To refresh your mind: In this AU Delilah was never murdered. Chloe and Lucifer first met at the Gillian Taylor case, in the canon that is episode one of season two.
In chapter five of this story some criminal shot Chloe, Lucifer protected her with his wings: that is how Chloe, Ella and Trixie found out Lucifer really is the devil. All three ladies took that reveal well.
Lucifer also realized Chloe is something special: immune to his powers and his dad listened to her prayer. Chloe prefers to think that last fact was just coincidence.
Dan found out in chapter nine and Chloe asked Lucifer how he could ignore his dad's orders if he didn't have free will.
They are dating, first date was a visit to the north of Norway to see the northern lights. They do sleep together.They realized God listened to more prayers of Chloe. Lucifer wanted to know why dad listens to her… so dad showed up and explained. At the time of the Big Bang he gave the cosmological constant a wrong value, he needs help to warn himself and change that value. He tells them Chloe and Lucifer together will give that help without realizing.
In the case that open in the previous chapter a lawyer was murdered and one of Lucifer's sisters can bring them to the victim's son.
Chapter thirteen:With some help of an angel
"Raziel can point us?" Chloe echoed.
"That's what she just told me. She is coming to Earth, to here, to show us," Lucifer said.
"An angel will visit my church?" father Frank interrupted. He looked at Lucifer, shook his head and mumbled: "The devil is already visiting my church… Sorry, Lucifer."
"I see no offense, father."
"An angel?" Chloe asked. "With a white robe, white wings and a halo?"
"Mm?" Lucifer raised his brows. "More likely with some grey-ish or blue-ish shirt and trousers, leather boots, looking like some medieval armor bearer. Curly hair that she almost always wears in a pony tail. She was mother's sweetheart." He gave that a thought. "Maybe she still is, didn't speak to either of them in thirty thousand years, not since my Fall. And no white wings."
"Your wings are white," Chloe said.
"I'm the only angel… as in biologically an angel, with white wings. We all have different colored feathers. Amenadiel's feathers are grey with black ends. Raziel's are light green with grey."
It was not one woman that a few minutes later entered the church, they were with five and two of them had their wings fully spread.
"What the f...," Lucifer muttered. One woman looked as Lucifer had described, as if coming straight from the cast of Game of Thrones. She was the first to embrace Lucifer and than glance at Chloe. "Hi, brother. Can you introduce us?"
Chloe noticed the other four also to look at her while whispering to each other.
"Bloody hell. If you want. Detective, these are some of my sisters. Raziel, angel of Mysteries, Saraquel, angel of Punishment, Zuriel, angel of Fertility, Anael, angel of Love and Jehudiel, angel of Mercy. Sisters, please meet Chloe Decker, my girlfriend, and father Frank Lawrence, a Catholic priest."
Raziel was the first to embrace Chloe with a: "So good to see my sister-in-law." The other four followed and kissed Chloe, while Raziel looked at Frank. "A priest? And he knows what you are?"
"Well, if he had not known, he would by now with Zuriel and Anael having their wings out in front of humans."
"O," Zuriel whispered and the next moment her wings and those of Anael disappeared.
"A bit late," Lucifer said and shook his head. "But he knows what I am and he knew one angel would come." He emphasized the word 'one'.
"I wanted to see the woman you love," Anael said. "We all wanted to see her. We never had a sister-in-law."
"We will not harm you," Saraquel in the meanwhile assured Frank.
"How did the two of you fall in love?" Anael asked Chloe, holding both her hands.
Chloe took a deep breath. "That's a long story. I mean, I don't want to be rude or impolite…"
"But she first has something else to do," Saraquel said, looking at Anael. "She needs to punish a murderer."
Anael frowned and looked unhappy. "Since when is punishment more important than love?"
"As Father has told the humans, they should work; in the sweat of thy brow of face, he told them," Saraquel said. "And punishing criminals is our new sister's job."
"I will tell you tonight," Chloe promised Anael. "If you come the Lux."
"The Lux?"
"My club," Lucifer said. "Why not this way: Raziel goes with us to point us to the Temple of the Last Holy Mystery and the four of you go to the Lux and wait until we are done for today?"
"Maze…" Chloe whispered to him. Soft, but not too soft for angels to hear.
"Father warned us we might meet the demon Mazikeen," Raziel said.
