The devil flees
"What do we have?" Chloe asked an CSI colleague who was already at the crime scene.
"Fashion show," the woman said. "Well, it was all about the shoes, not clothes. Designer is a Benny Choi…"
"Never heard of," Chloe said.
"Not my shoes either," the colleague said. "Nothing below three grand a pair I'm just told. There was a show. Someone fired at the audience. In the panic a girl was trampled and she died."
Nobody could describe the shooter, no one had seen the shooter. There was no list of who attended the show and more than half of the audience had left the place before any police officer had arrived. Benny Choi claimed not to know anything, not to have seen anything and to have no idea. There was a note in the file the LAPD had on him, that he might have been a member of a street gang, the Asian Boyz, but he denied it.
The dead girl was Paola Cortez, a girl that had just finished high school. She was not known to the police, apparently she had just been on the wrong place at the wrong time. Chloe talked with the girl's mother in the precinct and promised the crying woman to do everything she could to find who was responsible for her daughters dead. Dan came to her when the mother left. "You okay?"
"Her only child was trampled to death, after some thug fired into a crowd. I've been better."
Dan nodded. "I talked with Gang Unit. They warned us Benny might still be with the Asian Boyz. If this is gang related, it could get bloody. You should probably stay as safe as possible on this one."
"Oh, yeah? Stick to the nice girly murders?" she asked while walking with him to her desk.
Dan shook his head. "It just seems that every time I turn around, you're in another shootout with your buddy Lucifer at your side."
Chloe took a deep breath. Her heart wanted Lucifer with her. Her brain had decided it was better to stay away from him and his each-day-another-lover behavior. She halted, turned to Dan. "Not an issue. I'm not going to call him this time."
Dan nodded and pointed to her desk. She looked and her heart missed a beat. Lucifer was leaning against it, while typing on his phone. Did he come for her? And was he texting some woman at the same time? A group of some female officers was looking at him from a small distance, giggling. She walked to him. "Please tell me I'm hallucinating."
"Well, I am any woman's dream," he answered. "But try to contain yourself. Good morning, detective."
"Hi, what…" she took a deep breath. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see you, of course." He avoided looking at her and almost whispered. "To apologize."
"Oh?" she said.
"When you said you're not in for a one night stand, I assumed you don't want sex at all."
"Is that an apology?"
"Not yet, detective. Please let me explain. I talked with doctor Linda about… How you reacted on a few things I said to Carver and Lindsay. She explained to me I misunderstood you: what you want is a long term relation with someone that loves you."
"Yes," she whispered. He still didn't look at her.
"I hurt you with my comments and I ask your forgiveness for that. It will never happen again, detective."
He looked at the ground between them. Chloe waited for him to say more, but he remained silent. Would he not understand he himself was the one she… she didn't know. Would she want him to love her? Any man would assume that was the reason she was upset. Any human would understand that, but he was no human. Could the devil love someone? She thought that over. If he loved a human, that would last may be fifty years. Then that human would die and after that he had to live a million years and longer without her… or him. Was that fair?
He looked up and softly asked: "Detective?"
"You mean no more innuendos?"
He was shocked. "I mean no more comments on long term relations, detective. I will always remind you the offer for the best night of your life is forever on the table from my site."
She sighed and told herself he was the devil. "I forgive you, Lucifer."
A smile appeared on his face. "So we can do your case together?"
"How do you know I have a case?"
"I checked already. The Paola Cortez/Benny Choi case is assigned to you."
"Well…" She hesitated. "That sounds like stalking."
He grinned. "It's not my fault you're so attractive."
"And it is against the protocol to talk with just a civilian about any case. You were a witness in previous cases, but…"
"But if it was ok, then?"
She closed her eyes. Her heart won from her brain. "Then I would have liked to work with you, Lucifer."
"Splendid." He stood straight and adjusted the cuffs of his jacket. "Then I only have to talk with your boss."
"What!?"
"Nothing devilish, detective. I can assure you." He walked to Olivia Monroe's office and gave Chloe a grin over his shoulder while he knocked on her door.
