I should have known, Chloe thought. When Lucifer goes house-hunting, he's going to take it to the next level—and then some. She always worked to accept him and his little eccentricities, but today's house-hunting trip had set a new bar for "eccentricity."

Penelope loved everything about Lucifer's approach, of course. She appreciated over-the-top, especially when the over-the-top activity involved her. Chloe focused on ignoring her mother's gushing compliments and, instead, focused on the goal of today's outing.

They travelled through LA's West Side in a convoy of three large SUVs. In the first SUV were the two realtors and their assistants. Their job was to arrive at the potential home first, give it a quick tour, and then to walk Lucifer and the others through it efficiently. Chit-chat was to be kept to a minimum, per Lucifer's direction. In-and-out. No time to waste. Too many homes to see.

Chloe and Lucifer rode in the second car, along with Trixie and Penelope. Their SUV was stocked with champagne, soda pop, and water. (Chloe had forbidden Trixie to have any champagne. No more tricks, she'd said.) Penelope was to evaluate guest houses. Trixie was to evaluate her room and any play space. Lucifer and Chloe were to evaluate the house as a whole, with emphasis on kitchen, master bedroom, and any areas where a grand piano might be suitably installed.

The third SUV was for Linda, Amenadiel, and little Charlie. Lucifer had invited them along, and had promised to listen to any strong opinions that they cared to share. If you hate it, tell me, he'd said. And if you love it, tell me that as well. Otherwise, kindly stay silent. They'd looked at each other and shrugged. "At least it's a change of pace," Linda had said. Amenadiel had added, "Charlie always does well in a car. The motion puts him to sleep." They had appointed themselves time-keepers. The goal was to evaluate a potential home within 30 minutes. No more. Any delays and they wouldn't be able to see all the homes.

They planned to see ten homes today, a day that included a stop for lunch and a goal of having Trixie home by five-thirty so that she could get ready for her movie "it's-not-a-date-it's-a-group-thing" with Eddie. The realtors had chosen seven homes in accordance with Lucifer's instructions—instructions that had included a couple of must-haves from Chloe. The other three homes to be toured were the three chosen during last week's engagement dinner.

Chloe had a hard time believing that the dinner and engagement party had been only a week ago. So much had happened in just a week! She smiled as the convoy cruised through Beverly Hills, thinking about Detective Dutton and the Jacobsen case. He had taken three work days to make the case, but by Wednesday he'd delivered a combination of theory and evidence that convinced the DA to prosecute.

The bachelor party was supposed to have included a stripper. Nobody had admitted that they were expecting a prostitute, but they did reluctantly acknowledge that a stripper had been expected. A stripper that was to have been provided by Chuck, their friendly Executive Producer, who had also provided the location and the booze. All free of charge. The best-man had been broke, and he had welcomed Chuck's offer, even though the vacant house had been "kind of creepy." It had been the best option, since every other option had required much more money.

What had Chuck gotten out of the deal? The groom-to-be and the best man had agreed to support Chuck's version of the truth in relation to a pending sexual harassment suit filed by a young and good-looking Associate Producer. The AP had alleged that Chuck had made some very inappropriate comments in their presence. They'd agreed to deny that Chuck had made those comments, and in return he'd agreed to provide them with a turn-key bachelor party, along with a stripper.

Chuck, it seemed, had convinced Kathryn to "act" as a stripper as part of an "audition" for a role. According to the bachelor party attendees, the stripper had never shown up. They drank to excess instead. That was their final story, and it seemed to be based on a fair amount of truth.

When confronted with his wife's attempt to frame him for the murder of Jacobsen, Chuck had come clean. He had admitted to the affair, and he'd admitted to convincing the girl to "audition" by stripping for the bachelor party attendees. "Going topless, or even full nude, can be required for certain roles," he'd said—even though he couldn't name any actual roles he was currently casting that would have required full or partial nudity. He firmly maintained, however, that stripping had been all she was going to do.

Chloe reflected on her one-time experience with partial nudity in a movie. It had taken her more than a decade to live that role down. She wondered if Pearson would have ever made good on his promise of giving a serious role to Kathryn, or if the "audition" was the first step towards a career in porn. Nobody will ever know, she thought.

