Note : Hello everyone! I'm back from my long break. Big thanks to all the readers that waited, I'll try not to get you through that again and keep posting regularly. Thanks also for your reviews, I know I don't answer often but they really help to keep me motivated. You're great:)

And to those that pointed it out in the reviews, yeah, I admit I kinda like cliffangers :). Oh, you had noted that already?

Chapter seven

The body had been found in San Gabriel Mountains, just outside of their jurisdiction. But apparently the rangers had called in a favor from the chief, as they were ill equipped to deal with a potential murder, and Monroe had surprisingly agreed despite their overabundance of work. The detective suspected some political play involved, and it angered her all the more. They were already stretched thin. If this case lead to more criminals slipping out of their net, she'd definitely have some yelling to do.

In itself, the case could have been ruled a car accident: the wrecked black Cadillac, probably speeding too much, had slid on the wet road and ended in the ravine. But injured drivers didn't usually drew out their gun and fire it before crawling out of the car and bleeding out for hours, all without calling 911 beside holding a well-working phone. Something was definitely odd on that scene; but it certainly wasn't the perfectly symmetrical face and muscular body of the park ranger that welcomed them.

Tanned and rested. Chloe sighted. She had probably chosen the wrong law enforcement path.

"Hello, detectives" he smiled agreeably, approaching them. "I'm Mike. We're very happy to have you here. We don't get that many drama so it's really great to benefit from your competence".

Chloe smiled. This collaboration was going to be easier than she thought. Lucifer eyed them critically, lips tensed. "Well welcome to us then! We wouldn't want to say no to helping out ill-equipped rangers. That's our precinct: very helpful. Even while we're leaving quite important cases behind."

"Lucifer!" Chloe growled. He had been annoying all the way to the scene, and though she had to admit he wasn't the only one resenting the chief, brushing off the ranger wouldn't help them move faster. "Just show us the car, please."

"Of course." He seemed genuinely nice. "The body's been bagged, but the car is over here. The victim is John Derringer, a L.A. lawyer, recently divorced." He continued, walking through the bushes to the wreckage of what must have been a pristine, expensive car. "His wallet was in the car, full of cash. Someone came nearby from the road but stopped some distance away, there's a trail over there" he gestured north of the car. "Must have been in a hurry, 'cause he made half the dirt in the bank slide down when crossing it".

Indeed, when they got closer, a small trail was visible getting up to the road. Given the height and chaos of the grass, they would probably have missed it. If this was indeed linked to the accident, they now had a credible direction in which to look for the bullets fired, and possibly evidence, rather than an impossible ball of hay.

"Thanks" Chloe said, genuinely impressed. She somehow felt the need to make up for their foul mood now. "This is really helpful. We could probably use your readings on crime scenes in the LAPD."

Mike smiled modestly, shaking his head. "I'm just good with trails and nature, that's it. City stuff is not really my thing." He looked at her playfully "Although I must say the company seem very nice."

Lucifer snorted disdainfully. "Well, Casanova, the Detective is a busy professional, she'd probably have better to do than babysitting you anyway."

The ranger ignored the mean remark and turned to Chloe with a confused brow "I'm sorry, are you two…" he gestured between them unmistakably.

"No" Chloe answered quickly. "Yes!" Lucifer said at the same time. Shooting him a confused glance, she started again "We're not …" "We're…" Lucifer looked at her, embarrassed, and finished with a shake of the head "We're partners."

"Right." The ranger seemed completely unconvinced, and she couldn't resent him. She was too. Yet he decided to push on. "Would you like to have a drink, then?"

He was very natural and easy-going, and Chloe felt envious; she was pretty sure to be red up to her ears by now. "We have a case" she reminded him a bit abruptly. "Maybe later" she amended.

"See you later, then." Mike said with a nice smile before strolling up to his park-issued jeep.

Lucifer was fixing her, mouth agape and a scandalized look on his face. And she didn't find that even just a little bit funny. Nope. Not at all.

"What?" she asked.

He closed his mouth and pouted. "Nothing."

§

"I'm sorry, sir." The slim figure bowed. "He's still alive. We failed."

The young, dark-haired man simply sit back in his armchair. "Well, you couldn't forsee any of it, partner; even I was surprised by that move. "

His false friendliness was terrifying and the slim figure ducked further. He knew very well what the man was capable of and where their partnership stood. "But we can correct it, of course" he young man continued. "Take all the time you need, get him back to me." He smiled, "his lady partner too. Time for a frontal approach."

The figure bowed, smiling. "Of course," he opined. Their enemy would be defeated, at last, and an example would be made. Nothing mattered most. He simply hoped that the convenience partnership would then come to a convenient end.

§

Amenadiel faced the mirror, wings opened. The feathers had practically grown back know. Flying should be possible again. It could have been for some time: he wasn't even sure if feathers were physically necessary or just a symbol of his father's approval. But he kept postponing the try flight anyway.

If they were symbolic, then something had changed. His feathers were know a little darker, a shiny anthracite appearing between the grey streaks. Had he changed? He hoped so. He had a lot to atone for with his earlier actions. But then why did Lucifer got his wings back in the same white? Nobody had changed so much as his brother had. Or had he?

