The woman didn't respond right away and Chloe was tempted to call out to her, but finally she lifted her head to look at the blonde woman. "Yeah... I wasn't home when it happened though, that's why she was here... To watch Maddie for me while I was gone... " She warned the detective, who nodded and wrote a few more things down. "It's fine, I actually wanted to talk to you about the babysitter, how well did you know her? " Chloe asked, in which her question was responded with a shake of the other woman's head. "Not at all, I saw her ad in the paper and decided to call her up, but we don't know each other on a personal level. "
While Chloe wrote that down, Lucifer started to poke around the room. "Alright, can we talk to Maddie? She might have seen or heard something that will help. " She explained, hoping they could. Having child witnesses was always tricky but it was better than nothing at all. The woman hesitated, not seeming to like the idea much, which Chloe expected. Parents were always protective of their children and she was no exception with her daughter Trixie. "I really wish you wouldn't, she's been through so much already, plus she was upstairs when it happened, I doubt she heard anything. " The woman said, wanting to keep her daughter out of police work. But then she spotted Lucifer snooping around and her stare turned a icy cold.
"Is that... Lucifer Morningstar? The owner of Lux? " She asked, which to Chloe was pretty out of nowhere. Caught off guard, she glanced towards her partner, looking innocent with his hands in his pockets. "In the flesh darling~ " He responded in a smooth, pleased manner to the woman. Maybe he could coax some more info out of her, not seeming to notice the angry, cold stare the mother gave him. "Why are you in here? You should be in your den of sin and evil, where you belong, breeding more disease and corruption. " She all but spat venomously. Chloe was about to warn him but it was too late as Ms. Prine stared daggers at the Devil. "I want him out of my sight, now. "
Lucifer looked offended, puffing up as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "How dare you, Lux is a clean and well kept establishment-" He began, but Chloe cut him off with a raise of her hand before he could continue any further. "Lucifer, please, go outside or something, I will meet you out there later. " She told him, not wanting him harassing the mother after she asked for him to leave. Lucifer looked taken aback by that, staring between the two human females before him, before letting out a scoff and shook his head. "Very well... I'm getting the distinct feeling I'm not welcome here. " He replied with almost just as much bitterness, before he turned and walked out of the room, tension and anger all but rolling off of him like a pot of boiling water.
Chloe sort of felt bad for her partner, but she wanted to talk to this woman for the case and try to figure out who killed that poor babysitter, she felt that Lucifer would get over it soon enough. Though she could understand his anger, the woman just dissed his entire livelihood for no stated reason, normally she'd be worried after seeing someone leave looking that pissed but she knew Lucifer, he wouldn't hurt anyone, he'll cool down in time she felt. "Okay so... about the murder case... " Chloe brought up, noticing the mother was still tense about her Devil partner. "Right sorry what else would you like to know? " She asked, adjusting in her seat and getting ready to answer more questions.
Meanwhile, Lucifer was lingering in the house still, but by the front door. He didn't want to go outside, they already looked around, well not them but other officers and technically the woman just asked for Lucifer to get out of her sight. So the Devil decided to snoop around the house, aiming to investigate himself and try to help in the case in his own way. While he snooped though, he didn't notice the young little girl, Maddie was watching him from the stairs with a mixture of wonder and curiosity, but also some nervousness of having so many strange people in her house after such a traumatic event. He nosed around some papers on a small corner table, looking for anything off. He knew the detective will likely want to go to the babysitter's house next, ask around there to people who did know her.
A police officer came around the corner though, startling the girl when she was too focused on Lucifer, causing the little one to gasp and run back up the stairs as quick as her little legs could carry her. The officer ignored or maybe didn't even hear it in the first place but the Devil sure did, putting the mail he had in his hand down as he gazed up at the stairs, being quite sure he heard someone up there. He took a quick glance around, no one was watching him, so with a smirk he began to step up the stairs, curious as to who was creeping around up here. He knew the mother said not to speak to her child and while Lucifer didn't realize that's who it was, he didn't see why they couldn't talk to her anyway, she was a possible witness to a murder.
He got to the top and looked around just in time to see something close one of the doors down the hall. None of the lights were on up here, it was as if the police hasn't been up here yet, so he slowly walked to the door he saw close, placing a hand on the knob and slowly turning, expecting it to be locked. While a simple house lock was no match for the Devil, he realized he shouldn't break down doors, at least, not right now. To his surprise though, the door was unlocked as once he let the knob go, it slowly swung open. He wasn't sure what to expect to see, but what he did see almost sent him turning right back around and away from the horrors he just witnessed.
The room was covered in pink, with white flowers and stuffed animals everywhere he looked. There was a child's bed that wasn't made yet and the small child herself, huddled in the back of the room, staring at the man that just opened her door. "You must be Maddie. " He commented, staying in the doorway as the very thought of stepping into the overly girly room was enough to violate his sensibilities. The child nodded in a rushed manner, as if she was worried that if she didn't answer soon enough he'd get upset. Lucifer wasn't fond of children and he was far from the nicest person around, but he still had a heart. Even to him the small human was clearly traumatized, he was surprised she hasn't started screaming about a bad man in her room.
He wasn't quite sure what to do now, he wanted to talk to her simply because she might have seen something, but he kinda didn't want to get pink on him. Expecting her to come out though was unlikely and even if he managed to coax her out, she wouldn't be as comfortable and likely to talk. So the Devil feared he'd have to brace the pink-ness and hope if any got on him he could get it off. "May I come in? " He asked, assuming the child would be more comfortable if he asked instead of just barging in. Maddie paused, seeming to think over the question, perhaps judging if she could trust him. The lack of a badge or any police identifying information probably didn't help his case any.
