First of all, I wanna thank everyone who's been reading, voting and commenting. Also, I wanna apologize for the delayed chapter, I've been having a mini writer's block.

Chapter 5

Act 1 was over and all the actors went backstage for their 15 minutes break. Melanie thanked James for covering for her when she missed her line. "Well, I wasn't going to ruin the opportunity I got to act lead," he said.

Then she left to her room to perform her between-acts rituals; she always stays in her room listening to the moonlight sonata and meditating for 5 minutes before changing for the next act.

She turned on her gramophone, then sat on her squashy sofa trying to clear her mind and stop thinking for a moment, but she remembered Daniel and their memories together. She wanted him to be on that play with her so much that she even blackmailed Thomas into giving him the role instead of Joe who became furious at her ruining their friendship.

Melanie was too focused on her meditation trying to stop all of those thoughts rushing through her mind, she was counting her breaths and all of a sudden she felt a hand on the back of her shoulder. She was terrified then turned around it was Owen "Don't be scared" he said

"My husband has just murdered a few hours ago, don't sneak up on me like that again."

"I knocked on your door, but when you didn't answer, I just came in."

"Nevermind, why are you here?"

"I need to tell you something because you've always been too good to me, so I couldn't hide this. I saw Stephanie going to Daniel's room just a little while before we found his body. I'm not pointing fingers here, I just thought you should know"

"Why would Steph kill him? Do you even think she did?"

"It's a possibility, anyone can be a suspect," he said as he walked to the door

"wait, you didn't answer my other question, what would be her motive?"

"Believe me, there's no bigger motive than love.." He left the room

Meanwhile, Leah went to Thomas to congratulate him on the success of act 1.

"Tom, I can't believe this. For a moment out there, I looked at the audience and they were smiling and clapping; they made me feel as if I was the only one out there and I actually forgot all about what's going on." Leah told him

"Good for you, at least you were able to forget."

"Don't make me feel guilty, I feel awful for what happened and I still can't believe it's true, but being out there in a successful play has always been my dream."

"Have all the fun you want tonight, because starting tomorrow, not even tomorrow, tonight after the show, we're doomed as soon as the news are leaked. We'll all be questioned by the police and rumors about the murder will be everywhere rather than the positive reviews we deserve."

"It's just sad that the kindest man on set is the one who ends up murdered"

"He wasn't innocent, no one gets murdered by chance"

Tiffany went to George's room to tell him what Rachel told her "Look, I'm just saying that this puts Rachel and Owen as prime suspects."

"Tiffany, sweetheart, can we please not talk about that."

"How can you be so calm? If people knew, you'll definitely be a prime suspect too and I'm afraid I'll be dragged with you."

"Nothing of that sort will happen because simply, no one knows."

"What make you so sure he didn't tell Melanie?"

After what Owen told her, Melanie needed to know the truth, so she went to Stephanie who sat on the staircase weeping. "Guilt?" Melanie asked her.

"Portia is here and she wants to know where's her son. I lied to her face, Melanie."

"Like you lied to mine"

"What are you talking about?"

"Owen saw you going to Dan's room just a while before he was found dead, don't lie"

"Do you think I killed him?"

"I don't know what to think, I just know that you went to his room just before he died"

"I went to his room and I stood outside the door knocking, but he didn't answer, so I tried opening the door but it was locked for inside. I thought he was having a nap and I left"

"And why were you there in the first place?"

"A business project, I swear. I wish I could tell you to go ask him."

"Just a lame excuse to hang out with my man, and yo....." Melanie was interrupted by Clair who came running to the corridor screaming "he's gone"

Everyone gathered except for George and Tiffany, beside Adam who was nowhere to be found.

"Take a deep breath and tell us what's going on, " Neil said

"Daniel's body is gone, " Clair said in fear

"Excuse me?" Melanie asked, "How?"

