You've chosen Mystery Roman! If this isn't the genre/character you wanted, feel free to return to Chapter 1!
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The story you are about to read was written by Rose, mind_writing

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"Come on, Lo, it's time to see a show...!" Logan Sanders's younger brother, Roman, sang as he opened the door to his apartment. There were grocery bags shaking in his hands.

Logan rolled his eyes, looking up from his work. His younger brother was much more eccentric than him, much more theatrical. He didn't even know how Roman got a key to his apartment, and at this point he was too afraid to ask. "I take it this show is your Murder Mystery Dinner Party?"

"Why, of course!" Roman proclaimed, sneakily putting his groceries in Logan's fridge, signaling that he was inviting himself over. "It is a show so grand you simply mustn't miss it!" He scooted towards Logan on his knees like a begging child. "Please? It's been two months, and you promised you'd go."

Logan never remembered promising to go, but he probably said that at some point to shut Roman up. He cursed his past self. It wasn't as though he disliked Roman or his acting skills, it was just how much attention he got. He had recently taken the final steps to become a private investigator, much like his idol Sherlock Holmes. He never talked about it much, especially considering he had no friends or John Watson to listen to his rants, but he had at least wanted his parents to be more excited than they were when they learned Roman would be an actor.

"Logan?" Roman snapped him out of his thoughts. He was kneeling beside his desk, giving his brother puppy dog eyes.

"Fine," Logan sighed, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses and getting up to get a glass of water. "Isn't Patton seeing the show?"

Roman smiled at the mention of his husband of three years. "No, he's seen it twice. And we're not taking Olivia because it's late and it might scare her. We do have a recording, though, so we'll show her when she's older."

"Understandable," Logan muttered, and he was almost surprised Roman would be so considerate of his adopted daughter in light of his acting. Then again, Patton was a pretty good dad, so it was most likely his idea. "Anyways, don't you need to be leaving soon?"

"Yep," Roman replied quickly, getting on his coat. "I need to be there in fifteen minutes."

Logan sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew the theatre that Roman was working at was at least twenty minutes away.

———

"You're late, princey." A bored voice greeted them as they entered. People were waiting outside for the "house" to open, even though it was just a restaurant. "Who's this?"

Logan had recognized this man almost as soon as he saw him. It was Virgil McLean, someone he and Roman went to high school with. Logan wasn't good with remembering names and faces of people he didn't care about, but he blushed lightly as he distinctly remembered having a crush on this young man. He and Roman had dated a bit, and they were friends now, but Logan didn't think he'd be working here as he pretended to dislike Roman. Logan knew his feelings were long gone now, but he could admit he still found his curly black hair and mischievous smirk attractive.

"My brother, Logan," Roman said, walking into his dressing room. "he's been dying to see the show."

"Oh, nice pun." Virgil called after him. He was sitting on the bar even though he had a perfectly good chair behind it. There was a switchboard behind him, as if he operated lights and played bartender. "I do recognize you, but my memory's kinda crap." Virgil tapped his head with a grin. "Want a drink on me?"

"No thank you," Logan replied curtly, practically bouncing on the heels of his feet. "I'm driving."

Virgil nodded, folding his hands. "Maybe, after the show, we can all get ice cream like we used to."

"That sounds fun," Logan smiled. He found a seat at a table near what he assumed most of the acting would be. Roman would be a while getting ready, as always.

———

"Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, welcome to an evening of grandeur!" Roman heartily announced. He was wearing a tuxedo and holding a (presumably fake) glass of champagne. "Thank you for coming to the show, thank you, thank you." He said over the noise of clapping. "It is my great pleasure to open this show as it is to lead it. I would like to thank our sponsors, many of which you will see in our program. I would like to thank the cooks that made your delicious meals, for many a night I would find myself begging for a little bit before a show, it's that good!" The crowd laughed at that, and Logan could see Roman practically beaming just from being up there.

"I would also like to thank my fellow actors. We've been working on this show for ages, and we can't wait to show it to you. Last but definitely not least, I would like to thank our adorable little techie, Virgil. Give them a wave, Virgil!" Roman gestured to him, and Virgil looked beyond flustered even if this had happened many times before, but he still smiled shyly and waved.

"Now," Roman said, "the exits are located to the front and right of the building. Please enjoy the show!"

The lights went off for a moment before it came back on, and Roman was on stage with a few other well-dressed people. They spoke with a British accent about many things, the economy and gossip, until Roman tapped a butter knife to his champagne glass.

"I would like to thank you all for coming, I would like to take this evening to discuss—"

Just then, the lights went out again, though Logan knew by the nature of the show that it was bound to happen at some point. Roman had told him this is when he gets "murdered" and the other characters have to find out who committed the crime.

There was a roaring burst of sound, and glass shattering behind it. It seemed almost too loud and real to be sound effects, but perhaps this show was just really realistic.

The lights came back on, and the other characters screamed. Roman had fallen, a bullet to the back and bleeding profusely. He'd knocked over the entire table, a rather grandiose gesture, but Logan knew that's how Roman was. The glass wall at the front of the restaurant was shattered, and that was automatically alarming. Why would they—

"He's dead!" A female actor, Diane was her character name, cried. She held on to him as the audience clapped and gasped. She touched his back, and it came back with blood. She pointed towards the glass. "Really, he's really dead! Help! Virgil, help!"

Virgil perked up at his name, but he already was alarmed as he ran out from behind the bar and looked over Roman's body, checking his pulse. "Oh my god," he said, "he's really dead! Logan, Logan!"

Logan's heart pounded as he heard his name, and he fell to the ground as he went to his brother. "You can't be—this is all show!"

"No, I'm serious! Oh my god, what the fuck—!" Virgil shouted, and the audience started screaming. They were getting up and running towards the exits. Several people called 911, and seeing as the police station was so close, the police sirens could already be heard.

"This doesn't make sense!" Logan shouted, but as he rolled Roman over, he could see his open gazing eyes, unblinking and void of life. "He's alive, it's a show, he's alive..." he repeated, checking Roman's pulse again and again.

Nothing.

The police came, along with an ambulance, but nothing could be done. After an hour, it all started to settle in. Roman was gone, he was really gone.

Someone had killed him.

"Someone has to tell Patton," Logan told Virgil as they stood outside of the restaurant, tears still streaming down both of their faces. The restaurant had been locked up to gather evidence. "He's his husband—and he has a daughter too. He has a life, Virgil he has a life."

"I know, I know, Logan, I know." Virgil trembled, "But I don't—I don't know what to do. We've already been questioned, so we can leave, but—I don't know. I'm gonna go back to my apartment, and you can come back, if you want—you know, so you don't have to be alone."

Logan thought it over, and his mind was so fuzzy he couldn't even comprehend his next move.
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What is Logan's next move?

Go to Patton's apartment - Go to Chapter 78

Head back to Virgil's apartment -  Go to Chapter 79