On the very same night, they visited a few more locations, where Chloe wanted to speak with the LAPD informants. However, in vain. The detective was right – the closest they got to the mysterious dealer was what Frank Bowels told them.
"Let's finish this and drive back you to the LUX," the detective proposed finally to her partner. "Then I will go to the precinct and read the case files once more. Perhaps I will find some loose ends… some trails I missed…"
"Now? It is almost 3 am," observed Lucifer. "You should rather go home and rest."
"That's fine. That won't be the first night I spent at work," stated Chloe. She was determined not to stop until she would find some foothold, something to start with on the next day. She just couldn't accept the possibility, that some new kids would land in the hospital, while she would still be at the dead end. "Besides, Dan agreed to stay with Trixie tonight. He would send her to school in the morning."
"Ah, if the Detective Douche is staying at your home tonight, then, by all means, the precinct is a much better idea," smirked Lucifer. "Of course, I am going with you, Detective," he ordered in a tone that dismissed any possible objections on her side.
"There is no need. It has been a long night," Chloe tried anyway. "Why don't you catch some sleep instead?"
"Detective, no one sends the Devil to the bed. Though you could always invite him there," he grinned and Chloe rolled her eyes, pretending to be angry. To tell the truth, she was happy, the usual camaraderie was back in their relations and Lucifer didn't pout after their quarrel. Besides, if she had missed something in the reports, the second pair of eyes could turn out useful. She could give him files and herself use the computer.
At this time of the night, the precinct was relatively quiet, only the night shift working. Chloe handed Lucifer the interrogation protocols and herself started to check the LAPD database, searching for possible missed connections of the dealers they arrested.
From time to time she couldn't help but cast a quick glance at Lucifer, admiring how concentrated he looked like, going through the files with commendable speed. The detective didn't expect he could be so quiet and focused. She didn't know this side of him so far. Of course, he had this amazing library, but she didn't saw him as a man who could truly appreciate the lecture. But of course, he must have been reading a lot. After all, he had a vast knowledge about many unique subjects, quite regularly surprising her with remarks about some details unknown to most of the people. He must have learnt it from the books. It was obvious, that this boisterous playboy persona was only the most superficial part of his character. The real Lucifer was much more complicated and intriguing than this.
Very intriguing.
The detective shook her head and returned to her work, clicking one name after another, skimming one short bio after another, trying to concentrate on the condensed histories of crime and offences…
Her eyes run again to her partner. She felt a bit ashamed, being the one casting the secret glances at him when he remained so focused at work – shouldn't it be the other way round – but she couldn't help it. He looked good, reading. He always looked good, but this was a different type of 'good', than his usual energetic liveliness. Chloe's gaze for a moment rested at his hands, the way that his long fingers were flipping through the files… The pianists usually had lovely hands, and so did he.
He flipped the page and the ring on his fingers flickered. Chloe frowned, as the ring reminded her in a very unsettling way he was not only the pianist. What kind of stone it was, always so dark? No, she didn't want to know.
She carefully moved the sight to his face. The lock of hair was falling at his temple, finally the first sign of disarray in his meticulously arranged hairstyle. A rare occurrence and Chloe took her time to memorise the view.
Lucifer shifted himself on the chair to a more comfortable position and Chloe quickly moved her eyes to the screen again.
Damn, that database was boring.
Everything not connected with Lucifer was boring.
Chloe almost moaned at the realization of her feelings, of this chaotic, but sweet turmoil in her head - the most irresponsible schoolgirl crush, unbefitting and unnecessary in the life of a grown-up woman. What a mess. What a bad idea. She was just going recently through her biggest emotional disappointment, named divorce. She was too wrecked, too old and too responsible for butterflies in her stomach.
Focus, Decker, she admonished herself. You are not a teenager. Focus on work.
She opened new windows, adamant not to tear her eyes from the database until she would be finished with the search no matter how boring and tedious the task was. Her partner wasn't exactly boyfriend material. He would bring her nothing more than a little bit of fun and a lot of disappointment.
"Why was Ben Mitchell released?" asked suddenly Lucifer, with obvious irritation."What is the sense of making so much effort and arresting the suspects, if they get released in a day or two? And I am the one who gets to be called a hypocrite!"
