To refresh your mind: Delilah was never murdered. Chloe and Lucifer met at the Gillian Taylor case, what was in the canon season two, episode one.
In chapter five some criminal shot Chloe, Lucifer protected her with his wings: that is how Chloe, Ella and Trixie found out Lucifer is the devil. All three ladies took that reveal well.
Lucifer also realized Chloe is something special: immune to his powers and his dad listens 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 North Norway to see the northern lights. They do sleep together. Previous chapter they realized God listened to more prayers of Chloe. Lucifer wanted to know why dad listens to her… so dad showed up and explained: he needs a way to warn himself at the time of the big bang he gave the cosmological constant a wrong value, he needs help to do so. He tells them Chloe and Lucifer together will give that help without realizing.
Chapter twelve:A blown up lawyer
"Six of my siblings have asked dad to forgive me," Lucifer whispered. Chloe lifted her head to look at him. They had just woke up and were still laying in bed.
"Yes, God mentioned their names," she said.
"Raziel, Remiel, Saraquel and Zuriel, Zadkiel and Amenadiel," Lucifer repeated his dad's words.
"You mentioned Amenadiel when we had our diner under the Northern Lights."
Lucifer nodded. "Dad did send him each month to tell me to go back to hell."
"And did you ever consider to listen to him?"
"Of course not. Even if I had planned to leave Earth – which I never did – I would have stayed to annoy both him and dad." He put his hands against his face. "Manipulation as it now turns out, detective."
She understood. "From your dad, to make sure you stayed until we met."
Lucifer sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway. Maybe I should thank them for supporting me? What do you think?"
"That would be appropriate," Chloe admitted. "They tried to help you, so a thank you would be polite. But…"
"But what, detective?"
"Can you reach them? Do they have a mobile?"
He laughed. "No. But I can pray to them. That is how angels can communicate: we can pray to each other." He folded his hands, closed his eyes and went silent for a few seconds.
"I first talked with Amenadiel," Lucifer whispered. "I invited him to get a drink in the Lux, next time he is on a mission to Earth. Is that ok? You don't mind?"
"Me," Chloe reacted. "Of course not. It is your brother and your club."
"He wants to meet you too, detective. Dad seems to have told my siblings once he will get help from you and me together."
She blinked her eyes, then nodded. "After meeting both God and the devil and also some demons, a few angels extra won't make my life any weirder," she muttered.
"I talk with the next," Lucifer whispered, folding his hands again.
Next morning they updates Maze about god's visit. The demoness frowned. "What will this change?"
"Nothing of course," Lucifer said.
"You invited angels to visit Lux?"
"You already know Amenadiel. He did come here regularly."
"A crock," Maze grumbled. "Whispering to me a should betray you."
"You also met Remiel once."
"Yeah. I knocked that spear out of her hands, but then you forbid me to kill her."
Lucifer grinned. "In the end she accepted a drink from you."
Maze shrugged.
"The other ones will make less problems," Lucifer assured her.
In the precinct a new case was waiting: a car blown up and the man in that car dead. Ella was already on the crime scene when Lucifer and Chloe arrived.
"I can guess the cause of death, miss Lopez," Lucifer said looking at the burned out car.
Ella nodded. "I called for a specialist in explosives. He will investigate the car and whatever exploded. I took a look at the victim. The car belongs to an Andy Bovel and although the victim is heavily burnt, I think it is Andy."
"Think? Not sure?" Chloe asked.
"Almost sure," Ella said. "He is a lawyer, partner in a firm called LA's Five."
Two eye witnesses had stayed after the explosion.
"I was driving two cars behind him," the first said. "It was just a blowtorch and a bang. The car in front of me swung around him and drove on. I stopped to see if I could help, but it was all fire."
"He was coming to me," the second told them "One moment just normal, next moment a flash, then fire all over the car. I've never seen such."
Lucifer turned to Chloe. "A bomb with a timer or a bomb with a remote control?"
"The specialist Ella called should tell us."
Chloe with Lucifer first checked Andy's home, an apartment in a building close to the shore. His neighbors couldn't tell much: he moved in four months ago, he lived alone, they said good morning and good evening. His car, just as all other's cars of the building, had been parked in the locked garage.
"Unlikely someone could have placed the bomb while that car was in here," Lucifer concluded after inspecting the garage which was indeed protected by a lock and also by security cams.
Chloe shrugged. "It can have been placed anywhere anytime if it had a timer or remote control. We go visit that law firm. When Ella is finished with the car, she should take a look here."
