-*-*-*-*-*-*-40'sDetectiveNoir-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Chapter 3:
Trust Is A Tricky Thing
{*~********~*~********~*} *-Alec-*-Alec-*-Alec-*-Alec-*-Alec-* {*~********~*~********~*}"I c-can't believe Gennie's gone…"
Alec nodded sympathetically, fidgeting slightly on the couch, never really sure what to do in these situations. Magnus swallowed, squeezing her shoulder, resting his hand on hers.
"I am so sorry for your loss Mrs. Dawson; I cannot imagine what you must be going through right now."
She sniffled, giving a slight nod, pushing her hair back, wiping at her eyes. Magnus reached in his pocket, retrieving a clean white handkerchief, holding it out to her. She swallowed, taking it, nodding gratefully. She dabbed at her eyes trying to collect herself, before beginning to hand it back. Magnus stopped her, shaking his head faintly.
"Keep it darling…do you need a glass of water or anything?"
She gave a slightly wet almost laugh.
"I t-think I'm supposed to ask you that."
Magnus gave a gentle shake of his head, squeezing her hand lightly.
"In this situation standard guest/hostess rules really do not apply. Is there anything you need?"
She swallowed, giving a slight shrug, tucking a few light brown curls behind her ear.
"I-I don't know…maybe water would be good…well…actually something quite a bit stronger would be better, but I should probably wait to start on that till you guys leave."
Magnus shrugged.
"Whatever you need, no one's here to judge…and given the circumstances I doubt there's anyone callous enough to blame you."
She nodded, giving a wane facsimile of a smile.
"Thank you, but I'll stick with the water."
Magnus nodded, beginning to get up. Alec quickly stood, waiving him off.
"It's okay, I'll get it."
Magnus nodded, settling back down, squeezing her hand once more, she swallowed, flashing a grateful look Alec's way, settling once more close to Magnus's side.
Alec couldn't deny he was a bit grateful for an opportunity to get up and actually do something, to genuinely be of help. He'd begun to feel rather useless setting quietly twiddling his thumbs while Magnus comforted the widow. Though at least he had an idea how the hell to do that, so he was way ahead of Alec there.
This was always the hardest part of any case, breaking the news to the family and loved ones. One positive here at least; either the woman was the best actress in the world or her reaction was authentic, meaning it was highly unlikely she had anything to do with it. She was utterly distraught when they'd broke the news of Eugene's death. The woman had very nearly collapsed, only thing keeping her up being Magnus's quick reflexes as he moved forward, catching her, holding her securely. It'd taken them nearly an hour to get her to calm down enough to talk without once again bursting into tears, the poor girl unable to do much but weep on Magnus's shoulder and clutch at his hand with a near white knuckle grip.
Thank goodness he had Magnus here; he'd be totally at a loss…
This was always the hardest part for him, it's such an emotional time and he tended to struggle with how to help them. He'd never really been the touchy feely type; dealing with weeping, distraught people was totally out of his wheelhouse. It's not that he didn't feel for them, he did, quite a bit. However he tended to feel seeming overly empathetic would come off as false, like he was pandering, which was the last thing he wanted. His usual way was to try to remain professional, assure them they would find who did this, that he'd help them find closure with what happened…but that's about all he knew to do.
Clearly Magnus had a totally different approach…which was no surprise- they were opposites in near every aspect, stood to reason this would be no exception. And truth be told while he was sure having Magnus working this would lead to a lot of complications and issues in this one instance he was very grateful the man had remained on the case.
The widow- Ruth- seemed much less guarded around Magnus, clearly much more responsive to Magnus's caring, compassionate approach. Which Alec must admit seemed rather odd. Not the reaction to the caring approach so much as the reaction to the man himself.
In general he understood compassion being more appealing than his admittedly kinda wooden approach. And okay stereotypes being what they are a somewhat obvious homosexual being more emotionally open was probably to be expected.
And he supposed given the situation he could imagine a young, vulnerable woman feeling a bit safer crying on the shoulder of someone who she could be fairly sure didn't have any ulterior motives behind the empathy and compassion. Nevertheless this was not the usual response he would expect to Magnus.
Hmm…
He glanced around the kitchen, peering in the cabinets trying to find the glasses.
Ah…here they are.
Pulling one out he made his way over to the sink, filling the glass. Leaning back against the counter Alec let his eyes casually slip around the room. The house was quite nice, most of it looking like snapshots straight out of Good Housekeeping.
Really almost every last detail seemed that way. The spotless kitchen and living room, photos on the walls; it all painted the picture of a perfectly happy, picture perfect couple. Alec pushed off the counter, slowly making his way back towards the living room, pausing in the hall to peruse an assortment of photos on the wall. There was Ruth and Eugene's wedding photo along with quite a few with them and a well-dressed, rather dour looking older couple. The older man looked somewhat familiar but Alec couldn't place it…maybe it was the strong resemblance to their victim.