In the end though the little girl nodded meekly, clearly nervous about letting him in but allowing it anyway. Lucifer took a deep breath then and slowly stepped into the mass of pink, it being pretty much the exact reverse of everything the Devil was, well... almost everything, his wings would sickeningly match the painted flowers on the wall. He closed the door behind him but didn't lock it, as that would look suspicious despite the fact that if he did, it was just so police couldn't barge in when he was trying to talk to her. The girl watched him with big eyes, hugging her knees to her chest and just in general looking quite small and pitiful, making him decide not to get too close and stop halfway.
"Child... about what happened to your babysitter, I don't suppose you seen it happen, did you? " He asked, noticing how as soon as he mentioned babysitter, she tensed up even more and if he looked close enough, he could see her tremble. It was hard to tell if this was because of the sight of the dead woman or the fact she saw what happened in the first place. The girl whimpered and looked down, not answering right away. The Devil tried to be patient with her and wait though, hoping she'll come to spill the beans. It would make this entire case so much more easy if she could tell them anything of use about the killer or what happened. Finally she looked back up and gave another weak nod, curling into herself more and seeming even smaller.
Lucifer smiled at that, making sure to not accidentally smirk or grin as he usually did, since that'd probably seem pretty scary to her. "Lovely~ You can tell us who did it then, right? " He asked, but was soon disappointed as the girl shook her head no at him. "T-the bad lady will g-get me if I d-do... " She finally spoke up, her voice soft and filled with fright, but not fright of the Devil. "The bad lady? Is that the killer? " He asked, wondering if the child just gave away a pretty big hint by accident already. Police assumed it was a male killer, but if it was a woman that narrowed some possibilities down. This was confirmed when she nodded, but hesitant.
The Devil sighed, wondering if he could coax more out of her, only issue was he couldn't use his normal method of desires. Well he could but he was sure the answer would be a pet pony or something, nothing of much use. Still... he wasn't entirely helpless in this for he had a good idea of something else she wanted, protection. "If you tell us who she is, the police will arrest her and she can't do anything about it. " He explained as if it was something she should already know. But the child was stubborn, who shook her head again. "W-what if she comes here b-before you find her? " She asked, which was a valid point, it was possible she could get away or them take too long in tracking her down. They could put the child into witness protection but that was such a hassle and didn't always work.
It didn't take long for Lucifer to realize he might have to go a bit unconventional, but that never stopped him before and it wasn't going to now. "Very well... How about I put you somewhere safe that not only can she not reach, but wouldn't ever think to look? And before you ask, yes it's pink I'm afraid. " Lovely, that was two things of his that matched the room, two too many in his opinion. This was going to be tricky if she agreed, the mother already didn't like him, he could see her accusing him of doing something terrible to the child. Because of that he had to be very careful with this as he awaited to see if that was satisfactory to the girl. "T-that does sound nice... " She admitted, a bit of a hopeful look in her eyes.
Lucifer puffed up a little, proud that he seemed to be getting somewhere with the small human. "Do we have a deal then? " He asked, hoping to get started before anyone wondered where both him and Maddie were. The child nodded yet again, sealing her deal with the Devil, which wasn't nearly as dark and dire as it sounded. Lucifer was lucky, if the killer was male, it was likely she'd be more afraid of him simply because of that connection, which would have made all of this much, much harder. But thankfully that wasn't the case and as long as the child didn't lie to him, then this should all go pretty well he felt. "Lovely~ Let's get underway then and please do be quiet. " He told her, hoping she won't panic or freak out.
He did fail to explain what this entailed, but he felt if he did tell her, she would freak out more, but maybe, just maybe if he was gentle enough Maddie wouldn't worry. Children were remarkably trusting and innocent sometimes and while he didn't really like exploiting that, he felt it wasn't so bad, since that trust would not be misplaced. He planned to be her guardian Devil until the killer was caught and safely put to prison, hopefully not ending up with a investigation on him in the process. Lucifer calmly approached the child, watching her closely to see how she reacted, so far she didn't shy away or seem afraid of him directly, just frightened in general.
He didn't like the idea of having to touch the child or even deal with her, but in the end it'd be easier than following countless leads trying to figure it out themselves, then maybe he can go do something more exciting. Lucifer slowly bent down and slipped his hands under her arms, making sure to be gentle and not squeeze too hard as he lifted her up. Maddie did tense a little, but she didn't struggle against him and just looked at his big brown eyes with her own blue ones, slightly confused but trusting. The Devil gave her a light smirk, attempting to be comforting and show he was friendly, not wanting to hurt her. Whether it came off as such was another story.
With no protests or anything from the girl, Lucifer decided to proceed and hope for the best. He brought the girl's head close to his lips, before he opened his jaws, gently sliding her head inside of his mouth and taking the first swallow. He expected her to freak out now and while there was a surprised squeak from her, that was pretty much it. Surprised but far from disappointed, the Devil swallowed again, his powerful throat muscles pulling the small human in further with ease, past her shoulders and to her torso. It was all very soft, warm and gentle, which might be aiding in Maddie's calm state. If the police walked in now, well, for one he'd have a hard time explaining HOW, then there was the WHY, at least the latter was easier to explain than the former.
He tried not to drool but it was sort of hard, the human did taste somewhat sweet oddly enough, but he ignored it and focused on the task at hand, softly swallowing again and pulling the girl to her waist inside of him. With just pretty much her legs outside of him, he supported her knees and tilted his head back a little, gravity now aiding in sending the little girl safely down inside. It was a slightly odd feeling, every little twitch and shift the girl made, he could feel it in his chest, despite the good handful of times he's done this before, it was something he'd likely never get entirely used to. It was just too... unusual. Maddie still didn't freak out though, at least not from what he could feel. She was oddly calm about it, which was nice, he wasn't going to harm her so there was no reason to make a fuss.
