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"Why Do Fools Fall In Love" - Frankie Lymon, The Teenagers
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Michael let out a hearty laugh as Chloe withheld the answer from him. She was being overprotective and he knew why:
He wasn't human.
He didn't live a calm life.
And he practically beat people up for a living.
There were a couple of things going against him at the moment. He just hoped she knew he would never hurt her or any of his brother's friends. He tried proving that to her on multiple occasions.
Chloe wasn't the most cautious person in the world. She'd given him a run for his money. He had pulled her out of shoot outs, bar fights, alcohol poisonings, and even the occasional inappropriate groping. All acts of violence on her behalf were in her honor and for her protection. He really was a teddy bear when you got to know him.
Still withholding the answer to his question, Michael decided he needed to use the big guns. He got down to her level and gave her his best puppy dogs eyes. Although it was degrading, he knew she could not deny his face.
He watched her battle on whether or not to give him his answer. He bumped up the charm to make her answer come out faster. Frustrated with his attempts, Chloe pushed his face away and gave him his answer.
"No she does not," Michael's face widened with a grin, "but that doesn't mean you can go over there and distract her. She needs to work. Remember we are on duty. This is an active case."
"That's right," Dan said. He walked over to the pair and exchanged their special handshake.
The two had been well acquainted for some time now. In the beginning, the two had gotten off on the wrong hand. Much like Chloe, he acted in violence. A good right hook to the face was delivered when Dan saw Michael getting touchy with a woman here at the club.
It was a mistake. The man apologized profusely, just like his ex-wife. Michael was fine with it. As humans say, water under the bridge.
"I'm afraid your interest in Ella is going to have to wait. We'd like to go over a few things with you," he patted Michael on the shoulder and turned to Chloe. "So we have a name, Charles Harvey 38 years old."
Chloe nodded her head, "found dead on the side of Lux. Ella tells us he's been dead for about four hours, putting the time of death around one."
"Security claims Michael called for the club to close down early. Employees that are here claim to not have heard any shots go off. Which correlates, we found the murder weapon…" Dan looked over to Michael, but the angel folded his arms over his chest unfazed.
"You don't think Michael did this did you?" Chloe asked.
Dan shook his head, "no. The gun came back with a silencer in the dumpster. Unless Michael is tempting fate, he can't be our killer."
"Told you…"
Chloe raised her hand to stop him from talking. "So this was a hit? What was Mr. Harvey's occupation?" She asked Dan.
"Accountant? Not entirely sure. He had a few different business cards in his wallet that we found. Along with money withdrawal receipts. Looks like Mr. Harvey was trying to flee town."
"Did you know this?" Chloe asked, turning to Michael.
"Of course I did... He was a smuggler by the way. Charles imported a variety of foreign goods."
"How did you even know about this guy?" Dan asked.
"My brother," Michael replied. "He's a name in my brother's ledgers. I had him brought in to collect on a debt. He was supposed to return this afternoon… looks like I'll be getting a visit from my brother soon," he said the last part under his breath. Chloe vaguely caught the end of that but not enough to press on the topic.
"So he came in last night and what? The two of you got into a heated discussion and you told everyone to leave?"
"I wasn't in a good mood last night so I asked everyone to leave. The two are unrelated. Mazikeen brought Charles in because he was seen trying to flee town. He had been dodging us for weeks, it wasn't until he tried withdrawing money that Mazikeen was able to track him down."
"If Mr. Harvey was trying to skip town, maybe he had multiple people looking for him…" Chloe said to herself already trying to work out the angle.
"What was Mr. Harvey's payment that he owed Lucifer? It couldn't have been cash, I've seen Lucifer drop half a million just to bail someone out of jail. So what was smuggling for you and Lucifer?" Dan crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for Michael to answer.
"He wasn't smuggling anything. He was supposed to stop by with a stone..."
A stone? Chloe and Dan looked at each other confused. It wasn't something they would imagine someone would fight over, let alone kill. Before they could ask anymore questions, an officer came over and whispered something in Dan's ear. The two shared a quick conversation before Dan dismissed the officer.
"Footage came back with confirmation… Michael isn't our killer." Michael shot Chloe a look that screamed for a slap. She knew he didn't kill their victim. She rolled her eyes and waited for Dan to continue. "Outside cameras caught our shooter wiping the gun clean and tossing it into the dumpster. The camera only got a parcial shot of the killer's license plate. I had Larry call it in and have the precinct run the plate through the system."
"That's good. We have a license plate number, hopefully we're able to find the killer fast." She turned to Michael, "do you have an idea on who would want to kill Mr. Harvey?"