Chloe sighed and closed her eyes for a while. And here she thought their quarrel was forgotten. Of course not. That was a side of Lucifer she knew well. Whatever lapses she might have made relating to him, everything was easily and gracefully forgiven – but definitely not forgotten.
"I apologized for that, Lucifer," she replied. "Besides, Ben Mitchell was not released, only bailed. It is a standard procedure. I do not like when scoundrels get away too, but Mitchell is far from it. He will face charges in the court."
"Waste of time," muttered her partner, but returned to the lecture.
Well, at least he was doing his job, not dwelling on the issue of butterflies in the stomach.
For a long while, they worked in silence. The detective, true to her resolution, didn't tear the eyes from the screen until they started to water. Slowly, the fatigue and sleepiness started to take better of her. She could spend the whole night on the chase or at the stakeout, but tedious work on the database was too much for her tired mind. Her eyelids were becoming heavier and heavier and after a few desperate tries of waking up and concentrating, her battle with fatigue was lost. She even didn't notice the moment when she fell into slumber until the clatter of something being put on her desk woke her up.
The detective tilted her head and opened the eyes, to see a mug of coffee in front of her.
"I would drive you home but I will not risk sending you into Daniel's den," stated Lucifer, chuckling at the joke, he tried to explain, when she stared at him blankly: "You know, like the Daniel in the lion's den. In the Book of Daniel. No?... Does not ring a bell?... You did not do the Sunday school?..."
"Did you read the files and why are you not sleepy?" asked Chloe in a hoarse voice, reaching for the coffee.
"One or two nights awake make no difference," Lucifer shrugged his shoulders. "And yes, I read your files. Wake up and let's talk about it."
Chloe for a moment struggled with sore muscles and cold shivers running through her body. Coffee was helping, but she still would prefer to curl in some warm, soft place, preferably… no. She shook her head once again, forbidding her thoughts to wander further.
"I am fine. Let's speak," she said in the most professional voice she could muster and straightened in order to appear more official. The effect was spoiled by her hair, that somehow escaped the clip and at this moment fell over her eyes.
"You are not fine, but you are adorable." Lucifer smiled at her, so warmly, fixating the glance at her hair, or perhaps at her lips, and for a moment the world around them stood still.
Chloe realized, that he was about to reach and brush her hair away, so she quickly forced them into the clip herself because there was no need to feed her unwanted crush.
And she regretted it in the very same second.
"And your reports are absolutely cogent," stated Lucifer, blissfully unaware of her heart's dilemmas. "I couldn't spot any… loose ends. Except for… the very beginning," he stated with a certain hesitation, showing her the very first document concerning the case, the one that she showed him a few weeks ago when the whole case started.
The notice concerning the alleged burglary to the Jeremy's Mitchell herbary shop.
The detective immediately realized, what he was referring to.
"Yes, the burglary," she said. "I was wondering about it too."
"Why did the murderer reported it exactly as the burglary? Why not an assault? Scrimmage? Murder even? They could have said anything."
"It might have just been the first thing he thought about. Absolutely incidental." The detective tried to be sceptical, to avoid falling into another dead end. However, she had her own doubts concerning this notice and the fact, that Lucifer on his own came to the same conclusion, only straightened her suspicions.
"Let's assume it wasn't incidental. What would be the difference? What would the police do in the burglary case?"
The detective considered it for a moment. She was used to investigating the homicide cases, where the main aim was finding the culprit, not the robberies. "Perhaps search the premises? Check what was missing?" she stated unsurely. "I am not certain. Usually, when the murderer's motive is connected with the robbery and something valuable is missing, there is an insurance company involved. But in Mitchell's shop… many wares were destroyed… something could have been missing, but..."
"No, no," Lucifer shook his head. "It was the murderer who hoped that the police would search the shop. What if it was not something that was missing, but something that police should have found?"