Moving into the living room he saw an assortment of family photos. What looked like probably a sister and a brother with their respective spouses and children. Interspersed with the family photos there were numerous pictures of the young couple spread about. Actually it was rather a lot of photos, at least for this couple.
Admittedly Alec hadn't spoken to her much but Ruth didn't really strike him as the overly vain, conceited type. Yet that was a lot of photos…and every aspect of the household seemed literally picture perfect.
Hmm…
Okay…that was a bit odd…
Maybe Eugene was behind that? If he was stepping out with other men he'd be trying to hide it. This would be a hell of a cover. Pretty young wife, picture perfect house. It made sense…
But even so he kept coming back to Ruth's reaction to Magnus. She didn't seem suspicious or scandalized by Magnus in any way, which was rather unusual, the man was a lot of things but subtle wasn't one of them. As he'd said likely most everyone they saw on this case would have a reaction to Magnus…and she DID…but it wasn't the reaction Alec expected. She didn't seem suspicious, just curious…a-and maybe a bit…relieved?
Huh…
Why would she be relieved?
And now that he thinks about it at first she had looked somewhat suspicious and distrusting…but that wasn't directed at Magnus…it was at him. She covered it well, so well he'd kinda forgotten amongst the traumatic emotional drama, but he had caught it.
Alright so he'd be the first to admit he was kinda obvious so far as a cop is concerned. And yeah, there were some people who were distrusting of law enforcement members in general. That could be it…
But it seemed like more.
Hmm…
Maybe…
He shook his head, slipping back into the living room where the other two were talking quietly. Ruth did look far more pulled together now, so that was a plus. They stopped talking abruptly the moment he entered, both turning their attention to him, the barest hint of distrust back in her gaze…
And again…
Hmm…
He gave a gentle smile, holding the water glass out to her.
"Here you go ma'am."
She took it gratefully, taking a deep drink, before turning setting it on the end table, nodding.
"Thank you Detective Lightwood…sorry for being such a mess, I really don't even know how to begin to process this."
He nodded, setting down, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I understand. The loss of a loved one is always unimaginably hard…honestly I never know what to do in these situations. The only thing I can say is I truly am sorry for your loss and we will find out the truth and be sure the person responsible for it pays for their crime."
Ruth took a deep breath, setting up straighter, leaning forward a bit, tilting her head.
"Will you?"
He blinked in confusion, that wasn't the response he was expecting.
"Yes ma'am of course…that's my job."
She swallowed, glancing over at Magnus before shifting her gaze back to Alec, quirking her eyebrow.
"Yes it is. But there are some things that seem to make many in law enforcement forget that fact; or that they are supposed to protect all citizens, not just the ones who they agree with or of whom they approve."
It was Alec's turn to swallow nervously…
How long was he in the kitchen!? Magnus didn't have time to fill her in on the circumstances around his death did he?
Alec shook his head, not really knowing how to proceed here. If she didn't know or if that was about something else he didn't want to just blurt out that her husband was stepping out with guys…
That was not something you just blurted out. Still he was at a loss as to what else it could be about. He decided to err on the side of caution, but still be honest.
"Mrs. Dawson I'm not gonna lie, I know there are members of law enforcement that are like that, but I'm not one of them. I don't care who he was, what he was into or how he chose to live his life; He did not deserve what happened to him. Whoever did it- regardless of why they did it- needs to face the consequences of their actions. That's all there is to it. Your husband was the victim, plain and simple…I want to get justice for him. I assure you that is my only goal here."
She paused, locking eyes with him, looking for any sign of deceit. Alec had to fight off the urge to squirm under the rather disconcerting gaze. Finally she glanced away, shifting over to Magnus next to her, seemingly questioningly. He gave a soft, encouraging smile, nodding,
"I told you… you can trust him. Go ahead and tell him."
She swallowed, nodding, taking a deep breath, turning back to Alec, instantly seeming strong, just on the edge of challenging.
"I don't know what happened, or what the circumstances involved but if you're actually going to solve this you need all the facts. Eugene was gay…technically it was a secret, but not a very well kept one. He's always been a bit obvious, even if he denied it, even after our marriage a lot of people still picked up on it. I don't know what happened, I don't know the details of his death, but if he was murdered there's a good chance that's why."
Alec blinked in surprise…
Oookay…not what he was expecting…
He shook his head, scooting closer,
"Not to seem callous but you don't seem bothered by it at all."
She gave a slight scoff of a laugh, shrugging,
"Of course I'm not! I've known Gennie's gay for as long as we've known each other. Hell, we met at Chaos…pretty obvious indicator right there."