Michael shrugged, "Loan sharks… Desperate ex-wives? The man was a mess. He barely gave me any information. The only thing he would tell me was that I wasn't the only one he was running from. I asked if he wanted me to help, but he refused making another deal."
"Do you think one of the people he was trying to get away from could be responsible for Mr. Harvey's death?" Chloe asked.
"Maybe… I don't know. He was more afraid of me than the other guys. Deals with my brother aren't a joke."
"Do you think you can recall any names Mr. Harvey may have mentioned when you were… interrogating him?" Dan asked.
"He really didn't give any name up, as I said, he refused any help."
"If you remember any names, it'd help a lot. Do you think Maze would know any?"
"Possibly… I can give her a call if you'd like."
"I would," Dan nodded his head.
"Excellent!" Michael clapped his hands together and looked over to Ella. She was back in the club, writing down information in her journal. It looked like she was finishing up with her report. "Now, if you'd excuse me, seeing as I've given all the information I possess… I'd like to ask Miss Lopez a question." He waved his hand in the air, trying to grab her attention, "Oh Miss Lopez!"
Ella looked up from her journal and turned in the direction Michael called out from. As she made eye contact with Michael, a red blush fell upon her face.
He managed to get two steps in before Maze came busting into the club. She looked mad. Everyone's heads turned in her direction and watched as she charged after Michael. Ella lifted her journal up to her face to try and hide her curiosity of why Maze was mad at Michael. She watched closely as Maze pulled Michael close so she could whisper something in his ear.
She noticed Michael's facial expressions stayed stoic, they didn't show any expression as Maze relayed a secret.
"I'm afraid I have pressing matters to attend to." He said, addressing the Detectives. "Am I free to leave?" he asked. Chloe regretfully nodded her head before Dan could give the okay.
Maze didn't look too pleased. She wondered if it had anything to do with the dead body outside Lux.
"Remember what we discussed, message Chloe if you get a name!" Dan called out as the two walked up the stairs to the elevator.
"Yes, don't worry Detectives. I have full confidence you'll find the killer!" He shot Ella a smile when he found her staring up at him.
Maze pulled Michael up the stairs and into the elevator. They had pressing matters to discuss without the police around.
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Maze pulled Michael up to the penthouse to get away from noisey listeners. The last thing she wanted was for Chloe to hear what she had to say. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Michael took off his watch and placed it over the piano. He beelined for the bar and helped himself to a glass of vodka.
When Maze walked over, he pulled a glass out for her as well. She appreciated the offer. When he finished pouring her a glass, she took it into her hands.
"Thanks," she said. The two clinked their glasses together and took a sip.
"Mind telling me where you've been for the past four hours?"
"I did as you asked me, I went after Hank. I kept an eye on him, but he got the upper hand on me and knocked me out, outside the Viper Room…"
"He knocked you out?" Michael let out at chuckle as the unbelievable sentence came out of Maze's mouth. "A human got the upper hand on Hell's best demon?"
"Shut it. The man is crafty."
"Crafty? What did he do, build a trap?" He pulled away from the bar and over to the tall table. "You disappoint me Mazikeen… if I knew you couldn't keep an eye on the man, I would have hired Manny to do the job instead."
Maze pulled out her knife and pressed it against Michael's back. The knife poked at his injury. It sent Michael's gripping onto the table in a massive amount of pain. He was barely able to keep myself up as Maze pressed on his weak spot.
"Say that again and I'll shove this in your back," she threatened.
Unable to take the pain any longer, Michael waved his hand in the air to call her off. She immediately pulled the knife off his back and let him regain his composure.
"Sandalphon really did a number on you, didn't he?"
"Yes…" He said with no emotion. He rolled his shoulder to test it's rotation. His right side was never going to be the same, not unless he got Sandalphon to reverse what he did. "Attempt that again and you will be sorry."
Maze shot him a smile, she loved pushing Michael's buttons. In fact, they both like pushing each other's buttons. She knew the comment he made wasn't genuine.
Maze rubbed the right side of his back as a peace offering and walked back over to the bar. She made her way behind the bar and looked for something stronger than what Michael offered.
"Do you think Hank had enough time to kill Charles?" Michael asked.
Maze finished pouring herself a class of tequila before she answered Michael. She turned around and leaned against Lucifer's private bar.
"It's possible. I was out for twenty minutes. I didn't think to come back to Lux. Did Chloe mention how he was killed?"
"Shot to the chest… apparently a silencer was used. Did Hank have a gun on him when you had eyes on him?"
"Yeah… shit! Did Chloe mention what caliber the bullet was?"