From her desk she could see him talking with her lieutenant. After maybe ten minutes the two of them came out of the office and to her desk. "Detective Decker, mister Morningstar knows Benny Choi. He thinks he can help us with the Paola Cortez case, so I invited him to act as civilian consultant for the LAPD in this case."
A~s Olivia went back to her office Lucifer offered Chloe his arm. "Of course there is nothing civil about the devil. Shall we visit Benny Choi?"
"In a minute," she said. "I have two files of older cases that have to be stored." She picked up the folders from her desk and handed them to the officer that would archive them. The woman bent over to Chloe and – looking at Lucifer who was still at her desk – whispered: "Is he married? Engaged?"
"Not that I know."
"You're a lucky woman, Chloe Decker."
On the way out of the precinct, she accepted the arm he again offered her. "You realize this can be dangerous?"
"Yes. A nice juicy gang war."
"You mean you offered to help prevent a gang war, right?"
"See, that's why we make such great partners. The 'he said, she said' of it all. The yin-yang, the fireworks. Just think, you and me, close proximity at all times."
Chloe grinned. "Yeah, in L.A., as I already tried to explain, we call that 'stalking'."
"It's wonderful, isn't it? Uh, when do I get my own gun?"
"Maybe my daughter's lightsaber. And I drive: I'm not immortal."
"Well. Maze and I think… Never mind. That is why this case so exciting... real danger. It's the perfect opportunity to see whether Maze is right."
"Right about what?" she asked while they entered her car.
"Later, detective. Now to the Lux."
"To the Lux? We were going to talk with Benny Choi."
"He is in the Lux. To be safe until he knows who shot him." He was typing on his phone. During the ride he chatted about everything, making her smiling several times.
"How do you know Benny Choi? Let me guess, you did him a favor."
"Indeed. I financed his first show and I helped him stay out of jail when he was arrested for burglary." Lucifer's phone beeped. He looked and nodded.
"The garage of the Lux is thirty yards past the main entrance, detective."
"Ah." She smiled. "Better than trying to find a free parking place." She expected he would step out to open the gate, but the gate opened when she halted het car in front of it.
"How…" she asked.
"Camera reads the number plate and the gate opens for known numbers." He waved with his phone. "Just asked Maze to enter your number plate in the system. There is a spot for you reserved: F12."
"That's easy," Chloe said and smiled. "Can I ask Maze next time for a spot again?"
"Reservation is permanent, detective. No need to call unless you would like to have two spots reserved for you."
"Lucifer, my man!" Benny Choi called when they entered the penthouse.
"Benny!" Lucifer said. "Nice to see you. The pig is Benny's, detective."
"His name is Pig Diddy," Benny said. "And this is my assistant Hector." Benny pointed at a square-build guy behind him, that raised his arm as a greet. In the arm she saw a tattoo that she didn't recognize.
"Ooh. Someone love his mommy?" Lucifer commented.
"Ex-Marine, bitch," Hector snapped. "Sniper."
"Any idea who took a shot at you?" Chloe asked Benny.
"Nope."
"No recent threats, nothing?"
"I'm no snitch. Even if I did know, I can't talk. I'm an artist. I process tragedy through my work."
Before Chloe could react, Lucifer laid his hand on her arm and said softly: "Benny, you owe me a favor, I'm calling in my IOU. Answer the detective's questions."
Benny hesitated a moment before he nodded. "Hector clashed with some punks in Latin Kings colors that night."
"We were at capacity," Hector added. "They wanted in. They were making threats, they were upset."
"And you didn't mention this at the crime scene because...?" Chloe asked.
"You know, I wore colors back in the days. Asian Boyz. I was low level. Still know most of them. I didn't talk because what if a Latin King hears an ex-Asian Boy done dry-snitched him to the cops? I was trying to prevent more death."
"Well, aren't we the little saint?" Lucifer said with a grin.
"Latin Kings versus Asian Boyz," Chloe said. "That really narrows it down. Did you get names?"
"Diego, Dani, I don't know," Hector said. "A couple, I think. No last name."
"But be careful," Benny added. "Them Latin Kings about to raise hell."
Lucifer laughed. "My speciality."
Walking back to the car Chloe said: "If the lieutenant had known Benny owned you a favor, she wouldn't have you assigned to the case. It's against protocol."
"Without the favor he would never have talked."
