Well hello everyone! I did not mean to take a month long hiatus, believe me, things have just been really hectic around here lately! So in the next week I am hoping to post the chapters that should have been posted in that time, please bear with me! They might be a little smaller than I have been posting lately but I really want to get back on track.
I'm also doing a little bit more creative thinking and filling in some non-canon holes, I hope the choices that I make sit well with everyone!
As always, I do not own Fairy Tail, it belong to Hiro Mashima and I thank him for its use in my own creative expressions *bows*
Erza quickly gave Gray the important parts of her meeting with the mayor while they made their way hastily to the Captain's office. They drew a few curious stares from their colleagues but most of them where too busy to notice them whispering.
"So do you think that we're too late and they are going to kill the case already?" Gray asked in a hush.
"It's too soon," Erza replied just as quiet. "I don't know if this is related or not but something tells me it isn't." Gray didn't have time to reply before they reached the glass walled office of Captain Lahar, the man in charge of the Magnolia precinct's Major Crimes Division. Erza looked up at the two men standing beside the Captain's desk and it surprised her.
"What are they doing here," Gray mumbled beside her as she knocked on the clear door.
Captain Lahar waved them in. "Scarlett, Fullbuster, these men would like to speak to you about the Zoldeo case."
Detectives Freed Justine and Bixlow Knight from the Crocus Organized Crime Unit greeted them with a nod and a big smile.
"What can we do for you, Detectives?" Erza asked coolly, she had not been expecting this and wasn't sure what exactly they were after.
"We heard about the case and thought that we could give you some insight on Zoldeo and Grimore Heart," Freed explained. "In exchange we would like to have access to your case notes and any information that you uncover during the investigation."
"That is very generous, what kind of information are you looking for?"
"For the last few weeks we have been getting very unusual intel on Grimore Heart's activities, something is stirring them up and we think that this hit on Zoldeo could be a part of that."
"What can you tell us about Grimore Heart?" Gray asked. "We don't run up against them often in Magnolia, we recognized Zoldeo from his arrest a few month ago but he is the only member we've knowingly investigated."
"That isn't surprising, although you probably have more of them coming through here than you think. Grimore Heart controls most of Fiore's gun and drug trade," Bixlow explained, crossing his arms and leaning back on his heels as he spoke. "The bulk of their organization is made up of low level street criminals, mostly dummy corporations or contractors but they have been very careful about keeping the identities of their superiors protected and almost every effort that we have made to infiltrate their inner circle has failed."
"We do know that their leader goes by the name Hades, but no one has been able to get a clear ID on him so that we can find out his true identity." Freed handed Erza a stack of file folders. "Here is a copy of all the information we have on Grimore Heart; profiles for Hades, his second in command and lieutenants. There are also a few notes in there about known associates and enemies, recent collaborations and feuds." It was a fair sized bunch of files, probably at least a dozen or more.
"You think this might be an inside hit?" It seemed to be what they were implying without coming out and actually saying it.
"We don't have enough information right now to make that conclusion, but in the interest of inter-office cooperation we thought that we would offer you our assistance. I also need to inform you that when we heard of Zoldeo's death we searched his apartment hoping to find something that would help our operation but it had already been torn apart. I assume that it wasn't by your department?"
It took a lot for Erza not to be outraged that they had gone above their heads in the investigation without informing them first, but since she was in front of the Captain she knew she had to let it slide.
"No, we have not gone to his apartment, yet. There wasn't anything on the body either, no wallet or cellphone."
"So we were beaten to the punch by someone who must have thought that Zoldeo had important information," Freed's voice was quiet and calm but Erza knew him well enough to hear the undertones of ire. "Not much to go on, you are going to have your work cut out for you Erza."
"Thank you for the information Detective Justine," she replied. "I can have a copy of the murder file sent over to your office right away."
"I would prefer to take it with me, if you don't mind. We will wait."
Erza nodded and turned to leave the office. "Detective Scarlett," Captain Lahar called out when her back was turned.
"Yes Sir?"
"I need to speak to you in private. Gray, see to it that a copy of that file is made as soon as possible."
"Yes Sir," Gray answered and led Freed and Bixlow out of the office.
"Erza," the Captain began once the door was shut. "I've had a request from Crocus that I know you are not going to like."
A hard pit grew in the middle of her stomach, she never liked requests from Crocus but it couldn't be about what the Mayor had told her. It wouldn't make sense that the Captain would let her sit through that meeting just to pull them off the case, so it had to be another transfer order, which was almost as bad as a closed case.
"Yes Sir?" She answered quietly.
"As you know, there is a FPD fundraising event going on this evening at the Castle. Crocus has requested that you attend on behalf of the Magnolia precinct."
"But Sir," Erza sputtered. "I have this new case plus two more open files…"
"I realize the inconvenience," Captain Lahar cut her off firmly. "But this order came from the top, the Chief of Police requested it himself and there is nothing I can do to convince him otherwise. The dress code is black tie and it starts at 8pm sharp, don't be late. Would you like me to arrange an escort for you?"
"No Sir," Erza replied, subdued because she was stuck.
"Alright then," the Captain sat down at his desk and opened a random file. "It's not the way I would like to spend my evening either, but it is our duty to this precinct and this department to act accordingly. I trust that you will represent us well."
