Chapter 27

"Police Department, Detective Howzer speaking," I was greeted with before the phone had even rung twice.

"Howzer, it's me."

I heard what sounded like the first part of a curse, then, "Jesus, Elle… Where the fuck have you been?!" His tone was the strangest mixture of angry and relieved and it made me grin, "I thought I'd have to put an APB out on you. What happened to calling me back?"

"I'm sorry, Howzer. It was a tough spot. Guns were involved. Besides, working undercover doesn't leave a lot of time to sneak away. I was nearly caught the last time." I admitted, recalling the sharp, and scary, scolding I'd received on my second day here.

The man on the other line let out a long sigh and I could picture him massaging his temples, fighting the urge to ask all the questions I knew he must have been holding back, "Alright, fine. Just… catch me up, will ya? Our boss is on my ass for updates."

At the mere mention of the Chief, my father, my cheeks burned and chest tightened. It wasn't like he wasn't already a looming thought in the back of my mind. But having him brought up like this was like a kick to the gut.

I certainly didn't need the reminder that I was running out of time.

Now the next problem was going to be explaining everything that had taken me two weeks to wrap my head around, "Look, I'm going to sound completely insane, but I need you to bear with me, alright?"

"I'm going to regret agreeing to this…"

I pouted, despite him not being able to see me. "Do you want me to fill you in or not?"

"Yes, fine."

"This case is much more than it appears on the outside. We've been going about it all wrong."

"How so?" He asked, sounding less than convinced.

"I don't have all the answers yet, but this goes much deeper than a street gang drug. And by the looks of it, local government officials are in on it."

I waited a heart beat for him to react, but when I was met with silence, I continued, "We've only just scratched the surface, really, with everything we'd gathered back at the precinct. There's evidence that a major corporate entity is actually involved with the production and distribution of XGEN to prominent gangs around the city. They're getting away with it because there are key city leaders in their back pocket."

I paused again, this time allowing for the long silence to stretch a bit on the line before Howzer finally spoke, "You're right. You do sound completely insane." there was a shift in his tone, almost as if he were annoyed, "Is this conspiracy theory seriously what you plan on pursuing? This sounds like a wild goose chase! Where is all of this even coming from?

I pinked a bit, "It's all in the evidence they've been sharing with me-"

"Their evidence. Evidence we have no access to in order to substantiate. How do you know the sins aren't lying to distract you?"

That one stung, "Because I'm not an idiot, for one, and two I can do my fucking job?" I retorted with a scoff, though there was a part of me that knew he wasn't entirely wrong.

Howzer sighed, annoyed still, but I didn't really care. He knew full well that he'd pissed me off, "I didn't mean it like that."

"I don't care how you meant it Howzer. Obviously, I know this sounds crazy. Trust me, the evidence to back it up is doubly so. I just… need more time to prove it."

"Time you don't have."

Again, with the reminders?

"How the hell am I supposed to update the Chief with this? He's going to order you back."

I sighed. He wasn't going to like what I had to say next. "You don't."

Another pause, and this time I looked at my phone just to make sure I hadn't dropped the call before I heard him speak again. "I'm sorry, you want to run that by me again?"

"You said it yourself. The moment you tell the Chief this information, he's going to order me back and my case is as good as gone."

I'd come too far for this case to be taken from me - done too much. "I know I don't have much, but I do still have time. So I need you to trust me and let me run with this."

There was a contemplative sigh from my partner. He sounded like the last month had aged him beyond his years, "Elle, don't you think this is getting a little out of hand? I mean… I get it. You want to prove yourself… but I don't get why you're being so headstrong about this case."

"Seriously? You're really going to bring that up now?"

"Yes, seriously. I'm not just your partner. I'm your friend. As your friend, I'm starting to worry that you're obsessing over this case. It isn't healthy. Not to mention you're not exactly being the most objective when it comes to your contact."

My cheeks flared, but this time it wasn't out of anger. "I-I don't know what you mean." I stuttered, feeling my whole body flush and heat as Meliodas was brought to mind.

"I'm saying this is starting to sound a lot like Occam's razor, but you're going way out of your way to prove this crazy conspiracy. Why?"

