Chapter Text
New York City's Upper West Side was bustling this time of night, the streets had a soft electronic glow from signs of the buildings. It had been raining earlier that day so everywhere had a pretty shine to it. Cars were going to and from and taxis were being as loud as ever.
Through crowds of drunk hoards of men and women and business people coming home from work it was hard to distinguish who was who.
“Charles!”
Oliver Putnam danced over to his friend, hugging him tightly.
They both stood outside their respective building the Arconia.
“Hello Oliver” Charles smiled warmly, not returning his friends embrace not from distaste but more a natural instinct of awkwardness.
“Are you ready for a partayyyy!!” Charles threw his arms up in the air, “I did tell you about the new restaurant that opened up? Yeah! Its being ran by that cheese factory guy, I never met him but he made some delicious dips back in the day. Its his debut opening today and I thought we could go check it out.”
Charles rubbed the back of his neck. “Did you-“
“Yessss I made a reservation, I know what you get about spontaneity” Oliver stepped around his friend like he’d been rehearsing a two-step dance.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. Thank you, Oliver, it’s nice to get out”
They chatted as they made their way down the New York street, dodging people and swirving past passing peoples drunken stumbles. Oliver waved his scarf around dramatically as they walked and Charles walked stiffly beside him, humouring his pedantics. The rhythm of the city was something they knew very well and was something they were incredibly fond of, the hustle and bustle was so intwined with their souls it brought a warmth to their face.
They found themselves outside a very extravagant restaurant. It was large, and it was spectacular. The signs was lined with bulbs that shone so bright it could blind you. Chauffeurs greeted people at the entrance. People dressed in suits and the finest of dresses held arms and walked in.
“Are you ready?” Oliver grinned, offering Charles his arm to hold as a joke.
Charles smiled and gave a small laugh, taking his hat off. He looked to the smaller man with a sense of prosperity in his heart.
“Come on you ridiculous fool” Charles joked and gestured to the restaurant, not taking Olivers arm.
Once inside they were met with what could’ve been a restaurant in the Titanic itself. Beautiful architecture lined the walls, and the seats were booths of what could only be rivalled with french royalty.
They walked up to the server at the front and was taken to their seats.
“Isn’t this very fancy!” Charles sat down, taking his coat off and gently placing it next to him.
“I love it! It’s like a ‘A funny thing happened on the way to the forum’ set!” Oliver lamented.
A man dressed in chef clothes and a patch of a mouse hand sewn into his chef hat was walking around greeting tables. He caught Charles’ eye.
“Hey, Oliver.” Charles spoke in as much a whsiper as he could conjure, narrowing his eyes at the man in ridiculous, but professional attire.
“Doesn’t he look a bit like Teddy?”
Olivers head whipped round and his eyes immediately landed on the chef across the room.
“Oh my god!” He exclaimed but quickly flinched and covered his mouth. He turned to Charles and covered his mouth to the side.
“Oh my god!” He whispered, “doesn’t he just? Like, not completely like Teddy, but my god that man could be his twin!”
“Greetings and salutations, gents!” A positive voice spoke as it got closer to their table.
Charles and Oliver looked up at the same time.
“Sorry to intrude, I’m going around each of my guests and speaking to them chef to friend”
“Oliver why is he speaking in an obviously fake french accent?” Charles whispered to Oliver.
“Shh” Oliver hissed at Charles. “Hello, good sir! Might I ask your name?” He sat up straight but tried to look relaxed.
“My fine sir, my name is Ernie Smuntz! Pleasure to make your acquaintance”
Oliver gasped, “you’re the cheese guy! Lovely to have a name to the… face” he laughed awkwardly, slightly uncomfortable at his resemblance to his former friend.
“Ah yes. The cheese guy.” Ernies eye twitched slightly as he smiled painfully. “Yes, I worked in my family’s cheese factory for a couple decades before I had enough money to open my own restaurant again”
Charles noticed how Ernies positive facade had dropped a little. What if this was actually Teddy? What if he had taken on a new identity to run from the law? What if- no. He’s at a meal with his best friend, he needs to get all this conspiracy out of his head. Yet still, something in his head was nagging him.
“Uh- again? If you don’t mind me asking what happened to your last restaurant?” Charles asked, somewhat restrictedly.
“The mayor of my hometown ate a cockroach that crawled out a box of cigars I had recently inherited in my fathers will and he died from shock. Closed my restaurant. A completely accident though!”
Charles and Oliver looked at each other with furrowed brows.
“Oh, right” Oliver laughed nervously whilst looking back to Ernie. “I have a question to ask you, if you wouldn’t mind!” He stealthily turned on the recorder of his phone on just in case.
Ernie waved his hand with a smile, “go ahead!”
“Are you related to anyone with the name Teddy?”
Oliver squinted his eyes at the chef in front of him, leaning closer over the table.
“Hmmm.” Ernie thought for a moment. Is this flirting? He’d been out of the game for so long, but he was sure the silver haired fancy man in front of him was trying to flirt with him. “No? I don’t think so.” He smiled, leaning closer to the gents table. “Why? Should I be?”
Oliver gasped. Is he getting defensive? His body language has changed. God he reminded him of Teddy so much. “No reason! Just wondering. You just look like someone I knew once.”
“Ah. Is that so?” Ernie turned his head, his chef hat flopping gently to the side with the motion. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name”
“Oliver Putnam. I’m a broadway producing legend! Don’t… Don’t look up Splash though”
“Ahhhh, you look like the broadway type, you dress well for a man of your age. Sorry to say I have never heard of you before, though.”
Ernie leaned slightly closer as he spoke.
“A- A man of my age! You’re older than m-“
Oliver exclaimed, offended, until Charles kicked him under the table. “Ow! You’re- what I meant to say was you’re probably not old enough to know my shows! Aha! You look barely a day over- fffiftyyy???”
Ernie laughed, putting his hand outwards. “You’re too kind, sir! And don’t you worry about me searching up Splat, I can barely work a mobile phone nevermind search anything at all up!” Ernie winked at Oliver. “Well, whilst I’m here I might as well take your order”
“Ah, yes. Thank you. I’m Charles, by the way” Charles said as he lifted his menu to read.
Ernie gave a quick glance and smile towards Charles before looking back to Oliver.
“Could I have the nachos and cheese, extra dip please” Oliver said, without even reading the menu first.
Ernie wrote down on his order pad. “You’re in luck, sir. We don’t usually do that, but for you we will! And you, sir?”
“Could I have the omelette please,” Charles narrowed his eyes slightly at Ernie, suspiciously.
“Yes, of course, sir. Right, I will leave you all to it! I have to go to the back and begin my work. The pleasure-“ Ernie beamed at Oliver, “is all mine” he bowed slightly before disappearing from view.
Oliver and Charles followed him walking away with their eyes before jolting towards each other.
“That has to be Teddy!” They said at the said time.
“The evidence is right there! See how he got closer and closer to me, trying to intimidate me! He probably killed the original cheese factory guy and took his place since his son got out on parole and he didn’t!” Oliver waved his hands about in a frenzy.
“And he didn’t even acknowledge me! Only you! And that story about his ‘original restaurant’ closing,” Charles gestured two fingers in air Quotation marks, “thats clearly a made up story! Life isn’t a darned slap-stick comedy.”
They both paused.
“So what do we do? This is far too interesting to ignore.” Charles put his arms against the table and leaned towards Oliver.
“We have to catch him when he closes the restaurant and invite him back home! Then we can interrogate him until he cracks.”
Charles furrowed his brow. “That sounds risky.”
Oliver grasped the air, “a risk I’m willing to take!”