It took an hour for Lucifer to decide looking for clues in the dark in the fog was a useless waste of his time. Even the beat cop thought they could be doing better things. But he did listen to Lucifer when Luci described what they were looking for. And it was the cop who found the footprints, too.
They were ringed in algae, and they moved along the paved path for some time before they disappeared into the grass, where the sad greenery seemed to have soaked up the algae in a desperate attempt at extending its own life. It was the only thing they found, but at least it did connect this incident with the missing halflings. The footprints were massive and far apart too, showing Lucifer that this man, this thing, was huge. What a stride!
By the time he decided to give up and head back to North Star and Lux, the beat cop—Officer Randall, to be precise—seemed fully invested in the crime. The man tagged along back to the parking lot, asking about the algae and what halflings were and how the hell Eric and Yvonne had disappeared in the blink of an eye. When Lucifer tried to extricate himself from the conversation, stating he had to head back to Lux, Randall had gotten excited.
Seemed he knew of Lux and had you heard of the new paranormal detective agency above it?
It took just a few seconds of amused silence before Randall's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he realized precisely why Lucifer had come to the park that night.
And now that Lucifer was parking Eric's car under Lux, there was a police cruiser pulling up next to him. He was hesitant to let Randall help them, but the man seemed genuinely interested in helping solve a magical mystery. And besides, once it was just Lucifer and Randall alone in the park, the cop had admitted that his sister had been turned vampire a couple years before and he was eager to show her that he accepted her new lifestyle.
New lifestyle. Those were his choice of words. As if she had chosen to become a vampire, to be the living dead as it were. The man's heart was in the right place though, and Lucifer refrained from correcting him. The cop wasn't anti-vampire and that was half the battle. He'd eventually learn what it was to be a vampire, and he'd correct his language and his opinions—but he was headed in the right direction.
Which was directly up to North Star's offices at the moment.
Lucifeer found everything in perfect, comforting order. Eric was at his desk, typing away furiously like only a vampire could do. And Yvonne and Amber had clearly had their reunion, the vampire looking healthy, with a fresh pink glow to her skin that spoke of freshly healed flesh and a satisfying feeding, no doubt. The two women were curled up on the couch, their heads touching.
Eric glanced up from his computer, surprised at Officer Randall shadowing Lucifer into the room. The cop stopped and stared at the two women. At first, Lucifer thought for sure he was going to say something untoward about them snuggling together, perhaps something homophobic. Lucifer was ready and willing to knock some sense into the man's head, quite literally.
But his ogling was more innocent than Lucifer had assumed.
"You heal that fast?" he asked, obviously trying to make sense between the still damp, burned clothes and the healthy looking woman who was still wearing them. "You were a burnt end last time I saw you."
"It's amazing what a bit of blood can do, isn't it?" Yvonne's hair had grown back—but only just a little. Either she kept it short or hair took longer to 'heal' so to speak. Either way, she did look far better than when last Lucifer had seen her. Unlike Lucifer, Officer Randall had probably never seen a vampire's healing skills.
Eric cleared his throat, gaining Lucifer's attention immediately. Abandoning Officer Randall to the cluster of couches, Lucifer strode across the room to sink into his antique office chair, eyes on his vampire. Eric didn't look happy, almost as if he was about to deliver some bad news. "Out with it," he said kindly, wondering what on earth could be the problem.
"I called your precinct," Eric said. "I was trying to get Chloe, considering how good you say she is at deciphering impossible situations, but I only got Lieutenant Pierce." There was a sneer in his voice at Pierce's name. And for good reason, of course. The vampire couldn't stand the smell of him, after all. "He's coming over."
Lucifer's first reaction was anger. Anger at Pierce. Anger at Eric for thinking they needed help. Anger at the fact that they did need help. But the anger was quickly washed away at the memory of Pierce's willingness to talk earlier in the day. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing. Pierce would arrive and they'd actually be able to question him—without Chloe interrupting. Lucifer sighed and settled further into his chair, enjoying the creak of protest it gave under his weight. He was in his office, playing the private eye, and as far as anyone was concerned, that's precisely what he was. He was adamant that when Pierce walked through that door, he'd be treated as such, not like some annoying tagalong on a case.
