Chapter Text
Lava Springs was the subject of a few suspicious deaths and dealings but, they paid good money to keep things quiet so the logical way to make the cops seem hardworking and on the case? Send the rookie.
Gabriel Montez was far more used to crime scenes and this kind of fancy place where his blatant Latin American heritage garnered him more than a few unfriendly stares [“Bad enough they have so many n****rs around here” he overheard one stuffy bastard grumble] but the young owner Sharpae Evans was polite enough if very VERY full of himself
“You’ve probably answered all of these questions but I need you to recall anything you can tell me about -”
“Yes, yes, the Gold Boy. Well! Took him under my wing and he threw it all back in my face!” The blonde fop spat.
Well, either Evans was really good at acting like the angry mob boss who didn’t care or there was genuine resentment there…possibly enough to kill. It was the talk of the investigation that Sharpae Evans had taken Titan Gold under his wing only for the boy to attempt to take what Sharpae Evans had for himself. If it weren’t for the public humiliation and firing the boy had a few days before the murder. Sharpae would be suspect number 1. But he had taken his revenge on Titan before he died leaving him with little motive…if it weren’t for what the man really did for a living.
A bespectacled fellow with glasses and curly brown hair sat down at the piano while the pretty blonde with the hat which Mr Evans introduced as his twin sister Rihanna approached the mic.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may we present for your entertainment, Our very own wildcat of the Springs Miss Helen Bolton!”
A soft tinkle from the piano with the guitar followed as the Evans main star beauty stepped into the spotlight - a tall statuesque light brunette taking control of the crowd with her blue eyes and her red dress but what Gabriel noticed was the smile - the friendly light smile that quickly turned nervous as she placed her hands around the microphone stand and started off her number.
“Something catch your eye…detective?”
He could hear the hint of jealousy in the man’s tone and the look he was giving to the singer rather possessively and here I was thinking he just loved the sound of his own voice.
He couldn’t bring himself to care, something about the singer Helen..the way she was visibly awkward as she stepped into the light [rather reminded him of his own choir frights] but once the music hit..it was like a hidden diva had taken over.
The detective didn’t register the way those eyes were fixed on him the whole time.
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Blackmail was an easy reason to want someone dead.
From what he could gather many of the club employees were here to pay back favours they could not solve monetarily. Evans held their secrets and it seemed he had passed a lot of them on to Gold before he died.
“Just working off my debt”, came the reply everywhere he turned. Taylor the direct assistant to the general club manager did admit this was the only joint in town that would hire people of color…presenting him with another reason as to why everything seemed so rehearsed.
Still left him with no leads in the case.
Gathering his papers at the club table he’d been using while they closed up for the night, he made for the exit, He had to get home before his mother began her panic calls.
“Excuse me? Detective Montez?”
And he turned to see the most stunning pair of blue eyes gazing back at him.
Helen had changed out of her show outfit into a pair of matching red and white sports jacket and leggings, she’d switched the heels for a pair of tennis shoes and the makeup had been scrubbed from her face but she was no less beautiful and the friendly smile remained exactly the same.
“Ma’am”, he tilted his hat suddenly feeling a wave of shyness come over him at being face-to-face with the entertainer
She didn’t respond, looking at him rather awkwardly rubbing her hand behind her neck before producing a slip of paper, tucking it into his shirt pocket and giving him another smile and a nod before turning and walking away quickly.
He blinked after her before glancing down at the paper
Meet me at The Treehouse in the city tomorrow at 11 am. I can tell you everything I know.
Troy.