Page 84 of Not Another Rockstar
“Promise me that if anything happens to me, you’ll protect her,” he said.
Axel rested his hand on his shoulder. “Nothing will happen to any of us. We’re going to figure this out, and one day this will all just be a bad memory.”
Colour came back into Nick’s cheeks, and Axel hoped he’d brought him some peace.
“Evening. Please come in.” Phoebe said, opening the door for Isaiah, anxious to find out what he’d learned from Sheen.
“Thank you. Sorry I couldn’t come earlier,” Isaiah said, his shoulders heavy. His stubble had got further on its way to a beard since the last time they’d talked in person.
“Please don’t apologise, we understand that you’re busy,” Phoebe said. “We’ve been hoping you had some good news.”
Isaiah didn’t look all that hopeful as he removed his black jacket.
“I think we should get everyone together before we talk,” he said, following her through to the kitchen.
She wondered if Sheen had decided to recant his confession. Maybe he’d been paid to keep his mouth shut? He had a talent for self-preservation, and had already demonstrated he was morally corrupt when payment was involved.
Isaiah stood at the end of the island while she poured him a cup of coffee. Axel, August and Nick gathered in the kitchen, each taking a seat.
“Did you manage to find him? I hope he had a good excuse for not showing up this morning,” Nick said, pissed Sheen had wasted their time.
“I did,” Isaiah said, and Phoebe felt like all the air had been sucked from the room. “We sent someone to his apartment to do a welfare check. Unfortunately, he was found deceased.”
They all stared at Isaiah like he had two heads.
“He’s dead?” Phoebe asked, unable to process what he was saying.
“The cause is suspected insulin overdose. He was a type one diabetic, and the medication was in his name.” Isaiah sipped his coffee.
“Do you think it was intentional?” Axel dared to ask. “Suspicious that he died just before he was about to confess.”
“Right now, it’s being ruled as accidental. There was no forced entry or sign of a struggle. There is no evidence to suggest that someone else was in the apartment,” Isaiah said, but it felt like there was something he was leaving out.
“What are the chances of a type one diabetic accidentally overdosing?” Phoebe asked.
“Guilty conscience?” Nick countered.
“Given his attitude last night, suicide doesn’t make sense. He didn’t want to die,” Phoebe said, recalling how he was afraid of the person behind all this.
“I wish I had more answers, but there’s something else I want to show you,” Isaiah said, opening some photos on his phone. They all leaned in. “Sheen’s apartment was like a shrine to Brothers of Anarchy. Posters, fan art, signed T-shirts, photos, articles. There was a heavy focus on Cillian, even a couple of photos of them together and a napkin with Cillian’s signature.”
“This is intense,” Nick said, swiping through the disturbing photos. Sheen was far more than just a fan.
August was the first to back away. “I feel like I need a shower.”
“I believe Sheen was responsible for the harassment entirely,” Isaiah said. “When you caught him last night at the gallery fire, he might have wanted to appear like the hero. When you weren’t willing to fully accept his story, he might’ve realised he was never going to get close to you all like he’d hoped.”
“What about the cash? Sheen said he was paid?” Axel asked, looking for any evidence of another person’s involvement.
“I searched the room with the other officers. No one found any loose cash, and he’d made no recent bank deposits. However, we found a few burner phones in his desk drawer, and envelopes identical to the one he gave you. There were also packs of single razor blades in his bathroom.”
“So that’s it. It was just him. There really isn’t anyone else?” Phoebe asked, needing certainty.
“We found no other evidence of another person’s involvement. We checked the footage outside the Reid Gallery, and there is a hooded figure who is seen throwing a lit bottle through the front window and leaving. Only a few moments later, we see Sheen come down the same street and start busting in the gallery door.” Isaiah told her. “He either passed the person responsible or did it himself.”
Phoebe would’ve felt better if Lena had got the video footage from LouderTech, but given what she’d been through last night, she wasn’t going to push for her involvement.
“That’s it, investigation over?” Axel didn’t sound all too relieved.