Of course, the moment Pierce did walk through the door, rather than a decent conversation coming about, there was a hiss from the couches and suddenly Yvonne was halfway across the spacious room, snarling at Pierce and scrambling to get as far from him as she possibly could. Not an unsurprising reaction, considering that was precisely how Eric had reacted the first time. A quick glimpse at the Viking confirmed that he too had a look of distaste on his face. Marcus Pierce smelled nasty to a vampire, it was as simple as that.
But why? And was it the same reason that the mysterious monster was attacking halflings but leaving vampires alone?
"Pierce," Lucifer said, half standing from his desk. "I'd say it's a pleasure, but we all know I can't lie."
Pierce stood in the doorway, muscular arms folded across his chest, as he surveyed the disgusted vampires, the impatient devil, the clearly interested uniformed cop. If he were any other man, Lucifer would think him insane for not being terrified. But this was Pierce, Cain—the world's first sinner, cursed to wander the earth for eternity. Nothing could kill him. Lucifer should know—he'd certainly tried, and had fun while doing it. So to find himself face to face with two lethal predators and the King of Hell . . . well, it wasn't like he wouldn't be walking away from such a meeting.
"Lucifer," Pierce said by way of greeting. "Mr. Northman tells me you might be in need of police assistance. Does this by any chance have anything to do with what we were talking about earlier?"
But Lucifer was more interested in Yvonne at the moment than Pierce's words. "Does he smell familiar?" he asked the vampire who was slowly gathering her cool. "Perhaps like a certain one-eyed monster?"
Her eyes widened in surprise and recognition and a second later she was growling again, fangs out as she tried to wave Amber to come over to her.
"I take that as a yes," Lucifer said smoothly. "Pierce, I do believe you have some explaining to do."
"What have I done?" Pierce asked, looking confused. It wasn't fake, and Lucifer thought for the second time that day that while Pierce was linked, he perhaps wasn't involved with the missing halflings.
Still . . . He already knew he couldn't trust this particular human.
"Why do the vampires in this office think you smell like a one-eyed monster covered in algae?"
"One eye?" Pierce asked, his confusion from the moment before turning into concern. "Are you sure, Lucifer?"
"Of course I'm sure," Lucifer replied hotly. "The Viking might have called you seeking help, but I am well aware of what we do know. For instance, I have a description of the mystery giant, and I also know he smells like you. What I don't know is why you smell like this creature. And what you may know about the missing halflings that it's stealing."
"Look at me, Lucifer. Do I look like a monster?" Pierce asked, defensive. "I'm not stealing people, and certainly not halflings. I haven't even talk to a halfling in probably a hundred years."
"But you do know something," Lucifer said. "I can tell. Don't make the Viking pull it out of you. Because he can—in all sorts of ways."
This received an amused grunt from Eric.
Pierce grimaced, probably remembering the time Eric had thrown him clear across the lobby at the precinct. "I know what you're looking for. But I don't know where to find it."
Lucifer was suddenly standing straight, attention on the big man in the doorway. "Do tell," he almost whispered.
Of course, timing was everything, wasn't it?
Just as Pierce opened his mouth to speak, to divulge his secrets to Lucifer and Eric, well . . .
Someone coughed from the hall, clearly wanting Pierce to let them into the office. When he made no move, a deep voice spoke. "This is the North Star Detective Agency?"
Lucifer scowled at Pierce and waved him to move further into the room. He couldn't have the damned immortal blocking the door if it meant he was keeping out potential clients. Not that Lucifer had any hope that the person on the other side of Pierce's bulk was looking for them to solve anything but a missing halfling. There'd be no such luck.
The black man standing beyond the doorway was a werewolf, if Lucifer had to guess. He was large, scruffy looking, and just had a feral look in his eyes. He wasn't sick like Alcide had been though, which was the only reason Lucifer decided that perhaps he was wrong. Not human though, not if he was coming here to announce a missing halfling.
Shifter, perhaps?
