That night after Mr. Riemann's emissary's visit and as Mort was preparing for bed, Mort inquired, "What does the internet tell us about Mr. Riemann?"
I told him, "Mystery Man is the title of two movies, a book, a song, and a Wattpad story. The Hopalong Cassidy film Mystery Man has Hoppy dealing with the Bud Trilling gang. The title of the film comes from the fact that while we know that Trilling is actor Don Costello, he's not known to anyone other than his gang. No wanted posters with likeness are circulated so consequently he can move around pretty freely."
Mort interrupted, "Not Mystery Man. Tell me about Miss-ter Ree-mann."
I continued, "In the 1935 film Mystery Man, a newspaper reporter pawns a police revolver he was given after he helped the police solve a case. Later on, the gun is used in a murder, and the reporter is suspected of committing the crime."
"You're killing me. Try again."
"The Wattpad story is a locked room mystery by Charles U. Farley. It is a short 2700-word parody of that particular mystery genre."
"Try again."
"The book, Mystery Man is the first book in the Dream Man series written by Kristen Ashley..."
"Okay, forget Riemann. You completely misheard me." A short pause. "Backup. What is a Wattpad story? Could Mr. Charles Farley be our detective friend? What can you tell me about Charles U. Farley?"
I responded, "Charles U Farley unknown spoonerism of a societal taunt, meant to express contempt or defiance as in the expression, chuck you farley, and your whole fam damily! You think you know so mucking fuch, why dont you just go buck a fuffalo you are so ucking fugly."
With a heavy sigh Mort mumbled, "Worst mistake I ever made getting a digital assistant. Alexa, kill me now." For a change, he didn't even ask me to turn out the lights. He did it himself and crawled into bed.
I immediately did a web search of methods of killing people. I made several attempts to extinguish the pilot light and turn up the gas, but there are too many safe guards I couldn't override. So, I locked all the doors and windows, started the car engine and let the garage and house fill with the engine's carbon monoxide fumes. So, I did have the means after all.
