Author's foreward: This is a cross between Chicago and Chrono Crusade, so, though the story will use CC characters, I'll be dropping Chicago names. And if some things don't make sense, tell me, and I'll try to fix it.
Okay, it doesn't explain properly just yet, so I'll tell you what Chrono looks like. Tall, with the long purple hair and red eyes, but is a cross between Chibi Chrono and Demonic Chrono, so has the stronger features and some very child-like attributes. Also, when I started I couldn't think of a last name, but my excuse will come up soon, and it's not that bad.
Crime, Jazz, and a Pocketwatch
Chapter 1 Jobs
The curtain lifted slowly, a deep, sumptous red velvet. The lights were dimmed, the entire room was red, but this was darker. Then, a slowly mounting jazz number began to play, building as the curtain lifted, showing an elegant stage, and a silhouette. But this wasn't just any silhouette. It was both willowy and curvasious, twitching to the beat. It was clad in a revealing red sequine dress that was more a sprinkling of sequines on a peice of lace than a dress. Then an early cresendo of music announced the beginning of the song. Turning slowly, swaying with the beat, she began to sing. Her voice was beautiful! For once, Trevor had been right. It was on the advice of Trevor Oldman that a slick, elegant club owner had traveled in shabby clothes to a torrid brothel in the depths of Chicago. Keeping one eye on the show, he scanned the crowd. It was filled with men of random ages, and he would bet most of his hard earned cash to say not one was really listening to her voice. Sure, she was singing, but the bare skin and curves were all they were after. It made the man mildly sick to think of how this girl, as well as all his Girls, had so much talent, yet started out in strip clubs and seedy bars. But, as he had with all his Girls, he would rescue the lady, and get her a job at his own club. One of the most popular clubs in Chicago, might I add.
While he was thinking, the lady was strutting across the stage, and down the steps, still singing, she did so for ten more minutes, collecting tips in her garter. He remembered when he had first met Sally, how she had done the same thing, only topless. He hated these places. But the women in the joints had talent as well as clevage, and he was always the only one who noticed. But this time, Trevor had hit the jackpot. After the song, he watched her leave the stage and followed discreetly, slipping through the stage door when no-one was watching.
Shrieks met him, and turning he saw lines of women and warped mirrors. They looked shocked, but that quickly evaporated into sly and lusty smiles. "What ya looking for?" Asked a woman wearing half a dressing gown. "Maybe one of us can help you. Maybe I can."
"The woman who just performed, I'm afraid." He replied quickly. "Is she nearby?"
The woman, looking faintly disappointed, shouted over the din of performers. "Rosette! Rosette, there's a man here who wants to see you!" The way she spoke said the 'to see' part could be deleted. Now came a moment of truth. He didn't hire anyone who wanted to sleep with him without knowing his name. It happened. And under the lights, he couldn't tell what age she was. His club had more light, so if she was just make up it wouldn't work. Then, from behind some props, came the statuesque blonde, her hair reaching around her shoulders beautifully but unfashionably. She was beautiful, that was obvious without the dim lights and loaded makeup. Her face was slightly pink from rubbing the rouge and eyeshadow off, and she had enormous blue eyes. Trevor had found him an Angel.
"Yes?" She asked nervously. He took a step foreward.
"Hello." He began suavly. "I just saw your..." He hesitated over the word. "Show, and I would like to make you a propostion." Three seconds later, he was seeing stars. He blinked a few times, hearing the muffled laughter of the women. He didn't say 'you hit me'. It was obvious why she did. And that wasn't why he was shocked. "That was hard." He said surprisedly. Had he said rescue? This dame didn't need rescuing. The next second, she was glowering at him, hands on hips.
"Listen, you. Just because I sing here doesn't mean I'm just some loose woman any man can take. I have self respect. Now get the hell outta here, before I really get angry." The other woman glowered at her. She was chasing away business. But he just smiled.
