AN: Ok. Finally, we're at the climax of this ongoing investigation. 1 more chapter and it's a wrap. 🫡 I'll drop the next chapter today.
--
Lucifer sat in the back seat with one arm stretched along the bench, looking entirely too pleased with himself for a man who had been arrested less than an hour ago.
Chloe drove with one hand on the wheel and her phone pressed to her ear, her attention split between the road and the call.
“Yeah, therapist in Beverly Hills with first name Linda. See if Delilah was a client."
“Actually, she had a pseudonym. Which I happen to know. Penny Lane.”
Chloe glanced at him through the rearview mirror before speaking into the phone again.
“Delilah could’ve gone by Penny Lane... Okay, thanks.”
She ended the call and dropped the phone onto the center console. For a few quiet seconds, the car filled with nothing except the low sound of traffic and the feeling of Lucifer staring at her from the back seat.
Chloe could practically feel his smug grin pressing against the side of her head.
“What? Don’t be so smug... hasn’t panned out yet.”
“No, that’s not it," Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "I knew I recognized you.”
Chloe’s grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
“Right. So you saw my boobies. Never heard that one before.”
“And your ass, don’t forget. A thing of beauty-”
“I will pull this car over and shoot you.”
“I told you. I’m immortal.”
Chloe rolled her eyes so hard she nearly missed the next turn. Lucifer watched her with the calm satisfaction of a man who enjoyed irritating people purely because it proved they were paying attention.
Then his smile softened around the edges.
“Is the movie why you have such a chip on your shoulder?” He asked.
Chloe kept her eyes on the road. The question struck closer than she wanted, especially coming from him. “Trust me, that’s low on the list of things I have to live down.”
Lucifer leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms across the back of the front seat while watching her profile with an unexpected seriousness.
“Right. Attractive female cop struggling to be taken seriously in a man’s man’s world. That it?”
“Something like that.”
“Who cares what the other pigs say? You’re a kickass detective, should listen to me a bit more maybe, but you know who you are.”
Chloe’s eyes flicked toward him in the mirror again. She expected another joke, maybe an obnoxious comment, or some ridiculous declaration about his own brilliance. Instead, Lucifer looked strangely sincere.
“I know who I am. There’s just a lot of people out there who have a problem with it. Other cops mostly," She replied.
“They’re threatened. You’re clearly smart and have notable instincts. Ignore them. Trust yourself.”
For half a second, Chloe did not know how to respond.
This man was ridiculous. He was arrogant, inappropriate, impossible to arrest properly, and somehow capable of making a serious point sound like he was complimenting a wine selection. Yet he had seen something in her that most people at the precinct ignored or mocked.
Her phone rang before she could say anything.
Chloe grabbed it quickly, grateful for the interruption.
“Detective Decker... Really? Okay, text it to me. Thanks”
She ended the call and stared ahead for a moment, considering the information.
“Huh.”
Lucifer lifted an eyebrow from the back seat.
“What?”
“Looks like what you said stands up. There’s a Penny Lane who sees a Dr. Linda Martin. Address in Beverly Hills.”
Lucifer’s face brightened instantly.
“Excellent. I’ll clear my schedule.”
Chloe shook her head as she drove. The idea of taking Lucifer Morningstar along to question Delilah’s therapist was completely unreasonable. He was technically a civilian, a nightclub owner, a witness, and a walking human-resources complaint all at once.
Still, his clue had been right.
Before she could decide how much of a mistake this was becoming, her phone rang again.
Chloe answered it with a tired breath.
“Yeah... What? You’re kidding me. Is she okay?... Her father was supposed to pick her up today... Of course he’s not.”
Lucifer sat up slightly when Chloe’s expression changed.
“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
She hung up and pressed her lips together, visibly annoyed.
“We have to make a pit stop.”
Lucifer tilted his head.
“Where?”
“I have to get my kid from school. She got into a fight.”
Lucifer’s face lit with immediate interest.
“Oh my, I guess she takes after her mom, huh? So, did she beat the other one to a pulp?”
Chloe gave him a flat look through the rearview mirror.
“She’s seven.”
“And?”
Chloe hit the gas.
