Charity crosses the devil's path
Chloe glanced at her watch as she walked past Lieutenant Monroe's office. Two minutes to eight, but in the lieutenant's office some persons were already meeting with Olivia. She stood still and tried to spy through some small openings in the closed blinds. She thought to see Dan and Don Madden among them. Lucifer also stood still and asked: "What?"
"Nothing. Trying to see who the lieutenant is talking with."
"Always curious, detective?"
"Part of the job description." She grinned and walked to her desk.
A quarter of an hour later four men left from Olivia's office, including indeed Dan and Don Madden, their looks varying between angry and unhappy. Dan came to her desk and at the same moment a mail from Olivia popped up on her computer screen. She first turned to Dan. "Problems with the lieutenant?"
"All Madden's fault," Dan snapped. "I couldn't help it. The guy had the lead and didn't consult us."
"What is his fault?
"First: the suspect he arrested appears to have a valid alibi, but Madden never checked it, so he will be released while we speak. And second: tonight a new murder has been committed with, according to forensic, the same knife, while Madden had closed the case."
"So dear Olivia was not pleased by your performance," Lucifer said.
Dan gave him an angry look. "I'm not responsible."
"I mean 'your' as the four of you in total, not judging individual contributions."
Dan turned his eyes away from him. Chloe looked at his face and got the impression he didn't know how to react on Lucifer. Her saying yesterday evening she and Lucifer were girlfriend and boyfriend must have been a shock for Dan and seeing his mother shaking Lucifer's hand had been a second shock.
"Anyway," Dan said, looking away from both her and Lucifer. "The lieutenant ordered us to look into this second murder."
Chloe opened Olivia's mail and nodded. "I see; she tells me she assigned you to that case."
Dan left with Madden and the other two detectives that were in the meeting with Olivia, while Chloe wrote a mail to her lieutenant to explain Dan was never properly informed by Madden and couldn't be held accountable for the case handling. Within minutes Olivia appeared at her desk. "I keep that in mind, Decker. In the meanwhile I have a new case for you. A murder at the Dunlear foundation." She handed Chloe a file.
"Dunlear foundation?" Lucifer asked.
While Chloe opened the file, Olivia blushed now Lucifer addressed her directly. "The Dunlear foundation helps the homeless and the underprivileged, mister Morningstar."
The dead person was Tim Dunlear, founder and chairman of the Dunlear foundation. He was laying in a hall at the foot of a spiral staircase. "… former NBA star, notorious playboy. He was into drugs, gambling, women," Chloe could tell.
"Ah. That used to be my typical Wednesday," Lucifer said.
"And what is now your typical Wednesday, Lucifer?" Ella asked while she studied the body.
"Reading the urchin a bedtime story and help the detective clean the kitchen, miss Lopez. I'm a domesticated devil nowadays." He gave Chloe a big smile.
"Not bringing souls to damnation?" Ella teased.
"Humans are perfectly capable of condemning their own soul to hell," he said with the smile suddenly gone and a very serious expression. "You humans never needed my help for that. Let us stick to this case, please."
"How did he die, Ella?" Chloe asked.
Ella hesitated for a second, still looking up to Lucifer before she said: "Single gunshot wound to the chest from a point thirty-eight. No wallet. Tan marks where a ring and a watch were lifted."
"A staircase robbery," Lucifer said. "What has the playboy to do with charity?"
"When he left pro ball, he turned his life around. He dedicated himself to philanthropy."
"Right, bad boy turned good," Lucifer said and smiled. "It's interesting."
They interviewed an Emmett Toussaint, the boy that found Tim, who was a refugee from Haiti and had come, with help of the foundation, to LA after an earthquake. Emmett told them when he entered the building there was a guy outside that ran away. That was just before he found the body.
Upstairs they met with Vanessa Dunlear, the victim's wife and with Kyle Erikson, her assistant. The mourning wife could only ask who could have done this. She and her assistant assured them that everyone loved Tim and no-one had a grief against him.
Back in the precinct Chloe investigated Tim and his foundation and could indeed not find any criticism on both. "Not a single one on social media that bashes him."