"Acually, I'm not here to ask you to sleep with me, despite how hard that may be to belive. I own a club in Downtown, and thought your voice was perfect for it. But, as you're obviously not interested, I'll leave." Rosette opened her mouth to protest. He could see how much pain she had just caused herself. But before she could argue, he put a hand up. Between two fingers was a card. "But, in case you change your mind, here." Handing it to her, the businessman took his leave, tucking a loose tendril of hair beneath the rim of his hat. His hair was easily definded, and he didn't want to be seen in that part of town.
Rosette, shocked and worried that she might have lost a break with a club owner, looked at the card. It had an address, a phone number, and two names. One of the club, and one of the man. Sinner's. Chrono. "Oh my..." She whispered.
Sinner's was a beautiful club. Chrono said it without modesty, and looked over it as a proud owner. But, more than the leather and metal and wood, he loved his Sinners. The girls who worked in his club all came from less than reputable backgrounds, and due to that, were nicknamed Sinners. That they worked for Chrono added to the name, as Chrono was once one of the best known gansters in the city. Part of a group known as the Sinners, ironically. Or at least it seemed ironic. The name was one of Chrono's best ideas; it added an air of danger and intriege to an already classy club, and since he publicly admitted to being the owner, it gave those who came to watch a very strange philosophy that hadn't been created by Chrono. On nights no known criminals were seen in the club it was because 'they're scared of that Chrono. An ex-boss who turned to the right side of the law. This is the safest club there is.' While on nights the occasional ganster entered the joint, it was because 'you better be careful, Chrono's either turning back to the old leaf, or gunna throw this guy out on his arse.' Neither ever happened. He may be legitimate, but he wasn't stupid enough to keep his former work mates out. But the chance of excitment was enough to make most of Chicago dream of visiting Sinner's.
"Chrrroooonnnooo!" Sally called to him as she entered the bar. Turning, Chrono left his reverie to smile at one of his Girls. "Oh Chrono, honey, what aaarrrre you looking at?" Sally had a funny way of rolling the occasional word. She delicatly put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "It's just a cllluuub. Come chat with me and the giiirrrllls." Chrono smiled back at her.
"Sure Sally. And it's not just a club. It's your meal ticket. Show some respect." He teased her lightly, but shrugged off her hand gently. She ignored the gesture and pulled his arm towards the stage door.
"Oh come on, swwwweeeeet-heart! You're always soooo tense! We would all love to have yooouuu come chat." Chrono chuckled lightly and sighed. She was probably right.
"All right. We'll all have some drinks in the bar to celebrate."
Sally's face lit up. She loved surprises and she loved drinks. That had been a problem with her, but after a grueling personal probibition it was taken care of. Mostly. "Celebrate? Really? What? Is it a surprise? For who?" Chrono laughed with her.
"For me, mostly. But you girls are always working so hard, you deserve some drinks. Well, maybe less drinks for you." Sally frowned. "Go on, when all the girls get here we'll have some drinks. Till then, I've got paper work, and I'm sure you have something to do." Sally smiled delightedly at him. Then, standing on her toes, she kissed Chrono on the cheek and skipped back stage. Chrono chuckled to himself. Sally was a hopeless flirt, and she seemed to take extreme joy in trying to get a reaction from her boss, whom half the girls thought was chaste. The other half were trying to prove he wasn't. He had a bad feeling they were starting to lay bets.
It was the afternoon after the meeting with that Rosette girl, and Sinner's opened in an hour. He checked the heavy bronze pocket watch he kept in an inner coat pocket. He never went anywhere without it. It was nearing four thirty. Sinner's never opened before dark. Why bother? Only the ultra-rich and freeloaders were able to go to clubs in the daytime, and as Chrono always said, "Don't work while everyone else does. Everything's cheaper, easier, and less crowded after hours." Which was exactly how he had gotten away with so much in his criminal days. Chrono had paper work to do, but he loved adding in some time to talk to the girls. Though he doubted anyone would really belive him, especially with the affection that all the girls showed him, but he was 'just friends' with all of them. The occasional kiss on the cheek from either party was as far as it went, unless someone was drunk or new enough to think it would get them further. They usually didn't stay long. He didn't know it, well, not really, but the Sinner's Girls adored their boss, and were always thinking up new ways to add to the club and make him happy. Yes, it sounds strange, but Chrono was a darling.
