Fanatic ⇒ Only Murders In The Building

04 → Here's Looking At You

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'Here's Looking At You'
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"Charles, why aren't you answering your phone?" Callum exclaimed as he barged into Charles' flat, phone in hand and an annoyed expression. "I need you to tell me that murder is wrong because I want to murder a prick!" The Brit continued but stopped once he reached the kitchen and saw Charles wasn't alone. "Oh, well this is not awkward at all."

"Callum, this is Lucy. Lucy, Callum," Charles introduced the pair, looking worryingly at Callum.

"Nice to meet you," the Brit greeted politely with an awkward smile on his face.

"Well, Teddy's back! He's already plotting his revenge," Oliver called out as him and Mabel entered the flat. "I think he's gonna kill me, bury me, dig me up, and kill me again."

"We need to deal with Nina. Howard DM'ed me saying he has some 'hot goss' on her, and he'll be here any min..." Mabel paused as Callum did before at the sight of Lucy.

"Lucy. Uh, Oliver, Mabel."

"Oh my God, Lucy! Hi!" Mabel greeted excitedly.

"Wow! How sweet. We've heard... well, more about you than anyone else from Charles' past. You and his dead mysterious father. It's a tie," Oliver commented as the podcasters gathered around.

Lucy laughed and waved back at the guests. "It is so cool to meet you. I've heard your podcast, but I usually, like, listen to it on two times speed, and your voices are so much deeper than I thought," she said making the trio fall silent for a moment before starting their own sentences. Charles cut them off.

"Hey, can I talk to you three for just a minute?" Charles asked, pushing the podcasters out of the kitchen and into the living room. "You can play games on your telephone," he told Lucy before turning to the trio.

"What is she doing here?" Oliver asked Charles who now looked slightly panicked.

"I don't know. She says 'just to hang'. I wanted this so badly, but I'm so unprepared. I mean, sh-she's an older person now, and she brought a bag. Does that mean she wants to stay?" Charles began to ramble is a hushed tone. "I don't understand things she says. Can you two talk to her and just find out anything?" The old man asked the younger pair with pleading eyes.

"You can't be that lost," Callum interjected but one look at Charles face told him he was being sincere.

"She used the word 'Manhatty,' and you just used 'hot goss'," Charles continued, motioning at Mabel. "It's like I'm watching Squid Games without subtitles. Just... I'll give you $200 each."

"I'll do it free of charge. $200 on the Upper West Side will just get me a bagel and a soy latte," Mabel commented.

"I'll take the—ow!" Callum began but was cut off by Mabel slapping his shoulder.

"That didn't hurt," Mabel stated as Charles motioned the younger pair to follow him back into the kitchen.

"Hey, Luce! Uh, maybe you, Mabel and Callum, uh, can get to know each other a little bit, uh, while Oliver and I, uh, do our adult business, uh, you know, conversation thing in the other room," Charles said before grabbing ahold of Oliver's hand and pulling him out the room.

Mabel quietly laughed before she spoke up. "Hey, girl."

"Hey," Lucy replied as the podcasters took a seat at the table opposite her. "Is it just me, or did 'adult business thing' sound kinda queer-coded?" Callum let out a chuckle.

"More like old-coded. So..." Mabel spoke for the pair once again but was cut off my Lucy.

"It is so beyond that Charles is friends with you two. I mean, you are literally two of the coolest people on the internet right now," Lucy began rambling at the speed of light. "Seriously, Bloody Mabel and Mama's Boy are, like, my favorite things to happen since those baby witches tried to hex the moon."