The Midnight Murder Series: Pieces

Arvel hugged Nye with all his strength after Alvin finish hugging him. It has been forever since the brothers last time saw their dad. It felt like a million years or more.

Nye chuckled before ending the hug. “Ello to you too, Arvel,” he smiled before sitting down on the sofa with the twins. “Where’s Oliver?”

“Here I am,” replied Oliver as he emerged from the hallway with a smile and wet hair and hugged his dad. “How you been, dad? Any holidays?”

Nye shook his head while hugging him back. “No holidays, just hunt after hunt. How about you three?”

“Since that last week with the blemmye fiends, nothing,” explained Alvin. “It has been peaceful during the last five or six days. I think this is our holiday.”

Nye chortled and scanned the spotless living room. “You two are keeping your brother’s flat clean? That’s quite kind of you two.”

The twins glanced at each other for a second before turning to the clean living room. Did they clean this?

“Dad, we didn’t clean this,” stated Alvin.

“It could’ve been Rufus or Adam,” added Arvel.

“Adam? Who’s Adam?” asked Nye. “I thought it was Rufus and Adán.”

“It is,” yelled Adán’s voice in the background. “It’s the English version of my name. I don’t mind.”

The Crowdens turned their heads towards the guest bedroom.

“I see,” nodded Nye before turning to the boys. “Anyway, I need to ask you, lads, something. Alvin, Arvel, and Oliver, when am I getting grandchildren?”

Their dad’s question completely flustered the brothers. They traded soulful looks before going back to Nye.

“Grandchildren?” asked Arvel. “Where is this coming from, dad?”

Nye shrugged. “I’m getting old, boys. I’m almost sixty with no toddlers calling me papa. You three are in your thirties or almost thirty with no girlfriends. Alvin, you broke up with your girlfriend just last month for no reason.”

“She cheated on me with my best mate,” corrected Alvin.

Arvel raised a brow at his twin. “I thought I was your best mate.”

“My second best mate is who she was cheating on me with,” Alvin rolled his eyes.

Nye turned to Arvel. “What about you? Are you gay, bisexual, or just unlucky with women?”

Arvel chuckled nervously at his question. “What? I’m not gay or bisexual or single. I’m dating someone,” he lied as he stood up to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. To be honest, he wasn’t sure what his sexual orientation was. He dated females back in high school, but he also dated males and transgenders in college. He can’t label himself as bisexual – Maybe he was pansexual. “I’m dating this wonderful person, and I love them.”

“Really?” suspected Nye, Oliver, and Alvin as Arvel poured himself some water. “Who?”

Crap, Arvel thought while nervously downing the water. “Well, I don’t kiss and tell, you know.”

Oliver opened his mouth to speak when the sound of a guitar playing echoed in the air. He searched for the noise and found his phone on the coffee table lighting up. He reached over to pick it up and answer it. “Ello? ... Oh hey, Sam. What’s up?” he smiled. “Yeah ... When’s band practice? ... This Saturday at ten in the morning? Sure, mate. Okay, cheers, mate.” He ended the call.

“Who’s Sam?” Nye smirked. “Your girlfriend?”

The blonde shook his head and placed the phone back on the coffee table. “Samuel is one of my bandmates. We have a gig at this popular nightclub on New Year’s Eve.”

“So, he’s your boyfriend?” Nye beamed. “Congratulation, son! That’s amazing news.”

“Thanks,” smiled Oliver while standing up to stretch. “I hope it’s a sold out night, and no, I’m straight.” He walked out of the room.

Arvel felt a vibration in his pants pocket and reached for his phone. He pulled it out and read the caller ID: 708 area code. He tapped his screen to answer it.

“Ello,” he held the phone to his ear. “Yes, this is Agent Kipling. Who is this? ... Mark, how are you? ... Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Mark. What happened? ... First of all, you did the right of calling me and yes, my brother and I will be there, as soon as we can. Thank you, Mark. Goodbye.” he ended the call and turned to his twin and dad. “That was Mark Vollans.”

“From Sauk Village, Illinois, Mark Vollans?” asked Alvin. “The case with the banshee?”

Arvel nodded. “New case, brother. His father is missing, and he believes something supernatural took him. You want to join us, dad, just like the olden days?”

Nye sighed and shook his head. “I can’t, boys. The real reason I’m here is that I’m helping Derek Jones on his father’s case file. I need your help with it.”

