Chapter 2
The Tone of Death
Robbie sat next to his roommate Charlie on the couch, engrossed in the TV coverage following Casey Fowler's death. He couldn't believe that just a few days ago he was present at that very same house that was now displayed on every single news channel, with reporters swarming all around it like vultures around a dead body, and camera shutters going off anytime the door opened. He wanted to call his ex Michael and let him know that he was involved in this story that was now playing out on a global scale. But Michael had been ignoring him since their nasty breakup, and Robbie didn't feel like making a fool of himself yet again.
So instead he focused on the tv footage that would alternate between live news from outside of the pop singer's house, to older footage of Casey at award shows, as well as clips from his music videos. He was a stunning young man, a fact acknowledged by both the straight and gay worlds. A universally good looking face with large trusting hazel eyes, and a gorgeous set of loose brown curls.
"Now, did you really say that you were right in there, inside the house?" Charlie asked, making Robbie repeat himself for the fifth time.
"Yes, right inside," he replied.
"I can't believe it. That poor boy, that must have been quite a fall," Charlie said, then added, "He was probably on drugs," and Robbie shot her a look. For some reason, witnessing what he had that morning made him protective over the now deceased Casey Fowler. He could still vividly remember those pale bare feet, with red blood on them.
The tv boomed with another update, "Rapper Zane X has released a statement of condolences on his Instagram following Casey Fowler's death. The two were alleged to have dated at some point, and have remained close friends throughout their careers."
"Yum," Charlie said as a picture of Zane X flashed on the screen. The bisexual rapper was a music phenomenon, and Robbie remembered that there had been rumors of him and Casey hooking up at some point, and it supposedly having caused tension between Casey and Guy.
He bit into a piece of pizza, enthralled by the visual of the handsome rapper on the screen, when suddenly there was a loud banging on the door. Both roommates looked at each other with unease.
"Maybe a reporter wanting to interview you," Charlie said. "I'll go get it."
Robbie sat on the couch nervously, until Charlie walked back in with a strange expression, like she'd just seen a ghost. Robbie was shocked to see Guy Hopkins following behind her. Did the boxer change his mind about Robbie lying, and came to kill him as revenge?
"Hey, sorry to intrude. Do you mind if I have a word with you alone?" he asked, and Charlie started hiccuping. A tick she had whenever she was extremely nervous.
"Sure, let's uh...go to my room," Robbie suggested.
"No, I'll go to mine, you guys stay out here," Charlie offered, then took a quick look back at Guy. "It was such a pleasure to meet you Mr. Hopkins...Guy," she stammered out, red in the face, then fled to her room. Guy didn't seem to notice the effect he had on her. He walked over and sat a good distance away from Robbie on the old green couch.
"I, uh..." he started, but seemed to be lost for words.
"How are you doing?" Robbie asked, trying to help out, and quickly grabbed the remote and turned off the tv, not wanting Guy to see what he was watching.
"I'm...not so well. But, I'm not here to talk about that," he replied, getting right down to business. Robbie could tell Guy was not someone who was comfortable with his emotions, despite the very emotional display he made upon seeing Casey's body.
"Okay, well, let me make you some tea," he replied, trying to diffuse the uncomfortable situation. Guy Hopkins didn't strike him as a tea drinker, but when the man didn't reject the offer, Robbie got up and turned on the tea kettle in the small kitchen.
"What did you want to talk about then?" he asked, coming back over to the couch.
"Well, the coroner's report won't be out for a while, and the police aren't telling me shit. But I can't just sit still, Robbie. You have to understand, I need to know."
"Okay," Robbie replied, still confused. He felt extremely nervous and twitchy with Guy Hopkins towering over him in his own apartment. The guy could choke the daylights out of him without breaking a sweat.
"Listen, I came here because I need a favor," Guy said. Robbie stared back surprised, he wasn't sure what type of favor he could do for Guy Hopkins, when the man already had every resource at his disposal. "There's some people I need to get information from, so I can make sense of all this. But, a lot of them won't talk to me directly. I don't want a private detective, that would be too messy. You're the last person that saw Casey. I want you to do it. I'll pay you, of course. And I'll tell you exactly what you need to ask. It'll just be a couple of interviews." Robbie sat back stunned.
"What kind of croissants did you get?" Guy asked suddenly, making Robbie's head spin with the sudden switch in conversation.
"I'm sorry?"
"What kind of croissants did Casey order?"
"Uhh, one almond and two chocolate," Robbie replied. Guy gave a bitter laugh.
"Two chocolate...that's for Benjamin. Casey would only eat almond. He was a picky eater, you know," he confessed suddenly, and Robbie felt like he was intruding on a very private moment. Like these personal thoughts belonged to the ears of another friend of Casey's, not a random stranger. But Guy went on, "Very picky. If I got him the wrong thing I'd never hear the end of it. `You don't care about what I like. You're so selfish'" he imitated Casey's voice then chuckled. "He was particular about his iced coffee. Two Splendas and a dash of coconut milk. But I always got the milk wrong, and it would send him into a spiral. He was moody like that. Always testing me, always trying to prove that he was right, and that I was an asshole who didn't care about him. That's childhood shit, you know. Trying to protect himself from being hurt. His father was a lieutenant colonel in the army. Not exactly the biggest proponent of gay rights, as you can imagine. When he wanted to piss me off he'd always say that I reminded him of his father. That one button that he knew to push to make me go nuclear."