Andy Bovel turned out to be one of the five partners owning LA's Five. The other four partners were shocked by the news of Andy's death. Or maybe one of them played to be shocked, Chloe thought.
"I advise you to look at Andy's son," Troy Steiner told them, he had introduced himself as the oldest of the five partners. "Ben Bovel. A religion fanatic who disproved his father's style of living."
"What did he exactly disprove?" Chloe asked.
"I never got the details, not my business. But Ben seems to think wealth is bad and any one rich will always end up burning in the fires of hell."
Chloe glanced at Lucifer, who just rolled his eyes.
"You know Ben well?" Lucifer asked.
"Never spoken with him," Troy said. "Only heard he is preaching in some weird church."
"Oh?" Chloe said.
"Andy told me he had quite often words with his son," Troy continued. "Badly influenced by his mother, a hippie, relic from the flower power period."
"Do you ever speak with Ben's mother?" Chloe asked.
Troy shook his head. "Martha… No idea about the last name. Andy had divorced her even before he became partner in our firm and – as fas as I know – she is not living in LA." The man tapped his fingers on his desk. "But being blown up matches that burning in the fires of hell."
"There is that Nick Collins," Nancy Fraser told them. She was the only female partner of the firm. "He threatened Andy multiple times during the last year."
"Can you tell us why he threatened Andy?" Chloe asked.
"Collins owns a factory, it produces paints and varnish. Some environmental groups campaigned against illegal discharges of that factory. Andy represented them in court and Collins was fined."
"Four hundred dollar fine for littering," Lucifer said. "I saw that sign along the road this morning."
Nancy smiled at him. "We all know those signs. This was a bit more. A hundred and ten million fine for littering."
"A hundred and ten million is a motive," Chloe said with a nod. "We will visit mister Collins later today."
Vernon Raftery was the third partner. He scratched his neck when Chloe asked him whether he knew anyone that would want to kill Andy Bovel. "Andy and Troy have had some words the last month."
"Troy?" Chloe asked. "You mean Troy Steiner, the partner in your firm?"
"Yes, Steiner." Vernon nodded and stared a few seconds at his desk. "Troy wants to withdraw from the firm and he asked us to pay out him the money he invested when the five of us founded the firm."
"Yes? And Andy Bovel had a problem with that?"
"Well…" Vernon sighed. "We all have. Steiner invested four and a half million. Each of us, the other four, invested one and a half million. We tripled the value of our company during all the years. That sounds nice, but it means we have to pay out Troy at least ten, twelve million. Andy didn't like it. Well, none of us likes it."
"And that gives Troy a reason to kill Andy?" Lucifer asked with a frown.
"No, no. The opposite. This turmoil lowers the value of the firm and it will take more time to solve all issues with Andy's heirs. Or heir, I don't know."
"That paint manufacturer Collins? We all get threats," Donald Crouser answered, the last partner of the company. "Most lawyers do. But the Collins case? Any lawyer would have won that case. Andy made a huge point of it. That it brought the firm a lot of money. Well, that he brought in a lot of money and a lot of good publicity. But it was just luck he handled the case. Anyone could have done. And threats? Collins was only saying he would bring it to the High Court. Mm… Apart from one time when he said Andy was a thief."
Chloe nodded. "And do you know Ben Bovel?"
"Andy's son. Ha. Andy spent a hundred thousand to let the guy go through university and than he turns into a religious zealot, preaching in some small cult."
"Do you know which cult."
Donald laughed. "As if I care."
"Could he have killed his father?"
Donald thought for a second. "I met Ben a few times, he stated he will pray Andy will see the light before he dies. That's all I know."
"Killing Andy before Andy sees that light, doesn't match that," Lucifer mused.
Donald shrugged.
"And the relation between Andy Bovel and Troy Steiner?" Chloe asked.
Donald shrugged again. "A bit tensed since Troy decided to leave the firm. But Andy planned a meeting day after tomorrow with the five of us. To solve the issues he said in the invitation."
"Yes, Andy was not happy I want my investment payed back," Troy Steiner admitted when they spoke to him once more. "But as you apparently already know we were going to solve that the day after tomorrow."
"Do you know what Andy was going to propose?" Chloe asked.
"How they going to finance the fourteen million I should get?" Troy waved his hand. "What else can he propose… Well, could he propose for he can't anymore. But pay out is stated in the statutes of our firm." He gave her a dissatisfied look. "But that is now all delayed. If Ben Bovel is the murderer, who than is Andy's heir? I hope you solve this murder soon."
