The devil made me do it
The bouncer in front of the Lux immediately opened the door for Chloe. It learned her at least Lucifer had not removed her from the VIP list. She saw neither Lucifer nor Maze in main area of the Lux. A girl behind the bar told her Lucifer was upstairs, so she entered the elevator to go to the penthouse.
In the penthouse Lucifer was standing bent over at the bar. Without looking up he snapped: "Not interested. Leave me alone."
She hesitated before asking: "What did I do wrong, Lucifer?"
Within the blink of an eye he turned around: "Detective?"
"Yes. You didn't come to the phone when I called."
His shoulders dropped, he looked down to the ground. "Why are you here?"
She didn't understand. He didn't look angry, more desperate. She noticed two bottles of bourbon behind him at the bar, both empty. "Lucifer, please explain to me. Why did you leave?"
"You saw my face, my eyes…"
"Yes. But don't worry. I don't think anyone else saw. They were behind you."
He looked at her with disbelieve in his eyes. "But you saw… And yet you are here."
Suddenly she understood. It hit her like a stone thrown at her. She closed her eyes and said: "O, my god. You were afraid I would be afraid. I'm so sorry, Lucifer."
"You are sorry? For what?"
"I should have told you. First I didn't dare. It looked safer not to tell and later… I don't know why I didn't say it." She walked to him and took his hands in her hands. "I'm really sorry. It is my fault."
"What is your fault? I let out my devil face so you could see it. You should be running, screaming, gone mad. Detective, why are you here? Don't you understand? I am the devil. You did see the prove you asked for."
She swallowed, sighed and said: "The evening that Delilah was killed, when we met, I already knew you were the devil. But I didn't know whether it was safe to tell you. I decided it was better to act as if I didn't believe you, just as no one ever believes you. I should have told you later, but… I don't know… It was stupid of me. Please forgive me I didn't. O, my god. You are upset and it is my fault."
He stared at her, eyes wide open. "Leave my dad out of this." Then he started to laugh. "I forgive you, detective. So when you said you asked for proof…"
"Mm." She gave him a shy look. They stood close together, four hands joined. "I say sorry again, Lucifer, but I only said I believe something for which I have seen proof. With those words I didn't ask for that proof at all."
"No need to say sorry. I get it already. You didn't say you didn't believe me…" He chuckled. "You little minx. You just told me the truth in a way I would misunderstand. But… How did you know I was the devil when we first met?"
"It wasn't our first meeting, Lucifer. The name Decker, does that not ring a bell? Twenty-eight years ago you were at the premiere of the movie 'Vampires in Hell', remember?"
"With Penelope Decker as the vampire queen… and you... Chloe Decker… Penelope is your mother? You were that little urchin? O my dad."
"I did grow a bit, Lucifer."
His eyes went over her body with a suggestive look and he smiled. "You surely did, detective."
"You not angry at me?"
"No, detective!"
"We need to discuss more, but I also need to go to the precinct to interview Joe Hanson and finish al lot of paperwork."
"I come with you. I might be useful with the interview, not with the paperwork."
She put her arm in his arm while they walked to the elevator. "The devil can not do magic to let forms fill in themselves? By just looking at them or so."
"No. The devil can not."
"Disappointing." They both smiled.
Joe Hanson answered all her questions. Lucifer was handy for remembering some details and the same holds when she filled in forms later. He appeared to have a perfect memory and knew exactly who said what and when during the last day. Dan was working at his own desk and seemed annoyed by Lucifer's presence at Chloe's desk.
"That's it for today," Chloe said after putting a just filled in form in the folder. Dan was gone already to pick up Trixie.
"Have a drink and something to eat in the Lux?" Lucifer asked.
"Another date, Lucifer?"
"Call it as you want, detective. I'm just happy we work together again. I missed you."
That was ridiculous, she thought. It was only two hours between him leaving Ty's house and she coming to his penthouse. But she realized she had felt the same after she arrested Ty. "Ok."
They were sitting at far end of the bar in the Lux with a drink and no one close. He arranged Spanish tapas, that was: every ten minutes the bartender provided them with a new small dish. Lucifer didn't call it diner, but 'something to eat', but after the fifth dish – small fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce – Chloe asked the bartender: "Is there more after this?"
"Mister Morningstar told me to have twelve courses ready."