"Mm." Chloe realized that was true."
"So? To Diego and Dani?"
"I called Gang unit already. They will search a Latin Kings couple Diego Dani for me."
He nodded, frowned. "I forgot my phone. Left it in the penthouse… I think."
"Afraid Benny takes a look at your browser history?"
He chuckled. "Access code needed to open the phone, detective. You want to know?"
"You should keep it secret."
"You already know the number. Eighty-one, zero seven, zero six."
She gave him a quick look, he grinned at her. That was her birthday.
"I hear the Paddock Lounge is every new detective's rite of passage."
"Forget it," Chloe said. "We need to wait for an I.D. on those kids. 150,000 active gang members in L.A., it could take awhile."
"Oh, you're right. So enough time for a quick drink, then?"
"We're on duty," Chloe said.
"You are the oldest young person I've ever met! And coming from an immortal, that's saying something."
"Look, I'm not gonna drink at a bar where everyone hates me," Chloe said.
"Well, don't let those Philistines inhibit your right to toast our first break in the case... come on! It's the least you could do."
Chloe did suggest stay in the Lux, but for some reason Lucifer insisted on the Paddock Lounge. Entering the lounge, she heard remarks made by different people: "Here comes that bitch Decker", "Who's the hell's that guy?"
Lucifer looked around while they got seated at the bar. "Well, somebody's not being crowned homecoming queen, is she?"
"Yeah," Chloe whispered. "Order. Please."
Lucifer ordered two drinks, but Chloe ordered a water. "Listen," she said. "Benny made a deal with the devil?"
"Mm!"
"But with an open end. He didn't know what you were going to ask in return?"
"Indeed, simply to be repaid at a later date. A devilish IOU, if you will."
"Who would take a deal like that?" Chloe asked.
Lucifer raised his eyebrows. "They all do."
A man came to the bar to get a beer and snapped to her: "Palmetto Bitch."
"Ooh!" Lucifer grinned. "Juicy! Do tell."
Chloe sighed heavily. "That's Anthony Paolucci. He's partners with the guy who took a bullet in the Palmetto case... Malcolm Graham."
"Ah, yes, the infamous Palmetto."
"Malcolm got shot meeting with some gangsters, and... Paolucci thinks he took the bullet like a hero; I think he was on the take. Dirty cop."
"Wanna bet? I think you're right."
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I just... was following my gut, I guess."
"Caught in the crosshairs of another man's crime," Lucifer said. He stood up. "No excuse for that man's rudeness.
"No, no, no, no... I can handle Paolucci." She realized what he could do and knew by now he could be a loose canon. She firmly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "I don't need you to stand up for me."
He tried to do a step towards Paolucci again, but she didn't let him go. "Let's get out of here. We wait in the Lux for news."
The gate of Lux' parking garage opened again for her number plate. "I'm going to get my phone," Lucifer said after Chloe parked in F12.
"I see you at the bar," Chloe said. She went to the club entrance and to the top of the stairs. The Lux was closed. Down below in front of the bar was Maze and a man; an Afro-American guy, big, muscular, bald with a very short trimmed beard.
"I can't help you. I will never help you," she heard Maze saying.
"You want to go back," the man said.
"So?"
"Lucifer wants to stay here, where he doesn't belong. Help me to send him back to hell and you can go with him."
"Sorry." Maze chuckled. "Can't go back at the moment. Made an appointment I have to keep."
"Don't talk nonsense. Sleep with that guy and we can go tomorrow."
Maze now laughed loud. "No appointment for tonight. Next halloween we go trick-or-treat together."
"Halloween is eight months out."
"Yes. Pity for you. I can't go before Halloween."
Chloe slowly descended the stairs. She had seen the guy before, but couldn't remember where. He clearly knew what Lucifer was.
"You never stay eight months with one man."
"It's not a man," Maze reacted.
"Woman. After one night sex you get bored and look for the next one."
"Shame on you! What angel are you?" Maze laughed again. "There will never be sex between me and a seven years old girl."
So the guy was an angel. Chloe frowned. He looked like that man on the picture her mother showed her. The meeting mom had nine months before she was born. Amenadiel.
"What? What about a seven years old child?"