Again with the blinking,
"Umm…Chaos?"
Magnus shook his head, waving him off,
"It's an underground gay club…basically a speakeasy…only for people looking for homosexuals as opposed to alcohol…though they do have both. The blended drinks are fantastic."
Ruth gave a quick, surprised almost laugh, before sobering faintly, squeezing Magnus's hand again, shrugging,
"Sorry, you just remind me a lot of Gennie."
Magnus shook his head, squeezing her hand back.
"It's quite alright darling; I take it as a compliment. He sounds like he was a wonderful man."
She nodded; blinking her eyes a bit to pull back the tears.
"He really, really was. Damnit…Sorry…I thought I had it under control."
Magnus shook his head again.
"There's no need to apologize sweetheart; you just found out you lost someone you loved. You are entitled to grieve as much as you need to."
She nodded, once again wiping her eyes with the handkerchief, before taking a deep breath, resting her hands in her lap, flashing one more grateful look at Magnus before shifting back over to Alec giving a slight shrug.
"I know this must seem bizarre to you but I really did love him. He was my best friend, had been for almost a decade."
Alec tilted his head.
"So…you met him at this 'Chaos'…that means you're…"
She nodded.
"Yeah, I'm gay too. I was there on a date…a lousy date. Gennie got me out of it. He made this big theatrical scene pretending he was my husband and demanding I leave with him, then he tipped the bartender to let us hide in the wine cellar until she left. After we got married it was a kind of running joke, I'd always tease him, telling him this was his plan from the start."
Alec tilted his head, quirking his eyebrow in confusion.
"So, what? You ended up falling for him anyways?"
She shook her head.
"No nothing like that. We loved each other, very much, but it was never anything romantic or intimate. You have to understand this world does not like us, it is hard and unforgiving. I mean, you work with Magnus here; you have to see it…
People hate us. It's unrelenting and stressful and isolating. People see someone's gay and that is all they see; not a person, not a friend, or coworker, or sibling, or even their own child…that just see a homosexual.
I-It hurts…a lot."
Alec swallowed, trying to chase away the cold little chill…yeah he knew…All too well.
But this wasn't about him…
He shook it off, focusing back on the case, remembering the family photos and picture perfect household, everything suddenly crystal clear.
"So Eugene's parents…they couldn't deal with it, right? That's why you two got married, to cover for him?"
Ruth blinked, nodding.
"Yeah…he'd been estranged from his family for a few years before that but eventually he missed them too much. He hated not being able to see his parents, or his siblings. It got to be too much. He wanted a way to be seen as part of the family again but just didn't know how."
She paused giving a slightly wet almost laugh, brushing her hair back, wiping once more at her eyes.
"I'm actually the one who suggested the marriage… did a whole cheesy proposal and everything. It worked, they thought he was 'cured' went back to being the picture perfect family they always were…only Gennie got to be a part of it again. He hated that they couldn't just accept him for who he was, but it was something at least." She paused, taking a deep, steadying breath, looking up meeting Alec's eyes.
"I have to ask; knowing who he was, what he was…d-do you think that's why he was murdered?"
Alec swallowed, setting forward.
"I- honestly? That's very likely…that was actually our theory to begin with. We were kind of dreading having to come tell you about it, but yeah…it was likely a factor."
She nodded faintly before pausing, blinking in faint confusion.
"But…why was that? I mean I know Gennie was obvious, but that was just in his mannerisms and that kind of thing…And Magnus said this was your first stop on the case so how did you know?"
Magnus sighed, shifting closer.
"Unfortunately the place we found Eugene was a known hookup place for gay men, and going by a few mitigating circumstances we have reason to believe he was there with someone s-"
Ruth shook her head.
"What? No…that doesn't make sense."
Alec blinked.
"Umm…but you said h-"
She shook her head again, giving a flippant wave.
"Yeah he was gay, but he wasn't that kind of guy. Gennie was a hopeless romantic; meaningless hookups were never his thing. He was actually kinda appalled by the whole idea. And he had a boyfriend, Leonard. They'd been together for years. He was actually Gennie's best man at our wedding, it was kinda a little thing for them; we even made sure we got plenty of pictures of the two of them together."
Magnus tilted his head curiously, eyes flickering sharply before shuttering, expression turning comforting and empathetic so quickly Alec would have missed it had he not been paying close enough attention.
"Well maybe they wanted to spice things up? You did say they were together quite a while a-"
She shook her head.
"No…Leo's out of town on a family matter, out of the country. His mother's ill back home in England. Gennie got a letter from him just yesterday saying he had to stay another month."
Magnus blinked, clearly trying to find a way to word this without disrespecting Eugene, but she cut him off.
"I know what you must be thinking, but Eugene was not like that. He would never cheat on Leo. He loved him and was loyal to a fault. I don't know what happened but wherever you found him he was not there for that."
