PETERSON RESIDENCE - A WEEK LATER

LOUNGE

LINDSAY

I sniffle into my tissue and smile my thanks at the condolences being poured upon me. “I had no idea he had a drinking problem of such magnitude. They always say the wife is the last to know…” I trail off and shudder delicately. “...maybe the strain of…”

“Now, now, don’t think these things. It is not your fault. You didn’t make him get into the car did you?” Jeffrey Roberts, his long term golfing buddy, pats my hand. “This is the fault of one person, and that is James. Thankfully, he didn’t take anyone else with him…”

“Yes, I know you are right. I am so glad I don't have that on my conscious as well.” I stand up and he follows my lead. “As you can appreciate, this has been very traumatising and I now have…” I gesture at my head and wince.

“Of course, of course, you have been incredibly stoic in the face of everything.”

I watch from the window as he drives away and close the blinds then dance around the room, humming the tune from The Merry Widow; as I have, metaphorically at least, killed two birds with one stone! I didn't want to pay his spousal support, yes it would've been a nominal amount but the principal was galling. So, no more mooning James, and no money to pay out for him.

But I do have a couple of problems: one, despite my bad news, Michael has been calling about what is going to happen with his comic. I think a word might have to be had with his mother! Secondly, in his constant badgering he has pointed out that the musical score needs to be done. Shelby was going to put me in contact with someone that can help! I suppose I can look up some contacts myself to take my mind off the grief!

My eyes stream again as I mistakenly use the hanky, having sprayed it with peppermint oil just prior to his visit, to produce the tears of sadness as opposed to joy!

Right, find a musician, and let Michael know. That at least gets him the hell off my back!

MICHAEL’S COMIC BOOK STORE - MORNING, THREE DAYS LATER

OFFICE

MICHAEL

I stare at the screen in shock. She can’t be serious?! Of all the people in all the world, she has to sign him to write the music score! I need to talk to her about this!

TAYLOR SECURITIES - SAME TIME

CONFERENCE ROOM

CRAIG

I smile at my long time friend, and former Pittsburgh finest, Carl Horvath, as he reads all the intel I could get on Brian’s case and nods. “I remember this one..” He sips his water. “..too dismissive for my liking. Basic, as in nothing followed up.”

“Nothing?” I frown. “Justin had said that nobody came to see him after the initial statement.”

“If I had been around it would've been done properly, but…”

“I know, but you had other priorities. Are you sure you are well enough for this?”

“Craig, will you relax? The doctor declared me fit and healthy to return to work. It was a mild one and I won't be pushing myself.”

“You'd better not. Having finally gotten you to work for us, having a heart attack was just rude!” Jennifer laughs as she comes in with the Sykes file. “Now this one...dear to my heart.” She hands him the file and his eyebrows shoot up. “And that warrants this reaction because…”

“Two things: have seen the film, astonishing, and, secondly I knew him.”

“You knew him? How?” Jennifer gasps.

“Their house was on my beat. Very down to earth family despite their wealth, I always thought the little girls were very cute.”

“Girls?” I frown as all the things I have read and heard about Mercy and her family indicate her being an only child.

“Yeah. They had two living with them; one daughter and one cousin. Cousin wasn't very well and had to go to London for treatment a lot, which is why they moved in the end. To support the family, they could get better treatment for her.”

“What was wrong with her?” I ask, waving Hunter in. “More background on Mercy.”

“Uh huh, hey, Carl, how you doing? Good to have you finally start!”

“Still got that runaway tongue of yours, I see.” Carl smiles fondly.

“Yep! Luckily, Molly doesn't mind it a bit!”

“And here endeths that part of the conversation!” I state firmly, and he just quirks an eyebrow. He and Molly have been together for over five years, love at first sight when he strolled into the building fresh out of the academy. “So, the cousin, she still sick? And what was it?”

“Jeez.” Hunter whistles as he looks over Carl’s shoulder at the file. “Double whammy, SCA, full blown and cancer.”

