I want to apologize for the wait. I'm just not that amazing at posting frequently. So bare with me, please? Ok? No? Alright, I'll shut up.


Chapter 2: Hotel Behind The Block.


The day hadn't even passed three in the afternoon and Nick and his team of detectives was already on their sixteenth coffee round. Cups lay everywhere and anywhere. Standing on the large wooden table right side up, bottom-up, rolled down on to the ground, put in the windowsill, on chairs, and even under the table. They served as ashtrays, paper toss cups, trash cans, penholders and what not. It was a habit and form of stress relieve to drink coffee at the office, but sixteen rounds meant slow progress, or no progress at all.

With unnecessary force, Nick swung the door open to the meeting room. His facial expression read: war, death and destruction. With the same frustrating force, he slammed the file he held in his hand on the table and collapsed on a stool with a groan. Following him was Sebastian, carrying two coffee cups in his hands, going for round seventeen. His features weren't much more comforting than Nick's.

"I take it it went disastrous?" Wes commented as he picked up the file. As he started flipping through it, Nick let out another frustrated sound. The guys weren't getting more of an answer out him at the moment.

"What's the score?" Wes asked to keep the one-sided conversation going. After some fumbling coming from the seat next to him, David spoke up, "We've got about five suspects left." David dug five different files out of the pile and laid them out on the table.

"Three models and two appreciated clients." David continued, giving every name a face. Nick sat up straight as he viewed one of the model's file, an unreadable expression on his face. He opened his mouth to say something when Cooper entered the room. He was shadowed by a man much shorter than him. He ran a hand through his dark curly hair before he casted Cooper a look.

Cooper nodded for him to sit down next to Nick, who was still holding the file in his hands. "Boys, this is my brother. Blaine Anderson. Boyfriend of the victim. Blaine, this is detective Nicholas Duval" Cooper pointed to Nick before he continued down the line, "Sebastian Smythe, Wesley Montgomery and David Thompson."

Blaine gave everyone a quick wave. He pulled a tight smile, not carrying about hiding the obvious sadness in his eyes. Cooper took a seat next to his little brother, giving him an encouraging nod. "Ask away."

Nick shot the others a warning look, one saying that they had to be careful. The man took a deep breath, "Blaine, how long have you known Kurt?"

A simple smile appeared on Blaine's face as he answered, "Since high school, actually. He always told me he would make it, you know. He went on and on about his plan to be a designer. I think, before we even got together, I already knew how his life would unfold." he let out a quick chuckle, "And it did. I mean, look what an empire he set up. He actually did it." The smile disappeared and the tight facial expression appeared again. "I-I never even got to tell him, how-" Nick noticed how Blaine's eyes started filling up with water. It was common for people to remember things like this, regretting whatever they never had the chance to tell their loved ones.

It made Nick think, for once he was glad he didn't had a boyfriend to worry about. Or better said, a boyfriend to worry about him. It wasn't like Nick had an easy job. Opposite even, Nick was grateful for every day could live through without a bullet in his chest.

A lot of people expect the police officers to be protected by an invisible bulletproof case. But none of that was true. Nick and his team even lost one of their dearest in a gunfight. Mafia business. Santana Lopez was the officer's name. She wasn't much older than Nick and it happened a few weeks after Sebastian started working on their team.

It made Nick sigh a little. Those were flashbacks he'd rather not be reminded of. From the corner of his eye, Nick noticed Sebastian. Clouds crossing behind his eyes. Memories.

"Did Kurt act differently lately?" Wes, from next to Cooper, questioned.

Blaine slumped back into his seat, his back resting against the seat. The man shook his head but seemed deep in thought. "No. He was just a little stressed out. Had a big showcase coming up, but nothing extraordinary." He glanced at Nick as the detective nodded his head. A picture in Nick's lap seemed to have caught the attention of Blaine. He narrowed his eyes as to get a clearer look, just before Nick closed the file.

Blaine scowled quietly before he noticed there was also a picture on the outside of the file, hold together with a paper clip.

"Would you happen to know anyone who would want to harm Kurt?" Blaine's head snapped up, shaking wildly in disagreement.

"Never. I mean, yes, people can become really competitive and cruel in fashion, but none is capable of murder. Everybody loved Kurt..." Blaine trailed off as scootched a little closer to Nick to get a clearer view of he picture on the file in Nick's hand. It wasn't until now that Blaine recognized the picture, the person it displayed. "That's it." He whispered.

Nick gave him a confused glare as he noticed he was looking at classified files. "What?" Nick pulled the file out of Blaine's reached as he saw Blaine reaching out for it.

"Wait! That's him!"

Blaine launched for the file and pulled it out of Nick's hands, studying the picture closer this time. Everyone had his eyes on Blaine while Nick tried to get his back in his possession.

"What is who?" Cooper questioned, pulling his brother back into seating position. He grabbed the file and looked at the picture. Blaine pointed to the file and answered, once again, "That's him. He killed my boyfriend. He did it!"

Wes leaned over Cooper's shoulder to get a look too. His brows furrowed as he saw the picture. "This guy? Jeffrey Sterling?"

"Yes! Kurt found him on the doorstep of the studio. He was homeless, had no money whatsoever. Kurt took him in, made him one of the main models." Blaine explained, anger flowing out with every word spoken. "That little ungrateful bastard was trouble from the first moment Kurt brought him in our house to stay."

"You mean he stayed with you?" Sebastian cut in.

"No! I mean, in the beginning, but he moved out when Kurt promised him his own apartment just a block away from the studio."

