forum las vegas lights // oxo // closed

Started January 22, 2022 by @larcenistarsonist group

tune

Felix sighs prolongedly from his nose as he narrows his eyes and rocks a little more on the balls of his feet. "So…" He puffs his cheeks out. "I guess I'm going in alone next time." As he says it, the reality kind of hits Felix right in the chest. Going in alone isn't any different to him than usual, but something about truly not having someone in the parking lot if anything went wrong is… unnerving. Not like Felix would ever actually voice that.

"I have more places around Vegas where I know we could be safe to talk. If none of those work, we can pick one of our places or even the LVPD building." Felix mentally tallies through his friends' residences and business offices throughout the area. Grace has her restaurant, Abel has their botany shop, Paisley with her law firm, Shea and Bianca's place and restaurant… He trusts them all to let him use a quiet place without the risk of eavesdropping.

Really he doesn't want to, but this is something out of his control. "Felix…." Damian sighed. "You've always have gone in alone….From now on, I'll just be somewhere else, waiting for you. You'll be fine." He will make sure of it. One way or another at least. The question is how. How will he go about this? How will he make sure that this case won't go cold? How will he keep control of the reins? How?

Damain shook his head. His frown persisted. A lot of places won't work. People have to be cleared, just as the place would be. "I don't think that'd be best. We can try my office though; that'd be the best option for us." He doesn't trust a lot there, but the risk is low. "You'll be fine," He repeated. "Okay?"

Hearing the repetition of reassurances coming from the once stone-cold detective does absolute wonders for Felix's ego. Chink in the armor, how he shoved a screwdriver right in there. "I will just fine, doll," Felix smiles without a hint of anxiety in his voice. "It's nothing I can't handle, I can assure you." He makes his way back to his car. Rhyda lays sprawled out in the backseat with Jackpot draped over her eyes like a blindfold.

"Same time next week?" He raises an eyebrow, hand already on the handle to the driver's seat. "I can guarantee that there'll be a crack in the case."

(And then do we want to skip to the next week or did you have anything else planned?)
(also! do you have a discord?)

With narrowing eyes, he stared at Herrera. He hoped that this won't stress the guy out more than need be. This all stressful, yet enough of it can be detrimental for himself and for the case. Sure Damian is worried about the case, but he is worried about how Herrera is and feels. That is something he finds to be equally important. Any rational detective would say so.

His mind had wandered off so quickly. By the time Herrera asked him a question, his eyes widened just as his lips thinned. Biting on his bottom lip, he gave a slight nod. "You'll know where to find me if you need anything," He assured. "And with spirit like that, I hope there will be."

(yeah we can skip to the next week!)
(also i dont have discord sorry ;( )

(swag! and rip aldkf)

Felix smiles and waves with two fingers. The car door slams as he gets into it; Rhyda barely moves from her backseat lounge. "Home!" Felix announces, cranking the radio and flipping a u-turn to head down the street.

–

A week later, Felix stands in front of his bathroom mirror, swiping a decent amount of product through his hair. Rhyda sits in the corner of their living room with a pair of headphones around her ears. She taps out a steady beat on a muffled set of electric drums. Accustomed to the noise, Felix hardly even notices it. He quickly sends a text off to Mae. The game is in half an hour, and Felix is one foot out the door. He waves goodbye to Rhyda, expectedly met with zero response.

The ride there is uneventful and filled with ballads from Britney Spears. He checks his phone one last time before he flashes his ID to the security guard.

It pretty much took almost a whole week for Damian to figure out a new plan. For the time being, he just went with his office at the LVPD and the Teo will reconvene after the game. Really he is out of options. With worrying about the case and two four year olds, his creativity was worn thin. It seemed like the only plan that made some sense to him. He did tell the chief so the old man would be aware, but also so that no one would be bothering them.

He paced around his office like he would on any other normal day. On his desk, his phone vibrated. Rushing over, he picked it up to take a look at the notification. Herrera. Damian both took a deep exhale then rolled his eyes. He just sent an OK then goes back to pacing around. Fun times for Detective Mae for sure.

After starting the engine and checking his reflection in the rear-view mirror, Felix dials Mae's number and sets it on speaker. They agreed it would be smart to only meet after in a location far from the bar. Less likely to get caught, less stress on Felix's shoulders. The past week he had been to his friends' concert in the back of the crowd and mostly pickpocketing men and women who got a little too close. He talked with his younger sister–his favorite sister– and bought Jackpot a brand new squeak toy. This week is good, Felix tells himself. This week is only going to get better.

