Chapter 12:
Chloe and Lucifer were searching through a large pack of missing children. It took hours but finally, they seemed to have a match.
"I think we have a match, Lucifer," Chloe said while looking at the file.
Lucifer was looking over Chloe's shoulder, "Yes this is indeed our second victim. Sara Green, 13 years old. She has been missing since yesterday."
Chloe sighed, "Here is the address, come on Lucifer we have sad news to bring to her parents."
That moment Ella walked in, "Hey guys, I have the toxicology report but although they are poisoned they couldn't say with what. They tested everything they know." Ella sighed, "Just wanted to let you know. It's one hell of a mystery this time."
"Thanks anyway, Ella. We got our victim's name, Sara Green. We now have to tell her parents that we found her daughter." Chloe sighed. This was one of the hardest cases they ever had.
"Are you alright, love?" Lucifer asked the moment they sat in the car. He knew his detective wanted to keep work and private separated but he couldn't help showing some devilish softness.
"Lucifer, these are all kids around my daughter's age. I am starting to get scared. What if she is next?" Chloe said worriedly, she didn't know how right she was.
"Detective, if it can be a comfort for you to know, I will move Heaven and Hell to protect the little urchin or to find her if something happens to her." Lucifer said softly, "You have my worth that if something happens I will do anything in my power to bring her home to you."
Chloe looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. She couldn't say what emotions ran through her mind and at this moment, she was scared but also reassured by Lucifer's words which made her fear something else, whenever something would happen to her daughter and Lucifer was able to get to the human first, things could turn out very nasty for that particular human or humans. The devil cared for his stepdaughter and nobody touched something the lord of Hell cared deeply about and kept their sanity that much she knew. She also didn't know if she would care one bit if that would happen, maybe just maybe she wouldn't stop him this once.
"Thank you, babe. That means a lot to me because I know that you would do anything for Trixie." Chloe sighed, "Come on, we need to tell two parents that their daughter isn't going to come home to them. I hate this part of the job."
"I know you hate it, love, I have learned that most parents don't act like my father and that they genuinely care for their children," Lucifer responded. He envied the human tax burdens with a loving family more than he cared to admit to himself, longing more for a family of his own or acceptance of his father and siblings. Even though his brother and father had helped him to save his first and true love, he still had a hard time believing that they really cared for him. In his eyes, they had done it for Chloe, not for the sake of him.
Chloe sensed that and because of it, she was rather good at reading the devil after all these years, "Luce, babe, I think your father loves you more than he cares to admit and I think the same goes for you. You still look for his approval in everything you do. Yes, he made some major mistakes, like kicking you out of your home, instead of trying to understand your way of thinking but he is the world's first parent, he didn't have anything to compare to or read a book about parenting."
Lucifer huffed at that, "He is supposed to be all-knowing and all-mighty remember."
"Babe, that is what humans made of him, the same humans that declared you to be evil incarnate, which for as far I know isn't true and I am the only human who can see the real angel behind the scarred skin." Chloe smiled, "Lucifer, you are caring and sweet if you love someone, you are more sensitive than you let humans or even demons and angels believe. I told you once and I will tell you again, you are the devil, but you are also an angel. You are a powerful being that is misunderstood but with a strong golden heart beating inside. I trust you, the devil, with the lives of everyone I care about including my daughter's. That is what I see when I see you."
"You still don't know everything about me, detective, especially about what I have done before we met, I think if you knew you wouldn't have so much trust in me." Lucifer sighed staring through the front window.
"Luce, whatever you did in the past, I am sure you had a good reason at the time because what matters to me is now, who you are since we met and how much you improved in understanding humans." Chloe responded before he could think and say what he wanted to say, Chloe continued, "When I see you I don't see a monster, I see the love of my life and a beautiful being, and before you say something that means inside and outside."
"We have a murder to catch, detective," Lucifer stated, that was the sign for Chloe that he was done with the emotional stuff for now. She also knew not to push him into talking about something he didn't want to talk about, especially when the subject was God or his siblings.
Chloe started the car and drove off to the address of the killer's latest victim.
*** LUCIFER ***
Juan was bored to death and playing a game on his phone while keeping an eye on the school from time to time when his phone rang. He looked at the caller's ID and saw it was Mark.
"Hello?" Juan answered his phone, he needed to be sure that it was Mark indeed and not a cop who was using his phone.
"Juan, how are things over there?" Mark asked with a commanding tone in his voice.
"I am still watching the school, Mark. Just like you asked me to do. It's boring as Hell though." Juan responded a bit annoyed. He didn't like being checked on.
"Well, there is a slight change of plans. We are going to move our plan forward. You will execute your plan today not tomorrow. Is that clear?" Mark asked sternly.
"Why today?" Change of plans usually confused Juan immensely so he needed a reason.
"Did it ever occur to you that there will be more visitors tomorrow than on a usual Saturday? You didn't research that, did you?" Mark asked, irritated.
"I didn't think there was something that needed to be researched, it's a freaking zoo, there are always lots of people there on the weekends," Juan said, feeling brave for a moment.
Mark groaned, "You idiot if you had done some research then you would have known that they are going to introduce the new lion cubs to the audience and if you had searched some more you would have known that it's the first pair of cubs that have been born alive in 5 years. Just do what you need to do and do it as soon as you see an opportunity."
"What do you suggest?" Juan asked to see if Mark had a plan in mind.
"I don't give a freaking damn how you do it, just do what I asked. Try to think of something for yourself for once." Mark growled before breaking off the conversation, leaving Juan even more confused and irritated.
TBC