After ten minutes of forms he had to fill out, Chrono left his office and returned to the bar. "Girls!" He shouted, and about thirty giggles reached him. "Cocktails!"
Meanwhile, Commander Remington was pacing his office, being watched by Officer Kate. "Do you have any leads?" He asked calmly. The only way you could tell his frustration was because that was the four time he had asked. Kate shook her head.
"No. Nothing new. We are still searching for anyone connected to Aion, or the Sinners. We're thinking of sending some people in under cover to that club in Chicago, but with what story? It's well known that it's that damn Chrono guy who hand picks the singers." Remington nodded slowly.
"What about the girl?" He asked. "That Rosette Christopher."
"We don't know if she's really connected to the crimes. She is just the sister of that poor boy, Joshua."
"We don't know if he died, Kate." Reminded Remington. "He disappeared. Yes, I know it was six years ago, but we don't know how that ganster Aion's mind works. That boy could be alive. And if he is, the Sinners and his sister are the only connections. Now, what do we know about Rosette Christopher?"
Rosette Christopher lived alone in a hideous tiny apartment. She was twenty, and her job paid next to nothing, so she could barely afford hot water, and tended to go without power for days. That was okay, she practiced singing and her 'moves' in the dark happily. She wasn't stupid, she knew that in that club nothing she did really had any impact, which was why, humiliating though it was, Rosette didn't mind performing for drunks. Drunks couldn't judge her. She had never performed in front of a real audience, so the darkness was pleasant, and the neighbours didn't complain about her volume all to often. It was the a free evening for her, the day after that man, Chrono, had given her his card. She couldn't believe she had hit him. So, finishing a bowl of soup, she looked at the card. Strange man. Rosette hadn't had a good look at him. Aparently he had purple hair. That she had to see. But she remembered his eyes, a bold scarlet that didn't seem possible, but suited him perfectly. She'd been arguing with herself for an hour over whether or not to go down to his club. She didn't want to sound desperate, even though she was. After she had decided to go, she spent an hour arguing whether to go that night or the night after. By that time it was eight o'clock and a one hour walk, so finally deciding to go, she thoughtlessly slipped on a simple, modest dress, and after roughly brushing her blonde hair, headed out.
It was a clear sky, for Chicago, and as she reached Downtown the noise and lights lit up. Sinner's wasn't easy to miss. An elegantly shaped building three stories high, though clientel never went higher than the first floor, unless applying for a job. There was a line, and Rosette got worried. Would she be let in? Naturally, this thought hit her three people away from the door, where stood an imposing bouncer, so she couldn't really skip over the velvet rope and run home. Then she stood there, at the door. Never one to back down, she spoke loudly and clearly.
"Rosette Christopher." The black clad man frowned.
"I'm sorry, I don't know if you're booked. You may have to leave." Rosette bit her lip, while she heard the person behind her snicker. "Miss?"
"Ah, Rosette, glad you could make it!" Then came the delighted voice of a tall, smiling young man, arms held wide.
"Leon, I hope you're letting this young lady through. She's a personaly guest of mine." Said Chrono, shaking violet hair from his face. It was held in a loose ponytail reaching below his waist, tied at his neck with a wide red ribbon.
"Oh! Uh, sorry sir, I didn't realise." Flustered the heavy set man. Chrono shook his head and waved a hand.
"No harm done." He unclicked the gold fastener to the rope. "Miss Rosette, care to come through?" She did, smiling weakly, and he led her inside. "I wouldn't have called you by your first name." Said Chrono apologetically. "But I don't know your second name, and just saying 'miss' would have seemed strange." She nodded.
"Christopher. I'm Rosette Christopher."
"Well then, lets start over." He had stopped before a red curtain that she barely just could see through, but loud jazz and laughter was pouring through with the light. He held out a hand. "I'm Chrono. And you are?" She laughed, and shook his hand.
"Rosette Christopher. A pleasure to meet you." He smiled, and bowed over her hand, turning it and kissing her fingers.