Lucifer perked up though when he heard footsteps outside the door, inwardly cursing he swallowed quicker, pulling her knees in. He heard the door start to open and took another gulp, the little one's feet being the only thing outside now. It was going to be close but he had to hurry, hoping Maddie would understand if things got a bit too quick for her than from earlier. The Devil slurped down the little human's feet just in time for the detective, Chloe to step in and see him. "Lucifer? What are you doing here? I told you to go outside and what did you just eat? " She asked in a almost motherly tone. Lucifer was glad the child was so small, between that and the waistcoat he wore alongside his natural divine abilities, his middle was only a little more rounded and fuller than before.
He wasn't going to lie to the detective, but he couldn't tell her what he just did either, this... wasn't going to be easy. "I was just looking around detective, are you my health food inspector now? " He answered, the second part being in a playful tone, a way to dodge the question. "No I'm not- look I just thought I saw... I don't know, it doesn't matter, what matters is we need to go to the babysitter's home and ask around. We'll see if she had any friends or neighbor in the area that knew her at all. " She explained but she did seem a little... off, making Lucifer figure she probably saw more of his 'snack' than he wanted her to. "Very well, though I must say detective, I have a feeling the small child, Maddie, knows more than her mother is letting on. " He voiced his thoughts, though it wasn't just a feeling, he knew, unless she was lying to him.
Chloe gave him a strange look. "You want to talk to the kid? You? Self proclaimed child hater? " She asked, seeming caught on that. "Hate is a strong word detective. " The Devil countered, now really glad Maddie was keeping her cool and staying quiet in his soft belly. He felt her move some inside but it wasn't panicked or trying to escape, more so she was just getting comfortable. He can't talk to her now so he had to wait, hoping she could stay put until he got some time alone. He could leave now, but he didn't really want to abandon the detective, he had done that enough in the past. Maddie wasn't going anywhere after all, she was safe in his gut, the biggest thing he had to worry about was the mother, he had to return the child somewhat soon because of that. but he also wanted to keep his promise of protecting her until the killer was caught. Lucifer had put himself in quite the pickle, a pickle that he wouldn't be surprised if it ended with a angry mother, or two.
"I guess, but enough, c'mon we got work to do. " Chloe said, stepping out of the child's room and expecting Lucifer to follow behind. It felt strange for him to leave the child's room, in a sense sort of kidnapping her... but kidnapping was only if the 'victim' was unwilling, right? He was content with that being the case most likely and followed the detective out, closing the door behind him before he headed down the stairs. However, the slight bouncing of trotting down made his passenger giggle, it was muffled but he heard it, which made him wince and hope no one else did. He glanced around while walking and no one seemed to pay him any mind, which was relieving. They made a beeline to the front door and headed out after that, even Chloe not seeming to notice.
The car ride was a little awkward for Lucifer and Chloe must have noticed his odd silence. "Everything alright Lucifer? " She asked, trying to hide the concerned tone of voice she used by trying to sound sterner. "You're oddly quiet, which is not like you. " He had a hand by his chin, which he dropped after she spoke. "Just thinking about the case detective. " He answered, which was true, just not very informative. Chloe didn't seem too convinced it was something that simple. "Look if this is about what Ms. Prine said about Lux-" She started, but Lucifer cut her off before she could finish. "It's not, I couldn't care less about what some mother thought about Lux, present company excluded of course~ " He all but purred the last part, giving her a soft smirk, distracting from the subject again. Luckily for him they were there at the babysitter's house already, otherwise she would have pressed on the issue.
Lucifer moved to get out of the car, but the detective stopped him. "Look um... this neighborhood might not be best for you... Namely your Luciferness. Why don't you stay here? I will talk to some people and if I need you I'll come back and ask, okay? " She explained, hoping he won't make a fuss about it. She hadn't left him in the car for some time, only back when they first met and started working together. However Lucifer felt this was the perfect chance to talk to Maddie, so he had no objections. "Very well detective. " He said in a simple, compliant tone, clicking his seatbelt back on and relaxing in the car seat. Chloe blinked, shaking her head as if she was hallucinating and not believing what she just saw and heard. "That's it? No protests? No complaining about being left behind? " She asked, now feeling that something was really off with her partner.
The Devil just laid an arm over his middle idly, the other hand tucked under his head against the seat headrest. "Yes that's it, don't worry I'll stay right here, so off you go~ " He made a shooing gesture with his hand that was by his middle. The woman still looked at him like he grew a second head or something, knowing her partner normally would hate to be left behind. "Right... see you soon. " She knew he refused to directly lie and while sometimes she doubted that, she decided to put some faith in that and assume he will stay right here as promised. With that Chloe got out of her car and closed the door with one last look at Lucifer.
He waited until she walked some ways away, not wanting her coming back and wondering who he was talking to. She didn't need to think he was more nuts than she already thought after all. Once he was sure she was out of sight, he softly patted his stomach to try and get the child's attention, letting her know he was addressing her. "Ahem, small human? " He asked eyebrow quirked as he did feel a little odd talking at himself, but the soft movement in his belly at least was something to tell him he was actually talking to someone else. "I-is it safe to s-speak? " The little one asked, her voice muffled and quiet. She had no windows and didn't want to get Lucifer in trouble by accident. "Yes it is safe, I believe you owe me some information about what you saw. " He answered, hoping the little thing didn't just lie to him. He kinda had his doubts she did but with humans there was always a chance.
The little one shifted again, was she nervous? Well he supposed he should expect her to be, he did just devour her whole but she sort of asked him to, she just didn't know exactly what it entailed until she was tucked inside. "I-it was our neighbor... Miss Butters, I... I don't k-know why she would do it... " Lucifer listened to the child, hearing her voice start to crack as if she might start crying again. The Devil had to remind himself that the girl was pretty traumatized, she witnessed a murder and that left adult humans shaken, much less a little girl. "She always used t-to bring us nice dinners w-whenever we were having a h-hard time with something... W-why would she hurt m-my babysitter? " The little one asked while he felt her small hands softly pressing into the stomach walls.