She looked at Lucifer. "No dinner?"
"All small dishes, detective. I don't know how much you can eat."
"Certainly not twelve rounds." She tried a potato, admitted they were delicious and continued their conversation: "But how can you open any lock without touching it?"
"I don't open such a lock. A lock opens itself if I need it open." He looked past Chloe. "Hi, Maze."
"Hi. Hi, Decker. A serious conversation?" Maze asked.
"Just some gossip," Lucifer answered. "The detective wants to understand the devil. We already discussed hell and demons and now she is questioning me about things as speaking all languages and how locks open for me."
Maze froze and stared at Chloe. "Understand the devil?"
"I know he is."
"How…"
Lucifer started with telling Maze about Joe Hanson. "… she stood in front of me, looked me in my burning eyes and told me to back off."
Maze turned eyes wide open to Chloe. "You did? You didn't flee?"
"I had seen his face before and his face had helped my mother," Chloe said. "Remember the two of you visited Penelope Decker twenty-eight years ago?"
"Decker! Penelope is your mother? You were that child. Bloody hell. And you must realize I also told you the truth."
"You're a real demon. You told me."
Maze nodded, took the two remaining potatoes and put them in her mouth.
The next course arrived; four croquettes served on raw vegetables. They all three took one while Maze asked some questions. Chloe reached out for the last croquette, hesitated and pulled her hand back. "Take it," Lucifer said.
"If you don't mind." Chloe took a bite.
"And what if I mind?" Maze asked.
"You want it?" She offered Maze the remaining part.
"I wait for the next dish, Decker," Maze said. "Not polite to take the last one," she added with wink and a smile.
"The devil made me do it," Chloe answered.
"What?" Lucifer looked at her in horror. Maze burst in laughter and embraced her.
Next morning at her desk in the precinct Chloe called the Lux. It took some minutes before she could take to Lucifer. "Why don't you have a mobile?"
"I never needed one, detective. It would only mean men and women calling me for one more night."
"Men also?"
"Yes. You sound shocked. This is 21st century LA, detective."
"Well. Yes." For a moment she found it difficult to continue. She shook her head. They were not lovers, they knew each other and got along well together. That was all. "You owe me a favor," she said.
"I do, detective. What do you want. A promotion to detective third grade?"
"You can arrange that?"
"No problem. I arranged it for someone in the Narcotics department also."
"Who and how?" She had asked before thinking it over. "No. Don't tell. I don't want to know."
He chuckled. "Then what else, detective?"
"I told Trixie about our Mexican diner and our not-to-be-called-diner Spanish diner. She would like you to organize a diner for her."
"That's all. Just diner for her alone?" He sounded amazed.
"Not alone. She, me, you…"
"Wait, wait. Me? I detest children. Hideous little creatures, terrible, taxing burdens."
"Mmm. Yes," she said with a grin.
"Oh, um, yours is fine. I mean, you know, nothing to crow about, but nothing to be too embarrassed about, either, so that's quite good, isn't it?"
"Quite good indeed. But doing a favor is not about your pleasure, but about mine. Or in this case more mine and Trixie's."
He sighed, then laughed. "You're right. The Trixie Diner with the two Decker women it will be."
"I was not yet finished, Lucifer. Trixie, me, you and Maze. Trixie would like to see Maze also."
"Maze? Tell your daughter I can also buy a pony for her… Or arrange that the next Mars lander will be called the Beatrice. I'm bloody serious. That is easier than convincing Maze to have diner with a child."
"Maze, Lucifer."
"O, my dad."
"You're still dating that nightclub owner," Dan said the next morning.
"Lucifer and I don't date."
"You had diner with him."
"That was to thank him for helping me with the Robbie Russell case."
"And you plan another diner with him and Trixie," he snapped.
"He invited us to thank me for helping with the Ali Thornton case. We call it the Trixie Diner." She grinned, but it couldn't amuse Dan.
"You are my wife. I don't want you to date another man."
"We are almost divorced, Dan. And it's not dating."
Dan gave her an angry look. "And who is that Maze that Trixie is talking about."
"She works in the Lux as bartender. And she is Lucifer's righthand to manage the Lux."
"A hooker most likely," Dan concluded.
"She certainly is not. You don't even know her."