"I promised a girl I go trick-or-treat with her next Halloween. So not interested in you or your games," Maze explained.
"If I tell the mother of that girl what you are, she will never allow that. Who is that girl?"
"Not your business."
He stepped closer to Maze. "Who is that mother?"
"Try to find her."
"I certainly will," Amenadiel said.
"Don't bother," Chloe said. The two turned and looked at her. "I'm that mother."
She walked to Maze and laid her arm around Maze' shoulders. "And what will you tell me about Maze?"
"She's a demon. You would run if you saw her real face."
"Show it," Chloe whispered in Maze' ear.
She didn't know how it would look, but she was prepared for anything, having Lucifer's face in mind. It was different. The right half was the beautiful human face she always showed. The left half of Maze' face was rotten flesh, at that side the lips were almost gone, a white eye showed without pupil with the skull visible around it, muscles and white tendons were visible without skin over them. Chloe hold her breath for a moment, then smiled and put a kiss on the right cheek.
"You know the rules?" she asked the demoness followed by a smile beamed at Amenadiel.
Maze nodded. "Trix and I go at three, be back before dark. I check the candies. Don't let her out of sight and don't let her enter a house.
"You see?" Chloe asked Amenadiel. "She knows the rules. No need to warn me."
"Her face… she is a demon."
"Oh, definitely. Scary, hey? Do you want to say more?"
The next moment he was gone. "Where…" Chloe asked.
"He can slow down time for mortals," Maze explained. "He did, did said some nasty things to me and walked out in what for you was no more than a split second." Maze' face was all human again. "Listen, you have seen Lucifer bleeding?"
"That small cut?"
Maze nodded with a grim expression. "He is the devil, Decker. He is invulnerable. Well, he should be. I have a theory." She took a deep breath. "Never mind. He is stubborn and thinks it's a thrill. Keep an eye on him. I will protect him but I need to know where he is."
Chloe was in doubt for a moment, then smiled. "Do you have a mobile? I can let you track mine. Then you know where we go."
Chloe got a text with the address of a Latin Kings couple Diego and Dani Ramirez at the same time as Lucifer showed up. "I just got a call from your ex," he said. "What a douche that guy is."
"Dan knows your mobile number?" she asked.
"No. Good dad, no. Detective Douche called the Lux. He told me it was all very dangerous and I should keep an eye on you. If anything happens to you he will kill me. Whether I had any idea how easy a gang vendetta can spiral out of control, he asked."
Chloe winked at Maze and grinned. "Lucifer, we will keep an eye on each other."
Diego and Dani lived in a deprived neighborhood. They didn't answer when Chloe knocked on their door. "Let me," Lucifer said. He touched the knob and the door opened.
"This is against the rules," Chloe whispered.
"No lock is forced, no door is broken. Just write in your report the door was not locked."
"Even then." She took a deep breath, shook her head and – with her gun ready – entered the house. Diego and Dani were upset they entered their home. They claimed no Latin King had shot at Benny.
"If anyone had beef with Benny Choi, it's Yellow Viper," Diego told them.
"Yellow Viper?" Lucifer laughed. "Sounds like a venereal disease."
"He got out of jail a few nights before Benny's show," Dani told. "He was a big-deal graffiti artist, ran with Benny back in the day, arrested for burglary. Viper got five years, while Benny was acquitted."
Chloe gave Lucifer a glance who looked sheepish. "Benny had a good lawyer," he whispered.
"Benny got rich and famous while Viper was in jail," Dani continued.
"Right," Chloe said to Lucifer. "We need to warn Benny that his buddy Viper's back in town." Back at her car, her phone chimed.
"Ooh, let me guess. Anemic sex from Sir Douche?" Lucifer asked.
She poked him in the side. "No, from Benny. Someone else is dead."
The someone was Benny's pig, Pig Diddy. Benny told them he and Hector had been away and found Pig Diddy dead when they returned.
"Were you aware that your old friend Yellow Viper was released from prison last week?" Lucifer asked.
"No, I had no idea he was out," Benny answered.
"No phone calls? No contact?" Chloe asked.
"I sent him letters when he was in prison. Money for lawyers, too. But he sent the letters back all torn up. I always felt bad for how things turned out."
