Famous Most Wanted

Taylor was in her room when she heard the noises come from down stairs. She froze and listened. It was the sound of rummaging, of things moving and falling over.

'Johnny?' she called, receiving no answer. She continued to listen as she eyed her gun on the bed side table.
Another crash sounded from downstairs and she didn't hesitate to take hold of it and point it out in front of her as she walked to the door.

'Johnny?' she called again. Her only answer was more noises from downstairs. Stood at the top of the stairs, Taylor glanced down the hall at Johnny's room. It was in darkness. She licked her lips and quietly padded downstairs. She saw the door to the cupboard under the stairs was open and that's where the noises were coming from. Taylor edged her way around the sofa and aimed the gun.
Johnny turned around and jumped.

'Christ, woman. You mind not sneaking up on me with a gun?' Taylor sighed and lowered the gun.

'Then try answering next time I call you.' Johnny turned his back and continued to rummage through the cupboard. 'what are you doing anyway?' he glanced over his shoulder at Taylor and frowned.

'Serious? You mean you never go through the drawers and cupboards of a strangers house?'

'Only when work calls for it, but not out of fun, never.' She looked at him weird.

'It is fun though. Try it.'

'No thanks. I'm fine.' Johnny appeared to be shuffling boxes about. Taylor crained her neck to see what he had found. 'What you got there?' she asked. Johnny stood and grinned. He held up two long, flat boxes.

'Cluedo or Monopoly?' he offered.
Taylor sighed and folded her arms. She smiled lightly. Being a detective, her choice was obvious.

***

'So are we guessing?' Taylor asked, watching Johnny. He took the cigarette from his lips and rubbed his chin, looking over the board. He eventually nodded.

'I suggest it was Professor Plum . . in the Billiard Room . . with the gun.' Johnny leant back, satisfied with his choice.

'Really?' Taylor asked.

'Why?' he asked back.

'Well, it's just a gun would draw a lot of attention to the crime, don't you think?'

'Well, he'd have a silencer, of course,' Johnny said, like it were obvious. Taylor folded her arms.

'Of course. Why wouldn't Professor Plum have a silencer?'

'Okay, then what's yours, Detective?' Johnny put his cigarette to his lips again and Taylor looked at the board.

'I suggest it was Colonel Mustard-'

'That's original,' quipped Johnny, rolling his eyes.

'In the Library,' glared Taylor as she continued. 'With the Candlestick.' Johnny shook his head and leant forward again.

'No. No. No. See that's such a pointless weapon. You're worried about drawing attention to the crime? So you really expect that poor fucker to stay quiet as Colonel Mustard beats him to death with a Candlestick? I've always found that and the Lead Pipe the shittiest weapons on Cluedo. The least effective. I mean, if you're going to kill someone, do it properly. Use a gun, for Christ sakes!' Taylor sat, arms folded, watching him.

'Are you done?' she asked. Johnny grinned and nodded. 'Okay, lets just end this,' she muttered taking the envelope from the centre of the board. She opened it and read the cards inside.
Johnny waited quietly in anticipation. 'Go on then. Who done it?'
Taylor smirked. 'It was Reverend Green,'

'Nooo,' Johnny drawled in disbelief.

'In the Conservatory, with . . dun dun duuuuh! . . the Lead Pipe.'
Johnny leant back and exhaled.

'Well, bugger me. It's always the one you least expect, ain't it?'
Taylor dropped the cards onto the table. Johnny shook his head. 'Reverend fucking Green. And with the Lead Pipe an'all. 'spose he thinks he can get away with it, being a man of god or whatever.' Johnny picked up the card and looked at the picture of Reverend Green. 'He looks so honest too. Now, Miss Scarlett,' he smirked. 'Now she's a devilish minx. Wouldn't put anything past her. She'd certainly get it from me.'
Taylor groaned.

'Yes, Johnny. But with you, so would Mrs White.'

'The cook?' He raised his eyebrows and thought. 'Yeah, why not. And hey, even Mrs Peacock, the snooty bitch. She may be old but I'd still tap that. But Miss Scarlett? I wouldn't just tap that, I'd batter it to death, with a Lead Pipe.'

'I'm leaving now. This conversation has gotten way passed disturbing.' Taylor stood and walked to the living room. Johnny stayed sat and exhaled smoke in to the room. He picked up the miniature lead pipe and stared at it. He shook his head.

'Fucking pointless weapon,' he muttered.

