"Okay," Matthew started. The couple were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. "What the fuck happened?"
Gilbert drank the remaining beer out of his can and crushed it with his hand, tossing it to the ground. Matthew looked at the can on the floor, then to the trash bin that was only a foot away from it. He glared at Gilbert, who obviously didn't take the hint and continued his story. "So I was in my apartment, just minding my own business, doing the stuff I usually do, you know? I heard the doorbell ring, but I didn't answer because I wasn't expecting a visit from anyone I knew, and I didn't feel like talking to whoever was there about God knows what. So I stayed in my bedroom continuing to do… stuff, but the person outside starting knocking on the door. Really loudly. So I yelled 'Alright I'm coming!' I opened the door and I saw two men in black suits and sunglasses. They looked all official so I didn't slam the door on them like I planned." Gilbert stood up to get another beer out of the fridge. He sat back down and Matthew sighed. When Gilbert got drunk he was impossible to understand, and he never told the truth. If he had too many beers, Matthew would never get the whole story. Then again, he didn't know if the story Gilbert had told him even was the truth. Either way, he decided to keep listening to Gilbert's rambling."Anyway, these two guys, one was British and the other was French. They—"
"Wait," Matthew interrupted. "What did these two guys look like?"
"Well, it's hard to remember, but it was impossible to forget the British guy's eyebrows. Birdie, they looked like a child scribbled them on his face with a black crayon, I'm not even kidding."
Matthew made an annoyed sound and asked, "What did the French one look like?"
"Um. He had long blond hair, a bit longer than yours, and his voice was so annoy—"
"So it was them," Matthew interrupted. "I knew it."
"It was who?"
"The two 'cops' who showed up after I called 911 when I found your apartment covered in blood."
"So are they cops or not," Gilbert asked.
"I don't think they are."
"Well then who the heck are they?"
"I don't know," Matthew replied.
"Well," Gilbert grabbed Matthew's hand. "Let's find out." He pulled Matthew out of his chair much to his protest.
"Gilbert, It's the middle of the night, what are we going to be able to do at 4 in the morning?"
"You have a computer, right? Research."
"Fine," Matthew groaned.
Sitting on the couch with Matthew's laptop, Gilbert typed away, hacking or searching or something; Matthew had no idea. He started to nod off at around 5:30, and he had nearly fallen asleep, but Gilbert exclaimed, "Mattie, look at this!"
Matthew jumped and looked at the computer screen. Gilbert was pointing at a picture of the British and French guys in black suits and sunglasses, however there was a third person that Matthew didn't recognize. He wasn't wearing a suit, but a long black coat, and no sunglasses covered his bright blue eyes. The three sat at a table in some café Matthew had never been to. Neither the British nor Frenchman were smiling, but the other one seemed ecstatic, his unnaturally wild hair pointing in all directions.
Matthew looked up at Gilbert, who was smiling at the screen. "What is this?"
"I just found someone who might have some… useful information."
"Who, the guy with the black coat?"
"Mmhm," Gilbert confirmed.
"Do you know him?"
"Oh I know him, alright."
After Matthew had finally gotten Gilbert to go to sleep, and he himself had gotten a good eight hours in, the two finally left Matthew's apartment at 2:30 PM, a little later than they had planned, but they would still have enough time to do what they needed.
"You know where this guy lives,right," Matthew asked as he opened the driver's side car door and sat down, starting the car while Gilbert packet everything they would need into the back.
"I know how to find out where he lives," Gilbert yelled, forgetting Matthew was only a few feet away.
"Please be quiet. I don't want people to think we're up to something… weird."
"Don't worry about it," Gilbert said, this time quietly, as he got in the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.
"Careful," Matthew chided. "This is a new car. I don't want it ruined."
"Whatever." Gilbert buckled his seatbelt, and Matthew carefully backed out of the parking lot.
"Gilbert, you moron, you gave me the wrong directions, and now we're lost. Great," Matthew sighed as he passed a small coffee shop for the fourth time.
"I didn't give you the wrong directions. I'm perfect," Gilbert responded. Looking out the window.
"If I have to see that stupid naked baby statue one more time, I'm going to stab you"
"Relax Mattie. This is all part of the plan."
"You didn't tell me this earlier when you went over every detail of your stupid plan."
"That's because I thought of this part on the way here."
"Well then, tell me, why the heck am I going in circles?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"Uh…," Gilbert started.
"See? You have no idea."
"No, that's not it. Look at that." Gilbert pointed to someone sitting in a bench by the naked baby statue Matthew hated so much. "That's who we were waiting for."
Matthew squinted, trying to make out who Gilbert was pointing at. "Is it him?" It certainly didn't look like the man in the picture online.
"No," Gilbert answered. "But it certainly someone who can help us find him. Stop the car."
"I can't stop now. I'm in the middle of the road. I'll find somewhere to park."
"Ugh, you're so boring," Gilbert groaned.
"I'm not boring, you're insane."
"No, I'm awesome."
"Whatever." Matthew rolled his eyes and pulled into the nearest parking lot. The two got out of the car and started walking to the bench by the fountain.
"How do you know all these people," Matthew asked, grabbing Gilbert's hand as they walked.
"They were friends of mine a while ago."
"Will they remember you?"
"Pfft, who could forget this beautiful face?"
"Alright," Matthew sighed as he focused on getting to the bench without flicking Gilbert in the arm with his free hand.
The couple only took about three minutes to get back to the bench, and much to their disappointment, it was empty.