"Because the sins have evidence that-"

"Yeah and tin-foil hats online have evidence that aliens exist and that the moon landing was a hoax. What makes the sins' evidence any more compelling?" my partner interrupted before I could make my case.

Ignoring for a moment that Howzer had compared my investigation to some sort of alien conspiracy, I huffed again, "Howzer, I get that it's hard to believe in things you haven't seen with your own eyes, but for a moment can you stop being an ass and trust me?"

He scoffed, "I do trust you. I wouldn't work with you if I didn't. But I also know that being obsessed with a case means you're more likely to jump to whatever conclusion helps you solve it. Even if the answer is literally staring you in the face and leading you away from it."

I didn't want to give credence to the idea that I was obsessed - with anything, let alone this case, so I chose to ignore the insinuation, "You still think Meliodas is behind all this."

"Occam's razor, Elle. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. I'm just saying. We caught the guy with the drugs at the club. Exactly where our sources said we'd find the guy responsible."

He was right. It wasn't such a logic leap. Meliodas made himself and the sins out to be this ruthless gang. I'd seen some of the ways in which they operated. And maybe, if I hadn't spent so much time getting to know them all, I would still be on the same train of thought as Howzer.

But I wasn't.

"They're not involved, Howzer. Not in the way you suspect."

"What I suspect is that you're in too deep. Meliodas is over there twisting your focus on this case with his charms and conspiracy theories."

"What?!" I squealed involuntarily, my face flaring with heat in a way I didn't appreciate, "M-My focus is NOT being! How dare you accuse me of-"

He scoffed, "Right~." There was a sarcastic draw to his words, "I sure as hell hope you're better acting undercover than you are trying to convince me you haven't fallen for this guy's charms."

"No one has fallen for anything! An-and if anything, he's fallen for me!"

There was a short pause, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Fuck… I'd said too much.

"N-nothing. Just… W-we've been getting closer and he's starting to really trust me-" I stammered, feeling that all too familiar heat rising up to burn up my neck and face as I tried to tiptoe around the truth.

"Oh god…"

I cleared my throat, swallowing the rest of my words, "What?"

"You didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Oh my god, you did."

I growled exasperatedly into the phone, "Did what?!"

His voice dropped, "You slept with him."

It wasn't a question.

I was so mortified by his blunt accusation that I was stunned silent. No excuses rolled off the tongue. No explanations. Not even a squeak.

We stayed silent like that for what felt like a long time.

"I don't have to tell you how this looks, right?" He asked suddenly, but quietly.

"No. You don't." I answered, just as low.

He didn't have to tell me. I was suddenly all too aware that my moment of weakness jeopardized my case on so many levels. It said that I wasn't being objective. That I'd become too close. That my emotions could be swayed.

Even though I didn't think any of that, it certainly didn't look good.

Not for the first time since that morning did I regret letting lust get in the way of my better judgment. But it was a little late for that now.

"Elle… I want to believe you. I want to trust that you're not compromised. That there is something to this rabbit hole you seem hell bent on jumping in. You and I have known each other for a long time. But I can't hold off the dogs forever."

I felt my head perk up at his words. Did this mean he was still backing me up?

"I know I don't have to, but I'm going to remind you again that you don't have much more time. Get something, anything, concrete. Otherwise it'll be both of us on the chopping block. You hear me?"

I smiled despite knowing he couldn't see it, "Yeah. Thanks, Howzer. Seriously."

"Don't thank me yet. You still have to find the evidence you need to solve this case." He huffed, but I could tell he had a small grin on his face. "Alright, anything else?"

I opened my mouth to say no, but my voice stopped in my throat as I recalled Meliodas' phone call. I knew I should have let it go… I knew that it was going against my agreement… but I'd already crossed that line. "Actually… yeah…Do me a favor and run a quick check on a man named Estarossa."

"Last name?"

"I don't have one."

"I'm going to need more than that, Elles. The name isn't super common, but I'm finding more than a handful."

I thought back on the conversation I'd overheard. He'd been pretty cryptic over the phone, but there were a couple of clues in the things he'd said, "Try narrowing the search to those who've served time."

"Got it." He mumbled before I heard him clack away at his keyboard, "We're down to four. Anything else?"

