A new AU story with Soul as a detective! Honestly, I don't see much romance in this one unless I'm able to sneak a little Soul and Maka in there. Which is highly unlikely. Rated M because of Soul's potty mouth and for future adult themes. No lemons. The title doesn't have much to do with the storyline as far as I know. I just liked the sound of it. This is based on the book The Deputy's Widow by JB Kohl, who just happens to be my aunt! I don't own anything. The storyline belongs to JB Kohl and the characters belong to Atsushi Okubo. I just wrote this fic. Read and Review, please!

The dark-haired woman gave a small laugh. What was her name again? Blair? "Here, have another drink," she insisted, handing the man a glass. How many had he had so far? He couldn't remember. But he obviously needed the drinks to keep coming. The woman before him (her name had to be Blair…) still reminded him of her.

Soul Evans had been an idiot. He took pictures of cheating husbands for the poor wives who had only suspicions. Why had he not seen the signs that she was cheating on him?

The woman pulled him from his thoughts. "Care to stay the night?" she asked seductively.

"Sorry, can't. Big case tomorrow." It was a lie. He didn't think he could spend the night with a woman that reminded him so much of her.

"Oh, come on," she practically purred, sitting in his lap. "Detective, you need a break from work sometime… And besides, you wouldn't leave me feeling lonely, now would you? That's no way to treat a lady, is it?"

"Good thing you're no lady then. You've been a great distraction. So why don't you go whore yourself out to someone else?" Soul was a gentleman to most women. Just not this one. He left the woman who sat there with her mouth gaping.

…

He remembered hearing about a wedding that day. The deputy of Death City was getting married to some girl whose father was good friends with the mayor of the city later that evening. Both good people apparently. Unfortunately, the cynical side of the detective came out. "Wonder how long they'll last? Pro'ly not very long…" he muttered to himself.

Soul entered his small apartment with a sigh. No new cases, no girlfriend, no friends. He was a sad man who practically stalked cheating husbands for income. It was times like these when he thought of the good old days… when he was still with her. She was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Until… He shook his head, trying to erase her from his thoughts. Dwelling on the past was never a good idea. Especially when he was out of alcohol.

Just as he was about to flop onto his bed (aka the couch), the phone rang. Soul was glad he was sober enough to answer the call and get another case. Otherwise no pay. And no pay meant no eating. He answered the phone and heard a timid voice say, "Hello, Detective Evans?" Her voice was sweet to his ears, however small and slightly shaken it may have been. "I… I have a favor to ask."

"Ask away," he replied in a gentlemanlike manner.

"Um… well… there are these… letters… I wish for them to be returned to me…"

"Care to explain why?"

"Um… I'd given them to… to my love. But he's… getting married to someone else… tonight…"

An affair? Was this what the letters were about?

"Please… I don't want to cause any problems for the two of them. I'd like the letters returned… but I can't ask for them myself… as you can see why…" she continued, on the verge of tears.

"May I ask your name?" he asked.

"Oh… it's…" There was a long pause. "Kami. Kami Esteed. Please, Detective, please help me get those letters back. I've already sent you your pay."

Soul hadn't checked his mail yet. After asking Kami to hold for a moment, he went to check. She had indeed sent his pay in advance. Returning to the phone, he agreed to take the case.

"Please don't make a scene. I'd like you to ask Kid at the reception… Just pull him aside when he's alone and ask for them. Please, I'm begging you. I don't wish to cause any more problems."

She'd been in an affair with the deputy? Death the Kid? Soul reassured Kami and hung up the phone. He ran a hand through his hair. How was he not going to make a scene? He was asking the groom to give letters back to a woman he'd had an affair with. And knowing his luck, Soul would have to ask this with the bride there listening. Just great. But he had a choice to make. Break a new bride's heart or go hungry. He couldn't go hungry. Where was that old suit?

…

He'd missed the ceremony. Oh well, he figured he'd catch them at the reception. No problem. Until he found out that the newly married couple couldn't wait for the honeymoon and didn't even make an appearance at their own reception. Ah, young love. He remembered being that way once. Looking at the suit he wore, he couldn't help remembering when he'd been anxious to throw that very suit off right after their own ceremony… When she was his… Seemed like eons ago…

Well… so long as he was there, right? Might as well party a little.

His foot tapped unconsciously to the beat of a song the band was playing. He cringed at the dissonance being played on the piano that wasn't meant to be in the piece. But it'd be rude to go up and play the piano in place of the guy already there. So, as much as it pained him to, he remained standing where he was. A dark-haired woman stepped up to the microphone at the end of the song, preparing to sing the next song.

Why did this always happen? Why did she have to appear before him every time he was just about to forget about her. Soul decided that he was cursed to see her face anytime he saw raven hair. Why? He'd been asking God that very question for a while.

He noticed that most of the guests were in some way associated with the police force. It made sense, what with Kid being the deputy and all. A few of those officers offered catcalls and wolf whistles to the raven-haired woman on stage. She responded with a polite smile.

The woman took a breath as the music picked up again. Suddenly, Spirit Albarn burst through the doors to the reception hall. "Kid is dead! Maka's hurt! I need all officers NOW!"

"Well, shit," Soul muttered.