Fantasy FTK: Black Rose Detective Agency

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah snorted, "Asked you to? Please, I think I'm the last person you'd want blood from. Plus, don't you already have a ton of girls begging to have those fangs in their necks at those blood brothels you visit?" She laughed when he gave her a pointed look, "What? I ain't gonna let you live it down. At least I didn't go around declaring that you did to the cops. Boy, they would have had a fun time with you if they knew."She puffed on her cigarette, "Plus, I don't think you'd get away with it. Somebody would miss me enough to try and figure it out. I don't fool around as much as you think."

...

Rheitz frowned, pushing her hand off her face.
"Then go find the source. Don't just tell me and do nothing about it," she moved to sort through the rest of Stradler's papers, jotting some information on her pad.
"I have a hunch that Alexis was working for Stradler or at least someone in this gang. Just have to figure out how to prove it," she muttered, hurriedly writing down her thoughts.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec gave her a look. “I’ve only gone a couple times. It’s not as fun as it sounds. The girls there live off of trublood received from other vampires. It tastes disgusting, like river water down stream from a coal mine. I could hardly stomach it the last time, and I don’t plan on going back any time soon.” He said this knowing full well Delilah had seen him devour live rodents, and that didn’t have as visceral a reaction from him as what he said about the brothels.

————
“Okay Miss bossy pants. Way to take the fun out of this.” Aida said and started sniffing around the room like the bloodhound she was. Her nose led her to a small cabinet. She opened it and found nothing but some office supplies. She sniffed more, and felt around the cabinet. She felt a loose piece of wood on the bottom of the cabinet’s interior. She ripped it up and found the goods. A needle, hose, and a jar full of red liquid. Aida’s eyes grew wide like saucers.
“Jackpot”.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah leaned her head against the window, watching as droplets of water raced down the smooth surface. The glass was fogging and she breathed on the surface, tracing shapes in the mist that remained. He didn't enjoy it, drinking the blood of others? Funny, how vamps were like that. They were created to drink blood yet disliked to do such a thing. Walking oxymorons in the flesh. She huffed, chuckling softly, but her smile soon curved into a serious frown.

"If you don't like it, it must be easier to resist, right? I mean, it doesn't taste good," she pointed out the window, "there I am."

Should she invite the dhampir home? It wasn't as if they were going to do something...she shook her head at the idea, a blush rising to her face. No. She would ask him kindly on a house visit, give him some coffee, chat and send him on his way. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I...wanna come inside? I haven't had anyone over for a while," she threw him an uneasy glance, unsure of where this would take them.

...

Rheitz's eyes widened at the sight.
"Detective Waters faced the same thing, I think. Can you tell what type of blood it is?" She hurriedly took note of the items sitting in the cavity, waiting patiently for Aida's response.
"I mean, it might be important. We could see if it's the same blood as the stuff our guy was selling."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec shrugged. It was hard to explain. He knew vampires revelled in the night, and drinking blood was like a continuous orgasm. He could only guess his general aversion was due to his half human being.
He almost missed her invitation. He couldn’t remember ever being invited to her house. It was really late.
“Uh, sure” He said. “I should be there in case you faint on the stairs.” He put a hand on his forehead like a fainting maiden might, then got out of the car, following her up to Delilah’s apartment.
————
Aida cocked an eyebrow at Rheitz. “The type? What do I look like, a taste tester?” She opened up the jar and dipped a finger inside of it. She tasted it and gave it a thorough analysis.
“This isn’t blood” Aida said. “It looks like it, kinda tastes like it, but it’s sweet and viscous. I don’t know what the deal is” she sealed the bottle back up and set it on the table.
A moment after tasting it, she felt her heart rate pick up a little. Sounds in the room were more distinct and her eyes came alive. She started giggling.
“Oh man... those clever fuckers. They really did it.” Aida grinned widely and looked at Rheitz.
“It’s not blood, it’s better than blood. This is blood mixed with drugs! They found a way to make blood drinking even better!” She started laughing.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz noted what Aida said quickly, "Drugs? What kind of drugs? Can you tell?"
Oh gosh. Now they weren't just dealing with illegal blood trade, there was probably some shifty black market drugs going around as well.
"Oh no. This isn't good. Not at all."

