Leon leaned back in his chair stretching his arms out above his head. "God DAMN how I hate paper work." He yawned.
"Well at least you got that Wright case out of they way." Offered Jill as she leaned over to his computer and started correcting his work.
"Yeah, suicide, who would have guessed? I mean the guy had everything!" Leon shook his head in disbelief as he stood to get a cup of coffee.
"DETECTIVE!" echoed a loud shriek through the precinct office. Several detectives looked up and looked away upon recognizing the count. D rounded the corner and found Leon staring wide-eyed at the coffee covered wall.
Leon turned around slowly and glared at D. D's hand flew up to his mouth as he tried to contain his laughter. Leon looked down and found a large stain in the crotch of his pants. What he hadn't spit out of his mouth had spilled from his mug.
Chapter 2Confrontations
"What ever you have to say to me D will have to wait, I'm going to the locker room to change clothes."
"This is really important Detective, I will accompany you."
"Whatever." Leon started to walk away glaring daggers to anyone who so much as looked at him funny. "So what is it that is so important?"
"Leala."
"Who?" Leon held open the door to the locker room for D to pass into. He then noticed the very worried look that adorned the man's face.
"Mr. Wright's pet, Leon!" D said in an exhausted tone as he plopped ungracefully onto a bench behind the locker Leon was currently opening.
"Oh, okay, yeah!" Leon turned around and looked questioningly at D. "What about her? That case is over and done, I just finished all the paperwork for goodness sake!" Leon turned back around and proceeded to change his pants.
D turned away as his cheeks flushed and explained, "Well remember the terms from the contract?"
Leon started wiggling into his other pair of pants, which were just a tad to small. "No" he grunted.
"Well one of them was that Leala was not supposed to be separated from her owner, Mr. Damon, for more than three hours." There was a silent pause. "He committed suicide a week ago Detective." D pointed out.
Leon slammed his locker shut and walked around to face the count. "That would result in what?"
"Leala would become hostile, she wont allow anyone near her."
"Well that's not so bad then…"
"There is more detective! She also needs to be fed fresh raw meat every day! Other wise she will go out and hunt for herself."
"How strong can the bitch be?" Leon said offhandedly as he turned to head out the door.
D stood and firmly grabbed Leon's arm. "Very strong, Leon." D said slowly and firmly. His dark onyx eyes stared intensely into Leon's soft brown ones with an urgency that Leon couldn't ignore.
"Fine, so what do you want with me?"
"I need Leala back."
"She's not there." Says Leon as she snaps his cell phone shut.
"Where ever could she be?" D wondered aloud as the two sat in a standstill of afternoon traffic. " Malory's sister said she got the insurance money and moved out. Ran off with some guy named Lionel Landers. Ring a bell?"
The count was silent for a moment before replying. "His assistant."
"Hmm?"
"Damon's assistant. He was the one who suggested my shop to Damon. Though he is not a client of mine."
"So Malory Wright gathered all the insurance money and ran off with her dead husband's assistant? Sounds kinda fishy to me."
D gave a sideways glance at Leon. "Shouldn't you have investigated all of this already detective?" He asked arching an eyebrow.
Malory Wright looked out contently at the LA skyline. She sipped Champaign from an expensive crystal glass. Her impressive diamond engagement ring gleamed in the setting sunlight. A chilled wind blew and Malory pulled her new mink coat tightly around her. She turned and smiled at her fiancé who sat next to her on the penthouse balcony of the Harman Hotel.
Lionel Landers smiled back. He raised his Champaign glass and proposed a toast. "To our new found riches!"
"To you getting rid of that nuisance of a husband!" Malory grinned maliciously.
"To our future son!"
"To our future son…" They toasted and drank.
Leon followed D through the hallway the lead to the extravagant double doors of the top floor penthouse sweet. His wandering thoughts about…. Well nothing in particular were abruptly interrupted when Leon ran right into the still Count.
"What the hell D! Why did you just STOP!"
D turned a blank face at the detective and pointed at the lock on the door. "You wouldn't happen to have brought the key would you?"
Leon just glared down at the floor to hide the red creeping into his cheeks. 'I cant believe I forgot the damned key! Well I will just shoot off the lock… the chief will understand…not.' Leon looked up to find the count on his knees skillfully picking the lock.
"D! You can't just pick the lock like that!"
"My dear detective," D said plainly, continuing his work. "Do you have any better ideas?" Leon blushed again, remaining silent. "I thought as much." Replied the Count as he stood and swung the door open silently.
Leon switched into cop mode, and pulled out his gun. He stepped silently into the room surveying everything before allowing the count to follow him in. "Stay behind me D, I don't need you getting injured."
"I'm touched detective, I sometimes think you don't like me."
Leon just grunted and continued on his way through the living room towards the kitchen with D close behind.
"It's a bit chilly, I'm going to go in and start up the fireplace in the living room." Offered Lionel as he stood to head indoors.
"Great idea, love. I'll go get another bottle of champagne this one is nearly empty!" Malory followed her future husband back inside of her apartment and headed off for the kitchen.
"Do NOT take a beer from the refrigerator Detective Orcot!"
"Why not? No one lives here anymore!"
"It's the principal of the thing, Malory Wright still owns this apartment! And we have more important matters to attend to."
"Loosen up D, we've checked half the place so far, and not a thing. Leala must have keeled over by now." Leon shrugged.
"Actually I have that stupid mutt locked up in one of the bathrooms detective." Malory informed from the entrance to the kitchen area.
"Ah, Mrs. Wright. I'm so very sorry for the intrusion into your home-" Count D began.
