A STUDY IN BLACK ✓

II

Josh didn't know what to do except stand in outside of his apartment building and wait for the police to arrive. Despite being February, the winter chill swept through the air. Josh, who stupidly stood outside with only a pair of sweats, a t-shirt, and house slippers, shivered in his shoes.

About ten minutes of standing and regretting even walking outside, the police arrived. At least six cop cars circled his apartment building, along with two ambulances. Josh didn't think that they even had that many cops in his city.

One officer stepped out of his car, and Josh walked outside to greet him. He had black, combed hair and a packet rolled in one hand. "I'm Officer Weekes," he said, shaking Josh's hand. "We heard you had a break in and shots were fired earlier, is that correct?"

Josh nodded. "Yeah, apartment 317. One of the guys, some skinny dude who was wearing a hood, is taking a shower in my bathroom. Weird guy, really. I think he was on something, I don't know."

Officer Weekes' face turned slack, but not in a disbelief kind of way. More like a "you have go to be fucking kidding me" sense.

"Does he have short brown hair? Brown eyes? Tattoos?"

"Uh- yeah. Brown hair from what I saw. Tattoo on one shoulder I think. Um, I didn't see his eyes though. They were all messed up." Josh looked back towards the apartment building and hugged his arms. "He's not a criminal mastermind, right?"

The officer groaned and pressed on his temples with his fingers. "More like an idiotic mastermind. Why is he showering in your bathroom?"

"Because I had blood on my face, and you know how hard it is to wash off dried blood," a voice came from behind Josh.

The man- Tyler, if Josh remembered correctly- stood in Josh's basketball shorts and college track hoodie, an unlit joint dangling from his lips.

Officer Weekes rolled his eyes and held his hand out. "Tyler, we've talked about this."

Tyler pouted before reluctantly letting the joint drop into his hand. Weekes tossed it to an officer who appeared at his side and unrolled the packet in his hand. He held it up to Tyler's face, reading it aloud.

"Three of the top deadliest European assassins turned themselves yesterday afternoon. 16 hours later, you break into an apartment building with the missing fourth?"

"Wait, that guy was actually an assassin? I thought you were joking." Josh was promptly ignored by both of the men, who'd started to argue.

"It's not my fault I had to disguise myself as one them for three months, Daniel. How else was I supposed to gain their trust?"

Officer Weekes- Daniel?- scowled and shoved a finger in Tyler's chest. "My name is Dallon, not Daniel. We had operatives working on the case. I specifically told you not to take the job. And what do you do?"

Tyler looked down like a child being scolded by their mother. "I took the job."

"Um, sorry, but what's going on here?" Josh asked again. Dallon and Tyler looked at him and then at each other.

"I'm not telling him," Tyler said as Dallon opened his mouth.

Dallon heaved a sigh and flipped off Tyler. "This is Tyler Joseph, an internationally known consulting detective. He's like an off brand Sherlock, without the wit but with the crime solving."

"Off brand Sherlock?" Tyler shrilled, putting a hand over his heart in offense. "I thought I was more of a mad scientist minus the science."

Josh had no clue what was happening. Tyler had gone back to arguing with Dallon, who now looked about ready to strangle Tyler.

"I don't care if you had to send an unnecessary amount of troops, this was important!" Tyler threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Michael and Gerard Way are both out, and I'm the only one trying to track them down."

Dallon shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "They are not out, they're dead. And they have been for quite some time," he said, exasperated.

Josh watched them bicker back and forth until the cold became too much for him the bear. Okay, he was exhausted and just wanted to go back to sleep and act like he didn't just see someone get murdered in his kitchen. He turned to walk back to his apartment when he heard Tyler call him.

"Where you off to?" He asked.

Josh pointed to the apartment building. "Inside. I'm cold and tired and it's the middle of the night. If the police could tape off the dead guy on my kitchen floor and come back in the morning, that would be great."

Tyler smirked, and looked Josh up and down like he was examining a portrait.

"You're, what, twenty two? Living alone in an apartment you just recently rented, with furniture that's not even your own. It's safe to say you don't have much money to spend freely, and the spare change you do scrounge up goes straight to your freelancing artist job. That doesn't seem to be working out either, does it?"

Josh nodded his head. "I get it. You're some kind of Sherlock copycat, right?"

Tyler blinked in disbelief, obviously not expecting that reaction from Josh.

"Uh no, I- I- I am a freelancing vigilante who is just very- er- observant," he stammered, looking between Dallon and Josh. "Tell him, Dylan."

"Dallon."

"Whatever," Tyler waved his arms in Josh's direction. "Tell this sleep deprived man child that I am not a Sherlock Holmes copycat. I am an original who just so happens to share the same intellect as a certain consulting individual. So, was I right?"

Josh crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I do illustrations for children's books and I have no money for anything other than takeout and art supplies. So, you knowing my life story in a glimpse is supposed to excuse you breaking into my apartment in the middle of the night and killing someone on my kitchen floor?"

Tyler opened his mouth to argue, but closed it and huffed, looking irritated.

"That's the first time I've ever seen someone leave Tyler speechless," Dallon laughed, patting Josh on the back. "I'm Dallon Weekes, chief on Columbus Police Department."

"Josh Dun." He shook Dallon's hand, still shivering.

Dallon pulled out a pen and paper and looked back as an ambulance drove into the parking lot. "Sorry to do this pal, but I'm going to have to ask you a couple questions. Since Tyler's testimonies aren't always unbiased, we'll need a second opinion."

Josh nodded, rubbing his arms. "Sure. Can I just get a jacket or something? It's cold as hell."

Tyler took off the hoodie he was wearing, tossing it at Josh. Much to his surprise, Tyler didn't have a shirt underneath, which confused Josh but he didn't say anything as he pulled it over his head.

"Thanks?" Josh posed it as a question. After all, it was his jacket.

Tyler nodded. "My pleasure. It was a terrible hoodie, anyways."

Dallon sighed in disappointment and Josh rolled his eyes. This guy was insufferable.