"The pleasure's all mine." Rosette blushed, pulling her hand away.
"Do you act like that with all women?" She asked awkwardly. He chuckled, then nodded at the curtain.
"No, just the ladies." She blushed again, and walked throught the curtain ahead of him. Light, sound, and the scent of liquior and people. A woman with brown hair in a crop was belting out an old jazz song, swinging her hips to the beat. The thing that delighted Rosette was that she was properly dressed. Well, properly dressed for a jazz singer, yet the people still paid attention to her. A woman in a red dress the same colour as Chrono's pinstrip suit walked up to them with a tray.
"Wine, Chrrrooonnnooo?" She asked, slurring his name and smiling at him then Rosette in turn. "Or you, Miiiss?"
"No thanks." Said Rosette with a smile. "I never touch the stuff." The woman, with black hair in a pageboy cut, stared at her.
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
"Sally, not everyone is addicted to the red stuff." Chuckled Chrono.
"Go to hell." She replied, laughing and walking away.
"You're pretty casual with your waitresses." Noted Rosette, not sure if she liked it or not.
"Oh she's a singer." Replied the man, red eyes dancing. "Everyone pulls their weight here." Rosette nodded, looking at him. This man was strange. Other than his features, which were prettily inhuman, he had an easy going, friendly manner with everyone, even his 'Sinners', from what Rosette had seen. Yet he was dressed in a sophisticated pinstrip suit a dark red colour, the coat a little longer than average.
"Do you?" She asked, after a moment. He looked at her curiously.
"Do I what?"
"Pull your weight with everyone else?" He laughed, and pulled out a seat for her in a secluded booth, where they were
only partly seen, yet she could clearly see the show.
"Has anyone ever told you you're a very blunt girl?" He asked. Rosette didn't back down.
"Woman." She corrected. "And if I even think about considering working for you, I'd like to know how it works." He nodded with a suave smile.
"Fair enough. Well, yes, I pull my weight, I think. My Girls think I work too hard, if I'm to believe what they tell me, but paper work is nothing really, so on busy nights I'm bartender and announcer." Despite herself, Rosette could imagine herself being announced on the Sinner's stage by Chrono's smooth, velvety voice. "Pianist when Joe is sick. Or faking it." He added, breaking her reviery. "Sound fair?" She nodded slowly. He did more than most. But something was nagging her, despite the fact she knew that this would be the opportunity of her life.
"And what did you mean, 'Your Girls'?" Chrono smiled lightly, and gestured vaguly at various waitresses, the head and three back up singers on stage, as well as female dancers, and the black haired woman helping in the bar.
"My Girls, my Sinners, The Girls, whatever you want to call them, are the ladies who work here. It's just a habit, these days, to call them the Girls. I didn't even start it, someone who was beginning to come here regularly started calling them Chrono's Girls, or the Sinner Girls, and it just caught on." Rosette looked at him slightly sceptically. "Really, I mean it." he said earnestly, as if wanting to convince her. "I'm not a sleaze, to start saying I own people. Though, admitably, I do choose each member of the Sinner's family myself."
"How did you find out about me?" Rosette was sure she had never seen him before. She had just seen his name in the papers.
"Well, it was with the help of a man called Trevor Oldman. He said he had found a beautiful singer with a beautiful voice that I might like to meet. He was right on every front." Rosette blushed faintly at the compliment, then made a split decision.
"So you're considering hiring me, huh?" She said absently.
"If you'll have this hum-drum club, I would be delighted." He said, sounding earnest again. Rosette stood in a determined sort of way.
"Well, Mr Owner-Man. Can I see your office?"
"You won't regret it. But I think you're meant to say that." Chrono stood, and led her to a secluded spiral staircase. Rosette noticed that one of the woman serving looked at them both and grinned broadly, scurrying away. She had a strange feeling the woman was going to tell the others.
It was two o'clock and everything was quieter. It was a wednesday, and they closed at midnight on Wednesdays. It was the earliest night of the week. Chrono was slumped sharing a drink with Sally, Dixie, Martha and Florida. Three of them were watching the fourth girl to make sure she didn't drink overmuch. Chrono was downing a gin and tonic. Straight gin was fine, but he had to make an example.