"I didn't go over the logistics of the case. As I was too busy getting screened for killing a man!" he snapped.
He didn't mean to yell, he was just upset he wouldn't be collecting on a deal for his brother. Michael sighed to calm down his nerves. Three seconds and he was calm.
"It's fine, it's fine," he repeated to himself. "If Hank is the killer, do the LAPD a solid and go get the bastard. Feel free to have fun with him. Afterall, he did prevent us from collecting Lucifer's favor…"
"I get the feeling this wasn't about the favor and more about the stone Harvey promised."
Michael kept his response to himself. Of course he was more upset that he wouldn't know the whereabouts of the stone.
"It's the stone you wanted, why?" she asked with curiosity. She pushed herself off the bar and over to Michael. He rolled his eyes and took the glass from her hands.
"Personal reasons… go catch your bounty. I'll meet you at the precinct when you've returned the bastard over to the police." He finished her drink and placed the glass on the piano.
"You're heading to the precinct? For what?" she watched as Michael made his way over to the closet.
"Felt I could stretch my wings…" he was already shedding himself of his current clothing. Maze walked up the stairs to watch Michael undress. He was almost out of his boxers when he caught Maze lurking around the corner. "Do you mind?"
"No," she said with a smile.
"Out, you have a killer to catch." When Maze refused to leave, he gave up and dropped his boxers.
It wasn't like she hadn't seen him naked before. He made his way over to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Maze followed close behind.
"Can I help you, Mazikeen?"
She didn't answer him. Michael gave up and stepped into the shower. She watched as Michael stood under the water. Her eyes raked over Michael's form taking in every second.
The shower had no doors, it was an open floor plan with a brick wall off to the side. Maze stayed on the other side of the brick wall and leaned against it to watch as Michael applied soap to his body. In all honesty, it was Maze's wet dream to sleep with Michael. He was the biggest tease.
When she didn't answer, he turned away from her. She rolled her eyes and replied back to him.
"You didn't mention why you were going to the precinct."
"I wasn't aware I had to inform you about my whereabouts."
"You don't, but I'm still curious as to why you are leaving to go to the precinct."
Michael reached over to the rack and applied some shampoo into his hair. As he was scrubbing the liquid into his hair, he answered Maze.
"If you must know, I felt I could talk to the forensic scientist about possibly grabbing a bite to eat." He walked under the water and washed his hair out. He missed the expression on Maze's face as he uttered his sentence.
"Ellen? You're going to the precinct to see Ellen?" she let out a chuckle. "Oh you are barking up the wrong tree, she is way too chipper for you."
He pulled himself out from under the water and shot Maze a confused look.
"I can be chipper. I'm not all brooding, you know? And her name is Ella."
"Ellen, Ella. Same thing," she waved her hand in the air and walked over to the sink. Michael killed her buzz. She was no longer interested in the naked angel in front of her.
"Has my brother ever?" he didn't want the answer but he was at least curious to know if Lucifer had ever hooked up with Ella.
"What? Slept with her? No!" It came out as a laugh. Michael let a smile cross over his face. He wouldn't have minded, but it was nice to know she was able to resist his brother. Michael continued his shower routine. "So you and Ellen?" Maze said with amusement.
"Ella," Michael shook his head.
"Whatever… so she sparked your interest?" She was generally interested.
"Yeah," he said with a smile. I don't know… there's something about her that…"
"Yeah yeah yeah," Maze said with no amusement.
"You're not jealous now, are you Mazikeen?"
Maze blew out raspberries, "of course not. Just don't need to hear about her bubbly nature and wonderful personality," the last part was overdone, but Michael laughed. "Just try not to hurt her feelings."
"My my, is the infamous Mazikeen concerned for a human?"
"No," she folded her arms across her chest.
"Mhm… sure. Softy," he whispered under his breath. "Mind grabbing me a towel?"
He turned off the faucet and shook his head. Any excess water dripped right off and loosened his curls. When he turned around, Maze was already ready with the towel in hand. He took it and patted his body dry. Once he was done, he wrapped it around his waist.
"You enjoy the show?" he asked, pushing past her.
"Always." She grinned in his direction as he made his way over to the closet.
Maze looked over his back to see the large scar on his right side. It was similar to the mark Lucifer had when he had her cut his wings off, but more defined. It looked more like an electrical scar. She had tried on multiple occasions to get Michael to open up about the incident but he shut her down right away. It was a touchy subject for him.
She had heard rumors about Michael being tortured, but didn't know if they were true. She was still pretty sure that wasn't the case, but the scar… there had to be some truth behind his slouch.
"Are you going to watch me change or are you actually going to go track down Hank?" he said, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"I'm waiting for you to hand over the keys to the basement."