That evening after Trixie had gone to bed Chloe was called by a number that was not in her contacts list. "Decker."
"Hi, detective. I now have a mobile as you requested."
She laughed. "Don't tell me you bought it because I told you."
"I did, detective. The best I could find."
"By that you mean the most expensive?"
"Indeed." He grinned. "So you can put me in your contacts. I suggest as 'that handsome, charming devil'. But more adjectives is ok."
"What about 'Lucifer' or 'Lucifer Morningstar'?"
"How boring, detective. You are in my list as 'that most fascinating woman with those sparkling eyes and that shining hair'."
"That doesn't fit on your screen when I call you."
"Ah. So you will call me."
"If needed I will call you."
"That's good. I asked Maze for the Trixie Dinner. What did you or the urchin do with her?"
"What do you mean?"
"She said yes without any discussion. She even looked pleasantly surprised."
The Trixie Diner came and it was served in the penthouse above the Lux. Lucifer had arranged for a limousine to pick up Chloe and Trixie. Immediately after leaving the elevator Trixie hugging both Lucifer and Maze. Their reactions were almost opposite.
Lucifer tensed, raised his hands in a gesture of disgust and despair. He looked at Chloe with eyes that begged 'help me'. She found it amusing to see the king of hell defenseless captured by a seven year old girl.
Maze dropped on her knees when Trixie turned to her and took the girl in her arms with a big smile. "Good to see you again, Trix. Thanks for inviting me."
It was Italian, again five courses. In between the courses Lucifer played the piano again: Disney songs which he did sing together with Trixie. "Didn't expect you like those," Chloe whispered in his ear after the second Disney song.
"I studied the songs the last two days, detective. Never had heard them before."
Soon after she was explaining to Maze: "… so at each case I each day take a moment to think it over: I have facts and I have the interpretation of those facts. I look whether another interpretation of the facts is possible."
"To avoid the tunnel vision," Maze said and Chloe nodded.
"Believe me or not, but that is difficult. After following a theory for a few days, you tend to bend new, conflicting facts so they fit your theory instead of stepping back and reconsider your theory."
"You're talking about your job, mommy," Trixie said.
"Yes, monkey. We will talk about something else."
"Do you want to do trick-or-treat with me on Halloween?" Trixie asked Maze.
"What is trick and trade?" Maze reacted.
"Trick-or-treat," Trixie corrected her. Chloe listened with a smile to her daughter who explained Maze how funny Halloween was.
During the main course Lucifer used a knife to cut of a piece of a pizza. Chloe didn't see how, but the knife hit his finger and a drop of blood felt on the table. She noticed Lucifer and Maze looking shocked, first at the drop and then at each other.
"It only a small cut," Chloe said.
Lucifer forced a smile. "You're right, detective. Nothing to worry about." He continued eating. There was no more blood, but Chloe saw Maze and Lucifer exchanging some more thoughtful looks.
The desert was chocolate cake of which Maze eat even more than Trixie. "I found a third Brittaney," Chloe heard Maze say to Lucifer.
"You're looking for a Brittaney," she asked.
Maze laughed. "A kind of. We have two dancers in the Lux who are named Brittany. They do a sexy show together in a bad. I found a third girl to join them. Also called Brittany, same look, same age."
"The men like it," Lucifer said with a sinful smile.
"It was great, mommy," Trixie said when Chloe brought her to bed. Her daughter had said it al least ten times to Lucifer and ten more times during the ride home in the limousine. Chloe agreed with her… but she still saw that Lucifer's smile. That smile when he thought of those three Brittanies. She had told herself before: they were no lovers. She had told him herself she wouldn't sleep with him, so he was free to sleep with as many Brittanies as he liked. That's what her brain told her. But she was afraid. Not for the devil, for she liked him. Not that he would drag her to hell, for she knew he would never do so. She was afraid he would tell her tomorrow about his night with those Brittanies. It didn't make sense. They were not lovers. She sighed. She crossed her fingers there would not be a case tomorrow, so she wouldn't have to call him.
Next morning Chloe had just picked up her car keys to go to the precinct when Dan knocked on her door. "Hi. Something wrong?"
"No," Dan answered. "I just got off the phone with the lieutenant. There's a case."
He had a tablet with him and showed her a short film of a girl in a car. The girl told the viewers she was coming to LA together with her brother.