"Yeah! We thought you had run off with the- OW!"
The count stepped on Leon's foot as he passed in front of him. "But the health of Leala is in question and she must be attended to as quickly as possible."
"Oh she is just fine. Damn thing had gone crazy while I was gone. She almost took my arm off as I was locking her into the bathroom, but I thought she might come in handy yaknow?"
"Well I have come prepared for such behavior, if you would just show-"
"Mal, what is taking you so…. Company?" Lionel asked upon wandering into the kitchen in his search for Malory.
"Lionel, these gentlemen here are Count D, of D's pet shop in china town, and Detective Leon Orcot of the 27th precinct. They came to check up on Leala."
"Well then we should let them have a little fun with her don't you think? I mean this engagement between us can't be found out now, or people might think were murderers." Lionel sneered
"And that just wont do." Malory agreed
"Because we're not."
"He… jumped"
"That's our story and we're sticking to it."
"And we cant have you two saying otherwise. Lionel…"
Lionel took his cue and grabbed D, twisting his arm behind his back and pinning his legs together between his own. Leon reached for his gun, but Malory kicked it from his hand and grabbed it from the air pointing it at its owner.
"Now if you would kindly put your hands on your head and turn around detective." Malory sneered.
Leon looked at the gun Malory skillfully pointed towards him, and then looked at the helpless count. He slowly turned around glaring daggers and placed his palms on his blonde head. Malory came up behind Leon and grabbed a roll of duct tape from a drawer. She pulled Leon's arms behind his back and taped them in place, and then she taped his ankles together as well. The widow then tossed the roll of tape to her fiancé and aimed for the count. Lionel taped up D in the same way.
"If you kill us the police will find out." Spat Leon.
"Not if Leala does it. We skip town for a while, conjure up a flawless alibi, and we're free." Laughed Malory gleefully. She jerked her head towards the hallway. Lionel easily picked up the count and carried him off down the mentioned hallway.
"Follow or I put a bullet thru your lung."
"Whatever" grumbled Leon as he hopped rather ungracefully down the hallway.
At the end of the hallway, barking, snarling, and scratching could be heard from Leala. She threw herself at the door in a raging distress. Her master, betrayed by the one man she loved, had left behind Leala. He hadn't been around to feed her or play with her in weeks. And she could smell fresh blood coming near. Her vision was red with excitement towards the prospect of food. The door slowly creaked open just a crack and Leala threw herself against it. Screaming wildly.
Leon and Count D where roughly squeezed I into the rather large bathroom and the door was slammed shut and locked behind them. Leon rolled over and sat up only to have a young woman pounce on him chest and started ripping away at his clothes.
"AHHHH! D! GET THIS CRAZY BITCH OFF ME!" Leon screamed as he tried futilely to get away from the raging blonde.
D appeared before Leon, free oh his bindings. He grabbed Leala by the shoulders and wrestled her to the floor where he promptly began to scratch her stomach. Once she was calm, D laid his hands on her and concentrated. There was a slight flash of blue light. Leala then fell fast asleep and turned into her canine form.
"Well now, that was easy." Grunted D as his stomach grumbled painfully. D looked up towards the detective. "Oh my! Leon!" D ran over to Leon who was lying on his side. There was a deep cut in his abdomen that was bleeding so profusely that Leon was lying in a pool of his own blood.
"Must bust Malory and Lionel for murder…." Leon muttered to the distraught count. He then promptly passed out.
"I will get help Leon, I promise." Count D stood, kicked down the door of the bathroom, and snuck down the hallway to find Lionel and Malory cackling by the fireplace. D pulled an elegant dagger from a hidden pocket in his kimono and stealthily crept up behind Malory.
"Have your lover call for an ambulance now, or lose your life." D whispered coldly into Malory's ear as he pressed the blade threateningly into her neck.
"L- Lionel, honny. Go call for an ambulance."
Lionel looked at the pregnant woman shocked. He couldn't see the count or his blade that were hidden in the shadows. "Why? We want them dead!"
D pressed the blade in more drawing a small trickle of blood. Malory winced. "A change of plans dear." She grated out. "Just do it."
Grumbling Lionel stood and walked over to the phone on the other side of the room.
"Say one word and I will end you life." D threatened as he pulled out a roll of duct tape and quickly tied Malory's hands, ankles, and mouth. He then quietly set her on the balcony outside. He emerged into the living room once again just as Lionel set down the receiver.
"You! How the hell did you get away!"
D ignored the question and slowly walked towards Lionel, hiding the knife behind his arm.
Lionel lifted his fists. "All right pretty boy, you wanna dance?" he smirked.
D returned the smirk. He dropped to the ground and swept a long leg across the ground tripping Lionel. He then sat on the man's back, pinning his arms painfully behind his back. D raised the dagger high into the air and brought it down swiftly. It sunk in about an inch into the carpet centimeters away from Lionel's face.
D's stomach growled again. D doubled over coughing. His vision turned red. He could smell the blood the pumped quickly through the beating heart under him. D licked his lips hungrily. "My master hasn't fed me in weeks." He growled. Sensitive canine like ears heard the approaching sirens of an ambulance. D shook his head forcefully and his vision went back to normal. The count hurriedly wrapped up Lionel's hands, ankles, and mouth.
Then he remembered Leon. D ran back into the bathroom to find Leon groaning, still unconscious. He laid his hands on the huge wound on Leon's stomach. There was a huge flash of blue light. D clutched at his still grumbling stomach as a huge gash formed and started to bleed profusely. D started to black out, the last thing he heard was the exclamation of "D!" over the noise of the cops and paramedics entering the building.
End Ch 2