Alec took a deep breath.
"Honestly there's no other reason I can think of for someone to be there."
Magnus tilted his head.
"Unless that's exactly the point?"
"Hmm?"
Magnus leaned forward.
"Alec we talked about it the whole ride here; we've been talking about it for nearly half an hour here! Cases involving gay victims don't get the consideration they deserve; they are dismissed, ignored-"
"I would-"
He waved him off, bouncing slightly.
"I know YOU wouldn't but unfortunately the entirety of the SBPD is not you. Most are good men, but closed minded, set in their ways, in their views of the world, and especially in their prejudices.
Honestly what better way to ensure you get away with murder than to cast dispersions on the victim? Paint them as just another statistic, someone meeting a cruel end while engaging in risky 'deviant' behavior?"
Magnus gave a faint huff, shrugging.
"Hell, I'm surprised we don't run into it more often."
Alec held his hands up placatingly.
"Okay, I can see your gears spinning, you're already off and running…just hold it a sec, we have to focus on facts, not wild-eyed theories."
Magnus bounced slightly.
"Exactly! Facts…He wasn't killed there, he couldn't of been, there was no blood. And yeah his clothes were rumpled and fastened wonky but there could be other reasons for that. Maybe it was a set up or the killer was looking for something or checked so as not to give away where he was or-"
Alec stood up.
"Alright Magnus? Time and place…we can go over this back at the station, or in the car- not in front of the victims grieving widow and best friend…"
Magnus froze, deflating, casting a sheepish glance over at Ruth.
"Sorry darling…I tend to get carried aw-"
He's cut off by her surging forward, wrapping her arms around him in a near crushing hug, shoulders shaking faintly with near silent, shuttering breaths and sobs. Magnus blinked, eyes wide, looking over in concern to Alec. Alec widened his eyes, shrugging helplessly.
"I don't know" he mouthed.
Magnus huffed faintly.
"Thanks" he mouthed back, rolling his eyes; gently rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"I'm so sorry darling; I didn't mean to upset you again. That was far too crass of a subject for this soon."
She shook her head faintly against his shoulder, trying to get her breathing under control again.
"N-no…you didn't…I'm not u-upset, I'm relieved. I am SO relieved." she hugged him again tightly, again he glanced over, looking to Alec for answers, yet again coming up empty handed.
Yeah…he had no clue at this point.
Finally seemingly somewhat back in control Ruth pulled back, meeting his eyes gratefully.
"Sorry…I swear I'm not usually like this but…oh god…you have no idea what a relief it is that you are working on this. Knowing that there is someone on the case who genuinely cares about what happened to Eugene, who will actually work the case and follow leads and not just write it off as just a casualty of a deviant lifestyle…
You…you really have no idea how much that means."
He gave her a gentle smile, nodding.
"No…I do. I know exactly what it means. That's why I wanted to stay on the case." He took a deep breath meeting her gaze unwaveringly.
"Ruth, I really am sorry for your loss, and you have my word I will do everything possible to find out who did this, make sure they don't just get away with it."
"You have mine too."
Ruth seemed to startle, looking over at Alec in surprise.
"De-"
He shook his head, stepping forward.
"Ma'am, I really do understand why you wouldn't think you can trust me…I can only imagine how much of this belittling, condescending, dismissive crap you've have to endure. I can more than understand your distrust…but…but I swear I am not like that. I don't know what this will turn out to be, what the motive was behind it, but I don't care.
Eugene was murdered- whatever the circumstances were he was the victim, and he deserves justice. I understand why you'd think you can trust Magnus more than me on this but I assure you, I am just as determined to see this case solved."
She swallowed, unsettlingly deep gaze slipping over his features, looking for any sign of dishonesty, a sudden flicker of something before it's gone just as quickly as it appeared. She tilted her head, giving a slight nod.
"Thank you detective…I believe I will hold you to that, though you may regret making such a promise."
Alec startled a bit at that, once again fighting the urge to squirm under that odd gaze.
"Why do you say that ma'am?"
She shrugged.
"I'm afraid the case may have more complications than you think."
More complications?!
A gay victim, shot and redressed, quite possibly dumped at a gay hookup spot to cover the real reason for the murder- which incidentally IS about the best plan he's ever heard of for getting away with murder-, working the case with a flamboyantly out, way too pretty, opinionated reporter who's already far too attached to the case, who Alec may or may not have a kind of totally unattainable crush on, all while trying to keep said flamboyantly out, way too pretty reporter from getting his way too pretty ass kicked by whatever loudmouthed jackasses they encounter on the case…
The civilian Jackasses and the Jackasses actually IN law enforcement…
How many more complications can they throw in there?
"What do you mean darling?" Magnus asked, glancing over at Ruth curiously.