"He told us to accept her presence. She has his blessing to walk on Earth."
"Does she?" Lucifer asked with his eyes wide. "She won't like that. I better give her a call to warn her four angels will visit Lux and to tell her no knives, but drinks on the house."
Luckily they were driving Chloe's cruiser and not the Corvette, so there were seats in the back for Raziel.
"Where are all those people going to?" the angel asked while Chloe made her way through LA's traffic.
"Work, visits, home, doctor's appointment," Lucifer listed. "Shopping, funerals, birthdays, museums, just to the beach, fitness, meeting a secret lover in a hotel room…"
"Which is the one that is going to meet that secret lover?" Raziel asked.
Chloe hide a laugh. "Lucifer just summed up possible things people might do. We have no idea what each individual is going to do."
"You have to go bit to the left," Raziel said. "We are getting closer. Oh, so you have no idea what that man is going to do." She was looking to the left.
Chloe was waiting for an opportunity to change lanes, but quickly glanced aside into the car driving next to her. An old, bald driver with a grim expression on his face. "No idea, but he doesn't look like he is going to visit a lover."
She entered the left lane after that car and turned at the next intersection.
Raziel asked more questions until she suddenly said: "We should have taken this one to the right. The place where they pray is exactly in that direction."
"We take the next one," Chloe said. She turned right and after half a mile right again. "And now?"
Ten minutes later they were parked in front of something that was too big for a house and had too less windows, but didn't show signs of a church, or a temple. "Two persons are praying in there at the moment," Raziel said.
"What do they pray for?" Chloe asked.
"What? I don't listen, I relay directly to father. Wait." For some seconds she looked at the building. "Health for a grandmother. The other; new job since the human is not happy in his present job."
"You don't give them what they pray for?"
"I'm not allowed," Raziel explained. "Angels have to get Father's permission to interact with humans. Father gave permission for this visit to Lucifer and the humans he interact with."
Chloe thought that over for some seconds, then decided it was not her business and said: "We go inside."
The main hall of the temple was full of pomp and splendor: tapestries, man-high golden vases, a crystal chandelier, statutes. One statute stood out: a statute of an angel in the center of the hall. It was twice as high as a man, painted different shades of blue and silver, with wings that for Chloe looked small compared to his size. The angel had long silver hair, a silver beard and a golden crown. The eyes were huge, colored gold with a long, narrow pupil like a cat. Chloe noticed Raziel was looking with disgust at the statute.
Five people were in the hall, two of the five were on their knees for the central statute and praying. One man came to them. "Be welcome in our Temple, whether you are just curious or seeking a connection with the Last Holy Mystery."
"What is this last holy mystery?" Lucifer asked.
"The Mystery why our good Lord, who is perfection himself, allows us, sinful humans who don't deserve his goodness, to be in his creation."
"Ah." Lucifer grinned. "You humans are just his little spare-time activity. And dad has nothing else than spare-time."
The man shook his head. "More than twenty-seven thousand explanations have been written down and I know for sure this is one of them. And we keep writing down new ones. Of course we know that none of these twenty-seven thousand is correct."
"Why not?" Chloe asked.
"Because humans are too insignificant to understand our Lord. Modesty makes us pray to the archangel Raziel only, not to the Lord." He gestured at the large statute in the center.
Chloe noticed Raziel next to her looking offended.
"But let me introduce myself," the man continued. "Wayne Miller."
"Chloe Decker, LAPD," Chloe answered and she hold up her badge. "My consultant, mr Morningstar and his sister, miss Morningstar." She deliberately avoided their first names.
"Police? What can I do for you?"
"We're looking for mister Ben Lyles or Ben Bovel. He might use either name."
"Our vicar… is something…"
"We need to talk with him about some family matter, nothing concerning your church."
"Temple," Wayne corrected her and nodded. "I have the address where he and his wife are living."
"Wife? He is married?"
"Yes. Two years ago. In our Temple of course, but all our marriages are reported to the city administration."
Chloe frowned until Lucifer whispered: "Dan checked for Ben Bovel in the administration, not for Ben Lyles."
"Ah, yes," Chloe said. "Of course."
Back in the car with the address Wayne had given them, Lucifer started to grin and Raziel gave him an angry look. "A beard really suits you, sister," he said.