"Damn it," Gilbert growled, throwing himself down on the bench while Matthew remained standing. "I said you should've stopped in the middle of the road."
"So this is my fault," Matthew said, exasperated.
"Well, it certainly isn't my fault."
"Alright. Fine. I'm sorry that he's gone, but arguing isn't going to help. We need to find this person."
"I think I know where he might be."
"Really?"
"Yeah." Gilbert jumped out of the bench and grabbed Matthew's hand, dragging him down the sidewalk.
"My God Gilbert, slow down."
"Nope, not going to let him get away this time."
"For Christ's sake. Can you at least let go of my wrist?"
Gilbert looked down at the death grip he had on Matthew's arm. "Oh." He dropped it and Matthew continued running after him. When he suddenly stopped in front of an old bakery, Matthew nearly ran into his back.
"What the," Matthew said, confused as to why Gilbert would stop here of all places.
"He's in there. I can sense it."
Matthew looked at the small building, confused. He looked in one of the windows and saw the man they had been looking for. "You can't sense it. You can see him in the window."
"Same thing," Gilbert replied before walking to the door and holding it open. "Ladies first," he said to Matthew.
"Very funny," Matthew remarked before entering the bakery, almost knocked over from the potent smell of bread and cake.
"There he is." Gilbert motioned to a man sitting at a table across the room.
"The one with the weird hair clip?"
"Yeah," Gilbert replied. He took Matthew's hand and casually walked over to the adjacent table."Follow my lead," he whispered.
"Wow," Gilbert started, at full volume. "Sure is nice weather we're having, isn't it Harold?" He nudged Matthew.
Catching onto Gilbert's plan he replied, "Yeah, beautiful weather…," he paused. "Bob."
"Bob? Really," Gilbert whispered.
"I don't know. I can't think fast."
"Whatever. Just keep up the tone."
"I'll try."
"So, Harry, pal, what brings you to town," Gilbert continued, back to an obnoxious volume.
"Oh, you know, just business."
"You still selling calendars?"
'Calendars?' Matthew mouthed.
'Just go with it,' Gilbert mouthed back.
Matthew rolled his eyes. "Yep. The usual. Business is best in December so sales aren't so good right now."
"Sorry to hear that, Ted."
"Ted? I thought my name was Harold," Matthew Whispered.
"I know. Your nickname is Ted," Gilbert explained quietly.
"You think we're taking this too far? I don't even know what you're doing."
"Just wait."
"Whatever." Matthew leant back in his chair. "So how's your family been? Is Barb still doing okay?"
"No. I'm afraid she passes away not too long ago."
"Oh. My condolences."
Gilbert looked around, noticing he had everyone's attention. Well, everyone except the man at the table next to them, who had earbuds in and his face buried in an old book. Exactly how Gilbert needed it. He looked over Matthew's shoulders at the man who was oblivious to everything and everyone around him. Gilbert's eyes widened in faux surprise. "Is that who I think it is?"
Matthew turned around. "Why, it is!"
By now, everyone in the bakery was following the couple's conversation like a tennis game, and, like clockwork, they turned to look at the other man. Feeling everyone's eyes on him, he started to shift uncomfortably in his seat. When he looked up, his eyes widened, then squinted. Without saying a word, he stood, grabbed his book, and walked out of the bakery while everyone watched him.
Gilbert laughed and grabbed Matthew's hand. In his normal voice he said, "I can't believe it worked."
"You wanted him to leave?"
"Well, duh. We can't exactly interrogate him surrounded by this many people. It'd look suspicious."
"You are an idiot."
"But you love me."
Matthew rolled his eyes and followed Gilbert out of the building, ignoring the confused glances of other customers. When he walked out the door, he heard an employ say, "They didn't even buy anything," and Matthew couldn't help but burst out laughing. He stopped immediately when Gilbert elbowed him in the side.
"There he is."
Matthew's eyes followed Gilbert's pointing finger until he saw their target sitting in the bench where they previously saw him, reading the same book. This time, the two casually approached the bench and sat down next to him. There was barely enough room for the three to sit comfortably, but they still fit.
The man looked up from his book, annoyed. "Ugh. You two. Can I help you?"
"We were wondering if you knew this man." Gilbert pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed him a picture of the man in question.
He squinted, trying to make out the picture while the sun glared on the screen. "Hmm. What if I do know him?"
"It would be a great help if you could tell me where he is."
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because," Gilbert started, thinking of an excuse. "He is my long-lost brother. My mother, on her deathbed told me 'Gil, my boy, before I go, there's something I need to tell you. You have a brother. His name is—' and then she died. I never got to know his name. So I did some digging through her stuff, and found some old photographs of a little boy who looks a lot like the man I have a picture of."
"I'm sorry about your mother. What was her name?"
"What?" Gilbert was caught off guard.
"What was your mother's name?"
"Uh… Her name was… Helen. Helena."
"Lucky guess. I can tell you where he is, but it'll cost ya."
Gilbert looked at Matthew, a puzzled look on his face, then back to the other guy. "Fine. What do you want?"
The man looked at Gilbert for a moment, then to Matthew, his eyes boring into Matthew, making him sweat. "I want… him."
A/N: Okay so I know this chapter may be a bit confusing, and I'm sorry, but it'll definitely make sense later, just wait. And as for that last line...
Anyways, I'm sorry but I might not be able to keep the updating schedule I currently have because I've been really busy with homework and stuff, so I might not be able to post every Friday, but I'll try. And as always, hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for the nice reviews!