The cruiser surged forward through traffic, throwing Lucifer back against the seat with enough force to make even him blink.
For the first time since getting into the car, he looked genuinely impressed.
'She's a feisty one.'
...
...
[School]
Chloe pulled the car up in front of the elementary school and parked along the curb beneath a row of wide green trees. Children moved through the front entrance in noisy groups while parents waited beside expensive SUVs, old sedans, and idling minivans.
Chloe turned around and pointed at Lucifer.
“Wait here.”
Lucifer gave her a polite smile that did not inspire confidence.
“Whatever you say, detective.”
Chloe frowned as if she already regretted believing him. She stepped out, locked the doors with a sharp click, and headed toward the school entrance without looking back.
Lucifer watched her disappear through the glass doors.
Then he looked down at the lock beside him.
A small flicker of power moved through his fingers.
The lock popped open.
Lucifer pushed the door outward and stepped onto the sidewalk, stretching his shoulders beneath his suit jacket. Sitting in the back of a police car felt deeply insulting, especially when the car belonged to a woman who could apparently make the Devil feel weak just by looking at him.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with a lazy snap of his fingers.
“Much better,” he murmured.
A Milfy mom crossed the sidewalk in front of him, walking toward the school entrance with an easy confidence that made Lucifer pause halfway through his first drag. She wore a fitted blouse, dark sunglasses, and carried herself like she had never once apologized for taking up space in a room. She was a hottie with big boobs and a well-toned body.
Lucifer watched her disappear through the doors.
'Now that is one very attractive milf,' he thought.
He followed her inside.
The school lobby was way louder and crowded than he expected. Colorful posters covered the walls. Finger-painted artwork hung beneath a large banner about kindness. Somewhere farther down the hall, a teacher shouted at someone to stop running.
'I miss my school life so much. Haha... Always wanted to get out of that life, yet now, even with all this power and money, I'm craving to go back to that school life,' He thought. 'But where's that woman?'
The woman had vanished.
Lucifer frowned and looked around, mildly annoyed.
“Darn it,” he muttered. “Where did she go?”
He noticed a small girl sitting alone near the front office. She had dark hair, bright eyes, and the confident posture of someone who had recently committed a crime and believed she had excellent reasons for doing so.
'Finally, we meet, little monkey,' he thought. 'Okay, all that is left now is Linda.'
Lucifer sat beside her with the lit cigarette still resting between his fingers.
The girl looked at the cigarette first, then at him.
“I don’t think you’re allowed to smoke in here.”
Lucifer looked down at the cigarette with theatrical concern, then at the girl. “Oh dear, what will become of me?”
The girl stared at him for another second. “My mother is a police officer. She could arrest you.” She said. A couple of her front teeth were missing.
Lucifer smiled, clearly enjoying himself.
“I think I might know your mother. We’re working together. On a case. Top secret.”
The girl’s eyes widened.
“You know my mother?”
“Unfortunately.”
“What’s your name?”
“Lucifer.”
Her face changed immediately. She asked in a hushed voice, “Like the devil?!”
Lucifer grinned, pleased by the reaction. “Exactly.”
She leaned back, “My name is Beatrice. But everyone calls me Trixie.”
Lucifer nodded thoughtfully.
“That’s a hooker’s name.”
The words left his mouth before Karl could stop them.
'Fuck. Why did I say that? Ah. Can’t even lie about anything, including my thoughts. What a drag,' he thought, already regretting it.
Trixie tilted her head.
“What’s a hooker?”
Lucifer crushed the cigarette in his palm and looked toward the hallway as if the answer might be waiting there.
“Ask your mother.”
Then he turned back toward her.
“Why are you in trouble?”
Trixie pointed across the lobby toward another little chubby girl with a mean face sitting near the wall. The girl had her arms folded and a sulky expression, though she looked considerably less confident than Trixie.
“See that girl over there?”
Lucifer followed her finger.
“The ugly one?”
Trixie nodded immediately. “Yes! She was bullying me. She created a fake Snapchat account and used it to make fun of me! So I kicked her in the no-no-touch zone!”
Lucifer paused.
Trixie pointed toward his crotch.
Lucifer nodded with serious approval.
