Wow, I'm doing a really good job of putting up chapters almost every day. Glad that everyone has liked this so far, I really hope I can keep up to your standards. Anywho, here's Chapter 4. I'm feeling lazy and I won't put up the list, but thanks to everyone who's reviewed. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Constantine or any of its characters but I do own my OC's.
Chapter 4: The Unseen Are Never Forgotten
Los Angeles Police Station, 205
One Week Later
"Listen, if you'd just take the time to review the case before you sent it, I'm sure-" Angela was cut off by the angry voice of the judge.
"Dodson, enough! I'm tired of hearing your protests that this case isn't what it seems! That delinquent girl murdered that woman, god knows why, and mutilated her body. I don't care if she sees angels or demons or anything that you may come up with, she's been sentenced and she's going to be staying in that hospital for the rest of her life if I can help it." The man leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, staring at the woman in the chair across from him.
Angela stood there, her jaw clenched. "Your honor," she began, "You had no sufficient proof to convict that girl. She had no motive and nothing to gain from that woman's death. In fact, she had no connection with that woman in the first place. You convicted her on pure guesswork because you didn't want to have to dig around for the truth." Her eyes were angry and she was standing now, leaning over desk.
"You… what…" the judge couldn't get anything out for a moment until he pulled himself together. "You can't do this!" he yelled finally. If you tell anyone what you've just said, I'll-"
"Lose your position," Angela finished. "I know. You should have thought about this before you convicted an innocent girl of murder!"
"Do you know that she's innocent?" the balding man challenged. "I have no proof that she's guilty, but do you have proof that she's innocent?"
She sighed. She was caught here, she had no evidence that the police would accept of Aerin's innocence, except Aerin's testimony. Then an idea struck her. "Your honor, how about a compromise? I won't say a word about your… verdict, if you'll get Aerin out of that mental institute."
"What is this, blackmail?" the judge snapped.
"Why of course not," Angela said with a smile. "It's just an agreement between friends."
"There's no way that anyone will go for this," he scoffed. "You'll never manage it."
"What if she was staying with someone? Say, someone who's helped out the police force before and is also a public servant? This person would monitor her and she'd be under a sort of house arrest."
The judge paused. "I… might be able to pull a few strings. Who is this person anyways? You must think highly of her."
"Her?" Angela laughed. "Oh, this is a man, John Constantine."
"Constantine? Have you finally lost whatever sense you ever had? That man is involved in cult-like activities, supposed magic, and is all around a dark character. You want to put a convicted murderer in his care?" The man had jumped to his feet and was staring at her, his face beet red.
"John Constantine is a very level-headed man whom many people trust with their lives. He is an avid church-goer, already has one child living with him under the jurisdiction of the law, and is intelligent and resourceful." She smiled slightly at the irony of the situation. An avid church-goer? Hah, Gabriel wished.
"Well…" the judge paused. "Perhaps I'll be able to do something about all of this. However, if she stays with this John Constantine, they will be receiving visits from a social worker every other day and she will have to talk to a psychiatrist at that time as well."
Angela sighed. "I suppose that I'll have to accept that." Inwardly, she was ready to kick herself. John would never agree to have someone come into his house and check up on him. Of course, she hadn't said anything to John yet. The idea had just struck her, and she'd had to act quickly with the time she had. "Give me a call when you've arranged everything," she said, handing the judge her card. "I'll be waiting to hear from you." Turning, she left the room.
"You'll hear from me soon enough Angela Dodson," the judge muttered. "You may have me cornered but I swear you'll never find any evidence that she's innocent." Picking up the phone, he dialed a number and waited.
"What is it?" asked the voice on the other line.
"You were right, she came just like you said she would," he answered. "I acted like I had to give into her. You were right about where Dodson wanted that girl to stay as well. I'll keep an ear open and tell you whatever I hear."
"Not bad. You're doing better than I expected." The person on the other line laughed cynically.
"Well then, I think it's time we started talking about my, shall we say, rewards?" the judge asked. "If I've been doing everything that you expected…"
"Very well. You know where to meet, come there tonight at midnight. I'll be there with your payment." There was a click as the connection was cut.
"Finally," the man smirked. "I'm finally about to get what I deserve. After this, nothing will be the same…"
Somewhere else…
The man who was on the other line of the phone smiled and paced back and forth slowly. Things were falling into place much more quickly than he had expected. After cutting that deal with those higher up than him, he was ready to work… and this time… he wouldn't fail.