"Any of them have any siblings or close relatives in the area?" It was a long shot. We never had any luck tracking Meliodas down before - it was likely he'd been wiped from the system.

"All four. One with a younger sister and the other three with multiple siblings."

Damn… So much for that.

"Oh how the mighty fall - since when are you so interested in the family business?"

Family business?

"How about a family criminal history? Siblings, extended?"

A few quick keystrokes and Howzer's tone changed, "Now we're in business. Only one has had any family criminal ties. Last name, Blake. Father served time for multiple counts of grand larceny and some other petty crimes."

"Siblings?"

"Mhmm, two. A younger brother who served jail time at the same time as he did for robbery as a juvenile. The other person listed appears to be an older brother who was most likely related by marriage only and is…" Howzer drew out the words as he clicked a few times, "deceased. But there doesn't seem to be any other records of him. Just the mention in the familial files for the two brothers."

"How do you know he was related by marriage only?"

"He's got a different last name. Full name: Aldo Kabe Miles."

"And you said he's deceased?"

Howzer hummed, and a could hear him clatter again at his keyboard, "Yeah, I have a death certificate for Mr. Miles - died in the line of duty coming up on five years ago."

Line of duty. So his older brother was a soldier. Very promising. But, that name…

I pulled an old order pad from my dresser, spelling out the name. It had to be an alias. It just seemed so perfect. And with a couple of quick re-writes, I grinned. It was an anagram. Aldo Kabe Miles rearranged perfectly to spell Meliodas Blake.

Found you.

I grinned, despite myself, "Thanks Howzer."

"Is this related to your rabbit hole?"

I didn't want to give too much away, "Maybe. I'm not sure yet. I'll talk to you later, alright? I have to get back before anyone starts to wonder where I've gone. Do you mind texting me those files?"

"Consider it done."

There was that weight lifted off my chest knowing that Howzer had been caught up and was on my side. At least for the moment. I needed allies - as many as I could get.

"I'll try calling again soon."

"Alright, just… be careful." he finished before hanging up.

The rest of the afternoon was nothing special. Almost mundane compared to what I would have expected after such an eventful night.

Meliodas spent most of it in the basement with King. I assumed that the two were going over the events of last night and the data Arthur had given him on that flash drive, and the documents Jericho had brought earlier. Though, I never did get a chance to step away from the bar to find out for sure.

The blonde came up periodically. Mainly to chit chat with customers while Ban and Diane took turns heading to the basement. Part of me was curious what exactly was being said, but my nerves wouldn't let me think too deeply on it.

Because the other part of me felt guilty. Guilty for the amount of digging I'd done behind Meliodas' back. Guilty for getting multiple people's help to do so. A guilt that was exasperated when I felt the buzz of my burner phone hidden in my pocket and realized Howzer had sent me the files I'd requested.

During a slow time in the afternoon, Meliodas disappeared. I don't know when he left or where he went. When I asked Ban, he simply told me 'Boss is running errands,' and went back to the kitchen. A few hours later, though, he came back.

Meliodas avoided me after that. Whenever we were within a few feet of each other. At least that's how it seemed. But perhaps I was just paranoid - my guilt getting the better of me. I tried to catch him before he headed back towards the basement King had held himself up in for most of the day. I needed to talk to him. At the very least to clarify what had happened between us the night before.

"Hey Meliodas… can I talk to you?"

He paused for only a second, sparing me a fleeting glance. "Maybe later?"

His tone hadn't given anything away, but I could have sworn I'd sensed an irritation there. Like I had in Howzer's voice over the phone. I nodded quickly, desperately trying not to let my anxiety goad me into believing he was angry at me, mumbling "Sure…"

As soon as the words left my mouth, he left me.

Every attempt after that was either blantily ignored or he brushed me off with the excuse of having to do something. Finally my patience, and my paranoia, reached its breaking point.

"Is he mad at me?" I asked Diane as she helped me bus a table.

Diane hummed as she looked from me to Meliodas who was focused on what he was doing behind the bar, "Have you done something he should be mad at you for?" She asked with a raised brow and I kept my face from flaring up.