Frankly he had no idea, humans did things for reasons he didn't always understand, he could give a educated guess but that's all it would be. "There's only one way to find out I'm afraid, now all we have to do is get the detective to go talk to her again. " He answered, remembering that Daniel was supposed to talk to her and other neighbors, but no one has really heard from him yet. Lucifer didn't put much faith in the man though and would feel better if him and Chloe got to do it themselves. On the other hand, it was possible something happened to Dan and no one bothered to give that possibility much thought. Though Lucifer noticed that at the mention of talking to the killer, the little one in his stomach whimpered, sounding scared. "D-do we have to? " She asked in a rather pitiful tone of voice.
The Devil shifted in the carseat some, having not quite expected that. "Well... yes, once the detective arrests her afterwards, we'll have to get a confession out of her. Though before would be splendid too. " He grinned to himself, thinking about how getting confessions was his specialty to boot. He wasn't sure why the child was nervous though, she was safe and hidden in his gut, there wasn't much more he could do to insure her safety. "O-okay... you promise I'll b-be safe in here? S-she... won't know I'm h-here and hurt me? " The small human asked, curling up in a smaller ball. Of course when he was around Chloe he was mortal, which was quite annoying sometimes, but the woman would still have to literally gut him to reach the child. "As long as you keep quiet and still, she won't know. If it's any consolation, if you're hurt I'd likely be worse off. " He had a light tone, trying to ease her nerves by keeping light of the situation.
Lucifer wasn't worried though, either by confidence or bravery, he didn't fear the woman any. He was still the Devil after all and should be able to keep both himself and the child safe from her. He dealt with worse people and worse situations, this was a cakewalk... or a cake eating, if Maddie was cake. There was a small moment of silence between them before little Maddie spoke up again. "O-okay, I believe you mister... w-what's your name? " She asked, that childish curiosity coming out now and it made Lucifer realize this whole time he was a entire stranger to her. But as he opened his mouth to answer, he stopped when he heard the car door open.
Looking up from speaking to his belly, he saw the detective duck down into the car, holding her phone and seeming... Off. She wouldn't look at him and instead looked at the steering wheel, unmoving for a minute, though it felt like forever. "Lucifer, did you do something to Maddie? " Chloe finally asked, turning to face him with a look of confusion but also concern. The Devil had no idea what prompted this but obviously he couldn't tell her he devoured the little one, even as the child moved some in his stomach. "Define 'do something'. " He replied, hoping she was not accusing him of what he was thinking, which was quite unpleasant even for him to even think about.
"I don't know, like, kidnap her or something. Look she's gone from her room and her mother is freaking out, she's blaming you and an officer says he saw you go up the stairs which was the last place anyone saw her at. And then the last place I find you in is her room, it looks pretty bad Lucifer. " Chloe said, seeming to be attempting to keep calm but it wasn't working all too well. But before Lucifer could answer she speaks again, cutting him off. "I know... I know you'd never hurt a child, you don't like them or so you claim, but if we don't get the girl back to her mother soon you could get into trouble. Maddie's mother called me when I was talking to the babysitter's mom and she's ready to label you a child abductor or... worse. "
The detective then sighed and rested the phone against her forehead. "So what did you do Lucifer? And why? " She asked him, now giving him time to speak. Unfortunately, by the literal meaning of the term, he did abduct a child, but it wasn't malicious at all, he was only upholding a promise to the girl to keep her safe until they caught the killer. But something like that probably wouldn't hold up in court at all, even with Lucifer's powers. "The small human knows who killed our victim, but she refused to say until I promised and provided her safety from the killer. So I provided the safety she desired and she held up her side of the deal, telling me who our suspect is. Once we catch the killer I am to return the small child. " He carefully explained, which was new since he usually wasn't careful about explaining anything.
Chloe listened to every word closely, giving a slow nod. "I believe you, that... sounds like something you'd do. And when I say that I mean, do something stupid and weird for a good reason. " She was a little snippy then but let out a light laugh in disbelief. "Alright so, who is our killer? " She asked while putting her phone away and picking up her keys. Lucifer was thankful the detective didn't pressure him about where exactly the child was, as that would be much harder to explain. Though maybe if he regurgitated a little girl in Chloe's arms she'd believe he was the Devil... But it wasn't worth it and not like that. "The child said it was her neighbor, Ms Butters. " He answered, relaxing in his chair now that the proverbial storm seemed to have past.
The blonde woman still gave him a odd look, like she wanted to ask something, but there was a small part of her that was afraid of the answer and she just really wanted to catch the killer first. "Okay then. " Was all she said as she started the car, slowly pulling out and turning around to drive back to the scene of the crime. "No one knew why anyone would kill that poor woman, but something tells me the answer lies with Maddie's mother and Ms Butters. " The detective explained to Lucifer as they drove while he was wondering himself what the motive could be. But without knowing anything about Butters it was hard to say. "We'll talk to Butters first alright? No accusing or flying off the handle again. We have to make sure she did it and having more evidence will help our case. " She told Lucifer firmly, almost like a mother would to their child.
The fact he almost pouted from it only proved the parent to child relation. "Very well Detective, I will refrain until we know for sure." he answered, easing some nerves from the woman beside him. If nothing else, Lucifer didn't want to scare his little passenger, at least until they were sure, though he was pretty sure already as he didn't see why the child would lie about that. The car ride back wasn't so bad, the main thing Lucifer was concerned about is keeping his 'meal' hidden from the detective, at least her location. Off to the side though, he did wonder what he was going to do about this problem with Maddie's mother... She already disliked him and the feeling was mutual, how was he going to convince her not to press charges? Well, he was good with words at times, perhaps with some Devilish convincing and her child returned, unharmed would convince her to drop it.
Meanwhile, during the drive back, Maddie was having her own thoughts in the silence. It was still a bit strange being in Lucifer's stomach, soft slimy flesh cradled her inside with the occasional gurgle or the muscles gently squeezing her little form. But the soft, divine white light inside kept it from being too scary, while as he promised it was a reddish pink inside. When she asked for protection, she didn't expect to be eaten, but... she felt safe and hidden from the dangers of the outside world and that's what the little one needed. Maddie was a little nervous at first and was reminded of Little Red Riding Hood, except she was quite sure there were no woodsman to save her from the 'wolf's belly.