“I see. Well-played.”
He rose from the chair, threw the crushed cigarette into a nearby bin without setting anything on fire, and crossed the lobby toward the girl.
She looked up as Lucifer sat beside her.
“Hello, Mean Girl. Did you know that you will never amount to anything in this life, and that there’s a special section of Hell reserved for bullies? So, have fun!”
For one brief instant, Lucifer let his eyes change.
The girl froze.
Beneath the elegant human face, something ancient peeled open. His iris became bright red for a moment.
"Aaaaaaaa!!!!" The girl burst into tears and screamed.
Then the sound stretched.
The whole hallway slowed.
Children moving past the lobby became blurred figures drifting through thick water. A teacher’s raised hand hung motionless in the air. A backpack slipped from someone’s shoulder, but it fell so slowly that it barely moved.
Lucifer’s grin faded.
'Amenadiel! Is he stalking me? This never happened in the OG show. That creep... Haaa. Well, whatever.'
He stood and looked toward the far end of the hallway.
A shadow seemed to loom beyond the students moving in surreal slow motion. Lucifer could feel the familiar pressure of his brother’s presence somewhere nearby.
The bastard was watching him again.
Before he could move, a distorted voice called out from behind him.
“Hello?! What’d you do?”
Everything snapped back to normal.
The crying girl sat against the wall with tears streaming down her face. Trixie watched with open approval. Children continued moving through the hall as though nothing strange had happened.
Chloe stood a few feet away with her hands on her hips and a look that suggested she had already reached the limit of what she was willing to tolerate today.
Lucifer recovered instantly.
“I think someone’s feeling a little guilty. Isn’t that right, child?”
The girl cried harder.
Trixie smiled.
Chloe stared at Lucifer.
What the hell? her expression clearly said.
Lucifer only smiled back.
...
A few minutes later, Chloe, Lucifer, and Trixie walked out of the school together. The sun had shifted lower in the sky, painting the street in warm afternoon light.
A familiar car pulled up near the curb.
Dan Espinoza stepped out, looking tired and irritated before he even reached them. His eyes landed on Lucifer standing beside Chloe.
'What’s he doing here?' Dan thought.
Trixie brightened immediately.
“Hi, Daddy.”
Chloe folded her arms and gave Dan a deadpan look. “Wow. Shocker. You’re late.”
Dan sighed as he walked closer.
“Gimme a break, I’m putting a case to bed.”
“Right, like I’m not working a case too. You remember, the one you tried to steal from me?”
“You mean the open and shut one. You did open and shut it, right?”
Chloe went quiet for half a second.
That silence told Dan enough.
Lucifer leaned closer to Chloe with visible interest. “Have you been going rogue, dear? Exciting.” He said with a smile.
“I’m not going rogue. I’m just being diligent. I need to get this right, Dan. It’s a high-profile case.”
“Exactly. Which is why you need to be smart about it-”
Lucifer noticed Trixie standing beside them with both fingers plugged into her ears. He looked at Dan with open disapproval. “She is smart. You’re a dimwit. But perhaps you should refrain from arguing in front of the child. It’s common sense to not fight before kids, or don’t tell me you don’t have one.”
Dan stared at him.
Then he looked at Chloe and asked, “Who’s this idiot? New boyfriend? I thought we agreed not to...”
Lucifer stepped forward and grabbed Dan’s hand in a firm handshake.
He leaned close enough that Dan could smell the expensive cologne beneath the cigarette smoke.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m a man who could make you see things that would drive you blind. Or pull your spine out through your mouth. Your choice. But I wouldn’t do any of these things in front of the child. You know why? Because I, for one, have excellent manners.”
Dan stared at him for a long second.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or shoot you.”
Lucifer smiled.
“Surprise me.”
Trixie looked up at Dan with complete admiration.
“Isn’t he funny, Daddy?!”
Chloe stepped in before Dan could answer.
“Hey, can you drop Trix at my mother’s? Thanks! Gotta go!”
She crouched in front of Trixie and kissed her forehead.
“Gimme a kiss, Trixella! Mommy loves you so much! And... good job standing up to the mean girl!”
Trixie hugged her tightly.
“Thanks, Mommy!”