"Yes Sir." Erza left the office quietly; she knew that she had been dismissed.
Gray walked back to his desk and gathered the information they had on Zoldeo's murder.
"Excuse me." He caught the attention of a secretary that walked by his desk with a stack of similar folders. "Can you make a copy of this and bring it back to me? Right away, please."
"Yes, Sir." She took the file and hurried off. Gray looked up at Freed and Bixlow standing on the other side of the desk, they didn't seem to be in much of a hurry.
"We could have had it sent to you in less than an hour," he told them. "I'm sure you're busy downtown."
"We don't mind waiting," Freed repeated, trading a look with his partner. Gray decided to press them further, there had to be something going on here.
"It's like you told Erza, we don't have much to go on so the help is appreciated, but I just don't know how much our notes going to be of value to you."
"Sometimes the smallest amount of information can make a big difference." It was Bixlow that spoke this time. "Happens all the time with witnesses, they see things that they might not think are important but it can make or break a case."
Gray felt there was an underlying message in his statement, the witness' account of last night was in the official file but not the tape with Gajeel's voice. Would they come to the same conclusions without all of the evidence and who's side where they on?
"If you can make out anything in this case be my guest," Gray replied, trying to sound normal. "What we got out of our witness is questionable at best." The secretary had returned with both copies and Gray thanked her as he took them. "Here." He handed the thin file to Freed. "It's still missing the lab report but that hasn't come back yet, I will get it send over as soon as it does."
"Thank-you Gray," Freed replied solemnly, taking the file. "If we get any other information from our contacts about the murder I will let you know." Freed and Bixlow both turn away and not quite hurried off, but there was definitely more urgency in their steps now. Gray was still staring after them when Erza returned, she plopped the stack of files down in front of him with a resounding thump.
"Here is your homework for tonight," she told him bluntly. "Review these files and see if anything stands out to you."
Gray stiffened. "What about you?!"
"I have to attend the fundraising gala at the Castle tonight," Erza groaned. "By the request of the Chief of Police."
Gray couldn't help laughing at her situation but then realized what that meant for him. "So I'm on this case by myself then? And it might be getting pulled," he added quietly. "Do you think that this is part of their strategy?"
Erza shook her head. "No, I don't think so. They wouldn't force me to attend the gala just to take my focus off my caseload, not when they can just close the case without objections. I think this is just more pressure to take the promotion that we both know is coming."
"You better go then." Gray picked up the first file and opened it. "You don't want to be late. I'll stay here until the lab report is back, I promised Freed I would forward it on to them as soon as it came in." He looked her in the eye. "Did you believe their excuse about open office communication? I think they are digging for something deeper."
"So do I, but we don't have a choice now, we have to keep them in the loop." Erza picked up her coat from the back of her chair. "However, information that we are unsure of or that isn't already in the open file… we should just sit on for now."
Gray caught her meaning and nodded. "I will use my best judgement."
"See you tomorrow," Erza called as she turned to walk away.
"See you!" Gray called after her.
He looked down at the photo on the left hand side of the file folder, a fat man with pale skin and greasy looking black hair. Kain Hikaru was the name underneath, to Gray he looked more like one of the creepers they got sometimes down in lockup who were caught trying to peep in the ladies washrooms at the mall then a high ranking gang member. As Gray continued through the file he got a sick feeling in his stomach, he was right when he pegged this guy as a creeper but he was far more menacing than your average pervert. Most of his alleged crimes where against women and he preferred using his own fists as weapons, most of his victims were found beaten to death.
Gray closed the file and pushed it to the other side of his desk; he didn't really want to read any more about Hikaru than he had to. Besides, shooting didn't seem to be this man's style and it didn't sound like he had any beef with Zoldeo. He eyed the stack of remaining files warily, it wasn't that he wasn't used to violence and savagery doing this job but it never made him feel very comfortable. He was just about to pick up another one at random when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Saved by the call, he thought, happy for even a small distraction before going on. He looked at the call display and saw that it was his wife, which was pleasant and alarming at the same time.
"Juvia?" He answered. "Is everything ok?" She didn't usually call him while he was at work unless there was an emergency with the kids.
"No, no, everything is ok, Gray." The words were slow and pronounced; she was making an effort not to speak in third person. "Juv-I," she corrected herself quickly. "Am calling to remind you that you said you would pick up the twins from soccer practice today." She emphasized the pronouns.
Gray did a mental head slap, he remembered saying it last night before the murder had even happened. "I will be there," he glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly three in the afternoon; the lab report was going to have to wait.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm leaving right now." They disconnected and Gray pulled his coat on quickly before grabbing his car keys and the stack of files.
"Detective Fullbuster?" A young kid in a white lab coat called out to him just as he was about to walk away. "Here is the report that you requested, sir." He held out a sheet of paper to Gray who snatched it quickly and stuck it in a random file folder.
"Thanks, can you make sure a copy is forwarded to the Crocus Organized Crime Unit? Attention Detective Freed Justine, as soon as possible, thanks." He almost didn't hear the 'yes sir' reply because he was hurrying to the door, determined to make it on time.
Fingers crossed I can get the rest of the chapters out right away! Thanks for reading