But as time past and she stayed quiet unless spoken to, she found out quickly enough that she wasn't in any danger at all. It was still a little weird to realize she was just sort of riding inside of another living being, the sound of Lucifer's heart and lungs at work above her acting as a soothing reminder. It was a bit warmer inside of the Devil than she was used to, but it was a comforting warmth and not a harsh heat like a fire or the sun. She was bummed that the lady came back before she could hear the name of her protector, so for now her innocent mind referred to him as just the 'nice wolf'. That was, until she heard the woman call him 'Lucifer' repeatedly... Was that really his name or just a nickname for him because of his scary appearance?
Even at her young age, Maddie knew roughly about Lucifer, enough to know that it was one of the names used for the Devil. But the Devil was mean, evil and hurt people, this man was nice enough, even if he talked weird and looked scary at first. She hoped she would get another chance to talk to him, there was so much she wanted to ask, now that she was safe and tucked away for the time being and they were going to talk to Ms Butters about why she hurt the nice babysitter. Or the child thought she was nice anyway.
Chloe pulled up to Ms Prine's house first, as they had to ask her where Butters lived, as Daniel was meant to talk to all the neighbors in the area and while they could find out through the LAPD database fairly easy, Chloe wanted to also use this as a chance to tell the woman her daughter was safe. The mother was already outside, fuming as she glared at Lucifer in the passenger seat. The detective was tempted to tell him to stay, but she didn't think she'd get away with it twice in one day. So she stayed quiet and opened her door, stepping out of the car as she heard Lucifer do the same.
Ms Prine all but stormed over to the two, glaring at them both now. "Where is my daughter? And why is this man not in cuffs already? " She asked, hands on her hips. Chloe spoke up quickly before Lucifer could, not wanting him to say something damning to himself. "Your daughter is safe but she is a witness to what happened here, so we will be keeping her protected in our custody until the case is closed. Lucifer will return her here as soon as possible. " She explained, not overly happy with herself at minorly bending the rules but she knew it was for a good reason so that helped. The mother however wasn't pleased to hear that one bit. "You're the LAPD! But you'd leave my daughter in the hands of this-this nightclub owner?! "
Lucifer beat her to the punch this time, an amused smirk on his face with his hands tucked in his suit pockets. "I assure you the small human will not step foot in Lux, if all goes well the case shall be closed by the end of the day~ " He answered, surprising Chloe a bit on how it wasn't rude or damning, in fact it might have helped just a little. "I will still be pressing charges on this, mark my words! " She said, pointing a finger at Lucifer, still quite huffy. Chloe was at her wit's end though and took a deep breath, tempted to just leave but something just... clicked in her, a part of her wanting to give this woman a piece of her mind. "Lucifer Morningstar is my partner, he's a pain in the ass at times and does reckless, stupid things more times than I can count, but I would trust him to protect my own child. " Now, raising Beatrice was an entirely different story as he was a bad influence on her, but protecting? Yes she'd trust him for that.
The woman was taken aback by that, not really having any words to respond to that. Proud of herself Chloe decided to cut to the chase. "Where does Ms Butters live? " She asked, ready to get this moving along and maybe deal with the Lucifer issue later if it still needed dealing with. Lucifer was taken aback as well, but felt... a strange warmth in his chest, a happy feeling, he wasn't sure why but the way she said he was her partner and that she'd trust him with protecting her child, the thing she for whatever reason valued most in her life. Ms Prine pointed at a blue house a block down, across the street. "She lives there... " her voice sounded a bit distant as if still caught off guard from what just happened.
Chloe nodded in thanks and nudged Lucifer to get his attention as his mind seemed elsewhere and for once not a child unsafe place. "Thank you Ms Prine. " She called behind her shoulder while both her and Lucifer walked away, deciding since it wasn't far they'd walk to Ms Butter's house and leave the car where it is. Daniel's police car was parked outside though which made Chloe wonder if they should bother or not, but might as well, maybe they could get a lead from him if for whatever reason it wasn't Ms Butters. Once they were out of earshot, Lucifer spoke up. "Do you really feel that way detective? " He asked vaguely, looking down at her with confusion but also a sliver of hope. Chloe was a little taken aback, not realizing her little rant actually sunk in to him too. "Every word. " She said with confidence, hoping he won't take it the wrong way.
The soft, warm smile that appeared on his lips showed he took it just the right way, said expression was also quite the rarity on Lucifer's face as he usually doned a smirk or a grin, or a more malicious smile. She tried not to let it show how much she appreciated the sight and continued walking, they had a murder to solve after all and she wanted to try and stick to it. he quicker they solve it the quicker they can return the woman's child back to her and maybe avoid charges if they were lucky. Lucifer and Chloe stepped up to the Butter's door and the detective knocked, Lucifer staying behind her as he felt Maddie shift nervously inside of his stomach, probably knowing where they were if she was wise enough to guess from how long Lucifer walked even if the Devil had much longer legs and probably got there in half the footsteps.
The three waited for an answer, Chloe trying to prepare for anything while Lucifer was just trying to keep his emotions in check, as Chloe asked him to behave himself and he was going to try. Maddie was just trying her best to keep calm and quiet to not give away her position, but it was scary knowing they were actually at the house of who she saw was the murderer. But then no one seemed to answer, so Chloe tried again, this time with more vigor. "This is the LAPD please open the door. " She called out, knowing chances were the woman had to hear her. The fact Dan should be here and wasn't opening was also odd. The two adults looked to each other with uncertainty, before Chloe tried to just open the door, but it was locked. "Let's try the back." She muttered to her partner, slowly drawing her weapon from her hip and walking around the house.