"Her name's Lindsay Jolson," Dan said. "Just turned 22. She went missing catering a Players' Club event."
"Players' Club?" Chloe asked.
"They claim they can teach geeks how to be sex gods. Lindsay was last seen talking to the lead scumbag. The founder, Carver Cruz."
"He was interrogated?"
"Yep," Dan said. "But his lawyer did all the talking and with no proof, we're stuck."
"So?"
"There's a Players' seminar and after-party today," Dan said. "And you are best way to go in. You go undercover."
"I am?"
"Apparently these events are pretty exclusive, and when I saw the guest list, I recognized one of the names. A lot of high-end club owners are invited."
"Lucifer?" She didn't want to be there to see him conquering his next one night stand.
"Is on the list." Apparently her face showed her doubt for he said: "Look... the last thing I want is that guy spending time with you, separated or not. But I just keep thinking, what if this was our daughter?"
"We need to find her," she agreed.
"The Players' Club?" Lucifer asked "Never heard of." He and Maze were at a table in the Lux with some papers in between. When Chloe came in, he had invited her to join them. "She updates me on some administrative things," he had said. "Very boring."
"You have an invitation for their seminar," Maze said. "I showed you last week, but you were not interested."
"Ah! You hear, detective? I don't know them, but they know me."
Chloe explained about the girl missing and that she was last seen with the founder of the Players' Club. "And you can help me to enter their seminar and after-party."
"So we have a date, detective?" He smiled and she felt she blushed. No dates, her brain warned her. For him it's just some flirting and then he moves on to the next date.
"It's not a date, Lucifer. It's work thing."
The Players' Club seminar was in the conference rooms of a five star hotel. They were welcomed by some sparely clothed good looking young women. One of them was handing them their name tags. The girl chuckled when Lucifer smiled at her. She got a piece of paper and wrote her phone number on it. "And here is something else that you might need."
"Well, yes. That might come…" Lucifer started to say, but Chloe put her arm in his arm and took him with her.
"You're not here to score a date," she hissed, pushing aside a man that wanted to say something to Lucifer.
"Jealous, detective?"
"No. Just want a coffee. Come." She dragged him to a corner were coffee and drinks were served.
"Don't worry," he said. "You know you can have your turn. Just say the word."
"You have never been rejected by a woman, have you?"
"No, detective." There was some shouting on the other side were a door for the hotel staff was, but before they could hear what the issue was, the security guy had handled the situation and pushed some one out of the room.
Chloe and Lucifer wandered through the crowd. Even with her next to him several women tried to get his attention. Some of them he ignored, some of them get a smile and a few words before he joined her again. This is not a date, she kept repeating to herself. It's a work thing. "I has no intention to sleep with him," she whispered to herself. He is free to date any of these sluts.
The seminar's summit was the lecture of Carver Cruz, founder of the Players' Club. He came on stage, shooting sentences as: "We are biological machines. We... are warriors. We... are players!"
The crowd cheered, many stood up to applaud. She noticed that Lucifer looked around with an expression that showed dislike and shock.
"Gentlemen, we are animals. Men are the wolves, and women... are the fluffy bunnies."
Laughter and more applause.
"So we must prepare ourselves for the hunt. How?"
"Follow the list," many shouted.
"The Conduct of Kick-ass Cavemen. One: Be seen…"
"People pay for this?" Lucifer whispered.
"Yeah, five thousand bucks," Chloe whispered back. He shook his head.
"The peacock, the lion with his mane. Two: Be a protector. Women are hardwired to hook up with someone who can help them survive. It is simple biology, man. Three: Be brave. Take risks..."
"Shouldn't you take notes," Chloe whispered."
"… Five: Be confident. You... are... a player! Own it!"
The crowd went wild. Lucifer was about to stand up, but Chloe grasped his arm. "Is this how you get the women in your bed?"
He sat back and looked at her in disgust. "Never, detective."
"For you women are just fluffy bunnies?"
"No, detective. My intention is always to fulfill their desires. To be there to give them their best night ever."
"And the next morning?"
He looked at her with questioning eyes. "What about next morning? We kiss farewell. What else do you expect the devil to do?"