"I'm sorry Melanie," Clair said as she patted her shoulder

"Unless Daniel has been fooling us, someone must have moved the body," Neil said, "so who did it?"

"Can't you see? This is happening to us because we decided to not do the right thing and tell the police" Leah added

"Who ever did that speak now or there'll be another dead body" Thomas shouted, so George and Tiffany heard him and came to see what was going on.

"What happened?" George asked

"As if the night needed something worse," Rachel said

"Shut up," Melanie said

"Daniel's body is missing, " Joe said, "Do you know anything about that?"

"In fact, I do. Don't worry. Adam hid him."

"Why?" Stephanie asked while still crying

"My stupid assistant forgot to tell me that there's a cop on his way here. Just for protection, no worries, he doesn't know a thing"

"And where is that hiding place?" Neil asked

"Bathroom. For now" Adam said as he came back

"That's messed up," Rachel said then turned to Melanie "I'm leaving, I already got fired."

"Leaving means you're guilty, are you?" George asked

"That's right, didn't you have plans to pretend that you're pregnant with my infertile husband's baby?"

"What? You mean my baby?" Owen shouted "Didn't know you'd go that low for money" he looked at Rachel

"You can deny it all you want, but your husband cheated on you. Now get out of my way, I'm leaving"

"No one is leaving," Thomas said and they all left to get ready for Act 2

Melanie went to her room and Neil followed "why are you still following me?" She asked him

"I'm really sorry for your husband. If he did cheat on you, then he's not as smart as he looked"

"He didn't. Rachel just wants some money. I'll pay her to keep quiet, but after that endless night finally ends. I can't take any more disasters"

Melanie's mind went back to when she first learned that her husband couldn't have children and she told the doctor to keep it from him and tell him that she's the one with a problem, not him.

At the same time, the police detective William arrived and was greeted by George. "Detective William in your service. I apologize for being late, the roads are so busy. What did I miss?"

"Nothing much. The problems start happening after the show when fans gather locking us in"

"Well, I'm here now and I promise things will go well. But first is there any bathrooms nearby, I recently went for a check up and turns out I'm diabetic"

"I'm sorry for that, but.."

Neil cut in as he overheard the conversation when he left Melanie's room "but you can't use this one, it's mine, not technically, but it's my lucky bathroom. Just a pre-show ritual"

"Exactly," George said in relief "but you can you the one in my room"

Neil then went to Adam "the body can't stay there for long, you should move it somewhere else"

"Daniel is huge, I can't carry him again all alone please help"

"I can't I need to change, but where are you going to take him?"

"George told me to move him to the wooden bridge right up the stage with the extra probes"

"Wouldn't people in balcony seats see it?"

"No one can see it. It's the only safe place especially having a policeman here"

"Okay. I'll just tell Thomas to go help distract the cop till you move the body"

Everyone got ready for the act 2 and while walking to the stage, Joe called Clair "I know why you went to Daniel's room a while ago"

"What?" She was puzzled

"Does that belong to you?" He handed her a bracelet

"How did you find it?"

"I saw it next to Daniel's body when we found him. Care to explain?"

"Come on guys, no time for chatting" Owen interrupted and they all went to stage to take their seats.

Meanwhile backstage, Stephanie decided to go tell Portia the truth so she left to go to her seat. Rachel was bitter after her plans got ruined "he was dead, I could've gotten away with it and gave my baby a better life, but Melanie had to be there and ruin everything. She's the one who should've died" she thought. George and Thomas were still distracting detective William in George's room while Adam and Tiffany tried moving the body, but Daniel was tall and muscular, her probably weighed more than the both of them combined. Hey had to move the body from the bathroom, along the corridor till the stairs them go up 2 stairs then take the body to the bridge up there.

"It's along way, but thank God we still have 2 acts", Tiffany said

"We'll be safe as soon as we reach the stairs, the whole trouble is that corridor with detective William in there"

"We'll never be safe Adam, even more trouble will come later when the body is discovered"