After leaving the cafe, Burt said he had picked up another client in my absence. Told me he had to go investigate something for them. I needed a way to ditch him to meet the subway man again. So this works out well for me. Though it's a couple of days still before I'll be meeting him again. And I was expecting Burt to stick around a bit longer.

We parted ways on the street in front of the cafe. I looked back at the building and noticed something odd. I'm sure Burt had likely noticed the same thing, but didn't mention it. I guess he bought the idea that it was just a dream, and didn't feel a need to investigate any further.

The building is only one storey. I've heard of people using pulleys to move pianos in and out of buildings. That would have made sense to me. But there were no apartments above this cafe. Nothing. I poked around the side and found a dumpster. The lid was closed and looked sturdy enough.

I climbed up onto the dumpster and from there jumped up and grabbed the edge of the building. Pulling myself on to the roof. There was nothing. No secret roof top piano bar. Just the usual exhaust vents. How would anyone even get a piano up here unnoticed, in the first place?

Figuring since I was up here anyways. I use the privacy of the rooftop to try and get a hold of Germaine again.

"Germaine, Germaine, do you read me?"

I start.

"Loud and clear. What's the latest?"

She replies.

"We went and questioned some people in the cafe. They all witnessed the suspicious accident. But the thing is, the victim was there. He was fine. No broken bones, no scars, not even a bruise. Said it was all just a dream."

"A group of people in a cafe you say?"

She asks.

"Yes."

"Where were they sitting?"

"On a couch."

I answer.

"That's what I thought. They were sitcom people."

"Okay, and what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure yet. It could be possible that they have different rules. Based on the media they come from. That's just a theory mind you. But it could would explain it just being a dream."

"Different rules in what way?"

"Well, in sitcoms everything tends to return to normal at the end. The status quo. So you can more or less watch the show in any order and it doesn't matter. Pick it up and drop it anytime. So If they have an episode where something major happens, like a death. They have to do something like say it was just a dream. So that the show can continue on after that as if nothing happened."

She explains.

"So you're saying they can't die?"

"That's the theory I'm running with for now yes. They wouldn't die in the show. So these MPs won't die in real life."

"What about superheroes?

I ask.

"They can. Its not too common for them to stay dead though. They don't usually take the same route as sitcoms. Instead they'll actually come back to life but address that they've died. Or get replaced. The costume and hero will stay mostly the same. But the alter ego will not. Or they simply get rebooted. I know why you're asking though. And yes, the background characters in a superhero story do die. The civilian casualties are usually pretty high."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"And Private investigators probably die too right.'

"Absolutely anyone from a cop procedural or any crime thriller, mystery. Any of that, they all come from higher stakes. Their lives are legitimately on the line."

"It seems the background characters are able to die too. Like Frank, if he was actually just a background character."

I observe.

"It's possible. Either they can all die too. Or perhaps some of them are tied to a specific group of MPs and the rules for that group are what apply to the background ones as well. Again, this is just a theory. I'll try and get a hold of Choren and talk to him about it. See what he thinks. I haven't heard from him all week. But keeping odd hours is nothing new for him. So I'll keep trying."

Germaine says.

We say our goodbyes and continue on with our days. I did another quick scan of the rooftop, but found nothing to indicate there had ever even been a piano up there. Let alone a pulley system or any other way to get it here.

I do find something interesting though. A toy. A posable figure to be more accurate. It looks to be a superhero. Not Manbug, but the costume is very similar.

I look at the toy for a moment. Considering that it had likely been up here since before the whole zombie apocalypse started. But there's something off about that theory.

The toy has no signs of being weather worn. Sure a good rain fall could have washed it off pretty sufficiently. But six years on a roof top through all sorts of weather would leave some kind of mark. Sun bleached at the very least. But the colours remain vibrant. This must have been placed here recently.

I consider that it may have been placed here by Botfly. Or under her direction. As a message to Manbug. I don't understand what that message could be though. A warning? As if to say the next victim will be a superhero. If her intent is to cause fear, than what better way then to report the death of the city's protector.

I still have not figured out why these deaths are accruing without them being reported. Especially If she's orchestrating them simply to report them. Nor do I understand why the children in that warehouse were saying she was trying to suppress bad news.

The only other alternative I can think of is a second super villain. Or another superhero committing these acts. Leaving a figure of themselves as a calling card. Though I can't imagine what justification they would have for killing Frank, and trying to kill this man in the cafe.

Neither of them seemed to be too bad. I don't rule it out as a possibility though. The woman I met in the office. Running the newspaper, wouldn't have seemed like a bad person either. Had I not known she was also Botfly.

I think my next step should be to try and get a hold of Manbug again. Though I don't know how. Our business is not finished. But he's been led to believe I had fallen to my death. He said before he could easily pick out my scent. So finding me, and confirming I'm still alive should be no issue for him.

The problem being he may not do so right away. It could be after night fall tonight. I could be a few days. I don't want to sit on my hands and wait. I need to find a way to get a hold of him.

The only way I can think of is to find the sewer mutants. They have been in contact with him in the past. So they must have a means of getting in touch with him.

I know the sewer is a massive system running under the entire city. And there's no way for me to know exactly where the mutants are set up down there.

Figuring it to be my best option. I make my way back to the construction site we were in last night. Planning to enter the sewer at the same place Manbug and the boy did. Hoping that was near the mutants den. Or that there will be some indication of the way they had travelled.

----------------------------------------

I come up from the subway nearest the site. Noticing it to be now blocked off by police tape. It was wide open yesterday. I go closer to the construction site to get a better look. Stopping right at the edge of the tape.

I don't see anything out of the ordinary. A few officers are standing around sipping coffee. But they don't seem to be actively investigating anything.

Thinking I now have a pretty good idea of how things work in this new world. I invite myself to cross the tape and have a good look around.

As expected, I push past the crowd of officers without any acknowledgement. Then, it becomes all to obvious what happened here. A steamroller sits parked. The roller itself cover in a browning smear, sand sticking to it.

Behind it lay a blue plaid shirt and jeans. A mess of what once was a man bursting out from the openings. All of it pressed flat.