Midnite's Club
Three Nights Earlier
Constantine strode down the hall into Midnite's bar paying no attention to the light that bathed everything in red, and seemingly no attention to the bouncer in front. As the card was held up in front of him he shot out, "Three cats under a table," and brushed through as the rope was unhooked in front of him.
The music blasted around him and the loud bass reverberated in his chest as he pushed his way through until he reached the bar. Throwing himself onto a stool, he barely glanced up as the bartender came up in front of him, cleaning a class with a rag.
"Triple, on the rocks," he said, turning his head and running a hand through the dark hair at the back of his neck. Around him bodies were moving and dancing, lights flashed and sound pounded around from all sides. He didn't notice the body that slid into the seat beside his until they said,
"Drinking again John? Don't you think you should have learned your lesson?"
"Gabriel," he sighed agitatedly. "You really aren't in any place to tell me what to do anymore." Pausing he added, "Oh by the way, how's it going being human again?" with a sarcastic smile.
"Oh don't be so bitter John. I'm not. I'm just saying that you should try to take care of yourself. You were given a third chance, most people don't even get a second."
John looked at the ex-angel sideways, reaching out to take the glass offered by the bartender. "Spare me the damn sermon, Gabriel. I'm not here for it and you already know that, so let's get down to business."
"Business, John? What business do you have in mind?" Gabriel smirked slightly, it had always been one of his favorite pastimes to aggravate the exorcist.
He leaned forward and tersely said, "I need to know what's going on with hell these days, and I need to know it now. Demons don't normally chew their way through drunken women's throats. When you and Mammon were trying to take over the world, yeah, I could see this. But now what in hell is happening?"
"I really am not in any position to tell you anything, as you just reminded me. Even if I am an angel no longer, I still have obligations to uphold." A smirk graced the fallen's face.
"Damn it Gabriel, I'm not in the mood for this. Midnite won't give me any information, there aren't any high-ranking demons around since I deported Balthazar, and you're the only angel around that might know something important." John clenched his jaw.
Gabriel looked at him. "Very well John, I can tell you one thing. Don't think that things are gone just because you can't see them anymore. When God closes a door, he opens a window. Don't you think that the same would apply in reverse? To every back there is a front, to every black there is a white. Look for what is forgotten." The ex-angel carefully rose to his feet.
"Thanks, that was as clear as anything I've heard." John drained the last of his drink and set it down on the bar with a clang. Standing up beside his 'companion' he turned around and headed for the door that led to Midnite's room.
"If only you knew John," Gabriel sighed. "What's coming."
Present Day
2 Hours after Angela's Conversation with the Judge
John's Apartment
"What the hell did you just say?" John yelled as Angela sat at his table, sipping a cup of coffee.
"I told you, I need you to let Aerin live with you for a while. At least until I can get sufficient evidence to prove her innocence. I'm sorry about the psychiatrist and social worker part, but that's the only way I could arrange this." She tipped the mug up again and took a drink of the bitter, pure black caffeine.
"I already have Chas living here until further notice, I can't have someone else. Oh, and if you didn't notice, she's a female and not a male like everyone else in my residence!" He pulled out a stick of gum and thrust it into his mouth. It was days like these he wished he could just grab a cigarette and a beer and relax.
"John, I need you to do this. I have a… a feeling that she's an important part in what's going on. Don't forget I still am a 'powerful psychic.'" She smiled slightly at the look on his face when she said that.
"Fine. O-fucking-kay but I don't want to hear anything else about this until she's here, got it?" He threw himself into another chair and groaned. "By the way, Chas'll be back from the store in a little bit. You're going to tell him about all of this, not me. Got it?"
"Of course," Angela laughed. "I'm sure he'll be ecstatic. I need to go and fill out some forms to allow her to stay here with you. I'll give you a call and tell you when she'll arrive tomorrow night. Well, goodnight, John Constantine. See you around." She put the dirty mug in the sink and left the apartment.
"How do I get pulled into these things?" John muttered tiredly to himself as he put a hand over his eyes. Closing them for a moment, he stared at the back of his eyeslids until the slightest noise caught his ears. To anyone else, it would have been nothing, but years of experience had trained him to be able to recognize the sound of angel's wings when he heard it. Getting up and striding to the window where he though the sound had come from, he threw it open and looked down. A single crimson feather lay there, moving slightly in the evening breeze. Picking it up and looking at it with confusion, he said out loud,
"What angel has crimson feathers? What the fuck is going on?"
TBC…
There we go, Chapter 4. Hope you like this one too, I got it out ASAP. Cheers and Happy Easter everyone, peace!
Eagle