Yes. But I was very hopeful he was still in the dark about my conversation with Howzer.

"No," I answered, trying to keep the defensiveness out of my voice, only to get a teasing chuckle from the brunette.

"I'm just playing with you!" She hugged me from the side as I pouted, "Nah, the boss is usually a little grumpy when he comes back from his personal errands. You learn to get used to it."

That reminded me of the day he'd been really hard on King. He'd gone on a personal errand that day too... "Is it the same errand as last week?"

She merely shrugged, sticking out her tongue at me when I gave her a sideways glance.

"Don't worry so much." Diane bumped her shoulder against mine. "I mean, you could always just ask him right? If you're bothered so much."

I scowled at her seemingly obvious answer. Outright asking just seemed too… simple. And what if he was angry with me? Would I even be able to fix it? What could he even be mad at me for - aside from the obvious eavesdropping and backhanded information gathering, I hadn't done anything wrong. Though, that in itself was enough.

"That's what I do anyway. Honesty is the best and everything else is bullshit, as they say."

My mind replayed her words and I shook my head. "I don't think that's what the saying is, Diane."

"Eh, oh well. It's worked for me." She pursed her lips and tapped her chin in thought. "Well, most of the time anyways" She giggled, walking away to greet the next customers.

I wiped down the table and moved to the next. Diane's saying may have been a bit off, but the sentiment wasn't a bad one. Perhaps I should just ask Meliodas what was going on. Try being honest with him. I'd resorted to gathering intel on my own because I didn't trust that they'd give me the truth. But I hadn't exactly given them the benefit of the doubt. I guess I still wasn't. I hadn't exactly told them from the start that I had a time limit.

And now, I was running out of time.

They'd given me so much, but not nearly enough to call this case closed. Nothing to arrest anyone. If I went back to the station with the conspiracy laid before me, the Chief would send me back to arrest Meliodas and the sins without a moment's hesitation.

I glanced up in time to watch Meliodas disappear around the corner and my resolve was set.

It was time I got the whole truth. For all our sakes.

And maybe… tell a few truths of my own.

It was well after closing time when I found my chance to approach Meliodas again. He was behind the bar counter doing inventory when I finished my last given chore for the night.

His mood hadn't bettered at all, and he'd even told everyone he'd handle the rest of clean up if they wanted some free time.

To my surprise, most of everyone took him up on it, disappearing this way and that.

Perhaps that's what a smart person would have done. He was obviously trying to politely ask everyone to stay out of his way. That he needed some time alone…

But I couldn't miss this chance.

I walked behind the counter, shuffling bottles around and organizing, trying to figure out how best to start. Diane's words played in my mind again. But how did one just go about asking something like that?

"You don't have to stick around." Meliodas said suddenly. Eying me in a sidelong glance that seemed a bit colder than usual. A far cry from the passionate gazes he'd given me in the early morning hours.

I shrugged, ignored the brush-off, and pulled out a spare towel, "I want to."

Meliodas seemed to struggle to stay polite. I could see it in the way his face betrayed him desperately trying to reign in his wayward mood. Like he was telling himself to behave. "Suit yourself." He decided on, turning his attentions to restocking and wiping down the bar.

God, I hated how tense this was. There were so many things I wanted to just ask! But the moment they left me I knew he'd shut me down. He wasn't exactly in the mood for idle conversation - that much was clear in how he all but ignored me as I worked next to him.

What the hell had he done earlier that put him in such a sour state?

It was like a fucking lightbulb went off in my head.

It wasn't what I planned on opening up with, but it was as good a start as any… right?

"Where were you today?" I asked cautiously, curiously, trying not to sound overly analytical. I was mentally bracing myself for the storm that was to come - hoping against hope that he didn't just blow me off. And with the mood he was in, I knew now really wasn't the right time, but I needed to do this before anyone else could come and interfere.

Meliodas' hand movements faltered in my peripherals, but he quickly recovered, "I'm not sure how that's any of your business." His tone was clipped. I could tell he was putting a lot of effort into sounding nonchalant. It was the kind of tone I'd learned meant 'leave it be'. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that this time.

"I think it is my business." I asserted without glancing his way. I was playing one hell of a poker face. Poking at an already pissed-off bear.