"Exceptional," Lucifer said with a smirk.
Around noon a call came from a pawnshop that someone was offering Tim Dunlear's championships ring as a pawn. Chloe and Lucifer left the precinct to interrogate the man
"I'm no thief, I'm an actor, Louie DelGado," the man claimed He matched the description of the man that had run away from the foundation. "I had an arc on Party of Five, look me up."
"I love L.A," Lucifer grinned. "Even the homeless have an IMDb page."
"You care to explain why you were caught pawning Tim Dunlear's championship ring?" Chloe asked Louie.
"I swear I didn't do nothing."
"Witnesses put you at the scene," Chloe said. "You're telling me this wasn't a robbery gone wrong?"
"He was already dead, been like that for a bit," Louie assured them. "Rigor mortis had set in. I know such stuff, I also did a guest spot on CSI."
"Ah." Lucifer chuckled.
"The foundation is supporting me. Tim was my buddy, one of the few people who treated me like a human being."
"Would your buddy have approved of you stealing valuables from his cold dead corpse?"
"Tim didn't care about stuff," Louie said. "Would have wanted me to have that ring. He would give you the shirt off his back."
"What about his wallet?" Chloe asked.
"Uh." Louie hesitated, then handed a wallet to Chloe. "I was gonna return that."
Chloe took a look in the wallet and took a piece of plastic out. "Some kind of key card."
"Kind of key cards you find in older hotels," Lucifer said. "Was Tim traveling just before he was shot?"
Chloe looked at both sides of the card but no name of a hotel was mentioned. "We will ask Vanessa."
"If it's no longer Louie, who do we suspect of this grisly murder?" Lucifer asked.
"Maybe mr Dunlear wasn't as saintly as he appeared," Chloe mused. "Who knows who or what he was involved with? It's hard to shake your true nature."
"Well, not really," Lucifer said. "Look at me."
"I always love to look at you and I saw plenty." They both grinned. Waiting at the next traffic light they kissed until honking of the car behind them warned them the light was green.
"Can you moyo her?"
"A grieving widow?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Lucifer, Detective," Vanessa stood up behind her desk when they entered. "I wasn't expecting you."
"We have a few more questions for you," Chloe said
"Yes," Lucifer said with his best smile. "How are you holding up?"
" Doing my best. One moment at a time."
"Mrs Dunlear," Chloe interrupted them. "Can you think of any personal reason why someone would want to kill your husband?"
"I thought this was a robbery."
"No," Lucifer said. "Turns out your husband was dead before our homeless thespian pilfered his valuables."
"We asked before," Chloe said. "Did Tim travel the days before he was murdered?"
A tall, Afro-American man dressed in a suit that matched Lucifer's level showed up behind them. "Will Flemming... counsel for the foundation and the Dunlears."
"This won't take long, mr Fleming," Chloe said.
"Well, you're absolutely correct, because my client is done here."
"Wha...?" Chloe started, but was interrupted by Lucifer who took Vanessa's hand and almost whispered. "Vanessa, dear. What is it you want. What do you desire most?"
Vanessa looked at him, as all others totally focussed on Lucifer. "I earned that money. I supported him when he left pro ball. I let him sleep with my assistant."
"Oh?" Lucifer laughed. "I didn't see that one coming. You earned the money?"
"That money should go to me, not those kids. Tim went to Port-au-Prince and was going to ruin everything."
"So you shot him?"
"I had to."
Chloe looked at Will Flemming.
"I object. Mrs Dunlear's entire world has fallen apart. She is not herself and you can't use this in court."
"We will check the financials of the foundation," Chloe said. "I think some of the money went elsewhere. Tim figured it out and confronted Vanessa."
"That is pure speculation."
"Up to now it is. But you mentioned the foundation first when you said you're the counsel. You understand the financials. You could help us to protect Tim's inheritance."
Will's eyes went from Chloe to Vanessa and back. "The foundation comes first," he said softly. While he said it, Vanessa grabbed in a drawer of her desk. Her hand appeared with a revolver in it, but before she could raise that hand, Lucifer got hold of her wrist and wrested the weapon from her hand.