"The basement?"
"My toys are down there. You really think I'm going to let him off the hook for giving me this bump on my head?"
"Fair point…" Michael walked over to his jacket on the couch and fished out the keys from his breast pocket. He tossed them over to Maze without hesitation. "If he knows where the stone is located, try to get it out of him. I want that stone, Mazikeen."
She nodded her head and left on the elevator.
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It took him an hour to get presentable. He wasn't sure what he wanted to wear. He had not been out of the building for some time. He kept bouncing between a suit and casual dress wear. He was nervous. He wanted to come off approachable for Ella. Not too intimidating, not too casual.
He settled for blue suit pants with a white t-shirt. To top it off, he threw the blue jacket over the shirt. It was just enough to make the outfit both subtle and put together.
When his hair was ready, he made his way down into Lux. The police had cleared out and gone back to the precinct. He shook his head. He knew he took too long. He had hoped to catch Chloe or Ella before they left, but it was fine. He knew he was going to have to make a trip over to the precinct.
He walked down the stairs and took in the silence. It was so quiet. Usually a few employees stuck around and hung out. It was weird having the place all to himself. He sighed.
A ping off his phone drew his attention out of the loneliness. He pulled out his phone and smiled as he received a text from Chloe.
Did Maze give you a name?
He frowned. Could at least say hello first. He shook his head at her lack of manners.
He knew all along who Charles' killer could be. Afterall, he wouldn't be good at his job if he didn't get the name of a competing shark. He swiped up on his screen and started typing out a message for Chloe.
Sorry Darling. Mazikeen was unable to recall a name.
Michael watched as the ellipsis popped up on the screen. He doubted she'd believe him but it was worth a shot. He wanted to get some information out of Hank before he was taken into police custody.
That's alright… Dan got a lead on the car. I just wanted to see if it matched up with yours. Does the name Griff Kelly ring any bells?
That was easier than he thought. He actually didn't think she'd believe him. She usually saw right through his lies. He made a face of shock as she let that lie slide. He thought of the same. Griff Kelly. The name was foreign to him.
(Michael)
You do know, I don't know everyone in Los Angeles right?
(Chloe)
I meant as a reminder. Like did Charles Harvey ever mention the name?
(Michael)
Oh… than no.
(Chloe)
Fine. I'll let Dan know to put a Bolo on Griff Kelly
(Michael)
Sorry I wasn't more helpful
(Chloe)
That's alright
Oh! I forgot to mention. Lux is to be closed for the night. Lieutenant's orders
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Michael clicked his phone off. Of course. He placed his phone back in his jacket pocket.
He walked over to the side entrance and let himself out.
Michael waved two fingers over at his security guard to notify he was leaving for the morning. George in return, waved Michael off.
The sun was just coming out. The sky was colored in purple and orange. He looked up and smiled. It was rare he got to experience the sun rising. It was one of the few things he still enjoyed about Earth.
He debated whether or not to fly to the precinct or drive. In the end, he pulled his keys out of his pocket. Much like his brother, he had an eye for classic cars. He walked over to the corvette and ran his hand over the hood. The poor thing had been neglected for weeks.
Chloe had voiced her complaints that no one was to drive it except Lucifer. And to his day he honored that rule. He turned away and smiled at his '68 Mustang fastback. Talk about a muscle car. Michael pulled the green door open and slipped inside. He placed the keys in the ignition and listened to the purr. He loved taking the car out into town, he loved the attention he brought.
Michael pulled open the glove compartment and reached for his sunglasses. Even though the sun was just setting, he knew he'd have the sun in his eyes on the way to the precinct.
He placed them over his eyes and turned on the radio.
He shook his head as Latin music played over his speakers. Surprisingly he didn't change it, he liked the tempo and instruments playing in the background. The lyrics were a bit confusing, but he could get behind the instrumental part of the music.
Michael pulled out of the parking garage and onto Sunset Boulevard. It was early enough that he could get onto the 101 without running into traffic.
While driving on the freeway, he realized he couldn't show up to the precinct empty handed. He wanted to woo Ella. What better way than buying the lady flowers.
As he got off the freeway and came to a stop at a stoplight, he pulled out his phone and looked up the nearest florist shop open at this hour. He was shocked to see there were a few. He picked the one that was similar to a mom and pop shop. With coordinates punched in, Michael made his way over to Olvera street.
He laughed to himself as the day brought everything Latin into his life. He took it as a sign from his father.
Michael hurried and parked over on the side of the road outside Olvera street. The place was just beginning to awaken. He could smell the restaurants prepping their food. He jumped out of his car and headed over into the florist shop.