"Damiaaaaaaaaaan-" Felix drawls when the detective finally picks up. They don't really need to talk… But y'know. Felix likes talking and loves people listening.

Once again, Damian had stopped thanks to his phone going off. Violently, it vibrated on top of his desk. It's loud, but it's better than ring tones in his opinion. He rolled his eyes as he dragged his feet over just to see the name "Herrera" across the phone screen.

Now what? His index finger hovered over the answer option. There is not much to weigh the pros and cons in the first place. Just like how there is not much time for him to do any of this. Out of the sake of his sanity and potentially Herrera's, he answered and put the call on speaker.

"What is it now?" He asked. "Don't tell me I have to be there or you're in trouble…"

"No, no, nothing like that, doll!" Felix is quick to answer as he pulls onto the horrendous traffic jam that is the Strip. Some sirens sound in the distance, but it's nothing out of the ordinary for a city like Las Vegas. "Just wanted to check in and ensure that we're meeting at the station afterwards." Felix entirely stops the car as he hits particularly terrible traffic. He checks all four of his current wristwatches. He doubts they would carry through road construction at this busy time of the year. Regardless, it's a good thing he left a little early.

The sirens are particularly loud. "Hey, uh, Damian. Do you know if there was a wreck on the Strip?" The cars inch forward. Felix shares a quick look with Jackpot.

"Okay." Damian ruffled his hair. At least Herrera's fine or maybe he shouldn't be assuming things too quickly. There has to be a point as to why he's calling him. The sirens blared from the phone speaker. His hand rested on his hip. "Yes….Yes we are meeting up in my office when the game is over," He answered. "Text me when you are on your way if possible."

It was a bit difficult to hear between the blaring sirens and Herrera's voice. "A wreck?" Just as he looked up from the desk, he watched as am officer rushed by his office. He could step outside and ask, but Google is always there for a semi-introvert who doesn't want to bother. "Huh….I guess there is one. I don't know how long it'll take for them to take care of it." He frowned. A car accident in Las Vegas traffic: the perfect combination. "This is perfect…"

"Unfortunate," Felix huffs, checking his watches and then his phone and then the car clock all to ensure the time. The car clock above his ABBA-blaring radio is two minutes off. It bothers him greatly. "I don't think Harima would appreciate me being late, but I doubt I'm the only one caught in this traffic."

A paramedic rushes by on the cleared lane to his right, the line of cars inches forward. When Felix leans over into the passenger seat, he catches sight of the incident far ahead. An expensive red car's entire left side is collapsed in, a second car nowhere in sight. A firefighter works at the driver-side door, some officers direct traffic to get it going smoothly. "Yeah, no, it doesn't look pretty–" Felix drives by just as they get the door off.

"Holy shit–" He whispers. "Damian, that was Clyde–one of the players."

Too many sounds. Too many for his brain to compute. It made his thoughts all mixed up. Damian just hummed. "It's Las Vegas. Harima needs to be aware of the traffic here," He laughed, mostly to himself. Chances are the other players will be late too. Well, most of them. It won't be the end of the world, but it could be a setback for them. Eh…Damn the factors that are out of his control.

Damian could hear another siren going. It's not a police or firetruck alarm. He could tell there were firetruck and police ones of course, but there's an ambulance too. Thankfully it came quickly. "Hmmm? Herrera, what is that?"

"What?" He picked up his phone and took speaker off. Pressing it against his ear, he asked, "Clyde? It's Clyde?" Really? Is it true? "Is she alive?"

It's true. Felix doesn't have to rubberneck to know that the woman being extracted from the driver's seat is the one he's played poker with. Her dark skin, her signature crimson headscarf, the startling red lipstick–without a doubt it's Miss Clyde from the fifth seat at the poker table. The paramedics take her slack body from the seat and onto a stretcher, wheeling her past Felix's sight.

"It's her alright–" Felix mutters in a low, low voice. "And I can't say for sure if she's alive or not." He clears his throat, not a hint of playfulness lacing his following tone. "There's no second car. She was in the right lane, but the driver's side was what was hit." He clicks the pieces together in his brain. The workers in his mind grab some model cars and arrange them on a small track. "Hit and run." He swallows the bile in his throat. "I think it was intentional."

Even with sirens and other sounds blaring into his ear, the silence was deafening. He needs to know every little detail that Herrera can see right now. Even if someone were to investigate this hit, they won't be able to get such details right away nor would they give any of it to Damian. It's not like he could go to Miss Clyde and interview her. We'll that is if she survives. He can only hope for reasons more than one.