Sam Merlotte had been scruffy too. Perhaps not so wild looking, but that could be an individual thing.
Lucifer glanced toward Eric to see the vampire staring at the man.
Yup. At the very least, he wasn't human.
Lucifer came around his desk, heading toward the door and the stranger standing beyond it. "Indeed, you've come to the right place if you're seeking out the supernatural detective agency." He stopped just short of the door, Pierce on his right by the kitchenette and the couches to his left. "You wouldn't happen to be missing a halfling friend, would you?"
"I don't know anything about halflings, but I am coming to tell you about the pack of Weres in my building that have refused to go to the hospital and are just about on the verge of dying. Are you aware of some kind of plague that's only affecting . . ." The man paused and looked at everyone in the room, most probably trying to decide if everyone there was supernatural or safe to talk to.
"Supernaturals," Lucifer finished for him. "It seems it's only the Weres, so if you don't have that particular affliction, you probably won't catch it." He glanced at Officer Randall, wondering just how many secrets the human would be learning tonight. Lucifer better make it known to him that those secrets should remain secret. Otherwise Randall would soon regret sharing them. There would be no bringing this information to the L.A.P.D. Not if Randall wanted to remain healthy and whole, anyway.
Before he could even think to go threaten the beat cop, there came a light tap at the office door. A tiny vampire stood there, eyes wide as he took in the people already in the room. Lucifer sighed, unsure how he was supposed to divide his attention between everyone seeking help. "When it rains, it pours," he muttered to himself.
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, there came a dull roar from outside. It took Lucifer a moment to identify the sound. He turned on the spot to look out the window into the dark night. Rain pattered against the glass, that roar indicating a downpour just beyond the darkness. He strode across the room to peer out and below, seeing nothing but sheets of rain heading toward the street below. Weird that the heavens had opened up right when he was using that metaphor. "Perhaps this will break the fog," he muttered.
A crash of lightning lit the view a brief solid grey. He couldn't even see the buildings across the road, the fog was that thick. It had to let up soon, right? This was stinking of a god who was having some kind of tantrum, and Lucifer was no longer certain that this wasn't his father's doing. Mysterious weather and plagues—this was definitely his style. But while Lucifer did have misgivings now, it just didn't quite sit right with him.
Especially since Pierce was here, ready to dish details of something or someone that Lucifer had never heard of before.
When he turned back to the office, he found two more people hovering in the doorway. It seemed Los Angeles's supernatural community was gravitating toward North Star with their problems. So yes, the billboard, Eric's profession of his love for Lucifer, it certainly was working.
A third person shuffled into sight in the hall, tallying the number of clients to . . . well, Lucifer was beginning to lose count. Did Amber and Yvonne count as one or two? Did Sookie count, despite her continuous absence? Sam had been the first through their door, but he'd stayed behind in Bon Temps and they hadn't spoken to him since.
It was clear—whatever was happening was beginning to scare people. People were missing, sick and dying. The weather was interrupting travel, taking the sun away from the country. There were locusts ruining crops, for crying out loud. Everyone had a right to be scared, but doubly so for the magical people. The humans would be painfully oblivious of their plights, not knowing that werewolves, shifters, and halflings even existed.
His attention shifted to Pierce, the man having a wide personal bubble around him as all the vampires in the room clearly didn't want to get close. He reeked that much, apparently.
"Pierce, I think you better start talking," Lucifer said. He gestured toward the slowly gathering crowd. "If you know who or what this one-eyed monster is, you've a duty to let these people know."
"Why do you smell like it?" Yvonne asked, a hostile look still in her eyes.
"I smell like Balor because he is the one who cursed me," Pierce replied. "With the help of your Dad, of course." Pierce gave Lucifer a knowing look.
"And who, pray tell, is Balor?" Lucifer asked.
"Balor is the one-eyed giant you said has been spotted trying to steal people. And if he's stealing halflings, I have a pretty good idea why he's here."
There was another crack of thunder from outside, the windows lighting up briefly. A second later the lights went completely out, almost everyone crying out in surprise.
Bloody. Fucking. Hell.