"I should have smashed that piece of limestone to pieces," she muttered.
"Why didn't you," Lucifer asked.
"I guessed Father wouldn't approve it." She shrugged and watched how Chloe entered the address in the navigation system. "Does that know all streets in the city?"
"Almost all streets in the world."
"O, wow," Raziel said with her eyes wide.
Ben was at home.
"You are Ben Bovel?" Chloe asked.
"I prefer Lyles as last name, but: yes, that's me."
"Detective Chloe Decker, LAPD." Chloe showed her badge. "Mr Morningstar, consultant for the LAPD and his sister miss Morningstar. Can we come in, please?"
"Police? What…"
"It is about your father, mr Lyles."
He let them in into a small living room with wooden chairs, a table and bare white walls. Apart from a large book cabinet there was nothing else, no painting, no vase, no plants, not even a carpet on the floor. A woman raised from one of the chairs when they came in.
"My wife Myrthe," Ben said. "Three police detectives."
Lucifer looked around. "Striking difference with the interior of your temple."
"Humans don't deserve luxury. All we claim to own, is in reality owned by our Lord. But you said there is something with my dad?"
"When did you last time see your father, mr Lyles?" Chloe asked.
"Sunday. He was annoying as ever, flirting with Adriana. What is wrong with dad?"
"Your father died this morning, mister Lyles. He was murdered."
"What?" Ben stared a few seconds at her, then slowly sat down. "He didn't deserve that, detective. No one deserves that." He folded his hands and closed his eyes.
Chloe looked at Raziel.
"He prays," the angel whispered.
"Listen to it," Chloe whispered back.
After some moments Ben lowered his hands. "He worshiped the idol of money, but he was my father. Who is the murderer?"
"That is what we try to find out, mister Lyles. You know your father. Did he have enemies?"
"Having money makes all people your enemy," Ben said. "I just prayed for my father. I asked the angel Raziel to have mercy with his poor soul and to help you find my father's murderer."
Chloe glanced at Raziel, who nodded. "I think she already does," Chloe said dryly. She thought for a second: that didn't sound as if he was the killer… Nevertheless. "How was your relation with your father?"
"I didn't kill him, detective. I wanted him to see the light and the love of our Lord."
Lucifer made one step to him. "That is what you really desired? Him to see the light?"
Ben stared in Lucifer's eyes. "Yes. Of course. I listen to ten commandments. The fourth says I will honor my parents."
"Fourth?" Lucifer said. "Not the fifth?"
"We are not Catholic."
"You're temple is coming from some reformed roots," Lucifer concluded and nodded. "But you use your mother's name, not your father's."
Ben sighed. "The name Bovel was known by some people in LA as from a rich lawyer. I didn't want to be associated with it, but I explained my dad why. You should follow the money, his money. That will guide you to his killer."
"Did he talk with you about his money?" Chloe asked. "Problems? Disputes?"
"Not with me," Ben said.
"He bragged about money last Sunday," Myrthe said. "While flirting with Adriana, I heard him mentioned several times how rich he is… was."
"Who is that Adriana?" Chloe asked.
"My little sister," Myrthe answered. "We are both adopted, but we have a connection as if we are sisters. She is four years younger. Sunday was our mother's birthday – adoption mother – and Ben's dad also came. Well, he and mom know each other from our wedding and she always invite him."
"And mr Bovel was flirting with Adriana?"
Both Ben and Myrthe looked a bit embarrassed. "I do disapprove," Ben said. "Given the age difference and the family connection, well, not biologically but nevertheless. Although dad was divorced and my mother passed away and Adriana is of age, so…" He shrugged as if he didn't know what to say more.
"But he talked about money with Adriana," Myrthe added.
"What is Adriana's last name? Where can we find her?"
While Lucifer was driving, Chloe checked the police files. "Three parking tickets is all the LAPD has on Adriana Nassar," she concluded.
"Doesn't sound like a dangerous murderer, detective," Lucifer said with a smile.
"No. But we don't have a reason to suspect her from killing Andy Bovel. She is a real estate agent, specialized in houses in the higher segment."
"So she can help us find a home?"
"Us find a home?" Chloe looked at him. "You want that?"
"You want to continue to move back and forth between the penthouse and your mothers home?"