...

Queenie sniffed at Lautrec's feet as the detectives entered Delilah's small apartment. It was a studio flat painted dark blue, making space feel even smaller than it was. A small, twin-sized bed rested in the corner beside a balcony. A small kitchen was to the right of the entrance and a dining table in the middle of the room. Delilah put her coat on the coat rack, sliding her heels off her feet. Undoing the bun on her head, waves of dark hair fell down her back and she cracked her neck, letting out a sigh.

"Sit down. Make yourself comfortable. Coffee or tea?"

 

[Jodyguru]

“Coffee, black and sugar. I like the walls. Reminds me of the night sky” he mused.
“Did you know that laundromat I live under used to be a music club... I know, I’d do my paperwork and listen to the bands play through the ceiling.” Lautrec chuckled lightly.
__________
Aida shrugged. “I don’t know, but I-I should probably taste some more of it. I’m sure I’ll find out what’s in it with a sip.” She reached for the jar with hungry eyes. Rheitz had enough time to try stopping her.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Queenie nudged his feet again, letting out a loud meow. Delilah grinned, opening a cupboard to grab a packet of coffee powder.
"Never took you for a guy who liked music. Maybe I'll invite you to a jazz show downtown. I go once in a while," she poured the powder into a pot of boiling water. She glanced over her shoulder, taking in the sight of Lautrec delicately arranged in one of her kitchen chairs, leg thrown over his knee, an arm hooked on the back of the chair.
"If you give Queenie a couple of pats, she'll leave you alone."

...

Rheitz grabbed Aida's arm.
"Don't. That's evidence that we need. I'll just ask Detective Waters to send it to Central for testing," she pulled the vial from her grip, placing it on Stradler's desk.
For some reason, she was hit with a wave of deja-vu. Had something like this happened before? She shook her head, tucking her pad between her body and arm.
"Come on, let's see if there's anything else."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec petted the sweet kitty with two of his fingers.
“I am. Next time I come over I should bring my violin and perform a concert for you and Queenie.” He said, looking down and smiling at the purring cat that licked his hand.
There was a striking feeling inside Delilah when he said the word violin. She’d gone to the shows a lot when she was a young detective. There was a gaunt looking gentleman in the back of the ensemble, playing mysteriously with his long brimmed hat covering his face. Lautrec hardly wore the old thing anymore, but the photo of him and his horse hanging in his apartment had him wearing it.
————
Rheitz found a used bottle in Stradler’s trash bin. There were traces of the red nectar in the bottom of the jar.
“So the big guy was getting high on his supply? Rookie mistake.” Aida shook her head.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah turned back around, stirring the coffee in the pot. "Maybe you should. I'm starting to think you look nice in my house. I'll put you up in the corner and you can be my music box," she joked, pouring the coffee into a mug. Pulling the sugar from another cupboard she put in two teaspoonfuls, stirring it into the black liquid thoroughly before picking the mug up off the counter and placing it next to him on the kitchen table. She pulled out a chair next to him, watching as Queenie went to a different part of the room, playing with a small ball.

"You used to play in the Symphony Quartet when Lydia Debinson used to sing," she said, watching him sip the hot drink.

...

Rheitz frowned, jotting the fact on her pad.
"Rookie mistake or not, this helps our investigation. Come on, I think we've seen enough. Grab some of those pills and the flask of blood and supplies. We'll send them with Toby to Central."

She slid the notes into her pocket. "Wait, you can't come down with me if you never went up. Forget it, I'll take the stuff. You can...just figure something out. Just don't let them see you."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec sipped his coffee and looked at her. He exhaled contentedly with his drink.
“Yes. Gods, it’s been years since I thought about that. Lydia worked harder than any performer I’d met. We hardly spoke outside of practice, but she was a wonder to watch. For me it was little more than a hobby, and the others could sense that. That’s kind of why I stayed in the shadows. Also I didn’t want my red eyes to startle the audience.”
————
Aida grabbed Rheitz by the wrist and looked her dead in the eyes.
“Girl, you don’t work for the police. If you give those to Toby it’s good odds someone working for the big bad guy will destroy the evidence. Let’s go to Black Rose instead.”
Rheitz remembered how Delilah would bring evidence to the office so they could run things on their own dime, not waiting for the cops to do their bidding.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz nodded, "Alright. Fine. We'll take it with us for further examination. But I still have to head down the stairs and you have to get out some other way."
She slid the vial of blood in her pocket and the tablets in another. "Take the papers with you. They're important."