She shrugged, glancing over at Alec.
"Like I said for several years Eugene was estranged from his family. That was largely his father's doing. The man is quite stern and old fashioned, but more than that when he entered the Mayoral race having an obviously gay son would have absolutely torpedoed his chances."
Alec froze…
"M-mayoral race?"
She nodded.
Yeah…Eugene's father is Albert Dawson, beloved two term former mayor of Santa Barbra. He's practically an institution in this town."
Oooh crap…
He shouldn't have asked…
{*~********~*~********~*} *-Magnus-*-Magnus-*-Magnus-*-Magnus-*-Magnus-* {*~********~*~********~*}Crap…
The son of a mayor…as if this case wasn't gonna be enough of a minefield.
How the hell were they gonna do this?
Clearly the family knew Eugene wasn't straight, any hint about where he was found- what the area is known for- and the investigation will be stopped. They aren't going to let them look into anything; will want it to go away as quickly and quietly as possible. It's already happening, as soon as they got back Divya flagged him down, filling him in on what happened since they'd left. Apparently when they we're out talking to the widow someone else had tracked down who Eugene's father was and already called him with the news…including where the body was found and what was said to go on there (It had to of been one of the officers from the scene, the jackasses). The man was on his way down to the precinct now, should be arriving any minute.
Magnus had peeled off the moment they'd arrived, making himself scarce…Chief Lightwood did not care for him and from what Ruth said about the former mayor he would be of the same opinion. In general Magnus didn't care if he made people uncomfortable but whatever else the man was he had just found out he lost his son…he really didn't have it in him to pile on, not in this moment in any case.
Alec had been nearly completely silent the entire ride back, clearly lost in his head, wondering how he was going to handle this. He'd promised Ruth that he'd get to the bottom of the case but both his father And the former mayor of Santa Barbra were going to be pushing him to drop it- not just pushing- flat out ordering him to.
Alec was a lot of things, but a rule breaker wasn't one of them. The man was a freaking Boyscout. Promise or not Magnus couldn't see him disobeying a direct order. He just couldn't.
Which means it's likely gonna be up to him to solve this.
He may not be a detective but really being a reporter isn't too different. He knows the procedures probably better than many on the force, he knows how to find evidence and follow the trail. He can question people, get answers, get closure for Ruth…make sure Eugene's death isn't just ignored and brushed under the rug. He can find out who did this.
He has to.
Once he finds the truth, figures out who's behind it he'll bring it to Alec. He may not be able to actively investigate the case but he couldn't just ignore evidence- not if it's rock solid.
It's gonna be risky and pretty insane, but it's the only way. And he had connections- Raph might be able to figure something out. He's sharp and he hears everything in this town.
Besides Ruth said they met at Chaos, if that's the case they were probably regulars, and it's not like there were a hell of a lot of places around here were a gay couple could hang out and not draw attention. Odds are Eugene and Leo hung out there pretty often too. Eugene was pretty handsome- not to mention easy to spot with the eye catching red hair. Someone's bound to have noticed him there. It's definitely a good place to start. He'll get the info he can here than head over to the club and see If Raphael knows anything. If he doesn't he'll just hang around till the place fills up; someone's bound to know something.
But that would have to wait till later tonight. Right now he needs to get as much info as he can from the Precinct- If chief Lightwood realizes he's nosing into this he's liable to ban him from the precinct till the case is dead.
He needs to be prepared for that.
He took a deep breath, glancing around checking to see if the coast was clear before slipping quickly into the file room, pulling the door behind him, making his way through the stacks, idly fiddling with his camera strap around his neck.
Think quickly, you won't have a hell of a lot of time here…
What can be useful?
What do you need to look into?
Okay the jackasses said there were numerous nuisance calls out to the foundry; find what you can about those…that'd be a good place to start. Eugene worked at Alastair Investments, whatever he could find on that could be useful. Look to see if Eugene had any run in's with the law- he was a good man but by Ruth's description he was rather obvious…just the kind people like Brantley and Douglas like to screw with.
Also Albert Dawson's a former mayor, a public figure; one with a VERY conservative platform no less. If Eugene's death wasn't just a random act of violence or a hookup gone wrong him being found in a gay hookup spot could have less to do with him and more to do with humiliating his father (which is quite frankly depressing as hell, but a solid theory and more than worth looking into).
Alright, he has a start-
Any possible record for Eugene, Foundry reports, Alastair Investments, and anyone with a beef against the former mayor.
Well…it's not much but it's a start.
Magnus shook his head, making his way through the stacks. He found a file cabinet marked DA-, pulling it open, quickly thumbing through the files.
Hmm… Daily, Dane, Danforth, Da-
"Hey w-"
Magnus startled whirling around, quickly slamming the drawer closed.
