Fanatic ⇒ Only Murders In The Building

07 → Flipping The Pieces

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'Flipping The Pieces'
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"You better be calling with good news, Oliver," Callum told the older man as the call connected. Had he found Mabel? Was she okay?

"I, um, in our situation, what would you class as good news?" Oliver inquired, a nervous quality to his voice that the Brit almost missed due to the chatter and traffic surrounding him.

"Oliver..." he warned, lacking the patience to play games while Mabel was missing.

"Detective Williams is here to speak to us," Oliver rushed out. "You need to come back so you don't look suspicious."

"Susp— how is looking for my missing friend suspicious?" Callum's tone became sharper as he began to loose his patience. He'd been walking the streets of New York for what seemed like hours to attempt to find Mabel. He wasn't going to stop just because he was going to 'look suspicious'. He wasn't going to give up on Mabel like with... What if she was hurt? She hadn't called him back. "You know what? No, I'm not coming back. Williams can arrest me for all I care," the Brit concluded and hung up the phone.

"F*ck," he muttered as he pocketed his phone. What should he do now? Find Mabel, obviously. But where should he go next? Wandering aimlessly around the city wasn't very productive and logical. But it's better than nothing! Was it? Or is he just trying to make up for last time?

Callum decided to make a detour to the park he was passing. If he was going to do this logically, he needed to gather his thoughts. The Brit made his way to a quieter area and occupied a bench.

Almost instantly, the anxiety he'd ignored while rushing around the city began to bubble again. Its light and volatile nature cursed Callum's limbs with a restlessness. His feet wanted to keep moving. His heart scolded him for taking a break.

Giving up already? Of course he wasn't. He just needed a moment. What if these few moments is what Mabel needs to be helped? Mabel is a grown woman, she can handle herself.

Even after stabbing a man?

Callum groaned externally at his critical thoughts and dropped his face into his hands, hoping the action would give him some clarity in this situation. As if brushing the hair out his face would give him an extra brain cell to solve this problem.

The air felt thick as he forced himself to even out his breathing. Everything felt wrong. From the song of the birds to the brightness of the sun; it was all wrong.

What should he do next? Does he keep search for any clue as to where Mabel went, or does he come back to the Arconia and face detective Williams?

Callum's answer came about by a phone call. A phone call that he had almost missed as he stared at the name on the screen and contemplated his next move.

"Hey Cal, where are you right now?" Marcus' soft tone came through the speaker.

"A park," Callum muttered out while his head remained in one of his hands. The beat of silence that passed over the call made the Brit realise that Marcus wanted more information. "The one closest to your flat with the pond."

"Alright, I'll be there in a few. I'll stay on—" His boyfriend's response made him straighten his posture.

"No, no, I'm fine, honestly," Callum said in an attempt to persuade the man not to make the trip over. His words must have not been accepted as the locking of a door sounded over the call. "Seriously, Marcus. You said you were getting lunch with your sister. That will be soon-ish, right?"

"I'm hosting so you're welcome to join us," Marcus replied as his rhythmic footsteps continued. "Also Charles texted saying he was worried about you."

"About me? I'm not the one who's dropped off the grid," Callum shot back, guilt creeping into his heart. "I just—" he cut himself off with a sigh. "Okay, so maybe wandering aimlessly around the city wasn't very smart."