“Didn’t you tell us it was a vampire?” asked Alvin. “I’ll get Oliver and tell her the news,” he headed towards the hallway.

“Oliver isn’t a female,” stated Nye while shaking his head.

“So, I was thinking about asking you out on another date,” stated Oliver as he watched Beyond poured some olive oil in a bowl that’s sitting on the dresser with the mirror. He chewed his bottom lip as she stirred the oil, apple cider vinegar, and egg whites with a blue comb. “I heard they’re playing Phantom of the Opera in New York City. You want to go?” he sighed when he realized she was ignoring him. “And back to square one with the ladies.”

She paused the stirring and sniffed the air. She looked in the mirror to see her own eyes glowing ominously green. The female stared at Oliver, who was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a bill, from the mirror and grinned. She spun around and approached him.

Oliver sighed in exasperation as he tossed the paper to the side. He peered up to see her standing before him. “Yes, Beyond?” he gave her a small smile before tilting his head. “Why are your eyes glowing?”

She placed a hand under his chin and rubbed a thumb over his lips, causing him to blush. “Close your eyes,” her smooth voice echoed.

Oliver felt his eyelids closing on their own. He wondered if she was putting a spell on him and he didn’t notice or if this was something else. The Brit felt some weight on his lap. “Can I open my eyes, Beyond?”

“No,” she breathed as she placed her hands on his shoulder. “It will kill the moment.” She shoved him back against the bed.

Oliver landed on his back with a thud that knocked the wind out of him. He coughed. “Beyond, that hurts.”

“Shh,” she leaned in close to his ear and whispered. “Relax,” she cupped his face tightly in her hands as Beyond moved over him. Her hungry lips attacked his in a flash.

He yelped from the sudden roughness. “Be-,” he spoke in the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing her body on his while kissing her back.

“Wow!” The two apace pulled away from the kiss. They turned their heads to the figure after their lips disconnect, and saw Alvin leaning against the doorway with a smile. “Shagging with the door open. Bravo, little brother.”

“Are you kidding me, Alvin?!” Oliver took Beyond off his lap and sat up on the edge of the bed. He growled at him as Alvin watched the female stood up and hurried towards the door with normal eyes.

Alvin stepped aside for Beyond to pass and smiled at Oliver as he entered the bedroom. “Ello, sister. Were you using a condom?”

Oliver sighed and stood up to fix his shirt. “We weren’t doing that. Did you call me sister?”

Alvin stepped towards him while whistling innocently. “What? Nooo.”

Oliver rolled his eyes in annoyance. “What do you want?”

Alvin paused by the dresser with the mirror and looked into the bowl with a comb in it. “Is that lube? Anyway, remember a few years back, when you were with dad in Scotland, and we were in Illinois?” he lifted up the comb and made a disgusting face at the yellowish goo dripping off the wide teeth. He quickly dropped it back into the bowl and looked away. “The case with a banshee?”

Oliver nodded and glared at his brother then back to the bowl. “I remember,” he folded his arms across his chest. “Why?”

Alvin smiled. “We met this guy named Mark. It turned out that his family was the ones the banshee was attacking. Now, he just called Arvel to tell him that his father is missing. He believes it’s something supernatural. You want to join us?”

Oliver thought for a moment. Is Beyond a murderous banshee, just like the one the twins killed? He shook his head to get the image of Beyond as a homicidal banshee trying to kill him and eating his brains out of his mind.

“You don’t want to go?” asked Alvin.

“Huh?” Oliver blinked before clearing his throat. “Of course, I do. I was just shaking a disturbing image out of my head. I’ll go with you.”

“Great,” the older brother surveyed his face in the mirror and noticed the stubble around his chin. “Oi, I’m getting old. Oh, Sam called and wanted to change practice time for Saturday, but I rescheduled it for Sunday. So, you have band practice on Sunday at noon.”

“Why Sunday?” Oliver questioned.

“Mate, have you lost your marbles? You promised to take Arvel and me to the museum on Saturday at nine o’clock. Are you going senile?”

“No, I’m not going senile. You do know that I’ve been busy with the store and all,” the blonde huffed. “I’ll pack a bag and call someone to watch the store. Do you mind leaving, Alvin?”

Alvin rolled his eyes at his brother. “Clear up after yourself,” he walked out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him.