Lucifer debated about just breaking the door down, it'd be like snapping a toothpick off the hinges after all, but with cargo and around Chloe, which made him bleed he supposed he should be more careful. With a heavy sigh and a roll of his eyes, he turned to follow Chloe, feeling minorly humiliated to have to go the careful route for the sake of the child. The two did spot a back door, but who knows if it was unlocked. There was really only one way to find out a Chloe stepped up and twisted the handle with one hand, the other holding her gun, pointing at the opening. Shockingly enough the door was opened, the Devil and the detective exchanged looks before pushing it open, being greeted by the living room, which was absent of people at the time.
The two stepped inside, looking around for any signs of anything off. Which Chloe spotted the coffee table was moved recently, as the indents on the carpet showed it used to be sitting there unmoved for awhile and now it was a inch or two off. Then there was a mag on the ground, which to Chloe made this feel like a struggle at some point. Lucifer meanwhile wandered to the kitchen, where a bit more of a struggle was put up. A few knives were missing from the block, some were on the floor but the biggest one was still missing. The Devil frowned before spotting something in the sink, stepping closer warily, he saw what looked to be a police issued pistol in a dirty bowl.
It was likely this was Daniel's gun and Lucifer decided he needed to tell Chloe ASAP. So he turned to leave the kitchen to get back to the living room, but in doing so he heard the detective say something, but he wasn't sure what as she was cut off and Lucifer heard a thud. The concern for Chloe won over any common sense as the Devil rushed to the living room. The sight was enough to make his blood boil, a strange woman he never saw before was standing over Chloe's unconscious body, holding a pan, it looked like a lightweight one so he hoped Chloe was alright. This woman, very likely the Ms. Butters they were looking for also had the missing knife sitting on the table behind her.
She hadn't noticed him yet so Lucifer creeped around out of the kitchen and to the table, wanting to grab the knife so she couldn't use it on him or his detective. Once there he snatched up the knife, hiding it behind his back. "Well well, it looks like the child was right. " He suddenly spoke up, startling the woman as she spun around to face the man. His voice was calm... too calm, especially with that angry look in his eyes and the dark smirk on his lips. The killer dropped the pan and looked on the table, throwing more mags on the ground in search for it. "Looking for this? " The Devil asked, lifting the knife into view tauntingly, his body puffing up a little in pride like a bird.
The woman stopped looking then and her eyes widened, taking a slow step back. "Who are you? Why are you in my house? " She asked, her voice trying to sound brave but Lucifer caught the waver in it. it was easy for her to attack and harm other women and possibly Daniel, but the Devil was a different story. "I am here to catch a killer, you. Of course I had my small doubts as children can be mistaken at times, but this is pretty damning. " He said, gesturing to the unconscious body of Chloe with barely contained rage. Obviously the woman spotted it and took another step back, in which he took two long ones towards her, rectifying all the progress she made. "So why did you do it? What was so important to hurt all of these people? " He asked, making sure not to accidentally step on Chloe's hand as he stepped over her, knife still in hand.
"I-I... The Prine family invited a total stranger into our community! I have a daughter that could have easily babysat Maddie, but she wanted to give the job to a total stranger! What else was I supposed to do? " She asked the Devil, seeming to be getting a little angry over it. "So you killed the babysitter, traumatizing the child for life, because they wouldn't hire your spawn for the job... ? " Lucifer asked, making sure he got this right. The woman nodded in response, eyeing the knife in his hand though. "Maddie saw what happened... ? I'm sorry about your friends, really, but they were finding out what happened, as are wasn't supposed to see though... " She told him, hoping to placate Lucifer before he lashed out. Of course he wasn't, he didn't even remember he was holding the knife until he noticed her looking at it. "I don't need this. " He stated tossing it aside on the carpet, relieving the killer some but not entirely, Lucifer didn't need a knife to hurt someone and given his size alone, the woman knew that even without knowing his true nature. "Yes Maddie saw, it's unlikely the small human will be the same. " He answered in a softer tone.
The woman sighed, looking down and shaking her head. "I'm so sorry... I was trying to protect our community! And not just let total strangers into our home and around our children! Surely you can understand, you look like a respectable man. " She said, hoping to appease him somehow. "No I can't understand, I can't understand killing someone just because they're a stranger. " He answered bitterly, taking a glance back to Chloe again. "You also harmed someone very dear to me... " He added, his voice dipping down into a dark, malicious level as he turned back towards her, his eyes flashing a strange pinkish color... before his wings unfurled behind his back, knocking some stuff over in the process. The woman gasped in shock at the sight, staring at the beautiful but deadly wings. "Y-you're an angel? " She asked in awe, a mixture of terror and fascination.
The feathers were hardened into blades, certainly the Devil was not in a pet-able state right now, in which he dragged the feather tips of the dominant flight feathers over a wooden chair, causing deep cut marks, almost like the claws of a bear or something. "Oh God... " she put her hands over her mouth, watching the very upset Devil step closer, while she stepped back until her back bumped into the wall behind her. "Dear old Dad won't help you now, certainly not after what you've done. " between harming the detective and traumatizing an innocent and not quite so annoying as usual child, Lucifer wasn't in a very forgiving mood and he seriously doubt God was either. This might be the type of thing he and the man upstairs did agree upon, one of the very few.
"Please mister angel, I-I didn't mean for the girl to see, I-I just wanted t-to show how dangerous it w-was to bring strangers around, make it l-look like someone from her community k-killed her. " She quickly stammered out as Lucifer kept coming closer, hands closed into fists at his sides as she swore he would thrust his wings out at any minute and tear her apart with them. "I panicked w-when I saw you two come in a-and knocked the woman out, b-but she's fine, really! " She exclaimed the last part, gulping nervously as Lucifer was close enough to feel his hot, Hellfire breath on her forehead. It was taking everything he had to not harm the killer, mostly just wanting to give her a good scare, but it would be so easy to do more, too easy.