"The drugs?" Chloe's eyes went wide open. "That's a very far-fetched assumption. The drug was produced in the lab, Mitchell only sold some ingredients. However," she added quickly, before Lucifer's face fell with disappointment, "I thought already it might have been a good idea to check this shop again. I only left it for later. There was no hurry, it remained closed since Jeremy's death. And now, since the drug is again at the market, even if the lab was taken… now it sounds wise to check it."
"And how are we going to do this? Please tell me it is going to be more fun than going through the inventory books."
"If there are drugs in this shop, they are not in the inventory books," Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "No, we are going to set a trap."
Lucifer beamed as if offered a new toy, and the detective quickly worked out the details.
"If there was something hidden in the shop, the most likely suspects are people who had easy access to it. I will call both the widow and Ben Mitchell today, to tell them, that tomorrow the LAPD would run detailed search and stocktaking of the shop. And tonight we would visit the shop and wait if anyone appears. Perhaps we would manage to lure someone out."
"Besides," Lucifer added with consideration, "Bowels promised to ask our elusive dealer for more. If he manages to meet him… and if there is indeed a connection…"
And if Bowels is still in the city, added the detective dubiously, but didn't voice it. What happened, happened.
"Well then, the trap it is," she concluded and check the watch. "Tonight. It seems that we are moving to night shifts. Are you sure that the LUX can suffer another evening without your presence?" she asked teasingly.
"The LUX is for me, not me for the LUX," Lucifer shrugged his shoulders, his expression being the one of the absolute monarch commenting on his domain. Chloe found his royal pose so endearing, that she couldn't help, but laugh and joke:
"And you are for me, right?"
"Of course. If that's what you wish, I am at your services," replied Lucifer with a flourish, but at the end of the sentence, his voice faltered. The detective immediately regretted her words, seeing how his expression changed, into the frown of deep confusion.
Great. He must have felt I am trying to… ensnare him, or something, thought bitterly Chloe. What kind of idiot asks the sworn playboy 'to be there for her'?
"Right, so I would need to settle this with Monroe, and get her authorization," she stated after the moment awkward silence. "She should be there in less than two hours or so. I guess I will just wait for her."
She had to face another wave of awkward silence, as Lucifer didn't reply, immersed in some inner quandary.
"So, I will just… go to the social room and try to catch a nap," she continued, bravely pretending everything was fine. "I will call you later." Now, that was a clumsy retreat.
"Yes, of course," Lucifer replied only.
The detective smiled unsurely, nodded and went to the social room.
Luckily, the small couch was free and she could lie down, wrapping herself in the blanket. She thought she wouldn't be able to fell asleep, after the coffee and all these emotions, but she drifted away as soon as her head touched the cushion.
She woke up two hours later and the precinct was already filled with people buzzing around. The detective tried to make herself as presentable, as possible, but the sleepless night left a shadow on her face. Well, if she was going to spend the next night on the stakeout, she would drive home now and sleep during the day.
"Hi Dan," she said, seeing her ex-husband. "How was the morning with Trixie? Did you make her a lunchbox to school?"
"Yes, I have it all covered," he replied quite reluctantly. "Did you sleep here, or what?"
"Just a couple of hours. We spent the night asking the informants and reading the files."
"We as you and your new boyfriend?"
Chloe flinched at the reluctant tone in Dan's voice. "You know who I am working with. Give it up, ok?"
Dan grimaced and Chloe realized he was tensed and angry. She knew him well enough to suspect, that the real reason for his irritation was not her or Lucifer, but some problem connected with work.
"Is everything going fine with your case? Benitez?..." she asked without much consideration and regretted it immediately, because Dan bridled as if she hit him.
"Your partner shouldn't work on your computer," he said angrily, not answering her question. "He is not authorized to access our database."
"What are you talking about?" asked Chloe confused and followed Dan's sight toward her desk. Though they were separated from it by several glass panels, she could see that Lucifer sitting behind her desk.
So he didn't leave. He was waiting for me, something sang in her, and she immediately blushed and of course, Dan noticed it, snapping angrily:
"If you gave him your passwords, it is a breach of security."
"Oh, then report it to the Lieutenant, please," Chloe snapped back, fully realizing it was mean of her, because Olivia Monroe would give gladly give Lucifer all her own passwords, and access codes, together with the keys to her apartment if he only asked.
