Chloe nodded towards the group of "residents" from the older part of the hotel who were grouped around the front door. "Funny thing – I thought I had heard the hotel had been sold again and was being renovated. Yet there still seems to be a lot of folks living there that don't fit with the image the lobby presents."
"It was sold" Lucifer replied with a bored tone. "But your mortal legal system has made things quite difficult for the new owners – especially in regards to the riff-raff who call the Cecil home. Seems it's proving quite difficult to evict them – and without that the rest of the plans will continue to be nothing more than a pipe dream. And it didn't help that they floated an absurd plan to put in a swimming pool on the roof – right near where that last human was found dead. And you lot call me soulless." He squinted at the entrance then smiled. "Oh look – it's Ms. Lopez. Does that mean we can move on to our next port of call?"
The detective sighed. Ever since he's returned from Hell (something he has studiously avoided talking about) he had been back to the "old" Lucifer - the one who seemed not to feel much of anything about anyone but her. It was disconcerting at best but Linda had reassured her that it was probably her partner's way of coping with being forced to return to the prison of the damned he had always hated. And with being pulled out of it without much warning. "I'll have to step carefully around him for a while" she thought to herself , waving to Ella. "Maybe Linda can give me some pointers on how to help he readjust to humanity."
She tapped Lucifer on the arm gently. "I need to check in with Elle and see if she found anything in the victim's room – then we can head out to Mr. McIntyre's office." Chloe moved quickly across the street towards the forensic technician, leaving the angelic brothers alone again.
"Lucifer – I noticed…" Amenadiel began, his eyes scanning the sidewalk for the odd figure he had noticed before.
"The homeless wanker with the cart" Lucifer replied, watching his detective as she consulted with Ms. Lopez about the case. "What about him?"
"There was something off about him" the angel said with a shrug. "Just wondering…"
"If any of my little demons followed me up from Hell after Dad "allowed" me parole?" the Devil replied with a sneer, bitterness in every word. "No – my guess is that one was human, maybe one of the regulars who make the streets around here their home. Or maybe it was one of our lesser brethren who took a wrong turn on their way back to the Silver City." He peered down the street at the individual, watching as he and his squeaky cart disappeared around the corner. "I'd put money on the latter."
"How can you tell that it isn't one of yours?" Amenadiel whispered.
"I can tell" he sniffed. "Even hidden inside a meat suit I can still tell. And besides – after that LAST little gathering of my subjects, no one is likely to be stupid enough to walk right in front of me no matter how unfortunate the human they are possessing might be." The smile he flashed at his angelic brother was all teeth and no warmth, leaving a coldness between the two. "And as I recall – not all our angelic siblings were more than foot soldiers for dear old Dad. Many were created almost in an assembly line with no real purpose in mind other than he needed a warm body with little to no talent on anything other than being in the right place in the right time to watch over his latest pets." He nodded towards where the being had disappeared. "Care to make a wager on which it is?"
"Thanks but no" Amenadiel said slowly. "Making a bet with you never works out well. But it did seem he was very interested in what was going on in front of the hotel."
"Probably the most excitement that didn't include illicit narcotics or heavenly rapture he's experienced in a while." Lucifer shrugged, closing off the conversation as Chloe returned to them. "Did Ms. Lopez find anything interesting?"
"Nothing" Chloe replied in frustration. "No laptop, no cellphone, nothing to explain why he chose this hotel from the hundreds of establishments all around the city to make a reservation in. She'll head back to the coroner's office with the body and collect his belongings – clothes, wallet, watch, etc… - and see what she can come up with from them."
Lucifer straightened and gave his brother a slight push. "So … where are we going now?"
"Vic's office" Chloe replied, looking up at Amenadiel. "Sorry – wish we had more time to chat..."
"No problem" Amenadiel said, his eyes still riveted on the corner of the building. "Maybe I'll see you at Lux tonight?"
"Maybe" Chloe replied, glancing in the direction the towering angel was watching. She glanced over at Lucifer who was studiously avoiding looking in the same direction as his brother. "Something you two want to share with me?"
"Not really" they said in unison.
Chloe sighed. "I was afraid of that."