Conclusion

Nothing was ever as simple as Lucifer made it out to be. Two months after his "come to the Devil" meeting at the Cecil there still hadn't been any movement on either case. Not that Chloe hadn't tried her best – it just seemed that despite Lucifer's assistance in "knowing" the truth the District Attorney hadn't felt inclined to act on it. McIntyre's wife had found a lawyer who was still managing to stone-wall any investigation of her brother's involvement in her husband's case claiming that the dashing club owner had been acting as an agent of the police and since he had not seen fit to read anyone their rights nothing that was said in that room could be used against them – a stance that the D.A. seemed to reluctantly agree with. Even when Chloe had been able to search his back yard and find the gun used in McIntyre's murder (right where his wife had said it would be buried) it wasn't enough as Milton had used gloves when he had fired it so no fingerprints or DNA was found on the weapon or the bag it was in to link it to anyone. And the only reason the police were able to retrieve the gun – over Bertha's shrill protests – was because the police had the permission of a strangely cooperative Don Bradley who was "glad to help the police in any manner he could". Or at least that's what he told the newsmen camped outside of his business.

"Did they ever find another gun in the water tank?" Maze asked lazily. "Seems rather too much of a good thing to use two separate weapons on two separate victims."

Lucifer shook his head. "No – though they did a much more thorough search of the tank than they had in other times. Amenadiel talked to Daniel who let it slip that the gun found in Bradley's backyard was found to be the one used on Milton so at least there isn't another one in the wind. Or in Bertha Bradley's greedy clutches."

The Bradley's are in divorce court" Maze said in a bored tone "and from what Chloe has heard it probably wouldn't even be much of a fight. Bertha's association with a man considered the prime suspect in a murder (who became a victim of murder himself) made sure her arguments to the judge were soon drowned out." The demon smirked over at her former King. "Couldn't happen to a nicer woman."

Lucifer shrugged, running his hands over his piano keys. "I've heard that Gabriel, Bradley's nephew, handed over all the information he had managed to glean while staying in his uncle's home to the authorities but until it could be verified most of it was considered hearsay at best. I suspect that will be a while in coming. And after he had given over his information to the police the foolish creature disappeared, leaving no forwarding address or means by which he could be found." The Devil absently played a few cords, frowning at the sound. "Bloody things needs to be tuned again."

"I guess he wasn't as interested in finding out of you were his father as he thought he was" Maze replied, reaching over the bar to pour herself another drink.

"I suppose not" Lucifer agreed. "Probably wasn't – not quite the right vibe. And such a tacky dresser - so not what a child of mine would be like. So – what did you think of Mad Dog Gibson? Was he to your liking"?

Maze licked her lips. "That old man has it all – and despite what he keeps telling himself he's still got the old blood lust roaring in his veins. If I were Bradley – I'd be sleeping with one eye open from now until … well forever."

Lucifer chuckled. "Yes – I thought you'd appreciate him. Any news about his daughter? Did she decide to go back to daddy's café or go to the street?"

Maze snorted. "That little twit? Annalise came out of hiding and went back to her college but word of her antics with the husband of a wealthy alumni made continuing her education difficult at best. Her sorority essentially froze her out, fearing a backlash from both the University administration and their alumni supporters. She barely finished the semester while trying to find work to pay for her now very expensive lifestyle. Daddy isn't paying for her anymore – guess she's too much like her mommy dearest for him to forgive and forget. And Donny Boy isn't having any of her either – she's "old news" and bad news at that. I suspect he's already on the lookout for a newer model. Can't say I blame either of them." She sauntered over to the piano and laid her glass on table beside it. "And while we're talking about this stupidity – what about Milton's death? Anyone taking responsibility for that?"

"You tell me" Lucifer huffed. "Chloe has refused to even speak to me about this case. Seems she feels that my little get-together of all the suspects did her case more harm than good." He reached out and snatched her glass up, draining it in one quick gulp. "She's probably right but really, so many hoops to jump through just to prove what we already knew. Humans can be just so slow on the uptake."

"I don't think their uptake is the problem. They just want to make sure they get it right. Just because you have essentially pointed them in the direction of who is guilty doesn't mean they can prove it. And you KNOW how humans are – they want everything tied in a neat little bow. Never mind the fact that with all the twists and turns they have to go through their murder could very well never be brought to justice." Maze smiled coldly. "Well – at least not to mortal justice. They all eventually get what's coming to them when they die. It will be quite fun when that time comes. I wonder which one of those nice little ladies will be at our ages for judgement for doing in Milton?"

Lucifer shrugged. "Dear Regina Simonton – though she was smart enough not to say anything to incriminate herself. But I'm betting that Bertha will take care of that little issue when she's kicked from her home by her cheating husband for doing to him what he'd been doing to her probably since they were first married." The Devil turned on his piano stool to look at his demon associate. "And these are the beloved creations my Father sent me to Hell for objecting to. Lovely, aren't they?"

Maze shrugged. "Some aren't SO bad." She glanced at her empty glass for a moment then looked up quizzically. "So – the Cecil? What's happening with it? Some rich dude with more sense than money still looking to make it an actual working hotel?"

"Probably not – at least not until the stench of this little crime spree has faded. But eventually someone will try to resurrect it – probably by using its history as a selling point. Not my business."

"Sure about that?" Maze said somberly.

Lucifer sighed. "The hotel isn't haunted, cursed or a portal to Hell. And if any of my demon subjects are using it as a playground they had better hope I don't find them at it. I may have left Hell – but some things about Hell haven't left me." He turned fire eyes on his companion with a wicked smile. "In fact – I think it's time for a little more darkness in my life. What do you say, Maze, in the mood to play with the Devil?"

Maze smiled. "Anything you say boss – anything you say."

Across the street from the Cecil a shabby figure watched as a mixture of homeless vagrants, tourist types and uniformed police mixed and mingled on the sidewalk. The hotel itself seemed quiet – for now. "We'll see how long that lasts" the figure mused to itself before disappearing into the shadows, leaving behind the scent of decay and sulfur.