"I am not the snout," retorted Dan, and that was even meaner because he accented the 'I' word and Chloe felt all the bitterness of Palmetto case again.
She turned on her heels and left wordlessly, ignoring Dan calling behind her: "Chloe, wait! I didn't mean it, I am sorry!"
Sometimes saying 'sorry' was worthless, Lucifer was right about that.
The detective made a beeline toward her desk, but stopped in a distance of few steps, just before Lucifer would be able to notice her.
She gave herself a few seconds to indulge her little crush. For a moment, she imagined that everything was simple. That handsome, intelligent and witty man was interested in her. That he waited two very early hours in her office for her to wake up… perhaps because he wanted to drive her home. She would like that very much.
And everything was just as simple. There was no playboy problem and no relation issues. There was no queue of admirers waiting for being invited to his bedroom.
And no people were losing their minds when he was losing his temper.
Just the man right for her, who made her feel alive – and safe.
The detective closed her eyes and opened them again, smiling with indulgence at her naivety. Who has she been cheating? There was nothing simple in Lucifer.
Just like the way he was sitting now – sprawled on her chair, his long legs resting on the carton with the spare ream of printing paper, he appeared at ease and comfortable, but even from a distance and through the glass panel the detective saw that he was all tensed and tight. No, he didn't use her computer, the screen was black. He was simply sitting, motionless for the whole time she was watching him, and something told her he might have been sitting like that for the whole two hours while she slept.
"Hi. You didn't go home?" she asked, quite senselessly, nearing to the desk.
Lucifer flinched as if awoken from some very deep reverie. "Oh, Detective, have you rested? No, I didn't. I have been thinking."
Uh-oh, goodbye the sense of safety, because if he had been sitting here for two hours, in this silent, predatory concentration, thinking – nothing good could get out of it.
"Yes?..." she asked weakly.
"I was thinking about what you told me last night. That I… do not deliver… adequate information."
This again? "Lucifer, I apologized!" the detective almost shouted, barely holding her temper. Of course, she would hear no end of this, he was bound to recall their little quarrel ad nauseam.
"Oh no," Lucifer shook his head, meeting her sight with his dark eyes. "You were right."
"I was?" Chloe frowned.
"Yes," he nodded seriously. "The…complete and reliable information is essential in making a conscious choice."
The gravity in his words was troubling at least. The detective sat on the spare chair and chuckled, to ease the tension. "So are you going to add some fine print to your deals? I-Owe-You Miranda laws?"
"What? I wasn't speaking about deals," Lucifer shook his head with distraction. He didn't laugh with her. "I was speaking about you."
Shit. The smile died on Chloe's lips and everything in her clenched in sudden, inexplicable stress.
"It came to my mind, that it might be… unfair to…" Lucifer avoided her eyes and hesitated, in search for words, but spoke further. "That it would be unfair to… enjoy your company while…"
"No," whispered Chloe.
"While you are not adequately informed," concluded Lucifer and sighed with determination, as if he just passed some threshold, but still saw many thresholds ahead of him.
Why do we have to speak about it here, at the precinct? thought desperately Chloe. But of course, why should he care? The precinct is for him, not vice versa, she mocked bitterly.
"Couldn't we postpone it for later?" she asked, but he ignored her. Of perhaps didn't even hear her, struggling with his one-sided conversation.
"The choice you are making, Detective…" he continued, still looking somewhere aside, "Of course providing that I am correctly guessing that you are, indeed, making the choice, but I think that I am…" he fleetingly smiled to her, but then escaped his eyes again.
Of course, he noticed, thought Chloe, once again gloomily pitying her naivety. How could she assume that he, so sensitive at each change of her mood, wouldn't notice all her secret glances, all the confusion and awkwardness in her behaviour? That he won't notice her falling for him?
"I would like… I think that you should be certain of what you are doing. Of what you wish for," Lucifer stressed, referring to their previous exchange that apparently started the chain of his reflections.
"No," she replied again, a bit louder. Suddenly, she felt the same wave of panic, like in her dream from the previous night. As if something terrible was about to happen.
She was ignored again.
