Cosplay Killer

by Dahlia Donovan

  Leaving Osian to answer questions about the messages, Dannel went over to make another pot of tea. He needed to do something with his hands to keep from fidgeting.

  The detectives jotted down all the information Osian gave them. Dannel didn’t really have anything to add to the conversation. He tried to avoid the intense gazes of both Powell and Khan.

  He waited patiently for them to talk about releasing Joel Brown. It was the point of their visit. The emails from the stalker had been a distraction at best.

  Every time Dannel thought the detectives would run out of questions, they thought up one more. He didn’t think they’d ever get around to telling them about Joel.

  Just when they seemed about to get around to it, someone knocked on their door. He glanced over at Osian. The banging became more insistent in the time it took him to answer.

  “Chris?” Dannel blinked in surprise at him. He had his hand lifted in preparation to continue banging. “What are you doing here?”

  Chris pushed by Dannel into the flat. He came up short when he noticed the detectives. “Ah. Good. This makes things easier.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dannel closed the door quietly behind him. He skirted around Chris and returned to stand beside Osian. “Make what easier?”

  “I know who the killer is.”

  29

  Osian

  “I know who the killer is,” Chris blurted out. He hesitated for a moment. “Or, it might be more accurate to say I've got an idea that might narrow down your pool of suspects.”

  In the stunned silence following Chris’s dramatic announcement, Osian wondered if he was about to confess to being the killer. It seemed unlikely. The past few weeks, though, had taught him life tended to be stranger than fiction.

  “Why don’t we all sit down?” Detective Inspector Khan gestured toward the kitchen table. “Or perhaps you’d prefer to come down to the station with us?”

  Chris moved over to the table. He nodded his head toward Osian. “He deserves answers.”

  With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Osian sat down beside Dannel, who immediately reached out to take his hand. Chris was the last one to sit down. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and opened it to show a photo.

  Osian’s breath caught in his throat, staring down at the image of a woman who looked startlingly familiar. “Who?”

  “Josie Lloyd.” Chris pocketed his wallet. “She and her sister were caught up in the same accident as Helena Brown. They were trapped in their car. Georgina went in the first ambulance and survived her injuries. My Josie didn’t make it. Died on the way to the hospital.”

  “You never told me.” Osian had never met Chris’s girlfriend.

  Detective Inspector Powell leaned forward with her elbows on the table. “This gives you motive.”

  “There’s more.” Chris rubbed his hands together before finally crossing his arms. “I never imagined they’d actually go this far.”

  “Who is they?” Detective Inspector Khan prompted when Chris fell silent. “I am considering taking this down to the station to get this conversation on record.”

  Osian stretched his leg out to nudge Chris with his foot under the table. He knew if the detectives took him to the station, they might never hear the full story. “Well?”

  “It started as a support group for those who lost family in the accident. Some of the survivors joined in as well.” Chris leaned back into the chair. “We had good intentions. Grieving with a group of people who understand your loss helps more than you can imagine. And then Georgina and Joel became close.”

  “Close?”

  “They seemed to become stuck in the anger stage of grieving. I think they fed off each other’s rage.” Chris rubbed his forehead. He seemed conflicted by having to share such personal information. “After a few months, our group splintered off into Georgina and Joel against everyone else. I initially joined them because I wanted to support Josie’s sister.”

  “But?” Osian had an idea he knew where this was going.

  “As they became more erratic, I tried to talk them around.” Chris shook his head. “I should’ve contacted the police, I suppose. All I had were suspicions. Not even enough to start an investigation.”

  “Were they behind all those stalker messages?” Dannel asked in a lull in the conversation.

  “Stalker messages?” Chris queried.

  “Emails. They’ve been coming into our podcast inbox. We were going to mention them.” Osian stretched the truth slightly. “They vary from odd to vaguely threatened to disturbing. I’ve kept all of them.”