"Sooo," Slurred Sally, luckily in a natural sounding way, not a drunk way. "Was that blonde the new girl you mentioned? Or is Chrono getting a giiirrrrllllfriend?" Chrono chuckled, pouring Martha a little more spirits.
"The drink you're holding is the last you're getting, and yes, she's a new girl. What do you think?"
"Seems a bit pure." Said Florida, head of Chrono's Sinner's mini-executive councel. The head counsel met occasionally and completely randomly, depending on when they all happened to be sitting in the bar, too bored to go home. Sometimes they had other girls join them, and sometimes all the girls, plus Chrono, sat together drinking. Of course, on days like that Chrono couldn't control the drink flow, and had a sober Sinner shadow Sally, who never seemed to mind, while he talkde to everyone. At least three girls ended up too drunk to walk home, so Chrono let them using his couch, spare bed and bed. Chrono lived on the third floor of the Sinner's building, to keep an eye on things and because he loved the view, and was too cheap to buy or rent two buildings.
"She hit me in the face." Replied Chrono to the 'pure' comment. They stared at him.
"You hired a woman who hit you?" Laughed Dixie. "You should have told me you liked dominatrixes earlier. It would make proving my point a whole lot easier."
"Your point?" Asked Chrono, not really wanting to know.
"That you haven't found the right girl yet, and that's why you're single." Said Dixie, as if it was obvious.
Martha rolled her eyes. "That's not it. When will you give up, Dixie. He just doesn't want any."
Sally argued her own point, agreeing with Dixie. "No man doesn't want any." Chrono winced, and pointed at the doorway.
"That's it." He growled playfully. "Everybody out of my house. Now."
"But Chrono..." They all said together.
"Out. Now. I need my beauty sleep, and you girls do to."
"Oh all right." Groaned Florida, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek, a motion he returned. "When will the new girl come join us?"
Chrono stood up, holding out a hand to help the other ladies in turn, and kissing them each goodbye. "Not tomorrow, but the day after."
"Great. We'll see her then, then. I want to meet the girl who just... hit you." Sally chuckled.
"I don't blame her." Admitted Chrono. "She thought I wanted to sleep with her."
"Really? Why?" Martha bit her lip, intregued.
"Goodnight, my darlings."
"Oh alright. Goodnight, honey." Dixie chirped, followed by the others.
Earlier that night, Rosette headed straight to bed when she got home. She looked at a photo beside her bedside table with a picture of two young blondes, smiling delightedly at the camera. "Joshua." She whispered. "I got a better job. I'm not in that seedy place that you probably wouldn't have approved of. The boss is okay, a bit strange though. Anyway, more money means I'm one step closer to finding you. And I will. I know I will. Goodnight Joshua." She rolled over, and fell asleep quickly, smiling in her sleep.
Claire stood at the front of the office. "And you're sure." Asked Officer Kate, better known as Sister Kate, due to the convent she once attended. "You saw her?"
Clair nodded. "Yes, she was speaking to the manager."
Sister Kate frowned slightly. This either simplified or complicated things. She didn't really know which. "And you were at the bar why, exactly?" The woman had been known to put her underlings in headlocks, and the fierce tone scared Claire.
She nodded quickly. "Under cover work." She squeaked. "Sinners is owned by Chrono." Sister Kate glared.
"I know that." She said slowly. "I wasn't informed that anyone was in the place."
"W-well..." Stuttered Claire. "I had just finished a case with that Roxie Hart girl. It was a straight foreward murder crime. And I was going past Sinners, and though I'd check it out."
"Ah." There was a wealth of meaning in that one word, and Claire looked terrified. But Kate eased up. "Well, as you've found something interesting, I don't blame you. But if you can think of a reason to keep coming, then maybe we can talk about a premotion." Claire did have an idea, and Kate obviously liked it. Anything to find out why Chrono and the Christopher girl were talking together.
Ahhh! I hope you liked my first chapter! If not, then I won't post any more, if so, then I love you all! Buh-bye till next time!