This time, Meliodas completely froze, turning an incredulous glare my way. I could feel the heat from where I purposefully continued cleaning the counter beside him. "Excuse me?"

This was it. I had to take a quick breath to steel myself for what was to come. There was a number of ways this could go. Worst case scenario; he threw me out and I lost my only real lead and then my job. But I really hoped we had become close enough that he wouldn't go that far.

I mean… we'd slept together, for crying out loud! That had to mean something right?

Finally, I turned towards him, pouring as much sincerity into my gaze and voice as possible, "It's been two weeks, Meliodas. I… I need some real answers." Even I hated how fucking detached I sounded. Like I hadn't gotten close to these people in one way or another. Close or not, though, it didn't make my statement any less true.

The blonde rolled his eyes and I could feel his irritation growing, "Oh, not with this shit again." I don't think he's glared at me like this before. "Drop it. Alright? You'll get your evidence when we have it. Your impatience does not allow you unfettered access to my privacy." He hissed, all trace of restraint gone.

Now I was quickly losing grip of the determination and steeliness I had put up as his words stuck to me - and stung. "I'd like to think I've had a remarkable amount of patience with all of this, thank you very much!" I snapped back, throwing my towel on the counter. "But I'm running out of time here! If I don't start getting some answers I could lose my job!"

Meliodas scoffed, shaking his head, "That's all you care about isn't it?" His words made my cheeks burn with the implication. "Well," He pushed past me into the bar area where he began wiping tables down. "excuse me if I don't have any sympathy for you, Princess. Some of us have more on the line."

It was like a cold brush off. How could one man be so passionate one day and so cold the next?

"This… this is my life… my livelihood, we're talking about here." My voice was soft and pleading. "That's not enough?"

"I'm not talking about this anymore," he dismissed.

I feel my frustration finally reach its boiling point. I'm so fucking tired of being led around. I want the answers so bad; I decide to play my trump card. I was placing all my bets on this. I scoffed, "Fine. How about we talk about this then." I reach inside my jacket and yank out the picture that I had found, throwing it on the table Meliodas was wiping.

He looked down at it, his jaw tightening, before his green eyes darted up to glare at me again and if looks could kill I would have been dead on the spot, "Where the hell did you get this?" His voice was low and threatening, but I wasn't afraid of him. I was beyond being afraid of what this man could do to me.

"I found it. Under the bed in the room you're letting me stay in." I answered truthfully, just as clipped and irritated as he'd been.

"Bullshit." He fired back in a growl. Like a provoked dog.

I can't help but scoff again. Unbelievable. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I shook my head in disbelief; he was so infuriating. "After everything that's happened… that's where you draw the line in trusting me?"

He gave me a cold look but said nothing. There was a rage burning there in his eyes that he was holding back with all his might. I could feel it. But if I backed down now, there was no way he'd ever trust me again. I had to follow-through.

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Elizabeth. She… has nothing to do with this."

I had to wonder to which tree he was referring. That of the case or of his group. As far as I could tell, they were one and the same. "Meliodas, her death is at the very core of all of this!" I pushed back without thinking, knowing I'd let too much slip the moment the words left my mouth.

"You looked into her?"

I swallowed, feeling a bit of my determination crack at the sudden distrust in his face, but I recovered quickly, "You gave me no choice! I still have a job to do, here. You've given me nothing but conspiracy theories! I'm running out of time to solve this case and her overdose was the closest thing to a lead that-"

"SHE DIDN'T OVERDOSE!" Meliodas' balled fists came down hard on the table, making me stagger back slightly. It was a rage that neither of us had been expecting, if the sudden conflict in his eyes was any indication. But that confliction didn't cool him down in the slightest.

Something wasn't right here.

Was he so short sighted and paranoid about Liz's death that he actually doubted the cause of death? "Look," I started, much softer, but no less aggressive, "I get it. I see this sort of thing a lot more than I'd like to admit. But Liz had a lethal dose of XGEN in her system and-"

"No, you don't get it!" He roared accusingly, and I flinched back again, "You don't understand at all!"

I blinked a couple of times as he stared me down like a stranger.