***

Kool-Kevin hadn't bargained on Johnny disappearing. He had to contact the people from the Keith Poeman show and tell them Johnny was currently out of town and so wouldn't be attending the interview with the rest of the band and that also the band wouldn't be able to perform their new song on the show, not without Johnny. This caused some unpleasantries and left a bad taste in every mouth involved.

Kevin hated dropping bad news on people last minute, but currently, he couldn't have cared. Let those jobs-worth suits at the Keith Poeman show sweat and panic about what happens next, all Kevin was concerned about was Johnny, and where the hell he'd gotten himself to.
Zach entered the room and looked at everyone. 'Anything?' he asked. Kool-Kevin just shook his head.

'I told you guys, he'll show up. Now who fancies a curry?' offered Tommy. There was a murmur of agreement and nods between the band.

'Kev?' asked Zach as he followed Tommy and Curtis to the door.

'Nah, I'm good, lads.'

'Suit yourself,' shrugged Zach, leaving the room.
Kool-Kevin looked around the room and felt helpless. Johnny's mother didn't know where he was, Grace didn't know, the police probably knew but weren't saying, and the rest of the world didn't even know he was missing. This was a fine mess indeed.

'Where is he, that bastard!' crucified a voice as it stormed into the room. Kool-Kevin looked up at the angry blonde and frowned. He really didn't want to be dealing with Grace right now. He looked around the empty room and realised he was the only one who could deal with her.

'Look,' Kevin began and held up his hands. 'I may be the band's manager, but I ain't their counsellor. I'm not dealing with wrathful ex-girlfriends. This is a work space, Grace. Now if you don't mind, clear off.' She regarded him scornfully.

'Shut up you annoying little man. Where the hell is Johnny? He's not returning my calls and I'm fed up with it.'

'But you're the one who didn't want him back,' pointed out Kevin in bewilderment.

'And I thought about it long and hard and realised I love him.,' she glared.

'Yeah, love his monthly pay cheque,' Kevin muttered.

'What did you say?' she sighed in annoyance.

'Nothing,' Kevin said, shaking his head. 'Johnny ain't here, so bugger off, Grace. We're busy here.' Grace scowled at Kevin one more time before storming out, her high heels clicking angrily with her.
Kool-Kevin sighed. 'You sure know how to pick 'em Johnny.'

***

Taylor was in her room reading when she heard a foreign yet recognisable sound. It was the sound of a guitar being strummed. She frowned before it finally clicked. Johnny was playing guitar. This was something she had to listen in on. She grinned and marked her place in her book with a bookmark. She crept to the door and opened it. The sound grew and Taylor sat at the top of the stairs, hidden from view and listened. She recognised the song, but it wasn't one of Johnny's.

'The wall-to-wall is calling, it lingers, then you forget, Ohhh oh oh oh,' Taylor heard knocks against the wood of his guitar. 'You're a rock 'n' roll suicide.' She smiled, unaware that Johnny was a Bowie fan. She mentally sang along. 'You're too old to lose it, too young to choose it, And the clock waits so patiently on your song.' Taylor had always known that Johnny could sing, but hearing him sing in person was something else. He had a great voice. Gruff yet smooth and clear.

He was great on guitar too. Fluent with chord changes. Taylor suspected he didn't even need to think about the guitar, focused more on singing with feeling and emotion. 'Chev brakes are snarling as you stumble across the road, But the day breaks instead so you hurry home.' Taylor leant forward, anticipating the powerful a cappella part.

Johnny strummed harder, voice growing and then suddenly stopped. Taylor held her breath. 'Oh no love! you're not alone!' Johnny screamed and began playing again. 'You're watching yourself but you're too unfair!' Taylor felt the smile spread across her face. He sang the song note perfect. He really did have a talent for music.

She never really considered music to be something professional. She always figured that anyone can pick up a guitar and learn to play it. But now she saw, listening to Johnny, the difference between professional and amateur. She finally understood why he was being paid so much. He was good at what he did. 'Give me your hands!' he screamed, passion drenching his voice. 'Cause you're wonderful!'

Taylor stood, feeling strangely pleased she'd finally heard Johnny sing, and went back to her bedroom to finish reading.
Sitting on her bed with her open book in her hands, she found she couldn't concentrate on the words. She just couldn't get the sound of Johnny's voice out of her head.