A sticky note pad and pen laid next to his laptop. Clicking the pen, he started to write down little things about what Herrera was telling him. He remained silent afterwards, simply staring down at the sticky note. The last thing he wrote was the word "intentional." Resting the tip of the pennon using bottom lip, he whispered the word.

His eyes widened. "A new spot will open up. Someone is going to fill that spot up now….Well…" Damian bit the inside of his cheek. Now is not the best time to jump to conclusions. They are stuck in a fog. But still…"Someone inside must have had another do it for a certain reason. No one does a hit and run like that on the whim."

Felix, now past the scene of the accident, racks his brain for any sort of clue of how that could've happened–it's not like the suspect could've just bashed their car into Clyde's and sped away. No, not in Vegas traffic. He replays the scene in his mind, going through different scenarios of how the crime could've been committed. There's no doubt poor Clyde was targeted. First Valentine, then Clyde–

Felix's blood goes cold.

"Somebody's targeting the players." The scene plays once more in his mind. The side of the car wasn't dented nor crumpled from the outside, there was smoke from the inside, the accident had nearly entirely halted traffic. "Holy shit, I think it was an explosive."

That must be it. Someone is going after the players just like how the went after Miss Valentine. Whoever got Clyde must have been the one to have murdered Valentine. It must be true. He isn't one to jump to conclusions, but it made sense to Damian.

"Huh? An explosive? Here?" You don't really see those frequently. There has to be remnants of the car bomb or whatever caused the car to explode. There's always evidence. And pictures can help determine what happened, even though it would be ideal to go through the wreckage to truly find something.

Damian scratched the back of his head. "Do you think you can get pictures from where you're at?" He asked. "Pictures or videos….whatever you can. Can you?"

"I've passed the scene," Felix admits, glancing over his shoulder as he switches lanes. "I'm sure the police and firemen at the station or something will have more information than me." As much as he hates to downplay his own abilities, Felix has to be honest. He caught a few glances, confirmed the poor victim, but then was forced to move on by the beeping traffic behind him.

"Plus, I'm going to be at the club soon. I think it'll be smart to see how the others react to the news." The faces of Blake, Dane, Rivers, and Harima cycle through his head. "Do you think we can rule Clyde out for being a suspect?" He inquires as he arrives in the parking lot of the club. He parks and puts his sedan to park, watching as a clearly oblivious (or clearly guilty) Blake shows her ID to the bouncer and slips into the bar.

The first thought that came across his head was "damn it." Then he followed it with a rather frustrated sigh. "Alright…" Sure he can get evidence from whoever is in charge, but he is not the most popular detective here. He will get strange looks just for asking to see pictures unless Paul can slip him a file. Silently, he tapped his right index against the edge of the desk.

Damian mumbled, "Or if they don't react at all." He wondered if the culprit already has someone in line to fill up the seat. There are too many possibilities and he knows that it's useless predicting anything now. Scratching the back of his head, he shrugged, "Maybe…Maybe not…Could just be used to throw us off too. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case."

He looked over at his notebook and the paper work for the case. Gently, he sorted out the pictures of all the players, including Miss Valentine. He picked up hers while gazing down at the rest. "What's even the point of going after the others? Is it worth the trouble of a car explosive?" Damian asked, mostly just to himself.

"I don't know," Felix mutters, voice clipped as he hates to admit it. "This could be an entirely unrelated crime. Somebody could be trying to get into the club. Somebody might have a particular vendetta against Valentine and Clyde." He finds himself listing off the possibilities on his right hand fingers. Jackpot chitters in the passenger seat; Felix strokes the ferret's back to calm himself down. He checks his watch. Only ten minutes until the game starts.

Sighing, Felix swipes his fingers through his hair and glances at himself in the mirror. "While I'm in here, you should check in with whatever police officers went to the scene of the crime. Ask around a little bit and see if you can figure out what had happened to Clyde's car." The realization that he really doesn't know anything on the woman startles him. Hell, what's her first name? "She could be at the hospital. If she isn't dead, you could go in and ask a few questions." Is that legal? Eh, Felix wouldn't know.

"I have to go. The game starts soon." He kills the engine to his car and cracks his windows. Mouthing at Jackpot to stay, Felix unlocks his door and steps out. Per usual, the sun is absolutely sweltering. "Good luck, doll."

"A personal vendetta with those two? It doesn't make sense to kill someone in a room then go through the trouble of making a car bomb. For a killer, it's too much." Someone has to be orchestrating this. They aren't doing this themselves or at least the culprit was definitely the one behind Valentine. But Clyde….