"Well, with friends like that, I'd hide the knives," Lucifer said.
"Yeah, Viper must've snuck into my show," Benny said. "He fired those shots. Killing Pig Diddy was a message."
Chloe nodded. "We need to get word to Viper's parole officer. Track him down before he can get you, Benny."
According to the parole officer, Yellow Viper was giving an art class in a community center. "I mean, seriously, a community center?" Lucifer scoffed. "This is where we'll find the deadly Yellow Viper? After five years behind bars, a brothel would be my go-to."
"Did you think about that favor that you gave Benny," Chloe asked while texting Maze the details where they were going and the precinct to ask for a SWAT standby. "Getting him off on the felony burglary charge, put Viper in prison instead."
"You mean I'm responsible for what happened to Paola Cortez?"
She finished the text messages before putting her arm in his arm. "You didn't want it nor did you plan it. But there is a cause and an effect."
He thought it over and shook his head. In the street below the center they found Yellow Viper.
"He's teaching art to youngsters," Chloe said softly.
"I mean, this bad guy thing's gonna be all the joke now. What next... cuddles and ice cream?" Lucifer murmured.
They were standing in the shadows and looked. Viper was painting on the wall and talking. Chloe could hear Yellow Viper continue his teaching, but couldn't understand his words. He looked a few times to where they were standing before coming to them.
"Private class."
"I'm Detective Decker. This is my consultant, mister Morningstar. I need to ask you a few questions about the shooting at Benny's fashion show."
"You got a warrant? If not... beat it. I'm not talking to cops."
"Ooh, do you have something to hide, Mr. Viper?" Lucifer asked. "Or do you go by Yellow?"
"Oh, you think I'm gonna let you bust my balls in front of these kids? Arrest me or step off."
"Ooh, charming," Lucifer said with a grin.
"Well, he's right," Chloe said while Viper walked back to his class. "He doesn't have to talk to us."
"He really seems to care about those kids," Lucifer said. "It's odd for a criminal."
Behind them cars approached and tires screeched. They turned around and saw three cars halting in front of them. Twelve youngsters jumped out, Dani and Diego Ramirez as first ones. They all were wearing Latin King colors.
"Our lucky day," Dani said. "Viper and the perv."
"Bravo, crybaby," Lucifer said. The twelve draw guns, but Lucifer didn't back off. "This is a bold move, isn't it?" He had his hands behind his back and gestured to Viper and his class to move.
"Come on, turn around," Chloe tried. "If you walk away now, no one has to get arrested. No one has to get hurt…"
"Yeah, they do," Diego said. "Viper killed my cousin."
Lucifer laughed and stepped closer to the Latin King gang. They all trained their guns on him. He started talking to the gang about punishment, turf wars, trousers and managed to get the full attention of the twelve Latin Kings. Chloe looked back and noticed Viper and the kids were on the move to hid. It took at least a minute before before Dani looked over Lucifer's shoulder and shouted: "Where'd he go?"
Lucifer also looked back and laughed. "Oh, dear."
At that moment the lights went out. The street suddenly was dark and the Latin Kings screamed. "Hey, what's happening?, "Where's Viper?"
Chloe jumped to where she could see Lucifer's silhouette and pushed him to the ground. "You had your hero moment," she hissed. "Stay down, or you're gonna get shot!"
Lucifer grinned, behind her she heard, grunting, bodies falling and screams
"What the hell is happening?" she whispering staying down with Lucifer. She saw a shadow dancing among outlines of the Latin Kings. A sharp crack and a man yelled.
"Maze is happening," Lucifer answered.
"Your demon is a ninja? Of course she is."
A man shouted, grunted. "Shattered tibia," Lucifer explained. "Ooh, ouch... orbital fracture. Her moves are perfected in the fires of hell."
More screaming, guns clattered on the ground. "Love that Maze!" Lucifer said.
Most of Latin Kings were down, Maze was on the other end of the street finishing the last one but one. Just in front of Chloe and Lucifer Dani was the last one standing. The woman turned around to run away, but Chloe stepped in front of her and knocked her down.
"Oh, bravo, detective," Lucifer said and chuckled.
Maze came to them. "Thanks, Decker. I missed that one."