"Geez…you need a bell or something!"
Alec held his hands up placatingly, shrugging.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you…what are you doing?"'
Magnus shrugged, leaning casually against the file cabinets.
"Nothing, just looking for some interesting reading material…since when is that a crime?"
Alec sighed, quirking his eyebrow.
"Since you're looking for it in official police files that you are not authorized to see?"
Magnus gasped.
"Hey freedom of the press! I can publish what I want, and I have a right to know, an-"
Alec rolled his eyes.
"Magnus you're obviously still working the case."
He sighed, shrugging.
"Yeah…and you aren't anymore, I know. You've been ordered to drop it, you have to, I get it. You can do what you want but I'm not dropping it…I promised Ruth."
He shook his head.
"Magnus you can't just go off on your own investigating a murder…especially this murder."
Magnus prickled at that.
"Hey, I'm a private citizen, I can do whatever the hell I want, and you can't stop me."
Alec huffed, rubbing his temples.
"I know…I've met you. That's why I'm helping you."
Magnus froze, blinking.
"Umm…what? B…but weren't you ordered off the case?"
Alec nodded.
"Yes I was."
Magnus shook his head in confusion.
"W-I…sorry… think I missed something here. You were ordered off the case?"
"Yes…"
"But you're gonna help me with it?"
"Yes…"
"B-but…o-okay, walk me through this-"
Alec groaned rolling his eyes.
"There's nothing to 'walk through'- I was ordered off the case, but I know damn good and well you're not just gonna let it go. I don't want to either. I saw how upset Ruth was, and I saw Eugene, those two jackasses acting as if he was nothing- I see it all the time; ALL the time- you've met my dad, right?"
Magnus snorted, tilting his head concedingly.
"Yeah but I-"
Alec rubbed at his face, shaking his head, holding his hand up.
"Magnus I told you; I am not like them. I am nothing like that. It absolutely disgusts me how they totally dismiss someone just for one stupid, insignificant little thing. I know they want us to ignore it, hoping it'll all just go away quietly, but damnit, Eugene was murdered. I promised Ruth I'd find the truth and bring the culprit to justice. That's more important than some politician's public image possibly being damaged, and it's more important than my dad being pissed at me.
I'm a cop; I'm doing what's right; it's the orders that are wrong. So like I said, I'm in, what do you need?"
Magnus blinked, shaking his head.
"W-okay…sorry…this is just a bit crazy…umm…w…give me a sec?"
Alec shrugged, giving a slight laugh, folding his arms across his chest, leaning against the shelves.
"I got nowhere else to be."
Magnus turned from him, pacing trying to work this out…
Oookay…so…the most straight laced cop he's ever known just told him he's going to flat out disobey orders-
Orders not only from his commanding officer, his chief, but his Father…
Yes, Alec was a good, moral, upstanding man…he would always do the right thing…And he was right, the orders were wrong. Petty, motivated by a worry of political embarrassment and general bigotry…
But nonetheless they were orders…
And it was freaking ALEC.
T-this was just too bizarre.
Magnus turned back to him, looking him over curiously, searching for some kind of clue, some angle, something to make sense of this, but found nothing. He took a couple steps towards him, curiously tilting his head.
"So…just to be clear; you are aware this is going against a direct order? You are helping me look into a case that you were ordered off…that if you are caught investigating before we have a clear, rock solid case- something even the most close minded, bigoted jackass couldn't turn a blind eye to- you will at best be reprimanded, and as this involves a very well connected political figure could have virtually untold consequences.
And you are okay with that?
You?
Head Detective Alexander Gidion Lightwood?"
Alec gave a bit of a disbelieving huff at the use of his full name, quirking his eyebrow in question before shrugging, tilting his head in acknowledgement.
"It's the right thing to do, I'm in, however this goes down. So what were you looking for?"
Magnus swallowed, shrugging back.
"Umm…w-well…I figured if your dad found out I was looking into this- given the political ramifications and all that he'd likely have me banned from the precinct. I was going to find whatever info might be useful here and photograph it so I'd have a copy if I needed it."
Alec blinked in surprise, giving a slight laugh.
"Wow…that's actually really good…you done this before?"
Magnus gave a noncommittal shrug.
"I…may have a system in place for when the authorities are less than cooperative...but let's just focus on the case at hand. There were four things I wanted to look into here before I headed out.
I want to see if Eugene had any kind of record- he doesn't seem the type but he IS the type bigoted jackasses like to screw with so it's a definite possibility. Alastair investments- if his death isn't related to his personal life it could be about his professional life- definitely wouldn't be the first time a work issue blew out of control. The reports from the Foundry, the jackasses said they got a lot, if we find some people who frequent it it's possible they could be witnesses.