"What is your feeling?" Lucifer asked while they walked out of the lay firm's building.
"Nothing yet," Chloe answered. "Troy Steiner is the only one pointing at Ben Bovel, but all his information about Ben is second hand. That factory owner, Nick Collins, might have a motive, but killing the lawyer is not going to help him."
"Who do you want to see first?" he asked while opening the door of her car for her before she even unlocked it.
"None of these lawyers knew were Ben is living, nor did they know the name of his cult. I give Dan a call to search for that. In the mean while we first visit Nick Collins," she answered, while starting the engine. "Hundred and ten million. People have been killed for less."
Collins' factory were three factories, all south of LA. Administration was done from an office even more to the south, closer to San Diego than to LA.
"Almost two hours by car," Chloe said after entering the address in the navigation system.
On his phone Lucifer studied the map and said: "Take the next exit, we can park at the edge of this small woodland." He pointed at his phone screen. "Take off unseen from between the trees. Ten minutes flying. I can land there and then it's a twenty minute walk to that office.
So they flew and walked and within forty-five minutes were in the office of Nick Collins' secretary. "Mister Collins is busy all day," the woman told them.
"You can tell him a policy officer wants to talk to him?" Chloe said.
"I'm not allowed to disturb him at the moment," she insisted.
Lucifer smiled and bent over to her. "Jenny, dear."
The secretary looked in his eyes and blushed. "Really," she stammered. "I am not…"
"I think you know what's important," Lucifer said, his smile widening.
"Yes… yes, I do."
"And we both know mister Collins will trust your judgement."
"Yes… He will."
"An arrest warrant or a search warrant would not be good for the business," Lucifer continued. "Or any article in a newspaper relating the murder of mister Bovel with mister Collins."
The secretary shook her head. "I will send mister Collins a text message saying mister Bovel is murdered and you want to talk with him."
Lucifer glanced at Chloe. Chloe nodded.
It took some time before Nick Collins reacted, but twenty minutes later Jenny seemed to get an answer: her phone pinged and next moment she said: "Mister Collins can give you a few moments of his time. Please follow me."
Nick Collins was an elderly man, around sixty-five. He listened to Chloe's introduction and nodded when she repeated what Dan Crouser had told them: "… you called Andy Bovel a thief."
Nick scratched his nose and shrugged. "That was months ago. I have been negotiating a good deal with Bovel during the last weeks and we reached an agreement: No one gains by going in appeal, so I would drop the appeal and the environmentalists would accept eighty-five million as fine." He turned the screen of his computer to Chloe so she could read some e-mails. "Bovel was going to convince those environmentalists this is the best solution for both."
Chloe scrolled through some mails and nodded. These mails showed Bovel and Collins were both happy with the benefits of the agreement they had reached. It more or less already convinced her Collins was not responsible for killing Bovel, but she gave Lucifer a small nod.
Lucifer smiled at her, then looked Collins in the eyes. "Mr Collins… Yes. My dear man, what do you desire? What do you want more than anything?"
"To end this case. Andy was going to help me. I wish he was still here."
"You do didn't kill him?" Lucifer whispered.
"No." Collins shook his head. "He was key in solving this case."
After flying back to their car, Chloe gave Dan a call on the handsfree. "Any luck with finding Ben Bovel's address?" she asked.
"Nothing, Chlo'. Six years ago he disappeared from all social media. Up to six years ago he was living with his father. Then he graduated as a lawyer, left home and is gone."
"City administration?" she asked.
"No new address of this Ben Bovel. Don't you know the name of the church were he should be preaching?"
"No we don't," Chloe said.
"Lucifer also can't tell?" Dan asked.
"How should I know?" was Lucifer's counter question.
"I just thought," Dan sputtered. "I would expect you know all churches."
"Well, I don't, Daniel. And even if I did, I still wouldn't know which one Ben joined."
"But he is a preacher. Is that not something special?"
"You mean such as 'more boring'?" Lucifer answered. "No doubt. But I still have no idea."
"Did you find his wife?" Chloe asked.
"Martha Lyles," Dan answered. "Did live in Nebraska, but died seven years ago."
They ended the call with Dan and called Ella.
"The bomb specialist says it was a remote control," Ella told them. "Battery life time around sixty hours, so the bomb must have been placed yesterday or day before."
"Ok," Chloe said. "Did you already take a look in Andy's apartment?"
"That's were I am right now. Nothing so far, girl."
"Did you find an address of his son?"
"No. A picture of Andy with a younger man that looks like him. Maybe his son?"