"You're welcome," Chloe said and the next moment she was surprised by a hug of the demoness.
"Ass saved," Maze said and gave Lucifer an angry look. "You should be more careful."
Behind the cars of the Latin Kings the SWAT team appeared. "You called them?" Lucifer asked.
Chloe shook her head. "We were down for minutes. I was down for minutes. My phone detected that and sent an alarm. Special police app that I turned for this visit."
Chloe pointed officers to the gang members, to the bags of Viper and his class and to where Viper was hiding. Dan was with the SWAT team and came to her. "Care to tell me what happened?" he asked.
She hesitated for a second. Then she grinned. "Maze took them all down. Lucifer's bartender. Lucifer and I were just hiding and she showed us some ninja moves."
"Not all, Decker," Maze said. "You hit the last one. Is that your ex?"
"We are married," Dan snapped.
"Mm," Maze said and came very close to Dan. "Is he any good in bed?"
Dan stepped back with a bewildered look in his eyes.
No, Chloe thought in the meanwhile, but she didn't want to say it. "Well," she said with a small sight.
Maze nodded and said: "I got the message. I go back to the Lux to pick up something for the night."
After Maze left, Dan came back to Chloe and showed her a gun: ".38, found in Viper's bag, same caliber as fires at Benny's show. Look's like you got the bad guy."
Chloe drove back to the precinct with Lucifer in the passenger's seat and Viper cuffed in the back. "What? You're staring at me," she said to Lucifer.
"I recognize that look. You're having another one of those gut feelings, aren't you?" Lucifer asked. "Like you had on the Palmetto case."
"This has nothing to do with Palmetto."
"You were trusting your instincts on that case, just like you're trusting them now. I mean, why would a seasoned parolee bring a gun to a children's art class?"
"My feeling is mr. Viper is innocent," she said.
"I am innocent," Yellow Viper snapped.
"Our suspect has ears," Lucifer said. He turned in the chair and looked Viper in the eye's. "Mr. Viper… Hello. What do you desire to do with the rest of your time on Earth?"
"All I want to do is my art. I swear I didn't shoot up Benny's show. If I hated him so much, why would I bother to go after him and miss?"
Lucifer turned to Chloe. "Yes, he's got a point, actually. I mean, to pop off in a crowd like that and not hit anyone, he'd have to be the worst shot in the world."
Chloe and Lucifer looked at each other. "Or the best," they said at the same moment.
They confronted Benny who tried to deny he had been involved in the shooting, but after Chloe pointing at Hector, an ex-marine sniper, Hector confessed he fired at the crowd. It was to frame Viper. Benny had stolen most of his art inspiration from Viper and had hoped to send him back to prison.
"A drink in the Lux to close the case, detective?" Lucifer asked after they had delivered Benny and Hector in the precinct.
She looked at her watch. "Trixie is with me tonight and her sitter waits for me to come home. Let's go to my place for that drink."
They went with one car, Lucifer would take an uber later to go to the Lux. Trixie's sitter giggled when she saw Lucifer and while leaving whispered "You're a lucky woman, mrs Decker."
"You were not afraid of Amenadiel?" Lucifer continued their conversation that had started in the car.
"No." She thought that over. "Should I have been?"
He shrugged. "Not really. An angel is not allowed to kill a human and Maze was there and he had no reason to harm you."
"Well. Glad to hear. It took me some time to recognize him."
He frowned. "Recognize? Had you seen him before?"
"He and my mother had meet before," she said. "I have a picture." She search in a map with papers and showed him the picture her mother gave her almost twenty years ago in that bar. The picture of her mother and Amenadiel.
"What is this…" he looked at the picture with eyes wide open.
"My parents had given up getting a child. He came to my mother and told her that the Lord wanted them to have a child. Nine months later I was born."
Lucifer turned pale, his hands shivered. "My dad… You…"
"What does that mean, Lucifer?"
He stared at the wall as if he didn't hear her.
"Lucifer?"
"Excuse me, detective. Something in the Lux. I have to be there." He raised and left. Without saying goodbye, without looking at her, without closing the door behind him.
"Lucifer!" she shouted, but he didn't look back. He almost ran away in the night without calling that uber.