...

Delilah leaned back against the chair, playing with a strand of her hair. It was strange, talking to each other so casually without any arguments and anger.
She glanced at him, unsure of how to proceed, watching how he sipped the coffee slowly, his grip emphasizing the long, bony fingers of his hands.
"Coffee good?" She grinned at his nod, watching him drink down the rest. Standing up, she followed him to the door, opening it when he had gotten his coat on.
Before he had made his way out the door, she grabbed the front of his coat. She pressed a light kiss on his cheek, "Thanks. For...what you did in the casino."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec was a little surprised by her peck on the cheek. His cheeks blushed and he gently nodded.
“Of course. Have a good night, or morning I should say.” He smiled and tipped his hat before leaving. He had a spring in his step as he left the apartment and headed home.
......

Rheitz’s alarm went off around noon the next day. Tobias was snoring with his arm wrapped around her as he often did while sleeping on her tiny bed. The alarm clock woke him up as well.
His chase last night ended without catching any of the gangsters, but he detected some chaotic energies around a certain block during the drive. He marked it down on a map that he left in his squad car.
“Ugh.... take the day off, don’t go back to work.” Toby muttered to her as he kissed her forearm.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz muttered something incoherent, pressing her face into his chest.
"I have to go to work. We have a big case," she said sleepily, pulling herself from his arms, "Let go off me." After a slight tug, the cop let her go and she slid out of bed, hooves padding softly against the wooden floor. After she had eaten breakfast and gotten the mail, she hopped on her bike, riding to the Agency. Aida and Rheitz had dropped off the items found in Stradler's office earlier in the morning and they were definitely going to have to examine the items.

"'Morning doll," Delilah grinned at Rheitz, "What'd you find out?"

Rheitz shed her coat, grabbing the items from her office and setting them down on Lautrec's desk. The dhampir hadn't arrived yet so the two were examining the items alone.

"Apparently our elf had some pretty hefty debts to pay. I found the list of people who owned money and he owed quite a lot. Anyway, there's something wrong with this blood," she pointed to the vial, "we should get it tested. We found a syringe and some other items as well. The prescription bottle looks like the one you found in Alex's apartment."

 

[Jodyguru]

There was a firm knocking on the door, and it opened afterwards. Delilah noticed a familiar face entering the Agency.
“Hey there kids” Chief Mattey said with a smile. He had a box of donuts with him.
“I heard you had a big night last night. Shootout at Gambling Plaza... that’s the kind of headline deserving a frame” he said and set the box of donuts down. A newspaper was on top of the box with photos of the Hummingbird. One iconic photo showed burned rubber lines on the road.
“The most interesting thing about this article is here if you look” he pointed at a line under the photos.
“... apparent that vigilantes are working with officers to cover up the gang’s wrongdoing.”
Mattey sat with his face that said he’s all ears. He wanted an explanation from Waters.
Looking through the article, there was one photo of Rheitz standing in the lobby talking to Onsler and Delilah.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah grimaced at the article, a wave of annoyance dampening her good mood. "Damn. These journalists love to mess around with the facts for good money," she muttered, turning in her seat to face him. She pushed the article, opening the box of donuts, and pulled out a glazed. "We were there to get some details about our blood dealer," she said, after taking a bite, "I had no idea that the gangsters knew who we were once we hit the casino." She rolled her eyes when Mattey gave her a pointed look, "What you want me to explain the whole case so far?" She groaned when he nodded, taking another bite out of her donut.

"Alright, fine. Let's start from the beginning then," she brushed her hands together, dusting off the crumbs.

"We first got tipped that there was some goon dealing blood in one of those backwater neighborhoods in the Western Sector. Leore and I went to go check it out. We caught the guy, found out he was selling illegal booze and blood. Leore had him contained when I scrounged around his apartment but he was refusing to talk. So I got a gun to his head and he finally agreed to spill, only it was then when he cracked and went nuts and jumped out the window."

She shifted in her seat, turning the events of the past few days in her head. Rheitz turned.

