran deeper than any she had felt between other people. It was as if she had known Darren somehow in a previous life.

As Sara spaced out on the couch, Leonie and Anastasia entered the room, talking amongst themselves, commenting how the show had gone off without a hitch. Anastasia was the first to spot Sara sitting alone on the couch and decided to go over and talk to her, find out how the case was going. Realizing that she was lost deep in thought, she decided to take a different approach than her usual up front attitude. Anastasia gently laid her hand on Sara’s shoulder hoping that it didn’t startle her.

Sara felt the hand that fell upon her right shoulder and almost shot up out of her seat. Turning her head, she found Anastasia sitting beside her with a wide smile on her face. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” Sara stuttered, trying to clear her mind of the strange feelings that still clouded it.

“So, how’s it going?” Anastasia questioned.

“How’s what going?” Sara replied, a little confused by the question.

“The investigation. I know you started today, but we’re really concerned that this might be leaked to the press. So, how is it going?” Anastasia rephrased.

“Oh, it’s going okay, I guess. Vicky and I are going to check out the crime scene again just to make sure we didn’t miss anything the first time, especially since it’s not going to be here after tonight. I know you guys need to pack everything up, and I really don’t want to get in the way,” Sara explained.

“Okay, I’ll make sure that no one disturbs you during your investigation tonight,” Anastasia assured her as she started to lift herself off the couch. “I’d better get going. Darren’s gonna be here any minute, so I gotta shoo out anyone who’s not supposed to be here and make room for the fans. You’re most welcome to stay if you want.”

“Thank you,” Sara kindly replied as Anastasia wandered off in the direction of the stage. She sighed as she nestled herself back into the odd realm her feelings dwelled in, but her train of thought would be broken once more, not by someone, but something. A force, strangely enough, that grabbed her and made her look up almost immediately.

There, at the other end of the room near the door, stood the man Sara had been waiting for, the enigma that had been haunting her ever since the beginning of the show. She stood up and made her way towards him, eager to introduce herself. He was a bit busy, the fans already crowding around him for autographs and photos. She stood at the edge of their circle, waiting to be noticed. When he finally stuck his head up and met her eye line, she smiled and mouthed, “Hi.”

Darren smiled back and did the same. He finished one more autograph for a fan and began to make his way through the crowd of anxious people, none more than him. She stood there, waiting for him, the shy smile still on her face, her eyes transfixed on his. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he tried to find the words, but as they got closer, he seemed to be unable to speak.

Sara was the first to extend her hand and say, “Hi, I’m Detective Sara Pezzini.”

“Darren Hayes.” He grasped her hand, the touch of her silken skin sending shock waves through his body. Something deep within his soul suddenly exploded and a bombardment of images streamed into his mind. He saw glimpses of strange things: swords clashing together, a woman burning at the stake, a gravestone, and a very powerful weapon that changed its form from a sword to a bracelet. There were more things he saw as their hands remained linked. Darren caught a glimpse of himself kissing Sara in the middle of a park, making love to her, and seeing her in a red dress looking even more beautiful than she did now. The bombardment ended with the image of a baby lying on white silk sheets.

Sara also found herself stealing a look into Darren’s past, in an armored suit, in peasant clothing, felt his pain when he split from his wife and Savage Garden, seeing the two of them kissing and making love, seeing herself in a dress, but the images ended as soon as she pulled her hand out of his grasp.

The two gazed at each other with a newfound understanding. They were linked, but neither knew how or why. Those images barely made any sense, as did their feelings towards each other.

Darren looked away, unable to keep his stance with the enigma that stood in front of him. He knew all these strange new things invading his mind should have scared him, but oddly enough, they didn’t. Somehow, they all seemed very familiar, and almost comforting.

Sara found the lack of eye contact unbearable. Her hand touched his overly warmed check and gently pulled him back into her eye line. They continued to stare at each other with an astonishing level of clarity, her soft fingers interacting with his rosy skin, until Vicky walked over to them and tapped Sara’s shoulder. She and Darren quickly pulled away from each other.

“Hey, oh! Oh, my God! It’s him!” Vicky nearly screamed when she noticed that Darren was standing in front of her. “It’s an honor to meet you!” she said, extending her hand. Darren smiled as he shook it.

“It’s an honor to meet you,” he kindly replied. Vicky couldn’t help but turn red at his comment.

“Hey, Vic. Go grab something to eat. You look a little flushed,” Sara said. “I still need to ask Darren a few questions.”

“Okay.” Vicky slinked away, the large grin still on her face.

Sara turned back to Darren, their trance finally broken, but her mind still running a million miles a second. Everything seemed to jumble up, inhibiting her ability to ask questions. A short, awkward silence passed between them before she finally spoke up, “That was an amazing concert.”

“Thanks,” Darren answered. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been to a concert in a very long time.”

Another awkward silence passed between them, except this time, Darren was the one that broke it by saying, “So, you’re the detective working on Ryan’s murder.”

“Yeah, and that reminds me, I should start asking questions.”

“Go ahead, I’m ready to answer to the best of my ability.”

“Um… Did you know him at all?”

“No. I don’t really handle anything in the crew department let alone meet the people working for me. That’s mainly Anastasia’s or Leonie’s job.”

“Oh, okay. Then I really don’t have anymore questions for you.” Sara reached into her pocket and pulled out her card. “If you find out anything, just give me a call.”

Darren took the card from her and looked at it, then stuck it in his pocket for safekeeping. “I will,” he promised.

“I have to get going. We still have a bit more investigating to do,” Sara said. “It was really nice meeting you.”

Darren grabbed her hand again, this time noticing the odd bracelet around her wrist. He bent down and gently kissed it. “Bye,” he whispered as he let go.

Sara could feel her heart flutter as his soft, luscious lips touched her skin. It sent shivers down her spine, making her wish that it were her lips that he was kissing, not just her hand. They reluctantly pulled away from each other, Sara going off in Vicky’s direction and Darren heading back to his horde of fans.

“Well, well, well. I never thought I’d see the day Sara Pezzini developed a crush on a pop star,” Vicky observed as Sara approached her.

“Bull shit,” Sara defended as she led Vicky beneath the stage to the crime scene.

“Oh, yeah, right. You could barely talk to the guy. You were stuttering!”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Yes, you were!”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Yes, you were!”

“Okay! Enough! We need to stop acting like children and start acting like investigators,” Sara yelled as they made their way through the catacomb of crisscrossed supports to where the yellow crime scene tape was posted.

  “Fine,” Vicky retorted. “But I still think you’ve got a crush on him.”

“Shut up, Vic!”

Chapter 6: True Vibe

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