At the after-party Lucifer got even more attention from women as before the seminar. Chloe tried to ignore it and searched for Carver. She saw him alone on a sofa looking at his phone; nothing of the 'be seen, be brave, be confident'. She waited for Lucifer to catch up with her. "Look," she said.
"Carver," he said. "Don't tell me you're impressed by him, detective. Look at him. Is that the great player?"
"No. We need to find that girl remember? Can you ask him what he want?"
They walked to him. Lucifer sat next to him. Carver looked up looking frightened.
"Tell me, kick-ass caveman. What is that you want? What do you desire more than anything else in your life?'
"I… I want Lindsey back. I love her."
"And were is Lindsey now" Lucifer asked, still staring in his eyes.
"They kidnapped her."
"Who is they," Chloe asked.
"I don't…" he looked around and panicked. "They kill her. Who are you?"
Chloe showed her badge. "LAPD."
"They said no police."
She took him by the arm. "Come with us. Unless you want me to handcuff you to get more attention."
In a small room on the other side of the conference area they continued the interrogation.
"You don't understand," Carver wined. "They're gonna kill her now! You just killed Lindsay!"
"Where is Lindsay?" Chloe asked.
"I don't know, okay? I swear to you, somebody kidnapped her."
"If that's the case, then why wouldn't you go to the cops?"
"Because they said they'd kill her if I did. Maybe they already have."
"What are you after?" Lucifer looked Carver in the eyes again. "She's a fluffy bunny. You're a wolf. You've built an empire on the objectification of women."
"Yeah, I know. I'm a complete hypocrite. But I-I would give anything to get her back."
"Okay," Chloe said. "Carver, say what you're saying is true. How long have you and Lindsay been together?"
"Four months. Next Tuesday. I tried to keep it quiet, 'cause, you know, I'm the man and the player and everything."
"So you're saying you slept with Lindsay on multiple occasions?" Lucifer asked. "But you still want to be with her?"
"Yes, and for the rest of my life."
"That's insane," Lucifer answered. "You should never do that." Chloe felt a pain like she was punched in the stomach. She looked at Lucifer, but he seemed not to notice.
"Well, after four months, you haven't got her, you know, out of your system?" Lucifer chuckled. "How's that possible?"
"Okay," Chloe interrupted to change from this hurting subject. "You have no idea where they're holding Lindsay?
"No. They send me this." He showed his phone with a picture of a crying Lindsay with her hands bound together. Chloe studied the picture and than gave it to Lucifer.
"Is there anyone you suspect that might do this to you? Enemies?"
"Uh, I'm kind of a polarizing guy. Okay, the hater list is long."
Then she heard Lucifer talking: "Hello there, this is Lucifer Morningstar."
"Who are you talking to?" she almost yelled.
"Shh," he said.
"Do not shush me. Who's on the phone?"
Lucifer ignored her and continued the phone call: "Yes, I'll be speaking on Carver's behalf from now on. No, I'm not a cop. I assure you. I'm a night club owner. You understand Player's Club, night club."
"Is that the…" she hissed.
"Of course we have the money," Lucifer said in the phone. "Just give me a time and location. … No, I promise you, no police. All right? …. Okay, then. See you shortly. Bye-bye."
The location was an old, abandoned factory. The time eleven o'clock. "Fifteen minutes early," Lucifer said after Chloe parked her car maybe a hundred yards from the entrance.
"You want to wait till eleven?"
"They said eleven. Better not give them a reason to shoot that girl Lindsay," he said.
"I thought you might want to go home early. I mean to meet the Brittanies or so."
He looked at her with his eyebrows raised. She sighed. She didn't understood why she said it.
"You don't give them the money before you have seen Lindsay alive," she said.
"Yes, yes. We discussed all that," he answered.
"May be it is better if I…"
"I promised them no cops," he cut her off.
"But… Look." She point to the entrance of the factory. "That is Carver. How does he come here?"
"He must have followed you."
"He surely didn't," she said a bit offended.
"Then someone called him. He is going to get himself killed," Lucifer said. "This love thing makes you humans so stupid."
"Good to learn."
They both stepped out of the car and rushed to the factory door. "Stay behind," he said. "No way to predict how they will react if they see an unexpected visitor."
Chloe understood the reasoning. She stayed behind while Lucifer entered the factory hall where Carver was standing and looking around. Lucifer tapped the guy on the shoulder. "Why are you here? We had a perfectly good plan in place."