Before the Devil could slip and truly lash out though, both of them heard Chloe groan. "Lucifer... ? " She asked in a groggy voice. The Devil made his wings vanish, folding away magically somewhere into his back while his eyes went back to normal. From that, there was another thud, as the killer had fainted from her near death experience. Lucifer ignored her though and went to the detective, helping her up on her own two feet. "Are you alright? " he asked, the concern rather plain in his voice as Chloe looked around, spotting the killer on the floor, the knife and the pan, alongside the gnarly gashes in the wooden chair in the same room. "My head hurts but otherwise I'm fine... Lucifer what happened? " She asked, confused on why the killer was on the ground mostly. "She tramaitized the child for life and knocked you out... so I returned the favor. " He said in a cryptic manner, shooting a smug grin at the detective. "You... hit her in the head with a frying pan? " Chloe asked as she checked herself for her gun, which was thankfully still with her.
Lucifer scoffed, taking a step back to give her space now that she seemed fine. "Not at all, she fainted on her own, I didn't so much as lay a finger on her detective. " He answered in a innocent tone, which was true, he never did, he just showed her Heaven and Hell was very much real, and that she was very likely going down since she seemed to feel some guilt for Maddie at least. Chloe gave him a unsure look, debating between pushing more or just accepting it for what it is, more Lucifer mysteries. "Well at least we know for sure it was her. " She said, getting the handcuffs from her belt and starting to bind the killer, even when unconscious. "I will go find Daniel. " Lucifer said, walking back to the kitchen and plucking the male detective's gun out of the bowl. "I think he's in the basement, it's the only place we haven't checked. " Chloe called from the other room.
The Devil mused that it would be the perfect place to put him, so he wandered the house a bit until he found the way down, which looked like a normal door with stone stairs down. As he walked down he was made a little more aware of the soft, warm weight in his gut, which made him hope he didn't scare her too much when he was upset at the killer. He'd have to deal with that later as he made his way down into the basement, the light already being on as he spotted Dan, tied up to a chair and not looking very happy understandably. "Oh it's about time, get me out of this! " He asked, wiggling in the chair a bit futilely. "Quit your fussing Daniel, it's quite embarrassing for you. " Lucifer mocked as he stepped behind him and began to untie the ropes, freeing the human. "I heard some of what happened up there... The kid saw, huh?" The detective asked, sounding a bit disappointed. Lucifer shared the sentiment, giving a light nod. "Afraid so, though she helped us catch her so there's that. "
Soon Dan was free and he got out of the chair, looking to Lucifer as if he wanted to ask about something else he heard too... "She thought you were an angel huh? Kinda ironic considering... " The man seemed to have gotten uneasy now, possibly still having a hard time with the Devil thing. "Yes it is, I was tempted to correct her but once she fainted I decided it would fall on deaf ears. " Lucifer answered as Dan just shook his head and turned to head back up the stairs and out of the basement, the Devil following behind. Once up the place was swarmed with police, Chloe must have called them from across the street. Daniel slinked off to join them, but Chloe came up to Lucifer and pulled him aside out of easy earshot. "You should go bring Maddie back home, I think maybe if you do it without me there, she will see your intentions were good all on your own. " She explained to him in a hushed tone. Lucifer was unsure about that but when someone called Chloe over, she shot him a apologetic look and walked off, hoping he'd listen.
After a moment's thought, he decided that she very well could be right. So he slinked off himself into the killer's bathroom, it being the only private place he could think of that was right here. He grabbed one of her big bath towels and glanced down at his stomach. "Alright small human, it's time to come out. " he told her in a hushed tone. His response was soft shifting from her in his belly, before speaking up. "O-okay mister Lucifer... ? " She said, as if a little unsure if Lucifer was indeed his name, but since it was he didn't say anything about it. The Devil smiled and used the hand not holding the towel to give a light pat to his stomach, knowing he was going to miss the full feeling at first, but that could be rectified with real food instead of children. Soon after he began to tighten his stomach muscles, slowly squeezing the little one back up his throat.
Inside it was a rather odd process, powerful slimy muscles closed in on the child, easing her back up the entrance to his stomach, with everything being so slick and gooey inside it was hard to get a grip, but when she wiggled a little to try and help out she realized that just made her slip back down a little because of gravity, so she stopped that pretty quick and let the Devil take care of it. He was gentle with her thankfully and the process didn't actually hurt at all, it was kinda tight and made it harder to breathe at times but nothing too unbearable or that she wouldn't recover from. His body of course naturally wanted to ease the little human back down into his belly, where it thought she belonged since she was in here, but Lucifer successfully made it work in reverse as her head began to ease into his mouth again.
Lucifer held the towel out in front of him to catch her in it as she slowly spilled out of his jaws head first, coated in a thick layer of Devil drool and various other harmless clear stomach fluids. The light of the outside world was a bit stronger than the light in his stomach, so she had to squint her eyes a little until they got used to it. Once she was more out of him than in, gravity stopped fighting them and it made the second half easier, while she arched her back to curl up in the Devil's towel covered arms. Little Maddie didn't mind being in the nice man's belly but she knew her mother must be worried sick and she didn't want to get Lucifer into further trouble. soon enough her little feet slipped out of his mouth at last, allowing him to better wrap her up in the towel after closing his mouth. "Alright, let's take you back to your mum before she labels me a kidnapper. "
The little human seemed content in his arms, despite having just came out of his stomach and was very literally at Satan's mercy, not that she knew that last part maybe but still, the whole devouring thing surprised him. Adults would be freaking out and wanting nothing to do with him, maybe go as far as to call him a monster, Daniel took it pretty well if he was to be honest. He wasn't going to complain though, nope, not one bit, instead he made sure he had a good grip on the little one, not wanting to drop her. Normally she'd be a bit too old to be carried, but to Lucifer she weighed no more than one of his wings so it wasn't a bother at all.