***

Taylor came down that evening to make dinner, fully intending to make Johnny help her. He leant against the kitchen counter, watching her with folded arms as she washed the salad. She shivered and looked over her shoulder.

'It's so cold in here. Can you check the radiators working?' Johnny nodded and walked over to the radiator under the window. He pressed his hand to it and hmm'ed. He fiddled with the pipes.

'Well, there's the problem,' Johnny said. 'It's fucked.'
Taylor rolled her eyes.

'What a technical diagnosis that is.'

'Well look,' he said, looking back at her. 'You tug on this pipe too hard and it'll come straight off.'

'Then stop tugging on it,' Taylor scorned. Johnny smirked.

'There's nothing wrong with having a bit of a tug.'

'I think from now on, I'm just not going to speak to you. You can't keep your mind out the gutter,' Taylor sighed.

'Well, I am a man,' reasoned Johnny with a shrug. Taylor shook her head and slipped the microwavable meals into the microwave. She missed real home cooked meals, but the tiny shop they'd been to didn't stock a whole lot past ready-meals. She made note to find a Co-op next time.

'Do you think they know?' Johnny asked suddenly, leaning back against the counter beside her. Taylor glanced at him.

'Do I think who knows what?'

'My family and friends.' She noticed how he called them his friends rather than just his band. 'Do you think they know what's happened? Are you going to tell them?' Taylor shook her head.

'We wont tell them anything, most likely. The less people who know what's going on, the better.' Johnny exhaled and averted his eyes.

'I never got to speak to mum,' he said more to himself and shook his head. Taylor felt a twinge of guilt. She'd expected too much of him from the start. She never imagined him to even consider his family. She never really thought about him being a normal person, wanting to find peace within a simple phone call to his mum.
If she was honest, she never even really thought about him having a mum. He was just Johnny Carolina to the world. But of course to one woman in that world he was “son”.

Taylor watched him a moment. He looked troubled. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and smiled half-heartedly. She noticed he hadn't mentioned anything of his father and Taylor wondered whether he was still alive or not.

'What about your dad?' she asked. Johnny's eyes stared blankly.

'We don't speak,' he said in a monotonous voice, lacking all emotion. Taylor could feel the tension radiate off of Johnny and removed her hand from him like she'd get a shock from the contact. 'I don't think he even knows I'm his son,' he added. Taylor eyed him again. Now that was an interesting statement.

She didn't know quite how to respond to that, but, keen to keep him in good spirits, Taylor smiled at him.

'Want to play Monopoly after dinner?' she offered. Johnny looked at her and smiled slowly. He nodded like a child bribed to stop crying with promise of a puppy.
Taylor noticed that she slowly was becoming more babysitter than bodyguard. She wasn't just protecting his life, she was taking care of him, making sure she kept his feet firmly on the ground while she did so.

The game lasted the whole evening so Johnny and Taylor continued in the morning, leaving the game set up. Luckily enough, the kitchen table was similar to a long picnic bench, so they had plenty of room to eat their breakfast in the morning. The game lasted most of that day until they both got bored and decided to call it quits. Neither one had gotten to build hotels as neither had a complete set of properties.

'This is shit,' Johnny muttered.

'Well it might have been interesting if you didn't buy Mayfair,' Taylor shot back.

'What, and let you build hotels all across the place? No chance. Besides you had it coming after you bought Coventry Street. You knew I needed that one.' Taylor shrugged and folded her arms.

'So what do we do now?'

'Here's an idea.' Johnny pushed the game messily back into the box and dropped it on the table with a clatter. He looked back at Taylor. She rolled her eyes.

'You're like a child, y'know that?'

'I know you are, but what am I?' Johnny grinned. Taylor sighed. 'What's the time?' Johnny asked. Taylor looked around, finding the clock sitting on the kitchen counter.

'Eight O'clock. Why?' Johnny didn't answer. He stood and walked to the TV and switched it on. He fiddled with the aerial and then changed the channel to 4. he sat down on the sofa, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. Taylor frowned at the TV, wondering what could possibly be exciting enough to hold Johnny's small attention span. She sat beside him and wrinkled her nose.

'The Keith Poeman show?' she frowned. 'You watch this?'
Johnny snorted.

'Like fuck do I. You really think I spend my Friday nights watching this tripe?' Taylor imagined how Johnny would spend his Friday nights and pushed the thought from her head, focusing on the TV.