"After you left, the kidnappers called back. They said they changed their minds, and I come or the deal's off."
"Oh?" Lucifer laughed. "That sounds sinister."
A third man entered the hall, wearing a balaclava and waving with a gun. "Just hand over the cash, and no one gets hurt."
"Yes, right. Got it here," Lucifer said, showing the bag with money.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" shouted Carver. "Where's Lindsay?! I want to see her."
"No. My rules. Money first."
"Now, Mr. Kidnapper, I believe that's a fair request actually, so just pop her around and the money's yours," Lucifer said. The kidnapper tried to grab the bag with the money, but Lucifer didn't let it go. "Greedy little jackal, aren't you? Bring us the girl."
"I'm sorry." The kidnapper laughed. "That's not gonna happen."
Suddenly Carver also had a gun in his hand and pointed at the kidnapper. Lucifer sighed. "Dearie me. What is it about you humans and guns, eh?"
A gunshot echoed through the building. Carver slowly fell to the ground and stammered "Lindsay?"
From the other side of the hall a woman came nearer. A woman, also with a gun. Chloe recognized Lindsay.
"Lindsay?" Lucifer asked. "Love of your life Lindsay?"
"Yeah," Lindsay said, keeping her gun pointing at Lucifer. "I can't let him shoot my brother."
"I don't understand," Carver said. He was laying on the ground, hands around the shot wound in his leg. His face showed his pain.
"Don't you though?" Lucifer laughed. "This foul woman and her backwood brother played the player. Lindsay kidnapped herself. Little villain."
"The devil made me do it," Lindsay snapped.
"Me?" Lucifer sounded flabbergasted. "I never met you before."
"Not you. He!" She pointed her gun at Carver. "He is the devil."
"Ah." Lucifer chuckled. "Hell truly hath no fury like a woman scorned. You did scorn her, didn't you?" he asked Carver.
"No. No. For the first time in my life, I didn't. I loved her," Carver said.
"Love me?" Lindsay snapped. "Are you kidding? You didn't even remember my name! I met you two years ago, Carver. We slept together. And then you never called again. Guess I was research for your stupid book."
"No, no, that's not possible. No, I-I would've remembered." Carver stammered.
"Nope. I met you at the library," Lindsay said. "It's a good place to score desperate babes. That's in Chapter 11, I believe."
"Oh, that's bad," Lucifer said with a smile at Carver.
"I was a virgin, Carver. "It was just another night for you, but it was a big deal for me."
"Oh, that's worse," Lucifer said still smiling.
"Oh, God, I'm... I am so sorry, Lindsay. I-I'm different now."
"No, I don't think so."
"Okay, may I speak now?" Lucifer asked. "I'm not sure the punishment fits the crime here. I mean, Carver made a mistake... well, several really... but... he's changed. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Why do humans think they can rectify one evil with another?" He chuckled. "I mean, it's clearly the first time this reptile has truly loved a woman, and this is his reward?"
"He had one change to love me," Lindsay said, aiming her gun from Lucifer to Carver and back. "It is once or never."
Lucifer did a step towards Lindsay while Chloe entered the hall.
"Back," Lindsay said. "Or I shoot both of you." She pointed the gun up and fired. A lamp shattered.
A shard cut Lucifer's cheek. Chloe could see blood dripping from it. Lucifer's eyes light up with red hell fire.
Lindsay screamed and dropped on her knees. "Don't kill me."
"Lucifer," Chloe said. "Don't do that."
His eyes went brown again. He stepped back. "She is yours to arrest, detective."
"Blood on my shirt and jacket, detective," Lucifer said, dabbing his shirt with a handkerchief. Some officers were putting Lindsay and her brother in police cars. "A woman in love always bring troubles. Note to myself: always stay away from them."
"And that is what you believe?" Chloe asked.
"Of course, detective. You just saw what comes from long time relations."
"I presume you have some woman waiting for your next one night stand," she said. She could hear the emotion in her own voice.
Apparently he didn't hear it. "No one, detective. I kept the night free for the two of us."
"Well, you still have the number of that name tag girl?"
"I do. You want to call her for a threesome, detective?"
"Call her if you want. But leave me alone!" She turned and walked away.
"Detective?" he called her, but she didn't look back. The best would be to never see him again.