He was immediately greeted by two middle aged women. He smiled at them and began speaking to them in Spanish. Shocked that a gringo could talk, the women starred with their mouths hung open. They quickly pulled themselves together and helped Michael out.
He was in and out with no problem.
With a small bouquet of peonies in hand, Michael's next stop was the precinct.
As his feet touched down in the parking lot, he was overcome with butterflies. A frown fell upon his face. He wasn't sure what these feelings were.
He took a deep breath and turned off the car. I can do this. Just ask her if she wants to grab something to eat. It doesn't have to be a date. Just ask her. The worst she can say is no.
His stomach dropped as he thought of the possibility of her actually saying no. She'll say, yes. She'll say, yes. She. Will. Say. Yes. Get your ass out of the car and go ask her.
He was done talking to himself. He grabbed the bouquet and got out of the car. A few officers had already gathered to compliment Michael on his car. He smiled and excused himself into the precinct. He had a mission. If he stopped to talk to any of the officers, he was afraid he'd chicken out.
The place was busy. He was overcome with the amount of people inside. The butterflies in his stomach were making it hard for him to process everything around him. The grip on the flowers tightened. He took a deep breath and pushed ahead.
Luckily having the same face as the Devil had its perks. The officers let him right through with no questions asked. After a few guided directions from passing officers, Michael finally found the bullpen on the bottom floor.
As he stepped out of the elevator, he began to get nervous. A passing officer commented on his peonies, saying they were lovely. He smiled in response and slowly pushed himself out towards the stairs.
Once again the pit was busy. He could see Dan and Chloe talking amongst one another. That grounded him. The nerves slowly started to fade as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Flowers still in hand, Michael walked over to Detectives.
"Why hello Detectives!" Michael sang out with a smile. Both turned around surprised to hear Michael behind them.
"Michael? Are those… are those flowers?" Chloe asked with surprise.
"Yes," he pulled them forward and showed her. "Beautiful aren't they?"
Both detectives nodded their heads. It was a beautiful bouquet. They looked at each other wondering who the flowers were for.
"I came by to see if Miss Lopez was around. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find her, would you?" He fixed the ribbon around the stems and shot them a smile.
"I see someone has eyes for Ella, are those for her?" Dan teased. Michael panicked, he said the first thing that popped into his head.
"No... I actually happened to find these out in the lobby. They caught my eye and just had to have them." It meant to come off sarcastic, but the tone of his voice came off more sincere.
"Oh… weird, but I'm not judging. Uh, I think Ella stepped out for the morning to go consult with the coroner. Afraid you missed her, buddy." He slapped a folder across his chest and left Michael alone with Chloe. Michael instantly frowned and dropped the flowers.
"Dammit, I knew I shouldn't have taken long getting ready." He brought the flowers up to his nose so he could smell them. Chloe gave Michael a serious face. He ignored her and kept his eyes on the flowers. When he didn't look at her, she pulled his hand down so he could look at her face.
Yup… I'm in trouble. He told himself.
"Look at me, Michael." He used all the power he had to keep his eyes on the ceiling. When her command didn't work, she pulled his chin down and physically had him look at her. She pulled the sunglasses right off his face and had him look her in the eyes. Michael made a noise as the woman used her inner mom to weaken him. Their eyes met and Michael gave her his biggest smile. "No."
"No?"
"Don't pretend like you didn't lie to me."
He swallowed the last drop of spit in his mouth. He let out a nervous chuckle, "I have no idea what you are talking about, Detective…"
Chloe scowled at him, he only ever used her title when he was hiding something.
He broke the tension by bringing the flowers between them, "you wouldn't mind a bouquet of flowers, would you?"
That caught her off guard. She dropped his chin and looked at the flowers.
"I… what?"
Michael tilted his head to the side and made a face, "seems I'm in trouble and in need of a peace offering… here," he offered them up to her. Chloe took them inside her hands and gave them a sniff.
"They're beautiful."
"They are, aren't they?" He metally kicked himself for offering up Ella's flowers. Michael retreated over to Chloe's desk and had a seat in her chair. Chloe rolled her eyes as Michael used the flowers to distract her. She fell into his trap. She gently placed the flowers down on the desk along with his sunglasses. She sat at the edge of her desk and crossed her arm over her chest. She wasn't letting him off the hook.
"Michael," she said, pulling him out of a daydream. He looked up at her with a smile on his face.
"Yes Chloe?" She hated when he played stupid. He knew what she was asking. She shot him a look and he immediately folded. "Fine," he reclined back into the chair with an eye roll. "Yes I lied."