"Lovely new style" said Maze's voice. He pivoted brusquely, surprised to find her at his bathroom's door, and hurriedly wrapped his hips in a towel. "When are you getting back upstairs?" She was being conversational but her bitterness still transpired. He sighted.

"Not yet, I think" he answered, turning back to the mirror.

She closed the distance, standing just behind him. "Why? I thought you'd jump on the occasion to be back with Daddy and in Heaven's comfort."

He shot her a hurt glance. Why did she refused to see this was difficult for him? "I will go back eventually" he admitted. "But not yet. There is a lot of things I have to sort for myself, and unfinished business here. With Lucifer." He dropped his voice "And with you".

She scoffed at that. "Well, if I'm keeping you from going home, don't bother. I'm not interested in Daddy's boys." Her mocking was defiance and defense; he knew that now. He wasn't going to fall for it again, so when she turned to leave, he moved faster and grabbed her wrist. She was so very close.

"Then why are you here?"

§

"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Derringer" Chloe said. She hated this specific part of her job more than any other.

The young woman was stunned, sitting on the kitchen chair, at loss of words. Or emotions. She obviously couldn't fathom the news, and Chloe suspected the divorce wasn't completely loveless.

Jane Derringer was beautiful, even in her current state of unrest, with her chestnut hair and soft features. In her early forties, she had the kind of simple and natural manners that wouldn't have lent her an acting job in Los Angeles, but were drawing nonetheless. She didn't seem like someone who would marry for money, however much her ex-husband had, so they must have been a good match at some point.

Bored, Lucifer started fumbling around annoyingly in the kitchen. The woman draw long, trembling breaths, obviously trying to calm herself. "I'm sorry" she said, her voice rough "I know we're divorced but I still… cared about him a lot."

The detective took it as her clue to continue "We're trying to know him better. When did you last spoke to him?"

"Maybe two months ago" Jane answered. "He thought breaking off completely was the best way to start our lives again. He tried to reach me yesterday thought, but … I didn't have my phone with me at the time and…" She suddenly burst into tears. Well, that accounted for the only phone call attempt her ex-husband had tried to make around the time of his death. Chloe shot a side glance to her partner. A year ago he'd have huffed and pressured the woman out of boredom; but there he was, waiting awkwardly on her. The Devil. She felt slightly proud.

Mrs. Derringer was desperately trying to catch back her breath when Lucifer suddenly had enough. "Well, well, no need for that." He said sitting on the table, obviously disgusted at her repetitive sniffing. "You know it makes no difference at all that you missed his dying call. I'm sure you've told all there is to tell already." She started crying harder and he continued quickly, a little panicked. "And you'll see him again after you've spend your life here anyway, he is just off a few years earlier. Although you seem like a nice person and lawyers tend to have a high rate of turning up to hell…" he reflected, then added to her confused look" but I can be wrong, of course, so you'll probably see him again, just keep that in mind."

During his terrible attempt at emotional solace, her tears had slowed to a manageable point. When he finished, she took a deep breath, and squeezed his hand in her damp ones. "Thanks" she said.

He got up awkwardly, not sure what he had done right or wrong, and wiped his hands on a kitchen cloth. Chloe really wanted to hug him, but their suspect was available again.

"Did you know any enemies he could have had? Anyone holding a grudge?"

Jane Derringer scoffed bitterly. "John didn't exactly had an easy character, or an easy job. He tended to be tactless and easily made enemies. Deep down he was a good man, thought" she felt the need to add. "But I thought you said it was an accident?"

"We're exploring all possibilities" Chloe carefully answered. "He could have been drawn out of the road on purpose." It was actually more likely than not, but she didn't want to give her too much information, even if she made an unlikely suspect. Jane seemed lost in thoughts for a while, then continued more hesitantly. "There is also his family" she said. "John had a feud with them before we married, and he was obsessed that they wanted to kill him. I never met them, I thought he was being paranoid. It's one of the things that destroyed our marriage…" she had a strangled cry "but maybe he was right in the end."

"Great, a family feud" Lucifer chipped in. "Exactly what we need to figure out. And were, pray tell, is that snake's nest?"

"Silver Valley" Jane answered. "They own a vineyard there. Upper class people I believe."

Chloe eyed her partner again. If he was surprised, he didn't let it show. But if she could see the similarities he would have made them too, and that always tended to get him dangerously unhinged.

"Thank you for your time" she said, following Lucifer at the door.

§

Dan parked in front of the old cabin and sighted. Three down, two more to go. At least he got Anderson to help him check out the potential hiding places of their ex-colleague. At this rate, he wouldn't be home for dinner, but at least he'd have finished by tomorrow morning and wouldn't spend three days on it. He thought about checking with Chloe if she could get Trixie from school, but there was no service. Quick round up of the place, and he'd call her on the way back.

The detective realized his mistake as he came closer to the door. Something was different here. The place seemed undisturbed, like all the others, but the faint stench was unmistakable. He drew his gun. The door was unlocked; he pushed it slowly with a cloth, careful not to mess up prints. And froze.

Two panicked rats rushed out between his legs.