He walked past the investigating police, who gave him strange looks, probably wondering where he got Maddie or where he was keeping her this whole time, the didn't want to know the answer of the second question or even the first. He gave them all his signature charming smile and pushed open the door that someone left slightly ajar, stepping out onto the sidewalk. Looking down towards the Prine home, he saw the mother was still on the porch, clearly and understandably worried about her child. "Now small human, don't tell your mum about your little stay inside of me, alright? She won't understand. " He whispered softly to Maddie, not really wanting to ask her to lie but it's not lying if they just don't say anything about it.
The child blinked up at the Devil in slight confusion, not seeming to get why she couldn't tell. "But you kept me safe and you didn't hurt me, if mommy knew maybe she won't be so mad at you. " Of course the girl caught on her mother was not pleased with Lucifer, to say the least. He watched a car drive by as he waited for the best time to cross. "I know child but she won't understand your time... inside, just keep that part a secret between us, alright? Beyond that you can tell her whatever you please. " He explained, hoping the child would understand that much at least. The mother would be furious IF she even believed he devoured her, though more likely she would accuse him of tricking her child into believing nonsense.
The little girl seemed a tiny bit sad, though for why he couldn't tell. "Okay... I hope mommy doesn't get too mad at you. " She said, the small creature nestling her head against his chest now. He hoped the same though, while he likely could pay the fine it would certainly soil his reputation for life for something he didn't actually intend to be that way, but humans would likely think it. "I do too child. " He told her, before Lucifer began crossing the road once he didn't see anymore cars coming their way. He walked at a brisk pace, his long legs getting them both across pretty fast before he started his way down the sidewalk to Maddie's mother. He planned to explain as much as he could, but he had his doubts she would be very forgiving and understanding.
Once Ms Prine saw the Devil walk on her property again, her child in his arms, she got up and rushed to him. "Oh Maddie! There you are! Are you hurt? Did he hurt you? " She said happily but asked after in slight panic, expecting wounds somewhere as Lucifer gently put the child down, feet first onto the ground. She was barefoot though since she was just supposed to be in her room but the grass was soft. "You actually brought her back... " The mother said softly, as if she didn't believe he would before while hugging her daughter. "Of course he did mommy, he just wanted to keep me safe from the bad lady, he didn't hurt me at all. " The child explained, thankfully withholding how as they discussed earlier. Lucifer stayed where he was, hands idly slipping into his pockets as he felt awkward, part of him wanting to just leave the scene as he usually did, but the detective would probably scold him for that.
"The child was in need of protection, she didn't feel safe telling us who killed her babysitter until then. So I granted it, that's why I had to take her. " He explained himself, though he couldn't be sure if it coming from him would do any good or not. At first the mother didn't respond, she wouldn't even look at him as she put all her focus on her daughter, but just when the Devil figured that he had to leave, the woman spoke up. "I... understand you meant well, I will never understand why, your history and place in society doesn't fit what you did here today but... I can't deny what's right in front of me. " The mother answered, finally looking at him at the end, distrust and uncertainty still in her eyes. "Forgive me for saying this though but I don't want to see you around here again, you don't belong here among these good, respectable people. " She told him in a serious tone.
There was a hint of anger in the Devil's eyes, after all he did for 'these people' she had the gall to say that to him. Not to mention clearly not everyone was good and respectable here otherwise they wouldn't be arresting them. But Lucifer figured being angry would only prove her point so despite his often short fuse, he suppressed it this time, the presence of a child probably helping in that regard and the fact he just unleashed a bit earlier. "Very well, unless you all start murdering each other a second time, you won't see me again. " He said, his voice holding a hint of disappointment, giving a bittersweet smile to the child before he turned and began to walk away from the two.
The child felt bad for him and gave him an apologetic, sad pout, weakly wiggling in her mother's hug as she wanted to say goodbye to him. "Lucifer wait! " she squealed as she managed to slip loose from her mom, the little towel covered human chasing after the Devil before he got to the hard sidewalk. "Maddie wait! get back here this minute! " Lucifer heard the mother call, but he also heard the child come up behind him and stopped at the edge of the grass, turning around just in time for the small creature to latch onto him, small arms clinging to his lower back while her face rested against his stomach. The Devil stiffened, not being sure what to do and feeling a bit uncomfortable with it overall. After a moment or two he opted to gently pat the child's head, almost like a dog. "Thank you for helping us. " he heard the little one mumble into him. He didn't answer right away, a flurry of emotions storming through him so much he thought he might burst from being overwhelmed. "You're... welcome, child. " He ended up saying regardless, it being the only thing he could think of to say.
At that point Maddie's mother came back and tugged the child away from the fallen angel, the little one complying soon enough and let him go. The girls walked back to the house and Lucifer stayed at the edge of the grass for a moment or two, but before Maddie made her way inside, she looked back to see if he was there and he wasn't, it seeming as if he vanished into thin air somewhere. Meanwhile Lucifer was back at the murderer's house, in search of Chloe as she was talking on the phone by the time he got there. Once she saw him she said goodbye to whoever she was talking to and hung up. "Lucifer... I don't know what you did but that was Maddie's mother. " She told him, making him tense for a moment as he assumed that meant she was pressing charges.
Chloe smiled softly however, a small laugh escaping her lips. "She won't be pressing charges, I don't think you two will be sitting down drinking tea anytime soon but looks like you at least are not a second criminal in this case. " The detective looked relieved understandably, not wanting her partner in trouble even if he occasionally deserved it, he didn't deserve it this time. "Come on, let's wrap up this case and we can both go home for the day, alright? " Chloe suggested, noticing the Devil did seem a little off, assuming it might be something that the mother said to him that was bothering him. She'd play Hell trying to get him to admit it though so she just hoped that some relax time will make him feel better. "Good idea detective. " He stated, adjusting his suit and smoothing the wrinkles from various hug assaults and child snuggles. With that the two went to work together to pick up the pieces, so to speak.