“SCA?” Jennifer frowns.

“Sickle cell anaemia. Blood disease. Cancer is in remission, four times!”

“Four?!” I gasp. “Where?”

“Bone, blood, liver and brain. Each time they treated an area it would come back. The sickle cell made it difficult to treat, especially the blood.” Hunter continues, and takes the file off of Carl, then reads to himself. We sip our drinks and wait. “So, need some help on this one, or shall I stick with the set?”

“Stick with the set. But as a matter of interest…”Jennifer regards him carefully.

“Did you see that movie? Jeez to finish that off with all this shit going on. Besides, it looks off. Didn't the calls continue when they hit England?”

“Yes. So?”

“So it stands to reason, well to me, that it is someone close to them.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Carl sips his coffee thoughtfully, reminding me of Columbo. “So she was what, 13, and they continued until their deaths four years later. She’s not been bothered since, so the calls were directed at the parents. Why didn’t the police at the time investigate it?”

“Found no fault, just a freak accident.” I explain.

“Hmm. Mind if I look a bit more into this? Favour for a friend.” We all nod and Hunter stands up. “I think he wants to impress her.”

“Who?” Jennifer demands eagerly.

“Caleb.”

“Caleb who is watching Brian with Blake?” Jennifer rubs her chin. “Wait, I am now officially confused. You were watching Dixon, but he’s now dead. We’re going to be doing security for the set. Caleb is watching Brian because of his friends, so why does Caleb want to impress Mercy? I mean apart from the obvious.”

“Said she clocked him straight away as detail, when they first met, but never said anything until the date.” He snickers, then realisations dawns and we join him in the chuckling...nobody wants to be made so quickly. “And he wants to show her how good he actually is!” He closes the file then his phone beeps. He reads the text with a frown. “She wants him to ask Brian or whoever he is working for about a watch.”

“What watch?” Carl asks.

“The watch that Barney gave as collateral.”

“Who is Barney?” I skim through the list of names.

“Barney is the guy that they took instead of Novotny on the movie…”

“Stop and whoa.” Carl holds up a hand. “What we need to do is get everyone here so that we can get our people straight, if you pardon the phraseology…”

“Yeah, it’s time we were all on the same side.” Hunter nods. “Let me call him.”

ALMOST TWO HOURS LATER

BRIAN

“Say something, the silence is unnerving!” Cyn demands nervously.

“Well that explains why he would always be where I was.” I lock eyes with Emmett. “Your idea?”

“To get him hired as receptionist, yes, but to hire him per se, no, that was all Ben.”

“I was so scared, then when the cops just didn't do anything, I had to do something. I couldn't be with you 24/7, especially as I was with Michael. He would have, and did, demand to know what we were doing every second and want to join us in it, which would've driven you insane. So to shut him up eventually I would've told him and…”

“He would've told me, and I would be pissed because you were coddling me, and…”

“Lied by not telling you myself.” Ben sighs. “And you, in his eyes, would've distanced yourself from me more.”

“Hasn't changed then?” Mercy scowls. “As a kid he was like that, having to know everything and turning up all the time. Dad got sick of it, and, eventually, so did Mom, and it was one of the reasons we moved, apart from Marguerite…”

“How is she doing?” Jennifer squeezes her hand. “Such an awful thing to go through.”

“In remission and has been for the last ten years. Every time my Uncle or Aunt calls my heart sinks as I wait for the words it's back.” She taps the table. “Knock on wood, so far so good.” Then she rifles in her pocket and puts a watch on the table. “Do you re…”

“It's the watch that Barney gave, and you want me to look at, right?” Caleb picks it up and whistles. “Fine piece. Why wouldn’t the guys recog...”

“If you had let me finish...” She growls, then gives him a quick smile, before taking it off him and handing it to me. “...I was going to ask Brian or Ben if they remember, not recognise, it?”

I shake my head and watch for any signs from Ben. He scrutinises hard but then shakes his head. “Why should we?”

