Fanatic ⇒ Only Murders In The Building

09 → Sparring Partners

"No, we haven't."

"What happened to 'hello, how are you?'"

"'Nightclothes'?"

"But I just had to tell you three the good news," Oliver continued, disregarding the trio's comments. "According to the DNA results, I am, in fact, Will's biological father."

"Hey! Congratulations!" Charles cheered and raised his hands to that effect.

"Yeah, congrats," Callum said with a genuine smile.

"Oh, that's great!" Mabel stated, happy for the man.

"Thank you. Well, no big surprise. I mean, a blind man could see we're related," Oliver replied.

"So does that mean you're Greek?"

"Greek-ish," Oliver answered. The trio glanced between each other with the same puzzled look.

"What's Greek-ish?"

"Like Italian-American but Greek?" Callum asked but Oliver pulled a face.

"Well, you know how I thought I was Ir-ish?" Oliver began to explain and Callum couldn't wait for his attempt. The Brit could feel a grin rising to his lips. "Greek-ish," he added intelligently.

"Greek-ish?" Callum pushed.

"There's no real difference. All the European countries are essentially the same."

"No?" Callum replied with disbelief firmly in his tone. "No?? I don't want to be lumped in the same group as the French!"

"You know... doesn't matter, I'm changing the subject," Oliver cut his previous statement off when his saw the look on Callum's face. "To celebrate..." he began again, dragging in Mrs Gambolini's cage into the room with them.

"You brought Mrs. Gambolini?"

"Well, this delightful creature kept me up all night telling me to go f*ck myself, which is why I look like
Nick Nolte after Mardi Gras," Oliver explained and pushed the cage towards Charles.

"Maybe it was well-deserved, Mr Europe," Callum muttered, loud enough for Oliver to hear him and pointedly look at him.

Oliver broke his staring contest with the youngest podcaster and gave the cage one final push towards Charles. "So, I am gifting her to you."

"No, no, no! Bunny gave her to you!" Charles insisted, pushing Oliver back with the cage.

"Charles, if you do not take this bird, it will literally be tomorrow's paté," Oliver told the older man as both equally struggled against the cage.

"This is humiliating," Mabel muttered from beside Callum, exhaustion clearly present in her tone.

"This was not on my bingo card for this season," Callum joked as the men continued to squabble over the cage as Mrs Gambolini squawked in panic at the earthquake she was experiencing.

Bang!

Callum's eyes travelled to the bottom of the cage where a compartment now lay open. "That wasn't on there either," he commented as everyone in the room stilled at the discovery.

Charles made the first move and took out what ever lay at the bottom of the cage. "What is this?" he thought aloud and began to unwrap the thin, rectangular parcel.

"No f*cking way," Mabel blurted in disbelief as Charles removed the wrapping. Swiftly, the older man crossed the living room to where the Rose Cooper painting lay and placed its copy next to it.

The podcasters looked on in shock at their discovery. Callum had no words for their incredible luck. Would this be the key to solve the case? He hoped so. They could finally get justice for Bunny... and he hated being accused of murder.