"So, Detective, even if I would very much like to… play my usual, not necessarily clean card and just stick to the fact I told the truth, many times… I have to admit that I could do more to make you, in fact, believe the truth," another sigh, another threshold passed.
How close were they to the final?
Chloe struggled with the childish need to close her eyes and ears. She managed somehow to build around herself a plausible explanation. She wanted it to remain this way. A wide stretched assumption here and there. Something overlooked, something ignored. An ambiguous joke, an indulgent shake of the head. Hypnosis, family issues, drugs, bad temper. It was perhaps not entirely coherent, but it was enough.
At least her senses and world-view remained intact. After all, she didn't believe in anything, that couldn't be rationalized, touched and examined.
And he wanted to spoil it.
"No. It is neither the place nor the time," she said decisively, standing up. He also moved and stood in front of her.
"Detective," he said placatingly,"I believe you should have all the necessary information to make a conscious choice." He finally looked her straight in the eye and she realized they were crossing the last thresholds. "So that you could act on your free will…"
"No!..." she shouted so violently, that Lucifer flinched and looked at her with disbelief. This time, she finally got his attention.
And not only his. People, who were passing by her room, slowed down and cast curious glances in their direction and Dan, who somehow happened to be near as well, entered the room.
"Everything fine here?" He measured Lucifer with threatening glance as if he was the one behaving aggressively.
"Leave us," replied Lucifer, barely paying attention, in a dismissive tone she never heard him use before. Perhaps only to Maze.
"Chloe?" Dan turned to her. "I am not leaving until you say so."
The detective struggled to shift the attention from the conversation with Lucifer to her ex-husband. Dan was looking at her with an apology and genuine concern in his eyes and for a moment, Chloe pitied him. He was evidently sorry for their last quarrel and most probably he was waiting near her desk for the occasion to speak with her, to make up for his last outburst.
However, she was too shaken with her own feelings to care for his. And he was not the one occupying all her thoughts now.
"Leave us, Dan, please," she said clearly. "Everythings fine."
Dan bridled with irritation, bit his lip and nodded, heading toward the door. Chloe felt relieved that he would leave without a further scene when he halted and turned toward Lucifer.
"I know, what you are trying to do," he said angrily, stepping in front of Chloe's partner and looking him challengingly.
"Oh, do you now?..." asked quietly Lucifer, with an unpleasant mocking chuckle.
He was looking at Dan, crooking the head in this specific manner that reminded Chloe more of a reptile, or a bird. The detective realized, that despite the appearances of calm, Lucifer was angry, very angry. Probably the real reason for his anger was his stressful confession she interrupted so abruptly, however, he was focusing his attention at Dan now.
"You are messing in her head," continued Dan, unabashed.
"Am I?..." repeated Lucifer even quieter.
"You are trying to… to separate her. From me," Dan almost choked with emotions. "You think you can do everything and get away with it. You are manipulating everyone around. And Chloe… so that she wouldn't be able to see, what kind of bastard you are."
Chloe stared at her ex-husband with opened eyes. There was something not right with him. It wasn't like Dan, to be that open… and emotional. She cast a quick glance at Lucifer, taking in his concentrated sight and malicious smirk and realized that it as his doing. He was playing his... trick again. Perhaps with more subtlety than with suspects but still, he was goading Dan to spill out, deliberately leading him at the verge of emotional outburst.
"Then tell me. What kind of bastard am I?..." Lucifer made a small step toward Dan invading his personal space. "Tell me. Or perhaps…"
"That's enough," she said sharply, stepping in between them. "Lucifer, leave him."
Lucifer grimaced and on his face passed the shadow of regret as if he was waiting for the occasion to unleash his frustration. However, he stepped back without objection and even sat on the chair, to underline his peaceful attitude.
"Me? Why me?" He asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "He is the one doing the shouting. He burst in here. And he is the one caring the gun," he observed innocently.
Chloe narrowed her eyes, suspecting mockery, but Lucifer appeared absolutely honest. Even a little hurt. Besides, he was right. Dan was the one expressing acyve aggression.
"He is got a point, Dan," she said. "Please, leave, we have work to do."