With Chuck's admission, and Linda's therapy notes that confirmed his wife knew of the affair, Dutton had been able to get Maria's phone records. The records had shown many calls between Maria and Kathryn. In particular, the records showed four calls, each lasting ten minutes or more, in the two days before Jacobsen's death. On the day of Jacobsen's death, Maria and the victim had a call that had lasted 23 minutes.

GPS tracking records associated with Maria Pearson's phone had indicated that she was within 50 feet of the Bel Air house where Jacobsen had been killed. She been there from 6 until 8 PM on the night of the murder, which was exactly when the ME had put the TOD. Now they had Maria and Kathryn in the same place at the time of Kathryn's death.

Dutton had interviewed Maria's personal trainer, and had confirmed that she was a serious weight-lifter. "She was almost ready to compete," he'd said. He'd opined that she was at least as strong as the average man—possibly even stronger. "She could press 90 kilograms, three reps," he'd said. "We were getting ready to move to 100 kilograms soon."

The case wasn't perfect. They hadn't been able to show that Maria had acquired the roofies that had been found in Kathryn's system. And although Ella had been able to determine that Chuck's fingerprint had been manually transferred to Kathryn's belt, there was nothing to indicate that it had been Maria who had made the transfer. Those were holes in the case, and the defense attorney was sure to use them in Maria's defense at trial. Meanwhile, though, they had motive, opportunity, and means. Hopefully, that would be enough to convince a jury of Maria's guilt.

Lucifer and I would have obtained a confession, Chloe thought. She also knew that wasn't really fair to Dutton; he had been forced work his investigation without any celestial assistance. Still, they had done what they could. Dutton was certainly grateful for their input—as all the not-insignificant progress over the last week had come from their suggestions. That would have to be enough.

The caravan arrived at the first house: a 8,000 square foot two-story estate hidden behind ivy-covered walls. The recon team went in and came out with their assessment: the home was suitable for viewing. Chloe, Trixie, and Lucifer decamped the SUV and went inside. The home was breathtaking, Chloe thought. But it was too big. Who is going to keep this place clean? she thought. Trixie loved "her" room because it had an en suite bathroom and large walk-in closet. And Penelope thought the two-story guest house in the back was acceptable. As it should be, Chloe thought, at 2,000 square feet. Lucifer seemed a bit ambivalent, which wasn't like him. Chloe overheard him muttering to one of the realtors, "I'm going to have to completely redo the living room in order to get the acoustics right for the grand piano," he'd said. Amenadiel and Linda had just shrugged. "No strong opinions either way," they'd said.

And then they were off to the next home on the list.

The morning went by quickly, and soon it was time for lunch. While the others were eating and talking about the homes they'd seen, Chloe motioned Lucifer outside, where they could talk privately.

"Lucifer, we've looked at five homes today, and not one of them has been listed at less than $15 million," she said. "I know you have money, but that seems a ridiculous sum to pay for a house."

"M'dear, please understand," he said, "I'm selling quite a bit of my holdings. You recall all the homes we gave thumbs-down to last week? Selling them is going to generate far more than $15 million, you can be assured of that."

"Lucifer, I've always wondered where your money came from," Chloe said. "Do you mind explaining it to me?"

"Of course, darling," Lucifer replied. "But I doubt that you'll believe me."

"Oh, I kind of think my days of disbelieving you are over," she said with a smile.

"All right. You know how Trixie's champagne flute kept returning to half-full?"

Chloe nodded.

"The same thing happens with my bank account balance. Or balances, I should say. They go down, then they come back up."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me."

Chloe shook her head. "No, I believe you. You never lie. It's just that … well, I guess I just don't understand."

Lucifer smiled. "All part of my mystery. You'd get bored if you understood everything about me."

"Oh, no. I will never, ever, get bored with you. I may feel many things, but I'm quite sure that boredom will never be among them."

"I certainly hope not."

They went back inside, but as soon as Lucifer sat down, Trixie went over to him and whispered in his ear. "Of course, young lady," he said, getting back up from his seat. The two of them went outside for another private conversation. Chloe wondered what it was about, but she respected Trixie's privacy.