Lastly I would really like to take a close look into anyone with a grudge against Albert Dawson. He's a political figure- a very conservative one at that. His youngest son being found seemingly murdered during a tryst in a near notorious gay hookup spot could be a way to humiliate him. There's probably quite a bit more to look into but I had like less than ten minutes before you arrived so that's as far as I got." he trailed off, glancing up at Alec.
He blinked, eyes slightly wide.
"Ten minutes? Wow…Think you may have missed your calling…clearly you should have been a detective."
Magnus gave a surprised laugh, glancing away, face suddenly feeling rather warm.
"Umm…a-anyways after I look up that I was gonna head over to Chaos-see what I could find out there. Ruth said they were regulars and Eugene was pretty distinctive looking, odds are someone noticed him. I know Ruth said he'd never cheat but the fact that he just found out his boyfriend wouldn't be back for another month makes me wonder. I don't necessarily think he was out looking for a hookup, but if he was down it stands to reason he may have went for a drink. It's quite possible he was there that night, or if not someone there may remember him, really at this point any information we can get on the guy could prove useful."
Alec gave a slow, considering nod.
"That's true, so after we get done here we can go over to this Chaos a-"
"Woah…uh…I don't know about that."
Alec quirked his eyebrow.
"What?"
Magnus scoffed, flailing slightly.
"Alec, come on. This is an underground gay club- that's illegal…and honestly some of the clientele are a bit rough. I can't take a cop in there. I'll just go in myself a-"
Alec shook his head.
"No…if we're working this case together we are working the entire thing together-"
Magnus sighed.
"Alec I get that but seriously; this is an illegal club-I can't just bring a cop into an illegal club. How do I know you're not gonna end up coming back with a swat team? Or trying to haul people out of there in handcuffs? If I were to take you in there it would be as a civilian. You would not be taking your badge and you would under no circumstances be arresting anyone, or making a list of people to arrest, or anything else. I cannot be responsible for Chaos being shut down, Raph would never forgive me."
Alec tilted his head.
"Raph?"
Magnus nodded.
"Raphael Santiago, the owner of Chaos."
Alec paled faintly, swallowing, holding up a finger.
"Raphael Santiago…a-as in the crime boss who is rumored to pretty much run the entirety of the criminal underground of Santa Barbra…and like several, several other cities? The one no law enforcement agent has ever been able to get anywhere near? The Raphael Santiago who terrifying, evil, violent criminals and murderers have nightmares about…
THAT Raphael Santiago?"
Magnus shrugged.
"Officially no; he's just a very skilled, convincing business man with numerous interests and a flare for the dramatic…
But yeah, That Raphael Santiago."
Alec blinked, swallowing again, nodding.
"A-and you call him 'Raph?"
"Yes..."
"Umm, w-why?"
Again Magnus shrugged.
"Because he's my best friend and has been for over a decade."
"Umm…"
Magnus chuckled, smirking faintly.
"Like I said, it's better if you don't come with me, I'll just fill you in a-"
"No… if we're investigating this together we're investigating all of it together. I'm coming with you; I need to be able to talk to the witnesses too."
Magnus shook his head.
"I don't think that's a good idea- you couldn't go in as a cop, that would absolutely not fly."
Alec shrugged.
"Okay so I won't go in as a cop."
Magnus snorted.
"Alec, sweetheart? You are a cop to the bone; it is in every fiber of your being. I take you into an illegal club to meet with a crime boss that law enforcement has been gunning for for years but have never been able to get a single charge to stick?
That will not end well…"
Alec nodded.
"I realize this isn't a small ask, but you have my word. I'll focus only on the case. Just find out about Eugene…that's it. I won't cause any problems."
Magnus sighed, slumping faintly against the shelves, shaking his head apologetically once more.
"Honestly I don't know that I could trust you to keep your word."
Alec tilted his head, looking almost hurt.
"You don't trust me?"
Magnus sighed.
"It's not that…I do…in nearly anything else. But this isn't just something of mine I'm risking. Raphael is my best friend. Chaos…i-it's a sanctuary for so many, a kind of last reprieve from the constant tension, fear and drama that is present in near every other moment of our lives.
I DO trust you Alec…
But…that's a LOT riding on just your word…I'm sorry." he gave a helpless shrug, unsure what else to say.
Alec paused, considering, before taking a deep breath, looking up, meeting Magnus's gaze head on, a strong determination sparking in those bright, gorgeous hazel eyes. Magnus swallowed, kind of bracing himself against the shelves, suddenly feeling a little lightheaded.
Damn…
"Okay…give me a way to prove it to you. Anything, you name it."
Anything, huh? Oh I can think of plenty o-
No…
Stop it…
"Alec I-"
He stepped forward, shaking his head.
