"Mark? Mark?" Maureen gently shook the filmmaker as he cried softly into his hands. "C'mon Pookie, let's get outta here. You should be home resting, not near the vicinity of that asshole."
Mark raised his head and blinked at her. "Yes you're right, Mo. Let's go." He got up, pulled out $15 from his pocket and handed it to Maureen. He then took the cup with the remainder of Maureen's black coffee, walked across the café, and dumped the contents all over Christian's face and clothes. Maureen giggled, Jack looked stunned, and Christian looked outraged. But Mark was triumphant.
"So long, motherfucker," he growled, and he and Maureen paid the bill and left the café, while Christian stared at them, his face frozen with a wide-open mouth like a fish.
"Hey Pookie. Good you showed him," grinned the Drama Queen as they walked back up to the loft. "You feel better now?"
"Yeah, much better," said Mark – who really did feel slightly better after embarrassing his former love-rat in public – while opening the door and letting them in. He walked into the house, plonked himself down on the ratty couch and propped his face onto his hand. "But that still doesn't bring me anywhere closer to where Roger is."
The Drama Queen sat on the couch next to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Don't worry, Marky. We'll find him. Roger loves you too much to go very far away. You know that. We all know that. Don't lose hope, Pookie." Mark sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. He hoped to God that she was right.
Two more weeks passed and still no sign of Roger. Mark by this time, was an absolute nervous wreck. His eyes were redder than ever, his face suddenly seemed to grow ten years older overnight, and he even started losing a little bit of hair. The remaining Bohemians tried to calm him down, but he refused to. When Collins tried to get Mark to eat some Cap'n Crunch, he darted out of the house and went to the cemetery. He knelt down before Angel's and Mimi's graves and wept.
"I can't take this anymore! I don't know where he is!" he sobbed. "I wish he'd just come back to me! I'm so sorry I hurt him! I'm so sorry I spent such little time with him! I'm sorry I made him feel so insecure and unwanted! I promise I'll never, ever, ever do it again. I'll do anything to have him back. Please send him back to me, guys. Please….send him back…..I can't stand this anymore….please…..I'm so sorry…….please. I love him so much…." He just crouched at their graves, crying softly for what seemed like an eternity.
About an hour of crying later, he wiped his face clean, picked himself off the ground and trudged home. He tucked his hands deep into his pockets, suddenly feeling the cold of the evening. When he finally got home, Collins, Maureen and even Joanne were all in the loft, waiting for him to come home.
"Hey there Mark," greeted Joanne, who came by after work to see how her friend was. "I hope you're feeling a little better at least. I made you some tomato soup." He took out a clean bowl, filled it up with the warm, red soup, and placed it gently in front of Mark at the bar table. She placed a spoon next to the bowl, gently patted his back, and went to join Maureen on the battered couch.
Mark stared at the soup, then at Collins, who gave him a look that said 'You better eat that'. Sighing, he slowly picked up the spoon, and slowly raised a spoonful of soup into his mouth. He briefly closed his eyes, savouring the delicious warmth and flavour of the soup. Deciding he liked it, he drank another spoonful. And another. Until the phone suddenly rang, jostling everyone out of their silence. Maureen picked it up.
"Hello?" said the Drama Queen. Then he spoke over the receiver. "Mark? It's for you. It's the police."
Mark's eyes widened. He dropped the spoon into the bowl, and rushed over to grab the phone from Maureen. He spoke tentatively. "Umm, hello?"
The voice on the other line crackled slightly. "Good Evening, Mr. Cohen. This is Detective Robert Goren. You wouldn't still be looking for a Roger Davis, would you?"
Mark's heart skipped a beat. "Oh my God! Did you find him? Do you know where he is? Please tell me! Please!" The other three Bohemians suddenly sat upright, ears peeled for any information about their lost friend.
Detective Goren sighed heavily. "Well, this homeless lady found somebody lying in an alleyway that matches his description fairly well so we're going to go investigate. But from what she's told us, well…..it doesn't sound very pretty. It doesn't sound very pretty at all. I think you better meet us at the station immediately………"
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Looks like we almost know where Roger is! Almost! Maybe, if I get enough reviews, I can put up the next chapter so that I can be closer to finishing this story and starting on my next one…… -giggles-
Oh hey, 10 points for anyone who notices my favourite Law & Order detective (next to Detective Green), whom I just slipped in. I love him to death. He's si smart, so cheeky and so charismatic. -winks-