Then she asked Chloe with sudden curiosity. “What’s a hooker?”
Chloe slowly looked over her shoulder at Lucifer.
Lucifer turned his face toward the street and studied the clouds as though they had become deeply fascinating.
Chloe looked back at Dan with a smile.
“Daddy’ll tell you.”
Dan's left eye twitched a bit as he gave Lucifer a look that promised future problems, then took Trixie’s hand and guided her toward the car.
Trixie turned around one last time.
“Bye, Lucifer! Nice to meet you!”
Lucifer gave her a warm smile and lifted one hand in a small wave.
“Bye, little human.”
Trixie climbed into Dan’s car, still looking pleased with herself.
Chloe watched them pull away, then turned toward Lucifer with a face that carried more surprise than she wanted him to notice. “I think she likes you.”
Lucifer looked entirely unsurprised. “Of course she does. What’s not to like?”
...
...
[15 minutes later]
[Dr. Linda Martin’s Office]
The waiting room smelled faintly of lavender.
Chloe sat with a file open across her lap, scanning the notes from Delilah’s case while her foot tapped quietly against the carpet.
Lucifer sat beside her with one ankle resting over his knee. He studied the framed therapy certificates on the wall, the bowl of mints on the reception desk, and a flyer about childhood emotional development.
After a few seconds, he asked, “Was your offspring planned or a mistake?”
Chloe slowly lowered the file.
“Excuse me?”
Lucifer looked back at her with complete seriousness.
“Planned. Sort of.”
Chloe stared at him, trying to decide whether he was joking.
“Hmm,” Lucifer continued. “Explain to me the human desire to procreate? Never understood it. Children are hideous little creatures. Terrible, taxing burdens. Just like that mean schoolgirl. And her friends who support her bullying endeavour. And before you know, they end up with drugs, alcohol and in jail.”
Chloe gave him a look sharp enough to slice through the room.
Lucifer noticed it and lifted one hand.
“Oh, your kid’s fine. She knows how to stand up for herself. And she looked slightly guilty for what she did and she has a sense of responsibility. So, there's nothing to be embarrassed about.”
For a moment, Chloe only stared at him.
That had almost sounded thoughtful.
Then the rest of what he had said caught up with her.
“Are you at all aware of how dickish you sound?” She asked.
Lucifer looked mildly offended.
“I am painfully aware of many things, Detective. It is one of my greatest burdens.”
Chloe went back to her file, though the corner of her mouth nearly moved before she stopped it.
Lucifer watched her for another moment.
“Speaking of dicks,” He said smoothly, “why was that dumdum you were married to pressuring you to close the case?”
Chloe did not look up.
“No reason.”
Lucifer frowned.
He turned slightly toward her and let his gaze settle on her eyes. He tried to use his power one more time, just to be sure.
Chloe only looked annoyed.
“Strange,” Lucifer muttered.
“Yes, you are.”
“No,” Lucifer said, studying her more carefully. “I’m still not affecting you.”
Chloe shut the file with a soft snap.
“Actually, you’re making me nauseous.”
Lucifer blinked.
The office door opened. A blonde woman in a fitted professional dress stepped into the waiting room, her expression warm and composed.
“Okay, Detective, I’ll see you now.”
Chloe stood immediately.
Lucifer followed.
Dr. Linda Martin’s office looked exactly like Karl expected a Beverly Hills therapist’s office to look. Soft lighting filled the room. Shelves held carefully arranged books about trauma, relationships, addiction, grief, and self-worth. A large window overlooked the street below, while a pale couch rested across from two armchairs.
Linda sat behind her desk with perfect posture, her pen poised over a notebook. Then she looked at Lucifer. For the briefest second, her calm professional expression slipped. She felt an unusual desire to have sex with the man before her in every position known to humankind.
Lucifer noticed at once.
He took a seat beside Chloe, crossing one leg over the other as if he had been invited there personally.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” He asked with his signature smile.
Linda blinked. “What?”
Lucifer smiled with complete understanding. “It’s not a good idea. I’m like walking heroin. Very habit-forming. Never ends well.”
Chloe looked between them.
“I’m sorry, do you two know each other?” She asked.
