Thanks Lois for the beta...you're the greatest! Chapter 6 – Red Cape Comics The Next Day…(Day10) Brian decided to have lunch at the Diner. “Hi Deb, I’ll have my usual,” Brian ordered casually, anticipating a leisurely lunch and his usual turkey sandwich. “Are you on your way to see Sunshine?” Deb inquired. “Deb, Justin is fine. I see you’ve been talking to Michael.” Brian was really starting to get annoyed. Then Brian remembered this was Justin, and everyone was even more hypersensitive about him since his move to New York. “My son has the biggest heart, and he …” Deb started to get dreamy eyed as she talked about Michael. Her musings were interrupted when Emmett entered the Diner and joined Brian in the booth for lunch. “Hi, Em.” Brian said. “There’re still crowds at Red Cape Comics,” Emmett commented. “What do you mean still?” “You do know what’s going on? Don’t you?” Emmett asked after noticing Brian’s expression. “Well for the last few days…” Ted interrupted the explanation, as he joined them in the booth. “Did you see the people near the comic book store? It’s a good thing I insisted that Michael get that extra insurance.” “What’s happening at comic book store?” Deb asked overhearing the conversation. “Just the same thing that been happening for the last few days, you know,” Ted said glancing his eyes toward Brian and then back to her. “Oh! Is that still going on?” Debbie asked catching Ted glances and understanding the meaning. Brian realized that if he had any hope of eating his lunch in peace, he needed to find out what was going on. So he pulled out his cell phone and called Michael. “Mikey. What’s going on?” Brian asked. “I’m a little busy right now, Brian. Can I call you back later?” Michael said. Brian and Michael said goodbye to each other. Brian closed his cell phone, and then turned to his lunch companions to recount the brief phone call. “He’s too busy to talk to me,” Brian explained. “Wait a minute, since when is he too busy to talk to ME? C’mon were going to find out what’s going on. Deb, we’ll be right back.” They all then walked to the comic book store, where once again there was a small group gathered at one location within the store, and a few people were also waiting outside. Into this scene walked Brian with Emmett and Ted in tow. “What the fuck is going on?” Brian demanded. The group parted to let Brian in the door; after all it was still Brian Kinney and this was still Liberty Avenue. As they entered the door, Michael saw them and immediately came out from behind the counter. “Come with me!” Michael said as he took Brian by the hand and led him through the maze of people, who were inside the store. Once again everyone made a path. There it was, still displayed on an easel, the Superheroes. As Brian walked over to the painting he felt tightness in his chest and his fists began to clench. Now that he had a clear view, he knew once again he was face to face with another Justin Taylor Original painting. All he could do was whisper, “Justin”. For Brian, everything else in the store suddenly disappeared. All he could see was the painting. All he could hear was a discussion he just had with Justin in New York just a few days ago:
Beginning of Flashback “Justin, how many paintings did you ship from Santa Barbara?” ‘Three.” “Melanie got one, where are the other two?” “Don’t worry,” Justin leaned up to kiss Brian. “I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually.” End of Flashback
Brian shook his head to clear the memory and tried to return to the present. Brian slowly moved closer to the painting. “I have a Justin Taylor Original painting.” Michael said, proudly gesturing with his arms. “I can see that,” Brian remarked with a smile. “Brian, THIS is a Justin Taylor Original painting. Don’t you get it?” Michael again pointed out, realizing that Brian didn’t understand the significance. “Mikey, you’ve been handling Justin’s art for the comic book for the last five years, why are you reacting like this?” Brian said, proving he understood nothing. “The comic book is different. This is a real oil painting. This is special. Justin did this just for me. This is going to a collector’s item. This is like the first issue of Captain Astro that you gave me for my birthday. I love this painting. Someday it’s going to be worth a fortune.” Michael said, feeling that now he had explained everything. “Well I’m happy for you,” Brian said with a shrug, still not getting the point. “But Brian, look at the painting,” Michael demanded. Brian was used to going to galleries with Justin, so he was used to the phrase ‘look at the painting’, but he never expected to hear the words coming from Michael. This twist of fate was disturbing to Brian somehow. This was the second time in less than two weeks that he was required to analyze a painting. On his recent trip to Toronto, he had been pressed into service to analyze Melanie’s painting. Now here again, Michael was requiring his skills. Brian was already starting to plan his next round of torture for Justin. But, he had to put those plans aside for the moment; his skills were in demand. After all he was the resident authority on JTaylor. Brian called upon all the techniques Justin had explained about how to examine a Justin Taylor painting. After a few moments he still found it necessary to ask, “I’m looking Mikey, what am I suppose to see? It’s a beautiful painting. Justin knew the subject matter that would make you happy. All your favorite superheroes are there. Rage is even there, so is Zephyr. Their new adventure is about to begin. Once again Mikey, what am I supposed to see?” “That’s the problem. He’s not there. We have to go rescue him,” Michael said as if everything should now be perfectly clear. He wondered why no one was moving toward their car. “Now!” “What?” Brian exclaimed with total confusion. “JT!” Michael answered. “What about JT?” Brian asked. “Rage and Zephyr are there, so are all the other superheroes. JT is missing from the painting.” “So?” “Justin would never put Rage and Zephyr in a painting without JT unless something was wrong. So JT must be in danger, and the superheroes have to go rescue him. We have to go to New York City and save JT.” “Well that would make sense,” Emmett said following Michael’s logic as if it was rational. “After all, Justin has been gone for a long time. He could be in trouble. Don’t you think it’s time he came back from New York City? Maybe we should all go to New York City and make sure he’s ok?” “You’re just looking for another ‘road trip’ Emmett,” Ted said using his finger to make the air quotations marks. “I really don’t think that’s necessary.” “Theodore, how much did you say you insured the painting for?” Brian asked. “Twenty five thousand dollars.” Ted remarked, as if it were perfectly normal. “And you arrived at that number… how?” Brian asked, trying to remain calm, yet realizing that he had lost track of the sale prices for Justin’s paintings. Ted began to explain, “Justin’s paintings have been selling for significant sums of money recently. Remember I handle his accounts. Well this painting is probably going to be one of a kind. Justin doesn’t usually do this style of painting. So it’s going to be worth more. I‘ve scheduled an appraiser to come in next week. In the meantime this should cover things until then. You really need to put the painting under lock and key, Michael.” “No. I want everyone to see it. Justin would want it seen,” Michael explained. “Since when do you care what Justin wants?” Brian asked, again questioning Michael’s newly found caring status. Brian realized that something very peculiar was happening. “Since we have to go to New York to rescue JT and bring him back to Gayopolis,” Michael explained “Michael, look at me. Justin is fine. Trust me. Now will you give it a rest?” Brian demanded trying to take control of the situation, since it was obvious that Michael had completely lost it. “But Brian!” Michael tried to protest, but at this point Brian silenced all arguments. “Well if you’re all finished queening out, I’m going back to the diner to have lunch. I still have an agency to run. I also have to plan the appropriate punishment for Justin for all the chaos that he created yet again with one of his paintings. Will the repercussions ever end from his Santa Barbara exhibit?” Brian wondered aloud, with total frustration. Brian left the store shaking his head. As everyone left the store, Michael changed the signed to “closed”. Michael grabbed a stool and sat in front of his painting and just stared into it once again, still looking for answers.