merryghoul | The John Luther Game (Reply)

Title: The John Luther Game | AO3
For:

nightcamedown
Rating: PG-13
Contains: bondage
Word Count: 1026
Character(s): Alice, Mark, Justin
Spoilers: none
Summary: “We play it every so often when we’re bored."

Justin is outside of Mark’s flat, sitting in an unmarked car. He’s keeping an eye out on Mark for John. During his dinner breaks and when he’s not working, provided there isn’t a case going on, Justin will pick up a quick dinner, drive to Mark’s flat and listen to BBC Radio One as he surveys the flat and eats his dinner. Most days nothing happens. Mark walks in and out of his flat and that’s it. Today, however, is different. Alice is walking to Mark’s flat.

Justin’s not familiar with Alice. He knows Alice is the woman who was left parentless and dogless one day in her home. John believes Alice killed her parents and, to get away with the crime, she stuffed the gun she used inside her dog to remove all traces of her prints. He later heard about Alice killing Ian in a weird standoff that involved Alice, John, Ian and Mark. Alice was taken to a psychiatric facility after Ian’s murder.

Isn’t she supposed to be locked up? Justin thinks.

Justin watches Alice go inside Mark’s flat. He puts the burger he is eating from in his glove compartment, closing it as quietly as he can. (The drink in his cup holder has to stay in the cup holder, alas.) He gets out of the car, walks to Mark’s flat and knocks on the door. Alice opens it.

“Justin Ripley. I’ve always wanted to meet you ever since I learned about you.”

“Wait, how did you”—

“I know about all the people in John’s life.” Alice smiles. “A simple Google search on him and the people he loves can reveal wonders.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Come in. Mark put on some tea. I think it’s Earl Grey.”

Justin walks inside Mark’s flat. It’s a far cry from Zoe’s well kept home. Mark’s flat is dark and messy; the environment feels congested.

Alice points towards a table. “Sit down.”

Justin sits at the table. Alice pours two cups of tea. She hands one cup to Justin. The other cup she keeps as she hovers over Justin, sipping it. “Twinings Earl Grey. I was right. Hold on. I have to check up on Mark.”

Alice puts her tea on the table and walks down a passageway in Mark’s flat. As soon as Alice is out of sight, Justin follows her.

Justin walks as slow as he can down the hall. He peers into a room. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Alice standing by the side of a bed. Mark’s wrists and ankles are tied to the bed.

“Are you okay, Mark?” Alice asks.

“I’m fine. I still have a pulse in my wrists and ankles.”

Justin walks into the room. “What are you doing?”

Alice looks at the ceiling. “I was about to say we have company, Mark. We’re playing the John Luther Game.”

“The John Luther Game?”

“We play it every so often when we’re bored. Outside Mark’s work and me hiding from the authorities, there isn’t much left to do in our spare time. So we learn about the cases John’s working on and imagine John trying to solve these cases, figuring out the murderer. It’s like Sherlock Holmes, but without Robert Downey, Jr.”

Mark takes over from Alice. “We heard John was doing a murder case where the victim was tied up to a bed and was stabbed in the heart multiple times, supposedly for a stuff film. We’re on the part now where John asks the murderer why he did it.”

Justin has a confused look on his face.

“I know this sounds weird. But trust me; my life was never the same after I met Zoe Luther. Living with her seemed normal at the time, but I should’ve known my life would change in the most surprising of ways. I used to only be a lawyer, but now I’m a lawyer and an accomplice to John’s schemes. I may as well get used to it. Now, Alice, I believe the killer is tied to the bed because John knows he has a fetish for filming women and killing them. He gets off on the cameras viewing him as well as the thrill of the kill.”

Alice smiles. “That sounds about right. John would turn on a camera, pull out a knife”—Alice points a finger at Mark’s heart. “And he’d dangle the knife until the killer confesses he did it.”

“There might be a possibility John might bring some of the killer’s potential victims to the flat, but I doubt it.”

“Game over. Did you like that, Justin?”

Justin nods. “That...was very interesting.”

“Would you like to help me untie Mark?”

“I guess I have enough time to do that.”

Justin unties Mark’s right wrist. Alice unties Mark’s right ankle.

“You thought I was going to kill Mark, didn’t you?”

Justin says nothing.

“Be honest.”

He stammers. “No.”

“I liked Zoe. Anyone she considered a friend I will also treat as a friend. Therefore, Mark is a friend. I admit, it did take a little bit of prodding to get him to see John’s side of things after my scheme to put John and Zoe back together fell apart. But he is a friend. Just like I consider you to be my friend. You know John. We’re all working on the same side. I’m just a bit more, shall I say, daft. Or at least that’s what the government is telling me.”

Justin and Alice free the restraints on the left side of Mark’s body. Mark gets up off the bed. The three return to Mark’s dinner table. Alice pours a cup of tea for Mark.

“Did John send you to spy on Mark?” Alice asks Justin.

“Yes.”

“Tell him Mark is okay. I’m looking after him. If I need his help, I will give him a signal of some sort. He knows me.

After Justin finishes his tea, he leaves Mark’s flat. He sits in his car, but he doesn’t drive off. He picks up his mobile phone and calls John.

“John? It’s Justin. Alice has a message for you.”