“Because it is your watch, Brian.” She tells me, and slides her phone towards me, I stare at the photo and it is me wearing a similar watch. “That was taken 6 months before you were shot.” Now everyone is looking suspiciously at her. “As I said, it is my job to find out everything about someone before I approach. It’s a Bel…”

“Belgink!” Justin exclaims, then grabs my phone from my lap and quickly unlocks it.

“Justin, what are you…” I try to take the phone off him, but he holds it away.

“Look! See, you have a contact for it!” Now he gives it back, but I am pissed he took it in the first place and seems to know my code! “So, what does 9BY2.5TSBAK mean?”

“Before we get to that, how do…”

“It’s the personalization code for the watch…” Mercy begins.

“I know that!” Justin snaps. “I meant what do the…”

“Don't speak to her like that, Justin! You asked a question and she answered. I suspect your folks paid for better manners than that! Apologise!” I order, and he goes red. “Now!”

“Sorry.” He mutters, giving me a dark look and shifting slightly away.

“And stop being a brat!” Craig rebukes him. “He’s right, we did pay for better, use them.”

“Thanks for the defence and apology, the latter albeit grudgingly given, but can we focus?”

“In a minute. Justin, how do you know the code to my phone?” He goes redder, I nudge him sharply. “How?”

“I watched you key it in and remembered…” He trails off looking at the desk.

“How many times have you been through my phone?” He swallows hard and looks anywhere but at me. His Mom clears her throat and he reluctantly turns back. “How many and why?”

“Are you going to dump me?”

“Are you going to lie?”

“Three times.”

“Justin!” Daph exclaims before nodding at Chris who punches him in the arm.

“Ouch! What the...ouch!” He yelps as I tug the back of his hair hard. “Brian!”

“Now you know what an invasion of privacy feels like!” He blinks a few times while rubbing his head. “So why? The truth or I will dump you.”

“Because I wanted to.” He sighs. “I am very used to getting my own way, and I knew you would say no to the code.”

“True. Anywhere else you've snooped I should know about?”

“Not yet.” My eyebrows shoot up. “The box in the condom drawer…”

“Anal beads...vibrating ones. Was going to use them this weekend, but now that is not going to happen!”

“But you pulled my hair!” He looks pleadingly at me, but I am unmoved. “Next weekend then?”

“Can you say yes so we can get back to where we were?” Mercy smirks. In fact they are all looking amused.

“Brian?” Justin begs...yep, that is begging.

“Beads yes, vibrating no.”

“Right back on topic!” Hunter laughs before handing the watch to Blake. He too scrutinises it. “You reckon you can confirm that it is his?”

“It is his.” Mercy states firmly. “They not only have a personalization code but they are custom made. From scratch.”

We absorb what she said in silence, then a little light clicks in my head. “Cirigan Futures.” I hold up my hand as Cyn goes to speak, as she too had been staring hard at it. “We signed them and I gave you both a huge bonus…”

“Shit...oh my god, how could I have forgotten?!” Cyn sniffs then gestures for the watch. She covers her face and starts to cry harder. We wait for her to compose herself, when she does she is smiling through her tears. “Caleb can you take off the back?!” He takes out a penknife then winkles it off and when he looks at it he gasps. “You’re perfect. As an asshole and friend. But we love you. Ted and Cyn. That's what it says doesn't it?”

“Yeah.” He whispers and hands me my watch.

“I had it inscribed when you were in Ibiza.” She looks across at a stunned Ted who has tears in his eyes but is also nodding.

“So how did Barney boy get it and who is this friend?” Ted demands.

“Yes this Barney, who is he?” Carl goes to the whiteboard and writes good and bad and puts our names under good. “And the guy he got in instead of, what was the name?”

“Oh that would be Michael, Michael Novotny.” Ben grinds out still, hurting though in my opinion he should be pleased to have avoided being fucked by him! Carl writes his name under bad. “And Barnabus Mitchell, write his name there too.”