“No,” Lucifer said. “But I know that look.”
Linda quickly looked down at her notebook, trying to regain her composure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Chloe did not seem convinced, though she was far more interested in the case than whatever strange game Lucifer was playing. “Dr. Martin, we know Delilah was having a clandestine affair with a wealthy married man. Just tell us his name and we’ll be on our way.”
Linda’s expression tightened. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”
Lucifer leaned slightly toward Chloe and whispered, “She’s one of the complex ones.”
Chloe ignored him.
“Doctor, Delilah was nearly killed last night. Someone hired a gunman to shoot her outside Lux. If this man has something to do with it, you could be withholding information that might save her life.”
Linda looked troubled, but she did not answer.
“I understand,” she said quietly. “But patient confidentiality exists for a reason.”
Lucifer watched her closely. He could feel the desire she was trying so hard to bury beneath professional rules and logic. It was not subtle to him. Nothing ever was.
He leaned forward and started using his mojo.
“Linda, darling, tell me."
Linda’s fingers tightened around her pen.
“I can’t.”
“You want to.”
“I know.”
Lucifer’s smile widened slightly.
“Then why deny yourself?”
Linda let out a breath that sounded halfway between frustration and disbelief. “Mumm Oh, darn... it’s really juicy, too. Hahaha You’re the devil.”
“Correct,” Lucifer said pleasantly. “Now tell me, Dr. Martin. I know you want to.”
Chloe stared at both of them before asking Lucifer, "Did you ruffie her? This is unbelievable."
Lucifer turned toward her, genuinely offended. “It’s not her fault. She’s just reacting to me. Watch and learn.”
Chloe folded her arms.
He shifted his attention back to Linda. "The answer is yes. We can take a trip to pound town if we must. But you have to tell us, Linda."
Linda closed her eyes for a second. She fought it. Chloe could see that much. Then her shoulders dropped. “Mmmokay,” She said, giving up with visible annoyance. “It’s Grey Cooper.”
Chloe’s pen stopped above her notebook and she looked surprised. “Grey Cooper? Seriously? That is pretty juicy.”
Lucifer looked disgusted.
“The actor? The one married to Amanda What’s-her-face? Oh, he’s horrible. So square-jawed and handsome. So vanilla. I’m really quite disappointed in Delilah. Truly terrible taste in the opposite sex.”
Chloe stood, slipping her notebook into her jacket pocket.
“Thank you, doctor. We’ll be in touch.” She turned toward Lucifer. “Let’s go.”
Lucifer rose more slowly.
“Of course, but I made a deal. I need to hold up my end of the bargain.”
Chloe stared at him. "You’re not actually talking about having sex with her?? Now?"
Lucifer looked at Linda.
Linda sat back in her chair, her earlier composure mostly gone. She looked like she had just spent ten minutes arguing with every professional instinct she had built over years of training.
“I do a lot of yoga,” Linda said, attempting to recover some dignity. “I am freakishly flexible... wanna see?” She spread her legs open wide without caring about Chloe. She was wearing blue panties.
Lucifer paused.
For once, Karl’s old human panic nearly broke through the Devil’s confidence. His brain briefly considered every possible way this situation could become more awkward.
Linda then realized what she just did. She gave an awkward smile. "Wow, really tried to keep that in."
Lucifer straightened his jacket.
“You tried,” He said kindly. “That’s what matters.”
Linda blinked. 'Please, please, please, please, don't leave me soaking wet.'
Lucifer smiled at her. “I do apologize, but I’m going to have to take a rain check. I will be back.”
Linda watched him with a faint smile.
“I certainly hope so.”
“My word is my bond.”
Chloe shook her head as she walked toward the door.
Lucifer followed her out, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
...
The moment they reached the hallway, Chloe stopped and turned toward him. “What the hell was that?” She asked.
“An interview,” Lucifer shrugged.
“How did you do that?”
Lucifer’s expression shifted for a moment.
“I told you,” he said quietly. “People tell me things. It's just that my mojo doesn't work on you." He looked into his eyes. "You're special, Detective Decker."
Lucifer then began to walk toward the exit.
“Come along, Detective. We have a handsome, boring actor to interrogate.”