"No…" They had never discussed this, but it made sense and the penthouse was no place to raise Trixie. "You want to live together?" Chloe was aware Raziel was in the back of the car and did hear their conversation.
He looked a bit nervous. "Yes, detective. I'm aware you and miss Lopez were looking for a home to share, but circumstances have changed."
She put her hand on his arm, staring at the traffic in front of them. Then she nodded. "A home together. I'm sure Ella will understand."
"She can get a room in the Lux for free."
"She won't accept for free," Chloe warned him.
"Ben and Myrthe are praying," Raziel interrupted her. "They are asking, me, Father, again to find Andy Bovel's killer. They tell me he was not a bad man and didn't deserve this."
Chloe nodded. "We can scrap them as suspects."
Adriana was not at home. They called her and managed to meet her in a home for sale where she had just finished a viewing. It was six in the evening already.
"Chloe Decker, LAPD," Chloe introduced herself. "Sorry we keep you from going home. Can we ask you a few questions about Andy Bovel?"
"Myrthe's father in law? What is wrong?"
"He was killed this morning."
"Killed? Who did that? Was it…"
"Was it who?" Chloe asked.
Adriana shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it was only bragging. He said fifty percent of the LA's Five law firm belongs to him and the other lawyers wouldn't like that."
"Fifty percent?" Chloe gave it a quick thought. "He only brought in one seventh of the seed assets."
"Mr Bovel told me he had calculated how much each of them had added value to the firm and according to his calculation he himself had added more than the other four together. He already had word with colleague about it and was going to show the others later this week."
"Do you remember which colleague?"
Adriana frowned, slowly shaking her head.
Troy Steiner wanted to withdraw his money, so would be the first suspect, but Chloe knew she should avoid suggestions from her side, so she should not start with that name. "Did he mention Nancy Fraser?"
Adriane firmly shook her head.
"Vernon Raftery… Troy Steiner… Donald Crouser…"
"Steiner?" Adriana repeated as a question. "It might have been Steiner. But I'm not sure."
"Ok. Thanks. Was there anything else he told you?"
Adriana scoffed. "He talked almost all afternoon to me."
"What did he talk about?"
The woman shrugged. "Mostly things I was not interested in. He is annoying. He said he could help me start my own real estate agency. I'm a realtor. More, he wanted to start an agency together."
"Would you want to start a company with him?"
"Never."
Chloe thought for a second. Despite Adriana not having a reason to kill Andy, she looked at Lucifer and gave him a small nod. He grinned, came closer to Adriana and almost whispered. "That is what Andy wanted, Adriana. But what do you want. What is your deepest desire? What would you like to see happening?"
She stared in his eyes, swallowed and said: "That Myrthe comes to her senses. That she leaves that hideous temple with that detestable angel."
"You don't like the statute?" Lucifer whispered.
"Raziel is an awful monster with those creepy eyes."
"I have nothing to do with that bloody statute!" It was shouted.
Chloe turned. Raziel was standing two steps behind her and Lucifer with her wings fully spread, shimmering light green feathers with grey tips.
"I don't think dad will approve this, sis," Lucifer said.
Raziel looked at him at Adriana, back at Lucifer. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Then the wings disappeared and she murmured: "Sorry. I'm getting sick of that Temple and that stupid statute."
"I understand," Lucifer said with a smile.
Adriana had turned pale and stammered: "Wings. She is an angel."
"Ah, yeah," Chloe said and sighed. "Raziel, angel of Mysteries. I asked her help in this case and she offered her help."
"But not because of that Temple," Raziel added. "Only because Chloe is the girlfriend of my brother. I have nothing to do with your sister and her husband."
It didn't help much to calm down Adriana, she was still trembling and trying to breath. Raziel took her in her arms and rocked her softly.
"You're an angel," Adriana repeated.
"I shouldn't have shown. I'm sorry."
"But you don't look like that statute."
"No! I hope not. Like you I detest it," Raziel told her.
"And detective Decker is also an angel?"
"No. Chloe is a normal human."
Adriana took a deep breath and finally seemed to relax. "Myrthe tried to convert me. Told me that praying to you would help me. I prayed once for that angel. To you?"
"I'm sorry again. I never listen to prayers from that Temple. What did you pray for?"
"Myrthe and I are adopted. Myrthe knowns her biological mother. I don't. I asked your help to find her."