But he was right. I'd lived here for two weeks now, I'd been a part of their schemes and I had fallen for his charm, and I still had no clue. No idea whatsoever as to why a group of people like them could come together like this. How he could possibly doubt the evidence in front of his face. How any of this made any sense to anyone involved.

The tension in my shoulders eased as the anger left me.

The problem before had been that I wanted to look at all of this through the lens of a detective. I wanted to solve my case and I didn't want to know how the rest of this made any difference. I wanted to stay detached.

But it was clear now… watching Meliodas glare me down, trying to remain in control of his anger, that I'd missed something along the way.

I'd seen it, but ignored it. Desperately ignored it.

But I couldn't ignore it any more.

"Then make me." I retorted softly.

He watched me for what felt like a long time. His confusion obvious as his features morphed from fury to scrutinizing.

"You're right." I chuckled humorlessly at the irony, "I don't understand. I don't get any of this." I extend my hands, waving them around to include everything and everyone within the bar. "So make me understand."

It was all too clear to me now. What I'd missed. Why he even agreed to help me in the first place, "That is why I'm here, isn't it?"

There was silence in the bar. Loud in its own way as it consumed the both of us. I was wearing my heart on my sleeves now - I could feel it hammering as I finally let all sincerity fill my words and expression. "You keep telling me to trust you. That you're on my side. Did you ever once consider that maybe I was on your side too?"

My own words surprised me as I found truth in them. I was on his side. I had been from the start. I had literally staked my entire career on someone I'd met twice. I wanted to believe that Meliodas wasn't the criminal everyone said he was and I wanted to help the sins destroy this criminal underworld; not because it was my job, but because it was the right thing to do.

This is bigger than all of us. King's statement from weeks ago rang through my head. We just want to see it destroyed.

He remained silent as he mulled over my words. His face betraying his hesitance in letting me in - his uncertainty to my trustworthiness.

At least he wasn't yelling any more.

Before long, though, he was making his way across the bar, rounding behind it and pouring two mugs full of beer, then bringing them back to the table I was still occupying. It took him another moment sitting in the high-top chair before he spoke again, this time, his voice was calmer - hoarse from yelling, "Alright."

I nod, cautiously taking my seat across from him, "Alright." I mimic.

He took a long sip of his beer, and I did the same, allowing for the man to collect his thoughts.

He stared at the picture of him and Liz on the table and I saw a storm of turmoil raging in his usually bright green eyes, "What do you want to know?" He asked me out of the blue, and I felt a wave of relief. Like a gust of fresh air.

I knew so much, yet so little. Gilthunder's report had been extensive. But it wasn't enough.

"Everything." I said and I could tell how hard this was for him from the way his eyes rested on me - exhausted, at his last straw. Like he was putting his last hopes into telling me his tale.

And I hoped from the very bottom of my heart that his hopes were not wasted.

"Tell me everything. From the beginning."

Luv: Hey, uh, Dom?

Dom: Yes, Luv?

Luv: Uh…. *stares at her face intently*... What's on your face?

Dom: Whatever could you mean? *Looks on genuinely curious*

Luv: *Continues staring* Uh…. *simple lifts up her pointer finger and holds it over her upper lip* … Uh?

Dom: I'm not sure what you're getting at. *Lifts a tenuous brow*

Luv: Mustache! You-You have a mustache! *points intensely* How- when?

Dom: Luv… I've… always had a mustache.

Luv: Oh… right… *leans closer* Seems extra bushy today and … Is it moving?

Dom: Luv…. it's always done that. Are you alright?

Luv: Um… *starts to question everything she knows* Yeah, totally! I'm totally fine! *starts sweating*

Dom: *stares suspiciously* HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM… *Continues staring suspiciously*

Luv: *waves off her look* Just do the thing already!

Dom: *Does the thing* Next Time on Don't Trust Me: Meliodas' past will finally be revealed. But will Elizabeth be able to accept it? Once she learns the truth, she's presented with an ultimatum - one that will define the rest of her career.

Luv: It's fine. *lowers herself into a fetal position* This is fine.

Dom: *Mustache begins twirling on face like a plane propeller as she pats Luv on the head* Yes, yes it is, dear. Talleyho, gents! See you next time!