"Ballistics will see whether it's the same point thirty-eight that killed your husband," Chloe said to Vanessa.
"Same knife, but no connection between the two victims," Dan told Chloe during lunch.
"And what is Madden doing?"
"Running around and interviewing every acquaintance of the victim without thinking about motive, opportunity or means. I was with him with three interviews, but he asks everybody the exact same questions without considering their answers before firing his next question."
"I already told Olivia not to blame you, Madden has the lead. I will Olivia her once more."
"Thanks, Chlo'." Dan sighed.
Chloe got a call from Olivia. "Can you come to my office?"
"Yes, of course. Is it about the Dunlear case? Should I bring Lucifer?"
"It is about the Gladstone case. But if he wants to come, he is welcome."
"Gladstone case?" Lucifer asked after the call was closed.
"That was two months before Delilah. It was one of Paolucci's cases. I only did some desk research for it," Chloe answered. "Do you come with me?"
He did come with her, so they sat in front of Olivia's desk.
"You remember Gladstone?" the lieutenant asked. "Four man were arrested, but the DA is not happy with the report. They want a second opinion on the case."
Chloe nodded. "It was quite a large case, I remember. Will take some time."
"The trial starts tomorrow and we asked for postponement to often already. I know you can't do much in one night, but can you take a look during the rest of the afternoon and tonight?"
While they were talking with the lieutenant Will Flemming had come and was waiting to see Chloe and Lucifer. "You were right," he said. "Vanessa has withdrawn money from the Dunlear foundation. At least twelve million in the last two years. And someone checked the same records last month."
"Most likely Tim," Chloe said. "Ballistics confirmed the gun she had in her desk was the gun with which Tim was shot."
Will sighed and nodded. "A large number of bills and invoices we thought we had paid, were – due to Vanessa – never paid. That will be a problem, such as for Emmitt, the boy that found Tim. Tim had promised him a scholarship, but this year we can't pay for it."
"I will pay," Lucifer said. "I will take care of those unpaid invoices so the foundation can continue it's work. If that's ok, detective?"
"Well," Chloe said. "It… It's your money."
"A couple, remember? Boyfriend and girlfriend."
For a moment she was to confused to say anything. Then she noticed Will Flemming was just as confused and she decided to not discuss this with Lucifer in public. "Of course that is ok, Lucifer. My boyfriend will take care of the damage Vanessa made in the financials of the foundation, mr Flemming."
The counsel smiled. "I will let Emmitt know and I will let the board of the foundation know. Are you interested to become the new chairman of the board, mr Morningstar?"
Lucifer thought for a second and then slowly shook his head. "I will discuss it with the detective, but don't expect a yes. I would like to support charity, but I do not like the exposure."
Chloe collected the files of the Gladstone case. Ella brought her an empty storage box to put all the papers in.
"That's a lot to read in one night," Lucifer said. He grinned. "Poor me. I foresee you're going to tell me no time for sex."
Ella laughed. "Blue balls for the devil."
Chloe smiled for a second, then shook her head. "It is really safe for me to visit hell together with you?"
"What? Yes. Why?"
"And you have a place in hell where you lived. I mean with a bed and a table and a chair?"
He looked at her without answering. Ella also stared at her.
"Lucifer?" Chloe said.
"You want me to bring you there, spend some days reading those files and then take you back to this Earthly plane?"
"If I stay there for…" She looked at the pile of papers in front of her "… three, four, five days?"
"Five days would be twelve minutes on Earth. Including flying it would take less then an hour on Earth. But at the end of your life you would die five days earlier."
She frowned. "So I will live shorter?"
"No you will not live shorter, but you will die on an earlier day on the calendar."
"What? If I die earlier, then I live shorter."
"I think I understand what he means," Ella said. "Let me see whether I have this correct Lucifer. Hypothetically: if someone would live 30.000 days and would die on – just example – May twenty. Then if he visits hell for five days he still lives 30,000 days, but that would be 5 in hell and 29.995 on Earth. So he will die on May fifteen."