"Lucifer, can I tell you something?" Trixie asked.

"Of course, child," he replied. "There should be no secrets between us."

"Okay, but I'm not sure Mom will like it."

"Very well. This conversation will be just between us, if you wish."

"Good," Trixie said. "Here's the thing. I don't think I want to move to Beverly Hills. I like living in Malibu."

"Hmm." Lucifer considered her words. Then a small smile flashed on his face. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain … friend … would it?"

Trixie blushed and nodded very slightly. "If I move, then I won't be going to the same school, right? Then I won't see … him … anymore."

"Ahh, I see. That sounds like a problem."

Trixie nodded again. "Yes. It's a problem for me. But I know that we need a new place for us all to live, so I don't know what to do about my problem."

"Let me make sure I understand you, Trixie. You are okay with moving, so long as you get to keep going to school with Edward. Is that correct?"

Trixie nodded vigorously. "Exactly. I don't want to move because I'll have to go to a different school. That's my problem."

"No; it's now my problem, young lady," Lucifer said firmly. "And I promise to sort it for you."

"Really?"

"Really and truly. You have my word. Now, let's finish today's excursion, shall we?" Lucifer paused. "I would ask that you continue to look at the homes we are viewing with an open mind. Assume that, wherever we live, you will continue to go to school in the same place young Edward does. Is that acceptable?"

Trixie nodded and gave Lucifer a big hug. "Yes. Thank you so much!"

At the end of the day, there was one house that stood out as being the consensus choice. Three stories, five bedrooms, six baths, and lots of open space covering 5,500 square feet, with magnificent views of LA. And an Olympic-sized pool and a large guest house that Penelope had found to be acceptable. Plus, the home had a gym that could easily be converted to an open work-out space and it had a ready-to-go music room that Lucifer pronounced to be perfect for his grand piano. Lucifer had brushed-off the asking price of $25 million as not being worthy of further discussion, but Chloe could see the realtors salivating at the thought of their commissions from the sale.

As they were driving home so that Trixie could get ready for her movie not-a-date, Chloe found herself wondering about Ella and Jerry. She hadn't spoken to Ella since last Saturday night, but she'd texted her. You okay? she'd texted. Call if you want to talk. Ella had promptly texted back, Doing fine. Mind still blown about L's promotion. Work keeping me busy right now. Chloe wondered if Ella and Jerry had had a second date yet. She smiled, thinking about how their first date had gone. Jerry had probably needed a week to recover.

She'd seen him last night at Lux, working his normal Friday night shift. He seemed fine. Maybe a bit more distant from the ladies than he usually was, but nothing that anybody else would have noticed. Between law school and Lux, he probably didn't have much free time. He and Ella were going to have trouble building a relationship on a couple of hours a week. Hmm, she thought. What can I do about that?

When they arrived at Penelope's house, Trixie rushed upstairs to take a quick shower and change. Penelope and Chloe busied themselves in the kitchen, and prepared a quick snack so that Trixie wouldn't fill up on junk food at the theater. Lucifer decided to take a walk outside. He said he "had some things to sort." Chloe figured he was negotiating the offer with the realtors.

Penelope was in a good mood, Chloe reflected. To be fair, Penelope was usually in a good mood, but this time her good mood seemed contagious. Everybody was excited about the new house.

"Darling, may I ask you something?" Penelope said. Chloe nodded while slicing some carrot sticks. "It's going to be a lot of work to get this house ready to sell. Do you think I can ask Lucifer to help out with some of the details? After all, he's so competent in business dealings."

Chloe was tempted to tell her mother that Lucifer had delegated almost all of his business dealings to her, but decided to keep that bit of news to herself. Instead, she said, "Of course, Mom. I'm sure Lucifer will be happy to help you out."

Penelope smiled. "That's such a relief! I'm afraid there's so much to do! What to keep, what to sell, what to donate to the Screen Actors Guild. Why, it's overwhelming just thinking about everything that needs to be done!"

"I'll talk to Lucifer about it tonight, Mom," Chloe said. "When do you think you'll want to put this place on the market?"

"Well, I can't see it taking any less than a month to get everything squared away."