Carl stops writing and turns around. “Barnabus Mitchell? Did he say he was a…”

“Cop? Yeah. And this friend shit is just that...shit. He took Brian’s watch.” Mercy declares but Carl shakes his head. “I saw a cop take things from his room, stand down people if I wanted to harm Brian I would've done!” She huffs in exasperation.

“As would he.” Carl wipes Barnabus from under bad and puts it under good. “I know him, he is a straight as an arrow cop and fiercely proud of the badge.”

“And there is the matter of recognition Mercy…” George strokes her arm and she sighs. “...it is your job, as you say, to read people, to watch and observe. Come along, take the watch out of the scenario and think!”

“I just want someone to pay for something!” She snaps and strides to the window. “You and I have both be in treated shittily because of who we are Brian. You because you are gay and me because I am black. They dismissed it as nothing, we are not nothing! You three deserve justice and...and...fuck it, I latched on. You are right Georgie, he didn't react to Brian, he was more pissed at Michael lying to him about that dirge he calls a comic!” This raises smiles. “I pity the fool he convinces to do that!” Again she sighs. “And another thing, I wasn't completely honest about a couple of things...the calls started again, just after we got the Oscar for about a month then they stopped. They would be silent, just breathing. Then they started again, all day like every ten minutes or so…”

“Oh honey, when was this and for how long?” Emmett wraps his arms around her shoulders.

“For about five years but only on the day he died and Oscar night.”

The room is silent as we take in the cruelty of that.

“The day he died?” Hunter looks across at Carl. “So I am right, it is someone close to her?”

“Yeah I agree, and…”

“The bullet!” Justin exclaims and I forgive him a little bit more because I had forgotten about it.

“Caleb, you and I will go and check the alley. You come too Justin!” Hunter stands up grabbing his coat.

“Five years?” Blake says silencing the room, Mercy nods. “What happened to the house?”

“Nothing. I just closed it up and moved in with my aunt and uncle, they had been begging…”

“Nothing? And define closed.” Blake pulls out his laptop and starts to tap, looking up at her slightly impatiently. “Mercy, is the house in working order? Nothing has changed since you left?”

“Working or...is it habitable you mean?” He nods. “Of course, there is a cleaning service that goes there once a month but no nothing has been…” She stops and stares and her jaw drops. “Can you do that?!”

“Yes I can.” He looks proud, the rest of us look confused until Carl chuckles.

“What? What can he do?!” Emmett slams his hands onto his hips and glares.

“Call ID.” Blake replies and then his smile falters. “Only problem, it will need to be from the actual phone, so I would need do go to the house itself…”

“We. At the end of the month we go.” Mercy asserts.

“I’m going with you.” Carl looks at Justin's dad and he nods.

“No you don't understand, when I said, we, I meant all of us here present, Uncle Rajan is expecting us…”

“Rajan is an unusual...oh for fuck sake!” George is glaring at her now. “Him?! Rajan Nathaniel, one of the best voice over actors in the world, that Rajan Nathaniel?!”

She heads to him and kisses his cheek. “Yeah that one. Sorry George but he's very private and…” He returns the kiss but I still don't get the significance.

“You are kidding?!” Caleb is in awe. “Fuck me, that must have been tough for the pair of you?”

“Tough what's tough?” Ben frowns.

“My uncle did the voice over for Balloon Over The Water because he sounds exactly like my dad. I mean pitch perfect. That’s the real reason for no director's cut, he said he would never imitate him again.” She sighs again and briefly tears up before grinning at Ben. “So a ticket for Boyd too right?”

“Right.” He mutters going bright red.

“Wait a second Rajan Nathaniel is…” Blake trails off his fingers poised over the keyboard and gaping. “...married to...but you said aunt!”

“He’s my aunt to me. Mom and Dad gave Marguerite to them. In actuality she’s my sister.” Again her face shows sadness. “She's all I have left of them, they dropped her off twenty minutes before the crash.”