"No Magnus, I get it; I really do. You're trying to protect someone you care about, something you care about. I understand that it's too much just to hope that I keep my word. So just tell me; how can I prove to you that you can trust me on this? There has to be a way."
"Kiss…"
Alec flushed.
"W-What?"
Oh crap! He actually said that out loud!
Crap, crap crap!
What's he supposed to do now!?
Think damnit!
Crap!
Magnus swallowed, nodding quickly, fidgeting, brushing his hair back, fiddling with his earcuff trying to think of something, anything that would make sense. Grasping at straws he goes with the first thing that pops into his mind.
"Umm…y-yeah…well…I …okay so it's a gay club- an illegal club, and I'd be bringing you there to meet with a crime boss…also illegal. All the risk is on my side, you don't really have anything to lose. Hell if it all goes sideways you can just say it was some kind of sting to get a shot at Raphael. You have nothing at stake I need something just in case you decide to go against your word…"
Alec quirked his eyebrow, a slightly amused light in those oh so pretty hazel eyes.
"And…a kiss would do that?"
Magnus flushed faintly.
"W-well umm…no…not on its own…"
Alec's eyebrows rose.
"Umm, Magnus, what exactly are you asking?"
Magnus flushed brighter.
Oh good lord…
Please make it stop…this is bordering on painful.
"Not that!"
Really what cou-
He froze, a light bulb flash of an idea, he pounced on it before it could get any worse, if that was even possible.
"I mean a picture of a kiss."
Alec blinked in confusion.
"A p-"
Magnus nodded quickly, running with it.
"Exactly. My camera has a timer, I can set it, you kiss me, I have a picture of it…an insurance policy. I won't show it to anyone; you have my word…so long as you keep your word, I'll keep mine." Magnus swallowed nervously before steadying himself, trying his best to pull up his relaxed, in control mask, giving a calculatingly careless wave.
"But of course if you don't want to I understand. I can just go to the club myself and tell y-"
"I'll do it."
"-ou everything and…w-wait…what?"
Alec shrugged, folding his arms, quirking his eyebrow.
"I said I'll do it…" He glanced around consideringly.
"May as well just do it here, don't really have time to waste. You have your camera, could probably just set it up on one of the file cabinets, right?"
Magnus blinked, totally confused.
Oookay…uh…what?
He nodded.
"R-right…exactly…no time to waste. I'll just get set up…" he turned looking for a place to fix his camera, totally bewildered.
Seriously…is he bluffing? Playing chicken? Is that a thing?
Magnus shook his head once more, before turning around, startling faintly.
Alec is RIGHT there.
"You good?"
Magnus swallowed, nodding.
Alec nodded back, slipping closer. Magnus feels his heart rate spike, breath coming shallow and thready. Alec reaches forward, grabbing him, pressing him back against the wall, gaze flickering from his eyes down to his lips. Magnus's breath catches, swallowing nervously. Alec leans in, catching his lips in a soft, slow kiss that makes Magnus's head spin. He reaches up, hand running along Magnus's jaw, tilting his head back slightly, humming in approval. Magnus gasps lightly. Alec takes the opportunity and freaking runs with it, slipping his tongue in, deepening the kiss, doing- something that has Magnus dizzy, breathless and whimpering in a matter of moments, clutching his shoulders for support.
Alec slowly breaks the kiss, nipping lightly at Magnus's lower lip before pulling back.
Magnus blinks in shock, shaky and breathless, still firmly holding onto Alec as his knees suddenly feel like jelly and he really doesn't think they'll support him right now. Alec smirks, reaching up, brushing a bit of Magnus's hair back, quirking his eyebrow.
"So...are we good or do you need more proof?"
Magnus swallowed, swaying forward.
"N-Need or want?"
Alec chuckled, leaning in, bumping his nose against Magnus's, lips teasingly grazing against his.
"Mmm…Which is it? Need or want?"
Magnus whimpered faintly, tugging him closer.
"Yes?"
Alec chuckled, leaning in catching his lips again. Magnus groaned, nearly melting against him, reaching up, tangling his fingers in Alec's hair, pulling him in, eagerly deepening the kiss…
Mmm…damn this was j-
"Hey Alec I heard that y-Oh crap! Sorry!"
They startle apart, looking towards the end of the row of shelves at the newcomer, the young detective nervously glancing away, seemingly very interested in the label of a totally random evidence box, blushing clear to his ears.
Alec swallowed nervously, giving an awkward wave.
"H-hey Simon…"
{*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*}Figured we needed a way to introduce Mags using 'Alexander' rather than just Alec…and I couldn't resist putting in a middle name, just seemed called for.
Gidion= Oath…seems to fit.
I always think the only reason we even have middle names is so you know when you're REALLY in trouble…
-*-*-*-*-*-*-40'sDetectiveNoir-*-*-*-*-*-*-
* 24 *