"Send me that picture."
Now knowing when the bomb was placed Chloe called the LA's Five law firm and talked with the secretary.
"Mister Bovel's schedule?" the woman said. "Yes I can tell you. He was in the office most of the day yesterday, but he had a lunch appointment and he left early – around half past four – to visit his barber."
"That's waisted money if you get blown up the next day," Lucifer whispered and grinned.
Chloe rolled her eyes and shook her head. The secretary most likely hadn't heard Lucifer's comment and continued. "Day before yesterday he visited a customer in the morning and was back in the office in the afternoon."
"Thanks," Chloe said. "Can you text me the addresses of that customer, of the barber and the restaurant he had his lunch appointment?"
"You think the bomb was placed at one of those places?" Lucifer asked after the call was disconnected.
"Possible. I'll forward that text to Ella. Maybe she can see anything on security cams around."
"Back to Ben," Lucifer said and scratched his temple.
"We're only two blocks away from father Frank's church," Chloe muttered. "Maybe he knows Ben Bovel, as a colleague."
"More as a competitor," Lucifer said with a grin.
They found Frank busy dusting the statutes of saints and angels in his church. He swallowed when he saw Lucifer and crossed himself. "Hi, Chloe. Mr Morningstar."
"Why back to mr Morningstar, father?" Lucifer asked. "You said Lucifer during our piano rehearsal."
Frank took a deep breath and tried to smile.
"Or do you finally believe me when I say I'm the devil?"
Frank glanced at Chloe. "Is he?"
"He is, father. He never lied to us." Chloe put her arm in Lucifer's arm.
"Why.. What do you…" Frank stammered.
"Just a vacation, father," Lucifer said with a smile. "Not after any souls. We have enough of those in hell already."
"I've spoken face to face with Lucifer's dad," Chloe said.
"With the Lord? You really did?"
Chloe nodded. "I know we can really trust Lucifer, father. He is not after our souls."
"And I played piano with the devil," Frank whispered.
"Well, you must acknowledge the devil was a better piano player." Lucifer laughed.
Frank glanced at him, then he suddenly relaxed and said: "In my opinion he certainly was not." He turned to Chloe. "But you? You always said you couldn't believe in God or the bible?"
"I did say so," Chloe admitted.
"My girlfriend is an atheist," Lucifer said and he kissed her. "Isn't it ironic?"
"I now admit you and your dad exist."
"You talked in person with both of us. That is not believing. Believing is the confidence in the truth of a religion for which you have no evidence." He turned to Frank. "Isn't that right, father."
Frank's face showed confusion, but he answered: "Yes. That is said by many, although a bit the other way… When you believe you shouldn't ask for proof." He took a deep breath. "You really spoke with our Lord."
Chloe nodded and told him how God visited them.
Frank hugged her and thought it over for minutes. "But you did come for something else, I guess."
"Indeed, father," Chloe said. "To ask whether you know a Ben Bovel?"
"Ben Bovel?" he repeated and frowned. "Doesn't ring a bell."
She showed him the picture Ella sent her.
"That is Ben Lyles," Frank reacted.
So he uses his mother's name, Chloe realized. "You know him."
Frank nodded. "He came years ago, six, seven, eight. Don't remember exactly. To discuss Catholicism. He was looking for a religion to embrace. I couldn't convince him for after a few visits he said he would look further. Last year I ran by accident into him. He was a preacher in what he called the Temple of the Last Holy Mystery."
"What?" Lucifer asked. "Never heard of those."
"They believe God is too pure and humans are too sinful. Humans shouldn't pray to the Lord directly. They only pray to the Angel of Mysteries. Ben told me a dozen times the Lord will never listen to prayers of us, sinful humans."
Chloe shook her head. "God greeted Ella and he was clearly found of her. He even made a joke with her that I didn't understood."
"You said 'but', dad said 'no time for it'. I said 'but', dad said 'no time for that either'." Lucifer shrugged. "I didn't get it either, but Ella seemed to know it from a book."
"Tolkien, The Hobbit," Frank said. "That really happened?"
When both Chloe and Lucifer nodded, he laughed. "I think Ben and his Temple are a bit wrong. Anyway that's all I know about Ben."
"Angel of Mysteries? That is my sister Raziel," Lucifer said and folded his hands. A few minutes later he lowered his hands again. "Yes, Raziel. She gets each day hundreds of prayers from them. She just forwards them to dad without listening. She has no idea what an address is, but she can point us exactly where most of those prayers are coming from."