"I did some research on him and it turned out that Alex was a schizophrenic and a drug addict, as well as a drunk. He had been caught for a lot of this illegal business before, but this was the first time he had sold blood."

Delilah nodded.

"Anyway, Leore headed out to get some cops and I stayed back and checked out the place for clues. I found a prescription and an empty pill bottle. Turns out it was some fancy pad paper with the doc's name so I checked him out in the phone book. Turned out he was working at St. Lucia's. We decided to go check the place out. Rheitz and Leore checked out the records room and I toured the hospital."

Rheitz moved forward in her chair, eager to speak.

"Boss and I found out that the hospital was low on blood and they were having a lot of death's 'cause of it. Detective Waters even found out they had a blood drive. But we checked out the requests they had sent to other hospitals, they had all rejected saying that their blood stores were full."

Delilah nodded.

"It also turned out that the doc on the prescription wasn't his doctor. It was some other dwarf who had borrowed it. I snagged some of the paper and wrote down the same prescription and got a couple of those pills myself. But when Leore compared them to the drugs we had found in Alex's body, he said they were different."

Rheitz frowned, "Wait, how'd you know that?"

Delilah glanced at Rheitz, "We had an autopsy done on the guy. Winston found out he was an elf and had some weird drug in his system. Lautrec figured out he was doped with some sort of magic that allowed someone to control the time of his death."

Delilah felt uncomfortable as she reached this part of the story, remembering the fights that had gone down between the partners. Fortunately, Rheitz picked up where she had left off.

"Boss and I headed to Barber's house after that. He got tipped that a new gang boss was changing some things up and the old guys didn't like it. He decided to go check them out since they were close to Venrir. Apparently, there are some high tensions between underground families. They were playing a card game and I found out they were keeping some sort of lizard slave. That's why we got caught in that car accident thing."

She laughed nervously, blushing awkwardly under Mattey's stare.

Delilah frowned. There were probably some missing details here. Lautrec would probably fill them in later.

"Anyway, I went down to the station after that. Onsler had gotten his hands on the goon and let me interrogate him. Turns out that Stradler, apparently he's some hotshot underground doctor, raised his slave and he's been recruiting people to draw blood. I'm not sure where that blood is going, though."

Delilah frowned, "We...there was some crap that went down after that. Personal things. Anyway, I got stuck in my car with Venrir. He has big plans for something, wanted me to join hands with him since I'm a Rodrick. I'm pretty sure he wants to overthrow the Order. Anyway, he drew some of my blood and left me for dead in my car. I managed to escape and the gang got me out in time. "

The female detective let out a sigh, rubbing her face. When had this gotten so complicated?

"Anyway, that leads us to last night...or this morning."

 

[Jodyguru]

Mattey nodded. Most of this was information he was somewhat aware of. He gave the detective a hard look when she admitted to stealing a medicine pad, but given what Lautrec did that day he let it slide. He continued listening while she recanted last night’s events. Delilah spoke about the blood red moon and Stradler escaping.
“It seems like you’re getting a solid line of evidence and testimony to make this Venrir guy. That strange blood is going to be a centerpiece for this case. That was a good find” He smiled at Rheitz. Mattey stood up and nodded to the ladies.
“I wish I had you two on my payroll. I hope Leore is taking good care of you. Have a pleasant day” he smiled at them and left the office.

He walked down the street, and once he reached an alley a block away, he stopped.
A cleric wearing a big grin on his face stood in the alley and approached Mattey. The chief of police started cleaning his glasses with a cloth.

“Where do we stand?” Meimar asked.
“Stradler failed to kill Leore, and now they know about the day of reckoning, but not what it holds in store for them.”
Meimar giggled a little.
“You think this is funny? If they get any closer the whole plan could fall apart” Mattey growled.
“Calm yourself, Hyatt. I just had a brilliant idea is all. I know exactly how to get rid of the dhampir.”

.....
It was late afternoon when Lautrec rose from his coffin and started the day. He was feeling refreshed after a good evening he spent with Delilah.