"Why did you and Elsa come to Casey's house that morning?" Robbie asked out of curiosity.
"Casey told me Ben was coming to see him that morning. Even though we had a fight the night before, he sent me a sweet message early that morning, and I just wanted to be there for him. Make sure Ben wasn't trying to strong-arm him into any deals Case didn't want to do. Ben and Casey don't have the greatest history, and he was one person who could really put Case in a bad mental space. Probably the only person whose opinion he really cared about, if I'm being honest. That's his big brother, you know. Casey always looked up to him. But Ben is more like their father, cold and aloof. I called Elsa on my way, and she said she was coming as well. Casey thought it would be a good time for him and Ben to get over their differences finally and just bond, but I knew what it was. Ben would try to force him to sign on for the Magenta deal. Between you and I, Ben's company is not doing as great as he would like people to think. My feeling is that he wanted Casey to sign the deal so that he could take a cut for himself. To revive his dying business."
This was a lot of new information for Robbie to handle. He heard the tea kettle going off in the kitchen, and got up. Robbie had heard that Magenta was gunning to sign Casey Fowler, who had been independent for a while after splitting from his previous record label. And it looked like maybe Ben had a stake in the deal, and maybe even a motive to kill.
"English breakfast or mint?" he called out from the kitchen.
"English breakfast, please," Guy replied.
A minute later Robbie pushed the cup of tea toward the muscular man, who clutched at it with great force, making Robbie worry that he would crush the porcelain with his fingers. While Robbie was watching the cup, Guy kept on talking. "He liked pushing my buttons from time to time, liked getting a rise out of me, you know. In his mind, me being angry equated to me caring. So he enjoyed pushing my boundaries."
"Is that why he brought Zane X to the music awards with him the other month?" Robbie asked, trying to make conversation, but quickly realizing he asked the wrong question as Guy's eyes went from wistfully reminiscing to scorching hot with anger in a matter of seconds.
"Don't mention that asshole. I'd knock the shit out of him if his crew ever let me go at him one on one. Unfortunately, he's too much of a pussy."
"Why did Casey bring him to the awards then?"
"We had a fight the night before. Something stupid, I think he was mad I wouldn't accompany him. But see, that's not my thing. Red carpets, camera flashes, all the fakeness of it all. I don't want people talking about my personal life. So he invited that asshole because he knew it'd drive me up the wall."
Robbie thought about Zane's verse on "Murda Dat Ass" regarding Casey.
"He wanna stay at the crib, won't take no for an answer. I tell that hoe to scatter, Bitch, you ain't Casey Fowler."
"And did it...drive you up the wall?"
"Of course, I hated seeing him with any other guy. I'm possessive by nature. Punched through the TV when I saw the two of them. Zane knew I didn't like it. But how many times did he mention Casey in his trash music? Too many to count. The worst part of it was that Case didn't mind. Of course he pretended not to care in front of me, but I think he was quite flattered by the attention. And that pissed me off too."
Robbie could remember another Casey verse on Zane's last album.
"After I hit it, he starts calling me dada, That dick got him twisted, thinks we're together, wants gifts from Chanel and Escada I laugh, kick the kid out the door, Only Casey gets that Gucci and Prada."
"Did those lyrics make you jealous?"
"What do you think?" Guy asked, angrily. "Of course they made me jealous. They made me crazy," he replied, and Robbie saw a true spark or anger in his eyes. This was a man who, when pushed to his limits, could easily extinguish someone's life.
"And you think he did it on purpose?"
"He loved it. He got off on it. Knowing how pissed it made me. Knowing how jealous I was about him," he replied furiously, then suddenly, it was like all the air went out of him, and he slumped back into the green couch, as if hit by some realization. "You know...he would sing for me almost every day. Just a verse here and there. It felt like such a privilege, it was almost unreal. This was the voice people traveled thousands of miles and paid hundreds of dollars to hear. He had the voice of an angel, and I got to hear it every day, for free. It was the most...he was the best thing that's ever happened to me," Guy said, trying hard not to get emotional. "Sorry, I'm not usually such a cry baby," he explained and Robbie felt terrible knowing that the man felt like he had to hide his emotions in order to appear strong.
"Someone you loved just died, you're allowed to cry," he said.
"Listen, I know I'm asking for a lot out of you. But, I just feel like I can trust you. Will you do me this favor?"
Robbie wasn't sure. What if Guy had killed Casey, and was doing all of this simply to make himself look innocent? To put on a show that made it look like he cared about finding out the truth. But the handsome man sitting beside him looked shattered, and incapable of coming up with a nefarious plan. He could barely take a sip of the tea Robbie had made him. It was clear as day he was suffering.
Robbie put a gentle hand on Guy's shoulder, making the man look at him hopefully.
"I'll do what I can to help," he said.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, business establishments or events is entirely coincidental. Comments and feedback are highly appreciated, send to mozlover21@gmail.com.
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Below is the soundtrack I listened to while writing this chapter, in no particular order.
Mantra - Melanie Charles To Be Free - Emilíana Torrini This Woman's Work - Kate Bush So Good - Big Sean