Damain bit the inside of his cheek. Herrera's idea didn't sound too bad. Asking for simple details wouldn't hurt. And if forensics picked up on any evidence, there is a chance he could tie it to Valentine. But that's all hypothetical. He can't get his hopes up. "I'd have to ask where she is and if they'll let me know when she wakes….If she wakes that is."

The game. He closed his eyes. "Alright…." Damian turned to look out of the window into the hallway. No one passed by. In the office across, it looked empty. Would he be able to make any progress now? "I should be saying the same to you. Stay safe, Herrera." Then he ended the call.

With a sigh, Felix stares at Mae's caller ID before pocketing his phone. He relocks his car and shuts the door. The bouncer is staring at him from behind particularly reflective sunglasses. "Afternoon," Felix greets smoothly, showing his identification and then entering through the doors.

The first thing he notices is Helsie Rivers and Blake talking quietly to the other in the corner of the room. Dane sits at the bar with a whiskey cradled in his hands. Harima, per usual, is nowhere to be seen–most likely dwelling behind the thick double doors guarding the poker table. His worn dress shoes take him further into the club, dodging around dancers and drinkers to lean up against an empty portion of the bartop.

"You're lookin' a little melancholy." A voice startles him from his observations. A man, a bartender, leans over the bar top. He's well-tanned with sparkling brown eyes and overly decent dark hair. "Can I get you a drink?"

Felix smiles, some internal Charm Switch immediately turned on. "As much as I'd love to, doll, I have a game to attend and somewhere to be afterwards."

"Not even if it's on the house?" He inquires, a platinum nametag on his silk dress shirt reading Charlie. He leans further over the counter, into Felix's personal space, though he can't say that he minds. "What about on me?"

From the corner of his eye, Felix catches Rivers and Blake slipping into the poker room. "Another day, darlin'." And with a wink, he slips away from the counter and trails after the two other players into the room. Dane joins them shortly after; Harima and the same stunning dealer are already around the table. All of their eyes stare at the empty fifth seat.

"Is she dead?" Blake asks, her voice heavy as she takes a seat in the first chair.

"Could be," Dane responds, tone low, gravelly, and mixed with whiskey.

"Shame," Harima mutters with a puff of his cigar. "We'll fill the seat by next week. Until then, this game won't start by itself." He gestures to the dealer. "Athena, by all means, start the deal."

The dealer nods and breaks the plastic of a brand new deck.

(Okay and then we can probably timeskip to Felix meeting Damian at the station, then afterwards Damian can head to the hospital to talk to Clyde and I can play her)

Daphne Clyde. Somehow whatever deity Damian asked for helped awnsered his little prayer. He got ahold of the friendly yet oblivious detective, Alex, and his colleague answered most of his questions. So now he has the hospital she was sent to on a light blue sticky note. Alex told him that he will be visiting her as well, but briefly when she awakes and asked for Damian to keep his meeting brief too.

Now the plan is to wait for Herrera then to go to the hospital an hour or so after Clyde wakes up. He wants to be careful, but also able to get anything. Any details or further information that could possibly help him. Hell, if it helps in her case too, that would be nice. Right?

Waiting….It is one of his most favorite things. Sitting his office chair while staring at the little clock on the right corner of his laptop. The game should be over soon. If all goes well, maybe he will get more info from that too.

And if he wasn't staring at the little clock, then he would occasionally look over at his phone. It sat screen up. He had just put the sound on about five minutes ago. Five minutes ago felt like an eternity had passed. Damian rested the side of his head against the desk as he kept his eyes on the phone.

Anxiously tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Felix pulls into the police department parking lot. He haphazardly parks his car in some empty spot and throws Jackpot over his shoulder. The receptionist shoots him an odd glare as he marches into the building, but Felix pays her absolutely no mind as he bustles into one of the offices and slams the door behind him. "Lots to tell you," Felix announces, dropping Jackpot right onto Mae's desk.

He holds up his index finger. "One, Harima was entirely unfazed by the news of Clyde's crash. He only said it was a shame before telling the dealer to start the game. I didn't get much on Dane, but he just has this eternally sad aura around him. Rivers and Blake didn't seem too affected but they were certainly walking on eggshells at the bar." The poker table rotates in his mind as he deciphers his next move. "Dane didn't feel guilty, nor Blake and Rivers, but I can't say for sure." After finally getting out all of the initial information, Felix takes a seat across from the detective and steples his fingers, ready for any approaching questions.