'And tonight on the show,' Keith Poeman said into the camera. 'We have the world's biggest band, a British institution, and a group of all round nice guys. Please welcome to the show, State-Side!' The women in the audience went wild and Johnny saw his best friends walk out without him. Taylor glanced at Johnny, unsure whether she should be letting him watch this. All members of the band shook Keith's hand and sat down on the leather sofa.

'Zach, Curtis, Tommy, thanks for coming on the show,' Keith beamed.

'Thanks for having us,' said Curtis.

'Now Johnny can't be here tonight, can he?' Keith asked, already knowing he couldn't.

'No, he had some family business pop up and he was worried so he couldn't make it tonight,' lied Zach with ease. The women of the audience chorused an “aww” and Johnny smirked.

'Even when I'm lost in the middle of Wales, I can do no wrong.'
Taylor frowned.

'How do you know we're in Wales? I never told you.'
Johnny scoffed.

'Taylor, love, we're on the side of a mountain, and those accents at the shop certainly weren't Scottish.' He had a point. She never thought of him guessing their location.

'So you guys are going to be pretty busy in the next few months aren't you?'

'Yeah, we leave for our US tour on Monday,' smiled Zach. Johnny liked how Zach was second in command after himself. When Johnny were ever absent, Zach took up the role as main spokesman for band interviews. They were best friends. Johnny couldn't imagine Zach going missing.

'You excited about that?' Keith asked.

'Oh, god yeah. We love it,' nodded Zach. He was lying perfectly. In truth, the band and Kevin were bricking it. They had no idea how to keep this covered.

'I'll bet, all those lovely American ladies,' smiled Keith, pretending he knew what the band was like. Zach smiled and nodded, playing up to the stereotypical rock star act. 'Well, one might just get lucky.'

'So which out of the four of you is the biggest party animal?' All members smiled fondly.

'Definitely Johnny,' said Tommy. They all smiled at the memory of him like he were dead. Johnny noticed and began to quietly panic.

'Yeah, Johnny's just mental,' agreed Curtis.
Zach laughed and shook his head.

'Like the time we were in Germany,'

'Oh god,' laughed Curtis, running his hands over his face. Johnny smiled,
knowing what they were talking about.

'We played a gig,' explained Zach. 'and were all knackered and wanted to go back to the hotel to sleep, cause we had to move on to Poland the next morning. But that wasn't happening. Not on Johnny's watch. He dragged us all out to this 'club' he'd supposedly found, but he was so wasted he ended up, somehow, walking in on a wedding party.'

'So you crashed a wedding in Germany?' laughed Keith. 'That's so Rock n Roll.'

'Yeah,' laughed Curtis. 'And we're all stood at the bar thinking “Something’s wrong with this club” and then someone asked me, after they discovered I was English, if I was on the bride's side or the groom's, so we got Johnny and got the hell outta there. He gets us in more trouble than anyone we know.'

'And we wont even mention the mischief he got into in Amsterdam.' smiled Tommy, rolling his eyes.

'He certainly sounds like an interesting guy,' noted Keith. 'bet he's got some stories to tell.'

'Yeah,' agreed Zach. 'He's a great guy. He may seem like a crazy drunk rock star, but he's got a heart of gold.'

'We miss him,' said Tommy. Johnny noticed Curtis shoot him a look.

'Yeah,' salvaged Zach. 'We always miss him when he goes away for things. We just hope he's okay.' He said it casually but Johnny could see in Zach's eyes that the second they get off sage, they're going to sit in the green room and panic to Kool-Kevin.

Keith began to ask them about their new song when Taylor walked to the tele and turned it off. Johnny didn't notice. His head was in his hands. Taylor sighed and crouched down in front of him. She put her hands on his knees and waited till he was ready to say something.

'Didn't think I'd miss them this much,' he admitted. His fingers were matted into his hair and Taylor saw him clench his fists. 'Can't I call them?' he asked, looking up at Taylor. She sighed.

'You know you can't do that,' she said gently.

'Thought you'd say that,' he muttered, averting his eyes. 'They spoke about me like I'm dead. I don't want them to think I'm dead.' He lowered his eyes again. Taylor rubbed his knees, not knowing what to say or do. Johnny rubbed his nose and stood. He walked to the stairs. Taylor stood and watched him.

'I'm going to get an early night,' he told her. Taylor nodded and felt a new wave of guilt wash over her. She was trying. But what could she do? Her assignment is to keep him alive, not keep him happy. So why was Taylor feeling like she'd failed him already?