He arrived at Black Rose and found his team already deep into the work day.
“You two know I don’t pay you hourly, right?” He asked when he saw them looking a little ragged after a day of compiling all the data they had.
“Lets go somewhere different to do our debriefing of last night. I’m thinking pizza, my treat?”
Was he being serious? He seemed to be. Lautrec wasn’t one to play tricks on people.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz grinned, "Yes, please! I'm starving!" She hopped out of her chair, stretching her arms. "We've been sitting here all day. Mr. Mattey came by in the morning to get an update on the case." Delilah sighed at the mention of the police chief, leaning back in her chair. "Apparently, some of these reporters think we're helping coverup these gangsters." Delilah stood up, putting her hands on her hips, "I'll get my coat. You better not be lying about that pizza." She gave him a small smile, though she was obviously trying to hide it from Rheitz.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec shrugged. “I can see why they’d think that way. Big shootout happens and people who aren’t police crossed the barricade. We will just have to prove them false when we make the arrests.”
He took the girls downstairs and hopped into the car.
“Delilah” he said. “I did a little digging last night and I found something you may like.”
He reached under his seat and pulled out a record jacket. The album said “Lydia Debinson and The Songbirds” on the front with a portrait of the woman singing.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz stuck her head between the seats. "What is it? Woah, I didn't know you liked-" Delilah's hand pushed Rheitz's bubbly face back behind the front seats. "I like music. Just because I can be a grumpy old lady doesn't mean I don't have taste." She took the record from the dhampir, turning it over in her hand. She let out a whistle when she caught sight of the date on the back. "I was really young when these songs came out, probably around 20. I'd just gotten my badge," she murmured, running her hand over the cover. "Is...are we trading something for this? I'll see if I've got any cash on me," she dug a hand into her pocket, scrounging for some cash.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec wondered if she was serious or kidding. “Uh, well you’re welcome to try, but it’s not worth much aside from my sentimental value.” He gave her an awkward smile. That was when Delilah realized why he exhumed this artifact. He was giving Delilah a gift.
Rheitz noticed one of the small people drawn on the cover where it said Songbirds. One who wore a hat and played the violin. The pale face on the cover told her that it was Lautrec on the album, despite her not knowing his history with music. She knew he liked Jazz because he played it in the office on occasion, but never knew he played.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz stuck her head between the seats again, "Look, it's you, Boss!"
She pointed to one of the people on the cover, "I had no idea you played anything!"
Delilah gave him a surprised look. "I thought you didn't know her that well? Turns out your part of her main quartet," she frowned at him, confused.
"Why didn't you say anything last night?"
Now it was Rheitz's turn to be confused, "Last night? What happened last night?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec looked confused by what Rheitz had said. He took a hard look at the album cover. “What? That isn’t me. It looks nothing like me.” He looked at the date.
“Twenty six... I wasn’t with the band anymore... and nothing happened last night” he looked at Delilah’s Scrutinizing expression.
“I’m not lying. I’d never wear a silly title like Songbird. Does that sound like my type of thing?” He looked at the album with a puzzling look.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz frowned, annoyed that the detectives were hiding something from her. "What happened last night? Detective Waters, don't be mean!" She pouted, looking like a small puppy with her face squished between the two front seats. Delilah frowned at Rheitz, blushing slightly, "Nothing. If your so curious, ask your boss," she said hurriedly, quick to the shift the attention from herself. Rheitz eyed Delilah's warming cheeks and turned to Lautrec, "Come on Boss! Don't leave me in the dark!"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec saw this as a great opportunity to get revenge on Delilah for questioning him on the album, not even saying thank you for the thing.
“Well it’s pretty embarrassing. When we got home she invited me upstairs. We had a few shots to celebrate not dying. I started telling her stories about playing violin with Lydia’s band, then she threw herself at me. Begged me to make her a blood slave. I refused with courtesy and went home knowing she’d sober up and forget about the incident. Sorry Delilah, I tried to keep it secret.” He chuckled and shrugged.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz's eyes widened, blushing in embarrassment. "Oh," she muttered awkwardly, sitting back in her seat. She had definitely not been expecting that response.
Delilah's mouth hung open, shock rapidly melting into rage.
"You ungrateful bastard," she yelled, the sound exploding from her chest like a roar. She slapped his arm, and when she found that he was smirking, she began to hit him further.
"You think this is funny?! It is NOT funny! It is not funny AT ALL! Apologize! Right now, dammit!"