Suddenly, all five detectives looked up. Just a block away from the studio.

"I think that's all we need. Thank you, Blaine." Cooper began. He rose from his seat and took Blaine to follow him out of the meeting room.

"Well..." David spoke. "Let's pick him up, shall we." He and Wes stood up, Wes handing the file back to Nick, and left the room.

The boys had found the address to the boy's place through Cooper and the silence on the streets gave the benefit of arriving early. Blaine was right; the apartment was just behind the fashion studio. It wouldn't be more than a five-minute walk, considering the abandon alleys that connected the blocks.

The apartment block wasn't anywhere near fancy, just enough for a roof above your head, water and maybe some electricity.

The boys casually strolled down the corridor, searching for apartment number 36. David found himself pointing at the door in the far back of the hallway. Wes followed, footsteps becoming lighter and lighter as the reached closer. The door was closed so Wes gave his partner the honor to announce their arrival. David pounded on the door, yelling, "Jeffrey Sterling, it's LPD, open up!"

Both men leaned in just enough to hear nothing on the other side of the door, so David repeated his action. "Mr. Sterling. Open up!"

Still no sounds.

Wes groaned in frustration. "Dude, what now we have no warrant." He turned around, his back against the door frame as David nudged his shoulder.

David leaned closer to the door again, whispering, "Do you hear that?" but Wes shook his head, frowning as he leaned in too. He had no idea what David just heard because all he heard was dead silence. "What?"

"Don't you hear it? It sounds like someone's calling for help."

A look of recognition crossed Wes's face as he pitched his voice, calling out, "Help, someone help!"

"There it is again." Wes nodded. Both of them pulled out their weapons and as David stepped back, Wes threw a kick against the door. The door flung wide open and crashed against the wall, sure leaving a hole in it.

David entered first, gun raised. "LPD!" He moved into the small living room. The TV was on, but the room seemed empty. David backed away, yelling, "Clear." Just as Wes came from the kitchen, giving him another clear. "Jeffery?" Both men carefully entered the only bedroom.

Wes pointed towards the door. The space between the door and the wall was large enough to fit in between. "Jeffrey?" Wes called out again. David grabbed the handle of the door and swung it back in in the door frame. He raised his gun as he nearly collided with someone.

"Hands where I can see them!" Wes pointed his gun at the boy who obeyed. Stress shone brightly through his brown eyes, as well as a form of pure horror.

"I-I'll do whatever you want just –just please point those in to another direction, please?!" the boy pleaded, pointing towards the weapons. He dropped down on his knees, hands raised in the air.

Wes was the first to store his gun in its holder but as he did so, he grabbed the boy's arms and pulled them behind his back, cuffing them. "We're gonna make a nice little trip, Jeffrey." They took Jeffrey back to the office to get him ready for interrogation.

Nick was just on his way out of the Captain's office when his two partners passed him. A boy walked in the middle of them, both arms held securely by Wes and David. His brown eyes showed no emotion, not even fear.

A loud slam caused by the Wes throwing the door close behind the boy, brought Nick to their attention. They stood there for less than a minute, whispering something that Nick failed to understand. He did knew they were talking about him because - even though Wes had covered his mouth with his hand, so Nick couldn't read the words rolling over his lips – David kept glancing at him from the corner of his eye. Suddenly they both glanced up. Wes stalked off but David made his way over to Nick.

"Lemme' guess, you're letting me and Smythe do the interrogation?" Nick questioned to which David grinned widely. He pushed the file in Nick's chest and left with a wink and the words: "Nope, just you. You're playing bad cop today."

"I'll decide that for myself, thank you." Nick called after him. The man spotted Sebastian down the hallway so he snapped his fingers, motioning him to come closer. Sebastian obeyed and grabbed the file from Nick when he came close enough. "I just want to get this over with, alright?" As Nick passed him, Sebastian chuckled and commented: "Go get him tiger."

Nick stumped back, aggressively pulled the file out of Sebastian's hand and stalked further down the hallway, taking a deep breath before he entered the questioning room.

One of the first things that Nick noticed was that the boy – or man, Nick corrected. He was far beyond legal age. Twenty-five, if Nick remembered well. Just one year younger than Nick himself – didn't looked up the moment Nick entered the room. He just sat limply in the stool with his head down. The blond bangs falling in front of his eyes so they were unreable.

Nick felt kind of bad for the boy, but the thought quickly vanished as Nick shook his head. He moved over to the chair on the opposite of the boy, desk separating them. "Jeffery Sterling."

It amazed Nick every single time when he used his more "formal" voice, maybe even scared him.

"Jeff." The boy corrected and looked up although Nick had rather he didn't. His eyes were blood shot. There were dark purple bags under his eyes, obviously from a bad night sleep. The look in his eyes was still non-emotional. At one moment, though, a flash of fright shot through them, Nick caught it but it sent shivers down his spine and thus Nick ignored it.

"Jeff, I take it, you know why you're here?" Nick asked. The detective folded his hands over the file and leaned forward just the slightest bit.

It did nothing for Jeffrey. "Is he really dead?" his voice was hoarse. To Nick it sounded like he had been walking around The Sahara for two weeks. Again, it made him feel a little sorry for blondie.

"Do you care to enlighten me how exactly Mr. Hummel died?" and that's when something happened what Nick had never searched behind Jeff. All he saw was Jeff lifting out of his seat before a force collided with his head. Next thing, all went black before Nick's eyes.