  “Our forensics team is continuing to trace the messages.” Detective Inspector Khan tried to focus the conversation back on Chris’s story. “Tell us why you became suspicious.”

  “Joel and Georgina both spoke quite fervently about their belief that the paramedics caused the deaths of their loved ones.” Chris held his hand up to stop Osian from speaking. “I know it wasn’t your fault, mate. I’ve never believed you did anything but your absolute best. Those two wanted someone to blame. They were never going to be happy without a target for their rage.”

  “Gemma and Ossie being the perfect targets.” Dannel’s fingers tightened around Osian’s. “Was it simply a coincidence they got her first? Did they mean to kill both of them? Anyone in our circle knows he’s part of the first responder cosplay group. We have an Instagram account. We don’t make a secret of it.”

  “I don’t know.” Chris shrugged. “Georgina was at the Olympia. I saw her. I imagine Joel was around, but I never spotted him. I didn’t want to believe either of them were involved in Gemma’s murder, but I don’t believe in coincidences with everything else that’s happened. They’ve both been stalking Osian. I’ve followed them a number of times.”

  “The theatre.” Osian remembered finding his sudden appearance strange. “One of them poisoned us.”

  “Georgina—I think.” Chris shifted in the chair uncomfortably. “I adored Josie. I tried to watch out for her sister. I failed miserably. I was following them that night. They disappeared into the theatre, and I suspected they might do something stupid.”

  “That’s why you stood up Abra.” Osian hoped his friend would feel better about the situation if Chris proved to be truly innocent. “Did they send the Nandos?”

  “I can’t say for certain.” Chris glanced over at the two detectives. “I imagine you’ll be able to narrow your search.”

  “I’m going to insist you come with us to formalise your statement.” Detective Inspector Khan got to his feet. He focused on Osian and Dannel briefly. “Please stay in your flat. Don’t take any more unnecessary risks. If he’s right, they’ve no interest in stopping until they’ve gotten a hold of you.”

  With those words of warning, the detectives escorted Chris from their flat. Osian locked the door, then rested his forehead against the wood. Dannel joined him, wrapping his arms around Osian from behind.

  “This is not your fault.” Dannel brushed a kiss against the back of Osian’s neck. “Don’t let this ruin all the progress you’ve made. You did everything possible to save lives that day.”

  “I know.” He twisted around in Dannel’s arms. “Have I mentioned I love you?”

  “We’re not going outside.” Dannel eyed him suspiciously. “Are we?”

  Osian grinned at him. “Don’t you want to see how Ian is doing?”

  “I want to keep anyone else from getting hurt. I don’t think our presence at the hospital will do anything to help Ian.” Dannel led him away from the front door. “Why don’t we record the podcast? It’ll keep us both out of trouble.”

  “Spoilsport.”

  Grabbing a bag of crisps from the cupboard, Osian snagged two bottles of ale as well. They got comfortable in the living room to finalise the script for their podcast. He was glad he didn’t only keep notes on his laptop, since the detectives had it.

  “Do you think Chris was involved in Gemma’s death?�
� Dannel twirled a pen in his fingers anxiously. “He could be throwing Georgina and Joel under the bus to save himself.”

  Osian leaned against the sofa cushion and tilted his head to stare up at the ceiling. “I want to believe he told the complete truth. How did we not know about his girlfriend?”

  “Maybe her parents didn’t approve of him? He’s always been a private person. Not everyone wants to scream from the rooftops about the love of their life.” Dannel dragged the weighted blanket off the arm of the couch to wrap around himself. “Think Abra will forgive him? Given he stood her up to save us?”

  “Maybe?” Osian fished his phone out of his pocket when it beeped. He quickly read through the text. “Ian’s alert and awake. He’s not amused by the hospital aesthetics, apparently, but pleased to have saved our lives. He’s open to a monetary reward.”

  “And dramatic as ever.” Dannel bent forward to read the message for himself. “Maybe we should take his favourite croissants to him once he’s released?”

