By Definition, A Crush Must Hurt 2

"Everybody's sin is nobody's sin, and everybody's crime is no crime at all."
- Alfred, Kinsey.

The city sprawls mercilessly on. A figure stands on the brink. Haze settles. The sun shows the first signs of it's triumphant return. Babies cry, Postmen wake up, Bakers get on with it. In the Northern district the ugly remnants of last nights party painfully make their way home. The scars of the evening's revelry fresh. Machinery turns on to help clean away the fun had by others. Water falls, heavy, cold, strong.

In apartment fifteen of two hundred and thirty four Fleet street the silence is broken only by heavy, deep, clumsy breathing. The one man apartment is dark, a small slice of gold protrudes from the light left on in the toilet, a halo around the edges. Old food on old plates lie sleeping in an old sink, the last of the original kitchen, a beacon in a kitchen owing it's allegiance to the Swedes.

The slumber of apartment fifteen of two hundred and thirty four Fleet street is sharply disturbed by a fast, authoritative knock at the door. It becomes part of Tarquin's dream, the man with no face looking to the sound and telling Tarquin it's for him. Tarquin, who is clad only in his underwear goes to the door which bubbles and bleeds. The doorknob is frozen but useable. Another knock enters Tarquin's dream and it makes the door angry, it seethes and breathes and growls. A greater knock brings him back to apartment fifteen of two hundred and thirty four Fleet street, followed by a voice demanding he get up and open the door. What the fuck? Tarquin looks around and throws off his sheet. Stumbling, still half naked and half asleep he open the door.

"Tarquin Dangerfield?" Suited Man says showing him identification, Tarquin pretends to read it and nods, rubbing his left shoulder for something to do. "Sorry to disturb you Mr Dangerfield, we need to ask you a few questions" Tarquin staggers, he isn't wearing any pants. Where are my pants? "What's this about?"
"Please, if you wouldn't mind coming with us to the station. We need to ask you a few questions concerning Ozzie"
"Osric? Can't you ask him?"
"You're brother is missing Mr Dangerfield. Please come with us and we'll let you know all the details."
Where are my pants?

To be continued...