"Hmm. I think Lucifer will want to move a bit faster than that. Let me talk to him." Chloe paused. "And speaking about moving a bit faster, it looks like our marriage date will be a bit sooner than we had guessed last week."

"Oh, really! That's a surprise."

Chloe nodded. "Yes, it is. But we've decided to move the date forward as much as possible. We don't have a firm date yet, but I imagine it will be before we move into the new house."

"Do you know where? Will you get married in a church? What are your plans?"

"Mom, I'm not sure right now. We still haven't decided. To be honest, I'm pushing for a quick civil ceremony and a reception at Lux."

Penelope frowned. "Oh, that doesn't sound very romantic at all! That's not like Lucifer."

"I know, right? Of course he wants a big fancy wedding! But I don't really want the hassle."

"Darling, I think you should reconsider."

"Mom, you do know this is my second marriage, right?"

"Right, but you're first wedding wasn't much to write home about, as far as romance goes. If I recall correctly, you and Dan had a brief ceremony in a non-denominational church. You wore a gown you had found at a consignment store. He wore a suit and a tie, not even a tux! You had a female pastor and a non-denominational ceremony, and the whole ceremony was over in less than 30 minutes." Penelope smiled slightly at the memory. "Which upset his parents no end. They wanted a Catholic ceremony with a full Mass, even though you weren't Catholic and couldn't receive communion."

"Right," Chloe said, a bit grimly. "They were always disappointed in me because I didn't convert, and they were also disappointed that we didn't raise Trixie in their Catholic faith."

"Well, dear. You have to make the choice that's right for you. All I'm saying is that Lucifer would give you the world, if you asked for it. Why not make it a big day? The kind of day you and Trixie will remember for the rest of your lives?"

"I don't know, Mom. That seems like an awful lot of work for one day. I'm sure we'll have something nice, that's all I can say about it now. I just wanted you to be prepared for a quick wedding."

"Honey, you're not moving the wedding forward because … well, because you have to. Is that right? Please tell me you're not … pregnant."

Chloe laughed. "No, Mom. I'm not pregnant!" She lowered her voice. "Though I'll admit that we've already had our honeymoon, about three or four times over."

Penelope laughed with her daughter. "I'm hardly surprised, sweetie. If you're happy, then I'm happy for you."

"Oh, I'm very happy with that aspect of our life."

#

Trixie had taken care with her outfit. Nothing too fancy, not for a group trip to the movies. Ripped 90s jeans, a boxy T-shirt, and some new tennis shoes. She had put on some light makeup, but no lipstick because that would have been too much. When she'd come down stairs, her mother and Nana had nodded approval, but Lucifer had frowned.

"You wouldn't make it into Lux in that outfit," he'd said. But the others had shushed him.

"She looks great for a group of teens going to a movie, Lucifer," Chloe said. Penelope had nodded at her daughter's assessment. When Lucifer saw that they were both in agreement on the topic of Trixie's outfit, he had surrendered at once. He was not a fool: he wasn't going to challenge that united front.

"Fine," he said. "But I think she needs a little color in her ensemble." He took out a small box from his pocket and handed it to Trixie. "Here is a pair of earrings for you, young lady," he said. "Why don't you try them on?"

Trixie opened the box and gasped at the sight of a pair of emeralds—solitaires surrounded by little diamonds. "Lucifer, this is too fancy," she said. "I can't wear these."

"Tosh, Trixie," he said. "For all you know, they are costume jewelry that I picked up at Brighton's the other day. Go on, wear them. The green goes well with your skin tone."

Trixie looked at her mom, who nodded. Penelope nodded as well. She shrugged and put them on, and then went to look in the mirror. Chloe saw her smile at the reflection, the earrings sparkling.

"Well, Monkey, time to go," Chloe said. They both got in Lucifer's convertible and took off.

Penelope looked at Lucifer for a couple of seconds. "Those weren't costume jewelry earrings, were they?" she asked.

"Of course not, Penelope," he replied. "Costume jewelry? Me? Perish the thought."

"When will you tell her?"

"Maybe in a couple of years," he said.

She smiled at her soon-to-be son-in-law. "You're a good man, Lucifer Morningstar," she said.

"Well, I try to be," was the reply.