  “He’ll be thrilled while also complaining we’re trying to fatten him up.” Osian replied to the message, then tossed his phone onto the coffee table. “Wonder if they’ll tell us what exactly made him sick?”

  “Doubtful. They wouldn’t give us details on the poison in our drinks.” Dannel reclined back against the sofa. “What if I quit fighting fires full-time? I get requests to create pieces for cosplay all the time. I could open commissions for it and volunteer at the station. Check gear. Run training for new firefighters. I don’t want to throw in the towel completely.”

  “But it’s not fulfilling anymore?”

  “Maybe.” Dannel tugged the weighted blanket more tightly around his body. “I can’t stop thinking about Ian.”

  “Me too.”

  “Maybe we should go to the hospital?”

  Osian didn’t think Dannel honestly wanted to go. He was showing all the usual signs of reaching the end of his social rope. “I think you want musical silence and a dark room.”

  Dannel shrugged uncomfortably.

  “Why don’t we wait a few hours and see how you feel? Ian might get out of the hospital sooner, and we’d miss him on our way there.” Osian thought the detectives and everyone else might be furious with them for being so cavalier with their safety. “He’s not going anywhere.”

  “He’ll be going home.”

  “I swear you pick the most random times to be pedantic about words.” Osian snickered with Dannel, who trailed off with a sigh. He reached out to pat him on the leg. “Why don’t I turn on the music and close the curtains? It’s bright in here.”

  Taking Dannel’s silence as a yes, Osian hopped off the couch. He went over to close the curtains and frowned, looking through the window across the street. A person in a hoodie disappeared into the bookshop.

  Had they seen him? Been watching? Osian yanked the curtains shut; he hated how paranoid this had made him.

  Queuing up one of their favourite musical theatre soundtracks, Osian decided to head down to check on Ian’s flat. He knew Dannel would appreciate being alone. No matter how close they were, some days, he needed time to himself.

  It was likely part of why Dannel had begun to seriously consider changing careers: the constant sound, along with forced social interactions. Anyone who worked as a first responder had to deal with people on practically an hourly basis.

  “And what are you doing? Little monster.” Osian crouched down to catch Thames when the Yorkie tried to race by him on the stairs. “Did you escape?”

  “Hello, ducky. Everything all right?” Adelle waved to him. She had Thames’s harness in her hand. “He raced out before I could get a hold of the wee creature.”

  “Here you go. You two be careful, okay?” Osian didn’t want to go into details. He just wanted all of the members of their building community to be cautious. “The police aren’t sure what might happen next after what happened with Ian.”

  It wasn’t really a lie. The police might believe the killer or killers intended to go after Osian. But they didn’t know for certain if someone else might wind up in the crosshairs again.

  I will not feel guilty. I don’t deserve what’s happening. This is not my fault.

  Maybe if I repeat it long enough, I’ll finally believe myself.

  “Would you mind walking Thames for me?” Adelle brought his attention back to her wiggling dog. “I’m not feeling quite myself today.”

  “Love to.” Osian had always considered it their job to help the older tenants any way they could. “Hand Thames over. I’ll wear the little bugger out for you.”

  30

  Dannel

  Midway through the fourth repeat of the playlist, a constant banging from the front door of the building drew Dannel out of his happy bubble. He trudged downstairs, waving off Stanley, who’d poked his head out. A young woman held a struggling Thames in her arms.

  “Is he yours? I found him sitting outside the door. He got quite cross when I tried to take him away.” She held Thames out toward him. “Does he belong here?”

  “He’s my neighbour’s.” Dannel adjusted Thames more comfortably in his arms. “Thank you.”

  After waiting for her to leave, Dannel took the panting dog down the hall to his home. He knocked and waited patiently for either Adelle or Stanley. The former answered with a confused look on her face.

  “Did you join Osian on the walk?” She gently plucked Thames out of his arms. “He’s had quite a long one today, given when you left.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dannel didn’t even bother to sound polite. “Didn’t you lose him?”

