It's A Mystery

"C'mon, Sunshine," Brian called out. He was sitting in front of the fireplace impatiently waiting for the kid. Justin was at the computer table with a book in his hand.

"Just a minute, Bri," Justin responded, "There are just a few pages left in this chapter."

"Grr," Brian muttered just loud enough to be heard, but with a smile on his face. It was only a short time until Justin dropped down beside him and pushed himself under Brian's arm so as to get it around him.

"What's all this reading about?" Brian challenged him, "And all this interest in murder mysteries?"

"Cut it out, Brian," Justin defended himself. "You know I like to read, and I just discovered this new mystery writer, Agatha Christie."

"New?" Brian asked for confirmation.

"New to me," Justin explained. "I know she wrote long ago, maybe even about twenty years ago, but her books are new to me since I never read them before."

"And you don't have any better things to do?" Brian persisted. "And if you have to read, couldn't you find something more valuable than murder mysteries?"

"Yeah?" Justin came back, "Well if there would be a murder in this building, I might have to solve it, and these books will help."

"If there were a murder in this building, Baby," Brian was still laughing, "You're much more likely to be the victim than the detective."

"If I were the victim," Justin argued through a very wide grin, "They wouldn't need a great detective. The police would arrest you right away, and no jury in the world would ever acquit you."

"If I explained the way you act," Brian countered, "I don't see how they could convict me."

"If I'm such a bad guy, how would you explain that you fell in love with me," Justin questioned with some confidence, "And made me come and live with you in this loft? I guess I got you there."

"You're right, Twink," Brian responded, "Insanity would be a much better plea. Thanks for helping me out."

Justin could not come up with a quick reply to that, so he just nestled himself closer to Brian, figuring that such an action would distract him from pursuing his advantage. Justin's strategy worked. At least for a while.

Brian eventually picked up the discussion. "Do you picture yourself as Mr. Marple or as Hercules Parrot?" he wondered.

"OK, Brian," Justin told him, "Scoff and deride if you want to. But how did you know about Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot if you didn't read the books?"

"Maybe from the wonders of television," Brian informed him, "But they're mostly on PBS so you probably missed them since PBS only appeals to the intellectual."

Justin however was now back in good form. "Well then, who told you about them?" he wanted to know.

Now Brian found himself short of a snappy retort, so he cuddled the kid even closer, hoping to distract him from pursuing his advantage. Brian's strategy worked. At least for a while.

"You know, Bri," Justin picked up the conversation, "The book I'm reading now doesn't have Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. It's called And Then There Were None and it is really scary. I only read it when you're here.'

"That's a good one, Kiddo," Brian told him, "And they made a really good movie out of it way back in the 40's. We'll have to get it sometime soon and watch it."

"That's a good idea," Justin agreed, "But not until I finish the book. The movie would ruin the ending for me."

"Actually," Brian told him, "It might not. Hollywood changed the ending so the movie doesn't end the way the book does. But I'll wait till you're finished reading the book before I tell you how."

"Hollywood is dumb, Brian," Justin decided, "Why would Hollywood change the ending of an Agatha Christie story?"

"Maybe so the lovers could live happily ever after," Brian informed him. "Don't you think lovers should live happily ever after?"

"Oh yeah," Justin replied with absolute certainty, "Lovers should always live happily ever after."

It was a while later before Justin decided to tell Brian some, maybe unrelated, news. "Brian," he began, "The reason I'm reading And Then There Were None is that when I told Malcolm that I was reading Agatha Christie, he suggested I read this one. I guess they made a play out of it and he's thinking about doing it at the community theater in the fall. He wanted my opinion."

"Yeah they did," Brian remembered, "The play is called Ten Little Indians. I saw it ten years or so ago. It's a pretty good play."

"Do the lovers live happily ever after?" Justin asked him.

"They do," Brian responded, intentionally misunderstanding the question, "If the one who has permanently retired from acting doesn't get any pressure to be in it."

"How can they live happily ever after," Justin countered quizzically, "If one of them doesn't trust the other one?"

"It's a mystery, Sunshine," Brian answered, "But I guess it's possible. I hope so anyhow."

"I'm sure they can," Justin assured him, and Brian seemed convinced.

"There's a good role in it for you though," Brian pointed out to Justin. "After you finish the book, I wonder if you'll know which part I think would be good for you."

"It doesn't matter which part, Bri," Justin replied. "I already told Malcolm you wouldn't be interested and, if you're not in it, I'm not interested either. I don't want to waste time away from you practicing any play. Mikey and Chuck might be in it though so we might have to go."

"Put it on our calendar," Brian jibed, "If you're scheduling us that far ahead, and if you think we're going to live happily at least till then."

"You sound like you don't know the meaning of happily ever after," Justin complained.

"Well, if I don't," Brian said, "I think I'm going to get the chance to learn. I think I'd like that."

"Me too," Justin agreed, "Happily ever after sounds great to me."

And they lived happily ever after for the next hour or so, both of them enjoying the silence and the darting flames in the fireplace.

"OK, Baby," Brian finally decided, "Enough of this wasting time. You better get back to your book. You'll never get it finished sitting here. Life must go on."

"Life is going on," Justin maintained, "There are better things than reading. What we're doing now is not wasting time at all. Actually, it's living happily ever after."

"I think you may be on to something there, " Brian agreed. "Sounds good to me."

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