"Yes," Lucifer says. "That is supposing you die from old age."
"So that is five days earlier," Chloe said.
"But not shorter," Ella said. "He would be five days shorter on Earth, but he lived that five days extra in hell. 29.995 on Earth and 5 in hell is still living the same 30.000 days."
Chloe thought it over and nodded. "I understand. It looks as something I shouldn't do to often… Although I don't loose time, there is a price to pay: Trixie will loose me earlier."
"You really want to do that?" Ella asked with disbelieve in her voice.
Chloe had decided she really wanted to do it. Lucifer's quarters in hell were spacious and luxurious. In some way it reminded Chloe of the penthouse, but larger. Three piano's in different rooms. A bedroom the size of a basketball field, multiple walls with liquors. Inside his palace no ash rained down, the thunder was hardly to be heard and the brown sky was not visible. Chloe looked around; no windows. In the other rooms, no windows.
"You want something to eat?' he asked while she unpacked the box with files.
"Yes."
"Anything else I can do? Apart from looking at you of course."
She couldn't think of anything so, she read, he watched and drank, until a demoness brought diner.
"Naamah of the Lilim, sister of Maze, sister of Rymane," Lucifer introduced her.
They ate, he played the piano and she started reading again until she yawned. Half past eleven according to het watch. "What time does it show?"
"You personal time as your body experiences it. Here in hell we have no clocks, while since we arrived in this place on Earth less than a minute has passed."
"Shall we call it a day?"
They went to bed. He touched her naked skin and whispered: "Do you realize you are the first human woman in this bed? I never had sex with a human in hell."
"With demons?"
"Yes."
"Maze?"
"At least a million times."
"That Naamah?"
"Much less. Maybe a hundred times."
"Rymane?"
He frowned and gave it a thought. "Twice? I can't remember a third time."
Chloe stared at the ceiling. She knew he had had many women and in the penthouse she had never asked this kind of questions. She smiled and whispered: "Let me than be the first human to make love with you."
According to her watch they had breakfast at seven and lunch at one. She was reading and making notes. Lucifer had several short meetings with demons in a next room. Diner at seven and to bed at eleven. The next day around what according to her watch was noon, she could make a summary of her findings. When her watch showed five o'clock she dropped the pen and markers at the table. "Enough. Paolucci made a mess of it, but he arrested the right guys." She held up for Lucifer the paper she had been writing. "This is the additional overview the DA needs."
"So we can go back?"
"If you are ready?"
"I'am."
Lieutenant Monroe was still at her desk when they arrived back in the precinct. Ella was clearly waiting, with a timer running on her smartwatch. "You have been away one hour and thirteen minutes."
"That is including walking to and from a place out of sight and flying," Lucifer said. "Less than five Earthly minutes in hell."
"Two days?" Ella asked.
"Forty-seven hours," Chloe said. "I will give this overview to the lieutenant.
"How was sex in hell?" Ella asked when Chloe was back from her talk with Olivia.
Chloe felt she blushed. She looked at Lucifer, who raised his hands. "I didn't talk about that with miss Lopez. I have no idea why she asks."
"Because I know the two of you, Lucifer," Ella said with a grin. "I just guessed and Chloe's reaction gave it away. But seriously, I'm curious."
"Well. It was as perfect as always," Chloe said. "And once…"
"Once what?" Lucifer asked.
"One time during the first night it felt… After you left me and was laying next to me as if you were still… At was perfect, but with a strange sensation. I don't know how to describe. Forget it. And waking up was strange. The moment you realize were you are." Chloe rolled her eyes.
"You didn't panic when you realized were you where?"
"Protected by two wings you never panic." Chloe smiled. "The feeling if you wake embraced by two soft glowing white wings."
"Never woke up with two white wings around me," Ella said with emphasis on the word 'white'.
Lucifer reacted immediately: "Not with white wings, miss Lopez?"
Ella grinned at Lucifer. Chloe let that sink in for a few seconds and then said: "Ella, you're not telling us…"
"O, yes, detective," Lucifer said, also grinning. "She just told us."
.