Dan for a moment shifted the glance between her and Lucifer. "I hope that you know what you are doing, Chlo. Good luck," he stated bitterly and turned to leave.
The detective let the breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Oh, Daniel just a moment," called Lucifer. "I read the files of the Detective's case today."
Chloe jumped, turning to him with reproach, but her partner appeared absolutely composed and professional, reaching toward Dan one of her reports. He even said 'Daniel' not 'Douche'.
"So what?" asked Dan, refusing to take the folder.
"I noticed, what Alex Derham said about the stunt they played on the competition," continued her partner, undiscouraged by Dan's tardiness. "The murder of Mitchell was a retaliation. It is quite obvious, that the killers of Jeremy Mitchell were the members of the gang you are investigating. It is only logical to assume, that this first 'stunt' was played on them. Did you manage to learn, what was it?"
Dan grimaced. "No. I did not," he replied reluctantly.
Chloe bit her lips. They already spoke about it earlier and Dan really tried to find some information. He was quite frustrated, that Benitez didn't help. Pity that Lucifer…
"I see. A run of misfortune, huh?" sympathised Lucifer in his silky voice. " No luck at love, no luck at work?... Never mind, Daniel, there is nothing you could do about it. Some people are simply inferior."
Dan wordlessly launched himself toward Lucifer, fists clenched, features twisted with rage. Luckily, Chloe acted on instinct, stepping in front of the Dan, as soon as Lucifer finished speaking, and managed to intercept him.
And Lucifer didn't even flinch on his chair, only tilted his head, in a very snake-like manner, looking at Dan with satisfied glitter in his eyes. Even if he remained seated, he appeared more than ready for confrontation.
The detective concentrated on her ex-husband. "I need to speak with Monroe now, about my next stakeout," she said slowly. "It would probably take the most of the night again. Dan, would you be so kind and take care of Trixie again tonight?"
Mentioning both Monroe and Trixie helped. Dan moved the sight at her, blinking, hopefully at the realization, that it wouldn't be wise to attack unarmed work colleague at the middle of the precinct. The mad rage slowly disappeared from his expression, gicing place to confusion.
"Yes," he muttered.
"Thank you," nodded Chloe and without further explanation, shovelled him to the corridor. pushed him outside. Dan left, unusually meekly, rubbing his forehead and looking around with dazed expression. Chloe saw similar, haze and embarrassed expression, by the suspects released from Lucifer's hypnotic trick.
The detective sent then a reproachful glance toward her partner, for a moment really wanting to give him a piece of her mind, because – what the hell was he thinking? Dan could have gotten suspended for that.
Her partner corrected his cufflinks, but apart from that didn't show any sign of repentance.
"You spoilt my fun, Detective," he complained instead. "Let me at least drive you home, when you are done talking with the Lieutenant. You look worn out."
"Oh, you have no idea…" sighed Chloe, shaking her head.
One could say that on the whole, the morning went according to Chloe's will. Dan didn't trouble her anymore. Monroe authorized her stakeout in Mitchell's shop. Lucifer drove her back home and - apparently feeling that he crossed the line toying with Dan - kept the conversation light and easy. He didn't try to return to the subject he started and she interrupted.
However, it weighted on them, like the proverbial elephant in the room, reducing their exchange to some neutral remarks concerning weather or traffic. Finally, when they parked in front of Chloe's house and she was about to get out of the car, she started hesitantly:
"Lucifer, I… I know, that you wanted to…" the words failed her.
"Everything is fine, Detective," cut her off Lucifer. It sounded a bit harsh, but then he smiled to her, as usual.
"Great. See you tonight," nodded Chloe, also trying to smile as usual, probably failing.
Everything's fine. Everything was fine, because he liked her. He always made it clear that he was treating her like someone special.
But if it would be someone else? If someone else would try to close his ears, to escape hearing some uncomfortable information?
The uncomfortable truth, corrected herself Chloe, biting her lips.
Oh, she could imagine, what he would say to anyone else in her place. She could imagine it so clearly, that she almost heard in her mind the words spoken in the British accent: 'You are lying to yourself, Detective. And I do not like liars.'