  “No, I asked your Osian to walk him. I’ve been a bit peaky for the last few days. And my Stanley had gone out.” Adelle unhooked Thames’s leash and set him on the floor. “Did Osian not bring him home?”

  “Someone found Thames sitting outside the building.”

  “Oh.” Adelle’s hand went up to her mouth. “Oh, dear. I hope he hasn’t been hurt.”

  Or worse.

  “Stay inside. Keep your door locked.” Dannel raced up the stairs, ignoring Adelle’s calling after him. He needed to get to his phone. “Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm.”

  First, Dannel tried reaching Osian. He called and texted, waiting a few minutes for a response. Osian would never ignore him.

  Ever.

  Stay calm.

  No matter how many times Dannel repeated the phase. He could feel his blood pressure shooting through the roof. His fingers fumbled with the touch screen on his phone, trying to find Detective Inspector Khan’s number.

  Answer, you absolute wanker. Answer.

  “DI Khan.”

  “Osian hasn’t come home. He’s not answering his phone. Something’s wrong.” Dannel’s words ran into one another. He tried to get as much information across as possible. “You have to find him.”

  “Dannel. Please. I need you to take a few deep breaths. It seems impossible, but you can do it. Just in and out, count the seconds.” Detective Inspector Khan had an incredibly calming voice. “We’re on our way to your building. Stay there. When did you see him last?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know.” Dannel was panicking. He knew it wouldn’t help at all, so he made himself take a few additional deep breaths. “I lay down to rest. He went downstairs to check Ian’s apartment. Our neighbour Adelle asked him to walk their dog. Thames, he’s her Yorkie, was sitting outside our front door. Maybe the CCTV footage can tell you when Thames came home.”

  “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  After hanging up, Dannel texted Olivia and Roland. Their siblings would handle the news better than their mums. He messaged Fire Chief Wilson to see if Evie might be able to come help in the search.

  No matter what the detectives said, Dannel wouldn’t sit around and wait. Osian was in danger. He had every intention of making sure the person he loved most in the world came home to him safe and sound.

  By the time the detectives arrived, their flat ha
d begun to fill up. Stanley had come from downstairs. Olivia and Drystan had shown up together with his brother Roland following not long after.

  “Chief?” Dannel stared blankly when he opened the door to find a large number of his fellow firefighters crammed into the hallway. “Shouldn’t you be at the station?”

  “We’ve got our calls covered for the next few hours. Where are we searching?” He disregarded Dannel’s bewildered muttering. “You’re our family, son. We’re here to help; just point us in a direction.”

  Stepping aside to let them into the flat, Dannel acknowledged the detective who came in behind them. He had several constables behind him. He didn’t know how to handle so many people squashed into his place, all focusing their attention on him.

  “DI Powell is downstairs with your uncle. They’re going over the CCTV footage to see when Osian left and when the dog showed up without him.” Detective Inspector Khan came over to stand next to Dannel. “Once we know the time he left and the direction, we can use other cameras to hopefully locate him.”

  Abra came rushing through the still open door before Dannel could respond to the detective. She peered around at the gathered crowd before rushing over. “It’s not just Oz. Chris isn’t answering my texts or calls.”

  “He did stand you up.”

  Abra rolled her eyes and waved her phone in his face. “We talked last night. He explained everything. I called him after you mentioned Osian going missing and haven’t heard anything.”

  Dannel’s gaze went from Abra to the detective. He hoped their instincts about Chris weren’t about to be proven wrong. “Maybe he’s ghosting you again?”

  “Thought about that. So I called his office and spoke with his boss. He didn’t want to answer, but I explained the situation with Osian. His boss called and texted him—Chris didn’t respond.” Abra grabbed Dannel’s hand. “He’s not going to ghost his job and risk getting fired.”

  “What do we do?” Dannel turned toward the detective. He was out of his depth. “Can we search for him?”